Meet Your Leadership Team

Laurie Weahkee is a powerful voice and respected leader in Native advocacy, community organizing, and voter engagement. A seasoned strategist, Laurie served as the longtime Executive Director of the Native American Voters Alliance and NM Native Vote, where she led transformative issue-based and electoral campaigns across Native communities for more than 25 years. Her tireless efforts to protect sacred sites and uphold tribal sovereignty earned her the Cultural Preservation Award from the New Mexico Department of Indian Affairs. 

Laurie’s leadership has also extended into key advisory roles, including service on the All Pueblo Council of Governors (APCG) Legislative Committee, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s Statewide Complete Count Committee, and the NM Secretary of State’s Native American Vote Task Force. Proudly Diné, Cochiti, and Zuni Pueblo, Laurie brings deep cultural insight, political acumen, and heartfelt dedication to every space she enters. She is also a devoted mother to one son.

As your Secretary, I am eager to work alongside our membership to strengthen engagement, transparency, and unity. As an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and of Taos Pueblo descent, I continue to increase my knowledge and understanding of the diverse needs of our Indigenous communities.  

My career in higher education, healthcare, behavioral health, and social services has also been dedicated to advancing opportunities for Native peoples. 

The volunteer experience— as a former NADCNM Chair, a Bernalillo County and Navajo Nation Voter Registrar, and now Precinct Chair for Bernalillo County Precinct 547—has reinforced the importance of collaboration and representation in ensuring our voices are heard. As your Secretary, I will make sure the Native Caucus will hold consistent general meetings, accurate meeting documentation, accessible caucus processes, and expanding membership growth across the state would be prioritized. 

As we strengthen the foundations of the caucus we will also become better positioned to join our allies to fight for the programs and services that are being drastically decimated by the callous actions of the Trump administration. I would be grateful for your support.

I am of the Naakai Diné’e (Mexican People Clan), born for the Kinya’aanii (Towering House People Clan), and my maternal grandfather is of the Maii Deeshgiizhnii (Coyote Pass People Clan). This is how I was born and raised on the Navajo Nation, in the small community of Iyanbito, New Mexico.

After graduating from New Mexico State University, I broadened my knowledge in tribal governance, federal policymaking, and environmental protections. However, it was through my upbringing on the Navajo Nation that I understood the power of listening and showing up for our people. Alongside my grandparents, I visited families in their hogans and heard firsthand the deep, ongoing challenges they faced. The stories and prayers shared in those sacred spaces have guided me—from working in the fast-food industry to walking the halls of Congress in Washington, D.C.

By showing up, I’ve witnessed how disconnected systems of power can be from the lived realities of our communities. That is why I’m committed to building bridges between our Tribal communities and decision-makers. As the Native American Democratic Caucus of New Mexico, we must raise our collective voice and stand firm against the Trump Administration’s reckless disregard for Tribal sovereignty and the rights of our people. Our fundamental rights are non-negotiable—and we must fight tooth and nail to defend them.

By uplifting Indigenous leadership and honoring the voices of our Ancestors, we can re-Indigenize our democracy for future generations.