Can I show you a piece of news that stopped me in my tracks?

This news didn’t make any front pages, but I’m sharing it now because it’s too important to ignore.

Donald Trump’s Interior Secretary recently issued an order that instructs folks who visit our national parks to report any signs or information they find to be “negative” or “disparaging” about living or past Americans.

They’re attempting to whitewash our history.

This backwards move is part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to censor the truth about our country’s past. It’s frustrating to see this happen at our national park sites, because so many places tell important stories about our past – stories that can only be told truthfully by acknowledging that there are parts of American history that shouldn’t ever be repeated.

Take it from me: My Native ancestors endured the horrors of the forced-assimilation policies carried out by the very department I led as Secretary of the Interior. I didn’t ignore that part of my history when I signed up for the job – I reckoned with our past in order to lead our country into a fairer, more just, and more equitable future.

This is the type of leader I’ll be as governor of New Mexico. Someone who can look hard truths in the face and be transparent about the solutions we need to actually solve our problems. If that sounds like the type of leadership you want to see in this moment, I’m asking for your support:

Can you make a $5 donation to our grassroots campaign right now? Your support will be essential as we fight to win this race and build a New Mexico that finally works for all its people.

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Manzanar National Historic Site. Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument. Stonewall National Monument. Consider for a moment trying to convey the true significance of these important places without being open and honest about the darker moments in our nation’s history.

I have a message for Donald Trump: Rewriting our history doesn’t silence its echoes, and you can’t teach people to love this country by lying about it.

You can’t tell the story of national monuments like Stonewall without being honest about our past.

Right now, it’s more important than ever that people like you and I keep speaking truth to power, learning from our past, and striving towards a future the next generation will be proud to look back on. I hope you’ll keep up that fight alongside me.

If you can, please make your first $5 contribution to our grassroots campaign for governor. History shows us that, if we organize together, we will win.

Be fierce,

Deb