# Heather Keeler *American politician, member of the Minnesota House of Representatives* Heather Keeler (born December 18, 1981) is a [[Minnesota]] politician of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL). She has held the District 4A seat in the [[Minnesota House of Representatives]] since 2021. The district lies in northwest Minnesota and takes in the city of Moorhead and part of Clay County.[^1] She is enrolled in the Yankton Sioux Tribe.[^1] Keeler first won the seat in 2020 and was reelected in 2022.[^2] She first ran after Ben Lien, the DFL incumbent who had served four terms, decided not to run again.[^2] In November 2025 she declared her candidacy for Minnesota's 7th congressional district in the 2026 election.[^1] ## Early life, education and career Keeler was raised on her tribe's homeland in South Dakota and spent most of her childhood at Fort Pierre. Her enrollment is in the Yankton Sioux Tribe, and she also has Eastern Shoshone lineage.[^3] She came to the Fargo–Moorhead area to study at Minnesota State University. There she earned a bachelor of science in project management and a master of education in educational leadership.[^3] At North Dakota State University she held the post of assistant director of multicultural recruitment. She also volunteered with the Moorhead school district and sat on its human rights advisory committee. She was vice chair of the Moorhead Human Rights Commission.[^3] ## Minnesota House of Representatives Keeler won her first House election in 2020 and a second term in 2022. Her first campaign came after Lien chose not to seek a fifth term.[^2] In the House she is vice chair of the Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee. She is also a member of the Education Policy Committee and the Human Services Finance Committee. During 2021–2022 she was vice chair of the Housing Committee's Preventing Homelessness Division. She belongs to the People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus.[^2] ### Native American issues Keeler has pressed Native American human rights issues and has called for more Native representation at the state legislature.[^2] In 2021 she authored legislation that established an office of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives. She later carried measures to increase its funding.[^2] The Wikipedia article on Keeler states that Indigenous women are one percent of Minnesota's population but eight percent of the women and girls murdered in the state. The article gives no date or underlying source for these figures.[^2] With State Senators [[Mary Kunesh]] and [[Jen McEwen]], she co-wrote a letter asking the Biden administration to halt Line 3. Line 3 was a pipeline proposed to cross tribal lands in Minnesota, and the source describes it as a tar sands pipeline.[^2] She also proposed a bill to substitute Indigenous People's Day for Columbus Day in Minnesota.[^2] In March 2023 Keeler posted on Facebook about white families adopting Native children. In the post she wrote, "White saviors are the worst!" The chair of the [[Republican Party of Minnesota]] publicly criticized her for the post.[^2] ### Other political positions Keeler has backed efforts to increase the number of teachers of color in Minnesota.[^2] In 2023 she authored a bill funding emergency food shelves, introduced while food shelf visits were rising. The bill passed unanimously.[^2] ## Personal life Keeler lives in Moorhead and is the parent of two children.[^4] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who - Heather Keeler, DFL member of the Minnesota House of Representatives for District 4A; enrolled member of the Yankton Sioux Tribe.[^1] ### What - 2021: authored legislation establishing an office of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives.[^2] - 2023: authored emergency food shelf funding legislation, passed unanimously.[^2] ### When - 2020: elected to the Minnesota House; 2022: reelected.[^2] - March 2023: the Republican Party of Minnesota chair criticized her Facebook post.[^2] - November 2025: declared candidacy for Minnesota's 7th congressional district.[^1] ### Where - District 4A, northwest Minnesota: Moorhead and part of Clay County.[^1] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Heather Keeler* (revision 1379919509, retrieved 2026-10-26) — lead section: birth date, DFL membership, House service since 2021, District 4A, Yankton Sioux enrollment, November 2025 congressional candidacy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heather_Keeler [^2]: Wikipedia contributors, *Heather Keeler* (revision 1379919509, retrieved 2026-10-26) — "Minnesota House of Representatives" section: 2020 and 2022 elections, Lien succession, committee roles, Native American issues, March 2023 post, 2023 food shelf legislation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heather_Keeler [^3]: Wikipedia contributors, *Heather Keeler* (revision 1379919509, retrieved 2026-10-26) — "Early life, education and career" section: upbringing, education, employment, Moorhead committee service. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heather_Keeler [^4]: Wikipedia contributors, *Heather Keeler* (revision 1379919509, retrieved 2026-10-26) — "Personal life" section: residence and children. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heather_Keeler