KERMAN, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Maria Pacheco’s story begins in the quiet neighborhoods of Kerman, California, where she was born and raised in a middle-class home on the edge of town.

The first Latina on the city council, and now the first Indigenous mayor, her rise to leadership is extraordinary, but the road was anything but easy.

“I was a bit of a rebellious young lady,” said Pacheco. “My brothers always taught me if somebody hit you, you hit them back, and I was rough and tumble.”

A tomboy growing up with three older brothers, Pacheco loved being outside, playing in the dirt, and testing her limits. But at age five, her life changed. Her father was diagnosed with an illness that affected his mood, and family struggles began to surface. Both of her parents worked long hours, often leaving Pacheco alone.

“I found myself getting into some trouble as a young girl. I was never a bad person though, even though I was running with a group of kids, I was always looking out for someone,” said Pacheco. “If someone was ever being bullied, I was the first to intervene.”

That protective instinct shaped her character, creating the foundation for the fearless leader she would become.

Pacheco faced additional challenges growing up in a predominantly Russian and Mexican neighborhood. She spoke English fluently, but didn’t fit in with her peers, and her parents hadn’t taught her Spanish or her indigenous heritage.

“When people would ask me what my ethnicity was, I didn’t know what to say. I had a bit of an identity crisis,” said Pacheco.

It wasn’t until age 14 that she discovered her roots. An uncle visiting from Texas came to collect her father’s ceremonial regalia, a treasure her father had kept in his closet, she recalls thinking it was just a costume. She learned her father and mother were both native.

“And it wasn’t until my dad passed away that I really started looking into our roots and trying to understand our culture,” said Pacheco. “I knew we were native, but I didn’t know from where. I knew they were from Southern Texas, but I didn’t know much more than that. And so I started tracing our roots, and then I found out that I’m Makah from my dad’s side, and Apache from my mom.”

By her teenage years, Pacheco faced some of her toughest challenges. She became a mother at just 15, dropped out of high school, and was navigating an arranged marriage, homelessness, and the welfare system.

Despite these challenges, she returned to school in her 20s, earning her G.E.D, then an Associate’s Degree, and later transferring to Fresno State to study social work. Along the way, she published a book, went on tour, and continued advocating for vulnerable youth. Her work with youth inspired her first foray into politics. A transportation issue for her own daughter and students in Kerman led Pacheco to advocate for change and eventually, to run for Mayor of Kerman.

“I started knocking on doors and just trying to figure out like, what can we do for these kids?,” said Pacheco. “Kerman obviously has an issue and we need to figure out how to fix it.”

With just $600 for her campaign, she connected with the community, spoke at local events, and won. She became the first Latina and the first Indigenous woman to hold the office in Kerman.

Since taking office, Pacheco has focused on issues close to her heart, immigrant rights, farmworker safety, and community support. In February of 2024, a tragic van accident claimed the lives of seven farmworkers from Kerman. Pacheco helped raise nearly $17,000 to ensure families could bury their loved ones in Mexico.

“It rocked my whole community,” said Pacheco. “I knew that the conditions that their families lived in, I knew that they were not going to be able to afford to not let alone just bury them here, but I mean to send them home, to put them in the dirt that they were born from. It was really important to me at that time.”

She also mentors young women and teen mothers, sharing her experiences to guide them through challenges she knows all too well.

“Show me a rebellious child, and I’ll show you a fearless leader. That’s been my motto, and it drives everything I do,” said Pacheco. 

Balancing her duties as mayor with her academic journey, Pacheco is pursuing a Master’s Degree while maintaining a 4.0 G.P.A., proving that leadership, education, and community service can go hand in hand.

Maria Pacheco’s journey to becoming a trailblazing Latina shows how resilience, courage, and purpose can transform a life and a city. She’s now serving her second term as mayor and won’t be able to run for reelection. But as for what’s next, she says:

“I want to be remembered as a strong Latina who wasn’t afraid to speak up. Someone who stood up for people who couldn’t. I’m truly thinking about going into the doctorate program. I really want the outfit to be real, and know Dr. Pacheco sounds pretty cool.”