Lane Santa Cruz
Organizations
Tucson City Council, Familias Unidas Ganando Accesibilidad (FUGA)
Location
Tucson, AZ
Biography
Lane Ramona Santa Cruz (they/she) is a second-generation Tucsonense with Indigenous lineage from the Eudeve-Opata pueblos in Sonora and Tarahumara communities in Chihuahua. Lane identifies as Chicanx/Indígena, reflecting a bicultural identity shaped by the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. Lane holds a Ph.D. from the University of Arizona, where their research focused on decolonizing education. Lane was elected City Council Member for Ward One in 2019 and re-elected in 2023; they advocate for affordable housing, public transportation, and inclusive governance. A dedicated mother and community organizer, Lane’s work is deeply grounded in auto-historia, m/othering, and Indigenous/popular education. Lane has collaborated with grassroots and movement organizations to address community needs, build collective power, and fight for el buen vivir for everyone.
Audio Clips
Interviewed by Michelle Téllez on January 31, 2024 in Tucson, AZ
Santa Cruz first became involved in local government in 2007, where she realized that it involved social work and direct assistance to residents.
Santa Cruz began organizing through cycling and then ran for the Ward One city council seat.
Santa Cruz talks about how she works to respond to community needs and also to empower community members to become leaders.
Digital Archive
Lane Santa Cruz with her children.
Santa Cruz was re-elected to represent Ward 1 on the Tucson City Council in 2023.
Santa Cruz volunteers with community cleanup project in Ward 1.
Lane Santa Cruz with Tucson Mayor Regina Romero.
Santa Cruz on International Women’s Day/Semana de la Mujer in 2013, featured in Malintzine, a community of radical mujeres committed to documenting the lives of people at the margins.
Loteria-style publicity card for Lane Santa Cruz’s Ward 1 City Council campaign.