How Kerman's first indigenous mayor became a 'fearless Latina'

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 leav