Faith Spotted Eagle (

Dakota Dakota may refer to: * Dakota people, a sub-tribe of the Sioux ** Dakota language, their language Dakota may also refer to: Places United States * Dakota, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Dakota, Illinois, a town * Dakota, Minnesota, ...

: or "Standing Stone"; born 1948) is an American activist and politician. She is a member of the Yankton

Sioux Nation The Great Sioux Nation is the traditional political structure of the Sioux in North America. The peoples who speak the Sioux language are considered to be members of the Oceti Sakowin (''Očhéthi Šakówiŋ'', pronounced ) or Seven Council Fire ...

who attempted to block development of the

Keystone XL pipeline The Keystone Pipeline System is an oil pipeline system in Canada and the United States, commissioned in 2010 and owned by TC Energy and as of 31 March 2020 the Government of Alberta. It runs from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin in Alberta ...

and the Dakota Access Pipeline. In the

2016 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2016 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2016 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *7 January: Kiri ...

, she became the first Native American to receive an electoral vote for

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

, one of the first two women to receive an electoral vote for President of the United States, and the first person other than a Democrat or Republican to win an electoral vote since

John Hospers John Hospers (June 9, 1918 – June 12, 2011) was an American philosopher and political activist. Hospers was interested in Objectivism, and was once a friend of the philosopher Ayn Rand, though she later broke with him. In 1972, Hospers becam ...

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using mean solar tim ...

. Spotted Eagle's single vote came from Robert Satiacum Jr., a

faithless elector In the United States Electoral College, a faithless elector is an elector who does not vote for the candidates for U.S. President and U.S. Vice President for whom the elector had pledged to vote, and instead votes for another person for one or ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, who cast it for her instead of

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

Background

Spotted Eagle is from the village of White Swan, now beneath of water at the bottom of

Lake Francis Case Lake Francis Case is a large reservoir impounded by Fort Randall Dam on the Missouri River in south-central South Dakota, United States. The lake has an area of and a maximum depth of . Lake Francis Case has a length of approximately and has a ...

, a reservoir created by the

Fort Randall Dam Fort Randall Dam is a earthen dam which spans the Missouri River and impounds Lake Francis Case, the 11th-largest reservoir in the U.S. The dam joins Gregory and Charles Mix counties, South Dakota a distance of 880 river miles (1,416 km) u ...

. She still lives in the area at nearby

Lake Andes, South Dakota Lake Andes is a city in, and the county seat of, Charles Mix County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 710 at the 2020 census. The town took its name from Lake Andes which some say derives its name from a pioneer hunter named Handy ...

. She attended the American University in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, and

Black Hills State College Black Hills State University (BHSU) is a public university in Spearfish, South Dakota. Close to 4,000 students attend classes at its campus in Spearfish, at sites in Rapid City and Pierre, and through distance offerings. Enrollment comes from ...

Spearfish, South Dakota Spearfish ( Lakota: ''Hočhápȟe'') is a city in Lawrence County, South Dakota. The population was 12,193 at the time of the 2020 census. History Before the Black Hills Gold Rush of 1876, the area was used by Native Americans (primarily bands ...

, and holds an MA in Educational Psychology and Counseling from the

University of South Dakota The University of South Dakota (USD) is a public research university in Vermillion, South Dakota. Established by the Dakota Territory legislature in 1862, 27 years before the establishment of the state of South Dakota, USD is the flagship uni ...

. Her time as a student included an internship for then-senator George McGovern. Spotted Eagle is a native speaker of

Lakota Lakota may refer to: * Lakota people, a confederation of seven related Native American tribes *Lakota language, the language of the Lakota peoples Place names In the United States: * Lakota, Iowa * Lakota, North Dakota, seat of Nelson County * La ...

, and learned English in school.

Career

Activism

Spotted Eagle has been a private consultant in PTSD counseling for veterans, a school counselor and principal, and a

Dakota language Dakota (''Dakhótiyapi, Dakȟótiyapi''), also referred to as Dakhota, is a Siouan language spoken by the Dakota people of the Sioux tribes. Dakota is closely related to and mutually intelligible with the Lakota language. It is critically endan ...

teacher at Sinte Gleska College. She is a founding member of the Brave Heart Society, an organization for teaching girls about traditional culture, chair of the Ihanktonwan Treaty Committee, and the manager of Brave Heart Lodge in Lake Andes which seeks to preserve Dakota cultural beliefs for the future. Spotted Eagle served as a delegate of the Treaty Committee NGO at the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

. Spotted Eagle criticized President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

following his use of the term "

Pocahontas Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, known as Matoaka, 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman, belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of ...

" to refer to Senator

Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth Ann Warren ( née Herring; born June 22, 1949) is an American politician and former law professor who is the senior United States senator from Massachusetts, serving since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party and regarded as a ...

. She referred to the incident as an "emotional assault" that "carries as much weight as a physical assault," and said, "He can phrase it and twist it and distort it any way he wants, the fact remains: That name does not belong in his mouth."

Politics

2006 state house candidacy

Spotted Eagle ran for a seat in the

South Dakota House of Representatives The South Dakota House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Dakota Legislature. It consists of 70 members, two from each legislative district. Two of the state's 35 legislative districts, Districts 26 and 28, are each subdivided into ...

in 2006 for the 21st district, which comprises Brule, Buffalo, Charles Mix, Jones, and Lyman counties. She placed 3rd in the Democratic Party primary out of three candidates, receiving 735 votes overall. Spotted Eagle won the most votes of any candidate in majority-Native American Buffalo County. She had been convinced to run for the seat, but did not actively campaign.

2016 presidential election

Spotted Eagle received one electoral vote for

from Robert Satiacum Jr. of

, a

during the

. Satiacum explained that Clinton had failed Native Americans, especially regarding the pipeline issue. Spotted Eagle said that she was surprised when she learned that she received this vote. She said she hoped the vote would increase awareness of the environmental dangers of the

Keystone XL The Keystone Pipeline System is an oil pipeline system in Canada and the United States, commissioned in 2010 and owned by TC Energy and as of 31 March 2020 the Government of Alberta. It runs from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin in Alberta ...

project, and that she was now considering running for state office. Spotted Eagle is the first Native American to receive an Electoral College vote for President (though not the first to receive an electoral vote overall, as

Charles Curtis Charles Curtis (January 25, 1860 – February 8, 1936) was an American attorney and Republican politician from Kansas who served as the 31st vice president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 under Herbert Hoover. He had served as the Sena ...

received a majority of electoral votes to become Vice President in 1928), and she and Hillary Clinton are the first two women to receive an electoral vote for president.

2018 state house candidacy

Spotted Eagle ran for one of two seats in District 21 of the

in 2018, aiming to succeed retiring Democrat Julie Bartling. She lost the Democratic primary, coming in third for total votes behind Brian Jorgensen and Anna Kerner Andersson. Brian Jorgensen withdrew before the General election however, placing Spotted Eagle back in the race. Ultimately, she did not garner enough votes to win the general election, coming behind Anna Kerner Anderson who in turn came behind the two Republicans who won both seats, Lee Qualm (incumbent) and Caleb Finck.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spotted Eagle, Faith 1948 births 20th-century American educators 20th-century Native Americans 20th-century Native American women 21st-century American educators 21st-century American women politicians 21st-century American politicians 21st-century Native Americans 21st-century Native American women Activists from South Dakota American political activists Schoolteachers from South Dakota 21st-century American women educators American University alumni American women activists Black Hills State University alumni Candidates in the 2006 United States elections Candidates in the 2018 United States elections Dakota people Living people Native American environmentalists Native American women in politics People associated with the 2016 United States presidential election People from Charles Mix County, South Dakota South Dakota Democrats University of South Dakota alumni Women in South Dakota politics 20th-century American women educators