A member of the Yankton Sioux Nation, Faith Spotted Eagle has dedicated her life to protecting her people’s land and rights, becoming a prominent activist against the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines.

Faith Spotted Eagle was born in 1948 at Lake Andes, South Dakota to Albert Spotted Eagle and Lucy Spotted Eagle. Her parents played a significant role in her upbringing and cultural education. They deeply influenced her commitment to Native American rights and environmental activism. Lake Andes played a significant role in shaping her life and activism. Her birthplace, the village of White Swan, lies beneath Lake Francis Case, a reservoir created by the Fort Randall dam. The flooding caused by the dam forced the Native Americans who lived along the Missouri River to move to Lake Andes.

Faith attended American University in Washington, D.C., and Black Hills State College in South Dakota. She earned a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology and Counseling from the University of South Dakota. Throughout her career, she has worked as a PTSD counselor for veterans, a school counselor and principal, and a Dakota language teacher at Sinte Gleska College.

A believer in Native American rights and environmental causes, Faith has dedicated her life to preserving Dakota cultural beliefs and advocating for environmental and social justice. She leads efforts to block the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines, gaining national recognition for her activism. The pipeline would have extended from Alberta, Canada through Illinois and Texas and ended in Oklahoma. It presented environmental issues to the Native Americans who lived along the route of the pipeline. Eventually, TC Corporation abandoned the pipeline project in 2021.

Spotted Eagle co-founded the Brave Heart Society in 1994, an organization focused on teaching girls about traditional culture. She also manages the Brave Heart Lodge in Lake Andes. In 2016, she made history by becoming the first Native American to receive an electoral vote for President of the United States.  She continues to advocate for the preservation of Dakota cultural beliefs and practices. To learn more about Faith Spotted Eagle, click here.