U.S. Congressional candidate Paula Hawks (D) greets a young dancer at the 31st annual Oglala Lakota Nation on August 6, 2016. Photo from Hawks for House / Twitter
Hawks to challenge Noem for seat
By Brandon Ecoffey
Lakota Country Times Editor
lakotacountrytimes.com PINE RIDGE -- In a race that has received little attention from the South Dakota media a fresh face is set to challenge incumbent Rep. Kristi Noem (R). Paula Hawks grew up in Flandreau, the former teacher learned about the value of hard-work by helping her family with the many chores associated with life in an agricultural based family. That same type of perseverance is going to be needed as she is facing a popular incumbent in this fall's race for South Dakota's lone seat in the US House of Representatives. "I am running for the U.S. House because I believe it is imperative to restore opportunity and fairness to our system of government. Washington may have lost its way, but I don’t believe South Dakota has," said Hawks on her campaign website. Running as a Democrat, Hawks is facing an uphill climb against an opponent who is a staunch conservative who was ushered into office with the help of the Tea Party vote. Hawks, however, is likely to bank on the fact that Indian Country has historically been loyal to the Democratic ticket. Native voters in South Dakota are expected to vote in large numbers as a strong anti-Trump vote in November will likely drive many to get out and vote. More recently Republicans have begun reaching out to voters on South Dakota's nine reservations by introducing legislation intended to improve the effectiveness of the federally funded Indian Health Service. Legislation introduced to both the House and the Senate by republicans does not however include language that would fully fund Indian Health Service. IHS has never been provided with enough funding to fully staff and operate its hospitals. Republicans have responded to calls for increased funding with administrative fixes included in the bills that would streamline funding already in place and that would also cut layers of red tape that have slowed the hiring process at these facilities. Hawks has made issues in Indian Country part of her campaign platform and has already begun reaching out to Native voters in the state. "There are a host of issues facing Indian country that have gone unanswered for decades. The most pressing problem today is the underfunded and poorly administered Indian Health Services. Hospitals have closed their doors and patients have been denied care. It is an issue of life and death," she says on her website. Hawks agrees with many experts in Indian Country who believe that the expansion of Medicaid in the state, along with an increase in the number of Native Americans covered under the affordable Affordable Care Act, would result in the generation of additional revenue for IHS facilities. "The immediate solution to the health care crisis in Indian country is Medicaid expansion created under the Affordable Care Act. It expands access, increases resources to an overburdened healthcare system and holds the federal government accountable to live up to its treaty obligations," said Hawks. Most reservations in Indian Country suffer from a lack of law enforcement presence. A problem that Hawks has promised to address if elected.
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Prior to entering the world of politics Hawks worked as a teacher in the West Central school system and has several positions that align with the majority of Native voters in the state. "South Dakota has the potential to revolutionize energy production, and with it, create a strong middle class economy. Paula is a strong advocate for ethanol and believes in strengthening the Renewable Fuel Standard. To capitalize on South Dakota’s wind energy potential, Paula believes more research and development is needed to build the infrastructure necessary to transport clean energy from coast to coast so South Dakota can be a leader in clean energy production," said Hawks on her website. (Contact Brandon Ecoffey at editor@lakotacountrytimes.com) Find the award-winning Lakota Country Times on the Internet, Facebook and Twitter and download the new Lakota Country Times app today.
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