FYI - My team sent out this press release a few minutes ago…

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Recently announced Congressional candidate Steve Hickey of Sioux Falls said he’s still running, but he’s changing tracks from running for a national to a state office. A Republican and Sioux Falls pastor, Hickey announced today that he is withdrawing his bid for US Congress and is pursuing instead his original goal of running for a State House seat in District 9. He plans to enthusiastically support newly announced US House candidate Kristi Noem of Castlewood. Noem and Hickey announced within an hour of each other last Tuesday.  Noem’s intentions to run were unbeknownst to Steve and although she left a message for him on Sunday, he did not get it until after the fact on Tuesday. Hickey’s concern is to not divide the vote in the June primary. From the beginning, Steve’s campaign was not about himself, it was about seeing common-sense Conservative principles and values prevail in November and he is confident Kristi is guided by those same values and principles and that she is the person who can beat Mrs. Sandlin and best represent the people of South Dakota. He said he and his supporters plan to run a strong race in District 9 and cross the finish line into the State House in November.

After I digest the humble pie I'll surely comment more - maybe I'll even write something on my seven day run for congress - surely a record in South Dakota history! I'm thinking to have a firesale here on this bag of limited edition "Give Congress a Hickey" buttons. Just joking there but it's either laugh or cry. (On the buttons they actually exist, and I love them, but we had to 86 them because some found them offensive. I'm used to the jokes about my last name but I understand.  I'm telling folks to lighten up, at least we didn't go with … "give Pelosi a Hickey!"

I hope you'll join me in supporting Kristi Noem for Congress. Sign up to be a fan on her Facebook page, send her $$, and all the volunteer support we can.

This is the first of a few introduction/endorsement clips that we will post from the Sioux Falls campaign launch yesterday of Steve Hickey for Congress.  Dr. Ecklund is a physician at Sanford Health Systems in Sioux Falls.  Last night Steve spoke at the Hughes County Lincoln Day dinner in Pierre.  This afternoon he spoke at west river campaign kickoff at the Holiday Inn Civic Center in Rapid City.  Tonight he is in Spearfish.  You can follow the campaign on Facebook too.

You are invited to attend the Steve Hickey for Congress campaign kickoff in Sioux Falls tomorrow, Tuesday, February 16 at 10:30 AM at Endurance Fitness - 3805 N. Louise Ave in Sioux Falls.  Here's a map. Additional parking is available in the Esurance lot to the immediate east of Endurance Fitness.

Steve is also planning a Rapid City event on Wednesday, time and place will be announced soon.  Also Wednesday and Thursday Steve will be in Aberdeen, Watertown and Brookings.  Contact info@stevehickeyforcongress.com if you would like to see him in those cities.

More information is available at stevehickeyforcongress.com. Follow Steve on Twitter Hickey4Congress or on Facebook - Steve Hickey for Congress.

After two years of posting on the LIFE issue here at Voices Carry, I've given this site a makeover to help me communicate on a variety of issues relevant to South Dakotans. Hundreds of posts remain here on the LIFE issue and those who want to know where I stand on that issue will have more than enough to consider.  I have dropped the categories and links but left the search feature so the archives are more easily available.  However, in the next 38 weeks I intend to start posting on a variety of other topics relevant to South Dakotans and I think you'll find me strong and articulate on those issues as well. Please share this link with others.

Hope you enjoy the new look and understand the focus change and that you'll return here to keep up on my campaign for Congress. Those who have been regular readers here know I have demonstrated I know how to represent those not being heard.  In this next season I intend to stand up for the mainstream South Dakotan who is weary of our ever-expanding government and fiscal absurdity.  Check out stevehickeyforcongress.com for more on my campaign or follow me on Twitter Hickey4Congress or on Facebook - Steve Hickey for Congress.

There is no question the United States broke the Treaty of 1868 which recognized that all West River South Dakota land belonged to the Great Sioux Nation.

Speaking for a moment now with my theologian hat on, it is also clear that God takes issue with (i.e. curses) anyone or nation that “moves his neighbors boundary stone.” (Deuteronomy 19:14) We all sing God Bless America but there are numerous things nations do that God can’t bless. I would contend that the fullness of God’s blessing on our nation in the days ahead is contingent on our creative engagement of the opportunities ahead of us to right national wrongs– one of which is clearly our treatment of native peoples in South Dakota.

Even so, considering the “water under the bridge,” specifically as some would view, the perhaps impossible practical considerations of returning the Black Hills to the Sioux nation, legitimate monetary attempts to right this wrong have been extended – namely the 1980 Supreme Court ruling and $900 million dollar compensation settlement offered to the Sioux people. The money remains in trust as tribal leaders understandably want the land instead. It’s going to take the wisdom of Solomon to set forth a just recourse here – I have hope but I honestly don’t know if there is a way to divide this baby in two.

Personally, at this point, I support more listening, more conversation, and some creativity toward a mutually acceptable accord which may or may not include some kind of Lakota Makoce Wakan (sacred place/land, Sioux sanctuary or sacred memorial grounds) in the Black Hills National Forest. Should the Black Hills be given back? Not today. But today is the day to come together and look at every conceivable angle of how best to right this national wrong. It will take more patience on behalf of the Sioux, and more remorse on behalf of the United States. The Resolution of Apology to Native American Peoples is merely the starting place for a better life together and my hope is that South Dakotans genuinely support this and that native South Dakotans receive it sincerely. Mutually acceptable reparations must follow and, since the issue is land, I’m not sure anything short of some form of land settlement will receive mutual support.

In my unsuccessful entrepreneurial and small business attempts in the past to help establish some economic opportunity on the reservations, I’ve come to appreciate my native brothers and sisters who acknowledge how Tribal Sovereignty ties the hands of any sort of lasting partnership for economic development and how millions of charity and tax dollars, from our perspective, seem to disappear into a black hole. In light of these perceptions and realities it is unlikely here in the Wasecu world that sympathetic elected officials would be very successful in convincing their constituents that giving the Black Hills back would in any way solve any of the problems presently facing our native population in South Dakota.

On a very related note, shame on the Internal Revenue Service for auctioning off 7,100 acres of Crow Creek Sioux land in Central South Dakota last December (2009). It’s shocking to see the United States Government continuing to lay claim to Sioux land. We can only hope nations like China don’t lay claim to our national debt as we have done here to the Sioux Nation.