Lakota Indians declare independence

[Dartzap]

AFP

Descendants of Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse break away from US

8 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The Lakota Indians, who gave the world legendary warriors Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, have withdrawn from treaties with the United States, leaders said Wednesday.

"We are no longer citizens of the United States of America and all those who live in the five-state area that encompasses our country are free to join us," long-time Indian rights activist Russell Means told a handful of reporters and a delegation from the Bolivian embassy, gathered in a church in a run-down neighborhood of Washington for a news conference.

A delegation of Lakota leaders delivered a message to the State Department on Monday, announcing they were unilaterally withdrawing from treaties they signed with the federal government of the United States, some of them more than 150 years old.

They also visited the Bolivian, Chilean, South African and Venezuelan embassies, and will continue on their diplomatic mission and take it overseas in the coming weeks and months, they told the news conference.

Lakota country includes parts of the states of Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming.

The new country would issue its own passports and driving licences, and living there would be tax-free -- provided residents renounce their US citizenship, Means said.

The treaties signed with the United States are merely "worthless words on worthless paper," the Lakota freedom activists say on their website.

The treaties have been "repeatedly violated in order to steal our culture, our land and our ability to maintain our way of life," the reborn freedom movement says.

Withdrawing from the treaties was entirely legal, Means said.

"This is according to the laws of the United States, specifically article six of the constitution," which states that treaties are the supreme law of the land, he said.

"It is also within the laws on treaties passed at the Vienna Convention and put into effect by the US and the rest of the international community in 1980. We are legally within our rights to be free and independent," said Means.

The Lakota relaunched their journey to freedom in 1974, when they drafted a declaration of continuing independence -- an overt play on the title of the United States' Declaration of Independence from England.

Thirty-three years have elapsed since then because "it takes critical mass to combat colonialism and we wanted to make sure that all our ducks were in a row," Means said.

One duck moved into place in September, when the United Nations adopted a non-binding declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples -- despite opposition from the United States, which said it clashed with its own laws.

"We have 33 treaties with the United States that they have not lived by. They continue to take our land, our water, our children," Phyllis Young, who helped organize the first international conference on indigenous rights in Geneva in 1977, told the news conference.

The US "annexation" of native American land has resulted in once proud tribes such as the Lakota becoming mere "facsimiles of white people," said Means.

Oppression at the hands of the US government has taken its toll on the Lakota, whose men have one of the shortest life expectancies -- less than 44 years -- in the world.

Lakota teen suicides are 150 percent above the norm for the United States; infant mortality is five times higher than the US average; and unemployment is rife, according to the Lakota freedom movement's website.

"Our people want to live, not just survive or crawl and be mascots," said Young.

"We are not trying to embarrass the United States. We are here to continue the struggle for our children and grandchildren," she said, predicting that the battle would not be won in her lifetime.

[Darth Yoshi]

Um, okay.

I can't see Washington simply letting the Lakota take five states and declare it a sovereign nation.

[Dartzap]

Um, okay.

I can't see Washington simply letting the Lakota take five states and declare it a sovereign nation.

I honestly don't know if this is genuine or not - I checked all the main US outlets, and apart from Fox there is nothing, anywhere, about it.

[Mange]

Um, okay.

I can't see Washington simply letting the Lakota take five states and declare it a sovereign nation.

I honestly don't know if this is genuine or not - I checked all the main US outlets, and apart from Fox there is nothing, anywhere, about it.

I would call AFP (which the OP refers to) a legitimate source.

[Knife]

The new country would issue its own passports and driving licences, and living there would be tax-free -- provided residents renounce their US citizenship, Means said.

pfft. yeah, reminds me of an old saying about revolutions; it's easier to rebel against a goverment than to create and run one. Unless they have this odd delusion that indian casion's would fund a nation like that....their in for a shock.

[Lagmonster]

The US "annexation" of native American land has resulted in once proud tribes such as the Lakota becoming mere "facsimiles of white people," said Means.

I've heard this from some black Americans as well...I'm never quite certain when I hear about people afraid of becoming 'white' what the fuck they're talking about. If I was going to adopt 'black' culture I'd have my pick of dozens of beliefs, cultural activities, languages, arts, political associations, etc.. So I get this tiny little voice in the back of my mind saying that what they really hate is the idea of their kids ceasing to speak the old tribal language, live the old tribal way, and engage in the old tribal customs, and instead opt to wear Gap clothes while they play their gameboys, eating at McDonalds while on break between public school classes.

[LadyTevar]

.............
Didn't FASA predict this in its "ShadowRun" timeline?

[CaptainChewbacca]

Ok, should be interesting to see what happens. I give them until after New Years.

[Darth Wong]

First rule of Native Affairs: every time that a community's leaders get their people riled up against the White Man, the native leaders themselves end up mysteriously profiting and/or expanding their control over their people.

This story appears to be no exception. It's a naked power-grab by the people in charge of the community, who are already running it into the ground and blaming the White Man. You see the same thing up here: native communities which suffer from unholy levels of mismanagement that they conveniently blame on the White Man.

It always amazes me that these people have the gall to blame the White Man for their socio-economic woes. Yes, they lost their traditional roaming grounds hundreds of years ago, and much of their population died from smallpox and other imported European diseases. But that doesn't explain why their communities are full of fucking welfare bums and alcoholics today; people are responsible for our own choices in life. Even natives.

[Mr Bean]

Succeed?
Very well, No fire, no police. Blockade this new "country" with Border Guards and National Guard to prevent "immigration" from these reservations without the proper paperwork.

Cut off all power and water going into this new country from the outside.

Now invite these community leaders to sit down and negotiate payment for the services they might want like power and running water.

If the reservation is self sufficient(Very few are) then we can always hit goods coming into and out of the reservation with extremely large tariffs.

I don't care how much the previous goverment screwed over your great-great-grandfather on your mothers side. Succession from the union can not be tolerated.

On a related note, is it possible to strip a US citizen of his citizenship? If so I'd toss in a 90 day deadline to leave the reservation or lose your US Citizenship.

[General Zod]

On a related note, is it possible to strip a US citizen of his citizenship? If so I'd toss in a 90 day deadline to leave the reservation or lose your US Citizenship.

Linky.

However, a person who acquires a foreign citizenship by applying for it may lose U.S. citizenship. In order to lose U.S. citizenship, the law requires that the person must apply for the foreign citizenship voluntarily, by free choice, and with the intention to give up U.S. citizenship.

I'd say revoking their US citizenship is a very good possibility.

[LadyTevar]

This is on the border with Canada, right?

What's the chance of Canada making new treaties with them?

[fgalkin]

Until I see confirmation, I call bullshit. And the AFP, for all it's "credibility" has had on occasions accuracy that was not worth the name.

Anyways, declare them all illegal immigrants and deport them to Mexico.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[CaptainChewbacca]

This is on the border with Canada, right?

What's the chance of Canada making new treaties with them?

Its near the border, but it doesn't actually border Canada. Here's the boundaries of the historic Lakota nation:



A huge place. That being said, I don't think Canada will want to do anything that would almost certainly piss off its largest trading partner. Things could get a bit silly, though.

[Ma Deuce]

What's the chance of Canada making new treaties with them?

Slim to none: I seriously doubt the Canadian federal government would even recognize them as a sovereign nation, regardless of which party is in power.

[Mr Bean]

Considering the size of that territory, it might be better to simply to have Congress declare war on it, then annex it once the war's done.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Anyone have any notion of how many non-indians are suddenly in 'enemy territory'? Its gotta be a lot.

[Falkenhayn]

The red-shade is what they actually own now. So they took a pretty substantial chunk of South Dakota.

[Rogue 9]

Considering the size of that territory, it might be better to simply to have Congress declare war on it, then annex it once the war's done.

Yeah, pretty much. They have to know that they can't actually get away with this move.

Though there would be a certain irony to letting them go. After all, when there's no Big Bad White Man in charge anymore, they won't have anyone else to blame when the whole thing runs right into the fucking ground. After a month or two they'd be begging to be let back in.

[The Spartan]

Anyone have any notion of how many non-indians are suddenly in 'enemy territory'? Its gotta be a lot.

I doubt it's all that much, low six figures, maybe. Those states are not known for their population densities.

[Flagg]

Why bother? I've driven through that area. Let 'em have it.

[Flagg]

Considering the size of that territory, it might be better to simply to have Congress declare war on it, then annex it once the war's done.

Yeah, pretty much. They have to know that they can't actually get away with this move.

Depends on what SCOTUS has to say about it. They may actually be legally correct and can withdraw from treaties any time they so choose, and since technically it is sovereign land...

Like I said, I've been through there, let 'em have it.

[Mr Bean]

Why bother? I've driven through that area. Let 'em have it.

Precedent Flagg, you let ANY part of the US succeed your going to set Precedent.

The union must be whole for now and forever.

[Dartzap]

Why bother? I've driven through that area. Let 'em have it.

Precedent Flagg, you let ANY part of the US succeed your going to set Precedent.

The union must be whole for now and forever.

Oh ho, I bet that's what King George said a few hundred years ago about his Empire...

[Lagmonster]

The article mentions a Lakota freedom activist group. Is this actually a unified Lakota tribe movement, or is this five guys blowing smoke while the rest of the tribe couldn't give a shit?