Lakota Sioux Indian representatives declared independence from the United States last week after withdrawing from all previously signed treaties. The declaration was made to the U.S. State Department and now the Lakota Sioux are contacting foreign governments in an attempt to gain international recognition to become a recognized country. The Lakota Sioux have territory in Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming. The State Department has not issued any public response as of this writing. What do you think will happen?
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This is big news. I guess it’s been simmering for generations. I think with the Internet, the Sioux can get the word out fast. Probably, there will be some negotiations. Recently, here in NY, the government attempted to work around treaties with the natives, which was viewed with alarm.
I have been wondering for years why all the Native American tribes didn’t unite into one nation. Can’t you just imagine what would happen in Washington? What fun that would be. (Are there Native Americans in congress now?)
I think it would be wonderful. Maybe we’d actually start getting those land checks! lol
I wish them luck, but i doubt it will last
How do I become a Sioux? I’m tired of paying taxes that support George’s war, but deny benefits to the heroes who fight for him.
I’m tired of Right Wing Fundalentalist idiots so stupid they don’t believe in evolution telling us that their way is the only way. Didn’t they ever hear about separation of church and state? Our Founding Fathers knew that religion is simply organized insanity, and true believers are to mentally instable to be our leaders.
Totem poles make far more sense than any Bible-thumper.
I don’t participate in planned obsolescence, and minimize my carbon footprint – just like the Native Americans of old. I don’t own a car, or an air conditioner, but I have owned horses.
I could go on and on, but the fact is we stole the Soiux’ land, slaughtered their ancestors, and have no right to force them to accept our modern day craziness.
Let them smoke their Native American herbs. God grows his own – Man invented liquor, which kills more people every year than heroin.
Now if only we can keep those casinos off Native American land – they degrades the Native American way almost as much as Bush and Cheney degrade the USA.
George and Dick did so much damage to the American way our country will never recover, so I understand why the Soiux want to go their own way.
What native American wants a coyboy telling them what to do!
John “Caveman” Gray
Interesting concept, Only problem is that they are attempting to take back land that is so polluted that they will die there without The rest of the country. Same concept is being tried in Canada. Will not work. Vote “NON” as we did. They have no concept of world politics and the rest of the country will not come to their aide if they were in the remotest to achieve seperation The last message is from a real COWBOY.
I ask this. What would be their national resources consist of if they had to feed their own people. Where is their national defense program Where do they get the money to continue their social assistance and medical programs.I sympathize with their dilemma, but apartheid is not the answer. They should be educating more lawyers and political people or they would be eaten by other countries who would be fighting for a toehold in North America like USSR tried with Cuba. Get real red brothers. I am a Canadian aboriginal. A country like ours consists of ALL different peoples. We are unique, and strong. Quit your bitching and do something that makes sense. Every country in the world has been conquered at one time or other.Get on with your lives and quit asking for handouts.I’m sorry if this sounds harsh but you have to get off your assets and make things work now not tomorrow. Megwitch.
Oh yes. Please don’t come to Canada when the poop hits the fan this time.Merry Christmas.
They obviously have too much time on their hands. They should be glad they were not exterminated. They are crazy to think the USA will not respond to any idiot country who recognizes them. Stay put, reap their casino money and keep their mouths shut. If not, the 7th Cav will get the job done right this time.
This is BIG news, but almost impossible to find on the USA Corporate Media. I read this story via a http://www.fark.com story from AUSTRALIA, and was wondering why I couldn’t find it anywhere in the American news.
Does this mean that all the Lakota Sioux who now live “off reservation” would become illegal aliens, and be forced to leave the U.S.? Or since
the Lakota may be “withdrawing from all previously signed treaties”, does this
mean they are again “at war” with the U.S.? And what about the Lakota reservations?? Since they were established via signed treaty, will they then become “open land”, available to any gold miner, cattleman, or sod-buster, who wants to move in?
Personally, I think the small band of Lakotas who came up with this idea (if
it’s indeed true) have either great senses of humor, and too much time, (or too much “firewater”), on their hands.
If Kosovo can declare independence from Serbia, with the western countries support, why can’t the Lakoda declare independence from the U.S. ?
I wonder if Serbia will recognize the new Lokada country?
I wish them luck hoping New England can do the same. Imagine those wonderful 6 states becoming a different nation. You go first Sioux! I remember my granddad gave me a book decades ago ‘The Grey Owl’ in which American Natives history was told with great pictures, the first taken in US territory.
@Dave: Reservation land wasn’t a gift to the tribes, it was the land “reserved” from the gold mining and sod busting that was taking place on native lands already recognized by earlier treaties. Most often it was the least desirable/productive land around, witnessed by a spatial correlation between reservations and waste dumps, army test sites, etc.
I suspect this isn’t in mainstream news because editors don’t want to get bogged down in the inevitable racist nonsense during the holidays. Even here, where you would think people have a little background, the conversation is already about whether “they deserve” for us to “let them” exercise their treaty rights.
Whether you agree with Means’ politics or past tactics, they are dead on about the horrible statistics on pollution, health, unemployment and poverty, so what do they have to lose? And how is it hurting you, anyway?
answer to jimmie in #2 – ben nighthorse campbell was us rep and us senator from colorado until a few years ago, he was mixed blood and i believe of northern cheyenne ancestory.
comment in general – am not versed in law and am sure the circumstances of foreswearing treaties and true secession would be complex and subject to many legal decisions – but with the government we have of today, “we” probably will simply crush any resistance. so, i hope the declartion is merely symbolic of the Lakota’s and their tribal council’s political sentimemts.
Indian tribes are legally called “subjugated nations” and under the law are granted certain autonomy — which is why they can establish gaming establishments on reservations. I doubt the Osage, I think it was, would care to follow suite since they got all that oil rich land in OK for their reservation. No doubt the US treated natives badly in the 19th century, and today’s Bureau of Indian affairs is a bungled up mess. This could bring up that old, and somewhat interesting, discussion about “right of conquest” again, which interestingly is exactly how the Sioux expanded their reach before the white man showed up.
If they become independent that means that they would have to give up welfare, free medical, college assistance, Hud homes, etc…
They would be free from the United States but at what cost to their people, most of whom live at or well below poverty level, and depend on government assistance to survive.
Also when I read about this on Yahoo in an article written by someone associated with the Associated press network, the Lakota are not just trying to claim their reservation land but are trying to claim the land that they say they held ownership of before the treaties, if this holds true then would any non-Lakota person in those areas be made to leave, even though they are open to anyone at this point.
As some one who has lived on a reservation I believe that the best thing for the Indian and Native peoples of America to do is to end the reservation systems and the government handouts and start living independently.
People should except the fact that we now all share this land and that we should all be joining together to make a change in our land.
Some differences between Canada and the USA – status seems much higher for First Nations in the US. Still wondering how status will be determined these days, as there are very few individuals whose ancestry on both sides is pure Sioux, or British, or Chinese, or Egyptian, for that matter. It would be interesting for those living on reservations to set up their own schools, hospitals, and transportation system, though with free trade, there would be fewer problems with duty and taxes for cross-border shopping. It seems to me that most nations have eliminated city-states, which, if the Lakota Sioux wish to maintain their present homes and casinos, would be the only answer to this proposition.
Or, the US government could just implement the Texas solution.
These arrogant instigators are nut.
I rather expect nothing to change. It seems to me that anytime a small group of people makes a bold statement such as in this instance, repudiating treaties, the majority ignores them if it is something that has no personal impact. By that I mean that unless the decision by the the Sioux places a restriction or has an impact on the life-style of a majority of non-Native Americans, not only will the media ignore the statement but nothing will happen. Remember how long it took for a large group African Americans to succeed in simply gaining recognition as citizens after the Emancipation Proclamation? If the Lakota truly wish to make serious changes rather than using such a dramatic gesture they might have an Inter-Tribal council meetings. Then it might be possible to receive endorsements from all current Native Nations. Following this step a carefully waged publicity campaign with visits to influential media personalities such as Oprah or some of the more respected journalists who do investigative reporting like Anderson Cooper might be a good nest step. Remember no battle is won without manipulation of the media. If the Sioux want change then they need to use all their arsenal not a one shot announcement.
For the past several years the Sioux have been trying to force the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks to change the name of their sports teams from the “Fighting Sioux” to something which does not show disrespect to the Sioux Nation.
My questions are simple:
1. Is this new announcement a grandstand gesture to bring national attention to the ongoing battle with the school or is it a sincere attempt to correct a longstanding situation?
2. Since the nation is inundated by negative press surrounding the poor judgement of the Executive Branch of government why pick now to make such an announcement?
3. Is this an attempt to draw attention away from the unpopular war in the mid-east or a way to pull attention from the lies we are being fed about global warming?
I hope not. I would be disappointed to learn that the Lakota Sioux had been victimized… again.
Sounds like the same old scam. The Klamath Indian tribe has been “bought out” three times by the Feds in the last 40 years. The phrase, Follow the money, rings true when dealing with most Indian tribes. It is time to quite treating them special.
Perhaps Lakota Sioux Indian representatives are too ashamed to be part of a country, which is run by President George W. Bush and his Neo-conservative backers and policymakers! I assume they will change their minds when more sensible and less arrogant people run this country.
I see your out white boffalo hunting again. Good luck. I hope the majority hears you all.
I am thrilled at their bravery. I believe if it is granted it will spark a domino effect in all Native American communities.
They can’t tale care of themselves for one…For 2, nearly every tribal council member , at least here in Minnesota is corrupt and favoritive to friends and family members when it comes to filling jobs on the rez, and quite possibly is a felon or has a serious criminal record. They really need to oust these people, and if anyone of them wants to hold a resonsible office position, then they need to have a college degree or stay out of oficial positions within the tribe…My guess is that the Sioux people that proposed this preposterous idea are corrupt and have criminal records as well. Read the Native American Press/Ojibwe News and you will see first hand how corrupt they are in Minnesota. The Leech Lake rez chairman’s nickname is “chief snorting nose”, he is married with children and goes out carousing all the time and also has another kid on the way with someone other tribe member. He makes over 150,000 per year and his illegitimate kid will be raised on welfare because he has no intentions on helping the mother in any way. The native people need to start getting their children on birth control so that they quit having an entire family with several fathers before they turn 20 and never get a chance to have a REAL life off of the US welfare system. NO MORE HANDOUTS. TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEMS YOU HAVE INSIDE YOUR CIRLE BEFORE YOU DO SOMETHING AS IGNORANT AS TRYING TO BECOME YOUR OWN COUNTRY!!!!! By trying to become your own country aren’t you being just a little racist in your thoughts??? I would also love for them to get visa’s in order to leave the rez as well, and if they are not living on the rez and become a citizen of the US, then they need to get off their lazy asses and do something with their lives instead of whining that they did this ior they did that to our people…that was the past this is the present, DEAL WITH IT AND QUIT PLACING THE BLAME ON THE PRESENT DAY WHITE PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR FOREFATHERS’ MISTAKES. It’s time to bury the hatchet!!!
nothing big,, only stupid,, they now get cut off and no $$$, TO STARVE WORSE THAN BEFORE.. THEY SHOULD SWEAR ALLEGENCE to the U.S. and join the rest of us puppets///
Give them exactly what they want- total autonomy, and the responsibility that goes with being an independent soverign nation– their own currency, government, military, law enforcement, border patrol and customs, pass ports, visas, post office, schools, telephone system, etc. and the government bureaucracy that would be required to run it– in other words, everything a self-supporting soverign nation would need to function. No one can cross into or out of their “country” without a passport and visa. Oh, and no foreign aid– they have to take care of themselves– no sense their being dependent on a neighbor enemy state. Any and all commerce must be by trade agreement, with sanctions and trade embargoes as appropriate. Imagine how long it would take for them to react to the loss of bingo and casino business, much less cigarettes and booze sales. I applaud any effort to be self-supporting– lets give them what they ask for and see if they can do it!
To hell with them-they killed and torured untolf number of whies whle we were fighting them. If they should change their mindds, ell them hell no, GET OUT!
Its happened before in Europe such as the Vatican and San Marino being somewhat independent states in Italy. So I think it could happen but will it happen? probally not but for a geography nut it would be up there with the dissolving of the former Soviet Union.
Lastly, I feel they deserve as much. The genoicide of Native Americans is a dark shadow of this great nation.
I always grin when I read about Paleo Asians( so-called Indians AKA Bering Straiters) claiming aboriginality. Purchase Ice Age Columbus from the Discovery Channel(http://shopping.discovery.com/product-59637.html) We, Solutreans were here 6,000 years before fathers of Cochise.
I definitely think there will be negotiations primarily because the government doesn’t want a dangerous precedent established. This just may be the first of many moves by the Sioux, although it seems unclear what their ultimate goal is.
In response to Seth’s (12) comment. My comments were mostly “tongue-in-cheek”, and
yes, many past treaties with native American tribes were violated, if it was in the interests of more-powerful parties, be they miners, ranchers, farmers, States or the Federal Government. My point was, do the Lakota independance activists really think they would be better off protecting their lands if they were an independant nation, as opposed to the present system where now they receive some benefits and protections (economic, environmental, health, education, etc.) from the U.S., and State governments? In my opinion, as an independant nation, powerful business interests would be in in a much better position to exploit the Lakota.
Also, I spoke with my brother-in-law, (a Lakota Sioux) over Christmas dinner, and he informed me that the Lakota “independant movement) isn’t a popular, tribal-wide idea, as the article we are responding to might suggest. Rather, it’s just another attempt by aging activist, and part-time actor, Russell Means, to stay in the spotlight.
I have lived on a Sioux reservation (I am a “wah-see-choo”; a white man).
This move by the Sioux to become an independent nation is surely to gain unrestricted gambling rights on Sioux land. The Sioux will surely sign a huge deal for new casinos w/Harrah’s or Harvey’s or AmeriStar etc to come in and build casinos and provide jobs. Of course, they’ll invite their non-Sioux neighbors to come and lose money in their unrestricted casinos.
Otherwise, the Sioux people who live on reserverations are not self-sustaining. They rely heavily on US goverment housing, food subsidies, and monthly Goverment Assitance checks. The Sioux who lives on reservations are extremely dependent on these US goverment handouts; there are a skimpy few jobs on reservation land. The vast majority of our native friends are very poor. With unemployment extremely high, as is school drop-out rates and alcoholism, the Sioux reservations can not afford to take such a position unless gambling improves their means of survival.
How will the Sioux print their own money? How will they establish courts and jails and a legal system? How will they make laws? Will the Sioux tax their own people? Who will provide health care to their sick children? Who will build/repair their houses? Who will fix their roads and bridges?
This move to become an independent nation is not very wise, as the Sioux are no where near self-sustaining. Like it or not, they need the assistance of the US government.
Jeff
Sorry Dave (30), I wasn’t picking on you. I was responding to a couple of the worthwhile comments and got lazy with typing names!
If it really is a majority decision and not a stunt maybe they feel they are hanging on despite fed handouts, not because of them. Let’s not forget that white America isn’t doing all that great out there either. Most ag is subsidized with bigger $ (I suspect) than the res gets, and many small towns and rural counties in the Northern Plains continue to empty of their populations as they have been doing since the 1920′s. Some of the only rural counties in the Dakotas posting an actual population gain in 2000 were reservation counties. Some that left in the sixties are returning with their families (and law degrees, perhaps?). In some places they are rebuilding the bison herds to decrease their dependence on outside food sources and address health and cultural issues. Is it so crazy to think they might have a plan for what comes next?
I get what people are saying about the chance for disaster, but I just can’t see myself saying with a straight face that they should just hang in their a little longer and wait for the government to make it right. Nor should they have to just “put up or shut up” with such terrible conditions. No one would suggest that for New Orleans, right? Sioux culture survived intact on the plains longer than what replaced it; maybe this should be a learning experience for both of our cultures.
Those are men tired of betrayal and deserve their land back. Native Americans kept this lands pristine until we came to kill and maim them and destroy those beautifully kept lands. I am sure they would not discriminate against black people and other minorities. They were friendly in the beginning, if they ever revolted was as the only way of fighting the genocide we committed against them. If we call Germans killers, we were super-killers when cleaning the land of ethnies we did not like or considered useful.
Please go and enter into treaties with other nations.These are acts of war.
Then the US Government can seize all the assets of any tribe and freeze all accounts of any tribe without compensation. This is what happened to the Loyalists,the Confederates, the Japanese Americans in WW II and all the nations who declared war on the US.
Please people check out some history. You will see that this has been done before and I’m fearful for the people although they are brave because the US government will use force to stop any independance actions. Do you know where Wounded Knee is? Do you think 1890′s try 1970′s. There are good movies even that give a good picture of the realities. And if it is Russell Means again well so be it. Ask why is Leonard Peltier still in prison? Then ask why Native American children suicide rates are the highest in the US. Understanding is needed. Actions like this happen because of apathy and hate that I witnessed in these blogs and people get sick of it and want some kind of change. People in these blogs wrote like it would be impossible for the Lakota to survive without the US. I think that the opposite is true the Lakota may feel they can’t survive by continuing to be a part of the US.
we would kick custers ass again, but we are trying to use your ways to beat the government
I’m Hunkpapa. Most of the responses here are from ignorant and rascist people. In Europe, the native americans are held in a higher esteem than the local money grubbin’, land stealing, tricksters that are here in the US.
I’m 3/4 caucasoid, 1/4 true blood, all american. I will stand up for the Sioux and others.
#34 doesn’t even understand the issues. Treaties? Treaties? That is the problem….treaties.
It a shame, travesty, and blatant thievery by the government and US industry. “Gold in them thar hills”, it just so happens that them thar hills are holy lands, occupied by Israel, … I mean the US.
I can see by the responses that people don’t understand how powers change. The people who replied earlier probably think that the world is round. It’s flat again because of the internet. You compete on a global scale now. The wars have depleted US cash, increased dependence upon China, jobs are going to Pakistan, China, India, and the Phillipines. The US is not as mighty as the average citizen believes. Things have changed and the timing is right for this move.
It’s a smaller world now. Truth is shared faster and easier. You just don’t know.
I very very hope, that native people will get their total independence as soon as possible.The US will collapse,that Yugoslavia, and Sovietunion did.This process has begun.Long live all little nations all over the world!!!
Well, it seems to me that they’re ancestors were taken advantage of, and the government never has honored any of treaties with the native peoples. This was due to the greed and dishonesty of SOME (not all) of the people in positions of power at the time and the native peoples being of a different culture and uneducated at the time. The current leadership of the native peoples is going about this in what appears to be correct and they are not FIGHTING but are negotiating! But for some of you to say that we did this and we did that, you might want to reconsider your thoughts, I wasn’t born until 1956 so, therefore WE! did nothing. The people of the time did something in HISTORY that can’t be changed, but yes, we can learn from it and proceed forward. And by the way, not all Christians were or are bible thumpers as some of you have indicated. Some of you might learn some correct history before you decide to blaze you opinions all over the internet and not only spout your ignorance but have others read and see just how ignorant you are.
I have been doing my homework on the Indian as a people. I have located records of the lies and deceit that was told to the Indian. but the truth is if it were not for the Indian in the beginning of our country we would not have that country. what was taken from the Indian could be returned through the courts if the courts were as honest as they claim to be. different laws for different people if you were born a black you were a slave if you were born a Native Indian you were less than 10 slaves no one would hire you because of who you were. times have changed to some degree maybe there still can be hope for the Indians as a people if they were to receive their lands back that was stolen away from them they would not need the charity that so many people complain about needing to give the Indian people. the Indian was the greatest survivor that ever lived they still are they can live on very little compared to anyone today. if the playing field was level and the rules the same for everyone the Indian would win their lands back. but they are required to play by someone else’s rules that are changed the moment that someone finally starts to understand what those rules are. I can understand why the Indian climbs into a bottle and tries to relieve the stress that they were born into. with no real way out of the mess that our government helped to create. when the government tried to take the Indians weapons away the government created Wounded Knee. the government was responsible for that stupidly and it was the federal governments responsibility to help the Indian but they killed the buffalo to starve the Indian into submission. the US government suplied the ammo to anyone that wanted to kill the buffalo. for free it was not for justice it was so they could take the Indians lands away so that they could make a profit.