posted January 10, 2008 09:11 PM            

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WASHINGTON, DC - December 20 - Lakota Sioux Indian representatives declared sovereign nation status today in Washington D.C. following Monday's withdrawal from all previously signed treaties with the United States Government. The withdrawal, hand delivered to Daniel Turner, Deputy Director of Public Liaison at the State Department, immediately and irrevocably ends all agreements between the Lakota Sioux Nation of Indians and the United States Government outlined in the 1851 and 1868 Treaties at Fort Laramie Wyoming.

"This is an historic day for our Lakota people," declared Russell Means, Itacan of Lakota. "United States colonial rule is at its end!"

"Today is a historic day and our forefathers speak through us. Our Forefathers made the treaties in good faith with the sacred Canupa and with the knowledge of the Great Spirit," shared Garry Rowland from Wounded Knee. "They never honored the treaties, that's the reason we are here today."

The four member Lakota delegation traveled to Washington D.C. culminating years of internal discussion among treaty representatives of the various Lakota communities. Delegation members included well known activist and actor Russell Means, Women of All Red Nations (WARN) founder Phyllis Young, Oglala Lakota Strong Heart Society leader Duane Martin Sr., and Garry Rowland, Leader Chief Big Foot Riders. Means, Rowland, Martin Sr. were all members of the 1973 Wounded Knee takeover.

"In order to stop the continuous taking of our resources – people, land, water and children- we have no choice but to claim our own destiny," said Phyllis Young, a former Indigenous representative to the United Nations and representative from Standing Rock.

Property ownership in the five state area of Lakota now takes center stage. Parts of North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana have been illegally homesteaded for years despite knowledge of Lakota as predecessor sovereign [historic owner]. Lakota representatives say if the United States does not enter into immediate diplomatic negotiations, liens will be filed on real estate transactions in the five state region, clouding title over literally thousands of square miles of land and property.

Young added, "The actions of Lakota are not intended to embarrass the United States but to simply save the lives of our people".

Following Monday's withdrawal at the State Department, the four Lakota Itacan representatives have been meeting with foreign embassy officials in order to hasten their official return to the Family of Nations.

Lakota's efforts are gaining traction as Bolivia, home to Indigenous President Evo Morales, shared they are "very, very interested in the Lakota case" while Venezuela received the Lakota delegation with "respect and solidarity."

"Our meetings have been fruitful and we hope to work with these countries for better relations," explained Garry Rowland. "As a nation, we have equal status within the national community."

Education, energy and justice now take top priority in emerging Lakota. "Cultural immersion education is crucial as a next step to protect our language, culture and sovereignty," said Means. "Energy independence using solar, wind, geothermal, and sugar beets enables Lakota to protect our freedom and provide electricity and heating to our people."

The Lakota reservations are among the most impoverished areas in North America, a shameful legacy of broken treaties and apartheid policies. Lakota has the highest death rate in the United States and Lakota men have the lowest life expectancy of any nation on earth, excluding AIDS, at approximately 44 years. Lakota infant mortality rate is five times the United States average and teen suicide rates 150% more than national average. 97% of Lakota people live below the poverty line and unemployment hovers near 85%.

"After 150 years of colonial enforcement, when you back people into a corner there is only one alternative," emphasized Duane Martin Sr. "The only alternative is to bring freedom into its existence by taking it back to the love of freedom, to our lifeway."

posted January 11, 2008 09:11 PM            

bump

posted January 12, 2008 12:07 AM              

My heart is with them. When a trend goes on too long, and the system designed to correct it fails, you do what you can to get that system to at least respond with some amount of moderation..not apathy.

When a governing body uses its power to act with impunity, a free person...and free people, have a duty to disregard the authority that disregards them..so that when that authority inevitably resorts to brute force as an enforcement of its dictates, against the will of its subjects, the entire world can see what such authority is made of..and of what its people are made of as well.

Ghandi, King, Chavez..these are noble traditions of strong, nonviolent resistance that we can look to with pride and now another thing that makes me proud to live in this country.

Brave, independent people with the courage to keep things right.

Not a set of rules being distorted into a sort of priority over common sense.

You go Lakotah nation...

daf

P.S. Further research shows that their claims are perfectly legitimate except for one small thing: the Lakota tribal councils didn't all agree to this declaration. Some approve..some don't..some say this is a good thing, but they didn't approve it.

posted January 12, 2008 01:48 AM              

Lakota Oyate ("Freedom") Group (not affiliated with Means, and not in agreement with his group): http://www.lakotaoyate.net

posted January 14, 2008 09:06 PM            

LOL . Yes Chris Rock cud be funny at times.

Ummm... I was under the impression that a happy American family (white or black) goes to Applebees if they want to eat something gourmet on a sunday Hehehehe....

posted January 29, 2008 01:37 PM            

I am Dakota Sioux. Not that it applies. It doesn't include my reservation i am sure. Its more towards the upper eastern part of South Dakota.