Isn't this kind of a BFD? --> Lakota Nation secedes from the USA

[99th_Monkey]

"The Lakota Nation has withdrawn from all treaties with the United States, national leaders said Wednesday.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,” Indian leader Russell Means told reporters and a delegation from the Bolivian embassy at a Washington news conference.

A delegation of Lakota leaders delivered a message to the US State Department on Monday, announcing they were unilaterally withdrawing from treaties they signed with the federal government of the United States.

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.

The Lakota Nation includes parts of the states of Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming."

More at: http://www.aztlan.net/lakota_nation_secedes.htm

[Agnosticsherbet]

1. Depends on whether the treaty allows them to do that, or whether the U.S. government...

will take it seriously.

It is something to watch.

[Posteritatis]

6. Nothing came of it last time. (nt)

[dixiegrrrrl]

19. Considering all the broken treaties the USA has done...

I'd say turnabout is fair play
and about time, at that.
Hope they have good legal support.
I know that one pressing issue is the current plans by US to drill and mine resources from the lands which Indians consider sacred.

[truedelphi]

2. Sure be nice to join them -

Only the One Percent has a lot to gain from this society as it is now structured.

On many levels, we are all just squaws and braves waiting for the next blood sucking cavalry to come swooping down on us.

[bhikkhu]

3. Their last official secession was in 2007

http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/1220-02.htm

Not to make light of it, but I followed the story for a little while then and basically nothing happened. Maybe that's why they're seceding again...

[99th_Monkey]

4. Wow. Who knew?

Thanks for the historical perspective.

I thought it was a rather odd juxtaposition with the Cree nation
lauding Obama, and making him an honorary member of the tribe.

[loli phabay]

10. if at first you dont secede then try try again i suppose.

[XemaSab]

13. lulz

[Posteritatis]

18. Aaaagh you're grounded. (nt)

[Curtland1015]

32. I give this post TWELVE thumbs up.

It was that good.

[tama]

11. The OP link was from 2007 nt

[dixiegrrrrl]

21. If at first you don't secede......

[NJCher]

5. no taxes if you renounce your U.S. status

Cher

[former9thward]

8. Also no federal benefits which are given to Native Americans.

Which includes free federal health care, education and income benefits.

[Luminous Animal]

17. The Feds, supposedly, manags and doles the money from recources stolen from them.

It has been so grossly mismanaged, there is no way to account for billions that have been lost through graft, fraud, and outright theft.

[frogmarch]

7. Good ol' Russell Means is at it again.

My Lakota daughter-in-law and two grown granddaughters wish he'd STFU. They and many other tribal members wonder what he and his supporters are thinking. Secession = no gov't grants or support of any kind. Things are tough enough for many Lakota. Without gov't assistance things will get even tougher. My daughter-in-law and granddaughters do not receive gov't assistance, but many of their family members on the Ridge do.

What does Russell Means think the Lakota Nation is going to use for currency? U.S. money won't work. Will NAs need passports to travel outside the Lakota Nation? How will Lakota people get health care? And what about schools?

Russell Means is a shit-stirrer, a troublemaker.

[Cha]

14. Thanks for your perspective, frogmarch.

I was wondering what they were going to do to help those among them who aren't wealthy enough to make it on their own.

I can see their perpetual anger at the US but, President Obama is the president who has done the most to give them a more fair shake.

He said, 'Let me look into this and see what we can do,'" Baker recalled. A week later, he received a letter from the White House pledging to follow up. A White House spokesman said the administration had been reaching out to many tribes on the same issue.

"President Obama is a promise keeper," Baker said. "He promised that he would work with Indian country, that he would help us, and he has done that at every turn."

The tribes have shown their gratitude, giving at least $2.5 million to Obama's reelection campaign through the end of July — far outstripping their donations in other recent presidential elections, according to data provided by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/sep/25/nation/la-na-obama-tribes-20120925

I know not everyone feels the same about this..just sayin'

I see in the article that Tribes have given about $750 thousand..well here's the quote..

Republican challenger Mitt Romney has just begun to make appeals to tribes, holding a fundraiser at his Boston headquarters last month. So far, he has raised about $750,000 from tribes, according to a campaign official.

The donations highlight a potentially lucrative and, until now, largely untapped source of funds for presidential politics. Unlike corporations and unions, tribes can give directly to candidates. And because of their status as sovereign nations, they can donate more to presidential campaigns than individuals, who cannot give more than $117,000 in federal donations every two years.

[frogmarch]

23. Yes, President Obama has done a lot

for them, and many Lakota know this.

My husband's sister Kay and her husband Leon, who are farmers, lease some Lakota land on the Pine Ridge Reservation for growing their crops. The land is owned by individual Lakota tribal members, who are paid by the acre for the use of it. Leon has often said he wouldn't argue if the Lakota families wanted to farm the leased land themselves, but so far the landowners seem satisfied with things the way they are. I don't know how much they're being paid for the use of their land. Even though Leon seems a generous soul, it's probably not enough.

But I digress.

Kay has always helped count votes during elections. During the last mid-terms, she and the other Democratic vote-counters had no choice but to confront the Republican vote-challengers, because they were harassing Lakota voters. In no uncertain terms Kay and the other Democratic counters informed the Republican challengers of their boundaries and almost got into knock-down, drag-outs with the "arrogant bastards," as Kay described them. The night before the election, Republicans had held a banquet in Pine Ridge to try to get the Lakota people to vote for Republicans. The Lakota people were promised this and promised that, and many Lakota were fooled. The next day, the Republican vote-challengers tried to make sure all the Lakota voters voted Republican. They were largely successful.

Republicans work the reservations hard during election seasons, but we never hear much about Democrats doing anything. This irritates us no end.

[Cha]

24. I'm sorry to hear that Democrats

aren't heard from much on the reservations. My first thought about the republicons is..if they promised things then did they come through with it? If not then that should be the end of voting for them.

As the snip said above..Pres Obama came through on his promises. I wish local Dems would get this knowledge out there.

Is it a short growing season? What crops do they grow? Thanks, frogmarch

[frogmarch]

25. They mainly grow wheat,

corn, soybeans and sunflowers. Western So Dak is considered to have a relatively short growing season, and this year's drought has made matters much worse for farmers.

I haven’t heard what’s been going on during this election season, but Kay and Leon have been trying to circulate the Republicans’ racist stuff about Cherokees, along with other information that shows Republicans for what they really are. Word of mouth helps, but Democrats need to actively campaign on the reservations. Dems need to counter the Republican lies with facts and truth.

Republicans are able to win Lakota votes by convincing them that Republicans stand for the same things the Lakota do: limited government, more local control, etc. What many Lakota don’t seem to understand is that limited government – i.e. a weak federal gov’t – means weak federal assistance programs, including those for Lakota. And that’s just for starters, without even mentioning, for one example, what little regard Republicans have for protecting areas that the Lakota deem sacred.

[xmas74]

29. My daughter worked on a Lakota reservation over the summer

on a mission trip and she was completely "struck" (her word) by how hard life was for everyone on the reservation. (She's 12 and she tears up when she talks about the children.)

They can't afford to lose any more aid.

[99th_Monkey]

33. Thanks for the heads up

I just saw this posted on Facebook, and it seemed rather odd,
and just thought it may be of interest to some on DU, so I
posted it. Apparently it is a bit dated (2007), which I didn't
notice at the time.

Sorry for any angst or inconvenience this may have caused
you or others.

[bluedigger]

9. Maybe, if the US recognized Means as an authorized representative of... anybody.

He has about as much authority to say that as I do.

Furthermore, fuck Ron Paul, Russell.

[Cha]

15. Is Russell a Ron Paulite? nt

[bluedigger]

16. He's a long time Libertarian.

He finished second to Ron Paul as the choice of the Libertarian Party for President years ago, and endorsed Paul this year.

[Cha]

20. Aha! thanks bluedigger

[rurallib]

12. looks like a job for Scott Brown

He is a whiz at native American relations

[ancianita]

22. Hahaha

[d_r]

27. this is from five years ago

[jberryhill]

28. And you believe these people "represent" the Lakota Nation why?

[99th_Monkey]

31. Please don't shoot the messenger

I just saw this on FB and reposted it here, thinking it
may be of interest to some. Sorry it is a bit dated,
which I didn't notice initially.

[jberryhill]

36. No messenger shooting intended

However, it is not the first time that this group of individuals has pretended to speak for the Lakota Nation, despite having no authority to do so.

[99th_Monkey]

38. Cool. I had no idea who the guy is

when I posted this, plus turns out the story is 5 years old.

Oh well. I learned something. Thanks for playing

[kestrel91316]

30. Ahem >>>>> (tapping 99th Monkey on shoulder) >>>>>

LA VOZ DE AZTLAN
Los Angeles, Alta California
December 20, 2007

[99th_Monkey]

34. Please see

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=1437475

[whistler162]

35. Let's......

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6827163268088648679

[99th_Monkey]

39. LOL. I'm in. -nt

[Odin2005]

37. No, it's just a Libertarian idiot looking for attention.