I'm sure many of you have seen this poster. It's been floating around the internet for some time now, to be sure. Now, it's kind of become a reality of sorts. Lakota delegates have traveled to Washington D.C. to declare independence for the Lakota nation. The website for this delegation can be found here:
It isn't completely official, as the American Indian Movement, the group that made the declaration, isn't an official representative of the Oglala Sioux, but the declaration has already received international support from Venezuela and Bolivia, and Russell Means, the group's leader, has already announced his intention to take the issue before the United Nations.
Means cited the following reasons for the declaration (taken from the website):
In the face of the colonial apartheid conditions imposed on Lakota people, the withdrawal from the U.S. Treaties is necessary. These conditions have been devastating:
- Lakota men have a life expectancy of less than 44 years, lowest of any country in the World (excluding AIDS) including Haiti.
- Lakota death rate is the highest in the United States.
- The Lakota infant mortality rate is 300% more than the U.S. Average.
- More than half the Reservation's adults battle addiction and disease.
- The Tuberculosis rate on Lakota reservations is approx 800% higher than the U.S national average.
- Alcoholism affects 8 in 10 families.
- Median income is approximately $2,600 to $3,500 per year.
- 1/3 of the homes lack basic clean water and sewage while 40% lack electricity.
- 60% of housing is infected with potentially fatal black molds.
- 97% of our Lakota people live below the poverty line.
- Unemployment rates on our reservations is 85% or higher.
- Federal Commodity Food Program provides high sugar foods that kill Native people through diabetes and heart disease.
- Teenage suicide rate is 150% higher than the U.S national average for this group.
- Our Lakota language is an Endangered Language, on the verge of extinction.
If the tribes do successfully secede, the US map would look very different:
The nation would issue its own driver's licenses, passports, and would purportedly levy no taxes upon its citizenry. Means has promised that any who wish to live there may do so, given that they first renounce their US citizenship.An article reprinted from the Rapid City Journal can be found here, replete with comments from the inevitable peanut gallery:
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/12/21/5946/
If it's true, and it actually works, it's about goddamned time. Hopefully Lakota don't carry large amounts of cash, or they're likely to suffer the same fate as the people from my previous post. Given their poverty rates, I don't think they've much to worry about. I just wish the winters in that area weren't so harsh, 'cause I could use a nearby nation willing to offer me asylum.
8 comments:
hmmm....
looks like the Carlisle School worked after all, huh?
I'll wait to hear their anthem. If they get a cool anthem, then I'll consider it.
I'd recommend Lipan Conjuring by Tool, but the Lipan are an Apache tribe.
Would citizenship also come with a cool "Indian Name"? Like Fetid Buffalo Corpse, or Two Moons Over My Hammy? (Denny's Tribe)
Having to get a "cool indian name" would be ... interesting.
BTW, the proxy don't like the lakotafreedom site (says its malicious) so I did a quick googling and found this, and thought you'd want to read it ... anything with this many references is at least thorough.
Yeah, I know it's a proclamation made by a fringe group, and has no official support from the Sioux Nation as of now. The article I linked to said as much.
I honestly think Means has a salient point though. The US has completely ignored their treaty obligations to this group of indigenous people on several counts, and were they to decide as a people to follow Means' movement, it would probably garner a lot of support within the US and without.
I for one wouldn't mind seeing it. They've been walked on long enough.
They aren't the only tribe to be walked on. If they actually get what they are after (which I doubt they will - unfortunately) could you imagine what it would start within other tibes?
Too bad the Lakota people weren't of a greater number and actually able to take a stand. At this point, they're approaching an egotistical government in a beggars' condition. Doesn't look good.
Man-O-War(although based on fantasy games..War Hammer, etc.) depicts such instances with acuracy: the stronger rule, the weaker die.
Sad it is.
Twas a good mindfuck, in many ways. Certainly had several Latin American countries going, and consensus is pretty much the only precondition of being a recognized country.
However, it was probably for the best it wasn't true. With the current administration, and its control-freakery, you'd be looking at another Waco. Oh, maybe not straight away, but eventually stories would filter through, perhaps of child abuse, apalling poverty, cross border criminal gangs, maybe even disease. And the troops would be sent in to 'secure the border' and a lot of unecessary blood would be shed, because militarization usually only creates more problems.
Either the Lakota have got to be willing to shed buckets of blood for their freedom, or the US government has to be unwilling to. I prefer the second option, but it's not a very likely one.
Let's not forget that the Lakota were the only nation prior to the Viet Nam War to defeat the US. The Lakota are badasses. Having said this, this is probably futile without both internal unanimity and massive non-Lakota support and immigration - which is not impossible given how sick of the gummint many Americans are, and how unlivable the country is threatening to become.... and I wish to be addressed from now on as "Runs with Scissors".
For me, the key question is - how do the rank-and-file, non-activist/AIM Lakota feel about this?
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