Posted on 12/20/2007 5:36:13 AM PST by Sopater
WASHINGTON — The Lakota Indians, who gave the world legendary warriors Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, have withdrawn from treaties with the United States.
"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 said.
A delegation of Lakota leaders has delivered a message to the State Department, and said they were unilaterally withdrawing from treaties they signed with the federal government of the U.S., some of them more than 150 years old.
The group also visited the Bolivian, Chilean, South African and Venezuelan embassies, and would continue on their diplomatic mission and take it overseas in the coming weeks and months.
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 U.S. citizenship, Mr Means said.
The treaties signed with the U.S. were merely "worthless words on worthless paper," the Lakota freedom activists said.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Never tried it you insulting Oaf.
Grow up. That or come up with a better conversation not including insults. (not holding breath)
AMEN! Clearly the most accurate and well reasoned post on this thread. I will refer back to this thread many times in the future to see what some of these posters really are made of.
Last time the Lakhota had a military, Custer wore an Arrow shirt.
*Yawn*
Alright Mr. GIANT INTELLECT! Just because someone says that they are an independent nation DOESN'T make them one. It didn't work for the idiot it Texas and it won't work for these fools either. They still have to pay taxes to the nation to which they belong. In this case the Indians belong to the American nation. Just saying you live in another nation doesn't give you a nation and it shouldn't give you tax-free status to the nation in which you are living. If they want to try and become a separate Indian nation, then the Government should treat them like anyone else and make them pay taxes like ever other individual in the country. They are still part of America whether they like it or not. So are you and your tribe. No treaty, No special favors. ... You obviously have a biased opinion about this.
Also, The Lakota belong to the American nation whether they say they belong to the Lakota nation or not. Same with every other Indian tribe. The Americna Government only allows them to call themselves whatever they want. Americans run things from Sea-to-Shining-Sea.
This is not intended only for LachlanMinnesota and the comment made.
You can offer help all day long, but unless someone takes advantage of it…what good is it? Though I believe it is discriminatory…the United States Government helps in the way of free college education yet very few of the Tribes people take advantage of the offering. I know one Pine Ridge tribe member who did take the offer, and he went into archeology in Laramie. That is one of the lowest paid professions available. Why didn’t he go into business? He wanted to study his ancestor’s bones…looking at fire rings and deciding from which direction the hunters traveled. Not exactly a helpful activity to further the current state of ‘his’ people.
The members who still live on the reservations should have taken initiative a long time ago to better their living conditions and way of life instead of sitting and doing nothing...waiting for a miracle to happen. Collecting welfare is no way to support a family, which comes from the US Government who collects it from American taxpayers.
This is a worthless publicity stunt. The people in the alleged newly created Lakota nation would die from the elements, as the power plants in the area that are owned by private citizens of the United States would destroy the plants before handing over the keys. The refineries in the area would be set ablaze and destroyed, thus importing gasoline would be unbelievably expensive.
Russell Means states there will be no taxes for the citizens of the Lakota nation. The road systems would fail miserably and quickly as the weather plays havoc on the black top/concrete roadways in that region. I know…I’m from Nebraska. Roads fall apart within 1.5 – 2 years and need to be repaired constantly. Who owns the Department of Roads? Oh yeah, it’s a branch of the US Government. Every piece of equipment would be relocated out of that region. Graders and black top equipment are not cheap pieces of equipment. Without taxes how do they intend to maintain the up keep?
I think the members of the tribes should take inventory and realize what it truly takes to make a society thrive in today’s technological age. Education is everything. Welfare is nothing.
You are making too much of this. If you think for a second the US Government will just sit by and allow this to happen your off your rocker. Forget the US Government...what about the remaining people of all races who live in the region who are not tribal members? Do you really think that Joe Rancher in Northern Nebraska is going to give up his nationality? The people of the Tribe should be more frightened of the people who live there than the gov’t.
What has happened to MY people in the past is worse than death. Living in poverty with a government ruling over you that couldn’t give two hoots about you is an existence that leads to revolution. When MY people were in negotiation for a fair balance in land, invasion of MY land was apparently the only answer. Using MY people as slaves was the result. And the government prospered from MY people dying in battle.
MY people come from Ireland & Scotland. The British government were our murderers.
The Native American is lucky to still be alive. The Native American must stop living in the past!
Send in the 7th.
Minnesota?
Sitting Bull didn’t think so, after a while.
What started this exchange is that I thought the idea to tax their casinos was a good one. I still think it is good idea. The Government can and should impose that tax. I’m out.
Indigenous, my a*s! The Lakota were driven west by the Chippewa in the 17th and 18th century from Minnesota [the Santee Sioux stayed]. They didn’t reach the “Sacred Black Hills” ‘til around 1775 - when they promptly drove the Kiowas, who were living there, out.
I think the Crow, Blackfeet, Pawnee and Shoshone may get there first.
That's right, the Israeli's took their barren scrap of land and made it blossom while their neighbors choose instead to live in squalid conditions.
If the Lakota Sioux want to, they could make their land highly productive but choose instead not to. Nobody forces them to not pick up their trash. Nobody forces them to not make productive use of what they have. I suspect a significant contributor to their lack of productivity is chronic alcoholism. Old timers knew alcohol had a very different effect on indians than whites and banned alcohol sales to indians but to do so now would be racist.
Well. Wow.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.