Some parts of some Lakota tribes have written a legal document withdrawing from its treaties with the United States, which it signed as a sovereign nation. They have declared their status as a sovereign nation, and are seeking legal recognition as such. If the U.S. does not enter into immediate negotiations, the Lakota have threatened to reclaim the territory illegally homesteaded by United States citizens, which spreads across five states.
Links to the whole story can be found at:
http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/1220-02.htm
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2007/12/21/news/local/doc476a99630633e335271152.txt
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,317548,00.html (yes, even Fox news!)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071220/lf_afp/usindigenoustreatywithdraw
http://www.lakotafreedom.com/ (love the dude cutting up his i.d. card!)
I'm thinking this is going to be interesting! Doing this via legal means may have a different outcome than past confrontations, especially if the Lakota can get the support of the international community especially in a court of law. Legal recognition isn't the end of it, of course. The whole notion of a legal country is an interesting one. When the U.S. declared its independence, Morocco was one of the first countries to recognize it. There are countries that we recognize the leadership even if they're not physically in the country, nor in control of it--Vichy France and the monarchy of Iran come to mind. Does the United States control Iraq, is Kurdistan as valid a nation as Israel, and since we used to recognize the Lakota as a sovereign country, do we still have to? These lines and legal definitions and regulations are totally imaginary, consensus reality.
I like the part about how the Lakota say that anyone who is currently living in their nation is welcome to stay, so long as they give up their U.S. citizenship. They state that anyone is welcome to live there, tax free, and enjoy freedom and a community-based structure of decision-making. Ah, sounds good to me! I am up for some homesteading. It would be an honor and a privilege to help heal land and people (self included).
Thoughts from y'all?
sharqi
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6 comments:
May we all have the courage of the Lakota Sioux in the new year.
Plotting to make a little excursion that direction in march of 08. Gotta get a look see and discuss some notions of communal lands, and what kind of freedoms that entails.
I have my worries about growing crops in what I imagine is an inhospitable environment.
would love to see earthen and solar construction replace all those homes infested with black-mold and without electricity.
I'm cheering for the Lakota, and I, too, especially appreciated the welcome and invitation.
This is like some Promised Land that seemingly rose up from the desert of US of A overnight, I hope to be in that land of milk and honey,even if the crop land isn't choice, because there the choice is for freedom and community living, and maybe even a local and small enough government to make political participation meaningful and worthwhile.
Amazing that this has been in the works fo 33 years---what amazing patience, the Lakota!
this spell check doesn't recognize Lakota as a word?!--reflecting the "mans" damnable ignorance!
I would like to think there is no political participation because there is no politics because it is all participation ... in an ideal, though plausible, community.
yeah, Hakim that is a better way of describing it
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