Lakota Indians Withdraw Treaties Signed With U.S. 150 Years Ago

[LiberalArkie]

<http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,317548,00.html>

WASHINGTON — The Lakota Indians, who gave the world legendary warriors Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, have withdrawn from treaties with the United States.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.

<snip>

The treaties signed with the U.S. were merely "worthless words on worthless paper," the Lakota freedom activists said.

<snip>

[Richard Steele]

1. K&R

[Squatch]

2. It took them 150 years to figure that out?

:shrug:

[Ganja Ninja]

3. Bush withdraws from treaties when even he feels like it so ..

I don't see why everyone else can't do as he does.

[LiberalArkie]

5. The article said you had to live within the nation and give up your US citizenship

[Botany]

4. Can I join up?

Between bush, Pelosi, and the media I am ready to become a "human being."

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. This painting makes no sense.

If you wanted to creep up on a pack of buffaloes, wouldn't you do it under the hides of buffalo calves, instead of wolves or coyotes? I mean, who painted this picture? A white man?

[Toots]

6. The Indian Citizenship Act was not a Treaty...

:shrug:

[flashl]

7. K&R n/t

[bdamomma]

8. the Indians were screwed too by the US govt.

looks like nothing has changed cause we are getting screwed too.

[Donnachaidh]

12. there is NO comparison between us and what the US Govt. did to the Native Americans

How can you even compare the two?

[Echo In Light]

9. Good. Pretty much been all downhill from that point...

[poverlay]

10. I'm moving........nt

[MrsBrady]

13. ...i think Fox is trying to stir up trouble or mislead

Here is a more complete article I found...

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071220/NEWS/712200347/1001
From the Argus Leader in South Dakota

It is my understanding that although Russell Means may have a good point, he is not generally supported by Lakota governance.

""Rodney Bordeaux, chairman of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, said his community has no desire to join the breakaway nation. Means and his group, which call themselves the Lakota Freedom Delegation, have never officially pitched their views to the Rosebud community, Bordeaux said.

"Our position on that is we need to uphold the treaties, and we're constantly reminding Congress of that message," Bordeaux said. "We're pushing to maintain and to keep the treaties there because they're the basis of our relationship with the federal government." ""