Russell Means Speaks the Truth

Joshua points us to Russell Means' latest video offering and update about the Lakotah Republic. The thing that has impressed me all along with Means is that he presents a picture of a man that is not unhinged, rather a man unencumbered by wrong-thinking.

The strategy employed by the Republic thus far seems workable if rather unremarkable. I say unremarkable only in the sense that by the measure of what we have come to expect in political movements the Lakotah strategy appears calculated, paced and prudent - thus it is really not unremarkable at all but perhaps incredibly wise.

It is true the "victories" they have won over the last year in efforts to reassert sovereignty were victories in which the Federal and State governments essentially decided not to take the field on. Some might dismiss this as no progress at all.

I am not an insider into the thinking behind this paced strategy but I presume that these victories are not so much geared toward establishing boundaries of sovereignty - I think the leadership up there realizes that each victory cold be easily stripped away quickly if the Federals wanted. I think these are designed to show the Lakotah themselves that victories are possible, thus garnering support for the notion that this nation could indeed be free and sovereign again. In that I think it is a wonderfully wise approach.

Some may question the Lakotah Republics willingness to seek outsiders into the Republic. After all one may question might this not pollute the culture. To a paleoconservative such as myself this is a valid question.

To those with such questions I would ask this. What of the real Lakotah culture still exists after confinement to government run reservations? When Means talks about recruiting folks to help establish sustainable living solutions it seems to me this is a paleoconservative approach - it appears the only way to return the culture to some of its previous core values. Values lost in the imprisonment on reservations.

It saddens me that the majority of the Lakotah people do not yet embrace what appears their best option to live as a free and sovereign people that has come round in a long time. Perhaps with more small victories and perseverance this will change.

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Free Lakota Bank

From the website:

The Free Lakota Bank is the world's first non-reserve, non-fractional bank that issues, accepts for deposit, and circulates REAL money...silver and gold. All of our deposits are liquid, meaning they can be withdrawn at any time in minted rounds.

I wonder if they are getting serious up there..or if this entire sovereignty thing was a hoax? This seems for real but time will tell.

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Just a Slight Rumble

Perhaps you read my post on the Lakota Freedom Delegation's declaration that treaties between the US and the Lakota Nation are null and void and were essentially non=plussed. That is understandable, we have seen events in the not so distant past that could be compared to this event. We know about the Freemen, we know about the Republic of Texas and what became of their attempts to establish sovereignty and independence. You might say, "what is the difference"?

After all we have what appears to be a group of people that do not hold formally elected positions (within the de facto government of the Lakota Nation) declaring independence and threatening to set up a shadow government, issue liens on land and abjuring the Federal realm. What is the difference you say? This will all just fade away and possibly end up with a few folks arrested.

Perhaps so, then again maybe not.

The fact that Russell Means in not the current president of his tribe it can be argued that the tribal leadership of the Sioux is held illegitimately - you can read about the the history of tribal governments in general and the Sioux and Lakota in particular. I come down on the side of accepting the current governments as de facto indeed but perhaps not de jure and certainly not legitimate in terms of doing what governments are supposed to do - that is serve the best interests of the people it represents.

Tribal governments have done a fabulous job of keeping Indians on the reservation; drunk, unemployed and sick with diseases that the most of rest of the world has long since eradicated. It seems that if their governments are legitimate they have have done a poor job of representing the people.

If the Lakota people (and the people of the affected states in general) get behind this movement it will be legitimate. One must remember that the signers of the Declaration of Independence were not legitimate either, and at the time of the signing there was not a great upwelling of public support. Big things can occur from small beginnings.

Having said that, there is another angle. In 1974 traditional elders of the Lakota Nation sanctioned this action - long before there was a Western style representative form of government the Lakota people were governed by their elders - there is legitimacy to all of this.

Here is the other point that the MSM is ignoring and the State Department hopes will not materialize (but I suspect will occur). Venezuela will likely recognize a free Lakota Nation. You say this is a (half) given and means nothing, granted. What about Bolivia? That nation does not have an axe to grind with the US, per se. Bolivia would receive no great benefit from recognizing the Lakota's bid for freedom. However, I predict that Bolivia will indeed recognize the movement diplomatically (unless the State Department buys off Evo Morales).

This all could be much bigger than folks want to pretend - for the sake of freedom everywhere I hope the Lakota people have the resolve to get behind this movement, no matter that it may mean their shipments of government cheese are disrupted.

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Descendants of Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse break away from US

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The Lakota Indians, who gave the world legendary warriors Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, have withdrawn from treaties with the United States, 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," long-time Indian rights activist Russell Means told a handful of reporters and a delegation from the Bolivian embassy, gathered in a church in a run-down neighborhood of Washington for a news conference.

A delegation of Lakota leaders delivered a message to the State Department on Monday, announcing they were unilaterally withdrawing from treaties they signed with the federal government of the United States, some of them more than 150 years old.

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.

Lakota country includes parts of the states of Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming.

It is about time someone took the first step, and who better than those that felt the boot of the American Empire most profoundly. Visit their website, if they are serious about making this stick they deserve our support; self-determination is supposed to be an "American" thing is it not?

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