Declaring freedom is a powerful responsibility. Can the Lakotah provide for it's people without making their desperate conditions even harsher? Will the release of their map cause problems with the United States government? What is Lakotah's next step?
"The free Lakota nation is regaining the original natural territory of its unceeded land," said Lakota Freedom Delegate Canupa Gluha Mani (Duane Martin Sr.). "The white man promised that as long as the grass grows and the rivers flow this land will always be yours[the Lakota]. This promise still lives within the heart of the Lakota Nation."
The Lakota Freedom Delegation does not speak for the Lakota people. They do not act for those who have been "colonized" not wanting the freedom the Delegation is proposing.
The first mandate for the Lakota Nation was the Declaration of Indigenous Rights in September of 2007. The second mandate is the returning to the original status they once had as a free and Independent Nations. That process began with the notification the the Department of State of the United States of America that they were withdrawing from all Treaties and Agreements that had previously been entered into between the US and the Lakota.
PREAMBLE
The United States of America has continually violated the independent Native Peoples of this continent by Executive action, Legislative fiat and Judicial decision. By
its actions, the U.S. has denied all Native people their International Treaty rights, Treaty lands and basic human rights of freedom and sovereignty. This same U.S. Government,
which fought to throw off the yoke of oppression and gain its own independence, has now reversed its role and become the oppressor of sovereign Native people.
Might does not make right. Sovereign people of varying cultures have the absolute right to live in harmony with Mother Earth so long as they do not infringe upon this same right of other peoples. The denial of this right to any sovereign people, such as the Native American Indian Nations, must be challenged by truth and action. World concern must focus on all colonial governments to the end that sovereign people everywhere shall live as they choose; in peace with dignity and freedom.
The International Indian Treaty Conference hereby adopts this Declaration of Continuing Independence of the Sovereign Native American Indian Nations. In the course of these human events, we call upon the people of the world to support this struggle for our sovereign rights and our treaty rights. We pledge our assistance to all other sovereign people who seek their own independence.
Lakota Oyate have just released a map of
national boundaries which will they believe will change five states in the United States. They released the map in order for the US government to begin the process of planning governmental initiatives without the massive land that the
Lakota Nation has taken back.
Now the Lakota people start the process of reclaiming what they had lost for decades. They are recovering their natural land base without interference or help from the United States government. They claim that at the forefront is protecting sacred sites and confrontation with exploitative government and private enterprises that have damaged by removing or polluting Lakota lands. As they work through that simple common things will have to be taken care of also. Passports, drivers licenses and dealing with those who are not Lakota who reside on their land. There is a call for the members of the new Nation not to pay taxes.
They do have the backing of several countries including
Bolivia.
Bolivian Ambassador Gustavo Guzman, who attended the press conference out of solidarity, said he takes the Lakotas' declaration of independence seriously.
"We are here because the demands of indigenous people of America are our demands," Guzman said. "We have sent all the documents they presented to the embassy to our ministry of foreign affairs in Bolivia and they'll analyze everything."
As the tribal leaders make these grand announcements do they have the backing of their people? Are these leaders, many of whom have police and prison records according to a private source qualified to "take back" what time has stolen from the Lakota people? Those in the lead of this process have faced allegations in the past of being corrupt and taking from the very people that they serve. How will they deal with their own past as they work to rebuild their once proud nation?
Will the change of who is in "charge" improve the crime levels in this land? Will
rapes remain uninvestigated? Will the women's shelter that takes care of those abused by their mates be maintained in a better fashion? Will cut phone lines be fixed quickly unlike now where months can pass? Or will it remain as the shelter's director stated, "This is a lawless land where people are making up their own laws because there's no justice being done."
Those answers will be in the next installment.
Canupa Gluha Mani added, "The He Sapa will never be for sale, its just returning to its natural owners, the Lakota Independent Nation."
