[E-rundbrief] Info 635 - Lakota Sovereign Nation Declaration

[Matthias Reichl]

E-Rundbrief - Info 635 - Lakota Sioux Indians Declare Sovereign Nation 
Status (Press Release)

Bad Ischl, 30.12.2007

Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit

www.begegnungszentrum.at

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Haumikole!  Hello my friend!

Mitaku Oyasin! We are all related!

FREEDOM!

MEDIA ADVISORY

19 December 2007

Freedom! Lakota Sioux Indians Declare Sovereign Nation Status

Threaten Land Liens, Contested Real Estate Over Five State Area in U.S. West

Lakota Satisfies Treaty Council Mandate of 33 Years, Drafted by 97 
Indigenous Nations

Dakota Territory Reverts back to Lakota Control According to U.S., 
International Law


Washington D.C. -- Lakota Sioux Indian representatives declared 
sovereign nation status today in Washington D.C. following Monday's 
withdrawal from all previously signed treaties with the United States 
Government. The withdrawal, hand delivered to Daniel Turner, Deputy 
Director of Public Liaison at the State Department, immediately and 
irrevocably ends all agreements between the Lakota Sioux Nation of 
Indians and the United States Government outlined in the 1851 and 1868 
Treaties at Fort Laramie Wyoming.

"This is an historic day for our Lakota people," declared Russell Means, 
Itacan of Lakota. "United States colonial rule is at its end!"

"Today is a historic day and our forefathers speak through us. Our 
Forefathers made the treaties in good faith with the sacred Canupa and 
with the knowledge of the Great Spirit," shared Garry Rowland from 
Wounded Knee. "They never honored the treaties, that's the reason we are 
here today."

The four member Lakota delegation traveled to Washington D.C. 
culminating years of internal discussion among treaty representatives of 
the various Lakota communities. Delegation members included well known 
activist and actor Russell Means, Women of All Red Nations (WARN) 
founder Phyllis Young, Oglala Lakota Strong Heart Society leader Duane 
Martin Sr., and Garry Rowland, Leader Chief Big Foot Riders. Means, 
Rowland, Martin Sr. were all members of the 1973 Wounded Knee takeover.

"In order to stop the continuous taking of our resources -- people, 
land, water and children- we have no choice but to claim our own 
destiny," said Phyllis Young, a former Indigenous representative to the 
United Nations and representative from Standing Rock.

Property ownership in the five state area of Lakota now takes center 
stage. Parts of North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana 
have been illegally homesteaded for years despite knowledge of Lakota as 
predecessor sovereign [historic owner]. Lakota representatives say if 
the United States does not enter into immediate diplomatic negotiations, 
liens will be filed on real estate transactions in the five state 
region, clouding title over literally thousands of square miles of land 
and property.

Young added, "The actions of Lakota are not intended to embarrass the 
United States but to simply save the lives of our people".

Following Monday's withdrawal at the State Department, the four Lakota 
Itacan representatives have been meeting with foreign embassy officials 
in order to hasten their official return to the Family of Nations.

Lakota's efforts are gaining traction as Bolivia, home to Indigenous 
President Evo Morales, shared they are "very, very interested in the 
Lakota case" while Venezuela received the Lakota delegation with 
"respect and solidarity."

"Our meetings have been fruitful and we hope to work with these 
countries for better relations," explained Garry Rowland. "As a nation, 
we have equal status within the national community."

Education, energy and justice now take top priority in emerging Lakota. 
"Cultural immersion education is crucial as a next step to protect our 
language, culture and sovereignty," said Means. "Energy independence 
using solar, wind, geothermal, and sugar beets enables Lakota to protect 
our freedom and provide electricity and heating to our people."

The Lakota reservations are among the most impoverished areas in North 
America, a shameful legacy of broken treaties and apartheid policies. 
Lakota has the highest death rate in the United States and Lakota men 
have the lowest life expectancy of any nation on earth, excluding AIDS, 
at approximately 44 years. Lakota infant mortality rate is five times 
the United States average and teen suicide rates 150% more than national 
average . 97% of Lakota people live below the poverty line and 
unemployment hovers near 85%.

"After 150 years of colonial enforcement, when you back people into a 
corner there is only one alternative," emphasized Duane Martin Sr. "The 
only alternative is to bring freedom into its existence by taking it 
back to the love of freedom, to our lifeway."

We are the freedom loving Lakota from the Sioux Indian reservations of 
Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana who have suffered from 
cultural and physical genocide in the colonial apartheid system we have 
been forced to live under. We are in Washington DC to withdraw from the 
constitutionally mandated treaties to become a free and independent 
country. We are alerting the Family of Nations we have now reassumed our 
freedom and independence with the backing of Natural, International, and 
United States law. For more information, please visit our new website at 
www.lakotafreedom.com.

The Lakota Freedom Delegation is continuing the work that we were asked 
to do by the traditional chiefs and treaty councils over many years.

Emerging from the Wounded Knee Occupation in 1973, the International 
Indian Treaty Council drew together more than 5000 delegates 
representing 98 Indian tribes and Nations from North and South America. 
This manifesto, representing the wisdom of thousands of people, their 
Ancestors, and the Great Mystery explicity supports the rights of 
Indigenous Nations to live free and to take whatever actions necessary 
for sovereignty.

Download the complete Declaration of Continuing Independence.

For more than a year and a half prior to this December announcement, 
Lakota delegates have been meeting with the traditional treaty councils 
of Lakota to build critical mass for this action.

In the face of the colonial apartheid conditions imposed on Lakota 
people, the withdrawal from the U.S. Treaties is necessary. These 
conditions have been devastating:

     * Lakota men have a life expectancy of less than 44 years, lowest 
of any country in the World (excluding AIDS) including Haiti.
     * Lakota death rate is the highest in the United States.
     * The Lakota infant mortality rate is 300% more than the U.S. Average.
     * More than half the Reservation's adults battle addiction and disease.
     * The Tuberculosis rate on Lakota reservations is approx 800% 
higher than the U.S national average.
     * Alcoholism affects 8 in 10 families.
     * Median income is approximately $2,600 to $3,500 per year.
     * 1/3 of the homes lack basic clean water and sewage while 40% lack 
electricty.
     * 60% of housing is infected with potentially fatal black molds.
     * 97% of our Lakota people live below the poverty line.
     * Unemployment rates on our reservations is 85% or higher.
     * Federal Commodity Food Program provides high sugar foods that 
kill Native people through diabetes and heart disease.
     * Teenage suicide rate is 150% higher than the U.S national average 
for this group.
     * Our Lakota language is an Endangered Language, on the verge of 
extinction.

After 150 years of colonial enforcement, when you back people into a 
corner there is only one alternative. That alternative is to bring 
freedom back into existence by taking it back - back to the love of 
freedom, to our lifeway. Canupa Gluha Mani

Pilameya! Many thanks to all people who are sharing their support and 
solidarity with us. The whole world is watching! We have heard from 
people all over the world: Turtle Island, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, 
Russia, Eastern and Western Europe, Australia and our Native sisters and 
brothers in Hawaii.

Media Contacts:
Naomi Archer, Communications Liaison +1 (828) 230-1404,
e-mail: lakotafree [at] gmail.com,
http://www.lakotafreedom.com/

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Zur Lakota/ Sioux Indian Nation siehe auch die E-Rundbrief-Infos:

Info 622 (Milo Yellow Hair)

Info 633 (Charmaine White Face and the Defenders of the Black Hills)

Info 634 (Floyd Red Crow Westerman tot)


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Matthias Reichl, Pressesprecher/ press speaker,
Begegnungszentrum fuer aktive Gewaltlosigkeit
Center for Encounter and active Non-Violence
Wolfgangerstr. 26, A-4820 Bad Ischl, Austria,
fon: +43 6132 24590, Informationen/ informations,
Impressum in: http://www.begegnungszentrum.at
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