But where is Lakota? If you are scouring the maps of the Middle East, stop... Eastern Europe, try again... Ahhh... South America? (buzzer sound).
Lakota lies within the borders of the US.
The Lakota tribe has unanimously voted to withdraw from the legally binding treaty of 1868, thus returning all land (yellow above) to the Independent Nation of Lakota.What does this mean to the citizens of those states? Well, let's first look at the areas affected:
According to the old treaties, all of these residents would have been living on this land at the invitation / courtesy of the Lakota tribe, as defined in the 1868 Treaty. The US constitution states that the Congress has the power to make treaties and regulate trade WITH the tribe. The tribe, therefore legally, has the right to cancel treaties with the United States.
Will this be upheld in the courts? The answer is yes... it has to. The Indian tribes are sovereign nations living within the US, and willfully abiding by US laws (for the most part). This would make it to the Supreme Court, and they would HAVE to uphold the decision.
The residents inside the borders of this new country are going to be forced to renounce their US citizenship, turn in their US passports, and be issued documents as citizens of Lakota. If they do not, they are being asked to move.
The question then comes up about property rights... During the occupation of the west, land grants were provided by title holders in NY, and often with no permission or authority from the tribes. All those property's will have to be tried in Lakota and US courts.
The biggest impact is that more than half of some of these states are being consumed by this new nation. This means that Senators, Congressmen, and other elected officials are hereby not affiliated with the United States. Businesses, roads, taxes, etc... there is a lot to consider.
NOW - let's talk logistics and then implications.
Logistics: Lakota houses Rushmore, US Interstates, infrastructure, and I am sure that there are some military bases involved. As well, what if the people of Lakota chose not to abide by the rule of law in Lakota, and declare independence from Lakota and wish to rejoin the US claiming squatter's rights? And what if the governors of the states affected mobilize their national guard... can they declare a state of emergency in those regions of their "states" or would that be considered an invasion by US forces into a sovereign country (yeah, I said it with a straight face).
Implications: What if other tribes follow suit, and declare the treaties withdrawn? How would this shape the west? What rights would the citizens of the US have? Would they have to fight against the new government in a military civil war similar to Bosnia)? Could the US survive, or could we just eliminate the treaties, sue for the land (in court or by force), and declare all reservations null and void, thus uniting the United States?!?
How does this change the face of the US, and how does it effect the future of our nation? Are we at risk of seeing the same reaction from the federal government as was seen in 1860? Is this the catalyst for the next civil war?
What a day!
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UPDATE: Rumors are spreading that Putin and the Kremlin plan to recognize Lakota as a sovereign nation.
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Thoughts?
All this is nice armchair stuff. But in reality nothing will change. U know the newton's (was it realy his or that of an unknown Indian; palgerised?)Third Law.
ReplyDeleteThere is not enough force to break the inertia. Nothin will change.
If you force too much, the cavalry will be called out and these Indian Nations will cease to exist and WASPS will sting
why is there no mention of this on cnn/fox/AP/etc?
ReplyDeleteBecause those are all wasp controlled :P
ReplyDeleteIt turns out that the declaration is being made without the consent of some of the elected leaders, though the "Lakota elders" have apparently made the decission.
ReplyDeleteThe reason that it is not getting much mention can most likely be attributed to the fact that the government does not seem to take them seriously, and as such is not going to recognize their withdrawl.
Interestingly enough, what is the US to do when they request protection from UN peacekeepers? Especially once the UN and Russia recognize them as a legitimate nation.
Anonymous has a point... the inertia is not in their favor. If they resist the US, the government will mobilize the national guard and keep the indians on their reservations... and we will find ourselves right back in the 1800's Indian Wars... only this time it will be more of a legal land battle.
Interestingly enough, the Lakota are amongst the only tribes to NEVER take money from the government for their land, and as such still maintain the "title" to the entire 1868 land, though court battles demanded that the Indians give up the land and move to Reservations (which was illegal action by the US at the time, and as such should not stand up in a legal land battle of this magnitude).
More importantly, what message does it send to the international community if a Native tribe requests their legal land back and the US refuses. At that point, what right do we have in Chechnya, Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc... At least in our case there is a legal justification for withdrawl by a sovereign nation, and demand for their land back...
So the only option for the US is to ignore the rule of law, nullify the treaties, and claim the land as belonging to the US...
Our constitution is in MAJOR crisis here, and it SHOULD get more airtime!
The Lakota leaders with legal authority won't go along with this.
ReplyDeleteFor one thing the Democrats who politically dominate the tribes will reign them in. I'd not be surprised if this ended up simply leading to more money ending up on the Reservation.
Econ -
ReplyDeleteThe issue seems to be that the tribe was broken into smaller reservations, and one reservation is opposed, where the others seem to be in support of getting the land back at all costs... this is why they have not accepted money for the land grab, to the sum of half a BILLION, and would rather live in poverty and squaller.
I am unsure how the tribes legally elect their elders...
The important aspect is going to be what Russia does, if they recognize them, and once that happens, what the UN is going to do...
Any way you slice it, it is like CNN in our own back yard! Or Front yard for that matter!
what is the supreme value of human life?
ReplyDeletethis is the question
http://www.lakota-thevalueoflife.blogspot.com/