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?
