Lakota Indians Withdraw Treaties Signed With U.S. 150 Years Ago

Fox News ^ | Thursday, December 20, 2007

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MSM Exaggerates American Indians Claims of Seceding From USA
By Warner Todd Huston | December 21, 2007 - 15:29 ET
Sioux Indians “Withdraw From the USA”? Or not!

Here is the kind of story that really proves how little the MSM bothers to research things, how they often simply print glorified press releases without doing any real “journalism,” and how the defective end product gets picked up and regurgitated like it is suddenly a “fact.” In this one we have the story of “the Lakota Sioux Indians” announcing that “they” have withdrawn from agreed upon treaties with the US government and that they are now a sovereign nation, no longer to be called citizens of the USA. Problem is “the Lakota Sioux Indians” that have made this announcement are just an unaffiliated group of Indian activists the leader of whom does not represent the official Lakota tribe leadership! Yet here is the news media reporting this story as if all “the Lakota Sioux Indians” have banded together and quit the union.

Take this report from USA Today: Lakota withdraw from treaties, declare independence from U.S

The Lakota Sioux Indians, whose ancestors include Sitting Bull, Red Cloud and Crazy Horse, have withdrawn from all treaties their forefathers signed with the U.S. government and have declared their independence. A delegation delivered the news to the State Department earlier this week.

Wow, it sounds momentous, alright. But, who says that “the Lakota Sioux Indians” have abandoned their treaties?

“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,” said Russell Means, a longtime Indian rights activist. “This is according to the laws of the United States, specifically Article 6 of the Constitution,” which states that treaties are the supreme law of the land.

And who is the Russell Means? He is a long time Indian activist who does not officially represent any tribe, that’s who. It takes the local press to make this clear. The Rapid City Journal of Rapid City, South Dakota informs us that, “Means’ group is based in Porcupine on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation,” and that “it is not an agency or branch of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. Means ran unsuccessfully for president of the tribe in 2006.”

Yet in report after report, this Means character is presented as if he is “the Lakota Sioux” when, in truth, all he really is is A Lakota Sioux — not a representative of all of them. He does not represent American Indians except as a tangential, activist. He has no authority to make this “declaration of Independence” for the Lakota or any other American Indian tribe.

It turns out that these reports are nearly all just a rehash of Russell Means’ press releases and not based on any real reporting at all.

And here is the worst part. The bulk of the news outlets that have picked up this story are foreign press agencies like the Agence Presse France, The Telegraph, and Radio Netherlands, all of whom presented this as if it was somehow legal and binding instead of an activist’s scheming.

So, since this story wasn’t reported correctly, foreigners are imagining that all American Indians are trying to leave the USA and become a new nation. The truth is less shocking, that Russell Means does not represent “the Lakota Sioux Indians” at all.

[fso301]

Someone told me it was because Native Americans hadnt been exposed to alcohol until recently (in historical terms). Genetically they have difficulty with it.

Another posibility is that the reservations are merely a visible collecting point for indians having alcohol problems just like trailer parks collect whites with substance issues and inner cities collect blacks with substance isues. Those members of ethnic groups without debilitating substance issues are able to fan out across the nation as productive members of society.

This doesn't mean all inhabitants of reservations, trailer parks or public housing have substance problems, just some of them.

[pianomikey]

“Most native americans lack enzymes that detox alcohol from their system. This means they get intoxicated easily...”

I didn’t know that. Thanks for setting me straight.

[nygoose]

What on earth makes you think they have voter id cards?

[John123]

We should deport them.

They are NATIVE Americans! What you are suggesting is like some stranger coming into your house and kicking you out.

[ClearCase_guy]

I’m as much a native American as they are. That term buys nothing. They say they are not citizens of the US. Well, my views on non-citizens living within US borders without authorization are pretty clear ...

[Wavrnr10]

Well let’s see....you might need a passport to visit Mount Rushmore. You can’t tax Indian casino’s if they are on Indian land and use indian money, You can’t close the roads in and out because of NAFTA, The Indians could charge an access fee to anyone passsing through their land as a toll charge. They cold evict thousands of Americans out of their homes. You idiots think a war or military action will solve this problem you are stoned. While I DO NOT condone it, I also do not condone the lack of services the Indian nation receives. We pledge more money to third world backward ass places of no consequence than we ever did to the indians. The feces ‘CAN” hit the rotating oscillators if the Gov. isn’t sharp about handling this.

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” - A. Lincoln

[Gil4]

“Gather up the asphalt roads leading to the casinos...”

Or install tolls at the border.

[Gil4]

I hate it when I do a search and then post on a long-dead thread. (At least this one was more recent than the other one I posted on today.)

I’m an idiot, Today my tagline applies to me.