Blogs > Liberty and Power > An Update on the Lakota Freedom Movement

Jan 2, 2008

An Update on the Lakota Freedom Movement




For my original post about this topic, see here.

Since Russell Means (who, as some of you may recall, challenged Ron Paul for the presidential nomination of the Libertarian Party for the 1988 election) and the Lakota Freedom Movement announced plans to take historic action to reclaim freedom under natural, international, and U.S. law, a debate has raged about who legitimately represents the Lakota Sioux.

Suzan Shown Harjo, President of the Morning Star Institute in Washington, D.C., named Russell Means and the Lakota Freedom Movement to her"Mantle of Shame" Awards for 2007, saying:"News flash to Means: treaties are made between nations; you are a person and not a nation; you are not empowered to speak from the Great Sioux Nation...."

However, on Dec. 27, news broke that suggested that Means' approach does have some resonance with, if not support from, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council: "Tribe Official Says Council Will Consider Treaty Pullout." To quote,"Avis Little Eagle says she understands the frustration that led Lakota activists to announce a plan to withdraw from the tribe’s treaties with the U.S. government. However, the vice chairwoman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council advocates holding the federal government to the provisions in those treaties, rather than withdrawing from them."

Means has responded by dismissing the legitimacy of the current American Indian tribal governments recognized under U.S. law, terming their members"those Vichy Indians, collaborators, beggars": "Delegates Announce Pullout from U.S. Treaties."


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