First Post (of the new year), First Nations....

Lexx had the following comment to the story of Lakota Secession:

Morgaine,

I would have suppported the Lakota withdrawl unilaterally had they went to the other Native American Nations and consulted them in effort to build a unified Indian Nation.
The article did not mention any such attempt, but rather the Lakota delivered the message to the US, then sought out Bolivia, Venzuela and other National governments to build support of this move.
The they embolden themselves by offering a Tax free residency in thier lands(extended to everyone). That in of itself negates the Idea of Lakota Lands independent of US Jurisdiction- in essence Mr. Means, and by extension the Lakota are trying to replicate a revamped version of the United States. If So, why secede then?
Im sure the honorable intention is there but it is ill concieved. With out the backing of the other Nations, and by this I mean Native American Nations, the measure will fall flat on its face. The US government will have to do absolutely nothing to make it go away. The Lakota have done it already.

I'm bumping it up because there's a point I don't want y'all to miss. There is no united "Indian Nation" and it wouldn't be something most Native peoples would want. Each Indian Nation sees themselves as an independent people - except for the Iroquois Confederacy and some similar arrangements, the tribes function autonomously.

The idea that they are making a "revamped United States" is backward. The United States is a revamped Iroquois Confederation. Most Native tribes were matrifocal democracies. Some of the democracies that functioned before the arrival of Europeans are still in place. The idea that that the USA is the first democratic country, or that our democracy is based on ancient Greek philosophy, is untrue. The Founders of the United States were largely influenced by their interactions with the First Nations, even as they were committing genocide against them. The only influence Europeans had on Indian government was the introduction of patriarchy, which was a giant step backward, and the sooner today's tribal governments realize that and get back to the old ways, the better. Patriarchy ruins everything it touches.

People have mixed opinions of Russell Means. Some people think he's a publicity hound, others think he's a freedom fighter. I think he's waging a political battle with the tools available to him. Whether he succeeds or not, I think he's doing the right thing. It's a step in the right direction, even if it takes several tries to make a go of it.