This is interesting and almost timed to match with the December 29 anniversary of Wounded Knee. Fox news (I know, nasty nasty place, but it is linked to from Rawstory) is reporting that the Lakota have declared treaties signed by the US government to be worthless pieces of paper and that they've had enough. They're outa here...and anyone who wishes to join them is free to do so.
"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,'' long-time Indian rights activist Russell Means said.
A delegation of Lakota leaders has delivered a message to the State Department, and said they were unilaterally withdrawing from treaties they signed with the federal government of the U.S., some of them more than 150 years old.
The group also visited the Bolivian, Chilean, South African and Venezuelan embassies, and would continue on their diplomatic mission and take it overseas in the coming weeks and months.
Lakota country includes parts of the states of Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming.
The new country would issue its own passports and driving licences, and living there would be tax-free - provided residents renounce their U.S. citizenship, Mr Means said.
Tempting, actually. Interesting too that this is the first real deal secession among the other, less serious (libertarians in NH or whatnot wanting to do the deed) and unlikely moves. I can't see any way for the Feds to do anything about this without causing a REAL ugly situation, though I wouldn't put it past the nutsacks in the White House. Perhaps they will be labeled a terrorist enclave (with uranium!) or some such.