Although the corporate media have covered secession movements by political conservatives in Texas and other states following President Obama’s November re-election, they ignored Russell Means’ declaration, in September 2012, that the Lakota Sioux Nation had left America. Speaking less than a month before his death, the long-time Native American radical leader Means declared, “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.” The five states identified by Means were Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming.
Since the 1973 siege at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, Means had consistently pushed for Sioux independence.  The Lakota declared independence in 2007, as well, with Means proclaiming: “United States colonial rule is at its end!”
Means’ September 2012 declaration detailed reasons for secession including unemployment, inadequate healthcare, and shortened life expectancies for Native peoples.
In a Daily Censored article prompted by Means’ declaration of Lakota independence, Stephen Lendman chronicles the historic and ongoing destruction of Native land, culture and resources, and the United States’ history of unfulfilled treaty agreements with First Nations peoples.
Sources
American Patriot, “Secession! Lakota Sioux Nation Leaves The Union! (Again),” Liberty.com, September 29, 2012, http://liberty.com/content/secession-lakota-sioux-nation-leaves-union-again
Stephen Lendman, “Lakota Sioux Nation Leaves America,” Daily Censored, October 1, 2012, http://www.dailycensored.com/lakota-sioux-nation-leaves-america/
Student Researcher: Nichelle Lyster (College of Marin)
Faculty Evaluator: Susan Rahman (College of Marin)
Note on Sources, by Andy Lee Roth, Associate Director, Project Censored: At the time of posting (December 1, 2012) the primary sources for this story, attributed to CSNNews and La Voz de Aztlan are unfortunately not accessible, making a full evaluation of the story problematic. The Liberty.com link does include video of Means’ declaration.  Since publication, the Liberty.com link no longer works.