Historical independence

History of the Republic of Lakotah proposal

From the December 2007 declaration to Russell Means' 2012 death.

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2007: the declaration

The Lakota Freedom Delegation declared the Republic of Lakotah on 17 December 2007.[1]

· Declaration

Republic of Lakotah declaration, 2007

Russell Means and a small delegation declared a unilateral treaty withdrawal and restored Lakota sovereignty over a multi-state territory.

2008-2012: reception and Means' death

The proposal received no recognition from the US government, international bodies, or affected tribal governments.[2]

Russell Means died on 22 October 2012, with no significant subsequent organised activity documented.[3]

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

  1. 1.

    Claim: In December 2007, Russell Means and the Lakota Freedom Delegation (Means, Tegheya Kte/Garry Rowland, Duane "Canupa Gluha Mani" Martin, and Phyllis Young) announced a unilateral withdrawal from all treaties between the Lakota and the United States government and declared the Republic of Lakotah a sovereign nation with claimed property rights over territory in South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana, drawing on land acknowledged as Sioux Nation territory in the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie; proponents characterized this as a treaty "withdrawal" restoring pre-existing sovereignty rather than a secession from the United States.

    • Republic of Lakotah proposal (Wikipedia) link, December 2007 declaration section. Source record
  2. 2.

    Claim: The Republic of Lakotah proposal was not recognized by the United States government or by international bodies, and few of the elected leaders of the eight reservations the proposal claimed to represent expressed support; the US Bureau of Indian Affairs characterized it as a publicity stunt, noting its core members held no formal positions in tribal government.

  3. 3.

    Claim: Russell Means, the proposal's chief facilitator, died on 22 October 2012, having continued to seek international recognition for the Republic of Lakotah up to his death without achieving it, including from his own Oglala Sioux Tribe; no significant subsequent organised activity under the Republic of Lakotah name is documented in the sources reviewed.

    • Russell Means: In Memoriam (Indian Country Today (ICT News)) link, Death and unresolved recognition section. Source record

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