Lakota Indians (Sioux) - The Plains Indians : Independence and freedom for the nation

The Lakota American Indian freedom movement for independence and a nation of their own has been a hot topic of discussion. The Lakota Indians are a tribal Native America group that resides in the northern part of the United States. The Lakota Indians, the tribe of legendary warriors Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, have declared their independence from the United States on Wednesday. Also known as Dakota Indians, they announced secession from United States.

The Lakota Indians plan to issue passports and driver licenses and say that citizens will enjoy tax-free living.

Native Americans are considered the first nation of North America. Although a large number of Indians have immersed themselves into American culture, several tribal groups carry out their daily affairs on Indian reservations. The Lakota Indian's primary location is in South Dakota and North Dakota. Furthermore, this particular Indian tribe speaks the Lakota language, which is a dialect of the Sioux tribal group.

The number of Lakota Indians is slightly lower than other tribal groups. Today, there are only about 70,000 registered Lakota Indians. Less than half of these continue to speak the ancestral language. The Lakota Indians can be traced back to the Lewis and Clark expedition. During this time, the Lakota Indian tribe accompanied much of the Great Plains. Because of ongoing warfare, the tribal group was forced northward, and settled in the Dakotas.

The majority of the Lakota Indians reside on one of five Indian reservations situated in the Dakotas. Furthermore, Montana and parts of Canada also have a large Lakota population. While living within the boundaries of the reservation, the Lakota Indians are governed by their own set of laws. Hence, the tribal group has a separate political system, police department, education system, etc.

The Lakota Indians have strong cultural and spiritual ties. For the most part, the Indians strive to preserve their way of life. From youth, parents train their children in the values and morals of their tribal group. In an effort to better understand their background, many Indian-Americans of Lakota descent may acquire resourceful information on the Lakota Indians, as well as visit the Lakota Indian reservation. This is a great way to become knowledgeable of the philosophy, customs, and history of the Lakota tribal group.

The Lakota (IPA: [laˈkˣota]) (also Teton, Tetonwan) are a Native American tribe. They are formed of a confederation of seven tribes (the oceti chakowin (seven council fires) or Great Sioux Nation) and speak Lakota, one of the three major dialects of the Sioux language.

The Lakota are the westernmost of the three Sioux groups, occupying lands in both North and South Dakota. The seven branches or "sub-tribes" of the Lakota are Sicangu, Oglala, Izipaco, Hunkpapa, Miniconjou, Sihasapa and Ooinunpa.

On December 19 2007, a group of Lakota activists that included Russell Means and Phyllis Young informed the State Department that the Lakota people were unilaterally withdrawing from treaties signed with the U.S. federal government. The leaders plan to issue Lakota country passports and driving licences. It is as yet unclear whether the statements of the activists represent the view of the elected government(s) of the Sioux Nation, or how federal authorities will respond.