Why is the Lakota Indian declaration...?

Question

Why is the news story about the Lakota Indian declaration that they are seceding from the United States virtually not covered in the U.S., but is big news in the rest of the world?

http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/4214

UK:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/21/windian121.xml

Turkey:
http://english.sabah.com.tr/95885BFE6D334D0A98F484F481153EBD.html

Azerbaijan:
http://www.xabar.info/news.php?id=343

United Press International:
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/12/21/lakota_indians_work_to_secede_from_us/3796/

Answer 1

What "big news"? I went to several foriegn new service sites, including some I know to relish in anti-American articles, and there was nothing.
Maybe it's not news because the Lakota tribe has neither the political, econimic nor military clout to make such a declaration mean anything. Additionally, as long as tribal members living on the reservation continues to take federal money, in the form of welfare checks, social security checks, medicare, medicade, or a host of any other gov't subsidies, the move will be nothing more than a symbolic gesture.

It is an interesting gesture, though. Keep your eyes peeled for additional stories-court cases, mostly. I'm sure this isn't done yet. No legal process for any group to seceed from the Union has every been worked out, & the few times it's been tried the secessionists have always lost.

Answer 2

Very interesting.
I've visited the Lakota territory. Had a good experience, although saw too much poverty.
Sitting Bull's grave had been ransacked so many times that it is now encased in nearly impenetrable concrete block.

The statue of Crazy Horse, being carved into the mountains is stupendous. Far from finished, but the "entire" Mt. Rushmore carvings would fit into "one nostril " of his horse.

I don't know if their declaration will hold up.