Freedom! Lakota Sioux Indians Declare Sovereign Nation Status
Washington D.C.

December 20, 2007

Lakota Sioux Indian representatives declared sovereign
nation status today in Washington D.C. following Monday's withdrawal from all
previously signed treaties with the United States Government. The withdrawal,
hand delivered to Daniel Turner, Deputy Director of Public Liaison at the State
Department, immediately and irrevocably ends all agreements between the Lakota
Sioux Nation of Indians and the United States Government outlined in the 1851
and 1868 Treaties at Fort Laramie Wyoming.

"This is an historic day for our Lakota people," declared Russell Means,
well known Lakota activist. "United States colonial rule is at its end!"
"Today is a historic day and our forefathers speak through us. Our Forefathers
made the treaties in good faith with the sacred Canupa and with the knowledge of
the Great Spirit," shared Garry Rowland from Wounded Knee. "They never
honored the treaties, that?s the reason we are here today."

The four member Lakota delegation traveled to Washington D.C. culminating years
of internal discussion among treaty representatives of the various Lakota
communities.

The delegation's work in Washington DC is a direct answer to Treaty Council
manifesto agreed upon by 97 Indigenous nations and put forth in the Declaration
of Continuing Independence of 1974 at Standing Rock, Sioux Indian Country.
Lakota delegates Phyllis Young (foreground) and Russell Means (background) at
Wednesday's press event in Washington DC.

Delegation members included well known activist and actor Russell Means, Women
of All Red Nations (WARN) founder Phyllis Young, Oglala Lakota Strong Heart
Society leader Duane Martin Sr., and Garry Rowland, Leader Chief Big Foot
Riders. Means, Rowland, Martin Sr. were all members of the 1973 Wounded Knee
takeover.

"In order to stop the continuous taking of our resources - people, land,
water and children- we have no choice but to claim our own destiny," said
Phyllis Young, a former Indigenous representative to the United Nations and
representative from Standing Rock.

Property ownership in the five state area of Lakota now takes center stage.
Parts of North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana have been
illegally homesteaded for years despite knowledge of Lakota as predecessor
sovereign [historic owner]. Lakota representatives say if the United States
does not enter into immediate diplomatic negotiations, liens will be filed on
real estate transactions in the five state region, clouding title over
literally thousands of square miles of land and property.

Young added, "The actions of Lakota are not intended to embarrass the United
States but to simply save the lives of our people."

Following Monday's withdrawal at the State Department, the four Lakota Itacan
representatives have been meeting with foreign embassy officials in order to
hasten their official return to the Family of Nations.

Lakota's efforts are gaining traction as Bolivia, home to Indigenous President
Evo Morales, shared they are "very, very interested in the Lakota case"?
while Venezuela received the Lakota delegation with "respect and
solidarity."

"Our meetings have been fruitful and we hope to work with these countries for
better relations," explained Garry Rowland. "As a nation, we have equal
status within the national community."

Education, energy and justice now take top priority in emerging Lakota.
"Cultural immersion education is crucial as a next step to protect our
language, culture and sovereignty," said Means. "Energy independence using
solar, wind, geothermal, and sugar beets enables Lakota to protect our freedom
and provide electricity and heating to our people."

The Lakota reservations are among the most impoverished areas in North America,
a shameful legacy of broken treaties and apartheid policies. Lakota has the
highest death rate in the United States and Lakota men have the lowest life
expectancy of any nation on earth, excluding AIDS, at approximately 44 years.
Lakota infant mortality rate is five times the United States average and teen
suicide rates 150% more than national average. 97% of Lakota people live below
the poverty line and unemployment hovers near 85%.

"After 150 years of colonial enforcement, when you back people into a corner
there is only one alternative," emphasized Duane Martin Sr. "The only
alternative is to bring freedom into its existence by taking it back to the
love of freedom, to our lifeway."

We are the freedom loving Lakota from the Sioux Indian reservations of Nebraska,
North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana who have traveled to Washington DC to
withdraw from the constitutionally mandated treaties to become a free and
independent country. We are alerting the Family of Nations we have now
reassumed our freedom and independence with the backing of Natural,
International, and United States law. For more information, please visit our
new website at www.lakotafreedom.com.