The leaders of two South Dakota tribes don't support efforts to create an independent "Lakotah" nation.
Rosebud Sioux Tribe President Rodney Bordeaux and Cheyenne River Sioux Chairman Joseph Brings Plenty said they continue to uphold treaties their ancestors signed with the United States.
They said the treaties continue to protect their land, water, resources and other rights.
But Russell Means and other Lakota activists say the treaties have been repeatedly broken by the U.S.
In December, they said they were withdrawing from the agreements to set up their own nation that consists of land in North and South Dakota, Montana, Nebraska and Wyoming.
Tribal leaders said Means and the other activists don't speak for recognized sovereign governments.
“They have not gone out and received the blessings of the people they say they are speaking for,” Brings Plenty told The Rapid City Journal.
Get the Story:Two tribal leaders reject secession (The Rapid City Journal 1/8) Relevant Links:
Lakota Freedom Delegation - http://www.lakotafreedom.com
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