Dina Gilio-Whitaker: Some lessons in sovereignty from abroad

When nations declare independence from the domination of other nations it is often within the context of the carnage of bloody confrontations, which tends to get the attention of international media (the old adage in the news business "if it bleeds it leads" really does apply). However, when nations declare independence peacefully it often goes unnoticed. Such was the case recently in Spain with the declaration of sovereignty by Catalonia. You are probably thinking to yourself that you've never even heard of this place, but for Indian country there is a lesson here and we should be watching very carefully what happens in the months and years to come in the relationship between Catalonia and Spain.