More talk from Lakota Freedom

Canupa Gluha Mani speaks about Lakota Oyate, Lakota freedomThe authority of the Lakota Freedom Delegation, he says, comes not from the BIA-recognized governments but rather from the "people who understand treaties", i.e. the treaty council, from among the Seven Sister Bands of the Lakota. This traditional government is based on the idea of "staying quiet and listening to the people who have answers", the "itacans" or expert headmen.

Canupa Gluha Mani also endorsed Naomi Archer, who has acted as Lakota Oyate's liaison; indeed, as the Lakota Freedom Delegation prepared its trip to Washington DC he called in Naomi Archer, who though of non-native extraction is his adopted sister and a fellow Cante Tenza member, to handle media support. "I support the understandings of what she's saying", he said, referring to a previous interview with Archer which revealed an apparent split between Russell Means and other members of the Lakota Freedom Delegation. "She as an individual has integrity." However, the previous interview missed nuances and the perceived gap between Lakota Oyate and Russell Means' Republic of Lakota is not so great. "There's no division here….it's communication, that's all. We can always get past this."