Most of those who signed the paper with Means were NOT tribal leaders but only leaders of organizations that they themselves founded.

I tried to explain to them that the various Lakota/Dakota bands of tribes each had a democratically elected tribal council, and that no one at the grass roots level had voted on this nonsense. Indeed, most of those whose names I looked up were tribal leaders: All led their own organizations.

Russell Means and the AIM still had sympathizers when I last worked in Pine Ridge (a “vacation fill in doc 14 years ago) but one doubts he could win an election in Rosebud or Fort Sills or even Cheyenne River.

But then, to the US press, American Indians are quaint, not realy people.