Didja Know

Back in 1980 a court ruled that the Black Hills were illegally taken from the Sioux in violation of the Fort Laramie treaty.

The Sioux, having won, refused the money granted them from the case because they wanted and demand the actual land in question.

So a trust was established and it's waiting for them to come get it.  It's up to something like $1.3 billion now. 

This is a fascinating legal moment.

You don't really get an appeal if you win.  And they did win.

So their choices are sit there like it had never happened, or take the money.

Well, they didn't take the money and are holding their breathes until the turn blue waiting for...

A different legal system to come along?

Having studied this little piece of history and geography in moderate detail, I think the 1980 court is wrong and the Fort Laramie treaty was invalidated by the actions of the Sioux themselves long before settlement of the area by whites began in earnest and before gold was discovered.

Picking at this thread and demanding a better settlement might just get them facing a historian who will detail their unforced violations of the treaty they signed and invalidating the deal they'd made by not abiding by their side of the terms.

Plus, if they chose to go back to court they will be risking what they've already won.

That they don't makes me think they DO understand this and not getting everything they wanted and refusing what the did win is a badge they can wear and use to get sympathy from people who can't read this far in my posts, let alone more than one dry ass history book on it.

Even more fun.  Let's say they get what they want.

It will establish precedent for the Cheyenne and Crow to sue THEM to regain the Black Hills!

Remember, the Sioux are originally from what's now Minnesota, they're not from the Black Hills.

Ever wonder why the Crow were such keen allies of the Army and why they constantly identified peaceful Sioux encampments as hostile when "scouting"?  The Black Hills are at the core of the feud.