Russell Means has died - the founder of the Lakota republic, the free territory of the USA...

The known actor and the fighter for the rights of the Indians died in the USA in own house in the reservation in Northern Dakota at the age of 72 years... The fight for interests of the Indians Means continued till the end of the life. In 2007 the republic Lakota, the state which has united five states of the USA was proclaimed at his insistence.

He became famous as the performer of leading roles in films “Pathfinder” (2007), “The last of the Mohicans” (1992), “Natural born killers” (1994). Also he died as the leader of unsubdued North American Indians.

Means gained the world popularity not as the actor, but as the leader of the American Indian tribes still continuing the fight against the oppressors and executioners, those who considers himself as the example of democracy in the whole world, against the white conquerors of America without any basis.

In 1973 in Woonded Knee in South Dakota where in 1890 the federal authorities killed from one and a half Indians to three hundred Sioux, Leonard Peltier, Dennis Banks, Means and their more than 200 associates grasped the settlement in a reservation of Pine Ridge. The insurgents declared that intend to found independent breeding board. Incident developed into the armed conflict with police and FBI, proceeding more than 70 days.

The exact number of victims from both parties is still kept back by the intelligence services of the USA, but the “invincible” army of the USA lost the killed in 3 times more than Indians.

Means took part even in a number of collisions with the American authorities which he considered guilty of natives poverty of North America. The civil activist and his supporters suited disorders on Thanksgiving Day (a friendship holiday of colonists and Indians) and in 1972 grasped the bureau for indigenous people in Washington.

After the incident in Woonded Knee, Means appeared before the court, but he was acquited, as managed to catch the governmental party in a lie. After the civil activist was judged once again and recognized as innocent.

Later Means participated in numerous political campaigns. So, in 1984 he tried to become the vice-president candidate from republicans and in 1987 applied for the post of the presidential candidate from Libertarian party.

The fight for the interests of Indians Means continued till the end of the life. In 2007 the republic Lakota was proclaimed as the virtual state applying for five states of the USA at insistence of the politician. Activists named the contracts as “inutile words on inutile paper” and accused Americans of numerous violation of these contracts, having given also statistics of mortality and a low standard of living of Indians (so, the average life expectancy of men of Lakota tribe is 44 years that is one of the worst indicators in the world).

In spite of the fact that Republic Lakota declaration had the wide resonance, any of the existing states recognized its independence. However the members of Lakota community (where, besides Indians, also many white Americans enter, visitors to live on the territory of the unrecognized republic) still actively participate in various political actions, protecting the territories and the rights of indigenous people.

The great Leader of Dakota tribe Kagachi got to know about Russell Means's death with bitterness:

----Great Manito, the Lord of Life already accepted my brother in the embraces. It found the peace on the Great Plains among the ancestors where there are no pale jackals. Now he is happy. His spirit will be with us in our fight. The white leader in Washington won't sleep easily, while white men continue to destroy the Indians. Now they do it not by means of colts and carbines, now they do it by means of poverty and diseases. Meanness of white jackals is well-known, they always win wars by deception. They are unworthy to be called as soldiers. And the time will come when the brave American Indian soldiers will revenge for my brother...