Sovereign nations bid for inclusion in Olympic Games. (IOC says no)

[donsu]

http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096410828


The Iroquois invented lacrosse and their team currently ranks fourth behind the United States, Canada and Australia, noted Oren Lyons Sr., player and History professor at the University of Buffalo. Further, according to Abenaki skier Billy the Kid, American Indians are credited with inventing the roots of 10 Olympic sports.

Why, then, has the International Olympic Committee (IOC) turned a cold shoulder to the idea of tribal members joining the games under the banner of their sovereign nations?

-snip-

The Native American Ski Team has its sights set on the Olympics, even though training competitors and convincing the IOC that since tribes are indeed sovereign nations, they should be permitted to represent
their homelands, stand between the current situation and the goal.

-snip-

And then there's the matter of Young's very impressive buddies. In February he participated in a ski and music festival in Veysonnaz, Switzerland, where France's Princess Caroline Murat convened a circle of influential and culturally-savvy Europeans who support American Indians' participation as sovereign nations in the Olympic Games.
-snip-
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it's OK by me. I'd like to see them compete under their own banner. how can we move the IOC?

[Jara sang]

1. Interesting, do they have their own passports.

I don't think they do, I'm going to check on that.

[lenidog]

2. They don't have their own passports because they are considered

American citizens by American and International law.

[Jara sang]

4. They have land and sovreignty though.

Are you sure they are not just "nationals" instead of "citizens"? S.M.O.M. Sovreign Military Order of Malta has there own passports and they print their own stamps, yet they have only 3 acres of land on the Via Condotti in Rome. The U.s. doesn't recognize them though but 93 other nations do.

[lenidog]

3. You could always try bribery

That has always been the tried and true method to get the IOC to change its mind.