Changleska began with the Big Thunder of 1791, when people from a modern world found themselves in the past. These founding documents trace how they chose to build a new nation rooted in sovereignty, shared responsibility, and care for the Earth.
Founding Documents of the Changleska Coalition
Declaration of Independence
On September 21, 1791, representatives of the people brought by Big Thunder from another world gathered at the Omímeya Resort, in the Nation of Lower Brule, to declare independence from Spain. We claim the lands from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, the former borders of what was in our world, Mexico and Canada. These lands belong to the Indigenous peoples who live there. We recognize those tribes as sovereign nations, with inherent rights and responsibilities to their own people and to the Earth. From this day forward, we declare these lands to be held in trust for the good of all. We hereby create a new sovereign nation, the Changleska Coalition, to protect the land and the people who dwell within it. Our covenant as a nation is to protect the Earth and its interconnected bio-systems—waters, plants, and animals—from pollution, contamination, and exploitation, preserving them in health and wholeness for future generations.
The Constitution of the Changleska Coalition
Preamble We, the citizens of the Changleska Coalition, united by purpose, memory, and vision, establish this Constitution to protect our people, restore balance to the Earth, and govern ourselves with justice, transparency, and care for future generations.
Article I: Structure of Government
The Changleska Coalition follows a form of government rooted in Indigenous traditions of shared responsibility, consensus, and stewardship. The national government shall consist of a seven-member Executive Council, elected for seven-year terms, reasonably but not extravagantly compensated for full-time service. The Chair shall facilitate meetings and send agendas, with no additional powers unless emergency action is required and all other members are unavailable. The Council has the authority to remove any member for cause, using standards adapted from Lower Brule and Crow Creek Tribal guidelines.
Article II: Powers and Responsibilities of the Council The Executive Council shall not originate laws. Its role is to vote to approve or deny proposals from citizen committees. All decisions are made by majority vote. If a proposal is denied, the Council must provide transparent reasoning unless it endangers national security. Rejected proposals may be resubmitted after one year.
Article III: Committees
Committees may be formed to address specific areas of national concern. At least two thousand people are needed to create a committee that can propose laws. Each committee may have up to eighteen members and must include the following:
Chair, responsible for guiding discussion and presenting proposals. Secretary, to document proceedings. Treasurer, to budget resources, including funds, materials, and labor.
Article IV: Citizen Rights and Referendums
Any issue may be brought before the Council through a public referendum, bypassing committees, if approved by two-thirds of eligible voters. Referendums to change this Constitution must wait at least one year and require two-thirds approval to pass. After the first year, changes to the Constitution may occur every ten years. Referendums to change laws must wait three years after a law is enacted and also require a two-thirds majority.
Article V: Citizenship
To become a citizen, be eligible to vote, serve as a Council, Committee, or Court member, and receive all the protections and obligations of citizenship, a person must:
Be 18 years of age or older and either brought by Big Thunder within the thirty-mile circle or be born to someone who was, regardless of their original tribe, country, or county of birth. Dual citizenship is allowed. If not brought by Big Thunder, the person must have lived within the Changleska Coalition borders or a related community for two years.
Have sworn a sacred oath of the Covenant of the Earth before witnesses, of which one must be a citizen, and be duly recorded in the legal record.
Have agreed to support and defend the four freedoms and accept the four responsibilities freely, without reservations or purposes of evasion.
Changleska National Anthem
Oath of the Covenant of the Earth
“I solemnly vow, by all that I hold sacred, to safeguard the Earth and its interconnected bio-systems, including its waters, plants, and animals, from pollution, contamination, and exploitation. I pledge to preserve them in a state of health and wholeness for the benefit of future generations.”
Four FreedomsEvery citizen has the freedom and right:
To be free from slavery, torture, or rape. This includes the right to be free of discrimination based on race or ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or political affiliation. Citizens have the right to justice, not to be subject to incarceration, cruel or unusual punishment, or death without the judgment of a court of law. Every citizen has the right to basic health care.
To worship or not worship as they choose. Everyone has freedom of religion or spiritual practice if they do not coerce or compel others to follow their beliefs.
To express dissent: This includes freedom of speech, via written or other forms of communication, freedom to gather, to engage in peaceful protest, and freedom to exit or travel. This freedom does not include the right to foment violence, insurrection, or treason.
To bear arms to protect themselves, their family, and their property. This right does not apply to those convicted of a violent crime, or who pose a danger to themselves or others as determined by a court of law.
Four ResponsibilitiesEvery citizen has the responsibility:
To protect the Earth for future generations, to use resources sustainably, and to stop those who would damage the ecosystem.
To protect their nation. All able-bodied adults from the age of eighteen to twenty-five shall be required to serve two years of military service either in an active or a support role. Those enrolled in either an educational or apprenticeship program may defer service for up to four years.
To aid in the care of those who are vulnerable, such as children and elders.
To support the financial stability of the nation by tithing ten percent of all gross personal income. Business income is taxed at a higher rate, determined by annual income and number of employees.
