Central Oligarchy of Native Coloradan Peoples (1983: Doomsday)

History
Pre-Doomsday

The State of Colorado was the eighth most extensive and the highest in average elevation of the 50 former states of the United States of America. Colorado is one of the western Mountain States. The 30 highest major summits of the Rocky Mountains all rise within Colorado. The human history of Colorado extends back more than 13,000 years. The region that is today Colorado was first inhabited by Native Americans. The Territory of Colorado joined the Union as the 38th State on August 1, 1876. It was nicknamed the "Centennial State" because it was admitted to the Union during the centennial year of the United States Declaration of Independence.

Doomsday
Late afternoon on September 25, 1983 Colorado was hit by the surprise attack of Soviet nuclear missiles. Cheyenne Mountain, home of NORAD HQ. was one of the few places hit by "ground bursts" designed to actually cause molecular destruction of surrounding property. It was the hope of the Soviets to destroy the communication hub that ran the defense of the North American continent. While there was extensive ionization of the atmosphere and physical plant on the surface, the facility far under ground had remained intact. This blast damaged most of nearby Colorado Springs. It would be months before the staff within the facility could safely emerge in protective gear.

The extensive US military presence in the state brought disaster as the bases and facilities were prime targets in the attack. The destruction of Buckley Air Force Base meant that of the town of Aurora. The Minuteman missile silos in Colorado's northeastern corner were bombarded with warheads exploding on contact, producing deadly fallout that would spread southeast endangering much of Kansas and beyond. These strikes devastated the cities of Grover, Briggsdale, Fort Morgan, Sedgewick and Sterling. Towns such as Denver, Pueblo, Boulder and Fort Carson, being military towns, were also destroyed. The strike on the Rocky Flats Plant, a nuclear processing facility near Denver, posed an even more deadly threat. The blast was an air burst a mere 1200 feet above the plant, producing a fireball that incinerated the plant and much of the radioactive material within. The Soviet bombs had accomplished what the thousands of protesters could not do -- the plant was now "closed."

Pre-NCO
With most of the major cities targeted and the resulting fallout, the death toll was enormous. Parts of eastern Colorado, however, survived thanks to favorable winds taking fallout south and east over Kansas. Meanwhile, western Colorado became cut-off from the both sides - by the nukes to the east and in the west by the Utah government closing down the Eisenhower tunnel and other passages leading westward, to prevent the perceived lawlessness of the plains from spreading.

In the aftermath of Doomsday the towns of Fort Collins and Greeley formed an alliance to secure resources and deal with refugees. The students and faculty from the Colorado State University were a key part in the aftermath, especially those studying to become doctors whose knowledge was applied to taking care of the thousands of wounded streaming out of the Denver area. The loose alliance between Fort Collins and Greeley soon became organized into the Union of Colorado in 1987. Shortly thereafter the Union sent an expedition to help its northern neighbors in the Lakotah War. The Union was one of the five founding states of the restored United States, becoming the new State of Colorado.

NCO
In the early 90s, citizens of the State of Colorado began to become affiliated with the Navajo Nation that had taken over Utah and southern parts of the original State of Colorado. Sharing native american heritage, the Arapaho Reservations became especially affiliated, even participating in sporting competitions together. This led to what became known as the Coloradan Heritage Crisis, during which Native Americans broke down the walls of their reservations and led rituals throughout most of Colorado. This led to a meeting of the United States congress to decide what to do about all of the angry, upset natives.

On November 3, 1992, the United States Congress officially decided to give the Arapaho, Cheyenne and Apache people their own territory, the Central Oligarchy of Native Coloradan Peoples, or, as it's commonly known, the Native Coloradan Oligarchy. However, to it's Arapaho residents (making up the majority of it's citizens), it's known as Neetóú3ecóó, meaning, simply, home.

Despite functioning rather well for several years, integrating both the Arapaho people and the Caucasians, Hispanics and African Americans who have lived in the state for years, however soon, the Arapaho people decided that it was high time they took back the place that they lived, and had a young Arapaho scribe write out a constitution for their home in the Native Tongue of Heenetit. This document became known as the Heenetit Pledge for Independence in later years, and was brought to the Congress' attention in a couple of weeks.

On February 19, 1994, the Congress met together to decide whether or not the proposal should be met, and if the state should be officially declared independence. They decided to leave it to the people, and on March 29, they opened up voting boxes around the territory, where people could vote for independence. On June 15th, the results were opened up to the NCO public, showing up 7% of people voting for staying as a territory of the United States and 93% voting to become an independent nation. Two days later, at 12:01 PM Mountain Time on June 17, 1994, the Central Oligarchy of Native Coloradan Peoples was officially declared an independent micro-nation.

Politics and Society
The Government of the NCO is run by a council of six known as the Tribal Council, along with a seventh member and leader known as the Chief Councilor. Three of the seven councilors are representatives from the Apache, Cheyenne and Arapaho peoples, typically the most popular or best known of their people. The other three are representatives of the non native population of the NCO and are not restricted by race or gender. The Chief Councilor can be a member of the non native populous, or a member of any of the tribes. The current Chief Councilor is non native Eric Alexander of Colorado Springs. He is the second non native Chief Councilor of the NCO. He is also the youngest Chief Councilor in NCO history.

The Council is given control almost over all political decisions. Though all religions are allowed in the NCO, almost 89% of the country follows Native Faiths. 6% is Agnostic or Atheist, and the other 5% is Jewish, Christian or another religion. Same sex marriage has been allowed since 1996, and abortion was legalized in 1998. Non violent protest is allowed, as long as it does not interrupt important work or the education of children. All children in the NCO, regardless of race or gender are required to go to school for at least 12 years, starting at the age of 2. The NCO is also the location of many prominent Universities, focusing on CSU in the heart of the nation's capitol.

All major crime handling and judging is handled by a Supreme Judge, typically a relative of the Chief Councilor and eight jury members. Both the Supreme Judge and Chief Councilor are normally excluded from all contact with third parties, and if families or friends of the Judge and Jury are involved, they are replaced with a backup Supreme Judge and Jury. The death penalty is not only allowed, but it is often invoked.

Economy
Colorado's economy has largely been centered around mining, manufacturing, and farming. Colorado, or more specifically Fort Collins is considered to be the manufacturing hub of North America and is the largest city in the former United States. In the western parts of the state coal mining fulfills the energy needs for most of the State, while big cattle ranches in the east feed much of the nation.

Following Doomsday many of the already-depopulated boom towns throughout the state suffered various degrees of abandonment. After the American Spring the Pacific Railroad has caused the southeastern parts of the state to once again flourish in trade coming from the California Republic and the rest of the United States and the North American Union in general.

Their currency is made up of small shell beads worn on necklaces known as Wampum. A one piece Wampum is blue, a five piece Wampum is light green, a ten piece Wampum is dark purple, a one hundred piece Wampum is golden, a five hundred piece Wampum is silver, a one thousand piece Wampum is white, a one hundred thousand piece Wampum is black and a million piece Wampum is scarlet. One Wampum piece is worth approximately 1.32 cents.

Music
NOC music is made up of many genres of music, however it is dominated by tribal Arapaho music. The Arapaho are a tribe of Native Americans from the western Great Plains, in the area of eastern Colorado and Wyoming. Traditional Arapaho music, described by Bruno Nettl, includes sacred and secular songs. Traditional music uses terraced descent type melodic motion, with songs consisting of two sections, each with a range of more than an octave and scales of four to six tones.

The Arapaho Sun Dance, performed in the summer when the Arapaho bands come together for the occasion, is a ceremony performed in order to guide warriors on a vision, receiving a guardian spirit. The vision is inspired by intense self-torture. There are also Arapaho folk songs taught by guardian spirits, which are only supposed to be sung when the recipient is near death. The most common sun dance has been made into the National Anthem.

Secular Arapaho songs include a wide variety of round dances in triple meter, the snake dance, the rabbit dance (a partner dance introduced after European contact) and a turtle dance, along with lullabies, children's, war, historical, and courtship songs.

The Ghost Dance was a religion, introduced from tribes further west than the Arapaho in the 1880s. In 1891, the religion was outlawed by the United States, leading to a rebellion among the adherents and culminating in the Wounded Knee Massacre. Music was an integral part of the Ghost Dance, and included folk songs that were retained long after the movement ended.

=Work In Progress!!!=