Royalty of the Americas
Apart from Commonwealth countries in the Americas, the only "post-colonial" nation-state in the Americas to have been an independent monarchy had been Brazil. However, ancient traditions of royalty existed among the indigenous peoples of the Americas, but hardly any of which survive today. For instance, the last Mayan kingdoms in Central America were not conquered until 1697.
The
Naso people of Panama are a rare exception. They remain one of the few indigenous peoples of the Americas to have a monarchy of their own. Many of Panama's indigenous peoples enjoy self-rule within
comarcas (autonomous regions)- and the Nasos are trying to get their kingdom
recognised as a comarca through negotiations. Here's a photo of the current Naso king, Valentin Santana:
http://www.thepanamanews.com/pn/v_15/issue_16/images/Indigenous_02.jpg
Hereditary chiefs can be found among several indigenous peoples in the US and Canada. Indeed, the mound-building
Mississippian culture from which several Native American nations are descended today, was a collection of various organised monarchical polities. One of the most famous of such are the Natchez, who were governed by a monarch known as the Great Sun. Their descendants live today in
Oklahoma, and they still call their hereditary chief the Great Sun.
Another interesting case is that of the
Miskito people of Nicaragua, who were under British protection up to the early 20th century, and a strong indigenist movement exists in that part of the country today.
