The First Advisors
How an Average American Saves America, Part 6
Year 4: Week 13: Friday
I could say that no longer being elected to the TDG gave me a lot more free time. But other than the times when constitutions were being constructed, the TDG took only one evening a week at most. I still had a lot of family and recreational time. It wasn’t a big sacrifice. I felt proud helping to move my country to a better place.
And yet, I’m still in awe of what we got done in the past four years. From zero members to a constitution to a merger to 415 members to leaving behind a sound executive committee — Wow! If an organization is motivated and there’s no infighting, great things can be accomplished.
Stacey came by this evening. I figured she would be around. Jackie and I got a TDG email saying she is looking for early TDG builders to respond to a questionnaire. She has done her course work for her master’s degree and is now working on her thesis. She dropped off a questionnaire for us to fill out. It looks like a couple hours of work, which I’ll do this week. We had a good visit with her.
I think Stacy’s paper is going to be the first academic inspection of the TDG.
Year 4: Week 15: Tuesday
We got a newsletter from the executive committee of North Riverbend. They have formed two new committees called “Communications” and “Mergers”. With “Finance” and “Membership” already established, this meant four committees. All 14 neighborhood representatives were serving on at least one of these committees. Our suggestion that all neighborhood representatives be an integral part of the decision-making process was being put in place. I recalled how Jerrod’s insistence created that dynamic of not sidelining the nine neighborhood representatives who are not on the executive committee.
Rochelle is heading “Communications”. This committee is responsible for events and the newsletter. The committee would like to do a monthly newsletter, but postage costs are too high. If they get enough email addresses, they will produce the monthly newsletter and deliver it by email. I resent Jackie’s and my email addresses just to make sure we get the newsletter.
A representative named Pete is chairing “Mergers.” The newsletter reported that North Riverbend is in the process of merging with Southwest Riverbend. Central Riverbend and Southeast Riverbend have formed their first executive committees. Holger is helping them to get their numbers up. From my experience, it might take two more years to get all of Riverbend under one TDG. In some way, I would like to be in the middle of this process. But it is not my responsibility anymore.
I got thinking about the 15-month span it took for Northwest and Northeast Riverbend to merge. I think it took too long. Despite my opinion, we still needed the rest of Riverbend to catch up and accelerating our merger would have meant waiting again. But what if it’s practical to speed things up? How do we do it? But again, it is not my responsibility anymore.
Part 6 is the last chapter of “Diary of a Future Politician.” It is perhaps the best chapter of this book for it gives insights into the culture of an American Indian Reservation. But to understand how Len and Jackie Pash found themselves working with this culture, you might want to go to Chapter 1. Regardless, enjoy the read.
Year 4: Week 15 Saturday
I was watching a baseball game on TV. In barged Rich, with a cold six-pack of beer in hand. Emily followed, but with a face that disapproved of her husband’s inability to knock on our door first.
Despite the unexpected visit, we were happy they stopped by.
“Sorry Rich, I’m on fire call tonight. No beer for me.”
“OK, more to take back to Joosemin,” he laughed it off.
After some small talk about work, we got to talking about the TDG.
I told them how I helped write a TDG constitution that took away my TDG job. He laughed.
He told us his story: “When we moved to Joosemin, I was thinking about how to start a TDG in this much bigger city. But Emily got sick.”
Emily added, “I really didn’t want to leave Riverbend. For some reason, I started suffering from depression and anxiety attacks.”
Rich said, “I needed to put the TDG aside and stay home as much as possible. We got some professional help. Emily is back on track and working as a retail clerk in Walmart.
He continued, “So I was thinking about how best to start this TDG in a city I don’t know well. Then I spotted an ad in the local paper for a TDG meeting. So I went.”
“There were about 20 people there. The meeting was pretty informal. We got into some introductions, and I told them how I’d helped get the TDG started in Riverbend four years ago. They almost made me the main speaker right there, but I insisted that the meeting’s leader summarize the TDG first. He took about a half hour and did a good job. Then it was my turn, and I told them the story about us in Northwest Riverbend.”
I asked, “So what happened after that?”
Rich said, “Well I got some email addresses to send out copies of our second Northwest Riverbend constitution — you know the one with four names on the ballot! We then formed five groups to build new TDGs in Joosemin. I was put in a group of the members who lived close to me. And I was asked to speak at each of the founding meetings of the other four groups.
“It took about two months for my group to ratify its first constitution. Actually, we just took the Northwest Riverbend constitution and made some small changes. Then we had our election. I got elected to the executive committee!”
“No surprise there,” I said.
Rich said, “But I was also attending those other meetings.”
“So?” Jackie asked.
Well, I told them that I was also the advisor for Northwest Riverbend — and the TDG general rules state that a person cannot hold both an elected and advisory position. So I declined.”
“Rich!” I said, “that was just a cheap excuse. You never advised us on anything after Northwest Riverbend appointed you as its advisor.”
“Don’t tell them that!” exclaimed Rich.
“And,” added Jackie, “I’m pretty sure your appointment was over when the Northwest and Northeast merged.”
“Don’t tell them that!” exclaimed Rich.
“Why?” I had to ask.
“I just really enjoyed being around all these groups growing their own TDG.”
“Were they disappointed you didn’t take the elected job?” asked Jackie.
“Probably,” said Rich. “But not for long. They named me advisor to their TDG, and I accepted. And as that word got around, the other groups also named me advisor. And that’s what I’ve been doing for the past year. Just going to TDG meetings all over the city.”
I asked, “What do you do at these meetings?”
Rich answered, “Sometimes talk, sometimes listen, sometimes encourage. Whatever seems to be needed for each group at each time.
“All these TDG groups tell me where and when their meetings are. If I can make a meeting, I show up. I offer whatever wisdom I feel might be appropriate. They’re free to take it or leave it. Sometimes they take my musings in another direction I hadn’t thought of before. And I’m sort of the newspaper of TDG activity in Joosemin. Each group likes to hear the happenings of the other TDG groups.
Then Rich had a big smile: “They like me being at their meetings. I like being there. I don’t have much responsibility. I’m welcome and respected. I have the best political job in the USA!”
Emily added: “And he is gone about twice a week. I sometimes tag along. It’s great to see Rich so involved in this new way of governing.”
Rich looked at me: “You know, Len. I just can’t handle any more advisory roles.”
I said, “So?”
“A couple of weeks ago, I got a visit from some young people from the Tankosin Indian Reservation. They want to start their TDG and were wondering if I could help them.” He paused: “I can’t. But you might be able to.”
The Tankosin Indian Reservation is midway between Riverbend and Joosemin. It is a little off the interstate and borders the Battenor Wilderness Area. I’ve encountered a few Native Americans in Riverbend and near Camp Battenor, but not enough to know much about them. I heard that there are great social problems on the Reservation. Addictions, abuse, corruption, crime.
“You think I might be useful?” I asked. “I know so little about that place. I’m not even sure I’d fit in.”
“Well, I think you’re a pretty level-headed and fair man, Len,” said Rich. “I think you’ll figure out how to make things work. And remember, there are few experienced TDG people to teach them.
He chuckled, “And you do have some free time these days. Not only do you no longer have a formal position in the TDG, I caught you watching a baseball game.”
Jackie and I talked about it after Rich and Emily left. Jackie admitted she has been a little curious of Tankosin culture but had no opportunities to interact with them. If she was at my side, I think we should give it a try.
With a few phone calls, we connected with a fellow by the name of Eli Weasel. We were going to meet Eli at a gas station on the Reservation next Saturday morning.
Year 4: Week 16: Saturday
Eli was not exactly a handsome young man, a little on the short side with a pudgy face. He walked with a bit of a limp.
He had a female friend with him by the name of Sky Bearwalker. Nice looking young lady with a confidence that reminded me of Thelma. I think I’ve seen her before.
We exchanged a few pleasantries with our introductions. Eli suggested a tour around the Reservation, and my crew cab pickup truck was the best vehicle to take the four of us around.
As we were driving, Eli gave us his version of Tankosin history.
The reservation was set up about 150 years ago. In exchange for giving up most of the Tankosin territory at that time, the Tankosin people were “given” a “large” piece land for their own use and some kind of income supplement. But independence wasn’t in the minds of the federal government. They assumed Indians were incapable of management and took control of the Reservation, which included resource management and housing.
In World War 2, 56 Tankosin men went to Europe to fight. Eight didn’t make it back. The ones who did come back started questioning the right of the Federal Government on the Reservation. It was hard for the government to deny liberty to the people who had fought for the USA. Within a few years, an elected Tribal Council was established. As the years went by, the federal government gave more and more responsibility and authority to the Tribal Council.
With the Elders at that time, an oral history of the Reservation was constructed from the start of the Reservation to before WW2. According to that history, it seemed the Federal Government had broken its promises and mismanaged the Reservation’s resources. The Tribal Council spent some of its limited resources to hire lawyers to get the government to open its records of those times. Much of the oral history was confirmed in these records. Then accountants were hired to figure out an appropriate compensation. The federal government did not accept this amount. The case took 10 years to reach the state’s supreme civil court. The court decided mostly in favor of the Tankosin.
A very large sum of money was going to be put into the hands of the Tankosin people. Many of them were worried about corruption and waste, so they petitioned the federal government to hold off on the payment. A couple of years later, a solution was found and backed by a plebiscite. The money would be put into a trust fund, managed by the state government and overseen by an independent accounting firm. Interest earned would be turned over to the Tribal Council. The principle would remain in the trust account until another plebiscite.
That was 25 years ago. With this new income, the Tribal Council had more options to manage the Reservation’s resources. They have done some interesting projects with this money.
The Tankosin Reservation has about six square miles of farmland in the northeast corner. Previously, the Tribal Council had rented it out to farmers outside the Reservation as a source of income. Now that income was not as important. So they thought the farmland should be used to train young people. So they hired an off-reservation experienced farm manager, with the expectation that training, not profit, was the objective of this farm.
Young people were encouraged to spend time on the farm. Some of them spent a lot of time there, often skipping high school classes. They started out operating lawn mower tractors and working in the gardens. When they attained skills in these tasks, they moved to the bigger tractors to do field work. The high point was operating the combines for the fall harvest. But a person had to be an experienced tractor driver for a few years before given the steering wheel of those combines.
The Tribal Council also set up the farm for employment. Instead of one or two big tractors, it had about 10 smaller tractors. That way anyone who had the “certification” to drive a tractor could find a tractor when he or she came to work — when tractor work needed to be done.
The farm manager had to adjust to the Tankosin culture. He was never sure who was going to show up to work each day. He just took the crew of the day and placed people where they had the expertise. Needless to say, farm tasks did not always get done in a timely manner. Even so, a lot of grain found its way into the grain bins every year.
Part of the youth training included being the mechanic’s helper. The mechanic was George Fukuda, who was off-reservation. His father was interned as a child in the Japanese Camps of World War 2. George liked telling that story, which endeared him to the Tankosin youth. They called him “Japanese George.” Mondays were George’s days to come fix farm equipment that had broken down the previous week. He often had one or two young Tankosin men helping him. If they were willing to learn mechanics, he was willing to teach his trade.
All the farm workers were paid a small wage. At first, more than a few got money for not doing much. But the Tribal Council eventually worked out a system of accountability. Basically, workers’ hours had to be signed off by their manager and by a paymaster who made several trips to the farm each day to verify the people were working.
The biggest harvest of the Tankosin Farm was not the grain. It was the people who gained work experience, workplace skills, and a little income. Several former Tankosin farmworkers are now long-distance truck drivers or heavy equipment operators. Several former mechanic helpers are now trained mechanics and millwrights. Without the farm, these people might not be where they are today.
And the Tankosin farm has gone organic. No herbicide or pesticide. It was constantly experimenting with new ways to be more productive.
Eventually the farm manager retired. But by then he had trained a couple of Tankosin men to manage the farm.
Then Eli and Sky showed us their hog barn. It was about 100 feet long, with five pens on each side. Hogs had the freedom to stay inside or wander outside in their pens. They weren’t confined in small indoor pens like modern hog farming practices. They were fed organic grain from the farm — and so could be truly called organic pigs. The barn took about 150 pigs a year from birth to slaughter. They sent their live product to specialty butcher shops in Riverbend and Joosemin. Jackie and I sometimes bought pork at Clyde’s Butchery. It was much better than supermarket pork, but pricey. But now we know where it comes from.
Eli introduced us to Ronnie. He was the pig feeder. When he spoke, he was very slow and simple. Eli said Ronnie got into too many drugs in his younger days, which fried his brain. The farm manager put Ronnie on pig-feeding duty one day 10 years ago — and Ronnie has stayed with this job ever since, coming to work seven days a week, twice a day. He has a knack of feeding the hogs the right amount of grain, so there is little waste. The Tribal Council has given Ronnie this job for life. And Ronnie is supporting his elderly parents.
We then drove towards the forested area of the reserve. We saw six natural gas wells in a pasture. Eli said that the wells add royalties to Tribal Council’s coffers, but don’t offer much direct employment. The gas field used to be part of the farm, but gas wells sticking out of the ground and young people on tractors are a recipe for a dangerous collision. So the Tribal Council turned the land around the gas field to grazing.
The Reservation has about 400 cattle. There is a small group of Indian cowboys who tend to the cattle. But, according to Eli and Sky, this is a closed group. They really don’t allow other Tankosin people into their workings.
Then we got to a small sawmill.
Eli explained, “Before World War 2, the federal government would allow a logging company to come into the Reservation once a decade and harvest all the good trees for lumber. No notice, no payment, no cleanup, no thank you. But after the war, they left the forest alone. When the Tribal Council needed money, like for a new building, they often sold some timber to a logging company who would come in to harvest the trees.
“Once we got our settlement, the Tribal Council hired a forestry consultant to advise us on how to harvest trees in a sustainable way. The consultant tells us which stands of trees to harvest each year.
“But the sustainable harvest can’t provide full-time employment for our people. So instead, we allocate one week as ‘Lumber Camp’. For one week, anyone who wants to work in Lumber Camp can get a week’s pay. We do this four to six times a year.”
Sky added, “My father and uncles really like Lumber Camp. They have trouble holding on to full-time employment, but they can hold it together for one week at a time. They are in such a good mood after their week in the woods.”
Eli said, “It’s really strange, the younger people prefer the farm. The middle-aged people like Lumber Camp.”
Eli went on to explain Lumber Camp. There are three crews: logging, sawmill, and kitchen. The logging crew cuts the trees and brings logs to the sawmill. The sawmill turns the logs into useable lumber like 2x4, 2x6, etc. The kitchen crew makes sure there’s food and drink for the workers.
The Tribal Council hired an off-reservation forester/manager to ensure the workers are properly trained for the various tasks. This manager finds work for everyone who shows up. Beginners get low-level work, like splitting firewood or shovelling sawdust to take to the hog barn. But after a few Lumber Camps, beginners are trained for the more complicated and dangerous machines, like the chain saw or skidder or band saw. More than a few workers have several machines mastered.
About 20 to 25 workers show up for each Lumber Camp. The lumber is first sold on-reservation. If too much is produced, the lumber is sold off-reservation. Local farmers often buy this lumber.
And George Fukuda can often be found at Lumber Camp. Whatever breaks down and can’t be fixed by local Tankosin people, George makes a trip to Lumber Camp on his Mondays on the Reservation.
About two years ago, the Tribal Council believed a Tankosin person could manage Lumber Camp. But a few too many injuries started happening, including one very serious injury. The forester/manager was hired back.
“It seems like your people have been learning how to do things for yourself,” I said.
“Yeah,” said Eli, “As time passes, we are in more control. About one square mile of our farmland is used for growing fodder for our livestock. It requires different farming equipment that we haven’t been trained for. So we hire off-reservation farmers to harvest this crop for us. But there’s talk that we should start doing this ourselves. I don’t think it’ll be long.”
“So you’re slowly getting rid of the off-reservation people?” asked Jackie.
“Except for Japanese George,” said Sky.
“Yeah,” said Eli, “George says he wants to die on the job. So we can’t fire him yet.”
It was my turn to challenge these two, “OK, I’m going to ask a hard question. It seems to me that your Tribal Council has made some great moves since your people reached the settlement with the government. What do you need the TDG for?”
Eli turned a bit wistful: “There’s something wrong with the system of governance we got from you white people. Even when I was 12 years old, I knew it was wrong.
After a pause, he continued. “There was an election campaign. Three people came to our house on three separate evenings. Each one of them was begging my father and mother to vote for them. I asked myself, ‘Do true leaders need to beg for votes?’ To me, this was not the Tankosin way.”
“Did you ever find the Tankosin way?” asked Jackie.
“Over the next few years, I asked a few elders to tell me how we governed ourselves in the past. I kind of got the same story. It seems we had one clan of Tankosin who had a hereditary chiefdom. This clan would somehow select one of its male members to be Chief of all the Tankosin. But our culture was not a dictatorship. This chief’s responsibility was to get conflicts resolved by having people talk. Often the right solution would come from such talk. Once in a while the chief did have to make a decision, but he made sure he had the support of the other clans. With this support, the people would be accepting of the chief’s decision.”
“Is this clan still around?” asked Jackie.
“Yes and no,” said Sky. “The practice of the hereditary chief ended shortly after the Treaty was signed. The white people made the decisions for us. There was no point.”
“The Whitewood clan was the holder of the Chief,” said Eli, “But few people like them anymore. I don’t see them as great negotiators and peacemakers. Most of the cowboy Indians are from the Whitewoods.”
“OK,” I said, “but let’s get back to our tour today. You’ve shown us some wonderful changes to your reservation. Couldn’t you just put your trust in the elected Tribal Council, just like the other clans used to put their trust in the Whitewood clan.”
Sky filled us in: “You’ve only been here one day. You haven’t seen the bad things around here. There are a lot of addictions: alcohol, drugs, gambling. Too many teenage girls getting pregnant. Too many teenage boys not being responsible for their new family. Too many people are on welfare from the state and the Tribal Council.”
Eli changed directions a little: “You’ve heard how the Tankosin Farm is helping young people learn new job skills. Well over half of our youth have never worked on this farm. And many of those who tried maybe worked a few times, then gave up. It’s great that the farm is here. It’s been great experience for me and Sky. But we really need more ambition in our nation.”
That was the first time I heard Eli use the word “nation.”
“So what’s holding back the ambition?” I asked.
“After each election, the same thing happens,” said Sky, “Usually most of the old councillors are voted out, so we have hope that the new councillors will do the right things. But soon after the election, they’re taking their families to conferences in Las Vegas or New York City. They’re driving new pickup trucks. They’re doing things that a councillor’s salary can’t afford.”
“And that takes away ambition for some people,” said Eli, “Why change yourself if you see success comes only from being elected?”
I thought that was a good point: “So what do you see that’s better in the TDG?”
“No one begs for votes,” said Eli.
We were still driving around, looking at the various subdivisions on the Reservation. Houses are built quite far apart from each other. Some have corrals for horses and cows. Some have gardens and lawns. Some have playground sets. Houses are basic bungalows, nothing fancy. Most are in reasonable repair, but more than a few have been suffering neglect, with broken down cars.
“It’s not hard to find 10 people living in some of these small houses,” said Sky.
I could imagine the social challenges if 10 white people were crammed together like that.
Sky continued, “Each house is in the name of one person or family, but the Tankosin tradition is to help each other out. So people move in to live with family members. They have an argument, then move out. Then a new group moves in. If there’s any spare room, it’s hard to say ‘no.’ We should be building more houses.”
Eli jumped on that: “Our councillors should not be taking trips with nation money.”
I thought to myself: Or maybe buying and repairing tractors.
It was then that I understood the difficulty of governance. The Tribal Council has to allocate resources wisely. If it takes money away from farm machinery, it loses a great tool to give some of its young people great life skills. If there’s not enough housing and it is too crowded, too many young people will become jaded with life and not see any value in learning life skills the farm can teach them. What is the right balance between housing and farm machinery? Does anyone really know?
I must have changed the mood when these thoughts were running in my head. We didn’t talk for a couple of minutes. It was a good thing I had Jackie along.
“So what do you two do for work?” she asked.
Sky said, “I work part-time as a clerk at the gas station where you picked me up. But my main occupation is my garden at my parent’s property. I really enjoyed gardening when I worked at the farm, but I couldn’t do things the way I wanted. Then I got my own piece of land. I sell my produce at Riverbend Farmer’s Market.”
Jackie said, “And that’s where I’ve seen you before. Len and I have bought fresh vegetables from your stall.”
Sky beamed at being recognized.
When we drove past her house, we saw a couple acres of cultivated ground, waiting for the spring planting. There was also fencing to keep wildlife out. Sky pointed to the security cameras at the house: “A few young people have had to face the Tankosin Community Justice Program for stealing vegetables from my garden.”
Eli said that he has spent much of the last year in the Joosemin Library, reading all sorts of books on history and politics. That is where he found out about Tiered Democratic Governance. There is a bus that runs from Tankosin to Joosemin every weekday morning and returning in the late afternoon. Eli often stays overnight with relatives in the city.
“I’ll be running a combine next harvest,” he said, “I’m one of the better combine drivers. Willie, the farm manager, will give me a combine spot for sure.”
I thought that a young man should have more financial support than being a farm worker for a few weeks a year. But then I thought that I shouldn’t be too quick to cast judgment. I was in a different culture, and things work differently here.
Then a sign on a building caught my eye: TANKOSIN NATION FIRE DEPARTMENT. I couldn’t resist. Eli said that the fire department hadn’t been in operation for a year.
There were quite a few weeds around the building. The lawnmower crews from the farm hadn’t made it out this way for a while. The building had two bays for trucks, plus an office. I walked to the window and saw an old familiar face.
Unit Number 4 was the first firetruck that I had trained on. Much of my first three years on the Riverbend Fire Department were spent with Number 4. I knew that truck inside and out. It was built on a 1983 Ford 3-ton chassis. Its cab had seats for four firefighters. It had a small water tank that could be quickly connected to a hydrant, two pump units, and storage lockers.
For us in Riverbend, Number 4 got old and outdated. It was replaced with a more modern 5-ton International. The Riverbend Fire Department put the old firetruck in a consignment auction house to get a little money for it. Yet it ended up not too far away. I’m a sucker for nostalgia.
“Can I see it closer?” I asked.
Eli said, “I think Amanda Fox is still the Fire Chief. She probably has keys to the building. I know where she lives.”
We went to Amanda’s house. Eli knocked on her door. Someone answered. No, Amanda wasn’t home. No, she didn’t have a cell phone. The Tribal Council took that away after the Fire Department was shut down. She’d gone to Nellie’s place.
So we went to Nellie’s place. Yes, Amanda had been here. But she is not here now. She went to visit Grandma Fox at the senior’s center.
So we went to the senior’s center. Yes, she was here but on the second floor. We went to the second floor and Grandma Fox said she went to visit Eddy on the first floor. We found Amanda on the first floor, just leaving Eddy’s room to leave for home. Eli introduced us. When he told her that I used to operate Number 4, she got very excited: “Maybe you know how to get it running again!”
I think Jackie was really enjoying this adventure. As the day unfolded, nothing seemed according to our expectations of the day.
So we went back to the fire hall. Amanda did have the keys.
The Riverbend insignia on the doors had been replaced with a Tankosin Nation insignia. But the “#4” was still there, covered in a layer of dust. Yep, this was my old friend.
“You can start it if you want,” said Amanda.
I checked all the engine levels to make sure we weren’t starting something that should not be started. All were OK. But the battery was almost dead. I hooked up booster cables from my truck. I let the battery charge while I checked the transfer case. Oil was still up. It should be OK to run the pump.
Amanda gave her story about this truck: “We’ve had it for about 10 years now. It had served us well with maybe four or five fire calls a year. Of course, we can’t do a lot of things you guys in the city can do.”
Riverbend isn’t actually a city, but our fire department is prepared for auto accidents and hazardous chemicals, something this truck couldn’t handle.
She continued, “But the pump was getting worse and worse. I kept telling the Tribal Council, but they didn’t believe me. Finally we had a house fire. The pump spun like crazy, but not much water came out. It took 40 minutes for the County Fire Department to get here. So the house burned to the ground. The Tribal Council made the decision not to repair this truck or buy a new one. We now have the County handle our fire calls.”
It was time to start the truck. My truck’s battery was good enough to get the fire truck motor spinning. But it took a long time to catch. When the motor did catch, it was rough. I drove the firetruck out of the firehall before the fumes built up.
As the engine warmed up, it got smoother. But I could see the motor needed a tune-up. A gasoline engine should not emit dark, smelly exhaust.
“There’s a creek about 50 yards from here” said Amanda. “We could hook up a suction hose and set up a fire hose.”
I took a quick look at the water tank and found enough water there to prime the centrifugal pump.
So I drove the truck over to the creek. There was something seriously wrong with the steering system. I wondered how the truck made it back to the fire hall after its last job.
We put the suction hose in the creek and primed the centrifugal pump. The pump pulled water from the creek and into the water tank. But when I engaged the main triplex pump to draw water from the tank, I couldn’t get much pressure on the main line. I got underneath to make sure the pump driveshaft was working. It was. But there was a steady stream of water hitting the ground under the truck.
“Your pump isn’t working,” I said.
“I already know that,” said Amanda.
“In all the years you’ve had this firetruck, have you ever replaced the pump packing?” I asked.
“The what?” asked Amanda.
“The packing. Packing is a collection of rings that fit between the pump pistons and the cylinders. It keeps the pressure on all the lines. If the packing is worn, water just leaks past.”
“I didn’t know that. We’ve never replaced the packing since I’ve been fire chief.”
Just then, an older fellow in a fancy pickup truck pulled up. He was wearing western: cowboy hat and boots, jeans. He didn’t look happy. I bet two white people on Reservation land had him concerned.
“Chief Samson,” shouted Amanda, “I’d like you to meet Len. He’s a firefighter from Riverbend. He says this used to be his truck.”
Chief Samson looked a little more relaxed, but he was still guarded. “What’s your assessment?”
I said, “The truck needs a tune-up and front-end work. The pump is working OK but needs new packing. I’ve done that job a few times on this truck. It takes about a day. A set of packing used to cost about $300. Might be a little more today.”
Chief Samson noticed that Eli and Sky were here. “What are you two doing here?”
“We were showing Len and Jackie parts of the Reservation. We’ve been to the farm and Lumber Camp.”
The discussion then went in the Tankosin language. I could see that there was tension between the chief and the two young people.
They went back to English.
The chief said, “The tribal council meeting is on Monday. I’ll let them know that you are volunteering to fix the pump on our firetruck. If the Council agrees, Amanda will set things up with you.”
Somehow I just got volunteered to fix the pump. But it gave Jackie and me a legitimate reason to be on the reservation.
Chief Samson pulled me away from the group: “I’m not in favor of any kind of new government. But if this keeps a few young people from alcohol and drugs, I’m all for it. But don’t raise no shit around here, especially when I’m the chief.”
“That won’t be a problem,” I said. I wanted to explain to him that the TDG will take years to build, so his political life is safe. But I didn’t think he was a man who appreciated many words.
So the five of us set up plans for two weeks from now. Amanda and I would be repairing the fire truck pump. Eli and Sky would gather a few of their friends and hold TDG meetings in the office of the fire hall. Jackie would be their TDG advisor.
Rich said that we’d somehow figure things out.
Year 4: Week 17: Tuesday
Amanda gave me a call. The tribal council had approved the repair of the firetruck. They had already towed it to a mechanic shop in Joosemin for a tune-up and front-end work.
I was prepared for this call. I told Amanda there was a bearing store in Joosemin that carried the parts for the pump or could quickly get them. I gave her the part number, which I got from fire hall records in Riverbend. She sounded excited.
Year 4: Week 18: Saturday
I wasn’t sure what mechanic tools the Tankosin Fire Hall had, so I packed up my tools that should get this job done. We all agreed to meet at the Fire Hall at 9:30 a.m.
Amanda was there with the new parts. Eli and Sky were not. Jackie set up tables and chairs for the TDG meeting.
There were two new front tires on the firetruck. We started it up and drove it around. The motor ran much better; the steering wheel did not vibrate! Then we put it back in the fire hall and started taking apart the paneling to get at the pump.
Eli showed up at 10:45. “The others were supposed to be here at 9:30,” said Eli. Jackie and I looked at each other. But within five minutes, four more vehicles pulled up to the Fire Hall. Sky and three other young Native Americans got out.
“Looks like everyone is here,” said Eli.
The other three participants were Dennis Dixon, Sharilee Plume Tree, and Justine Gray Horse. All in their early 20s. Amanda and I stopped our repairs to help Jackie get the meeting started. Except that she didn’t start it.
Eli started, “This is an important meeting for the Tankosin people. We need to offer some prayers for ancestors to guide us through this journey.”
We all fell silent and respectful.
Eli said, “We call on you, Creator, to send us knowledge and collaboration to have a successful meeting today. The future of your Tankosin children is in your hands. We call on you, Ancestors. We know you lived a hard life and you desire better for your grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. May we use your experience to help build a better world for the Tankosin people.”
Justine led a second prayer but in the Tankosin language. Then she pulled a drum out of her pack. She started beating it and singing. Five other voices joined in with interesting harmonies. It was repetitive to me, but also mesmerizing. After about 15 minutes, I was thinking that it was time we all got to work. Then the six Tankosin voices somehow came to a natural conclusion to their song/chant. They were done.
“That was very nice,” said Jackie. “Eli, what do you want to do?”
Eli said, “Maybe I’ll just give a brief overview of the TDG.”
Eli’s presentation was different. He talked about how the past is connected to the future and the future is connected to the present. The people are connected to their leaders and their leaders are connected to their advisors and the advisors are connected to the people, both past and future. I heard that Native Americans think in circles, and we of European ancestry think in rectangles. Maybe I was starting to see some of that mental geometry.
I knew Jackie had prepared copies of our first and last constitution. She had a plan to demonstrate our evolution. Sensing another way was going to happen, she backed off on that plan. Maybe these documents will be useful later. Three laptops and a couple of memory sticks appeared on the table.
Amanda tugged my sleeve to pull me into the bay. It was time to get back to fixing the fire truck. I found her to be skillful with mechanic tools, and she was good at putting parts where we could find them later.
The pump on this firetruck was quite durable and reliable, when we looked past the packing. But it is hard to reach some of the bolts and nuts to take the pump apart. Sometimes Amanda and I had to jig up a long socket wrench combination that required two sets of hands to operate. As I’d done this job before several times, I was not surprised. It’s too bad the pump wasn’t more in the open. It would take only an hour to take it apart enough to put in the new packing.
I asked, “I noticed that there are two bays to this fire hall. Is there another fire truck around?”
Amanda responded, “It’s for the water truck. We have a few fire hydrants on the Reservation, but most fires require the water truck.”
“Where is it now?”
“Probably at Albert Dixon’s place.”
“Why does Albert have it?”
“Not all the houses are hooked up to the water treatment plant. We use the water truck to haul water from the plant to cisterns. Albert gets a call and off he goes. He makes about three deliveries a day. When the Tribal Council decided to shut down the fire hall, Albert decided it wasn’t necessary to drive out to the fire hall to pick up the water truck. He just keeps it at his place.”
I was thinking that that arrangement will need to change when this firetruck is ready for action. The two trucks need to be together when a call comes in. But I didn’t say anything.
Jackie called me to the meeting room, “Len, our group has some questions about membership.”
Justine said, “I’m looking at your constitution. Do we have to develop membership details like you guys did in Riverbend?”
I was about to answer “no”, but I thought I should dig a little deeper: “So what’s the issue?”
Justine said, “Many of our people don’t stay in one place long. They may move from house to house within the nation. Many go to live in Joosemin. Some go to Riverbend. A few go even further away. Most of the off-reservation Tankosin come back for visits. And some return to live. So having an address stipulation might prevent a lot of our people from ever being a member.”
I responded, “What works in Riverbend may not work in Tankosin. You’re free to develop membership requirements as you see fit.”
Eli said, “So we can change this 17 years of age requirement as well?”
“Yes,” I said.
Dennis asked, “You mean there’s no higher authority to tell us how to write our constitution or get their approval?”
“None”, I responded. You five are the highest authority for the TDG in Tankosin at this time. In a few years, there could be a structure that somehow links Tankosin with Riverbend and Joosemin. But right now, you are it.”
Jackie added, “And Len and I are your advisors, not your bosses. You’re free to take our suggestions or ignore them.”
Just then, I saw something click in all five young people, just as if they’d received an “aha” moment at the same time. This TDG constitution was going to go well.
As Amanda and I were pulling out more parts from the pump, we talked about the recent history of the Fire Hall.
Prior to the truck’s breakdown, the Tribal Council was good at sending people to the Firefighter Training Center in Joosemin. The reservation had 12 firefighters with proper certification. Number 4 had certification for fighting house and grass fires. So the state certified the Tankosin Fire Hall.
The fire hall got four or five calls a year, nearly all on Tankosin land. Sometimes they saved the day; sometimes not; sometimes they needed backup from the fire hall in Battenor County. But they had a good reputation for getting to a location in a reasonable time and doing a great job with their old equipment and low experience.
But the state pulled the Tankosin fire certification when the Tribal Council decided not to repair the firetruck. It would take effort to get the certification back. Until then, fire calls on the Reservation would legally be handled by the Battenor County Fire Department. Amanda was planning on attending a few firefighting sessions in Joosemin, and bringing some of her former crew. We just needed to get the truck running, and the Tribal Council would make things happen.
By mid-afternoon, we had the pump apart enough to take out the old packing. It was really worn, worst I’ve ever seen on this truck. One of the triplex valves was scored. I thought it should be fixed before we put the pump back together. I told Amanda I would take it to a machine shop in Riverbend that could polish it up for about $100. To keep things simple, I’d just get reimbursed by Amanda, and she’d get reimbursed by the Tribal Council.
Next weekend wouldn’t work for me; I was on call for my work. So the seven of us made a date for 9:30 two weeks from now. I looked Eli in the eye, hoping he would get the message to show up on time. But I don’t think he got the message.
Jackie and I were on our way to Riverbend. She said, “Those kids were so amazing. I can’t believe how quickly they came to consensus. They’re more than half done their constitution.”
Year 4: Week 19: Tuesday
Jackie and I attended a merger meeting for North Riverbend and Southwest Riverbend. Of course, we cast our votes to ratify it.
This new TDG was called “Angle Riverbend”. Funny name, but it wasn’t expected to be around for long. Riverbend was coming closer to being under one TDG.
It was good to see old friends again: Ed, Thelma, and Holger. They liked my story of the TDG on the Tankosin Reservation. Holger said Central and Southeast were working on their merger but each group was having some internal issues that hindered them from working together.
Year 4: Week 19: Thursday
Jackie’s been getting a flood of emails from the Tankosin group. She’s being copied on all the emails as the group is revising the first part of their constitution by email. All five have taken on the role of “writer.” She isn’t sensing any frustration as one writer’s words are being changed by another.
I told Jackie to let them work whatever magic they seem to have.
She asked, “Do you want to see what they’re doing?”
I thought for a bit, “No, I think you can handle the day-to-day activity. I think it’s best I wait for the final document.”
Year 4: Week 20: Saturday
Amanda had the fire hall opened when we got there at 9:30. Amanda and I had work to do. Jackie brought a novel.
Justine and Sharilee showed up at 10:00. The rest came within five minutes. I wondered, How do they know how to be late at the same time?
Jackie called me in to the meeting about noon. “Len, I think you’re better at explaining the two-thirds vote than I.”
This was the second time I’ve been called from the bay with dirty coveralls and dirty hands. USA is moving forward politically by using working people.
The youth asked no questions. Was I really that good? I thought. I went back to the bay.
Amanda and I finished putting the pump back together and attached the panels. We took the Number 4 to the creek, dipped in the suction hose, and filled the tank. I set up the triplex pump to spray water from an outlet flange. I started the pump at slow speed. It sprayed the grass on the left side of the truck. I looked underneath. The pump was leaking a little water, but I wasn’t surprised with such an old pump. Then I ramped up the pump speed. The water spray went a lot further. The leaking didn’t get any worse; packing does work better under pressure. For sure, the pump can now move water with pressure. Eli’s group were watching us through the office window.
I suggested to Amanda that next weekend we have a full trial of the fire truck with at least six firefighters. We’ll get the water truck and hook it up to Number 4. We’ll run some hoses and have her old crew and maybe a few new faces to spray some water around.
I said, “I’ll see if Fire Chief Verikitis from Riverbend can attend. He can help with the re-certification of the Tankosin Fire Hall.”
Amanda and I spent the rest of the afternoon organizing the firefighter apparel. The gear was old, but still useable. We divided the coats, boots, and helmets in small, medium and large. There were about 10 sets. The firefighters who showed up next Saturday would need to find what fit them best.
I made sure the megaphone was working.
Eli and crew entered the bay with big smiles. “We are done” said Eli.
“Not quite,” said Sky, “We’ve reached consensus on the major points. Now we just need to find the right words.”
“You five have an interesting way to find those right words,” I said, “Do you think you’ll be ready by next weekend?”
“Not sure,” said Sky, “It depends on how our emails go.”
I was hoping that we could do the firefighting demonstration and finalization of the draft constitution on the same day.
When Eli heard about Amanda’s and my plan for the demonstration, he said, “I don’t think we should be around for your demonstration.”
That seemed strange to me, but they have a better handle on what is happening here.
Year 4: Week 21: Saturday
I told Chief Verikitis to be there around 11:30. When Jackie and I got there at 9:30, Amanda and three men were trying out their firefighting gear. They were having lots of fun.
Albert Dixon showed up with his water truck: “I ain’t putting on no yellow suit.” Amanda gave me a look not to argue with him. Three more men and one woman showed up. They too found gear to fit them.
I put on my firefighting gear I’d brought from Riverbend. I was the best dressed of the group, something that doesn’t happen much in my life. I gave a presentation on the trucks and the hoses. I was getting a feeling that they were politely listening to this white man just so they could play later. I demonstrated that I always wanted two firefighters at the end of the hose and one at the pump console. I took the first shift at the console and had Amanda and a man named Jerry run the first demo at the hose.
By this time, Riverbend Fire Chief Verikitis and Tanksosin Chief Samson were watching from their pickup trucks.
After a couple of minutes, I shut down the pump and put another two firefighters at the hose. I brought Amanda to run the console. I stayed close to make sure the pump could be shut down quickly if needed.
We kept changing positions. Some of the firefighters didn’t look that confident at the hose, so they didn’t get the full pressure of the pump. I’m sure they will get better, but today is not the time to call them to the console.
I grabbed the megaphone: “We’re going to pretend there’s a brush fire in this pasture. As we put out the fire, we need to walk both trucks up the fire line. That means taking apart the hose between the Number Four and the water truck. Moving the trucks forward. Reconnecting the trucks. Setting up the hose. Running more water.”
I changed my tone of voice: “Now it’s time to follow instructions without question. I am the site supervisor. I make all decisions. I give the orders. You obey them. In a real fire, following instructions is very important. Lives are at risk if firefighters start arguing.”
Then we started fighting this imaginary fire.
“Julia and Peter. Disconnect the water truck” I bellowed.
“Drivers. Move both trucks forward 20 yards.”
“Julia and Peter. Connect the water truck.”
“Albert. Start your pump.”
Jerry and Paul. Set up the hose 10 yards in front of Number 4.”
“Amanda. Position yourself to the console.”
“Amanda. Start the pump slowly.”
“Amanda. Increase flow.”
“Jerry. Spray to the right.”
“Amanda. Shut down your pump.”
“Albert. Shut down your pump.”
“Julia and Peter. Disconnect the water truck.”
I went through three more cycles like this. Then I handed the megaphone to Amanda.
“I’m now the boss,” she bellowed.
We went through this routine for an hour, moving both trucks around the pasture and changing positions. I stayed close to the pump console all this time in case the pump needed to be shut down quickly. But Amanda seemed to have found competent firefighters to run the pump and adjust pressure to what the hose-holders could handle. The instincts were good!
Lugging hoses wearing firefighting gear is hard work. For a practice session, one hour is enough. We got the trucks back to the fire hall, where food and beverages appeared. Everyone was having a good time with today’s accomplishments.
Chief Verikitis came to me: “Job well done, Len. I’ll put in a good word for their recertification. Oh, and by-the-way, it was good seeing Number 4 back in action again.”
“Yeah, it was. But the old pump is still leaking a bit. Its cylinders and pistons might be a little worn. But this truck should be useful for a few more years here.”
Later Chief Samson found me: “Where’s them kids making a new government?”
“I’m not sure. They told me they wouldn’t be here today.”
“How are they doing?”
“Well they’re getting their constitution together faster than we did in Riverbend.”
“Constitution? Does this mean they’re gonna run things soon?”
“Oh, hell no,” I said, “We in Riverbend have been working on this project for almost four years. It’s going to take at least another four years before we . . . run things”
“Why so long?”
I had to think: “Because to govern well, we must first learn to govern.”
Chief Samson seemed to be thinking about my response.
Then he said something in Tankosin, and I think it was positive. “Thank you,” he said gruffly. He shook my hand and walked away. I’m not sure what he thanked me for.
Amanda came and gave me a great big hug. “Thank you so much Len. You’ve done so much for our community.”
“And thank you for sharing your community with Jackie and me. We’ve gotten such a great education being out here. We need to set up one more meeting to help you get Number 4 organized for an actual fire. How’s next Saturday?
“Nope,” she said, “Now the firetruck is working well, the Tribal Council will be sending us to firefighting courses in Joosemin until we get our certification. Saturday is our first training. But Sunday, I will be free.”
I told Jackie to gather Eli’s crew for Sunday morning at the Fire Hall.
Year 4: Week 23: Monday
Jackie was getting a flood of emails with draft constitutions all week.
“I think this is the document they have settled on.” She handed me a printed copy.
THE CONSTITUTION FOR THE TIERED DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE (TDG) YOUTH ASSOCIATION OF THE TANKOSIN NATION
SECTION 1: TDG PRINCIPLES
We members of this TDG group believe that Tankosin Nation needs to look at a new model of governance. Our current model, given to us by our former colonial masters, is not realizing our potential as individuals, families, and nation.
In particular, we want to adopt the principles outlined in the book called “Tiered Democratic Governance.” These principles are (1) tiered, indirect elections, (2) voting based on good character and capacity for governance, (3) an advisory board, and (4) a culture of consultation.
As well, we want to adopt some of our nation’s traditions in this TDG model. These include respect for our Creator, our ancestors, and our elders.
We acknowledge that it will take time and effort to build this TDG. We are not protesting current governments. In time, this TDG will replace our current government structure. But this TDG must first earn the trust and respect of a substantial majority of the Tankosin people.
SECTION 2: HUMANISTIC PRINCIPLES
We members of this TDG group believe in:
1. The equality of the male and female gender.
2. The equality of all races in America.
3. The preservation and enhancement of the Tankosin language.
4. The protection of our land and resources under our jurisdiction.
5. The principle of economic development to provide income and purpose to individuals and our nation.
6. The community goal to reduce all addictions affecting our nation.
7. The good example we will set for other citizens of Tankosin to follow.
SECTION 3: BOUNDARIES
This TDG district shall encompass the current boundaries of the Tankosin Indian Reservation plus the 10.65 square miles of the Battenor Wilderness Area known as the Tankosin Violation. This land was taken away from us in 1931 in violation of our Treaty rights.
SECTION 4: MEMBERSHIP
1. All members of this TDG shall be registered members of the Tankosin people.
2. All members must be between 15 and 30 years old.
3. All members must reside within the state of ______. Residency on the Reservation is not necessary to be a member.
4. All members must read the principles of Section 1 and 2 of this constitution and sign a document that they have accepted these principles.
5. Members cannot vote in TDG affairs until they have been members for at least 30 days.
6. Members shall provide contact information in one or more of the following media: 1) Email, 2) Facebook, 3) Instagram, 4) Twitter.
SECTION 5: ELECTORAL RULES
1. The executive committee shall schedule an annual meeting in the month of April on the Reservation. This meeting shall be the election for the executive committee to serve in the next 12 months.
2. The executive committee shall keep a record of members.
3. The executive committee shall set up an email list and accounts for Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. All meeting notices shall be sent by email, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at least seven days before the event is to happen.
4. Only members attending can vote.
5. All members attending this meeting shall be given a blank ballot.
6. Prior to voting, the current chairperson of the executive committee shall give a short speech about voting for good character and capacity for governance.
7. When voting, each member can write one to five names as their choice for the executive committee. All ballots shall be placed in a ballot box.
8. When voting is finished, the ballot box shall be opened and votes shall be counted.
9. The five members who tally the most votes will constitute the new executive committee.
10. If there is a tie vote between fifth and sixth place, another round of balloting shall be conducted with these two as the only candidates. If there is still a tie, the current chairperson shall flip a coin to determine the fifth place.
SECTION 5A
Each year, the executive committee has the right to add one more position to the executive committee without having to amend the constitution. The maximum number of executive committee members shall be nine.
When the executive committee increases the number of members on the executive committee, the number of names in Section 5.7 shall reflect the number of positions.
SECTION 6: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
1. The executive committee shall have authority and responsibility of all affairs of this TDG except amendments to the constitution and merging with another TDG.
2. Quorum of the executive committee is three members.
3. The executive committee is encouraged to attain a consensual decision. If consensus cannot be attained, a majority vote shall constitute the decision. If there is a tie vote, the decision will go to the status quo.
SECTION 7: ADVISORY BOARD
1. Nine Elders will be appointed to advise the executive committee.
2. Elders shall be registered members of the Tankosin Nation.
3. Elders must be at least 60 years old.
4. Elders must be residing in the State of _____.
5. The first executive committee shall appoint the first nine elders.
6. The appointment shall be for life.
7. If a death or resignation occurs in the Nine Elders, the remaining Elders can appoint, by consensus, another elder to serve.
8. If the Elders do not make this appointment in 120 days, the executive committee may make the appointment.
9. Once each season (four times a year), the executive committee must set up a meeting between the executive committee and the Nine Elders. Each Elder has the right to speak to the executive committee. The executive committee must listen respectfully. The Elders must understand the decisions of this TDG lies with the executive committee.
SECTION 8: AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
1. The executive committee has the authority to formulate amendments to the constitution. When the draft of an amendment has been approved by the executive committee, the executive committee shall send notice of such an amendment meeting by email, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
2. Quorum of this meeting to amend the constitution shall be at least 10% of the membership or 25 members, whichever is lower.
3. Ratification of the amendment must be a two-thirds vote of this TDG.
Section 9: MERGING TDGs
1. The executive committee has the authority to investigate and negotiate a merger with a neighboring TDG. When the draft of the new constitution for the merged area has been approved by the executive committee, the executive committee shall send notice of the merger meeting to all members by email, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
2. Quorum of this meeting to merge the TDGs shall be at least 15% of the membership or 40 members, whichever is lower.
3. Ratification of the merger must be a three-fourths vote of this TDG.
4. If the other TDG also ratifies, the TDGs will be considered as merged and the new constitution shall prevail over this constitution.
Well that was interesting!
I was not aware of the “Tankosin Violation.” I’m not sure which part of the Battenor Wilderness Area make up the Tankosin Violation or how Camp Battenor will be affected. But Native American issues have historically taken a long time to settle in American civil courts. So there is little point in worry or panic. If the Tankosin have a legitimate claim, they should pursue it. Losing Camp Battenor won’t be the end of my world.
I jotted notes down on specific clauses, getting myself ready for Sunday.
Year 4: Week 24: Sunday
Jackie and I were at the Fire Hall at 9:30. Amanda and a couple of firefighters were already there, discussing where the various fire fighting tools should be placed in the storage lockers in Number 4. I could see they were on their way to getting organized without me.
All I could offer was: “Make sure you bring lots of bottled water and granola bars for hard-working firefighters. Remember they won’t be bringing their lunch buckets.”
Sharilee showed up at 9:45. Earlier than usual. I said to Jackie, “Just wait, the other four will be here in five minutes.” And they were.
After prayers and drumming and singing, Eli looked at me: “So what do you think. Len?”
“I have a few things to say about your constitution. Or perhaps I only need answers to some questions I have. But I need to make sure you understand our position as your advisors. Jackie and I can only offer suggestions. You’re under no obligation to take our advice.”
Justine said, “Having Jackie in our meetings was very useful. She explained many of the things you guys did in Riverbend. That helped us to figure out how to make the TDG work in Tankosin.”
Jackie replied, “Thank you Justine. But the pleasure was all mine. It was wonderful to see how well you five worked together, especially with all those emails. I’ve gained some great TDG experience that I hope will be useful elsewhere.”
I got into my line of questioning: “I noticed that you five were the only people at these meetings. Do other people know about this?”
Eli responded, “Probably a lot do know. The moccasin telegraph has a way of getting the word around. But after our first meeting, the five of us decided that bringing in new people — especially ones we didn’t know that well — might cause some difficulties. We decided that we five would put the constitution together and would be the first five members of the executive committee. Then we would start inviting people into our group.”
I remembered Rich stopping his canvassing for new members when we had enough to build our constitution in Northwest Riverbend. Then I remembered the bigger meetings with Northeast Riverbend that resulted in a lot longer process to build their constitution. I thought Eli’s crew displayed some natural wisdom.
“Your Section 2 is pretty lengthy. Dave, the guy who wrote the TDG book, recommended to keep it simple.”
Justine explained, “We have a lot of social issues in Tankosin. A lot of people are in pain and many of them don’t know it. If too many of these people join the TDG, they could break it down. We were hoping that getting them to sign a card that showed their acceptance of these TDG and humanistic principles just might deter some of them from joining in these early stages.”
Eli added, “There’s a big difference between someone with an addiction problem who knows it should be fixed and someone with an addiction problem yet believes he or she is on the right life path. The Tribal Council has to deal with the second kind too much. It’s hard on the Council.”
Justine said, “And please understand that we’re not turning our backs on them. We just need to build up the TDG to a place where it can help them later.”
I skipped Section 3. I couldn’t see a benefit in bringing up the Tankosin Violation in this meeting. I went to Section 4.
“Having a maximum age in your constitution is interesting. Why did you go in this direction?”
Eli responded, “Respect for elders is very strong in our culture. We young people aren’t supposed to challenge them too much.”
Sky said, “There’s a limit to how much a young person can say to an older person. At some point, the young people need to stop talking. If you were a Tankosin man at your age, you could have dominated our constitution-building meetings. If the five of us didn’t like your decision, your decisions would prevail. It would be expected that we’d then follow you.”
Eli added, “Like Willie, the Tankosin farm manager. He runs the farm his way and doesn’t like ideas from kids. We combine drivers just follow his orders.”
Sky said, “And if we had such a person in our group, he would be writing the constitution, not the five of us.”
Maybe it was a good thing I wasn’t directly involved! Jackie does have a softer touch.
Eli said, “So we put the 30-year age limit so that we would have the freedom to build the TDG the way we young people thought it should be built. The five of us built this constitution, it was a lot of fun working together.”
And Justine finished: “Another advantage is that with only young people involved right now, this TDG won’t be seen as a threat to current Tankosin politics. You need to be at least 40 years old to be taken seriously in this nation.”
I was becoming quite impressed with this young group.
“Section 5A” I said, “Can you explain your thoughts behind that?”
Justine said, “Jackie explained the process for your TDG to change your constitution from four to five members for the executive committee. We anticipate — well actually we know — the five of us will be elected to the first executive committee. But we think there should be more. Rather than change the constitution each time, we thought it best to put in a provision where the executive committee could easily increase it.”
That sounded reasonable to me.
“Section 7, that was very interesting to me. We really haven’t used a formal advisor in Riverbend. Joosemin has an advisor, but that position is informal. I’d say Jackie’s and my advisory position here isn’t formal either.”
Well maybe not. The Joosemin TDGs did appoint Rich. Rich appointed me, and I appointed Jackie. While elected representatives in the TDG go from the bottom up, appointments of the advisors are top down. That’s kind of what we are doing, but it’s sure not formal. So far it seems to be working.
Eli stated, “We discussed this section a lot. We wanted to include our traditions of respecting elders. But we wanted to deal with the wisest of the elders. So I think we’ve struck a good balance. We’ll be getting some good advice from our council of Nine Elders. And we will show the Tankosin people that we’re not just a bunch of young kids looking to take over.”
Justine added, “I think these four meetings a year with the elders are going to be a great thing. We’ve already got a list of elders we will ask to serve in this capacity.”
“Just one more thing,” I said, “Why a three-quarters vote to merge with another TDG?”
Eli answered for the group: “I think you appreciate that Riverbend and Tankosin are different cultures. If the Tankosin TDG is to merge with another TDG, it will be a “white” TDG. We need to be sure that our people want to merge, and the white TDG people treat us with humanity to deserve our three-fourths vote.”
I looked at Jackie. She’d told me how well this group of five youth covered so many angles and perspectives. They are indeed amazing.
“I think you people have done a fantastic job. All I can say is that if something doesn’t work, change it. But use due democratic process.
I paused.
“If you ever need to call on Jackie and me, we’d be happy to work with you again.”
“One more thing, Len,” asked Eli, “Could you chair our constitutional meeting and first election?”
“Sure” I said. But I didn’t really like the idea of making two trips for those two events.
“OK everyone,” shouted Eli, “Let’s get official right now.”
“Now?” I said.
“Why not?” said Eli. “All the members are here. We don’t need formal notices — this time.”
In seven minutes, we ratified the constitution and elected Eli, Sky, Justine, Sharilee, and Dennis as the first executive committee of the TDG Youth Association of the Tankosin Nation.
Year 4: Week 33: Tuesday
Jackie and I were asked to work as vote tellers at Angle Riverbend’s annual general meeting. The Northwest sector meeting was at Senlac Community Hall. I was on a fire call that afternoon, but I was able to show up in time to vote. Someone else took my teller’s job.
The Angle Riverbend newsletter mentioned Jackie’s and my work with the Tankosin youth. But I wasn’t expecting that story to help me get my elected job back in the Gull Lake neighborhood. Lenora won with a wider margin than last year. I was OK with that.
The best part was meeting again with some friends: Holger, Thelma, Marwan, and Aiden.
Year 4: Week 46: Monday
Amanda Fox gave me a call. The Tankosin Fire Hall was recertified three months ago. But other than some monthly drills, not much had been happening. Yesterday they had their first fire call.
A farmer just outside the Reservation was combining a field of barley. Some standing grain caught fire. He called 9–1–1, then got his combine back to the farmyard. He had his big tractor already hooked to a cultivator and started building firebreaks to help keep the blaze within the barley field.
The Tankosin Fire Department — with Number 4, the water truck, and six firefighters — were there in 23 minutes. Amanda started attacking the fire closest to the Reservation, “fighting from the black.” Ten minutes later, two pumper units and one water truck from Battenor County showed up. One firetruck attacked the middle; the other went to the far end, the water truck shuttling between them. The county firetrucks had nozzles mounted on the front bumpers, so they were more efficient in putting out the blaze. When the middle firetruck met up with Number 4 and extinguished the last flames between them, the two crews erupted in great cheers. Firefighters have such a great brotherhood! The different cultures did not matter at that moment.
The two fire departments spent a couple more hours putting out hot spots in the field. Albert Dixon showed the driver of the County water truck a stream to get more water. When both fire chiefs were satisfied, the three firetrucks departed to their respective fire halls. Both crews learned that two cultures can work as a team.
Rich said a long time ago, “The TDG will have a positive effect beyond itself.”
Year 4: Week 47: Tuesday
I got a phone call from Irena Novak. She’s an elected councillor from Battenor County. Somehow she got the word that I was quite instrumental is getting the Tankosin Fire Department going again — and that I was a member of the Riverbend TDG. She would like to learn more. I told her that if she were to invite a few people, I would come. I let the executive committee of Angle Riverbend know — and they didn’t say “no.”
Year 4: Week 48: Thursday
I brought Thelma and Jackie to the Battenor County Office. They had a meeting room with about 20 people. Eli Weasel was there.
I brought Thelma for three reasons. She has an official position in the TDG whereas I do not. She’s a much better speaker than I am. And being African American, female, and young, she’d be a good test to see if these rural people are really ready for the TDG.
She had a Power Point presentation to supplement her talk. She handled the questions quite well.
The meeting was coming to a close. An older fellow spoke, “This TDG sounds like some kind of utopia. I just can’t imagine people getting along, especially when the stakes for power get higher.”
Thelma said, “I can understand where you’re are coming from. When we watch or read the news, we see lots of conflict, confrontation, and contempt in our politics. It seems to be the normal way to do things. It’s hard to believe another way of politics is possible.”
The fellow responded, “Maybe I’ve been around too long, but things are getting worse at the state and federal levels. Democrats and Republicans are more interested in winning elections than helping people. Like the Roman Empire, American democracy is declining.”
For some reason, I spoke up, “If you really believe that our democracy is declining, then you have two choices. Either you do can nothing and watch the decline or you can start working on the TDG. The TDG may or may not be successful in the end. If it is not successful, then your work into the TDG got the world to the same place as it was going to before. Nothing has been lost, and at least you tried something. But if a kinder, wiser democracy emerges, your work will be an important part of the TDG’s success. History will remember you, and your descendants will honor you. The world has everything to gain for you to be part of this movement.…And if there is a better plan to save democracy, I sure haven’t seen it.
Where am I getting these ideas from? I thought.
Irena, the county councillor, closed the meeting by asking those who wanted to start building the TDG for Battenor County to stay. There were nine people left in the room, which included Jackie, Thelma, Eli, and me. The other five were residents from the county.
Irena asked, “I’m an elected official in our county government. Are there any restrictions on me to participate?”
I looked at Thelma and Jackie. They looked at me. “Not that we can see,” I said, “This seems to be something new. We’ll try it out and see how it works.”
The group agreed to meet next Thursday evening. Eli and I agreed to help them out.
It looks like I’m going to be busy for the next few Thursday evenings.
