Consistency
Consistency in leadership over time provides for stability in running organizations. It gives a sense of security that allows those within the organization to expect and those outside it to trust. An example would be a 100-year-old, multi-billion-dollar-a-year organization that has only had 3 CEOs. Stability and consistency provide a sense of security for the employees and customers.
An opposite example would be the 100-year-old, multi-billion-dollar-a-year organization with 15 CEOs. Each time a new CEO comes in, a new direction is taken. The organization's culture, traditions, and esprit de corps changes about every 4 -8 years. This type of organization does not provide stability or security for the employees or the customers but creates dissension and apathy. This dissension and apathy finally create the doom of the organization.
This same model creates polarized organizations and governments. Anyone trying to do business with these types of organizations knows that it is impossible to make long-term plans because the leadership and direction of the organization will change within months, not decades.
For Native Americans, this is even more pronounced. Representatives and Senators change every two years. During the last 240 years, over 11,000 Representatives and 2015 Senators have come and gone, as well as 49 Presidents. How can long-lasting Tribes and Chiefs expect to work under Treaty requirements if those currently serving change every few years? How can trust be established between Tribes and the United States if its government changes every two years?
For the Chickamauga, many of our Chiefs were well acquainted with three to five Presidents and numerous Representatives and Senators, each with their thoughts, policies, and plans for Natives. The consistency and stability of the Chickamauga chiefs provided a sense of security and strength for the people of the Nation and the United States government.
Bold and ambitious moves by The Chickamauga Nation should be expected in the upcoming months. While transitioning between one United States government and the next, we stand firm in knowing we are one Chickamauga Nation.
(C) This document was produced at the request of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on July 18, 2019, to document the History, Anthropology, Culture, Religion, and Archaeology of The Chickamauga Nation.