Every so often, in Indian country, we hear a story about a tribal worker having put up with enough unethical behavior so he/she speaks up in an attempt to do something about it. We all say, "Good! It's about time something was done to ____________. Then we wait for the axe to fall, the person to get reprimanded, suspended, or maybe fired... but nothing happens. A couple of days go by, a week goes by, a month goes by, and soon the issue becomes old news. What happened?
Perseverance, or lack of it is what happened. Perseverance is when a person says or does something over and over and over again, a steady and continued action or statement, usually over a long period, and especially in spite of difficulties or set backs. The person continues to draw attention to a problem over and over again until the problem is dealt with.
Our ancestors cultivated perseverance. In fact, it was so important to them, they made perseverance one of their core values. Back then, rules were rules of survival and if they weren't followed, the whole tribe was at risk. Those who enforced the rules persevered in their chastisements until individuals conformed to the law. Without perseverance, our ancestors would not have survived the world they lived in. Their perseverance is one of the main reasons why we, their descendants, are here today.
But nowadays, anytime a tribal member attempts to rectify an unethical situation, he/she runs into a variety of obstacles such as personal attacks against their character, or their supervisor and/or the tribal council being reluctant to take action. Often it is pure apathy, the "so what" attitude. The "everyone does it" type of attitude. Unless a person has a great deal of perseverance/fortitude, he/she will soon succumb to the obstacles or pressures to ethical change and give up.
Several months ago, it was brought to my attention that a certain individual was, to put it lightly, not following the guidelines of his/her office and neglecting his/her job duties. I put together enough information to support my case that this person was abusing his/her situation, brought it to the attention of the appropriate individuals, and waited for justice to take its course.
I wasn't too surprised when nothing happened. Our leaders are not known for their ability to make quick decisive decisions even in the face of overwhelming evidence. What did surprise me was the identity of some of the people who did nothing. After all, I had known these individuals most of my life, and I knew they knew the difference between right and wrong. However, fear can be a huge motivating factor when you are in a position of authority.
Fear is the greatest enemy of perseverance. There is the fear of losing your job, fear of losing an election, fear of people being angry with you, and fear of confrontation with angry aggressive people. There are many other reasons why people are scared to do what is right. One of them that can be applied in this case is physical fear. When you have individuals who are good at and do not hesitate to intimidate others by shouting and threatening physical violence, people do get scared.
Fortunately, we have progressed enough that physical intimidation only goes so far. Although I was not able to have the individual held accountable, I believe I laid the groundwork for those who eventually made the decision to take some action. The latest news is the certain individual did eventually get his/her just dues. He/she is no longer working for that particular program. All because some individuals, myself and a few others, had the perseverance to insist on doing what is ethically and morally right.
