All Things happen in their right season. As The Chickamauga Nation, we have tilled the soil and fertilized it. We have done that by contacting state and federal representatives and senators as well as beginning to work with federal agencies. We are currently in the planting season. We have planted the seeds of hope through the requested academic verification of our history and anthropology which is now approaching 600,000 pages of research. Now, we are in the season where we are waiting on the seeds to sprout and grow.
How long until harvest? While we are hoping for a quick harvest season, we also have to be prepared for a late harvest season as well. What does this mean for us? We need to have our freezers cleaned out and ready for the harvest. We need to have our canning jars prepared to preserve our harvest. We need to have our dehydrators in tip-top shape so we can have dried fruits and meats for the winter. Finally, we have to be putting away seed for next year’s planting season.
Every farmer and rancher will tell you never count your chickens before they hatch. I have watched drought, hail, high winds, floods, and pestilence devastate a crop. I have also see perfect growing seasons where everything goes according to plan. The one thing I realize is that no matter how much I plan, how much I want things to go a certain way, I am not in control.
I can only control how I react to the forces of nature. I can plan and prepare for every imaginable scenario,but ultimately, I am not in control of nature. We are ultimately doing everything within our power to prepare to be placed on the Serviced Tribes Roll. We are looking at every possibility and preparing for every possibility imaginable for every contingency.
Like the farmer and rancher, like our ancestors before us, we wake up every morning, thank the creator for another day with our family and friends, flocks, herds, and fields and prepare for the worst-case scenario, all the time hoping for the best.
(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.