Trial of the Senses

Three: Networks

Rick Mora as John Hatathli
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Life here was a contradiction, in the morning the calm surroundings and fragrance of the trees dulled the senses but by evening, one workday was enough to knock sense into you.

That was the cycle of my life, I could see why every doctor here before left. The clinic was falling apart, there was not enough equipment, not enough trained staff, barely any pay if any, and the number of patients was overwhelming. And this was just the medical system. Routine struggles with little money was the deal of the day. That was compounded by the fact that there was little outside help. Unless we wanted a casino, and we didn't.

That was the source of tension in the tribal meeting I was in. Other doctors could leave everything here because of no attachments, I was bound to this place by birth and duty. There was no escaping it.

"Listen, I understand how many of us are feeling about this. None of us like the idea of becoming another tourist attraction, but we have been backed into a corner. This might be the only way to gain an income for our community. Talking, writing, and appealing won't work. In addition, there are many, many other reservations in a worse situation than we are. The government knows about this and they still turn a blind eye because treaties and promises, at the end of the day, don't matter when we're not a priority."

Murmurs erupted amongst us. Dad was quiet except for the grim set of his face. Everyone knew what the Chairman said was true.

"So, it's come to this?" Robert spoke up.

Chairman Isaac sighed, "We don't have any other option but to let them come in. Without them this reservation will fall deeper into poverty, and we see what it's already doing to us."

He watched us struggle to come to terms with reality, but we still didn't want this as a solution.

"Give us time to decide," I said.

"We don't have time John; they need an answer soon."

"Well a casino playground isn't exactly going to help our morale. We need to think this through."

"Our answer," Blossom asked, "when must we give it?"

"They want to start development in three months, but our answer must be given by the end of this month."

Damn, three weeks to decide. For a solution. We might as well say yes now, and everyone in the hall realized that too. Our Chairman was the heralder of this troubling news, but I noticed the determination in his face after a moment of thought.

"He must have come to a decision of sorts..." dad mumbled.

Chairman Isaac raised a hand to call for silence.

"I say," he began, "let's use this time to search within ourselves to come up with a solution that everyone will be happy with. The council and I will push to see where we can get help on a national level. We might reach a dead-end like always, but at least we tried. When the deadline comes, we still have the choice to say no to this project, and we'll be back to square one. If yes, we can see where this leads us-"

"More gambling and drinking," Grandmother Sky shook her head in disapproval with the other agreeing elders.

Chairman Isaac sighed and nodded, "That's what we want to avoid. Our meeting ends here for today."

As everyone slowly filed outside our meeting hall, I was racking my brain. How could we get our community from point A to B? Who could I call? The clinic needed much work, just as much as the education system, employment-no doubt in that sphere the casino and hotel sounded...desirable-and housing needed to improve. With those improved the suicide rates would drop, my patients would stop drinking themselves to death and...