Tanyan wowunkdakapi (Dakota for good conversation)

I am going to use this post to describe a person who is the complete opposite of Joe, The Tribal Worker. I am going to call this tribal member/worker Susie Sainte. Susie, like the rest of us, knows the difference between right and wrong; however, what makes her different from the rest of us is this—she actually practices what she believes in.

Susie follows and enforces policies and procedures at the risk of losing her job. As a supervisor, she hires qualified workers as opposed to workers who have political clout. She also fires incompetent workers regardless of their political influence. As an employee, she is conscientious about doing her work. She does not cheat on her time card; she actually uses leave each time she leaves her worksite. As a supervisor/manager/tribal council member, she reports to work the same time her employees do. In short, she works every hour she gets paid for.

Joe despises Susie. He is also mortally scared of her, and truth be known, he secretly envies her. She is everything he would like to be, but can’t be because he lacks the moral fiber. His jealousy often turns into hate; therefore, he often does everything in his power to undermine her as his supervisor or fellow worker. Susie unknowingly makes Joe look bad. She is at work on time every morning, she doesn’t take more than the allotted time for breaks and lunches, she doesn’t punch out until the day is over, and last but not least, she actually works. Her behavior contrasts with his behavior and often prompts an unfavorable comparison from other workers. As a result, he is constantly scheming to get Susie fired, usually by starting unsubstantiated rumors about her.

What makes Susie radically different than Joe is this—she is a person with uncommon moral courage. She stands up and speaks up for what she believes in. In addition, she is her own worst critic. She constantly reminds herself that certain behavior is wrong and she won't do it, because even if no one else knows, she will know, and that knowledge is enough to make her behave ethically. As a result, Susie really does not need anyone monitoring her work, which makes her an especially valuable employee.

Unfortunately, Susie’s moral courage is often her greatest liability. She makes Joe and his buddy look so bad that he, and a group of like-minded individuals, conspire to get rid of her. If they have enough political influence, they will either get her transferred or outright fired. It is difficult for Susie to get hired in key positions, especially those that involve finances, because her ethics make it difficult for those who want to rip off the tribe. She is such a danger to Joe, the Tribal Worker, that he goes all out to prevent her from getting appointed to committees/boards, and will do anything to prevent her from getting elected to the Tribal Council. Once appointed, or elected to any of these positions, Joe will more than likely drum up some false charges in an attempt to get her recalled from those positions.

Like Joe, I am sure you all know a Susie; if so, I would like to hear your stories about her.

From the case study, "Susie Gets Promoted - part c" in the Introduction to Ethics for Tribal Workers course ....

Problem:

Alas, this story has a sad ending. Susie ended up resigning due to misunderstanding
with her governing board. After working hard all week, she could not accept the
non-professional manner the monthly board meetings were conducted: They did not follow
Roberts Rules of Order. As a result their meetings were disjointed and dragged on several
hours. They often deviated from the agenda by gossiping amongst themselves. The board
chair did little if anything to stay on task and move the meeting. They ignored their own
policy by letting employees and members of the public ignore the chain-of-command and
approach the board directly with their concerns. Finally, former employees who were unhappy
with having to resign and tribal members who were upset because they could not get Susie to
make exception for them joined forces and ran a very effective campaign to get rid of her.
A little over two years after accepting the position Susie resigned.

What is the moral of this story?
============================================ One person said .....
When someone tries to do something right.. the status quo is a very hard cycle to break if at all. When people are use to having their way all the time they act like little babies and cry and moan until they eventually get their way. That seems to be the way it is on the reservations. Why you ask, because no one has the courage to stand up and let everyone know that it's wrong. You may get a couple of people to hear your honesty but basically no one gives a damn unless there is something in it for them. Our society is really going to hell and no one seems to care..We have hardly any extended families who help each other and relatives who are dating and having kids with each other, which is a whole different story in itself..

My favorite Susie Sainte answers this week:

The question was "Do you know tribal workers who are as ethical as Susie Sainte?"

This individual responded
==========
But those kinds of individuals (like Susie Sainte) are as scarce as above zero weather in January in North Dakota! They often only last as long in their jobs as summer days over 100 degrees in Dakota territory too.

Well I can say that there are some "Susies" that worked for the Tribal Child Welfare Programs, but they only hold on for the sake of the poor children they serve. Then there are some heroic types that eventually get fired for talking back to the Tribal Council.

In answer to the question, "Are you like Susie Sainte in some ways?", we received this answer -
===============
Don't know. Both of us are women though, and that tells you something about the high endurance/resilence level of female Indian people.

some answers to the question "are you like Susie? List two reasons how."

one tribal member said :"Yes, I go to work everyday, I work hard, I talk to the children & everyone around me knows that I love my job. I work well with my co-workers. but I do have problems with one that did start rumors to a parent who was actually her close relative and tried to get me fired. My co-worker is one who is currupted and does falsify her time card, misses at least 2 days a week and gets paid for it. She is from a big family and uses it to her advantage. I did feel like finding a new job but knew that I did nothing wrong and she just wanted me out. I discussed the situation and the way I felt about the tension. She encouraged me to stay because I was a hard worker & helped her so much. I still battle everyday with the looks and lack of help from her but Im still there for the kids doing my job the best I can."

another very frank and honest answer to the question "Are you like Susie? If yes,describe the ways you two are similar."
No, not really
I said no because I am not necessarily in a postion of leadership and find myself enjoying a laid back work environment. I have never taken action to try to correct unethical acts of others even though I know it happens so much and even though I know it is the biggest attribute to our economic downfall (extremly low work output by the masses of tribal members) But I do admire people like Susie Sainte who are not trying to get others into trouble, but do things in the best interest of her people and tribe. I admire leadership and direction from the Susie Saintes