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Groupings and terminology
A troop is the smallest traveling group. Each troop sticks together, often forming the nucleus to a settlement, a ranch, a farm, or a village. A troop may be a cluster of individuals, all the way to a whole clan or more. Multiple troops gather to form a convoy in transit. The convoy has an elected leader who makes decisions, after consultation. Individual leaders - all levels Any group has elders, male and female both, who are respected and whose counsel is sought due to their experience. A "head elder" is termed eldest, though he or she may not actually be the oldest in a group. Any group also has chosen leaders. At the CRV state and national level these were the Sachems. That term is disused at the national (Pochata) level now; such are termed Counselors. At the tribal level they are Sonchi, a term related to but more general than Sachem. For a village, troop, or clan they are termed headmen and headwomen. For a band they are often referred to as "Uncle" and "Aunt" or "Great-Uncle" and "Great-Aunt". A lead Sonchi or headman might be termed a Chief. Leadership is very much by consensus. Much talk goes on to arrive at big decisions. Individual leaders - national At the national level there are individuals nominally in charge of different areas of activity - executives, if you will. Speaks-for-all is spokesperson for (and to) the whole nation in making announcements, declarations of group decisions. Sometimes gets referred to as Yells-at-all. Initially this is Harris Wavahoehoe of Kaitche. Speaks-for-horses is the advocate for and chief caretaker in equine matters. Initially this is Zesto'n Altenkatchie of Miqa. Speaks-for-waters is the advocate for and chief caretaker of watercourses and bodies of water. He or she has large responsibilities in all the decontamination that has to be done in Pochata. Initially this is Anna Cha v'nitta of Ikaiee. Speaks-for-land is the advocate for and chief caretaker of the land, soil, and trees. He or she also deals with decontamination matters, as well as agriculture. Initially this is Waverly Whisperstep of t'Viintu. Speaks-with-others is the spokesperson for the nation to other nations. Initially this is Susan Ninedaughter of Charriqa. Custom dictates this individual personally sees to making contacts with other tribes - and by extension with other countries. Once that contact is made, she is free to designate as a substitute for herself, a deputy spokesperson who carries her sigl (a representative tailsman signifying her authority to make deals on behalf of her nation - in her case a silver boar pendant). She's likely to do a lot of travelling in the early months or years of Pochata. Does-not-fight leads the warriors of the tribes. The implication to his title is that he himself usually arranges affairs so no fight is necessary (more of the Pochata tribes' persuasion), and that if fighting is called for he will be advising insted of casting lances or firing a bazooka. He is responsible for border patrol, police, and vigilante matters. Initially this is Uncle Rufus Tentpole of Pochata. Judges are those elders, sonchi, or national council members who hear disputes. These panels of leaders carry both judicial and executive powers in this respect. Judges are appointed to that function, even if their basic leadership position is an elected one. Currently there are forty-one such judges at the national level, and several hundred at lower levels of society. Holds-many-purses collects a sort of tithe, the Pochata tribes' version of taxation. Public projects are paid for from these funds. Not much is exacted, so not much is done 'by government'. Much more in the public arena gets done within a system of influence and prestige. It is honorable to for example provide a bridge for the use of a village. Big men within the village vie for the right to build such a self-enhancer. Groups form to accomplish larger tasks. And when something is a big enough need, all pitch in -- sandbagging in a flood, forming a posse to chase outlaws, raising a community building. Initially this is Wanakatera Charlie v' Initar of Ikaiee. Walks-in-front holds authority over migration journeys, and by extension also over others journeying to and from Pochata (immigration, visas, and the like) and transportation matters. Typically this rotates yearly, with at least three previous ones hanging around as advisors. Currently Amasa Heave-ho Johnny of Unikta is Walks-in-front. He has held the position for several years, since there has been no mass migration since before the civil war. Group leadership Overall national leadership is the National Council, made up of a chief counselor from each of the eleven tribes. Which of the tribes' leaders is appointed to the National Council can change at any time. The National Council has a spokesperson, the Sachana, or Chief of Chiefs. Who holds this title changeds from situation to situation. One refers in the past to the Sachana of 7 March 1511 or the like, but in the future just as the one-holding-the-flame (another sigl or tailsman of authority - this a silver ball perhaps 6 cm across, wrought with a design of eleven interlocking flames). Such leaders as these are regarded by outsiders as miraculously masterful persuaders. Since their leadership is through consensus, great diplomacy and oratory can go into decision-making. Local lore has it that Miqa or Ikaiee chiefs can talk a bear into trading them his teeth in exchange for a fur coat, which they got by talking him out of his own fur, which they got ... (the tale is endless). So in governance of the Pochta Plains Nation, Speaks-for-all may make an announcement on behalf of "Chief of Chiefs", with the weight of the full council behind it. "I'll get back to you" might as well be the motto of any of the Pochata governing authorities. With so much consensus expected, decisions often have to be postponed. The various groups meet wherever convenient. The Pochata Plains Nation has no fixed capital as such. If outlanders wish to have a permanent home; an embassy or consulate or company headquarters, they often pick the second-largest town in the East, Holomodantu, just because it's on the coast and easier to get to than the West. Nictona, an even larger town (city, actually) in the East is occasionally chosen, though it is in the interior and until transportation improves, harder to get to. If western headquarters are sought, the two largest towns there, Ocontee and Chic' maggia are sometimes chosen. Warriors' Council Led by Does-not-fight, this group of elders is charged with maintaining Pochata's peace and national integrity. Some warriors are detailed as border huntsmen. These live near borders and patrol their sections of it. With leftover CRV equipment and third-hand equipment from overseas, these mobile forces track and eliminate bandits and other illicit border-crossers. Most are horse-mounted, but included in their "mounts" are armor, all-terrain light vehicles, and fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. Other units are designated as sea huntsmen. These patrol the ocean adjacent to Pochata's Polis state, or the coastal land nearby. Smugglers are their prey, and they keep what they sieze to pay for their operations. They have fast patrol boats, inflatable three-man boats, and two old but servicable destroyers. More vessels that might be salvageable for use lie on the bottom of the Metropolis harbor, awaiting money and incentive to be raised. River huntsmen units likewise patrol rivers inland and those forming national borders. They use a motly selection of speedboats and military-style patrol boats. And canoes. Other than these border-guard units, Pochata has no standing army. Police matters are handled by civil law enforcement personnel -- tribal sherrifs and trackers (general investigative term including detectives). Instead of an army, most of the nation consists of a militia or reserve force. Led by a tiny group of permanent officers, all former CRV military men and women, this nebulous body holds no overall training exercises, only local ones. The Yearlong Warrior Sonchi Corps (the permanent officer body) keeps in touch with all the tribal and band warrior leaders and runs a communications system that would facilitate a general call-up, if one is ever needed. Local groups have some haphazard training -- more wargames than formation maneuvering. Every last militia warrior, though (most adults, fit or not) is expected to keep, maintain, and practice with personal weapons. There are far more weapons than people in Pochata. And there's not much planned crime. Crimes of passion will always be around, but it takes a real idiot to calmly plan to commit a crime against brothers all of whom are literally loaded for bear. That's not much violent crime by citizens. Brigands, rogue units of the former CRV or Aztalec Empire military, and other interlopers are still present within Pochata borders, and still cross the borders -- these are fair game for not just border huntsmen, but any militia personnel. Large and expensive articles of warrior equipment are provided for by the honor
/ prestige system called stapa. Local bigshots show off their influence
(and gain more) by funding AA batteries, or attack fighters, or a squadron of armor.
Not personal, just personally funded. Such articles of
gifted equipment often bear the logo of a sponsoring company or the personal emblem
of the VIP that bought it. |
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