CHAKOTAY THE MAQUIS AND JANEWAY
Chakotay His Early Life
Born to Native American parents. As a young man Chakotay
was reluctantly made to go with his father, Kolopak, on expeditions to Earth's
Central America region. Their aim was to find the Rubber
The Rubber Tree People have a primitive way of life, they never left the jungle,
and do not marry outside the tribe, and still continue to use firewood. Chakotay resented having to leave his home and friends, and hated every thing about the trip. This was the moment he chose to tell his father that he was leaving the tribe and would join Starfleet Academy. Captain Sulu was his sponsor. He leaves Starfleet to fight the Cardassians after they kill his father and threaten his home world. He found his calling among the Marquis and became a respected leader of these people
Of Course Kolopak had been hurt and deeply disappointed by
his decision He warned his son that he would never fully belong either to the
old or the new ways. Without the spirits to guide him he had to rediscover the
strength of his heritage, he actually finds some of the living descendants of
the Sky Spirits in the Delta Quadrant, he now fully appreciates his cultural
legacy. The Sky Spirits were actually space travellers who visited Earth 45000
years before.
Chakotay has a deep respect for the land, and the as a Maquis and a Starfleet officer, He openly practices his beliefs. If others are interested, he is willing to teach his customs to them. Chakotay is on honourable man who faces each new situation with calm authority. Years later, following Kolopak's death, he began to embrace his Native American heritage he also tattooed his forehead to honour his father and his ancestors. In his adult life he is defined by his strong spiritual beliefs, and takes many vision quests when in need of guidance.
The crew who serve with him on board the U.S.S. Voyager
are aware of Chakotay,s beliefs. When Janeway is concerned that there is no
counsellor on the Voyager.
The Maquis and Janeway
Lost in the unexplored Delta Quadrant, Chakotay is willing to put aside his differences with a government thousands of light years away. Janeway is a strong captain he can respect and follow, and their mission to find a way home is one he can believe In. Above all, the Delta Quadrant provides an endless voyage of discovery, and maybe enough to satisfy even Chakotay's thirst for adventure. When Chakotay and his crew first Join the U.S.S. Voyager the he clearly dislikes Tom Paris. The two apparently had dealings during Paris' brief and disastrous short time with the Maquis Chakotay suspected Paris of selling secrets of the Marquis to the Federation, for an early release from prison, and this betrayal disgusts him.
After Janeway found the Maquis ship she asks Chakotay to put
their differences aside and join forces. Chakotay is appointed first officer of
the Federation starship by Captain Janeway, who recognises his ability and
reliability and inner strength. In this capacity, Chayote deftly handles the
most potentially volatile crew in the history of Starfleet, a rebel band of
Maquis and disciplined Federation personnel. He still thinks of the Maquis
aboard as his people, but he is determined to present a united front with
Janeway and the two crews .
Chakotay personifies the ideal of the Starfleet Maquis mix. He freely discusses grave concerns with the captain in private, but will not tolerate any hint of mutiny, or undermining of the ship's hierarchy and procedures, from members of his former crew. He nevertheless remains close to B'Elanna Torres and many of the other Maquis. They must all work together they are unable to get home and it could take a life time to achieve this, so all crew must work as one to survive. Chakotay develops a close relationship with the captain. She refers to him as her support, and a very in control romantic attraction appears to develop between the two relationships. The harmony between Chakotay and his captain makes on the rare occasions on which they disagree all the more striking. they have many heated debates about protocol. the strong personalities often differ, but for the good of the crew the work well together.
Chakotay is a very passionate man, having relationships with
Seska, the ex-Borg Drone Riley Frazier, Kellin, and even a member of Species
8472 in a human form. He is also resourceful and industrious. When he is
marooned on a planet with Janeway Chakotay builds a sturdy modular shelter and
constructs a bath for his captain. However, just as their mutual attraction
begins to develop, the Voyager crew rescue them as they return to the bridge of
the ship. It is clear that they feel their positions prevent them from exploring
any potential romantic feelings they might have for one another, but their
experiences on the planet have drawn them closer together.
When they encounter aliens who were replacing the Voyager's crew the first officer runs himself ragged, and single handed he sabotages the ship's systems, causing enormous headaches for the invaders. He eventually wins this battle. One of Chakotay's most important qualities is his sense of honour and duty. Ultimately, Commander Chakotay's dedication to Voyager and its crew is proven time and again as he combines dedication and integrity he practices throughout his life. Commander Chakotay's combination of Maquis experience and Starfleet training makes him an unusual first officer, and because he views the people under him as friends rather than subordinates can sometimes conflict with his duty. He is a man whose experience with the rough and ready Maquis rebels and the strict rules of Starfleet combine to form a leader of unique attributes,
When Chakotay gives orders, he expects them to be followed,
his trust in the crew the basis of his command style. He is extremely loyal to
all the crew serving under him, and always considers himself responsible for
their actions. When Chakotay was a Maquis leader he quite often had to deliver a
few punches to get his own way. A sharp contrast in the differences between
Starfleet and Maquis protocol. But leading a band of rebels presented very
different problems, and Chakotay is quick to understand things cannot work this
way in Starfleet.
Chakotay has this ability to see patterns and solutions where others do not, this would be because of his spiritual nature, he lets his beliefs guide him rather than Starfleets Rule book. But effective though he is at giving commands and overseeing the welfare of the crew, Chakotay isn't necessarily as good at following orders himself. He and captain Janeway have a very interesting relationship, one built on respect and admiration, and at times this slides to something much deeper than friendship. For Janeway, cut off from Starfleet Command having Chakotay's support is extremely important to her. For the most part, he abides by her decisions and implements them with little question.
However Chakotay sometimes disagrees with Janeway, such as over her decision to ally with the Borg. She wants an alliance with the Borg to fight Species 8472. He thinks the deal is dangerous and he doesn’t trust the Borg, and he us afraid he will lose his captain they want her to go on board the Borg ship. Janeway is injured and he has command of the ship, he does not hesitate to break off the alliance. When Janeway recovers, she is not happy with his decision.
Unlike a typical Starfleet officer, distant from their crews,
Chakotay counts several Voyager officers as friends. Even Janeway acknowledges
that her first officer is closer to the crew than she is. But this closeness
also means that he is vulnerable and takes betrayals more personally, as though
the blow has been dealt to him as much as to the Starfleet which he represents.
Chakotay questions his ability to command when he learned that, while in his
Maquis cell, Tuvok and Seska both people he trusted were spying on the Maquis
for Starfleet and the Cardassians respectively,
Bringing together his spiritual beliefs with his life on Voyager, Chakotay creates a flexible command style that is particularly supporting the captain in her quest to get the crew back home to earth, his inner strength will be invaluable to everyone on board the Voyager.
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Chakotay Played By ROBERT BELTRON |
