The Council of Chiefs that she joined was not a decorative institution.

It was the decision-making body for a mobile, sovereign community navigating an extraordinarily demanding environment.

When should the band move camp?

Where should they hunt?

How should they respond to reports of enemy activity?

When and whether to accept the approaches of other nations?

These were real decisions with real consequences, and they were made through the deliberative process of the council.

Her voice was one of the voices that shaped those decisions.