LAST EDITED ON Dec-14-13 AT 11:27 AM (EST)
From: "Avatar Korra" <korra!mir.unitedrepublic.dq>
To: "Benjamin D. Hutchins, Chief of International Police Operations" <gryphon!ipo.zc>
Subject: I'm sorry, what?
Date: Thu Mar 18 2410 16:32:01 +0400 GSTGryph,
Did the people who compiled the Babylon Foundation's Galactic Gazetteer entry for Diqiu get their information about the Water Tribes from someone in Sanirajak? 'Cause it's completely wrong in several important particulars.
1) The Northern and Southern Water Tribes have been separate countries de jure as well as de facto since 171 ASC. I ought to know, I made 'em that way.
2) The Southern Water Tribe does so have a chief of its own. At the moment her name is Aariak. The Southern Council of Elders in Nanisivik advises her on policy decisions, not Inarik. She doesn't answer to him, either (that's something else they like to claim, when they acknowledge that she exists in the first place).
I ask whether your researchers got their info from Sanirajak because the first point, and the thing about how the South gets by with "a sort of amplified tribal council", read exactly like the official noise that comes out of the North's Department of State sometimes. They've been trying half-heartedly to walk back the separation of the tribes ever since I did it, but they never get beyond sending out a bunch of weaksauce press releases everybody always ignores. It's sad, really. Like some kind of political phantom limb syndrome.
On further review, I don't think the existing BPGD writeup is entirely northern propaganda. There's some truth here that I doubt they'd have passed along - the thing about stereotypes, for instance, and I mean, they probably wouldn't have put in the part about no "Great Chief" (n.b. not a real title) having been fool enough to try and set policy for the south in a hundred years. I admit I got a laugh out of that.
It looks to me like your researcher called someone at the Northern government in Sanirajak, got their usual crap about how there's only one Water Tribe government "but we generally let the Southerners go their own way, it's easier," sensed that it was crap, and took his best shot at figuring out what was actually the case, but he really missed the mark. He could've sorted it out properly just by calling Nanisivik. Heck, or Republic City, they've got ambassadors from both tribes there, they know what the score is. It's sloppy work is all I'm saying. I know your guys can do better.
I bitch because I care!
Lots of love,
Korra
P.S. When are you guys coming out here to see your granddaughter? She's totally adorable. We'll leave the light on for you.