Name Dakota Walker
Position Chief Counselor
Rank Lieutenant
Gender | Male | |
Homeworld | Earth | |
Species | Human | |
Date of Birth | August 13, 2359 | |
Age | 32 |
Height | 183 cm | |
Weight | 75 kg | |
Hair Color | Black | |
Eye Color | Brown | |
Physical Description | Dakota is tall, with reddish brown skin, and long silky black hair that he generally keeps loose, fanning down his back. His eyes are brown, but so dark as to appear black, and seem to smolder with an internal fire. He tends to be stoic in his interactions outside of his office, not using his hands to speak, and not speaking much in general, as part of his upbringing instilled a great respect for silence. His only distinguishing mark is a large fetish tattoo of an orca on his left breast, over his heart, which he is quite proud of. He generally eschews jewelry, unless it has a special significance, and only wears it off duty even then. His normal mode of dress is an odd blend of the old and new, with leather straps as bracelets, soft leather boots, denim pants, and shirts, and traditional feather earrings being his clothing of choice on most occasions. |
Father | Chayton Walker | |
Mother | Anna Walker |
General Overview | Dakota is a steadfast man, with firm ethics, definite life goals, and an iron hard will. He takes his job seriously as the confidante, and helper of the ship and crew he serves on, and strives to build a lasting bond with those people so that he can create a friendly, helpful, welcoming atmosphere with them at all times. | |
Strengths & Weaknesses | + Loyal + Honest + Kind - Terrified of public speaking - Fear of romantic intimacy - Emotionally guarded |
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Ambitions | To become a counselor on a more permanent posting, such as a planetary base, or a space station. | |
Hobbies & Interests | Fishing, hunting, camping, horseback riding, hiking, swimming, running pretty much anything to do with being out in nature, interacting with the world around him. Also enjoys sports, though he is more of a spectator than a player. | |
Languages | Federation Standard, Chinook Jargon, Latin, Clinical Vulcan, and Clinical Betazoid |
Personal History | Dakota was born in Vancouver, BC, on Earth, to two very loving parents, both of whom still lived on Ancestral lands, and attempted to live their lives in a way that honored their ancestors ways of living as well. His mother, Anna, was the main driving force of this, after rediscovering her roots as a Native American, specifically the Algonquin tribes, and moving to a community of like minded people on Bowen Island, in British Columbia. While there she would meet the man who would become her husband, and the father of her child, Chayton Walker, a descendent of the Sioux tribe known as Nakota, with historic routes in parts of Western Canada. Once they’d been married, in a traditional ceremony, they began a life together in the small community. In time, however, both grew homesick for the larger cities they’d grown up in, and eventually decided to leave the community and move to Vancouver. There they would both seek out jobs and begin to build a life. A few years later, once they were settled, and moderately happy they began to discuss the idea of having a child. It would take them a few tries, but eventually Anna conceived, and eight and a half months later Dakota was born. This spurred the two into a rather interesting decision. With the community they’d been a part of not far from Vancouver, and with both of them wishing to expose their child to his Native roots, they decided to petition for a sort of dual citizenship situation, where they would be able to come for ceremonies and things of that nature, but not live in the community full time. After much deliberation the elders of the community, after weighing the petition against the voices of the members of the community, granted this request. And so Dakota grew up in two worlds, one the fast paced world of a bustling metropolis, and the other a small, tightly knit, and highly traditionalist community on a small island. He grew up to love both, and to cherish the cultural heritage that the community provided, while still maintaining that reality that he was also part of a larger world, and universe, as well. He would learn a love of sports, and science from his time in Vancouver, and a love of mythology, nature, and tradition, from the community on Bowen Island. From an early age Dakota was an outdoorsman, loving to spend his time on the island hunting, fishing, and swimming in the cool, clear waters that surrounded them. He would spend hours of every day out, alone or with friends, exploring the island, learning from the elders about the various forms of wildlife, and plants that could be found abundantly there, and what they could be used for. They also taught him many other things about the outdoors, and the plants and animals from various places who had significance spiritually, or medicinally. When Dakota was sixteen he was put through a coming of age ceremony that would encompass the various aspects of life he had been taught over the years of his childhood by the other members of the community. Finally considered a man by his Native community he was also treated as such at home. Given more responsibility, and a true sense of self by this recognition he began to make plans, and set goals, for the future he most wanted to accomplish for himself. As such he began making preparations to enter Starfleet at his earliest ability. Finishing high school, however, would have to come first. Finally, at the age of eighteen he would accomplish that task, and would immediately set out on the journey that would take him to the stars. A trip from Vancouver to San Francisco would see a world much like that he’d left in Canada, but with no spiritual center like his Bowen Island community, who had become a tribe of their own, and certainly his tribe, no matter that they were made up of peoples from many different Native cultures. It was this that instilled in him a deep, abiding desire to always maintain his spirituality, and inspired him to nurture that inside himself, so that even without a community to support it the foundation would still stand. After sitting for the entrance exam Dakota would return to Vancouver for only one day, to advise his parents that he would spend the remainder of his time, until he would know whether he’d been accepted, on Bowen Island, alone in nature, building himself up spiritually for the possibility that he would be leaving the world he’d known his entire life. This would be an intensely spiritual time for Dakota, and with the help of an elder he would go on a vision quest that would last for many days as he wandered the wilderness of the island alone, making use of certain herbs, and plants, to put himself into a trancelike state. During this time he would discover his spirit animal, the Orca, and take on a new name, a personal name, known only to himself, and those he trusts with his life. Almost three weeks would go by while he journeyed alone, communing with nature, and the world around him. He would spend much of that time on the beach, watching the animals he felt such a newly kindled relationship with as they stalked the sound, seeking food, and playing amongst themselves. Finally he would be recalled to the community and told that his parents had sent word that he needed to return home. His arrival at the family apartment was a joyous one. His mother and father had received word while he’d been gone that he’d been accepted to Starfleet Academy, and would start the following Monday, which only gave him two days to prepare and get back to San Francisco. Those two days were like a whirlwind of activity, with him packing and saying his goodbyes to friends, and family, both in Vancouver and on the island. Then it was all over, and he found himself arriving in San Francisco alone, and ready to start his new journey. From the start he had already known what he wanted to do once he arrived at the academy, he’d even stated it on the entrance exam questionnaire. He had no greater desire than to become a counselor. He felt that his unique life experiences would prepare him to do the job in a way many were not able, and lend him a certain spiritual affinity for his fellow officers that would help to bring them comfort, and allow him to delve deeper into their problems to assist them more. He would spend four years at Starfleet Academy, learning and growing as an officer, before graduating with the ability to then go on and serve his first tour of duty as a supervised intern aboard the USS Armstrong,with the rank of Ensign. He would do so in three years, under the tutelage of a wonderful woman named Amelia, a seasoned ship’s counselor who would nurture, and build up his natural abilities to comfort people, and draw out their problems, while helping them to work through them. He would then be granted an increase in rank to Lieutenant J.G. and be allowed to move to another ship, the USS Archimedes, and work alongside a supervising counselor, Dr. Rashad Sims, as a full counselor, but reporting to him, instead of working independently. He would serve there for nearly five years, before being cleared by Dr. Sims, and the Academy board, to serve independently. From there he would go on to serve as an interim counselor aboard a small vessel, the USS Riley, for two years, while her own counselor was on an extended leave of absence due to a medical problem that would require extensive physical therapy and psychiatric assistance before she’d be cleared to return to duty. Now, having completed all that, she’s back in her place, and Dakota is looking forward to his newest assignment, to the USS Vesta as the ship’s counselor. |
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Service Record | 2377: Cadet, Starfleet Medical Academy, Counseling Program 2381: Graduated Starfleet Medical Academy 2381: Assigned, Counseling Intern, USS Armstrong 2384: Assigned, Probationary Counselor, USS Archimedes 2389: Released from probationary status, granted rank of Lieutenant. 2389: Assigned, Interim Chief Counselor, USS Riley 2391: Assigned, Chief Counselor, USS Vesta |