Like I said I don't recall this, so I'd like to revisit it with fresh eyes. Is this scene in the Q and the Grey?
As in the TNG episode "Journey's End," they could have left Earth because they felt it was the best way to preserve their cultural identity. Perhaps the writers should have made Chakotay come from that particular planet, Dorvan V. Kor
1.) Write him in a similar fashion to early TNG Worf. He knows what he is, but not what it means to be Native American. He got into anthropology in order to discover more about his heritage, but his personal voyage got sidelined by the Cardassians, the Maqis and his unplanned trip to the DQ. Use that as part of his character arch. Slowly let him discover more about his heritage over time, use that to add to his character. 2.) Play him more like the "house of stone cards" archetype. Very good at keeping up the appearance of a calm, collected ironman of an officer, but always under the surface there's the threat of a total breakdown. Tuvok could potentially lose control under certain conditions, but otherwise he was very stoic. Chakotay should have been the opposite. In public he seemed confident, but as soon as the doors to his quarters closed, the darkness would creep in. Uncertainty about himself, trauma from the resistance, angst over his circumstances... Anything. 3.) I would have kept his... Thing... With Janeway going, reprising the whole Picard/Crusher dynamic from TNG. Seven would be more like his version of Vash. 4.) Play up his Maqis experience in terms of tactics, and keep the theme going beyond season one. When the ship needs a lateral thinker, someone to come up with an outside the box way to deal with a threat when technology fails, turn to Chakotay. Much in the same way Kira's resistance training constantly came in handy. Basically, I'd make him a blend of Kira and Worf, with more flaws and more potential.
Good ideas, but I ESPECIALLY love the one about him only being stoic in public. They hinted at that with the boxing/insanity episode, wish they'd gone further with it.
In our progressive social justice warrior world? I think you know the answer, just like who would win in a lightsaber fight between Rey and Luke Skywalker? Even if Luke or Chakotay won, they'll still be judged as losers for doing it. I don't know who's smarter or who would win in an IQ war but I'll give credit to the person who fully understands he's outnumbered and he's given a huge responsibility to keep the peace between Federation citizens as they journey their way home.
I am not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but I would only change one thing. His interest in paleontology, give more episodes some focus on that. Archaeology is a close fit with that, so he would be a natural fit for some stories where they are studying ancient ruins and find advanced societies still existing there. In some ways, he could have been viewed as a younger Picard, especially given that he seemed to start out with similar interests. And he had a more natural diplomatic side than Janeway. I think he came across as a little more easygoing than she did, but still strong enough to not be bullied.
It'd be more fun to tickle him, but if I were to rewrite his character I'd get more actor input and have a little more than just stereotyping. More difficulties with the captain in debating issues. Siding with King Daniel Beyond above as well; the Maquis were all too nice.
And with historical accuracy, both good AND bad elements included. History has never been simple or as one-dimensional.
My main issue with VOY is that they seemed to pick lots of novel crew members without really thinking about how they would function on a storytelling level to create interesting conflicts and interactions. IMO, DS9 did that best. So, changing Chakotay for me would also involve changing Janeway. Play up her science officer side. Instead of making her good at literally everything, portray her as a relatively poor fighter used to science-focused missions. Janeway is respected, but she's a bit too intellectual to really be loved. Our new Chakotay possesses most of the qualities Janeway lacks. He's a fighter. He's confident. Most of all, he's extremely charismatic and easily charms people. He can follow rules, but he questions and opposes them based on individual situations, especially when they seem arbitrary and poorly fitted to circumstances. This would work with his Maquis background, give some great friction with Janeway when Voyager needs to navigate an unfamiliar environment while following Starfleet protocols, and provide an ideal balance against Tuvok. Best of all, this Chakotay would be a great way to explore crew dynamics. At first, his popularity with the crew and more heroic character would be something of a danger because Janeway would feel only nominally in command. This could be a great conflict through the first couple of seasons where they butt heads over important questions. Janeway would experience feelings of doubt and Chakotay would be split between a friendship with Janeway and how he feels things should be. Other crew members (esp. Maquis) could be actively pushing for him to take over. Eventually, Chakotay would learn to respect Janeway's leadership and ability to make hard decisions. Chakotay would never feel irrelevant because his function in the story would be as the main combat leader and the heart of the ship (suck it 'Morale Officer Neelix!' You are dismissed!). It would be kinda like a 19th century ship - Janeway would be relatively distant as the captain while Chakotay would be a proper XO keeping tabs on everything and maintaining the everyday running of the ship. Written a lot more than I anticipated, but I'd lastly like to mention how this would salvage the worst used Voyager character: Tuvok. He'd be the direct mirror of Chakotay, much like Bones was the direct mirror of Spock. They'd form two opposing advocates when Janeway needed to make a decision, giving both a much stronger position in the story and the chance for some great scenes. He'd also have a stronger relationship with Janeway and really be her only close friend. Tuvok could maybe suffer through periods of unpopularity that put strain on their relationship.
And if you wanted them to be love interests, it would set up a natural way to develop their relationship - him teaching her what he knows/has learned from his walk on the wild side (street fighting techniques, unconventional methods/viewpoints), and her initial reticence to using his tactics decreasing. The lines between personal and professional Janeway blur as she reveals more of who she is when she isn't in control.
I would break the rule of this thread and recast him. If however, I was forced to keep Beltran, I would have Chakotay lead an away team on an 'routine' exploration and gathering mission. The planet would have a relatively safe flatland section, and a valley area that the sensors showed was populated with dangerous predatorial animals. Janeway would order Chakotay to keep the away team in the safe area. Communications would be lost for some reason that is convenient for advancing the plot. Neelix would report that the plains section was great for harvesting roots and vegetables, but that scans of the valley showed that it contained fruit trees and promised he could make delicious juices and pies if he was allowed to harvest there. Chakotay would say "I'm in command. This is my mission. We enter the valley, secure the fruit, return here, and then beam up". After a brief objection by some random members of the away team, Chakotay would assert: "This is my mission. Either you do what I say or we settle this the old-fashioned way". Thus inspired by Chakotay's firm and inspirational leadership, the away team heads into the valley. All goes well until Neelix is killed and eaten by one of the predatorial animals. Chakotay orders a retreat, but Vorrik (Vorik? Voric?), the crewman who used to be an engineer on the Equinox, and a well-liked former Maquis security officer are killed while fleeing. By the time the away team gets to safety (the animals for some reason don't want to leave the valley), only four people are left: Chakotay, Ensign Samantha Wildman (can't kill her off because the episode would then be dominated by Naomi Wildman's grief), Ensign Harry Kim, and another random security officer). Once safely back in the plains area, Ensign Wildman somehow re-establishes contact and the four of them are beamed back to the ship. This time, there can be no simple reaction like absolute ignorance, putting Chakotay 'on report', or confining him to quarters for a few days. No, this time, Janeway reacts with justified anger. She relieves Chakotay of all rank and position and then throws him into the brig. She also blames herself for not having reacted more strongly to his previous rule-breaking. This time, there is no reconciliation. She keeps Chakotay in the brig until she finds a populated planet. She dumps him there. The former Maquis do not revolt, in part because they are angered at the death of the security officer. Voyager leaves. The next episode deals with anger, grief, and the needed recruitment of new crew members. Chakotay is never again seen nor heard in the entire series, nor in any other star trek series.
If I rewrote Chakotay: -He would not have been wearing a Starfleet uniform by the end of the pilot. It would've taken a half-season or season or more for the Maquis to eventually put on Starfleet uniforms, if at all. -He would butt heads with Janeway more often, in the first couple seasons. -He would have held longer grudges against Paris and Tuvok. -I would've built on the Chakotay and Seska relationship. I wouldn't have had it in the past, but something that was still going on when they got trapped in the Delta Quadrant to make her treachery bite even more. -If there had to be a Seven-Chakotay relationship I would've at least started working on it earlier in the series, maybe Season 5 or 6. I mean, they already had something of an in with Chakotay being connected the Borg Cooperative. It could've been something for him to build some commonality or empathy with Seven's experience.
Well, I know that the idea to get rid of Chakotay's character as he was represented and his performer, Robert Beltran, is quite unpopular but I think that the series would have gain a lot in deciding to hire another actor, more subtle in his acting & more involved in his character, even to the extent of abandoning some of his aspects (the Amerindian & Anthroplogist background which brought nothing appealing) and giving to the new Chakotay, regardless the his ethnicity, a real natural talent in something he could use effectively to help the crew and thus, "make a contribution to the building" (look at others: Janeway was a scientist ; Tom was a maverick pilot but a very good one ; B'Elana and Harry were experts - and even genious -, in their own ways in Engieneering ; Tuvok security specialist with a serious knowledge in law ; the Doctor had an extended knowledge in his own matter ; even Neelix had the ability to do good things but also evil things.in kitchen without forgetting his ability to keep the crew in a good/positive mood).