Wilma Mankiller

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In the 1979 I was asked to be one of the chaperones for a Girl Scout troop, learned a lot about the the Civil War era in Georgia, saw the the rebuilt mansions, ate at Morrison's Cafe, learned alot about alot of things including that  being a Girls Scout was very different than when i was one. 

 The most transformative was the learning about  Wilma Mankiller.   

 

Now  4 decades later,  her words still guide me.

But few are as powerful, life changing, and as straightforward as  this.

 

 

 

 

"The secret of our success is that we never, never give up. "

Wilma Mankiller

 

 

 

 

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Wilma Mankiller was a Native American leader and activist, and the first woman to serve as the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation¹. She was born on November 18, 1945, in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and passed away on April 6, 2010, in Adair county, Oklahoma¹.

Mankiller was of Cherokee, Dutch, and Irish descent¹. The name Mankiller derives from the high military rank achieved by a Cherokee ancestor¹. She grew up on Mankiller Flats, the farm granted to her grandfather as part of a government settlement after the forced relocation of his tribe¹. After the failure of the farm, the family moved to California¹.

During the 1960s, Mankiller studied sociology and worked as a social worker¹. In 1969, she became active in the Native American Rights movement¹. She moved back to Oklahoma to reclaim Mankiller Flats in the mid-1970s and in 1977 took a job as economic stimulus coordinator for the Cherokee Nation¹.

Completing her degree in social science and taking courses in community planning at the University of Arkansas, she initiated a number of projects aimed at greater development of the Cherokee communities in Oklahoma¹. In 1983, Mankiller won election as deputy principal Cherokee chief, and, when the principal chief became head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1985, Mankiller succeeded him as principal chief¹. She thereby became the first woman ever to serve as chief of a major Native American tribe¹.

Two years later, she was elected chief in her own right¹. Her victory ushered in an administration that focused on lowering the high unemployment rate and increasing educational opportunities, improving community health care, and developing the economy of northeastern Oklahoma¹. She emphasized the necessity of retaining certain Cherokee traditions by creating the Institute for Cherokee Literacy¹. Mankiller was reelected in 1991, but she did not run in 1995¹.

Wilma Mankiller achieved numerous accomplishments during her tenure as the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. Here are some of her notable achievements:

1. Healthcare: She opened three rural health centers¹. The Cherokee government built new health clinics, created a mobile eye-care clinic, and established ambulance services².
2. Education: Mankiller expanded the Head Start program to promote school readiness for young Cherokee children¹. She also established early education, adult education, and job training programs².
3. Community Development: She was a founding director of the Cherokee Nation Community Development Department¹³. She designed and supervised innovative community projects allowing rural citizens to identify their own challenges and, through their labor, participate in solving them².
4. Economic Development: Mankiller was instrumental in attracting higher-paying industry to the area, improving adult literacy, supporting women returning to school, and more⁴. She developed revenue streams, including factories, retail stores, restaurants, and bingo operations².
5. Tribal Government: She improved utilities management and tribal government⁴. She established self-governance, allowing the tribe to manage its own finances².
6. Preservation of Cherokee Traditions: She emphasized the necessity of retaining certain Cherokee traditions by creating the Institute for Cherokee Literacy⁵.
7. Justice: Mankiller helped establish an Office of Tribal Justice in the U.S. Department of Justice³.
8. Women’s Empowerment: She helped found the Women Empowering Women for Indian Nations³.

Mankiller’s leadership and dedication to her people led to significant improvements in the lives of the Cherokee Nation. Her legacy continues to inspire many today.