Wilma Mankiller

Wilma Mankiller (November 18, 1945 – April 6, 2010) is an inspiration, no matter what your heritage may be. One of eleven kids born to a full-blooded Cherokee father and white mother in a poor household, she is a true survivor. Her family resided on the Oklahoma reservation until they relocated to a poor housing project in San Fransisco in 1956, under the BIA's Indian Relocation Program...which was another "attempt to remove Native poeple from their homelands" (Mankiller, para 11). It was there, growing up in an isolated, poor community where she learned how people looked after one another. It was this unity within adversity that taught her the dynamics of interdependence and leadership within communities like it, such as the Cherokee reservation, where she returned to reside and lead as the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation in 1985.
Her main inspiration for leadership in activism came from her participation in the occupation of Alcatraz by the "Indians of All Tribes" in 1969. She became inspired by the leadership of John Trudell and Richard Oakes, in their "articulation of things she felt, but didn't know how to express" (Mankiller, para 15). In the 1970's, she returned to the Cherokee reservation and helped the poor community improve their living conditions by helping those in need and by actively participating in their own projects, building infrastructure such as waterlines and houses.
The constant theme within Mankiller's persona is the resilience of her people dating back to the treaty and removal era, culminating in the Trail of Tears from the southeast to Oklahoma, when 1/4 of her people died. She explained how the Cherokee rebuilt their families, culture, society, and government...and buildings, some of which are the oldest structures in Oklahoma. She then explained how white settlement of Oklahoma through the allotment process once again destroyed their community, forcing them to rebuild again, within a fragmented, much smaller territory. She effectively illustrated the resilience of the Cherokee Nation which has been destroyed and rebuilt itself over and over again. She led her people in the same spirit, rebuilding government and a self-sustainable community, sovereign and reinvigorated through tribal businesses and infrastructure.

Wilma Mankiller: Governance, Leadership and the Cherokee Nation. University of Arizona. Web. 2 July 2016. https://nnidatabase.org/video/wilma-mankiller-governance-leadership-and cherokee-nation

Wilma Mankiller

Wilma Mankiller was the first woman to become Chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. In an interview with the University of Arizona's Leading Native Nations program, Mankiller gave an amazing statement about how the Cherokee are a revitalized tribe. "I can, and I believe very firmly that the Cherokee Nation is symbolic of other nations as well because I've seen the same sort of just heroic ability and to hold onto a sense of who we are as a people and rebuild our families and communities and governments again." She speaks of how the Cherokee were able to pick themselves up, dust off the dirt, and rebuild, over and over again. They didn't let the circumstances stop them. They were able to achieve amazing things like building the first school west of the Mississippi River and even create a government system where their buildings are still used today.

This spoke volumes to me because it ties right into my voice, Tecumseh, and his message of unity. The Cherokee remained united and were about to overcome and rebuild their nation. I feel this shows what Tecumseh was envisioning. When I speak about Tecumseh, I speak about his spirit. His spirit of unity. In Mankiller's interview, I saw it clearly when she said, "And so that spirit that allowed them to go through that kind of tragedy and pain and division and yet, keep their vision fixed firmly on the future I think is what I meant when I said that we're a revitalized tribe." It almost shocks me to hear this. Even though Tecumseh was Shawnee, a completely different tribe, the Cherokee, has the same spirit as he did. This shows it isn't just a one tribe vision. This is a Native vision.

It's amazing that even though the Cherokee were able to rebuild, they never gave up their unity. Even today, being the second largest tribe in America, they still face challenges, but they stick together to overcome any obstacle and never lose sight of what's important.