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.