Written by Cherokee Nation Communications Office
Tuesday, 06 April 2010 14:08
Wilma Mankiller, former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, passed away this morning.
Mankiller served 12 years in elective office at the Cherokee Nation, the first two as Deputy Principal Chief followed by 10 years as Principal Chief. She retired from public office in 1995. Among her many honors, Mankiller was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Clinton.
“Our personal and national hearts are heavy with sorrow and sadness with the passing this morning of Wilma Mankiller,” said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. “We feel overwhelmed and lost when we realize she has left us but we should reflect on what legacy she leaves us. We are better people and a stronger tribal nation because her example of Cherokee leadership, statesmanship, humility, grace, determination and decisiveness. When we become disheartened, we will be inspired by remembering how Wilma proceeded undaunted through so many trials and tribulations. Years ago, she and her husband Charlie Soap showed the world what Cherokee people can do when given the chance, when they organized the self-help water line in the Bell community. She said Cherokees in that community learned that it was their choice, their lives, their community and their future. Her gift to us is the lesson that our lives and future are for us to decide. We can carry on that Cherokee legacy by teaching our children that lesson. Please keep Wilma’s family, especially her husband Charlie and her daughters, Gina and Felicia, in your prayers.”
Mankiller requested that any gifts in her honor be made as donations to One Fire Development Corporation, a non-profit dedicated to advancing Native American communities though economic development, and to valuing the wisdom that exists within each of the diverse tribal communities around the world. Tax deductible donations can be made at www.wilmamankiller.com as well as www.onefiredevelopment.org The mailing address for One Fire Development Corporation is 1220 Southmore Houston, TX 77004 Details of her memorial service will be forthcoming.
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Published: April 6, 2010
Wilma Pearl Mankiller, the first woman to serve as principal chief of the Cherokee Nation and a noted leader who met with presidents and worked tirelessly for American Indians, died this morning of pancreatic cancer, a tribal spokesman said. She was 64.
Mankiller was elected the first female deputy chief and president of the tribal council in 1985. In 1987, she was elected to serve as the first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, the second-largest tribe in the United States. She was re-elected in 1991 and chose not to seek re-election in 1995.
Gov. Brad Henry called her "an inspirational leader and a great American, someone who was truly a legend in her own time."
Chad Smith, principal chief of the Cherokee Nation expressed sadness.
"We feel overwhelmed and lost when we realize she has left us but we should reflect on what legacy she leaves us. We are better people and a stronger tribal nation because her example of Cherokee leadership, statesmanship, humility, grace, determination and decisiveness.
"As a leader and a person, Chief Wilma Mankiller continually defied the odds and overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles to better her tribe, her state and her nation. Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nation and the United States will dearly miss Wilma and her visionary leadership, but her words and deeds will live on forever to benefit future generations.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mankiller family and Wilma's many friends and loved ones," Smith said.
She was a leader in women's rights and Indian rights and served on the boards of numerous humanitarian groups and foundations.
In a statement released by the tribe March 2, Mankiller said, "I want my family and friends to know that I am mentally and spiritually prepared for this journey; a journey that all human beings will take at one time or another. I learned a long time ago that I can't control the challenges the Creator sends my way but I can control the way I think about them and deal with them. On balance, I have been blessed with an extraordinarily rich and wonderful life, filled with incredible experiences ... It's been my privilege to meet and be touched by thousands of people in my life and I regret not being able to deliver this message personally to so many of you."
Mankiller was born in Tahlequah and moved to California as a child. She returned to Oklahoma in 1977 and was the founding director of the Cherokee Nation Community Development Department before being elected deputy chief. She met with Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton to discuss tribal issues, and helped facilitate the establishment of an Office of Indian Justice within the U.S. Department of Justice.
Mankiller received numerous awards and was presented with the Medal of Freedom by President Clinton in January 1998. She was named Ms. Magazine's Woman of the Year and ABC News Person of the Week, both in 1987, and was named one of the "100 Most Important Women in America" by Ladies' Home Journal in 1987.
At the time of her death, she held 14 honorary doctorates, including ones from Yale University and Dartmouth College.
Mankiller donated letters and other papers about her tenure as chief to the University of Oklahoma in 1998. They are housed in the school's Western History library.
Pancreatic cancer was not Mankiller's first bout with the disease. She was diagnosed with colon cancer and lymphoma in 1996. She also received two kidney transplants, the first in 1990 and the second in 1998. Radiation treatments destroyed the first.
After the announcement of her death today, the Oklahoma Senate observed a moment of silence in her honor.