Research Guides: Wilma Mankiller: Biography

Wilma Mankiller (November 18, 1945 - April 6, 2010)

As principal chief of the Cherokee nation from 1985 to 1995, Wilma Mankiller served a worldwide population of more than 140,000, controlled an annual budget of more than $75 million, and employed more than 1,200 persons spread across 7,000 square miles. Her duties and range of power were those of a head of state, as well as resembling the responsibilities of the head of a major corporation. The sixth of eleven children, Wilma Pearl Mankiller was born in the Hastings Indian Hospital in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the last stop on the infamous Trail of Tears that had forced the removal of the Cherokee from their ancestral lands in the South in 1838-1839. Her father, Charley, was a full-blooded Cherokee; her mother, Irene, was of Dutch-Irish descent. Wilma was raised at Mankiller Flats on 160 acres that had been allocated to her grandfather through the Dawes Act of 1887 and that continues to be preserved for future generations of her family. Continue . . .

Source: Duncan, Joyce. “Wilma Mankiller.” Cyclopedia of World Authors, Fourth Revised Edition, Jan. 2003, pp. 1–2. From Literary Reference Center Plus database.

Resources

Mankiller: The Documentary Film Celebrating the Life of Wilma Mankiller When history fails to preserve stories from our past and present, it’s up to us to correct the record. Wilma Mankiller, the first woman elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, is omitted from most history books despite ranking among revolutionary leaders like Harriet Tubman or Eleanor Roosevelt. She was an activist and a champion to a nation – and it’s time the world remembers her name. MANKILLER is a documentary celebrating a leader who defied all odds to make a difference for her people. During a time when American Indians found themselves disenfranchised and undervalued by the United States at large, Wilma emerged as a champion of the Cherokee Nation and became its first female Principal Chief in 1985.
Wilma Mankiller: Women's Rights and Native American Rights Advocate Wilma Mankiller was an activist for women’s and Native American rights and the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. During her tenure, the tribe was revitalized and its revenues, services and stature increased.
Equality Archive: Wilma Mankiller Wilma Pearl Mankiller (1945-2010), was born in Okalhoma. She was a tireless advocate for the Cherokee people, and she became the first female principle chief of the Cherokee Nation in 1985. With a focus on improved healthcare and education systems, Mankiller served two full terms as Cherokee chief. She also founded the Cherokee Nation Community Development Department, which helped to increase Cherokee citizenship from 55,000 to 156,000, and she revitalized the tribal Sequoyah High School. President Bill Clinton awarded Mankiller the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998. She has also received awards from The Ms. Foundation and was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
Chief Mankiller Wilma Mankiller, overcame sexism to emerge as the Cherokee Nation's first woman Principal Chief. The documentary "Mankiller," airing this month on PBS, explores the legacy of one of America's lesser known heroes. Valerie Red-Horse Mohl, director and producer of the film, joins us with a preview.
Wilma Mankiller: Every Day is a Good Day Wilma Mankiller had a formidable name, but she wasn't the lawbreaker one might assume. Quite the opposite, she was a lawmaker – the first female Chief of the Cherokee Nation.
Wilma Mankiller: Challenges Facing Indigenous People Discussing several other issues, Mankiller also talked briefly about the common struggle of indigenous people. This shared experience, while indicating a point of unity, also shows a need for something ‘more’ than confrontation and a verbal demand that governments and corporations respect indigenous rights.
Healing Waters The article reports on the film project titled "The Cherokee Word for Water" in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. It mentions that the film documents the Bell water line project of Cherokee Nation female chief Wilma Mankiller and her husband Charlie Soap. It highlights the film's creation through fundraising and the aid of executive producer Kristina Kiehl. It also points out that the film is dedicated to Mankiller who died from pancreatic cancer in April 6, 2010.
Activist Wilma Mankiller Is Set To Become The First Female Chief Of The Cherokee Nation The 160 acres the government gave to Wilma Mankiller's grandfather in Adair County, Okla. is blanketed with oak, sycamore and dogwood. It also abounds in foxes, coyotes and deer, and because of the deer, in hunters, who show up unfailingly every year to ask Mankiller if they can stalk the land. "I always tell them the same thing," says the 40-year-old grandmother: " 'Sure, you can hunt here all you wantjust don't shoot anything.' " Wilma Mankiller protects her own. And recently, her own has extended beyond Mankiller Flats: She will soon become the principal chief of the 68,000 member Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma--the first woman ever to head one of the country's largest tribes.
A Modern Pioneer in the Cherokee Nation Host Marcia Alvar speaks with Wilma Mankiller, Principle Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1983-1995. Ms. Mankiller discusses her experiences as related in her book, "Mankiller: A Chief and Her People." She describes her early political activism as well as her eventual return to her home (Oklahoma) which led to her involvement in the Cherokee tribe. Also includes her election as tribal chief as well as her time in office, and, now that she is stepping down, her reflections on the experience.