Wonder Woman of the Week: Wilma Mankiller

Sitka has become the kind of rainforest this week that forces a person to swim wherever they go. Because of this, my post is late this week. This week’s spotlight fought for Native American Civil Rights and improvements in education. She fought against violence against women and advocated for improvements in health care. She earned a spot in the Women’s Hall of Fame and a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Plus, she had a kick-ass surname. The Wonder Woman of the Week is Wilma Mankiller.

I grew in along the Trail of Tears in Southern Illinois. Many people I grew up with were at least part Cherokee. The Cherokee- against popular belief- are actually a democracy. They have been a constitutional democracy since 1827, meaning Cherokee “princesses” never existed. [1]

Wilma Mankiller was the elected chief of the Cherokee nation in 1985 at the age of 40. Mankiller received her degree in social sciences at Flaming Rainbow University in Oklahoma- which is the university with the greatest name ever. She was inspired by the 1960’s Native American Civil Rights Movement- especially for their protests at Alcatraz Island. In the 1970’s she got a job with the tribal office in Oklahoma as a program developer. In 1979, she overcame myasthenia gravis- a lethal neuromuscular disease- and went on to even greater successes. [2]

In 1983, Chief Ross Swimmer asked Wilma Mankiller to become his deputy chief for his reelection. Mankiller received criticism not for her political leanings but because she was a woman. The two won the election against the critics, but in 1985, Swimmer was nominated to head the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Wilma Mankiller was sworn in as chief to become the first woman to be the chief of the Cherokee government. She focused on increasing the quality of education, healthcare, and jobs. She fought for more rights for women- inside and outside her tribe. Mankiller remained chief until 1995, but continued to write and lecture. She advocated for more Native Americans across the country to vote as often as possible to force elected officials to head their voices. Mankiller was inducted into the Women’s Hall of Fame in 1994 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998. [3]

Wilma Mankiller- much like Liliuokalani of Hawaii- was thrust into a role of leadership. Mankiller took the job and made it her own though. She fought for women’s rights, improved education, and affordable healthcare. She spoke to Native American across the US inspiring them to become more politically active. She survived a car collision and a neuromuscular disease, was awarded a spot in the Women’s Hall of Fame and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Wilma Mankiller died in 2010 as a role model for Native Americans, women, and anyone else who learned that a woman born in a small Oklahoma town could rise up to become a hero.

“Our Government.” 2015. Cherokee Nation. Accessed 30 July 2015. http://www.cherokee.org/OurGovernment.aspx

“Wilma Mankiller Biography.” 2015. Biography.com. Accessed 30 July 2015. http://www.biography.com/people/wilma-mankiller-214109

“Wilma Mankiller Biography.” 2015. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Accessed 30 July 2015. http://www.notablebiographies.com/Lo-Ma/Mankiller-Wilma.html