Wilma Mankiller: A Life of Leadership

Wilma Mankiller’s name carries weight far beyond the Cherokee Nation. She was not just a leader—she was a force that reshaped the relationship between Native American communities and the U.S. government. As the first woman to serve as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, her leadership in the 1980s and 1990s marked a period of immense political, social, and economic transformation for her people. Her work was grounded in self-determination, a principle she lived by, empowering the Cherokee Nation to take control of its own future.

Roots and Resilience

Wilma Pearl Mankiller was born on November 18, 1945, in the rural community of Rocky Mountain, Oklahoma, the sixth of eleven children. Her family was deeply rooted in Cherokee traditions, but economic hardship was a constant reality. Like many Native families at the time, the Mankillers lived in poverty, relying on subsistence farming and communal support.

When Wilma was still a child, the U.S. government implemented its Indian Relocation Program, a policy designed to assimilate Native people into urban American life by moving them from reservations and rural communities to cities. The program promised better job opportunities and economic security, but for most Native families, it was an abrupt severance from their culture and homeland.

In 1956, the Mankiller family relocated to San Francisco, where Wilma experienced both culture shock and discrimination. The transition was difficult—her father struggled to find stable work, and the family lived in a housing project. She later described feeling like an outsider, caught between two worlds. But this experience also sharpened her understanding of systemic inequality and the need for Native communities to reclaim their autonomy.

The late 1960s marked a turning point. In 1969, a group of Native activists, including members of the American Indian Movement (AIM), occupied Alcatraz Island, citing an 1868 treaty that granted Native people the right to reclaim unused federal land. The occupation lasted 19 months and became a defining moment in the modern Native rights movement. Though she was not one of the occupiers, Mankiller regularly visited the island and engaged with the activists, absorbing their calls for self-determination. The experience ignited her passion for social justice and solidified her belief that Native people had the power to rebuild their own communities.

Leadership Through Action

By the mid-1970s, Mankiller had returned to Oklahoma, determined to put her political awareness into action. She began working at the Cherokee Nation as a community developer, applying the grassroots organizing skills she had learned in California.

One of her first major projects was in the small Cherokee town of Bell, where many residents lived without running water or adequate housing. Instead of relying on outside aid, Mankiller and her team worked alongside the community, securing resources and labor to build the necessary infrastructure themselves. The project was about more than plumbing—it was about restoring self-sufficiency and collective pride. When residents turned on their own faucets for the first time, they weren’t just receiving clean water; they were witnessing the power of their own efforts.

Her success in Bell gained attention, and she quickly moved up the ranks in tribal government. In 1983, she ran for Deputy Chief of the Cherokee Nation alongside Principal Chief Ross Swimmer. The campaign was met with hostility—some tribal members opposed the idea of a woman in leadership, and she received death threats. But she persisted, winning the election and becoming the first woman to hold executive office in the Cherokee Nation’s history.

When Swimmer left in 1985 to take a federal position, Mankiller was sworn in as Principal Chief. The transition was not easy. She faced opposition from within her own government, as well as skepticism from those who doubted her leadership. But she refused to be deterred, dedicating herself to proving that her administration could deliver meaningful change.

Transforming the Cherokee Nation

As Principal Chief, Mankiller prioritized economic development, healthcare, education, and self-governance. Under her leadership, the Cherokee Nation’s budget grew exponentially, and the tribe expanded its control over programs previously managed by the federal government. She believed that true sovereignty required economic independence, so she focused on developing tribally owned businesses, increasing employment opportunities, and securing better funding for essential services.

Healthcare was one of her most significant areas of impact. She championed preventative care, establishing new clinics and expanding access to medical services for Cherokee citizens. She also fought for improved education, launching scholarship programs and vocational training initiatives that gave young Cherokees greater opportunities to succeed.

One of her core beliefs was that the Cherokee people needed to reclaim their cultural identity alongside their political and economic growth. She encouraged language revitalization programs, supported traditional arts, and ensured that Cherokee history was taught in schools. By integrating cultural preservation into governance, she strengthened the Cherokee Nation’s sense of identity and resilience.

Despite the challenges of leading during a time of political tension and financial constraints, Mankiller was overwhelmingly reelected in 1991. Her tenure proved that Indigenous communities could govern themselves effectively, setting a precedent for other tribal nations.

Legacy and Impact

After leaving office in 1995, Mankiller continued to be a powerful voice for Indigenous rights. She served on national boards, advised policymakers, and lectured across the country on issues of sovereignty, gender equality, and community development. Her memoir, Mankiller: A Chief and Her People, provided a deeply personal look at her journey, blending historical context with reflections on leadership and resilience.

Throughout her later years, Mankiller faced serious health challenges, including cancer and a neuromuscular disease. Even as her health declined, she remained dedicated to advocacy, never losing sight of the work still needed to uplift Native communities.

She passed away on April 6, 2010, at the age of 64. Her legacy is woven into the fabric of the Cherokee Nation’s progress, as well as the broader Indigenous rights movement. She once said, “The secret of our success is that we never, never give up.”

Wilma Mankiller’s life was proof of that philosophy—her relentless commitment to her people reshaped what was possible for Native nations. Her work lives on in the institutions she built, the policies she influenced, and the countless Native leaders she inspired.