Wilma Mankiller and Respecting the Environment

Birth: 1945 - Death: 2010
Born In: Oklahoma,
Died In: Oklahoma
Achievements: Humanities
Educated In: California, Oklahoma, Arkansas
Schools Attended: Skyline College, San Francisco State University, Flaming Rainbow University, University of Arkansas
Worked In: California, Oklahoma

Wilma Mankiller

As the powerful positive first woman Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, Wilma Mankiller was responsible for 139,000 people and a $69 million budget.
spent her formative years in San Francisco, where she learned about the women's movement and organizing. When she returned to her native Oklahoma, Mankiller used her skills to help the Cherokee Nation, starting community self-help programs and teaching people ways out of poverty. In the early to mid eighties Wilma ran for deputy chief of the Nation, and in 1985 Wilma became Principal Chief. Mankiller brought about important changes for the Cherokees, including improved health care, better education, utilities management and promotion of improvement within tribal governments.  Higher education can have a higher influence on obtaining and attracting higher paying industry jobs, improving adult literacy, supporting women returning to school and provide other opportunities for growth. Chief Wilma Mankiller also assisted in advocating within the larger world, she was active in civil rights matters, lobbying the federal government and supported women's activities and issues. http://www.greatwomen.org/women-of-the-hall/search-the-hall/details/2/103-Mankiller

Wilma expressed at a conference I watched on utube her concerns for generations to come and our environment. Environmentally, Wilma has expressed the attention to natural resources and sacred lands an ongoing necessity as all people of this world share the same resources that Mother Earth has provided for survival. Chief Wilma in a spoke about the continuation of  keeping the traditional native language and cultural beliefs within tribes and native communities as keeping the culture and language of the natives alive for generations to come. Chief Wilma also discussed panindianness and the willingness to have a larger perspective on achieving interdependence within tribal communities with funding for better educational systems and medical care which is sometimes partially funded by Nations revenue from gaming casinos. Keeping the values and culture of individual tribal communities is something that can be kept through continuation of respect to tradition past down. Education for men in achieving higher degrees is important as chief Wilma in the Feb. 2006 speech discussed that native women had bachelor's degrees in higher percentage than men. Education being important in obtaining better paying jobs and brighter economic outcomes within families could result from higher achievement in education. Keeping a deep rooted understanding of where each native culture comes from and filtering out the negativity that is often part of society will help keep the mind clean and bring in more positive outcomes and decisions in the way we treat ourselves and others. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVLgwpHSYv0

Here is a great video on water issues involving residue from crops concerning alga bloom and it's effects on our environment. Farm fertilizer, and the residue often gets into the ground and our water resources which is even deadly to a dog according to the video below. This environmental concern continues. There has to be a way to stop the use of harmful pesticides in farming. I personally would rather deal with an insect in my food than the unnatural chemicals and harmful causes that may result.
http://video.pbs.org/video/2365303066/#

Additional Sources:
Harris, Jo D. A Brief Interview with Chief Mankiller. Lewiston, Idaho: Confluence Press in association with Women's Action Committee, Lewis-Clark State College, 1996.

Mink, Gwendolyn, Marysa Navarro, and Gloria Steinem, editors. The Reader's Campanion to U.S. Women's History. Houghton Mifflin Co., 1998.

Yannuzzie, Della A. Wilma Mankiller: Leader of the Cherokee Nation. Hillside, New Jersey: Enslow Publishers, 1994. NOTES: Juvenile Literature.

Editor with Vine Deloria, Barbara Deloria, Kristen Foehner, and Sam Scinta. Spirit & Reason: The Vine Deloria, Jr., Reader. Fulcrum Pub., 1999.

With Michael Wallis (contributor). Mankiller: a Chief and her People. St. Martin's Press, 1994.
to 'be of a good mind.' Today it's called positive thinking."

Wilma Mankiller

Wilma Mankiller 

     The Wilma Mankiller video began with a historical background on Wilma from her origins growing up in Oklahoma and later in California after he father moved the family in support of a better lifestyle for the two adults and eleven children of the Mankiller family.

     Mankiller leads in with the statement that “Context is Everything” alluding to the hundreds of years of American History and few actual Americans knowing the origins of the Native Nations History or issues in a contemporary setting. Mankiller discusses that the US government took over 2 billion acres of land through 374 treaties with the Native Nations and even developed the United States Constitution on the heels of the Iroquois Confederation which had been standing long before any inhabitants of the European Expansion had established guidelines for their forms of government.

     The majority of the video was on the topic of leadership and culture of the modern Native Nations. Mankiller discusses how today there is twice the number of female tribal leaders than there were decades ago. Mankiller also addresses the need to preserve an educational and informational bank in order to preserve long standing traditions and practices. She also encouraged leaders in all communities of the Native Nations to become interdependent once again. By instilling a positive and values based action in taking care of the children and helping those less fortunate will produce the greatest response.

     The greatest take away I received from the video was Mankiller’s statement of “Keeping a good mind as a Discipline.” I found this to be a moving statement that could apply to anyone not just those associated with a Native origin. Wilma spoke about how the Nations have a lot to be thankful for and in order to exercise the discipline a person cannot have anger in their heart. Mankiller talked about the annual fireside gatherings and using the engagement as a foundation for renewal through prayer. All people could clear their minds of grudges against others, hatred for certain acts, and exercise the values based practices by encouraging restraint. Mankiller stated that despite overcoming insurmountable odds, there are many things going well such as increased revenue generated by casinos is funding the promotion of educational and sustaining programs for Natives, the implementation of numerous historical and educational immersion programs all over the country and journalists holding a voice and changing public perception by filtering the information through a Native way of thinking.

Mankiller, Wilma. “Sonoma State University presents Wilma Mankiller.” Youtube, 2008. Youtube.com. Web. 24 Aug 2014.

Wilma Mankiller video

(http://www.doonething.org/heroes/colorme/t-wilma-mankiller.jpg)

Wilma Mankiller Video

Wilma Mankiller was a leader who spent her life working to improve the lives of the Native American peoples even in times of her own personal tragedies and health concerns.  In the YouTube video the Associated Students Productions (ASP) presents Wilma Mankiller at Sonoma State University on Friday, April 28, 2008 she discussed several issues concerning the Native American people. 

In 1969 she was part of the occupation on Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay.  She states in her autobiography, "When Alcatraz occurred, I became aware of what needed to be done to let the rest of the world know that Indians had rights, too. Alcatraz articulated [expressed] my own feelings about being an Indian."  (Mankiller)  She met the person introducing her in the video, Professor Edward Castillo, at that time.  When he introduced her he listed some of her accomplishments which included 18 doctorate degrees, and she was principal chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma until 1995 when she declined to run for another term due to health issues.

She stated at the beginning of her speech that “the topic of her discussion tonight is context is everything.”  She believed that a lot of the issues Native Americans deal with today grew out of her belief that after hundreds of years too few Americans know much about the history, culture, or contemporary lives and issues.  She believed that it is almost impossible to understand contemporary issues without the context of historical issues.  (Mankiller, Wilma Mankiller)  She talked later in the video about how surprising it is that so few Americans know anything about the original inhabitants history or cultures but that they have had to learn everything about the Americans.  She said that this lack of accurate information often leaves a void that is filled with stereotypes.

She called the information that she shared as very basic and talked about the different tribal governments and how different they are even though they all have sovereign rights no matter the size or population.  There are 550 federally recognized tribal nations, with different languages, cultures, and each with different tribal leaders.  She also discussed the different ways tribes have of determining their leaders and how the tribes are not all governed the same.  Some tribes follow traditional ways that have been in place for hundreds of years while others have set in place a newer constitutional way of governing, and some are still fighting for recognition after centuries.  I learned that there have been more than 370 formal treaties made between the Native Nations and the United States government. These are valid legal agreements that have been one sided with the United States getting the land agreed upon, however rarely complying with their end of the agreement.  More than two billion acres had been taken by treaty or government confiscation which included land allotments of communal properties.

Wilma talked about the universal concern among the tribes over the loss of traditional knowledge.  I was unaware of just how much reliance on oral history is still in play until she brought this up.  She said that when a traditional tribal elder dies they lose thousands of unique knowledge that has been passed down through oral telling from generation to generation.  She felt that a priority needed to be placed on putting a system in place to protect and preserve the traditional knowledge. 

She spoke of the importance of cleansing your mind of negative thoughts and concentrate on the positive and she told of the ceremony that is held to cleanse those thoughts.  She felt that her ability to stay positive is a large part of her success in her campaigns.  I have to believe that she kept positive because she has kept fighting for her people in spite of having cancer twice, two kidney transplants, and an accident that caused her to wear a brace.  She even ended the talk with a question and answer session when she has a hearing problem but asked for a member of the audience to come up and repeat the questions for her.  And she attributes her ability to do that to what she learned from her family and community about keeping a good mind.  What an amazing woman.

I think that this video contains a lot of information and she has overcome many personal struggles yet continued to work for her people.  She is a great inspiration to stay strong and continue to fight for what you believe in. 

 The video can be watched by following this link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVLgwpHSYv0 

Works Cited

Mankiller, Wilma. Mankiller: A Chief and Her People. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1993. Book.

Wilma Mankiller. Perf. Wilma Mankiller. Sonoma State University. n.d. YouTube.

http://www.doonething.org/heroes/colorme/t-wilma-mankiller.jpg

Wilma Mankiller

Wilma Mankiller is a great example of a resilient Native American woman who is devoted to helping American Indians with modern-day challenges.  She has transformed her early experience and knowledge into eighteen honorary doctorates and over a dozen published journal articles.  She is recognized as a Dartmouth Fellow, she has presented multiple university lectures, and she has been honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work in advocating for Native people and for educating the public about the issues they face (CSU Sonoma, 2008).  These would be amazing accomplishments for any one person, but when we consider that Mankiller is a Native woman who has faced a life time of challenges as an American Indian, her accomplishments should be considered exceptional.  Her resilience in facing these challenges herself, and for advocating for the rights of all Natives, has provided her with an authoritative voice in the field of Native American issues.  

With her extensive history, her diligence in her cause and her continuity of advocacy, her input is helpful in understanding the Native American journey.  When she speaks of the context of the Native American experience she suggests that people are not truly aware of the deep-rooted issues that Native Americans face.  She talks about the importance of maintaining tribal cultures and traditions while moving them forward into future generations.  This is a priority in maintaining a continued culture base where Natives and non-Natives can come together with an equal degree of respect.  

Her focus on respect and peace is a constant theme among many Native tribes, like the Hopi for instance, who respect all life forms and who understand that all forms of life work together to create a balance that sustains life and generates new life.  This is the most incredible aspect of the Native culture considering the travesties that have been brought against them.  To continue the quest for peace and respect, even for those who try to demolish their life-ways and spiritual traditions and cultures, the Native American population appears much more civilized and educated than the non-Native population.

CSU Sonoma. “Wilma Mankiller.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 6 Feb. 2008. Web. 21 Aug., 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVLgwpHSYv0

Wilma Mankiller

I watched a lecture done by Wilma Mankiller on YouTube. Wilma Pearl Mankiller was the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation. In her lecture she addressed some good topics. First of all she spoke on the play of native women in their culture. Native women play an important role in tribal life. Yet, Native women are stereotyped by the media and only seen in a sexual way or as innocent children of nature. Most people only know of Sacagawea, who was a Shoshone women that led Lewis and Clark on their expedition. Navajo women once controlled the economy and livestock of the Navajo nation. Ojibwa women trap small animals and built canoes. Cherokee women were consulted in matters importance to the community, clan, and nation. When a Cherokee man married a Cherokee women he took up residency with his wives clan. Cherokee people trace their clan ancestry thru women. There was once a council made up of 7 Cherokee clans. Also, women warriors who made decisions to go to war with men were called war women and considered tribal dignitaries. A women’s power was considered so great that special women declared the punishment to those who committed offenses against the people. Today, women are getting their voice back and working with men to protect tribal sovereignty and treaty rights.


The battle is hard because the congress does not know the history or present life of native people. Americans are not taught about Natives, yet Natives had to be taught everything about the American people. The lack of information about Native people leaves a void that is filled with stereotypes, which either romanticize or vilify Native people.


Next she touched on how there is concern of tribal culture and traditions being lost. She believes that the entire system of knowledge must be saved. While some people may think medicine, ceremonies, or language is most important. Natives rely heavily on elders to preserve culture and traditions. Traditional elders pass down information from generation to generation orally. Thus, when a traditional elder dies, so does thousands of years of unique knowledge. A majority of the Natives history is told through stories. Stories help us understand and know our place in the world.


Another topic Wilma Mankiller brought up was the issue of Natives living in two world, heir tribe and the outside world. She believes Natives can live in urban area and still keep traditions and values. Cherokee values are to be respectful to yourself and others and always keep your word and be helpful. As well as having a good clean mind. They conduct a ceremony to renew the mind and erase past offenses, in order to stop animosity and grudges. The goal is to promote unity. You must keep negative thoughts out of your mind, before they take hold of you and because bad actions. This goes beyond positive thinking, because you must keep a clean mind as a discipline. Outside people only see the problem tribes face. They don’t see the way they keep in the community through being positive. Natives may appear to live like everyone else, but that does not mean they think the same way. Traditional tribal people do not view the world in the same way.


At the end of the lecture Wilma Mankiller answered questions in the audience. One of those questions was about the amount of Native women in leadership positions today. She explained how tribal women are in more leadership roles since tribes now control more things, like medical centers. A majority of tribal administrative positions are held by women. Additionally, more tribal women are earner bachelor’s degree over men. Lastly, due to the fact that more tribes are looking into traditional ways in tribal history. They see that things are out of balance when only men are in control.









https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVLgwpHSYv0

Wilma Mankiller

 I had never heard of Wilma Mankiller, I am sorry to say. But I was so mesmerized by the video entitled "Sonoma State University presents Wilma Mankiller". This presentation was on April 28. But I am not sure what year. It says it was uploaded in 2008.

Ms Mankiller was the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation. She speaks from the heart on a topic titled  "Context is Everything". She believes that too few Americans understand the Native American view. It is impossible if you know nothing about Natives and their government to understand the struggles that Native People have to go through. She explains that there are over 550 Tribal Governments. It does not matter if a tribe has a large or small membership, or the amount of land a tribe is in charge of, each tribe has the same sovereign rights. She also explains how powerful and complex the woman's role is in the tribal society. 

Ms. Mankiller believes that it is extremely important to hold on to traditional way, which are slipping away. It is important to develop practical projects to maintain systems of knowledge. Tribal culture is medicine, language, ceremonies, and the relationship to the land. She advises that when an elder dies, the stories that the elder knows dies with him. Most of the Native cultures are not written down but told orally through stories. 

Wilma Mankiller feels that traditional values are the most important cultural attribute that the Native People try to hold on to. These values are evident everyday in her Cherokee Nation.

The most important idea that I took from this video is a quote Ms Mankiller said was from Leroy Backwater, "be respectful to others, respects oneself, always keeps his or her word, and helps other people. This is what a good Cherokee person maintains.

(Picture:Courtesy of   http://mypersonalblogccm.blogspot.com/2010/05/wilma-mankiller-leaves-us.html)
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVLgwpHSYv0

Module 3- Oppression and Freedom

Author: Kevin M. Smith

Oppression and Freedom

            One of the reoccurring themes, at least during the early contact period, presented to us in Peter Nabokov’s, Native American Testimony is the relentless pursue of Christian reform groups to evangelize Native Peoples throughout North America.  Nabokov presents several incidents in his chapter entitled “Bearers of the Cross”, where Natives are forced to join the religious practices of Christians from the denominations of Protestant, Catholic, Jesuit, Puritan, Mormon and Quaker. Each of these groups are proclaimed by the personal accounts of Natives Peoples to have forced their will upon the Natives and the need of a cultural and spiritual reformation.  Perhaps what is most ironic about this interaction is how the Native Peoples were ridiculed for their religious practices to the point of oppression when those proclaiming to be “Christians” often themselves were oppressed in their Native lands for practicing Christianity.   

            In an effort to better understand this phenomenon, I can only speculate that perhaps those forcing Christianity upon the Natives did so because they were born here and therefore themselves were never persecuted in Europe.  Or perhaps they were, adapting a mentality of “bullying”, similar to that of an abused child, who might later act out from resentment or in retaliation?  Regardless of the reasoning, as a current non-practicing Catholic myself,  and having an appreciation for many of the teachings of Jesus Christ.  I find it challenging to fathom that those referring to themselves as Christians, would force their religion upon others in such a violent and inappropriate manner, when Christ himself taught against such persecutions.  With that being said, I do believe that some Natives were not forced to join Christianity from such hostility, but were presented with a religion were individuals practiced magnamity with a genuine contrite spirit.  This spirituality and act of Christianity would have likely been far more enticing to Natives, as a religion which could replace their own or be freely mingled with traditional beliefs.

            Although oppression and persecution continues today across the world, the majority of Natives from a non-native local perspective are able to express freely their spiritual practices.

Suggested Reading:

 Nabokov, Peter.  1999.  "Native American Testimony".  Penguin Books.  USA.