Mankiller: Indians think differently

Mankiller opens up dialogue

Centennial offers a chance to see new perspectives, former Cherokee chief says.Non-Indians do not realize the extent to which tribal history and culture influence the current lives of Indians, Mankiller said.

"A lot of Americans think that because we dress like people around us, we drive similar cars, we live in similar houses, we think the same way. I would contend we not only think about different things, but we think about them in a different way,” she said.

Reciprocity and interdependence are important to indigenous women, in particular, Mankiller said.

"When your life plays itself out in a set of reciprocal relationships, that gives you a different perspective,” she said. "Fundamentally, we're tribal people, and we still have that sense of the world.”