Wilma Mankiller's inspirations

Wilma Mankiller:  First Woman Cherokee Chief

By Khalil AbdullahAmong her inspirations was “Roots” author Alex Haley. In 1991, Wilma Mankiller went to hear him speak in Tahlequah, Okla., her birthplace and the capital of the Cherokee Nation.

That night, Haley--who died only two months later--shared his frustration that so much ignorance persisted in the United States about the African-American people and their contributions to America.

Mankiller saw the same problem in her community. “The biggest issue for native people across the board is the fact that most Americans know very little about native people,” she stated. “Without any historical knowledge--or cultural context--it's impossible to understand our issues.”

Along her path of evolving self-awareness, she met another mentor, feminist writer and thinker Gloria Steinem. They became friends, and when Steinem married at age 66, the ceremony was held at Mankiller’s home in Oklahoma.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Native Women Advocates and Courageous Native Women.