Wilma Pearl Mankiller

Wilma Pearl Mankiller was both the first woman deputy chief and the first woman principal chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma..

Wilma was born at Tahlequah, the capitol of the Cherokee Nation in November 1945, and lived at Mankiller Flats until she was ten years old. Her father, Charlie Mankiller, was a Cherokee, and her mother, Irene Mankiller, was of Dutch Irish decent. Mankiller grew up with four sisters and six brothers. She overcame many personal hardships and returned home to Mankiller Flats, Oklahoma, to establish herself as a political powerhouse working for the betterment of all people.

The Native community was saddened by this e-mail from Charlie Soap, Wilma’s husband:

Charlie Soap regrets to announce his wife Wilma Mankiller has been diagnosed with stage IV Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer. Mankiller is an author, lecturer and former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. Mankiller has served 12 years in elective office at the Cherokee Nation, the first two as Deputy Principal Chief followed by 10years as Principal Chief. She retired from public office in 1995. Among her many honors, Mankiller has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Clinton. Soap requests that the public respect the family's privacy during this time.

As many of you know we have a Native American forum thread on Etsy to promote the Native American spirit and arts. When I received this news, I posted it there as well as in other team forum threads.

One of the frequent and beloved contributors to our NA thread, Taxcoandmore, was so touched that she created a wonderful treasury of Native American art on Etsy as a tribute to Wilma and those of us who grieve her condition. Here is the featured art:
Wado Taxcoandmore! Please visit her store at http://www.taxcoandmore.etsy.com/
Perhaps you could leave a "heart" for her store. It would be a nice “Wado” for her taking the time to honor this great woman.

This morning I received this e-mail written by Wilma.

"I decided to issue this statement because I want my family and friends to know that I am mentally and spiritually prepared for this journey; a journey that all human beings will take at one time or another.

I learned a long time ago that I can't control the challenges the Creator sends my way but I can control the way I think about them and deal with them.

On balance, I have been blessed with an extraordinarily rich and wonderful life, filled with incredible experiences. And I am grateful to have a support team composed of loving family and friends.

I will be spending my time with my family and close friends and engaging in activities I enjoy. It's been my privilege to meet and be touched by thousands of people in my life and I regret not being able to deliver this message personally to so many of you.”
Wilma Mankiller

Wilma served as a wonderful example of leadership and compassion during her life time. She faced issues head long and continues to do so. She demonstrated that one inspired woman can make a gigantic difference in the lives of others. She is now serving as a wonderful example for those entering the next phase of their journey. Bless you, Wilma, for all that you have done and know that your light will serve as a beacon to us for many years to come.