Wilma Mankiller: The Cherokee Nation

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Wilma Mankiller was the first woman to be Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. During her three terms, from 1985 to 1995, she worked to improve the nation’s health care system, education system and government while preserving the Cherokee’s traditions. After leaving office, Wilma Mankiller continued to defend Native Americans’ rights. In her autobiography, Mankiller: A Chief and Her People, published in 1993, Wilma Mankiller states that the Cherokee are “a revitalized tribe” implying that they were close to disappearing. We can then wonder why she describes the Cherokee as “a revitalized tribe”. First, the Cherokee had to face “major upheaval[s]” that “diminished” their culture. However, even though they were divided by those hardships,