In this spiritual, moving autobiography, Wilma Mankiller, former Chief of the Cherokee Nation and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, tells of her own history while also honoring and recounting the history of the Cherokees. Mankiller's life unfolds against the backdrop of the dawning of the American Indian civil rights struggle, and her book becomes a quest to reclaim and preserve the great Native American values that form the foundation of our nation. Now featuring a new Afterword to the 2000 paperback reissue, this edition of Mankiller completely updates the author's private and public life after 1994 and explores the recent political struggles of the Cherokee Nation.

"This is a very important book. It could be the most important of this new century if it were to get the mindfulness it deserves."--Gloria Steinem, from the introduction

In this rare and intimate glimpse at the resilience and perseverance of Native women, twenty indigenous female leaders--educators, healers, attorneys, artists, elders, and activists--come together to discuss issues facing modern Native communities. This illuminating book found its genesis with Wilma Mankiller (1945-2010), first female chief of the Cherokee Nation. Over a period of several years, Mankiller engaged indigenous women in conversation about spirituality, traditions and culture, tribal governance, female role models, love, and community. Their common life experiences, patterns of thought, and shared values gave them the freedom to be frank and open, and a place of community from which to explore powerful influences on Native life.

Wilma Mankiller spent most of her life in the rural community of Mankiller Flats in Adair County, Oklahoma. Her lifetime of activism began in 1969, when she took part in the Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island. She became the first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation in 1985, a position she held for ten years. Mankiller has been honored with many awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and honorary doctorate degrees from Yale University, Dartmouth College, and Smith College. She passed away April 6, 2010, at her home on the Mankiller family allotment.

As American Indian communities face the new century, they look to the future armed with confidence in the indigenous perspectives that have kept them together thus far. Now five premier scholars in American Indian history, along with a tribal leader who has placed an indelible mark on the history of her people, show how understanding the past is the key to solving problems facing Indians today. Edited by Albert L. Hurtado and introduced by Wilma Mankiller, this book includes the insights of Colin G. Calloway, R. David Edmunds, Laurence M. Hauptman, Peter Iverson, and Brenda J. Child-scholars who have helped shape the way an entire generation thinks about American Indian history. Writing broadly about twentieth-century Native history, they focus on themes that drive this field of study: Indian identity, tribal acknowledgment, sovereignty, oral tradition, and cultural adaptation. Drawn from the Wilma Mankiller Symposium on American History, these thoughtful essays show how history continues to influence contemporary Native life. The authors carve a broad geographic swath-from the Oneidas' interpretation of the past, to the perseverance of the jingle dress tradition among the Ojibwes, to community persistence in the Southwest. Wilma Mankiller's essay on contemporary tribal government adds a personal perspective to understanding the situation of Indian people today.

As American Indian communities face the new century, they look to the future armed with confidence in the indigenous perspectives that have kept them together thus far. Now five premier scholars in American Indian history, along with a tribal leader who has placed an indelible mark on the history of her people, show how understanding the past is the key to solving problems facing Indians today.Edited by Albert L. Hurtado and introduced by Wilma Mankiller, this book includes the insights of Colin G. Calloway, R. David Edmunds, Laurence M. Hauptman, Peter Iverson, and Brenda J. Child - scholars who have helped shape the way an entire generation thinks about American Indian history. Writing broadly about twentieth-century Native history, they focus on themes that drive this field of study: Indian identity, tribal acknowledgment, sovereignty, oral tradition, and cultural adaptation. Drawn from the Wilma Mankiller Symposium on American History, these thoughtful essays show how history continues to influence contemporary Native life. The authors carve a broad geographic swath - from the Oneidas' interpretation of the past, to the perseverance of the jingle dress tradition among the Ojibwes, to community persistence in the Southwest. Wilma Mankiller's essay on contemporary tribal government adds a personal perspective to understanding the situation of Indian people today.