2022-D Roll - American Women Quarter - Wilma Mankiller (BU)

In 1977, Mankiller returned to Cherokee Nation where she founded the Community Development Department. She led the creation of community water systems and rehabilitation of houses during the administration of Principal Chief Ross Swimmer.  She later became Swimmer's Deputy Chief and after Swimmer left office to lead the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1987, she became Principal Chief.

In four years, Mankiller was re-elected as Principal Chief by a landslide. She tripled her tribe’s enrollment, doubled employment, and built new housing, health centers, and children’s programs in northeast Oklahoma. Under her leadership, infant mortality declined and educational levels rose. Her leadership on social and financial issues made her tribe a national role model. After leaving office in 1995, she remained a strong voice worldwide for social justice, native people, and women.