Former principal chief of the Cherokee Nation of Tahlequah, OK.

Born in Stilwell, OK, Mankiller grew up in a rural community. After a severe drought, her family relocated to San Francisco. Her culture shock upon moving to this sophisticated city, her family’s life of poverty, and the racism she encountered inspired Mankiller to become active in the Native-American rights movement. Galvanized into action, she earned a B.A. from the Union for Experimenting Colleges and Universities in 1977, and then pursued advanced study at the University of Arkansas in 1979.

Mankiller began to work with the Cherokee Nation of Tahlequah as a community development director (1977–83). Recognized for her energetic efforts to improve housing and create water systems, Mankiller was made deputy chief (1983–85), and then principal chief (1985–95). As principal chief, Mankiller came to represent more than 70,000 Native Americans and the 45,000-acre territory of Oklahoma’s Cherokee Nation. Mankiller also has served as president of the Inter-Tribal Council of Oklahoma and as a member of the Oklahoma Academy for State Goals and the National Congress of American Indians.

In 1993 Mankiller wrote her autobiography, Mankiller: A Chief and her People, with Michael Wallis. She is currently co-editing the Reader’s Guide to the History of Women in the United States.