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Mankiller: A Chief and Her People
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.
371 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1993
147 people are currently reading
2435 people want to read
About the author
Wilma Mankiller
19 books40 followersWilma Pearl Mankiller was a community organizer and the first woman elected to serve as chief of the Cherokee Nation. Mankiller served as principal chief for ten years, from 1985 to 1995.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
February 13, 2022
Wilma Mankiller tells us her life story in this book, but she also tells us the history of her people, the Cherokee.
It can be sad, disturbing reading. Mostly anything that details the actions of the US Government towards any Native American tribe is painful to read. But important, because people need to know what happened in the past, what is happening in the present. How else can we hope to change what may happen in the future?
Mankiller was the first elected female chief of her people. She weaves her own story with the history of her tribe, with each chapter making the reader more aware of details they may never have realized. I grew up in Arizona, land of the Apache, Navajo, and Hopi, to name a few. I never knew much of anything about the Cherokee. I do now.
And Mankiller herself? Honestly, I don't think I ever knew a thing about her. I was only about ten years old during the years when Mankiller was developing herself into the activist and force she later became. I do vaguely remember the occupation of Alcatraz Island, but only from listening to the nightly news with my parents. I never understood what was actually happening there. Many of Mankiller's siblings were there on the Rock, and she explains all the whys and wherefores of this incident.
With her own story, Mankiller reveals so much trauma and stress that the reader is left not only with a sense of her life being almost a miracle, but with the feeling of reading about a true Warrior Woman. From the family moving from Oklahoma to California in the 1950's as part of a government program intended to 'help' Native Americans assimilate into white society, to kidney disease and a horrific car crash, Mankiller lived through intense personal challenges that ultimately honed the steel of her character and made her what she was.
This is an intense book, not a chatty bio, and it can be painful to read. But it is also a vital statement about the power of not only the human but the tribal spirit. Both will prevail, one way or another.
It can be sad, disturbing reading. Mostly anything that details the actions of the US Government towards any Native American tribe is painful to read. But important, because people need to know what happened in the past, what is happening in the present. How else can we hope to change what may happen in the future?
Mankiller was the first elected female chief of her people. She weaves her own story with the history of her tribe, with each chapter making the reader more aware of details they may never have realized. I grew up in Arizona, land of the Apache, Navajo, and Hopi, to name a few. I never knew much of anything about the Cherokee. I do now.
And Mankiller herself? Honestly, I don't think I ever knew a thing about her. I was only about ten years old during the years when Mankiller was developing herself into the activist and force she later became. I do vaguely remember the occupation of Alcatraz Island, but only from listening to the nightly news with my parents. I never understood what was actually happening there. Many of Mankiller's siblings were there on the Rock, and she explains all the whys and wherefores of this incident.
With her own story, Mankiller reveals so much trauma and stress that the reader is left not only with a sense of her life being almost a miracle, but with the feeling of reading about a true Warrior Woman. From the family moving from Oklahoma to California in the 1950's as part of a government program intended to 'help' Native Americans assimilate into white society, to kidney disease and a horrific car crash, Mankiller lived through intense personal challenges that ultimately honed the steel of her character and made her what she was.
This is an intense book, not a chatty bio, and it can be painful to read. But it is also a vital statement about the power of not only the human but the tribal spirit. Both will prevail, one way or another.
October 30, 2007
Wilma Mankiller begins the first half of her book with a history of her roots with the Cherokees. There's a lot more to Native American history than you learned in high school (mostly very, very bad stuff). The second half of her book is where her life story starts to pick up pace. Good explanations of grass roots movements are found. Overall, the book is about overcoming oppression and promotes adaptability and adjusting to change as key traits of success. Some great insights into life in general as well.
January 12, 2022
Wilma Pearl Mankiller was principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, and the first woman to hold that position. In the Cherokee language, the surname “Mankiller,” Asgaya-dihi, references a traditional Cherokee rank, such as captain or major. Chief Mankiller was the least violent individual on this planet, but she was a commander, comparable to a Four-Star General, for whom the word "no" did not exist, especially when confronted with a problem. She was relentless in seeking solutions and enlisted others to help. Part of working within a group was an implicit aspect of the Cherokee tribe. Wilma Mankiller extended that idea to working with others outside her tribe. Her entire life was riddled with obstacles, stumbling blocks, personal tragedies, but she moved forward, with curiosity, ingenuity and a quiet and determined manner.
She was born on November 18, 1945 in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the capital of the Cherokee Nation, the sixth of eleven children. When she was ten years old, she and her entire family were moved to California, as part of the federal government's relocation program during the 1950s, in order to break up tribal communities or "mainstream" Native Americans from rural to urban areas. As she states, "One day I was living in a rural Cherokee community, and a few days later I was living in California and trying to deal with the mysteries of television, neon lights, and elevators. It was total culture shock." Prior to that the family had lived without indoor plumbing and hauled water for a quarter of a mile to their home. This deprivation was the result of previous actions taken by the federal government in 1907 that ignored the Cherokee Constitution, dismantled the tribal government and divided their land into individual allotments.
As they had done before, along with other Native Americans throughout the United States, they adjusted to the move to San Francisco. Wilma Mankiller attended school, met her first husband, with whom she had two daughters, but experienced a political and social awakening during the 1960s. In 1969, a group of university students occupied Alcatraz Island, former site of the Alcatraz Prison. This particular event was a major turning point in her life as she took classes at San Francisco State College, did volunteer work with the Pit River Tribe in California, gave time to Native America preschool and adult programs and directed a dropout prevention program for Native American young people. She divorced her husband and moved back to her ancestral homeland in Oklahoma to build a house and raise her children. In 1979, tragedy struck when she was involved in a serious car crash that resulted in major injuries. In addition to this calamitous accident was that the other person driving the car was her close friend, who died. That accident was another pivotal moment in her life, as she literally faced death in a head-on car crash, and it took her over a year to recover from severe facial injuries, broken ribs and legs, and the death of her friend. This time brought her an awakening that she called a Cherokee approach to life, "what our tribal elders call 'being of good mind.'" This prepared her to direct a major project in 1981, the Bell Community Revitalization Project, that used federal and private money and the direct work of the community to bring running water to homes, rebuild run-down, substandard housing and brought a sense of empowerment and pride to the community.
She later married an old friend, Charlie Soap, a full-blooded Cherokee, and former director of tribal development, who was not intimidated or threatened by this powerful, hardworking woman. Wilma Mankiller faced other physical ailments. During her lifetime she went on to work with many seemingly divergent groups of people outside of her tribal communities. She stayed politically and socially active and was honored many times over: as the Ms. Magazine Woman of the Year in 1987; induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1993, and in 1998 she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, from President Bill Clinton.
Mankiller died on April 6, 2010, age 64 from pancreatic cancer. Her life was shorter than it should have been, but her accomplishments were far greater and numerous than that of many others. Wilma Pearl Mankiller's funeral was attended by Oklahoma Governor Brad Perry and women’s rights activist and close friend Gloria Steinem, who said, “Ancient traditions call for setting signal fires to light the way home for a great one; fires were lit in 23 countries after Wilma's death. The millions she touched will continue her work, but I will miss her every day of my life.” President Barack Obama said, “As the Cherokee Nation’s first female chief, she transformed the Nation-to-Nation relationship between the Cherokee Nation and the Federal Government and served as an inspiration to women in Indian Country and across America. A recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, she was recognized for her vision and commitment to a brighter future for all Americans. Her legacy will continue to encourage and motivate all who carry on her work.”
This book is her autobiography that brings together her life and that of her people which are one and the same, or as Wilma Pearl Mankiller said, " ... weave together the unbroken threads of tribal history, wisdom, and culture preserved by each generation."
Reviewed by Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Literature & Fiction
She was born on November 18, 1945 in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the capital of the Cherokee Nation, the sixth of eleven children. When she was ten years old, she and her entire family were moved to California, as part of the federal government's relocation program during the 1950s, in order to break up tribal communities or "mainstream" Native Americans from rural to urban areas. As she states, "One day I was living in a rural Cherokee community, and a few days later I was living in California and trying to deal with the mysteries of television, neon lights, and elevators. It was total culture shock." Prior to that the family had lived without indoor plumbing and hauled water for a quarter of a mile to their home. This deprivation was the result of previous actions taken by the federal government in 1907 that ignored the Cherokee Constitution, dismantled the tribal government and divided their land into individual allotments.
As they had done before, along with other Native Americans throughout the United States, they adjusted to the move to San Francisco. Wilma Mankiller attended school, met her first husband, with whom she had two daughters, but experienced a political and social awakening during the 1960s. In 1969, a group of university students occupied Alcatraz Island, former site of the Alcatraz Prison. This particular event was a major turning point in her life as she took classes at San Francisco State College, did volunteer work with the Pit River Tribe in California, gave time to Native America preschool and adult programs and directed a dropout prevention program for Native American young people. She divorced her husband and moved back to her ancestral homeland in Oklahoma to build a house and raise her children. In 1979, tragedy struck when she was involved in a serious car crash that resulted in major injuries. In addition to this calamitous accident was that the other person driving the car was her close friend, who died. That accident was another pivotal moment in her life, as she literally faced death in a head-on car crash, and it took her over a year to recover from severe facial injuries, broken ribs and legs, and the death of her friend. This time brought her an awakening that she called a Cherokee approach to life, "what our tribal elders call 'being of good mind.'" This prepared her to direct a major project in 1981, the Bell Community Revitalization Project, that used federal and private money and the direct work of the community to bring running water to homes, rebuild run-down, substandard housing and brought a sense of empowerment and pride to the community.
She later married an old friend, Charlie Soap, a full-blooded Cherokee, and former director of tribal development, who was not intimidated or threatened by this powerful, hardworking woman. Wilma Mankiller faced other physical ailments. During her lifetime she went on to work with many seemingly divergent groups of people outside of her tribal communities. She stayed politically and socially active and was honored many times over: as the Ms. Magazine Woman of the Year in 1987; induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1993, and in 1998 she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, from President Bill Clinton.
Mankiller died on April 6, 2010, age 64 from pancreatic cancer. Her life was shorter than it should have been, but her accomplishments were far greater and numerous than that of many others. Wilma Pearl Mankiller's funeral was attended by Oklahoma Governor Brad Perry and women’s rights activist and close friend Gloria Steinem, who said, “Ancient traditions call for setting signal fires to light the way home for a great one; fires were lit in 23 countries after Wilma's death. The millions she touched will continue her work, but I will miss her every day of my life.” President Barack Obama said, “As the Cherokee Nation’s first female chief, she transformed the Nation-to-Nation relationship between the Cherokee Nation and the Federal Government and served as an inspiration to women in Indian Country and across America. A recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, she was recognized for her vision and commitment to a brighter future for all Americans. Her legacy will continue to encourage and motivate all who carry on her work.”
This book is her autobiography that brings together her life and that of her people which are one and the same, or as Wilma Pearl Mankiller said, " ... weave together the unbroken threads of tribal history, wisdom, and culture preserved by each generation."
Reviewed by Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Literature & Fiction
March 31, 2023
This was an interesting read about the woman, the 1st woman to become the principal chief of the CherokeeNation in Oklahoma.
Her parents moved her from Oklahoma in the 1950s to san Francisco where she grew up as a child. She became an Indian activist in the San Francisco bay area and then returned to her homeland a few years later She continued her activism and went to work for the Cherokee nation where chief Swimmer met her and asked her to be his deputy chief.
Swimmer step down and took a job in Washington, Wilma became the principal chief of the Cherokees. Then she ran for that position again and won..
Her parents moved her from Oklahoma in the 1950s to san Francisco where she grew up as a child. She became an Indian activist in the San Francisco bay area and then returned to her homeland a few years later She continued her activism and went to work for the Cherokee nation where chief Swimmer met her and asked her to be his deputy chief.
Swimmer step down and took a job in Washington, Wilma became the principal chief of the Cherokees. Then she ran for that position again and won..
June 4, 2013
While not as good as it could have been, Mankiller's book is choked full of info about the history of the Cherokees, which, even though at least sixty percent of which I've read about before, it was more enlightening reading it from a native's point of view. If you read some of the other reviews here on Goodreads you'll come across reasonable explanations for people feeling "eh" about the book, mainly that it's not that great of a memoir, more like a textbook, in some regards. I honestly did not mind the book all that much, I loved the sections on Native American myths and the quotes scattered throughout are insightful, however it's not a "this is my story", kind of book. It's a "this is our story", kind of book.
Which to me makes sense, given the fact that the whole statement behind the book is about the spirit and strength of a tribe fighting against all odds. There's no way she could tell her own story without writing about everyone else. And you know what? I'm okay with that.
Which to me makes sense, given the fact that the whole statement behind the book is about the spirit and strength of a tribe fighting against all odds. There's no way she could tell her own story without writing about everyone else. And you know what? I'm okay with that.
October 30, 2018
The scope of this book really surprised me: it's both a personal memoir and a broader history of the Cherokee. I learned a lot.
May 10, 2010
Really amazing book that I started reading the night before Wilma's death was announced. It is the essence of an autobiography capturing a lot of the details of her life not known to many people, especially focusing on her early life and what shaped her to engage in the community and take on the leadership positions she did. Every chapter begins with a traditional story that highlights something about the chapter it opens for and was a really cool way to move between peices. My only criticism was that I wished it got more into the policy that she built and why she felt those specific foci would move the CN forward in terms of opportunity and community development.
Also interesting to hear her take on the Ridge versus Treaty party debate. Certainly the more traditional stance that I have heard most pravelent growing up. The respect she holds for John Ross is extremely high and gives credit to why blood quantum is a poor measure of "Indianess" and willingness to work for the tribe. Pretty awesome book.
Also interesting to hear her take on the Ridge versus Treaty party debate. Certainly the more traditional stance that I have heard most pravelent growing up. The respect she holds for John Ross is extremely high and gives credit to why blood quantum is a poor measure of "Indianess" and willingness to work for the tribe. Pretty awesome book.
August 4, 2015
A great chronicle of an amazing woman. Wilma Mankiller gives readers not only the story of her life, but also the history of the Cherokee people. Some readers maybe irritated by the back and forth between the history of the Cherokees and Mankiller's personal story, but I enjoyed it. This is an inspiring tale for anyone to enjoy.
December 24, 2016
Wilma Mankiller is a former chief of the Cherokee people who died in 2010.
In this book, she weaves her own biography into a larger history of the Cherokee people while starting each chapter with short excerpts that are related to the creation myths and values of the Cherokee people.
From reading this book, I learned that the Cherokee syllabary was not created until the early 1800s by Sequoyah.
I learned that a lot of older Cherokee people were Republicans because they still hated Andrew Jackson for the Indian Removal Act of 1830.
Mankiller grew up as one of eleven children in her family. She grew up in poverty in rural Oklahoma until the family was moved to San Francisco when the Bureau of Indian Affairs felt it was best to get Indians off the reservations and into the rest of society.
Mankiller was friends with Gloria Steinem and struggled with a number of health complications during her life including a debilitating kidney disease.
In this book, she weaves her own biography into a larger history of the Cherokee people while starting each chapter with short excerpts that are related to the creation myths and values of the Cherokee people.
From reading this book, I learned that the Cherokee syllabary was not created until the early 1800s by Sequoyah.
I learned that a lot of older Cherokee people were Republicans because they still hated Andrew Jackson for the Indian Removal Act of 1830.
Mankiller grew up as one of eleven children in her family. She grew up in poverty in rural Oklahoma until the family was moved to San Francisco when the Bureau of Indian Affairs felt it was best to get Indians off the reservations and into the rest of society.
Mankiller was friends with Gloria Steinem and struggled with a number of health complications during her life including a debilitating kidney disease.
September 1, 2012
An autobiography of a truly remarkable woman and her Nation. Wilma takes us through her life beginning with family history of her father Charlie Mankiller to 1998 and her kidney transplant. There is a Chronology in the back that assists you in traveling back to the earliest of times of the Cherokee People to the election of Chad Smith as Principal Chief.
The book shows how one person can improve not only themselves and their conditions but help the people around them.
The book shows how one person can improve not only themselves and their conditions but help the people around them.
October 10, 2008
Absolutely a delight to read! Wilma Mankiller, a first Cherokee woman to be the first woman to be a chief for the Cherokee Nation. Her story has expanded her experiences, her life, leadership and her people. A must read book!
April 13, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. Wilma was not only a leader for her Native People, she was a woman to be admired by all woman. Very inspirational reading.
September 23, 2012
I found this in a used book store and was delighted to read about the history of my tribe but also the strong woman leader, the first woman chief in history.
June 4, 2022
Wilma Mankiller is the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation with an incredible story to tell. She rose to the leading position within her tribe, all while dealing with chronic health problems and structural injustices in her life and the lives of her people. Chapters alternate between personal narrative and tribe history, with each beginning with a Cherokee teaching. It’s a beautiful interwoven tapestry of legend, communal account, and individual story.
I learned about pieces of our history I have never known about, like how American colonists destroyed 50 Cherokee towns during the Revolutionary War. And how the Eastern Band of Cherokee (those who hid in the mountains during Removal) and the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma reunited for the first time after Removal in 1984. 1984. What a tragically long wait to be united as one people again. I also learned that Jefferson was the original architect of Indian Removal through the lens of “Western expansion,” and Jackson was simply the one who had the gall to carry it out.
I also got to delve deeper into well known pieces of Cherokee history, from the syllabary of Sequoyah to the Treaty of New Echota and the Dawes Act. And hearing about beauty of the Smoky and Rocky Mountains through indigenous eyes was revelatory.
Mankiller’s family was one of those affected by the Indian termination and relocation policies of the 1950s, as her family was relocated from their family land on Mankiller Flats in Oklahoma to San Francisco. Away from family. Away from tradition. Away from other Cherokee. What they found in the city was life piled into a cramped ghetto apartment, long hard days of work in a factory, and no culture to ground them. Wilma speaks of the isolation she felt at her new school and neighborhood, and it is gutting.
She experiences renewal of identity and purpose during the Occupation of Alcatraz and it is there on that island that she finds her political voice. After this, she becomes convinced that she needs to move back to her ancestral homelands in Oklahoma and does so, beginning her successful career in tribal politics.
Wilma Mankiller is a fierce woman who was raised to know her worth in a world that inherently discredits her. It’s a beauty to read her story of triumph and leadership, and the heartaches along the way. Highly recommend the autobiography of this powerhouse of a woman.
I learned about pieces of our history I have never known about, like how American colonists destroyed 50 Cherokee towns during the Revolutionary War. And how the Eastern Band of Cherokee (those who hid in the mountains during Removal) and the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma reunited for the first time after Removal in 1984. 1984. What a tragically long wait to be united as one people again. I also learned that Jefferson was the original architect of Indian Removal through the lens of “Western expansion,” and Jackson was simply the one who had the gall to carry it out.
I also got to delve deeper into well known pieces of Cherokee history, from the syllabary of Sequoyah to the Treaty of New Echota and the Dawes Act. And hearing about beauty of the Smoky and Rocky Mountains through indigenous eyes was revelatory.
Mankiller’s family was one of those affected by the Indian termination and relocation policies of the 1950s, as her family was relocated from their family land on Mankiller Flats in Oklahoma to San Francisco. Away from family. Away from tradition. Away from other Cherokee. What they found in the city was life piled into a cramped ghetto apartment, long hard days of work in a factory, and no culture to ground them. Wilma speaks of the isolation she felt at her new school and neighborhood, and it is gutting.
She experiences renewal of identity and purpose during the Occupation of Alcatraz and it is there on that island that she finds her political voice. After this, she becomes convinced that she needs to move back to her ancestral homelands in Oklahoma and does so, beginning her successful career in tribal politics.
Wilma Mankiller is a fierce woman who was raised to know her worth in a world that inherently discredits her. It’s a beauty to read her story of triumph and leadership, and the heartaches along the way. Highly recommend the autobiography of this powerhouse of a woman.
March 18, 2022
2.5 stars, rounded up.
This book was equivalent to reading a textbook. Packed full of a lot of information I wasn't formally aware of, but very informational and matter-of-factly. The writing style was very blunt with no dialogue or sensory grounding elements, and Mankiller just told us what happened, exactly as it did. With this, the book itself was incredibly boring and a sludge to push through. It wasn't until the last 1/3 of the book that it began to pick up pace, and we got a peak inside Mankiller's personality. For a few 30-40 pages, I was actually invested in her hardships and journey from and through unavoidable illnesses, and that is the only reason I decided to increase the rating from 2. It's sad to say that such a book is boring, however, because it really was inspiring and included a lot of great facts and historical events that are good for anyone to know. I would recommend this book for anyone curious about this history of Cherokees and the life of the first, female Cherokee chief, but otherwise, be warned that rather than presenting everything as a true story disguised written as a novel, or creative nonfiction, it just sort of lists the events in order, making it a bit difficult to really remain engaged.
This book was equivalent to reading a textbook. Packed full of a lot of information I wasn't formally aware of, but very informational and matter-of-factly. The writing style was very blunt with no dialogue or sensory grounding elements, and Mankiller just told us what happened, exactly as it did. With this, the book itself was incredibly boring and a sludge to push through. It wasn't until the last 1/3 of the book that it began to pick up pace, and we got a peak inside Mankiller's personality. For a few 30-40 pages, I was actually invested in her hardships and journey from and through unavoidable illnesses, and that is the only reason I decided to increase the rating from 2. It's sad to say that such a book is boring, however, because it really was inspiring and included a lot of great facts and historical events that are good for anyone to know. I would recommend this book for anyone curious about this history of Cherokees and the life of the first, female Cherokee chief, but otherwise, be warned that rather than presenting everything as a true story disguised written as a novel, or creative nonfiction, it just sort of lists the events in order, making it a bit difficult to really remain engaged.
September 15, 2014
This book does an excellent job in addressing the many different forms of legislation that have shaped the lives of the people of the Cherokee nation. I liked Wilma Mankiller's description of the occupation of Alcatraz in the early 70s, and her graphic depiction of the ramifications of the passing of the Dawes Act in 1887. She also discusses the Trail of Tears in length, and paints Columbus, Andrew Jackson, and Thomas Jefferson in different lights than are used in the American History books. "In 1492, there were more than seventy-five million native people in the Western Hemisphere, with six million of those residing in what is now the United States. They spoke two thousand languages, and had been part of thriving civilizations long before the coming of Columbus. This rich culture of the native people nonetheless was demolished methodically and ruthlessly within a historically short period." She also quoted activist Russell Means with, "Columbus make Hitler look like a juvenile delinquent." Columbus, and those who followed him were responsible for genocide, slavery, colonialism, and environmental destruction. Thomas Jefferson was the original architect behind the Indian Removal Act, and Andrew Jackson, who was saved in battle by a native named Junaluska, forced the Native Americans to relocate to Oklahoma. Mankiller expresses the Native view of white interference, and shows just how corrupt our history has been.
The first half of the book covers the early years, both historically and personally. She also touches briefly on the issue of the Native American forced schooling. The second half of the book covers the damage done by the BIA in the 50s, and the beginnings of the American Indian Movement - which was the best part of the novel.
My main problem with this book is that it is very poorly written. There is a lot of great information here, but with extremely bad editing. She jumps around a great deal. On one page, she will talk about the Removal of 1830, and on the following page she will discuss her time in California in the 60s. She included a time table in the back with her eons of references, and it helps to fill in the blanks. She also added quite a bit of personal information that didn't help to move the story along, so it got a bit dry and boring at times. If you are interested in the history of the Cherokee Nation or of the American Indian Movement, I would recommend this book. It's long, but it's an east read.
The first half of the book covers the early years, both historically and personally. She also touches briefly on the issue of the Native American forced schooling. The second half of the book covers the damage done by the BIA in the 50s, and the beginnings of the American Indian Movement - which was the best part of the novel.
My main problem with this book is that it is very poorly written. There is a lot of great information here, but with extremely bad editing. She jumps around a great deal. On one page, she will talk about the Removal of 1830, and on the following page she will discuss her time in California in the 60s. She included a time table in the back with her eons of references, and it helps to fill in the blanks. She also added quite a bit of personal information that didn't help to move the story along, so it got a bit dry and boring at times. If you are interested in the history of the Cherokee Nation or of the American Indian Movement, I would recommend this book. It's long, but it's an east read.
January 1, 2016
Wilma Mankiller was the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation for 10 years. She was also the first female to be Principal Chief and so far, the only one.
While the book is mostly the autobiography of Wilma Mankiller, she explains that it is not just her story she's sharing, but also the story of the Cherokee.
And because of this, the book is filled with Cherokee history. I greatly enjoyed reading those parts, but even more, I enjoyed reading about this amazing woman's life. She did accomplish a lot and seems to have done a lot of good, but she also had many health problems.
While I did not agree with everything Wilma Mankiller said, I really liked this book and I do think she was very wise. If you want to learn about Wilma Mankiller, then this is the book for you. And you'll also learn a lot about the Cherokee as well.
Wilma Mankiller passed away in 2010. May she rest in peace.
While the book is mostly the autobiography of Wilma Mankiller, she explains that it is not just her story she's sharing, but also the story of the Cherokee.
And because of this, the book is filled with Cherokee history. I greatly enjoyed reading those parts, but even more, I enjoyed reading about this amazing woman's life. She did accomplish a lot and seems to have done a lot of good, but she also had many health problems.
While I did not agree with everything Wilma Mankiller said, I really liked this book and I do think she was very wise. If you want to learn about Wilma Mankiller, then this is the book for you. And you'll also learn a lot about the Cherokee as well.
Wilma Mankiller passed away in 2010. May she rest in peace.
September 14, 2011
This is a life story to give hope to people who think one woman cannot accomplish much. The world needs a lot more women with this much common sense, compassion, and blend of reality-based thinking and incredible dreams! "Women can help turn the world right side up. We bring a more collaborative approach to government. And if we do NOT participate, then the decisions WILL be made without us."
Update 9/13/2011 - I just finished re-reading this book. I had completely forgotten reading it long ago. I cried when Wilma Mankiller died this year; in spite of the fact that she started telling her people "My season here is coming to an end." back in 1994. A woman not unlike Eleanor Roosevelt, and like Eleanor Roosevelt, virtually invisible much of her life. A force with which to be reckoned.
Update 9/13/2011 - I just finished re-reading this book. I had completely forgotten reading it long ago. I cried when Wilma Mankiller died this year; in spite of the fact that she started telling her people "My season here is coming to an end." back in 1994. A woman not unlike Eleanor Roosevelt, and like Eleanor Roosevelt, virtually invisible much of her life. A force with which to be reckoned.
September 27, 2015
Mankiller: A Chief and Her People says that this book is an autobiography. However, it is much more than that. Along with the story of her life, Wilma Mankiller also gives us a great deal of information on history of the Cherokee, especially as it related to the Cherokee Nation's interactions and dealings with the US Government and white settlers. Needless to say, none of the information is good for the Cherokee, but it is very interesting and good for us to know. I also enjoyed the Cherokee teachings and stories that started each chapter of the book.
Wilma Mankiller's story all by itself is interesting but she's made it far more readable and universal by adding in the Cherokee Nation's history. This is definitely worth reading, especially if you're interested in Native American history.
Wilma Mankiller's story all by itself is interesting but she's made it far more readable and universal by adding in the Cherokee Nation's history. This is definitely worth reading, especially if you're interested in Native American history.
September 17, 2020
Mankiller is an amazing and tells her story with remarkable balance. She uses traditional storytelling formats and folk stories to introduce the history of her people and contextually her personal experiences within that history. Her pride in her people is balanced with an unassuming humility that never under- or overstates the impact of her work. I love how this book weaves together multiple narratives so clearly. Her personal chronology at the beginning and the historical timeline at the end provide helpful bookend to people not used to a narrative style that moves between times. I found it engaging and well researched while using language that is straight forward enough for a school aged reader to follow. Highly recommend.
March 28, 2015
Wilma Mankiller's memoir of modern Native American life--juxtaposed with a tribal history--offers the too little told story of growing up under the policies of contemporary U.S. Indian Affairs policy. Mankiller's story of resettlement in the 1950s, the 1970s Alcatraz protests, and the move toward reclaiming Native land in the great plains offers a valuable perspective on the functioning of the Cherokee nation within the U.S. National boundaries, and challenges readers to become more aware of all the indigenous people living in and around our communities.
December 24, 2016
Wilma Mankiller was the first female leader of the Cherokee Nation in modern times. The original Cherokees were a matriarchy so it seems fitting that a woman would rise to the top as the Cherokees strive to reclaim their roots. She overcame many setbacks (head-on collision in which the other driver turned out to be her best friend, myasthenia gravis and a kidney transplant) to lead the Cherokees and was an inspiration to all women, not just native Americans. Her memoir traces Cherokee history as well as her own. A good book all around.
May 3, 2009
really, i'd give this 3.5, but since that's not an option, i'll bump it up to four stars. mankiller's co-written autobiography is not as detailed as i'd like. the things she focuses on are often not the things that i find most compelling. that said, she's a wonderful storyteller and i walked away feeling as if i had sat down with the former Cherokee chief and we'd had a chat, which is a definite plus.
February 15, 2016
Mankiller, the first woman principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, gives us both a riveting autobiography and an insightful history of the Cherokee, up to the time of publication. Geographically there is a focus on Oklahoma, where Mankiller was born and lived the latter part of her life until her death in April 2010. Originally published in 1994, this new edition updates her life and events in the lives of Oklahoma Cherokees through 1999.
February 24, 2017
This was a candid look at the life, thus far, of a rather remarkable and very humble woman. Mankiller contextualizes her life and her tribe's life--all the way back through tribal history, the Trail of Tears, and her own accidental awakening as a political activist. This is an honest and insightful autobiography about a remarkable woman and the Cherokee culture.
December 19, 2009
Written in the traditional style of Native American storytelling made this book difficult for me to read. I jumps between her current life to major moments in Native American history to her childhood memories. However, I found a deep message of the strength of one woman's power on a dying culture, the first female Chief of the Cherokee people.
November 30, 2013
I don't tend to read biographies but this one is excellent! Ms. Mankiller was truly a pioneer for American Indian rights. I learned so much about the struggle of Native Americans in this country. A must read for all Americans!
June 12, 2008
Clearest histories of Real Peoples. This is where our children and teachers need to seek their sources.
September 3, 2013
Wow, what a wonderful book. I had no idea. Just the introduction is enough to give you chills--rest of the book was icing on the cake. GOOD READ.
March 24, 2019
3.5 stars. This book starts with a heavy focus on the history of the Cherokee people and includes more and more of Mankiller's own life as the book goes on. The content was well worth reading, but I wish the writing had been better; in memoirs I'm used to a series of individual stories that serve to represent different periods of a person's life, but Mankiller tells very few "one day this happened" stories and sticks mostly to generalities in a kind of "I did this and then I did this and after a while I decided to do this instead" approach.
If you can get past the writing, though, this is still worth a read, especially if you aren't already familiar with a lot of the history of indigenous peoples in the United States. Having read Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, there wasn't a ton that was new or surprising to me, but the focus specifically on the Cherokee Nation helped to provide a detailed backdrop for Mankiller's own story. Expected to become a docile housewife in the 1960s, she instead pursued her passions and ended up involved with a lot of the activism happening in the late 1960s while also working for the Cherokee Nation. She then dealt with a serious accident and two major health crises before becoming deputy chief of the Cherokee Nation and eventually the first female principal chief. I wish the writing had had more detail than the factual statements she provided of the order of events, because her personality doesn't really come through, while at the same time you understand that she's clearly a remarkable woman to have been through everything she has and still accomplish everything she did.
I'd be interested to know if any existing biographies of Wilma Mankiller provide a more full-color picture of her as a person than this autobiography does. Still, I appreciated the chance to hear her story (and the story of her people) told in her own voice. I'm glad to have read this.
If you can get past the writing, though, this is still worth a read, especially if you aren't already familiar with a lot of the history of indigenous peoples in the United States. Having read Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, there wasn't a ton that was new or surprising to me, but the focus specifically on the Cherokee Nation helped to provide a detailed backdrop for Mankiller's own story. Expected to become a docile housewife in the 1960s, she instead pursued her passions and ended up involved with a lot of the activism happening in the late 1960s while also working for the Cherokee Nation. She then dealt with a serious accident and two major health crises before becoming deputy chief of the Cherokee Nation and eventually the first female principal chief. I wish the writing had had more detail than the factual statements she provided of the order of events, because her personality doesn't really come through, while at the same time you understand that she's clearly a remarkable woman to have been through everything she has and still accomplish everything she did.
I'd be interested to know if any existing biographies of Wilma Mankiller provide a more full-color picture of her as a person than this autobiography does. Still, I appreciated the chance to hear her story (and the story of her people) told in her own voice. I'm glad to have read this.
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