“Every Day is a Good Day”
A Conversation with Wilma Mankiller
By Nicole Adams

Wilma Mankiller

In any discussion of contemporary American Indian leadership, the unprecedented contributions of Wilma Mankiller, the former principal chief of the Cherokee Nation and writer, inevitably arise. Since her ascension in tribal politics that culminated in her election as the first female principal chief, much has been written about Mankiller including international media coverage and her best-selling autobiography Mankiller: A Chief and Her People. Units of grammar school curricula are even devoted to her story. A review of the long roster of Mankiller’s awards and accolades, which includes recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, member of the National Women’s Hall of Fame, Ms. Magazine Woman of the Year, and recipient of 18 honorary doctorates, serves as greater testament to Mankiller’s appeal as a leader whose contribution has gone far beyond her own tribal community.
And yet, throughout the years of being identified as a political leader of unprecedented achievement, feminist icon, and voice for Indian Country, Mankiller herself has preferred to devote her energies toward serving as a force in eliciting positive change in Indian Country, rather than relaxing in the limelight. Mankiller’s early experiences included being an active member of the San Francisco Bay Area Indian community (her family was one of many impacted by the relocation policies of the 1950s) and later as grassroots organizer for the Pit River Tribe of California and the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Mankiller’s postelected office projects range from Cherokee education initiatives to serving as trustee to national philanthropic foundations. Still, she views her role in these endeavors as “facilitator” rather than “leader,” having said in the past, “I want to be remembered as the person who helped us restore faith in ourselves,” and “I have a lot of faith in our ability to solve our own problems.”
Most remarkable, however, is the fact that Mankiller has accomplished so much and continued to serve as an unwavering model of strength despite dramatic health concerns that would have deterred most others. A near-fatal car accident and recurring bouts of kidney disease and cancer have not kept Mankiller from her deep commitment to unwavering public service.
Winds of Change recently interviewed Wilma Mankiller to discuss her life’s journey, views of Indian leadership today, and the publication of her forthcoming book Every Day is a Good Day (to be published by Fulcrum Publishing in the fall of 2004).

What do you think it was about you that caused others to start viewing you as a community leader?
It is very difficult to assess how others view me or why they would allow me to assume the position of facilitator. If I had to guess, I would say that it has to do with (l) I am relentlessly positive, (2) I can focus on a specific goal and stay the course no matter how long it takes, and (3) I usually genuinely care about the people I am involved with and the issues I am working on.

From whom or from where did you gain these values?
My commitment to remaining focused is derived in part from hearing a lot of more tradition-oriented Cherokee people say how important it is to “keep your word.” If I say I plan to build a clinic in Stilwell then I darn well better build a clinic in Stilwell. My parents, mentors at the San Francisco Indian Center, my husband Charlie Soap, a number of traditional leaders from various tribes, and my own personal values have all contributed to my ability to remain positive, to care about people, to be engaged in the world around me.
From my family I learned that being a good person meant helping other people and being fully engaged in the world around me. My parents cared about justice and human rights, though they didn’t characterize it that way. They spoke about the rights of workers, of poor people, of Native American people. When we lived in San Francisco, my father was a union shop steward and also advocated for a health clinic for the Bay Area Indian community. My siblings were involved in the occupation of Alcatraz Island. My brother Richard went to Wounded Knee. I did volunteer work for the Pit River Tribe. We were always helping people and my parents generously shared our home and dinner table with people who were down on their luck. My progression from playing a supportive role to a more prominent role was a natural result of caring deeply about the issues I was involved in.
My passionate feelings about issues eventually led me to assume increasingly responsible roles. When I began to speak up at meetings, often with a view quite different from the current leadership, I was taking small steps toward assuming a greater role. With each step forward, I never looked back.

As the first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, you broke down some longstanding barriers regarding the role of women as leaders. How do you think those barriers became so prevalent in the first place?
Cherokee women have always played an important role in all aspects of our communities and governments. At certain times in Cherokee history, women were warriors. Women had the power to determine the fate of prisoners or people who had violated the tribal values. When there was a marriage between a man and a woman, the men would move to the home of the women. We trace our clan ancestry through the women. Women were consulted in matters of importance to the community and the nation. Then when Cherokee people adopted some of the values of the larger society around them, women began to assume a secondary role. My election as the first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation was a step forward for women and a step back into tribal tradition as well.

Since you left office, have sentiments on female leadership changed?
If there has been any change in attitude about female leadership since I left office, I am unaware of it. I think most people who vote in Cherokee elections do not vote based on the gender of the candidate. I think they care more about competence and the ability to get things done for the people. I believe a woman running for the office of principal chief today would face little opposition based solely on gender.

How did you make the decision to leave political office?
By the time I left the Cherokee Nation in l995, I had been either an employee or an elected official for almost l8 years. I had long held the belief that elected tribal leaders remain in their positions too long. I decided it was time for new leadership. Also, during my last year in office, it became increasingly difficult to keep up with my schedule. I thought I was just exhausted. But six months after I left office, I was diagnosed with lymphoma which was present in my system long enough to have moved to a second stage. I have never regretted the decision to leave office. It was an incredible honor and privilege to hold that position and I did the best I could while in office. But it was the right time to leave.

Your contribution as a leader has been recognized far beyond Indian Country as evidenced by your many awards and honorary degrees. And yet you sound as if you try to lead a quiet life with your family in Oklahoma. How do you decide what endeavors to take on inside and outside of Indian Country?
Since leaving office I have worked on a number of projects I really care about. When I am approached about working on a project in any capacity, I filter it through two criteria, (l) Is it something I really care about? and (2) Can I make a genuine contribution? I do a lot of support and fund-raising for local bilingual Cherokee community projects. I am also a strong advocate for and supporter of the Institute of American Indian Arts’ new Lifelong Learning Center. I am beginning to conceptualize a new book. I do a fair amount of writing and speaking about the importance of Native people taking charge of their own public image. I have worked with the principals in RedWind Consulting, to develop a strategic, scientific method for helping tribal people taking ownership of our public perception. I strongly believe sharing our own public image is a sovereignty protection issue. How the public perceives Native people has a direct correlation to the public policies that are formulated in Washington, D.C.

Has the mainstream recognition affected how Native people perceive you?
There are probably mixed feelings among Native people about how the mainstream media perceives me. And it certainly would not surprise me if there was some resentment. There are certainly hundreds of Native women who have worked much harder than I have, and accomplished more, but who have not received the recognition I have received.
Also, it is annoying that the mainstream media sometimes tries to portray me and several others as spokespeople for Native people. I am not a spokesperson for anyone other than myself. Based on a lifetime of experience living and working in Indian communities I have strong and very defi- nite opinions about how things should be, but these beliefs are reflections of my own experience, not the experience of every Native person.
It is a special challenge to be put in the spotlight by the mainstream media. When I am the focus of an interview, I try to use the space to educate the public about the positive attributes of our communities and governments rather than just reciting a litany of problems.

It must be hard to be on the receiving end of criticism from your own community. How do you deal with this?
Tribal politics is not for the faint hearted. If one is sensitive to personal or political criticism, one should certainly consider doing something else. Being on the receiving end of criticism and the most bizarre rumors have been part of my life for a long time. In some ways, all the health issues I have faced were a special gift because they helped me develop a clear sense of purpose and view personal criticism as much less important than getting things done.

If you were to describe the state of Indian Country today with regards to spiritual, cultural, economic health and viability, how would you do so?
I don’t know that I can make a general categorical statement about the state of Indian Country because it differs so much from region to region and nation to nation. There is a stark contrast between the spiritual, cultural, economic, and health issues faced by the traditional government of the Onondaga Nation which eschews gaming, and some of the governments which are now dependent on vast gaming resources. I do, however, think it is safe to say that there is a common concern among many Native people that the indigenous languages and traditional knowledge systems which have sustained us since time immemorial are “slipping away,” and that immediate action needs to be taken to preserve this knowledge for future generations.

How would you characterize the Native contribution to today’s global society?
It is amazing to me that people from other continents have been living here in our lands for centuries and stocking their pharmacies with our medicines but they know so little about our contributions to this land now called America. They want to forget that the building of the United States cost many Native American lives and millions of acres of land. And yet, tribal people still have to fight every single day to protect our remaining rights.
Too many Americans have a staggering sense of entitlement based on their race, and they filter what little they know about Native people through nonsensical stereotypes and misinformation picked up from popular culture films and new age books. In his ground-breaking book, Indian Givers, Jack Weatherford cites hundreds of examples of indigenous contributions to the world ranging from medicinal knowledge to shaping the economy and introducing the world to the game of Lacrosse. Some of our Native American intellectuals like Vine Deloria, Jr., Bea Medicine, John Mohawk, and Janine Pease are considered the greatest thinkers of our time.
The many jobs created by Native people and contributions to charitable organizations are often cited. In Oklahoma, the tribal governments generated over 20,000 jobs and contribute billions of dollars to the economy. I am certain there are similar situations in other states with significant tribal populations as well.

What accomplishments, within your community or within Indian Country in general, do you think are worth celebration?
We should celebrate the growth of non-governmental organizations in Indian Country, many of which are engaged in very important work. Native Action on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation developed an extraordinary Get Out the Vote Project that resulted in the election of several Native people to state offices. Working hand-in-hand with the Northern Cheyenne tribal government, Native Action has waged an inspiring battle to protect their homelands and water systems. And, the tribal college movement has fundamentally changed education in Indian country. I am also excited about the phenomenal growth of the Institute of American Indian Arts under the leadership of Della Warrior. They are building a new Lifelong Learning Center which will serve as a kind of national Native American University where important research on language, culture and other important Native issues can be discussed, models can be tested and debates can occur.
The self-help projects in Cherokee communities are very exciting wherein the people themselves conceptualize, develop and implement a range of projects for their own benefit.

In your experience, how receptive is Indian Country to melding our traditional ways with aspects of contemporary society?
During the past 20 years, I have observed remarkable progress in the effort to get people with traditional knowledge and those with formal higher education to share their base of knowledge on equal footing. On a recent visit to Northern Arizona University’s indigenous studies department, I was very impressed by the intermingling of traditional leaders with academic staff. The enormous respect between the professors and traditional leaders was very evident in the discussions and more importantly, in the success of the programs produced by the university. This model and others can and should be utilized by those who are still struggling with the issue of how traditional knowledge systems can be utilized to inform contemporary tribal life and work. If people with formal higher education can understand that they have a specific and valuable body of knowledge and that tradition-oriented indigenous people have a specific and valuable body of knowledge, they can figure out ways to work together.

Do you think we are doing enough to celebrate and acknowledge our successes in keeping our communities strong? Why or why not? What could be changed?
We could do a lot more to celebrate and acknowledge our successes. Because tribal leaders and people active in their communities all face such a daunting set of problems, there is sometimes a tendency to focus on deficits, problems and all the crises we continually face rather than to celebrate what we still have. After everything that has happened to us historically, it is amazing that our governments are still strong, indigenous languages are still being spoken, hundreds of seasonal ceremonies are still performed and many Native people still have a sense of responsibility to community, to family, to nation.

To address the problems in our communities, what kinds of leaders do we need?
The kind of leaders we need to address our problems are those who: (l) possess the ability to listen to people and clearly articulate a vision for the future, (2) are able to ignore the negative noise around them and remain absolutely focused on established goals, (3) be motivated by compassion for the people, (4) are positive and forward thinking, (5) keep their word, (6) have the ability to facilitate a leadership team with a diversity of skills, characteristics, opinions and ideas, and (7) never, ever give up.

Charlie Soap and Wilma Mankiller are welcomed by Maori hosts during a recent visit to New Zealand.

How can we cultivate leaders who possess these abilities?
The best way to cultivate these kinds of leaders is to give very young people the opportunity to lead by placing them in positions of responsibility in the community and in the government. Programs that allow young people to work directly with and shadow tribal judges, social workers, business people, clinic directors, public relations specialists, project directors and elected officials are very effective. Several of the young people who served as high school interns at the Cherokee Nation during my tenure have received very good educations and returned to share their skills and knowledge with Cherokee people. That may not have happened if they had not had the internship opportunities

On another topic, your new book is coming out this fall. What can you tell us about the book?
My new book, Every Day is a Good Day, to be published by Fulcrum Press in September, 2004 is a set of essays, stories and interviews with an outstanding group of women, some of whom are my personal heroines: Onondaga Clan Mother Audrey Shenandoah, Shoshone grandmothers Mary and Carrie Dann, Northern Cheyenne activist Gail Small, prominent anthropologist Dr. Bea Medicine, and more than a dozen other inspiring women ranging from Muscogee Creek poet Joy Harjo to Yaqui linguist Octavian Trujillo and Gwich’in environmentalist Sarah James.

Do you enjoy the writing process?
I am probably most at peace when I am in the middle of an exciting writing project or reading a good book. It is one of life’s mysteries that the Creator sent a bookworm like me into tribal politics. During my tumultuous adolescent years, I learned to write as a survival mechanism. I wrote things that I could not say to another person. When I was about 12, and always in trouble, an English teacher complimented me on my writing. It is amazing how much impact that single and very simple act of encouragement had on me and my sense of self-confidence.
I used to write poetry, which is a pure form of emotional expression, and fiction. But for years I have written grant proposals, reports, congressional testimony, essays and other non-fiction pieces. I am just now getting back to a point where I feel I can once again immerse myself in fiction and poetry.
We always had books in our house, even when we lived in a rough housing project in San Francisco. And here, in rural Oklahoma, I have a pretty good library in my home. People usually introduce me as the former principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. Hopefully, someday I will be introduced as a writer.

Your retirement from political office has been anything from a retirement from public service. What does the future hold for you?
Because I have had a number of very serious health problems, including cancer twice and two kidney transplants, I never gave any thought whatsoever to retirement. Now that the Creator has blessed me with all these extra years of life, I certainly have no intention of retiring. I hope to continue to actively support Cherokee communities, to remain on one or two national boards, to contribute to the national discourse about contemporary Native issues, to write, spend time with my family and use the skills I have acquired to benefit others.

It is amazing to see the enthusiasm with which you approach your life. Have your experiences with coming face-to-face with the physical fragility of life ever affected the way with which you approach your passions, projects, family, etc?
Even as a child, I was described as sunny. When presented with a situation, the way my mind works is to problem solve, and to try to find something positive about even the most negative situation. Given the challenges the Creator has sent my way, I am very grateful that I can usually find gifts and lessons to be learned from even the most painful and difficult situations. Being so close to death that I could feel it, experience it, even savor it, made me a much more spiritually aware person, and it left me with no fear of death or of life. I am grateful for that experience.
My favorite Cherokee traditional prayer begins with, “First let us remove all negative thoughts from our minds so we can come together as one…” It is my absolute belief that unchecked negative thoughts can permeate the being and manifest themselves in negative actions.

Many would consider you one of the most influential Indian leaders of our time. To those rising to become the new leadership in Indian Country, what would you say?
People of my generation who have held both formal and informal leadership positions need to figure out how we can serve as sounding boards or leadership coaches for emerging leaders. I think it is a good use of our time to take a behind-the-scenes role with young Native people working on projects to improve their governments, institutions and communities. I try to encourage young people to become involved in tribal leadership. Even with all its limitations and challenges, tribal leadership remains one of the most public and important roles in our communities.
I would encourage young people to not look around them for others to solve problems in their communities but to look within themselves. Everyone has the ability to lead and opportunities for leadership present themselves almost continually. Some step up and take the opportunity and others choose not to. It is my hope that some of the young Native people with the strongest traditional values, best set of skills, and greatest compassion for the people will choose to lead in a way that will help us all find the right and correct path forward for our people.

Nicole Adams, Colville/Yakama, is a contributing editor to Winds of Change.