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Wilma Mankiller (2005-06)
Indigenous Peoples: National Policy and International Human Rights
Chief Wilma Mankiller was an author, activist, and former principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. In 1983, she was elected the first female deputy chief of the Cherokee Nation and president of the tribal council.
In 1987, Mankiller was elected principal chief of the Cherokees, making her the first woman in modern history to hold such a position. She was reelected four years later by an overwhelming majority. During Mankiller's tenure, she met with Presidents Reagan, Bush, and Clinton to present critical tribal issues. She and the Navajo Nation president, Peterson Zah, co-chaired a national conference between tribal leaders and cabinet members, which helped facilitate the establishment of an Office of Tribal Justice within the U.S. Department of Justice. Mankiller's tenure was also marked by a great deal of new development, including several new free-standing health clinics, an $11 million Jobs Corps Center, and greatly expanded services for children and youth. She led the team that developed the core businesses that comprise Cherokee Nation Enterprises. Mankiller was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998 and holds honorary doctorate degrees from Yale University, Dartmouth College, Smith College, and other institutions. She wrote and co-authored several works, including Every Day is a Good Day, Mankiller: A Chief and Her People, and A Reader's Companion to the History of Women in the U.S. She also contributed to other publications, including an essay for Native Universe, the inaugural publication of the National Museum of the American Indian.
Chief Wilma Mankiller was the 2005-06 Wayne Morse Chair of Law and Politics. During her stay at UO, she delivered a public lecture on Context Is Everything: History and Culture in Contemporary Tribal Life (40K PDF), participated in several symposia, and taught an ethnic studies course on Native American Life, Law and Leadership in the Modern Era with UO Knight Professor of Law Rennard Strickland.
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