[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 52 (Wednesday, April 14, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H2535-H2537]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THE LIFE OF WILMA PEARL MANKILLER

  Mr. BOREN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 1237) honoring the life of Wilma Pearl Mankiller 
and expressing condolences of the House of Representatives on her 
passing.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1237

       Whereas Wilma was born November 18, 1945, at Hastings 
     Indian Hospital in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and had her roots 
     planted deep in the rural community of Mankiller Flats in 
     Adair County, Oklahoma, where she spent most of her life;
       Whereas at age 10, her family moved to San Francisco as 
     part of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Relocation Program where 
     she lived for two decades before returning to Oklahoma in 
     1977;
       Whereas upon returning to Oklahoma, Wilma found a job as a 
     community coordinator at the Cherokee Nation capital and 
     enrolled in graduate courses at the University of Arkansas in 
     Fayetteville;
       Whereas in 1983 Wilma ran for the office of Deputy Chief 
     alongside Ross Swimmer, then Principal Chief of the Cherokee 
     Nation, and the two won the election and took office in 
     August, 1983;
       Whereas on December 5, 1985, Wilma was sworn in to replace 
     Chief Swimmer as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, 
     making her the first female to hold the office;
       Whereas Wilma was formally elected to serve as the first 
     female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation in 1987, and 
     was overwhelmingly re-elected in 1991;
       Whereas during her time as Principal Chief, Wilma focused 
     on education and health care, overseeing the construction of 
     new schools, job-training centers, health clinics, community 
     development, and a award winning housing and water projects 
     in low-income communities;
       Whereas over the course of her three terms, Wilma made 
     great strides to reinstate the traditional Cherokee culture 
     and values, especially the role of women, reinvigorating the 
     Cherokee Nation through community development projects where 
     men and women work collectively for the common good;
       Whereas during Wilma's tenure she transformed the Nation-
     to-Nation relationship between the Cherokee Nation and the 
     Federal Government, met with Presidents Reagan, Bush, and 
     Clinton to present critical tribal issues, and co-chaired a 
     national conference between tribal leaders and cabinet 
     members, which helped facilitate the establishment of an 
     Office of Indian Justice within the U.S. Department of 
     Justice;
       Whereas upon leaving office Wilma continued her endeavors, 
     serving on several philanthropic boards, including 12 years 
     on the board of trustees of the Ford Foundation, 4 years on 
     the Board of the Ms. Foundation for Women, and 4 years on the 
     board of the Seventh Generation Fund and the board of the 
     Freedom Forum and its subsidiary, the Newseum;
       Whereas Wilma presented more than 100 lectures on the 
     challenges facing Native Americans and women in the 21st 
     century and she served as the Wayne Morse Professor at the 
     University of Oregon for the fall semester of 2005 where she 
     taught class on tribal government, law, and life;
       Whereas Wilma held Honorary Doctorate Degrees from Yale 
     University, Dartmouth College, Smith College, Mills College, 
     Northern Arizona University, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma 
     City University, Oklahoma State University, Tulsa University, 
     Drury College, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, Rhode Island 
     College, New England University, and Northeastern State 
     University;
       Whereas Wilma held many honors, including the Montgomery 
     Fellowship, Dartmouth College; The Chubb Fellowship, Timothy 
     Dwight College, Yale University; San Francisco State 
     University, Hall of Fame; an Francisco State Alumna of the 
     Year (1988), International Women of Distinction Award, Alpha 
     Delta Kappa, Oklahoma Hall of Fame, Oklahoma Women's Hall of 
     Fame, National Women's Hall of Fame, International Women's 
     Forum Hall of Fame, Minority Business Hall of Fame, and she 
     was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by then 
     President Bill Clinton for her vision and commitment to a 
     brighter future for all Americans;
       Whereas Wilma published several works, including ``Every 
     Day is a Good Day'', Fulcrum Publishing 2004, ``Mankiller: A 
     Chief and Her People'', co-authored, St. Martin's Press 1993, 
     ``A Reader's Companion to the History of Women in the U.S.'', 
     co-edited, Houghton-Mifflin 1998, and she contributed to many 
     other publications, including an essay for Native Universe, 
     the inaugural publication of the National Museum of the 
     American Indian;
       Whereas upon the announcement of her diagnoses in March of 
     2010, Wilma offered words of inspiration: ``I want my family 
     and friends to know that I am mentally and spiritually 
     prepared for this journey; a journey that all human beings 
     will take at one time or another. I learned a long time ago 
     that I can't control the challenges the Creator sends my way 
     but I can control the way I think about them and deal with 
     them. On balance, I have been blessed with an extraordinarily 
     rich and wonderful life, filled with incredible experiences. 
     And I am grateful to have a support team composed of loving 
     family and friends. I will be spending my time with my family 
     and close friends and engaging in activities I enjoy. It's 
     been my privilege to meet and be touched by thousands of 
     people in my life and I regret not being able to deliver this 
     message personally to so many of you'';
       Whereas Chief Mankiller's final days were not marred by the 
     impending sorrow of her departure, but glowing reminiscence 
     of her influence in years past; and
       Whereas Chief Mankiller passed away in the morning hours of 
     April 6, 2010, at her home in rural Adair County, Oklahoma: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives expresses--
       (1) gratitude to Wilma Mankiller for her significant 
     contributions to the Nation, an inspiration to women in 
     Indian Country and across America, and for leaving a profound 
     legacy that will continue to encourage and motivate all who 
     carry on her work; and
       (2) deep sorrow at the passing of Chief Mankiller and 
     condolences to her friends and family, especially her husband 
     Charlie and two daughters, Gina and Felicia, as well as the 
     Cherokee Nation and all those who knew her and were touched 
     by her good works.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from

[[Page H2536]]

Oklahoma (Mr. Boren) and the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. McMorris 
Rodgers) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oklahoma.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BOREN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Oklahoma?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BOREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of a great 
woman, a lady who has been an inspiration to women and also throughout 
Indian country, Chief Wilma Pearl Mankiller.
  On the morning of April 6, 2010, Chief Wilma Mankiller, the first 
female leader of the Cherokee Nation, steward of Native American 
cultural traditions, and an advocate for advancing the role of women in 
tribal affairs, passed away at her home in rural Adair County, 
Oklahoma.
  Chief Mankiller was a passionate activist for the continued 
enhancement of native peoples and one of the country's most visible 
American Indian luminaries. From her birth on November 18, 1945, at the 
small Hastings Indian Hospital in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, to her service 
as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, Wilma celebrated and 
nurtured her intense tribal heritage which was deeply rooted in a 
connection to the rural community of Mankiller Flats, Adair County, 
where she spent a large part of her life.
  As an accomplished social activist for Indian prosperity, she devoted 
all her energies to the well-being of Native Americans and to expanding 
roles for women through her participation in organizations like the 
Ford Foundation, the Seventh Generation Fund, and the Freedom Forum. 
She also reinstated dialogue between the Cherokee Nation and the 
Federal Government, which ultimately helped establish the Office of 
Indian Justice.
  Wilma received numerous accolades for her tireless efforts at 
improving the general welfare of both Indian country and our Nation, 
not the least of which was the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded to 
her by President Bill Clinton.

                              {time}  1315

  Despite all of her great personal accomplishments, Chief Mankiller 
desired only ``to be remembered as the person who helped us restore 
faith in ourselves.''
  To fulfill that wish and to honor her, I have introduced this 
resolution in gratitude to Chief Wilma Mankiller for her significant 
contributions and service to the Nation. She remains an inspiration to 
women in Indian Country and across America, and she leaves behind a 
profound legacy which will continue to encourage and to motivate all 
who carry on her work.
  Finally, I would like to express our deepest condolences on behalf of 
the U.S. House of Representatives to her friends and her family, 
especially to her husband, Charlie Soap, and to the entire Cherokee 
Nation for the loss of this wonderful lady.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. At this time, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole).
  Mr. COLE. I thank the gentlewoman.
  Mr. Speaker, Wilma Mankiller led a remarkable life. As my friend 
Congressman Boren so eloquently stated, her beginnings were awfully 
humble. Frankly, they didn't get much better for a long time. She 
traveled to California, and unlike a lot of Oklahomans, did not find 
the prosperity that so many had found, so she returned home and went to 
work for the Cherokee Nation. For over a decade, she worked through a 
succession of posts of increasing responsibility. Eventually, she 
became, of course, the principal chief of the second largest Indian 
tribe in America, the first woman to do so and arguably the best leader 
the tribe has had since its removal from North Carolina to Oklahoma.
  During her tenure as chief, she more than tripled the number of 
Cherokees. She doubled tribal employment. She added dozens of programs 
in nutrition, social services, education, and cultural awareness. 
Frankly, she made the Cherokee Nation even more than it was--a force to 
be reckoned with, but a beneficent force, not only in northeast 
Oklahoma, not only within the lives of its citizens, but, quite 
frankly, in Indian Country and in American politics.
  She was recognized for her extraordinary achievements over a 
lifetime--honorary degrees, boards and foundations and, of course, 
again, as my colleague and friend Mr. Boren mentioned, the highest 
civilian award that any American can receive, the Medal of Freedom.
  I knew Wilma Mankiller very well. She led a life based on principles. 
The first one was just absolute personal integrity. She was one of the 
most honest and honorable people I had ever met in my life. The second 
was humility. She was the most approachable person you would ever want 
to know. She had a total lack of pretension, and she believed very 
profoundly in service to others--in service, yes, to her tribe; in 
service, yes, to Native Americans; but in service beyond, as a creed 
and as a value, that she lived and acted on every single day of her 
life.
  She was a remarkable person to talk to because she was completely 
candid in her conversations, which is very unusual, particularly for a 
political figure. If you are chief of the Cherokee Nation, I can assure 
you, you are a considerable and skillful politician in your own right. 
On many occasions, I remember getting advice, and I remember her 
speaking in a very unvarnished way. I can't count the number of times 
that I heard her say in speeches when she got up--she loved to speak 
truth to power--that she identified herself: either I am or have been 
the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. If the United States 
Government had had its way, I would never have been a chief; there 
would never have been a Cherokee Nation or it would have ended, and 
also tribes would have been eliminated. That is where she began her 
conversation.
  She was a role model, of course, to women and to Native Americans 
everywhere, particularly to my mother, who was the first Native 
American elected to the State Senate in Oklahoma. She was a close 
friend of Chief Mankiller's. Like me, my mother admired her quite 
profoundly.
  As a leader, she was always principled; she was determined; she was 
visionary, but she was supremely practical in her political pursuits. 
She was tough; she was shrewd; she was dedicated to the Cherokee 
people, and she was dedicated to Native Americans. She was an 
extraordinarily fierce defender of the concept of tribal sovereignty. 
She understood it in her bones; she advocated it and, frankly, enhanced 
it, not only for her own people but for Native Americans everywhere.
  Having said that, she was always willing to partner with anyone. It 
didn't matter what your point of view was. It didn't matter what your 
values were. She was a very devoted Democrat. My mother was a very 
fierce Republican. They found common ground again and again on issue 
after issue.
  In closing, I want to join my friend Mr. Boren in expressing my 
profound sympathy to her family, obviously to the great Cherokee Nation 
and to Native Americans everywhere. I mean this with all sincerity that 
I have not seen her like before in my life. I don't think any of us 
will see her like again.
  Mr. BOREN. At this time, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. George Miller).
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  I want to thank both of my colleagues from Oklahoma for this 
resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I had the great honor of working with Chief Wilma 
Mankiller in my service on the Resources Committee and as Chair of that 
committee. She was a magnificent person, and we honor her as one of the 
great women in American history. She was all of the things that my 
colleagues have said, but when she came through your door, you knew you 
were about to do business. She was also very quick to humor and very 
often would use humor as well as she would use knowledge in disarming 
those who opposed her.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. BOREN. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

[[Page H2537]]

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. I had a real opportunity to work 
integrally with her on the issues of sovereignty at a time when the 
Supreme Court was attacking at that moment some very essential parts of 
tribal sovereignty.
  I am sorry to hear of her passing; but I have great, great memories 
of working with her, of her leadership, of her advocacy, of her 
passion, and of her running so true to her values no matter what the 
situation. If she couldn't succeed today, she'd be back tomorrow. Very 
often, she was.
  Thank you again so very much for this resolution, which recognizes 
the contributions of this outstanding woman to the history of our 
country.
  Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution, which honors the 
life of Wilma Mankiller, and I wish to associate myself with the 
remarks of the previous speakers in expressing the condolences of the 
House of Representatives on her passing.
  There are many of us who did not have the opportunity to meet Wilma 
Mankiller. Nonetheless, as we deal with Indian affairs in Congress, all 
of us touch some part of the legacy of her accomplishments left to the 
great Cherokee Nation and Indian Country.
  In a recent article on her death, Cherokee Chief Chad Smith states 
that she was a patriot for the Cherokee Nation. In 1998, she received 
the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton in 
recognition for her success as an Indian leader.
  Though Wilma Mankiller is further honored today by the House 
resolution, what stands out is the outpouring of grief from the 
Cherokee citizens upon hearing the news of her death. I think her 
greatest honor is the esteem and respect in which she was held by her 
fellow Cherokee people.
  I commend the gentleman from Oklahoma for sponsoring this resolution 
and for ensuring its consideration on the House floor today.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOREN. Mr. Speaker, just a few closing comments. I have a quote 
from the President of the United States, Barack Obama:
  ``I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Wilma Mankiller 
today. 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.
  ``Michelle and I offer our condolences to Wilma's family, especially 
her husband, Charlie, and two daughters Gina and Felicia, as well as 
the Cherokee Nation, and all those who knew her and were touched by her 
good works.''
  I would just like to say I knew Wilma as a young boy. I got to meet 
Wilma through many festivals and pow-wows with my father when he served 
in the U.S. Senate. She was always so kind, and she was always lending 
advice to me. Then after I was elected to Congress--and Congressman 
Cole was very correct--the term I would say is ``blunt''--she was very 
blunt in her political advice. She would call me whenever something 
would happen within the Cherokee Nation or here in Congress and would 
give me some advice, very direct advice, and she was always right in 
her advice. We are going to miss her deeply.
  So, in closing, I would ask my colleagues to support this resolution 
to honor this great woman.
  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Native American 
Caucus, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 1237, a 
resolution recognizing and honoring the life of Wilma Pearl Mankiller. 
Chief Mankiller was an ardent advocate for the Native American 
community and an inspiration to the rest of the nation, and I am proud 
to support this resolution honoring her.
  I would like to thank Congressman Boren for authoring this important 
resolution, and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Speaker Nancy 
Pelosi for their skill and leadership in bringing it to the floor.
  Mr. Speaker, Chief Wilma Mankiller inspired Native American women and 
girls across the United States when she became principal chief of the 
Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, the second largest tribe in the United 
States. Born November 18, 1945 on family land at Mankiller Flats near 
Rocky Mountain, Oklahoma, she attended San Francisco University, where 
she became an activist for Native American causes. Chief Mankiller's 
political career began when she was elected deputy chief of the 
Cherokee Nation in 1983, before becoming principal chief in 1985.
  This accomplishment gave her the opportunity and platform to become 
an unyielding activist for the continued enhancement of the indigenous 
population. She was successful in establishing tribally owned 
businesses, such as horticultural operations, improving infrastructure, 
and building a hydroelectric facility. In addition to this important 
work, she also advocated for Native American and women's issues by 
improving federal and tribal negotiations, as well as through her 
participation in organizations like the Ford Foundation, the Seventh 
Generation Fund, and the Freedom Forum. Because of her tireless efforts 
towards improving the general welfare of Native Americans, Chief 
Mankiller has received numerous awards, including the Presidential 
Medal of Freedom.
  In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support this resolution 
honoring the life and accomplishments of this extraordinary woman. Her 
work and dedication have improved the lives of Native Americans across 
the country, as well as given Americans across the country a better 
understanding of the Native American community.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 
1237.
  Mr. BOREN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Boren) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1237.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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