fbpx
facebook app symbol  twitter  linkedin  instagram 1
 

Guest Opinion. The great Cherokee Nation Chief Wilma Mankiller is remembered for being a defender, mentor, mother and leader. She demonstrated grit and determination, fought for justice for Native Americans, and inspired us to do more to help ourselves as a people. She made the world better, fairer and more just. She did all this, by the way, at an early age before she ever held public office. Once she became Principal Chief, she just kept on changing the world.

For all these reasons and more, the U.S. Mint has honored Chief Mankiller with a new quarter featuring her image. The coin is part of the American Women Quarters Program commemorating the contributions of iconic women in American history. It was rolled out recently at a ceremony in the Cherokee Nation capital city of Tahlequah. I watched with pride as my daughter, Jasmine, purchased the first roll and placed it in a special box bound for the archives at the Cherokee National Research Center.

Never miss Indian Country’s biggest stories and breaking news. Sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. 

Even years after her passing, Chief Mankiller is still making an impact. Chief Mankiller is not changing the world simply because her likeness has been struck on the quarter. Her likeness is being struck on the quarter because Chief Mankiller changed the world.

She remains impactful because her positive influence spreads far and wide and deep. A generation of young Natives, particularly young women, are today standing on Chief Mankiller’s shoulders and serving Indian Country in powerful and positive ways. Indian Country today holds greater political and economic strength than at any time in the last five centuries. We can trace so much of this progress to Chief Mankiller.

Chief Mankiller keeps changing the world because the Cherokee people remain organized in their communities. They are working on their own solutions to the challenges before them, not content to simply wait on any government to come to the rescue. That spirit of Gadugi is alive and well because of Chief Mankiller’s efforts to inspire our people to work together, at the grassroots, to build strong communities.

Chief Mankiller keeps changing the world because every Chief who has followed her looks to her as the standard by which their work should be measured. We may fall short, but we work each day to try to meet that standard.

Chief Mankiller keeps changing the world every time we bring compassionate Cherokee health care to Cherokee patients. What we are doing today in health care builds on her efforts to wrestle our health care destiny away from the government of the United States and into the hands of the Cherokee people. Our efforts to shape programs to fit the needs of our people in education, housing and job training – rather than labor under programs prescribed in Washington, D.C. – are because of the self-governance policies for which Chief Mankiller so fiercely fought.

The work that each of us must undertake to heal racial divides in this country, and within our own tribe, is informed by Chief Mankiller’s plea over two decades ago that we must “build coalitions with African Americans to advance our issues and theirs.”

If Chief Mankiller’s legacy was summed up simply by what she did, it would be enormous. But, her legacy grows because her work continues to make an impact. I see it every day. Chief Mankiller keeps changing the world every time our tribe helps an elder live with more dignity. She keeps changing the world every time neighbors join together to make their Cherokee communities better and safer places to live. Chief Mankiller keeps changing the world every time a Cherokee youth applies for college or starts learning the Cherokee language.

Chief Mankiller keeps changing the world every time someone somewhere threatens the rights of a woman, and then, inspired by our late Chief, we rally together to protect those rights. Chief Mankiller keeps making our tribe better every time a Chief comes home from the office, brags to the First Lady about what a great job he’s done that day, and then she says, “Well, you’re no Chief Mankiller.”

Chief Mankiller keeps changing the world every time a little girl sees Wilma’s face, reads Wilma’s amazing story and realizes that she can do it, too.

Chuck Hoskin, Jr. is the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation.

More Stories Like This

Double Down on What Works: Invest in Native CDFIs, Don’t Eliminate Them
The Big Ugly Bill Attacks Tribes, Our Lands, and Our Rights
Native Mascots Don't Honor Our Ancestors. They Harm Our Children.
Modernizing the Path to Homeownership in Indian Country
The Future is Bright for Cherokee Nation Health Services at Claremore

Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions

At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.

The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.

Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.

This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.

We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.

Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.

Levi headshotThe stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.

Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.

Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher

 
 
About The Author
Author: Chuck Hoskin JrEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.