WILMA P MANKILLER 1945 AMERICAN INDIAN LEADER MANKILLER WILMA P 1945 AMERICAN INDIANS ELECTIONS AND POLITICS WILMA MANKILLER WILMA MANKILLER WAS BORN IN OKLAHOMA IN 1945 SHE ATTENDED SAN BRUNO COLLEGE AND SAN FRANCISCO STATE COLLEGE IN CALIFORNIA FLAMING RAINBOW COLLEGE IN OKLAHOMA AND THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS IN THE LATE 1960S SHE BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT ISSUES FACING AMERICAN INDIANS AND BEGAN WORKING IN EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN THE PIT RIVER TRIBE OF CALIFORNIA SHE SOON ROSE TO POSITIONS OF LEADERSHIP WITHIN THE CHEROKEE NATION SERVING AS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR 1977 1983 AND DEPUTY CHIEF 1983 1985 IN 1985 MANKILLER BECAME THE FIRST WOMAN TO BE ELECTED CHIEF OF A MAJOR AMERICAN INDIAN TRIBE A POSITION SHE HELD UNTIL 1995 SHE ALSO SERVED AS PRESIDENT OF THE INTER TRIBAL COUNCIL OF OKLAHOMA SHE RECEIVED NUMEROUS AWARDS FOR HER LEADERSHIP INCLUDING THE AMERICAN LEADERSHIP AWARD FROM HARVARD UNIVERSITY IN 1986 THAT SAME YEAR SHE WAS NAMED TO THE OKLAHOMA WOMEN'S HALL OF FAME
