Lead: Leadership often comes from the most unlikely persons. In 1985 Wilma Mankiller became the first female chief of a major Indian tribe. Her leadership style and methods were quiet but very effective.
Intro.: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts.
Content: Mankiller was one of eleven children born in Tahlequah, Oklahoma in 1945. She was named for a Cherokee ancestor, a high-ranking warrior of ancient lineage. Wilma grew up in rural, impoverished Mankiller Flats on land given to her paternal grandfather in 1907 when Oklahoma achieved statehood. In the mid-1950s drought and the attending failure of their farm forced the family to move to San Francisco as part of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Relocation Program. This program was established to help resettle poor rural Native Americans in an urban setting.
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