Wilma Mankiller

About

Native American politician who became the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation in 1987. She oversaw a giant increase in the Cherokee population and wrote the bestselling autobiography, Mankiller: A Chief and Her People.

Before Fame

She began her political career in an entry level position within the Cherokee Nation.

Trivia

At the end of her final term in office, members of the Cherokee Nation filed a lawsuit against her alleging that she had embezzled national funds.

Family Life

She got married to Hector Hugo Olaya de Bardi in 1963 at age seventeen; the couple had two daughters together. She later married Charlie Soap. 

Associated With

She is a proud Cherokee Indian, like Wes Studi.