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Apr 8, 2010

CFED mourns the loss of Chief Wilma Mankiller (1945-2010)

Wilma Mankiller, the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation, passed away Tuesday, April 6 at the age of 64 after a battle with cancer. This loss marks a sad day for all Americans who thirst for justice and equal opportunity. Her legacy as a lifelong advocate for all of the disadvantaged in our world will continue to light a path for reformers to come. Her radiant presence and exemplary leadership will be greatly missed.

Mankiller was a pivotal ally in the asset-building movement. As CFED’s keynote speaker for the 2006 Assets Learning Conference, she explained:

“It is not surprising that people of color in low‐income communities sometimes have to be encouraged to believe in their own ability to create fundamental change. They are often socially isolated, without assets, and in the case of Native Americans have been repeatedly told their culture is archaic and irrelevant, their religion is paganistic, and their economic deprivation is entirely their own fault.

Self‐efficacy is an asset that is just as important as a savings account or a house. A great deal of research indicates that people who believe in themselves and their capabilities tend to perform better in every aspect of their lives. And early research on Individual Development Account participants supports the notion that people who acquire assets view themselves and their communities very differently than they did before they acquired assets. Once they have assets and a sense of self‐efficacy, they are much more willing to view obstacles and barriers as challenges to be mastered instead of reasons to give up.”

CFED founder Bob Friedman remarked, “Wilma and Charlie’s friendship has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime. Being able to learn from her both how to live and now how to die – with dignity, honesty, love and humor – are the greatest of gifts. I first met Wilma at the first conference on Women's economic development CFED sponsored in 1983. I remember how each of the 20 incredible women and six men were asked to introduce themselves; each was more impressive than the last, but when Wilma stood up the world stopped. She understood the capability of women and all marginalized people that the economy was wasting; ever since she has been an unceasing ally in our work to open the doors of the American economy. Her parting message this week was, "Never turn away from people." She was ever the realist, seeing the world with all of its flaws, but always too, the builder. Oh how fortunate we are to be able to walk together to build a better world.”

Upon becoming aware of her negative prognosis, Mankiller released the following: “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.”

CFED sends its warmest regards to her family, friends, and all those in her community.