Monday, April 12, 2010

Please Consider Honoring the Life of Wilma Mankiller: here's how

This image is amazing to me. And it seems appropriate for this blog post. 


[image is from here. Click on image to better read the text beneath it.]

From the website, *here*, is the statement about Wilma Mankiller's passing, links to her own words, and important information about where donations in her memory may be made, to a non-profit organisation, One Fire Development, which seeks funding to support global Indigenous-centered economic growth and development, to work against this global genocide.

Wilma Pearl Mankiller

Former Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Wilma Mankiller Passes Away

Wilma Mankiller, former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, passed away this morning. Mankiller served 12 years in elective office at the Cherokee Nation, the first two as Deputy Principal Chief followed by 10 years as Principal Chief. She retired from public office in 1995. Among her many honors, Mankiller was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Clinton.

“Our personal and national hearts are heavy with sorrow and sadness with the passing this morning of Wilma Mankiller,” said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. “We feel overwhelmed and lost when we realize she has left us but we should reflect on what legacy she leaves us. We are better people and a stronger tribal nation because her example of Cherokee leadership, statesmanship, humility, grace, determination and decisiveness. When we become disheartened, we will be inspired by remembering how Wilma proceeded undaunted through so many trials and tribulations. Years ago, she and her husband Charlie Soap showed the world what Cherokee people can do when given the chance, when they organized the self-help water line in the Bell community. She said Cherokees in that community learned that it was their choice, their lives, their community and their future. Her gift to us is the lesson that our lives and future are for us to decide. We can carry on that Cherokee legacy by teaching our children that lesson. Please keep Wilma’s family, especially her husband Charlie and her daughters, Gina and Felicia, in your prayers.”

Mankiller requested that any gifts in her honor be made as donations to One Fire Development Corporation, a non-profit dedicated to advancing Native American communities though economic development, and to valuing the wisdom that exists within each of the diverse tribal communities around the world. Tax deductible donations can be made at www.wilmamankiller.com as well as www.onefiredevelopment.org. The mailing address for One Fire Development Corporation is 1220 Southmore Houston, TX 77004. Her memorial service will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Cherokee Nation Cultural Grounds in Tahlequah.
To read more of Wilma in her own words select from below:

Wilma Speaking About Her Life in Her Own Words
Spirituality
The Way Home
Womanhood

To send a message to Wilma's family please email: message@wilmamankiller.com.

For more on the Native Community Building organisation, One Fire Development, please see *here* and below:

One Fire Development Corporation

One Fire Development Corporation is dedicated to advancing Native American community and economic development through recognizing and valuing the inherent capacities and wisdom that uniquely exist in each tribal community.
The One Fire team is a group of professionals with extensive experience in community and economic development. One Fire brings leading edge strategies and tools to the challenges and opportunities facing tribal communities today.
One Fire's core development approach focuses on four interrelated areas:
  • Capturing Hearts and Minds of the Community
  • Identifying and Capturing Economic Opportunities
  • Building Economic and Organizational Capacity
  • Sustaining Action
One Fire is partnering with Wilma Mankiller in the development of a feature length motion picture. "The Cherokee Word for Water" is a story about a community that finds the inner strength to work together and control their destiny.

Projects

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