The U.S. House Honors Wilma Mankiller

NewsOn6.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution Wednesday morning honoring the life of Chief Wilma Mankiller.

The resolution was introduced by U.S. Congressman Dan Boren and co-sponsored by the entire Oklahoma House delegation, the Co-Chairs of the House Native American Caucus, and the Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee.

"I am pleased the House moved swiftly to acknowledge Chief Wilma Mankiller's life and career, and to express its deep sorrow on her passing. It was an honor for me personally to introduce this legislation, and I thank my colleagues in the Oklahoma House Delegation for joining me in this effort," said Congressman Dan Boren Chief Mankiller was an inspiration to her tribe and to the nation.

"Her dedication to improving women's role within the Cherokee Nation, and her work strengthening her tribe's Nation-to-Nation relationship with the U.S. government, make her a beloved and legendary figure in Oklahoma," Boren said.

Chief Wilma Mankiller was the first woman to become chief of the Cherokee Nation, serving as Principal Chief for ten years from 1985 to 1995.

Boren says Mankiller focused her career not only on improving the quality of life for women within her tribe, but also on improving and transforming the nation-to-nation relationship between the Cherokee Nation and the federal government.