Wilma Mankiller at Sonoma State 2008

The first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, Wilma Mankiller, spoke at Sonoma State University in 2008.  Wilma Mankiller has numerous honorary degrees, has worked tirelessly for the Native American rights movement in the United States, and at Sonoma State spoke of American Indian resilience, identity and the issues of Native Americans in modernity.  In her speech “Context is Everything”, she provides a brief history of American Indians to give her listeners a framework of understanding for tribal concerns.

Mankiller made a point of saying that it is very difficult without historical context for members of Congress or their constituents, to understand the importance of things like tribal land, water rights, and jurisdiction issues.  

Throughout the speech Mankiller chronicles the misunderstandings between tribal and non-tribal people, and that too few people know the history of the conflict between the two groups.  Part of the problem with successful communication concerning tribal issues is lack of understanding of Native history, culture and the contemporary lives they now live.   She points out that just because a tribal member may dress like, live like, and live in the contemporary world the same way as non-tribal members, it does not mean they think of things alike, and that their concerns about the world are the same.  She further explains that even the younger members of the tribes, which for all intents and purpose seem to live in the same world as their peers, process and filter the information they receive about the world through tribal values and the tribal way of thinking. 

I think the message Ms. Mankiller was trying to convey was that tribal knowledge, and an understanding of tribal values and culture are the best way to understand the Native rights that tribal members are fighting for. 

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