The First Woman Cherokee Chief: Wilma Pearl Mankiller

by Patricia Morris Buckley (Author) Aphelandra Messer (Illustrator)

The First Woman Cherokee Chief: Wilma Pearl Mankiller
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
Find out all about Wilma Pearl Mankiller, the first woman Cherokee chief whose image will appear on a 2022 US quarter, in this Step 3 Biography Reader.

In 1985, Wilma Pearl Mankiller became the first woman Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. She had to convince her people that the chief should be the best person for the job, man or woman.

Before the English came to what is now the United States, Cherokee women and men shared the leadership of the tribe. This created balance. But the English colonists told the Native People that men should be in charge.

It stayed that way for many years, until Wilma Pearl Mankiller made history. She used the concept of gaduji, of everyone helping each other, to make the Cherokee Nation strong.

Step 3 Readers feature engaging characters in easy-to-follow plots and popular topics—for children who are ready to read on their own.
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School Library Journal

Gr 1-3--For many years, the Cherokee nation lived harmoniously with men and women taking equal responsibility and leadership over the tribe. Once European settlers arrived to Cherokee lands, they convinced the tribe that leadership positions were only to be held by men. Wilma Pearl Mankiller was born in 1945 in Oklahoma, on Cherokee land, and lived there for a long time with her family. Her father was eventually pressured to leave and move the family to the city. It took many years, but eventually Mankiller realized that her mission in life was to protect Native Americans' rights within the United States. In 1987, she became the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation. Written in simple language, this easy reader is an appropriate biography for younger elementary grade students and also serves as a wonderful introduction to Indigenous culture and the movement to restore rights to these tribes. The illustrations are cartoonlike and will appeal to young readers, but there is an actual picture of Mankiller embedded in the mix. This is an easy-to-read book that serves as a reminder to stand up for the rights of cultures and genders. VERDICT Recommended for purchase in a school or public library, this work is historically accurate on an underrepresented topic in the curriculum.--Kristen Todd-Wurm

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"This work is historically accurate on an underrepresented topic in the curriculum." —School Library Journal
Patricia Morris Buckley
PATRICIA MORRIS BUCKLEY is a member of the Mohawk Nation. She has been writing professionally for more than thirty years, first as a journalist and then for children. She is an elementary school librarian, SCBWI regional advisor, avid reader, writing teacher, and mom. Visit nativeamericankidlit.com to find out more.

APHELANDRA is an illustrator of Oneida and Filipino descent. She is a senior designer at Albert Whitman & Company who plays sports when it's warm and video games when it's cold.
Classification
-
ISBN-13
9780593568507
Lexile Measure
640
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication date
February 07, 2023
Series
Step Into Reading
BISAC categories
JNF007050 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Cultural Heritage
JNF007120 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Women
JNF045000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Readers | Beginner
Library of Congress categories
Biographies
Women
Politics and government
Oklahoma
Kings and rulers
Cherokee Indians
Cherokee women
Mankiller, Wilma

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