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PrintE-mailFormer Cherokee Chief Mankiller diagnosed with cancer

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Published: 03/02/10 - 7:30pm Written by Dick Pryor

Mankillerresized

A spokesman for the Cherokee Nation has announced that former Principal Chief Wilma Mankiller has been diagnosed with Stage IV Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer.  Chief Mankiller is an author, lecturer and feminist who was first elected principal chief in 1987 and was overwhelmingly re-elected in 1991.  She chose not to run for re-election in 1995.  Mankiller has been honored with numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  She has served on several philanthropic boards, including 12 years on the board of trustees of the Ford Foundation, four years on the Board of the Ms. Foundation for Women, and four years on the board of the Seventh Generation Fund.  She currently serves on the board of the Freedom Forum and its subsidiary, the Newseum, in Washington, D.C.

The complete text of the statement released by Cherokee Nation spokesman Mike Miller follows:

 

Former Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Wilma Mankiller diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer

Charlie Soap regrets to announce his wife Wilma Mankiller has been diagnosed with Stage IV Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer. Mankiller is an author, lecturer and former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. Mankiller served 12 years in elected 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 has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Clinton. Soap requests that the public respect the family's privacy during this time.

In a brief statement, Mankiller said:

"I decided to issue this statement because 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. If anyone wants to send a message to me, it is best to email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ."