Hundreds gather in Oklahoma for funeral of former Cherokee Nation Chief Wilma Mankiller

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Hundreds gather for Cherokee leader’s funeral

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Hundreds of mourners are traveling to Tahlequah (TAL’-ih-kwah) this morning to pay tribute to former Cherokee Nation Chief Wilma Mankiller.

Dozens of cars have clogged the road to the cultural grounds in northeastern Oklahoma, where the 200,000-member tribe is based.

Saturday’s outdoor service is to begin at 11 a.m.

Mankiller was the first female chief of the Cherokees from 1985 to 1995. She won the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the nation’s highest civilian award — in 1998.

Mankiller died Tuesday after suffering from cancer and other health problems. She was 64.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Cherokee Nation officials expect thousands of people at the Saturday memorial service for former tribal Chief Wilma Mankiller, one of the most visible American Indian leaders in recent years and among the few women to ever lead a major tribe.

The memorial for Mankiller, who died Tuesday at age 64 after a bout with pancreatic cancer, will be held outside at the Cherokee Nation Cultural Grounds in Tahlequah, about 70 miles east of Tulsa, Okla.

Volunteers helped set up about 3,000 chairs, and bleacher seating will be available during a service that will highlight Cherokee culture, tribal spokesman Mike Miller said Friday.

Mankiller led the Cherokee Nation, which now has about 290,000 members, from December 1985 until 1995, when she decided not to run for re-election. Under her guidance, the tribe tripled its enrollment, doubled employment and built new health centers and children’s programs.

She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the highest civilian honor in the U.S. — from then-President Bill Clinton in 1998. She met with other U.S. presidents and dignitaries, but also was known for working closely with everyday members of the tribe.

Her memorial is expected to draw mourners from across the same social lines including Gov. Brad Henry and U.S. Rep. Dan Boren, D-Muskogee.

“She was such a monumental leader in Indian Country and certainly within the Cherokee Nation because, ironically or perhaps appropriately, she was so humble,” current Cherokee Chief Chad Smith said. “I remember the iconic image of her in a white dress, like something she had just worn to church, on the front porch playing with her nephews and nieces. Just three days earlier, she had received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”

Smith remembers Mankiller almost as an “aunt,” saying she was approachable as she led the tribe and incredibly wise.

“She understood that great leadership begins with the women — that’s our long, cultural tradition. We must remember that the greatest gift she gave us was understanding that the future is ours, we get to choose it,” he said. “If I had one word to frame her, it would be patriot. A patriot is one who gives her all for her people.”

Smith is scheduled to speak during Saturday’s service along with Robert Henry, the chief judge of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals; former Cherokee Chief Ross Swimmer, who preceded Mankiller; and women’s rights advocate Gloria Steinem, a close friend of Mankiller.

Mankiller’s husband, Charlie Soap, and daughters Gina Olaya and Felicia Olaya also are scheduled to speak.