Wilma Mankiller

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Cherokees Elect New Chief —By 11 Votes

Race to lead Oklahoma tribe was contentious

(Newser) - In a close election that ran overnight, the Cherokee Nation elected a new principal chief today, with final results posted on the tribe's website showing longtime councilman Bill John Baker defeating three-term incumbent Chad Smith by 11 votes. More than 15,000 votes were cast, and the margin between...

Cherokee Chief, Activist Wilma Mankiller Dies

First female chief was 64, had battled cancer

(Newser) - Former Cherokee Nation Chief Wilma Mankiller, one of the nation's most visible American Indian leaders and one of few women to lead a major tribe, died yesterday after suffering from cancer and other health problems. She was 64. Mankiller, whose first taste of federal policy toward Indians came when her...

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