Women's Quarter: Wilma Mankiller

 

I came across a Wilma Mankiller quarter after getting change at a local store. This amazing woman was the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. Her leadership and advocacy for Native sovereignty, healthcare, and education left a lasting impact, but there's more to her story than most people know.

Common Facts:

• Born on November 18, 1945, in the Hastings Indian Hospital in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, to Clara Irene (née Sitton) and Charley Mankiller. Her father was a full-blooded Cherokee, whose ancestors had been forced to relocate to Indian Territory from Tennessee over the Trail of Tears in the 1830s.
• Historic Leadership: She served as Principal Chief from 1985 to 1995, leading the Cherokee Nation’s population growth and economic development.
• Advocate for Native Rights: Mankiller worked tirelessly to improve healthcare, housing, and education for Indigenous communities. She was a grant writer as well.
  
• Presidential Recognition: She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998.

Uncommon Facts:

• Unusual Last Name: The surname "Mankiller" comes from a Cherokee military title for a high-ranking warrior or protector.
• Started with Activism: Before entering politics, she was deeply involved in the 1969 Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island, a key moment in Indigenous activism.
• Overcame Hardships: She survived two near-fatal car accidents, underwent a kidney transplant, and battled cancer.
  
• Built from the Ground Up: One of her most successful projects was bringing running water and electricity to rural Cherokee communities, empowering people through self-help initiatives.

Wilma Mankiller was interesting to study. Her quarter isn't just currency in my pocket—it’s a symbol of strength and progress.

Quote after a car crash -  "a Cherokee approach to life." In a 1993 interview on NPR, she said: "I think the Cherokee approach to life is being able to continually move forward with kind of a good mind and not focus on the negative things in your life and the negative things you see around you, but focus on the positive things and try to look at the larger picture and keep moving forward..[It] also taught me to look at the larger things in life rather than focusing on small things, and it's also awfully, awfully hard to rattle me after having faced my own mortality ... so the things I learned from those experiences actually enabled me to lead. Without those experiences, I don't think I would have been able to lead. I think I would have gotten caught up in a lot of nonsensical things."

Women's Quarter: Dr. Mary Edwards Walker

I was at Aldi's returning my cart when a sweet woman came up to me and said, "Here! Take my quarter." It turned out to be one I hadn't seen before—the Dr. Mary Edwards Walker US quarter. Oh yay!

Mary Edwards Walker made history as the first female surgeon in the U.S. Army during the Civil War, where she served as a unpaid, contract surgeon despite women being barred from the military. Born in 1832, she earned her medical degree from Syracuse Medical College in 1855, one of the few women to do so at the time. During the war, she worked tirelessly for the Union, even being captured by Confederate forces and held as a prisoner of war for several months. She was released during a prisoner swap. In 1865, Walker was awarded the Medal of Honor for her bravery. The U.S. War Department revoked it in 1917 for not meeting the military criteria, but it was restored by Congress in 1977 after a long campaign by historians and advocates who argued that her service and achievements were deserving of the recognition. According to the Smithsonian Institution, she remains the only American Woman to receive the military decoration.

Mary was also a passionate advocate for women's rights, especially when it came to dress reform. She rejected the restrictive clothing of her time and championed the right for women to wear more practical attire, like pants. 

On a side note, I'd like express gratitude for women like Mary Edwards Walker, Amelia Bloomer, and Elizabeth Smith Miller, all of whom played pivotal roles in advocating for more practical, less restrictive clothing for women!

Walker's defiance of gender norms extended to her personal and professional life, where her choices often clashed with society’s expectations. Her unconventional lifestyle, including her decision to wear men's clothing, contributed to the breakdown of her marriage to Albert Miller, who struggled with her defiance of societal norms.

Mary passed away on February 21, 1919, at the age of 87 in Oswego, New York. What an extraordinary life she led—one marked by being a prisoner of war, a relentless defiance of societal norms, and an unwavering commitment to helping others through her medical work. Her story inspires me! Unfortunately, her quote rings true: we often wait too long to recognize great people. But perhaps this little post will help bring her remarkable story to light just a bit more.

Located on her statue by the entrance of Oswego Town Hall

Holloman Air Force Base display

Post Civil War - "reform dress"-shortened dress with bloomer pants

Circa 1911 - often seen in a man's top coat and hat