nPosted on December 14, 2019
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Key Points
nWomen have been treated as second-class citizens in many different (but not all) traditional societies, and some societies that are extremely pro-women in some ways may not treat women as equals in all ways.
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nBut traditions can and must change, and women are (FINALLY!) being afforded true equality in many modern societies.
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nThe Cherokee Nation never had a woman as the Principal Chief until this date in 1985, when Wilma Mankiller was elevated from Deputy Chief, an elective position a little bit like a vice president.
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nMankiller served as Principal Chief for ten years, during which her government opened new health clinics and a mobile eye-care clinic, began ambulance services, created early childhood and adult education programs, created job training and revenue programs, and so much more!
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Of course Mankiller’s pre-chief life was the reason that she rose to such a powerful position and was able to make good changes for her people. Born in Oklahoma just after World War II, Mankiller’s family was relocated to San Francisco a decade later through a federal government program designed to urbanize Native Americans. Located in a hotspot for social movements of the 1960s, Mankiller became an activist and later a social worker. She took all that she had learned back to Oklahoma in 1976, where she worked for the Cherokee Nation to design and fund community projects; she managed to help rural Cherokee identify and solve their own programs, and her program became a successful model for other programs AND earned her a Certificate of National Merit.
Of course Mankiller’s pre-chief life was the reason that she rose to such a powerful position and was able to make good changes for her people. Born in Oklahoma just after World War II, Mankiller’s family was relocated to San Francisco a decade later through a federal government program designed to urbanize Native Americans. Located in a hotspot for social movements of the 1960s, Mankiller became an activist and later a social worker. She took all that she had learned back to Oklahoma in 1976, where she worked for the Cherokee Nation to design and fund community projects; she managed to help rural Cherokee identify and solve their own programs, and her program became a successful model for other programs AND earned her a Certificate of National Merit.n
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As to Mankiller’s post-chief life, she continued her activism, authored many books, spoke on the lecture circuit, and raised awareness of issues as varied as tribal sovereignty to cancer and women’s rights to health care. She earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the U.S.
As to Mankiller’s post-chief life, she continued her activism, authored many books, spoke on the lecture circuit, and raised awareness of issues as varied as tribal sovereignty to cancer and women’s rights to health care. She earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the U.S.n
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nBy the way, Mankiller thought and wrote and talked about health care in part because, tragically, she suffered from ill health her whole life. She had such serious problems as kidney disease and three kinds of cancer as well as an illness that attacked her skeleton and muscles. She had two kidney transplants, but it was her third bout of cancer (this time pancreatic) that caused her death at age 64.
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nCheck out some more quotes from Wilma Mankiller:
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nAlso on this date:
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nAstronomer Tycho Brahe’s birthday
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nArrival of the Yule Lads in Iceland
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nMonkey Day
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nAnniversary of President LBJ saying, “Some geniuses at Stanford University have created life in the test tube!” –when that wasn’t what actually happened!
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nAnniversary of the first humans to reach South Pole
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nYoga Day
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Birthday of ship expert and artist Alexander Nelke
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Birthday of ship expert and artist Alexander Nelke
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nAnniversary of M. Jacquin making his first artificial pearls
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nDay of the Horse
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n(Second Saturday of December)
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nGingerbread Decorating Day
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n(Second Saturday in December)
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nPlan ahead:
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nCheck out my Pinterest pages on:
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nHistorical anniversaries in December
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nAnd here are my Pinterest boards for:
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nJanuary birthdays
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