The Wire

Wilma Mankiller is the first woman in recorded history to lead an Indian nation. She spent 12 years as the chief of the Cherokee nation and in that time she is credited with turning around the fortunes of some very dispirited Indian communities. The Cherokee are now a successful self-governing nation with their own people and their own institutions delivering education and health care. Wilma is in Australia this week to talk about one of the hot topics of the moment – indigenous futures here. She explained the impressive origins of her surname.