{"id":325839,"date":"2025-12-01T09:50:30","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T09:50:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/uncategorized\/who-was-wilma-mankiller-judy-bradbury\/"},"modified":"2025-12-01T09:50:30","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T09:50:30","slug":"who-was-wilma-mankiller-judy-bradbury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=325839","title":{"rendered":"Who Was Wilma Mankiller? – Judy Bradbury"},"content":{"rendered":"


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I invited my friend, author and educator Andrea Page, to join me this month on Children\u2019s Book Corner to celebrate the release of her chapter-book biography of Wilma Mankiller. Andrea is smart, kind, thoughtful, and passionate about sharing literature reflecting her culture with young readers. It is my pleasure to introduce you to her here.<\/p>\n

Judy Bradbury: <\/strong>Who Was Wilma Mankiller<\/em>? is part of the Penguin Workshop chapter book series Who HQ Headquarters for History that focuses on history and biographies. Tell us about this line of books.<\/p>\n

Andrea Page: <\/strong>The popular WHO\/WAS series (published by Penguin Workshop) includes illustrated biographies about significant historical figures. These artists, scientists, athletes, world leaders, etc. made major contributions in their field of expertise. They may have been first at something or may be the best at what they do. Subjects are chosen in advance, and the series follows a consistent structure.<\/p>\n

Who Was Wilma Mankiller<\/em>? highlights the life of Cherokee Nation\u2019s first female Principal Chief. Wilma Mankiller grew up immersed in her Cherokee community and culture of Oklahoma. When her family moved to San Francisco as part of the Indian Relocation Program, she had to adjust to city life. Eventually, Wilma became a major political activist who never lost her dedication to her people.<\/p>\n

JB: <\/strong>How did you develop the theme\/focus of Who Was Wilma Mankiller<\/em>?.<\/p>\n

AP: <\/strong>I read and research before I begin to outline and write.<\/span> Once I found a quote she made about her identity being tied to her community and her values, I knew I found a path for the story. Here\u2019s what she said: \u201cTo think of myself outside the context of the tribe or my family or my community would be very difficult.\u201d Wilma lost her home, her community and culture, and felt out of place when her family moved away from Oklahoma. California was a whole new world to her. Wilma eventually used her values and perseverance to return to her community and homeland. She used her skills to make a difference in Cherokee Nation and has inspired young women to pursue their dreams.<\/p>\n

JB: <\/strong>Tell us about a challenge you faced in the creation of Who Was Wilma Mankiller<\/em>?, or provide a memorable (or humorous!) anecdote related to the writing of the book.<\/p>\n

AP: <\/strong>I\u2019m always trying to find new sources for research. Podcasts have become popular, so I decided to do a quick search for Wilma Mankiller and was surprised by the number of episodes that popped up! One fabulous find was a 2009 interview posted by Voices of Oklahoma. I listened to Wilma\u2019s voice and learned about her life experiences directly from her. That was a memorable moment.<\/p>\n

JB: <\/strong>Recount one unexpected joy that came from the creation of Who Was Wilma Mankiller<\/em>?.<\/p>\n

AP: <\/strong>I discovered Wilma was an author of several books herself. Many of the significant events in her life are detailed in her autobiography. I really enjoyed reading her collection of Native women\u2019s voices in her book Every Day is a Good Day<\/em> as well as her poetry.<\/p>\n

JB: <\/strong>How did your heritage inform the writing of this book, and your previous book, Sioux Code Talkers of World War II<\/em>?<\/p>\n

AP: <\/strong>I\u2019ve learned more about my Native heritage as I\u2019ve grown up. There are nearly 600 federally recognized tribal nations in the United States. I am an enrolled member of one of those nations. My mom grew up on the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota. We visit family there as much as we as we can, but I don\u2019t have the lived experience like my mother. So, I am mindful of how I share my Native experience in my writing. Of course I research to make sure I\u2019m including correct facts. Now that I\u2019ve gained more knowledge, I\u2019m very aware that my Lakota (Sioux) background may have similar values to Cherokee people, but we are also different. I wanted to be respectful of the Cherokee community, so I asked the publisher to use a Cherokee reader to make sure the cultural concepts were accurate. The publisher agreed.<\/p>\n

I felt the same way about my book, Sioux Code Talkers of World War II<\/em>. I consulted with several Lakota elders who lived on the reservation. They reviewed my manuscript before I started submitting it to publishers. It\u2019s important to me to be as respectful and accurate as possible.<\/p>\n

\"Sioux<\/p>\n

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JB:<\/strong> Early in Wilma Mankiller<\/i>, you mention Wilma\u2019s resiliency and courage, referring to it as her \u201cgood mind\u201d\u2014a Cherokee value. Tell us more about Cherokee values.<\/p>\n

AP: <\/strong>Wilma spoke about her ancestral ties. Her grandmother, who sang hymns at work, taught her to be joyful. Her aunties and uncles in Oklahoma, and the intertribal community in San Francisco, taught her about the spirit of community service. She relied on the Cherokee value of having a \u201cgood mind\u201d (positive thinking) to navigate difficulties. And, she believed that people who worked together could achieve great things.<\/p>\n

JB: <\/strong>What would surprise readers to learn about you or about the writing of Who Was Wilma Mankiller<\/em>?.<\/p>\n

AP:<\/strong> Even though I never met Wilma, I felt a strong connection to her while writing. Her life and work resonated deeply with me. Several months after I submitted my manuscript and met my deadline, I was diagnosed with cancer. The first person who popped into my mind was Wilma. I knew she endured many different physical ailments but always kept \u201ca good mind\u201d and would not let negative thoughts enter her mind. I decided I would follow her lead and hold onto positive thoughts and my faith to keep me strong. I\u2019m happy to say I\u2019ve made it through all my treatments, surgery, etc. and am staying hopeful that I\u2019ll be cancer free for a long time.<\/p>\n

JB: <\/strong>I am hoping that for you as well. In the book you highlight personal challenges Wilma overcame in her life as well as\u00a0 groundbreaking accomplishments . What do you consider her greatest achievement?<\/p>\n

AP: <\/strong>I believe Wilma would say her greatest accomplishment was inspiring her daughters and other young women. She said, \u201cIf you want to see a leader, look in the mirror.\u201d (P156, Tamrala Swafford Bliss, Wilma Mankiller: A Life in American History<\/em>)<\/p>\n

JB: <\/strong>Who do you perceive your book\u2019s target audience to be and why?<\/p>\n

AP: <\/strong>Readers at the 4th<\/sup> \/ 5th<\/sup> grade levels benefit from the length of the biography and the level of vocabulary used. I hope that all readers feel an emotional connection to Wilma\u2019s life and legacy, as I do.<\/p>\n

JB: <\/strong>What do you hope young independent readers will take away from Who Was Wilma Mankiller<\/em>? \/ What need(s) does this chapter-book biography satisfy?<\/p>\n

AP: <\/strong>Young readers can read for pleasure, enjoy the engaging illustrations, and learn about a significant leader along with some historical context of Wilma\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

JB:<\/strong> As a former educator, how do you see Who Was Wilma Mankiller<\/em>? connecting to curriculum or being used in learning settings?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

AP: <\/strong>4.2c NYS SS Standards: Students will examine contributions of Native Americans that are evident today.<\/em><\/p>\n

Wilma became the first Female Principal Chief despite prejudice against her. She brought clean water to impoverished communities on the Cherokee reservation. She focused on improving education and language programs as well as housing and health care for Cherokee Nation.<\/p>\n

SEL connection<\/em> \u2013 Wilma developed a healthy identity by relying on her Cherokee heritage to help her overcome her struggles.<\/p>\n

JB: <\/strong>If you could ask your readers a question, what would it be?<\/p>\n

AP: <\/strong>I discovered that <\/span>Who Was Wilma Mankiller?<\/span><\/em> is the first Native authored biography in the series.\u00a0<\/span>If you could choose the next modern-day Native person to read about, who do you think should be included in the series?\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Rank the top three in order of your preference:<\/p>\n