Tribe to Enter New Era, Cherokee Leader Says

After a long history of dehumanization, Native American tribes are entering an era of revitalization, the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation yesterday told an audience of 40 in Boylston Hall.

"I see within the next 30 years a real resurgence of the tribal government," said Wilma Mankiller, who in 1984 was elected the first woman chief of the 71,000 member tribe. She was honored yesterday by the Harvard Foundation for her "distinguished contribution to American leadership and Native American culture."

Mankiller said that she has been trying to revitalize the Cherokee Nation in impoverished rural Oklahoma through community development projects aimed at renewing her people's pride in themselves and their work.

"We, because of the dehumanization process we went through, began to believe that we couldn't handle ourselves," Mankiller said. "We must overcome a loss of spirit."

"There's lots of potential that needs to be tapped [in the Indian community]," Mankiller said. "People are beginning to see that they are capable of digging themselves out."

Mankiller's successful 25-mile irrigation project in "a small poor community" was the inspiration for similar projects in 10 other Cherokee communities, she said.

"We made a conscious effort to begin with individual human beings," she said. "We tried to teach people to have confidence in their ownabilities."

Mankiller's projects also focus on revivingtribal heritage, culture and language. She saidthat she aims to restore a sense of history andbelonging to the Cherokee Nation.

And despite the serious problems confrontingNative American tribes today, Mankiller said shefeels confident that her people will eventuallyrekindle the old Cherokee spirit and pride.

"If you look at the problems of a tribe,they're overwhelming," she said. "But, if you lookat the small pieces, you can see a solution. Ittakes a long time, lots of work, and absolutefaith of the people to believe in themselves."

Earlier yesterday, Mankiller spoke with HarvardPresident Derek C. Bok about the University'spolicies on Native American students. "There is avery strong commitment to recruiting AmericanIndian students and to providing support systemsfor them," she said. There are currently 15 NativeAmerican undergraduates.

Born in Oklahoma, Mankiller was relocated withher family to San Francisco under the federalgovernment's program to assimilate Indians intowhite society. There she became an activist forIndian rights, and in 1969 joined a group of SanFranciscan Indian students who took over AlcatrazIsland to protest the treatment of NativeAmericans.

After studying at the University of Arizona,Mankiller took a job writing grant proposals forIndian projects. In 1983 she ran for assistantprincipal chief of the Cherokee Nation and a yearlater became principal chief.

Mankiller is scheduled to give a lecture todayon "The Changing World of Indian Women" at 4:00p.m. at Boylston Hall