Because of Her Story
Because of Her Story
To create a more equitable America, the Smithsonian is researching, disseminating, and amplifying the histories of American women through its American Women’s History Initiative in preparation for the future Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.
Wilma Mankiller
IN BELL, OKLAHOMA, 25 percent of people didn’t have indoor plumbing and lived in dilapidated conditions. We proposed they build a waterline and rehab their houses, as volunteers. We’d supply the technical engineering.
Most were on welfare; people said they’d never show up. They showed up.
We proved that Cherokee values were alive. I was trying to encourage our people to trust their thinking again, to look to themselves for solutions.
I want to be remembered as the person who helped indigenous people restore faith in themselves.
Wilma Mankiller’s memoir is at the Smithsonian. It will be used to tell her story and other women’s stories of inspiring her people and leading a nation.
Credits
Photo: Courtesy of Wilma Mankiller Foundation
Content: Dick Pryor interview with Wilma Mankiller, OETA, 2008
News
Read about the Smithsonian's latest scholarship on women's history, get inspired with stories from our collections, and see other updates.
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CreditsTennis racquet used by Althea Gibson. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Donald Felder and family.
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Credits“Re-Elect Patsy Mink” leaflet, around 1966. National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. Gift of Honorable Patsy T. Mink.
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Discover Her Story
In these themes you will find stories and objects from women who have shaped America as we know it through their work, creativity, and resolve.
Events
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Collections
The Smithsonian’s collections include iconic objects that tell the stories of American women, their struggles, and their accomplishments.
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Christmas Card by Noche Crist
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Memoirs of Elleanor Eldridge
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AIDS National Conference on Women and HIV Infection Pin
Women's History Store
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Help Amplify the Voices of American Women
Decades in the making, the Smithsonian is building an American Women’s History Museum in our nation’s capital.
