Wilma and I got a chance to visit on her trip to Minneapolis a few years ago.

Wilma Mankiller, the first elected woman chief of my nation, walked on this morning. All of us who were inspired by her beautiful strength, her profound love for the Cherokee nation and its citizens, her passion and determination to make life better for all Indian people will miss her terribly. When I look at my daughters confidently walking the path to adulthood, sure of who they are as young native women, I thank Wilma for her example and her inspiration. A lot of people talk about the concept of “servant leadership.” Wilma lived that life.

Here is what President Obama had to say about Wilma’s passing:

I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Wilma Mankiller today. As the Cherokee Nation’s first female chief, she transformed the Nation-to-Nation relationship between the Cherokee Nation and the Federal Government, and served as an inspiration to women in Indian Country and across America. A recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, she was recognized for her vision and commitment to a brighter future for all Americans. Her legacy will continue to encourage and motivate all who carry on her work. Michelle and I offer our condolences to Wilma’s family, especially her husband Charlie and two daughters, Gina and Felicia, as well as the Cherokee Nation and all those who knew her and were touched by her good works.

And here is a statement from our current chief, Chad Smith:

Our personal and national hearts are heavy with sorrow and sadness with the passing this morning of Wilma Mankiller. We feel overwhelmed and lost when we realize she has left us, but we should reflect on what legacy she leaves us. We are better people and a stronger tribal nation because her example of Cherokee leadership, statesmanship, humility, grace, determination and decisiveness.

Click here for a tribute from the Cherokee Nation.

Below is a video by my friend Paul DeMain, interviewing another good friend, Mark Trahant, about his memories of Wilma. The pictorial essay at the end of the video, featuring music from the Cherokee Nation Choir, left me with a lump in my throat. Nice work, Paul, Kim and all the rest at News From Indian Country.

Finally, I wanted to leave you with Wilma’s view of her legacy. Her words were spot on, as always.

I want to be remembered as the person who helped us restore faith in ourselves.

wado atsilvsgi ale donadagohvi. tohiyi.

There have been a lot of kooky misinformation and wild conspiracy theories going around in the American Indian community about H1N1 and the public health response. This is not a manufactured health crisis created by the feds to control Indian people. C’mon, folks, let’s take off the tin-foil hats. There are plenty of reasons to distrust the federal government, lord knows. But this isn’t one of them. Don’t gamble with your life or the lives of your loved ones. As Wes Studi says in the videos above: Get your shot. Wash your hands. And if you get sick, take medicine – and protect the circle of life.

From BuffaloPost.net:

Last week, the federal Centers for Disease Control released a report that detailed what everybody already knew. In the dozen states studied, Native people made up 9 percent of the deaths from H1N1, even though they only constitute 3.3 percent of the population.

Now the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has releaesed a video, urging Native people to get vaccinated against H1N1.

Wes Studi, the Cherokee actor from “Avatar,” “The Only Good Indian,” and “Dances With Wolves,” urges people to “take three” to protect themselves.

Get your shot. Wash your hands. And if you get sick, take medicine – and protect the circle of life.

Tell it, Wes. We must protect our health.

OK, I’ve made you wait long enough. Here is Laurie’s basket. I really like the shape of this one: wide at the top and tapered to the bottom. The picture makes it look shorter than it actually is, but you get the idea.

Ain't it pretty?

Here is a Cherokee double-wall basket I made this evening for our American Indian Education program at school. My friend, Clarine Packineau, one of the women who runs the program, bought the reeds a while back and asked me to make a basket from them so we could sell it the next time we do a fund-raiser. I really like the colors Clarine picked out and think they work well together in this basket.  They’re also thinner than the reeds I usually use (I’d guess they’re a #1 or #2 reed). I had just enough reed to make this basket (a stray weaver or two of each color left), so I guess it’s true what they say: every basket finds its shape and size as you make it.

Laurie is also making a basket using the bigger #4 reed. It’ll be white, since we didn’t have any in the black walnut dye when we decided to make baskets today.

Remember, you can find directions for making these baskets on our web site. Part of the deal when my cousin, Eric, taught us to make these was that we would pass the knowledge along.

Ohhhhh. I get it now.

Art shows what Cherokee Lite really looks like at the Minnesota State Fair. Yup, that’s right. He lost a lot of weight last year. It’s a joke. In picture form. Stop rolling your eyes.

tali nani talutsa

On Saturday, we spent the day at the American Indian program for our school district. While the kids played basketball and learned other fitness routines with Monty Fox, health director of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, I helped the adults make Cherokee double-wall baskets. My cousin, Eric Jolly, a master basket-maker and president of the Science Museum of Minnesota, taught me to make the baskets and I have been trying to pass along the knowledge in our community. Here is a link to a handy how-to Laurie made a while back.