Wilma Mankiller
Watching this video on YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVLgwpHSYv0,
was very informative. Wilma Mankiller was the first Principle Chief of the
Cherokee Nation and an activist for Native American rights. Mankiller explained
sovereignty in the context of Native American government. According to
Mankiller, there are over 550 distinct Tribal Governments each with their own cultures
and each has their own process of electing their leaders. The Cherokee and
Navajo choose their leaders by popular elections while the Onondaga women
choose their leaders, induct them and remove them should it become necessary. The
land bases of each Tribal Government varies from millions of acres to just a
few acres, but this does not affect the sovereignty rights of these governments.
I was surprised to learn the Onondaga is the only tribe that issues its own
passports and they are recognized all over the world. I have gained a better
understanding of Tribal Governments via this video as it covers some topics
that aren’t covered in the textbook for this class.
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