Passing of a great lady

This is my first blog....ever. So here we go. I am in Oklahoma as I write this. Tomorrow I will be going to the Cherokee Cultural Grounds in Talequah to join 3000 other family and friends of Wilma Mankiller to celebrate her life and express our grief because she has left us much to soon. I know that Wilma believes that she left exactly when it was her time and I know that she was completely at peace to do so. As her husband Charlie said, she went "in a good way". (That is an expression that native people use to say that it was all good.) In my head I know that Wilma left exactly on time but my heart wishes she could have hung out a little longer. Wilma's accomplishments are numerous and I encourage you to Google her and learn more about her and what she did. One thing that I will tell you is that she was the first woman to become the Prinicipal Chief of the Cherokee Nation and it was a post she was elected to with intense opposition the first time and won by a landslide the second time. For me, it is more about who she was: humble, fearless, kind, smart, inclusive, a friend, generous of heart and being with her was like being wrapped in a warm blanket. Wilma is also the inspiration for this blog. Wilma spent much of her life working toward bringing people together and she talked about how little most Americans really knew about Native Americans and their culture. I have spent the last 12 years learning about the cultures of two different Native American tribes. During that time I have confronted my own ignorance and misconceptions. The journey has not always been comfortable because it meant that I had to admit that I didn't know as much as I thought I did and then I had to let go of several romantic notions acquired from the movies and TV shows I watched growing up. The name of my blog means to make clear, bring understanding and it is from the Lakota language. I chose the Lakota language because my family oral history tells me that I have Lakota in my background. I can't prove it but it has always been a part of my beliefs about who I am. This blog will be my challenge and attempt to carry on some of Wilma's work by sharing what I have learned over the last 12 years about "Indians". If you would like to join me in this process then I welcome you to read along. a-ho (Kiowa for thank you)