“Growth is a painful process.” — Wilma Mankiller

I've run into more discrimination as a woman than as an Indian.

Prior to my election, young Cherokee girls would never have thought that they might grow up and become chief.

Individually and collectively, Cherokee people possess an extraordinary ability to face down adversity and continue moving forward.

Everybody is sitting around saying, 'Well, jeez, we need somebody to solve this problem of bias.' That somebody is us. We all have to try to figure out a better way to get along.