Birth Wilma was born in Tahlequah, Oklahoma on November 18, 1945.
Parents Daughter of Charlie and Irene Mankiller.
Education background Attending college at night.
Awards and Honors Awarded a Citation for Outstanding Contributions to American Leadership and Native American Culture by the Harvard Foundation in 1986. Named Women of the Year by Ms. Magazine in 1987. Inducted into the National WomenÕs Hall of Fame in New York City in 1994.
Wilma lived in a historical area, surrounded by the Cherokee Hills and the Cookson Hills. Wilma's family name "Mankiller" is an old military title that was given to the person in charge of protecting the village.
In the 1960's Wilma married Hugo Olaya, an Ecuadorian businessman. She had two daughters. In 1960 Wilma studied sociology and then used this education to get a job as a social worker.
In the 1970's she divorced her husband, and moved back to Oklahoma with her daughters. Wilma reclaimed her land and built a small house on Mankiller Flats.
In 1971 Wilma's father died from kidney disease in San Francisco. Wilma said this tore through her like a blade of lightning.
In 1977 Wilma completed her degree in social science and began taking courses in community planning. She did a number of projects aimed at a greater development of the Cherokee communities in Oklahoma. She has won the respect of the Cherokee nation, and made an impact on the culture.
In 1979 an automobile collision severely injured Wilma, but she emerged with renewed determination to overcome the obstacles she faced.
In 1986 Wilma married Charlie Soap, a tribal member and community activist involved in rural development work.
Wilma's father was a full-blooded Cherokee. Her mother was Dutch-Irish.
Wilma was the first women Deputy Chief and first women Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. As leader of the Cherokee people she represented the second largest tribe in the United States.
Wilma is still living today despite many difficulties she endured in her life. She is 56 years of age.