According to Wilma Mankiller, the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation, there is a profound difference between the mindsets of Native Americans and of those in the American mainstream.

Mankiller addressed a crowd of about 650 Wednesday night in the EMU Ballroom as part of the Morse Public Lecture series. Her talk, entitled “Context is Everything: History and Culture in Contemporary Tribal Life” discussed the history of native peoples, current challenges and future hopes.

The 2005-06 chairwoman of the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics, an independent center at the law school, Mankiller is also serving as a visiting professor in the Ethnic Studies department through the end of this month.

The speech opened with a ceremonial welcome by the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Honor Guard and a traditional song performed by the Eagle Beak Singers.

She gave an overview of the hardships Native Americans suffered at the hands of European invaders, including the Trail of Tears, when thousands of her people were forced to migrate from the Southeastern United States to what is now Oklahoma.

“She’s a phenomenal person. ... Tonight’s speech was a summary of a lot of stuff we learned in class, and it really cemented the ideas,” she said.

“I hope people get a sense ... that any individual who devotes themselves to something that is important can make a real difference,” he said.

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