Mankiller Poems: The Lost Poetry of the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation

By Joy Harjo, Wilma Mankiller and Mark Trahant

Wilma Mankiller was not known as a poet. With a tip from her husband, Charlie Soap, and her friend, Kristina Kiehl, Pulley Press founders learned that Mankiller had been writing poetry throughout her life. After searching through her barn at Mankiller Flats in Adair County Oklahoma, Greg Shaw and Frances McCue located 19 of the 20 poems publishe

• Language: English
• Publisher: Clyde Hill Publishing
• Release date: Jun 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9798985263251

Book preview

Cover pictureTitle page: Wilma Mankiller, Foreword by Joy Harjo, Commentary by Mark Trahant, Mankiller poems, Pulley Press

©2022 Wilma Mankiller

ISBN 979-8-9852632-5-1

Published by Pulley Press, an imprint of

Clyde Hill Publishing

Cover and book design by Dan D Shafer

Front cover photograph courtesy Cherokee Nation

Back cover photograph by Charlie Soap

Proceeds from this book will benefit the

Wilma Mankiller Foundation

This digital document has been produced by Nord Compo.

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Foreword JOY HARJO

Notes from the editors

Context is everything - MARK TRAHANT

Smoke Signals

Real People

Can anyone else Hear?

Sunlight and Dreams

Reality

Finding Redbird - MARK TRAHANT

Oktaha

Moving on

The Moon

Working Ladies

Leaving san Francisco

The Blues

Where are Your Women? - MARK TRAHANT

I want to be Reincarnated as Gloria Steinem

This Thing Called Love

A Night Alone

Beginnings of a Song for Charlie

Waiting for May

Comfort

Reality {Again}

Feeling

Acknowledgments

Contributors

Foreword

These poems are from one of the Real People, Cherokee Chief and change maker, Wilma Mankiller. Making poetry is demanding as the wind as it carves