The Cherokee Word for Water – Based on a True Story about Wilma Mankiller
Location
Rose State College, Tannenbaum Aerospace and Cybersecurity Center
(TACC Building)
1720 Hudiburg Drive, Midwest City, OK 73110
Bring your own Brown Bag Lunch (Food will not be provided)
This docudrama is about a journey that transformed the Cherokee Nation and a great leader of our people who re-introduced the concepts of self-determination to the Cherokee People.
The Cherokee Word for Water is a feature-length motion picture that tells the story of the work that led Wilma Mankiller to become the first modern woman Chief of the Cherokee Nation. The movie is based on the true story of the Bell Waterline Project. Set in the early 1980s in the homes of a rural Oklahoma Cherokee community where many houses lack running water and other are little more than shacks. After centuries of being dehumanized and disposed of their land and identity, the people no longer feel they have power or control over their lives or future.
Led by Wilma Mankiller (played by Kimberly Guerrero) and Cherokee organizer Charlie Soap (played by Mo Brings Plenty) using the traditional concept of “Gadugi” – working together to solve a problem, they inspired the community to trust each other, and reawaken universal indigenous values.