Remember that I am just a woman who is living a very abundant life. Every step I take forward is on a path paved by strong Indian women before me.

An Indian is an Indian regardless of the degree of Indian blood or which little government card they do or do not possess.

A significant number of people believe tribal people still live and dress as they did 300 years ago. During my tenure as principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, national news agencies requesting interviews sometimes asked if they could film a tribal dance or if I would wear traditional tribal clothing for the interview. I doubt they asked the president of the United States to dress like a pilgrim for an interview.

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

Western movies always seemed to show Indian women washing clothes at the creek and men with a tomahawk or spear in their hands, adorned with lots of feathers. That image has stayed in some people's minds. Many think we're either visionaries, `noble savages,' squaw drudges or tragic alcoholics. We're very rarely depicted as real people who have greater tenacity in terms of trying to hang on to our culture and values system than most people.

I learned a long time ago that I can't control the challenges the creator sends my way, but I can control the way I think about them and deal with them

The secret of our success is that we never, never give up.