Mildred Cleghorn

Mildred Imoch Cleghorn (Chiricahua: Eh-Ohn and Lay-a-Bet; December 11, 1910 – April 15, 1997) was a Chiricahua Apache dollmaker, educator, and tribal leader who served as the first chairperson of the Fort Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma from 1976 to 1995. She dedicated her life to preserving Apache culture and promoting Native American rights.

Early life and education Cleghorn was born on December 11, 1910, at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, while her family was still considered prisoners of war by the U.S. federal government. Her grandparents and parents had been imprisoned following the surrender of the Chiricahua Apache leader Geronimo in 1886, first in Florida, then Alabama, and finally at Fort Sill. In 1913, when Cleghorn was three years old, the Chiricahua Apache were officially released from their prisoner-of-war status. In 1976, when the Fort Sill Apache Tribe was formally recognized by the U.S. government, Cleghorn became the first chairperson of the tribe. Cleghorn did not live to see the results of the lawsuit, which became known as Cobell v. Salazar. It was settled for $3.4 billion in 2009, in the Indians' favor, a week after what would have been Cleghorn's 99th birthday.