Last One Walking: The Life of Cherokee Community Leader Charlie Soap

Summary

You probably know the story of the late Wilma Mankiller, the first woman to serve as principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. You might not recognize the name of her husband, Charlie Soap, yet his role as a Native community organizer is no less significant. Last One Walking charts for the first time the life and work of this influential Cherokee.

Author and former journalist Greg Shaw gives voice to his sources. He draws on his many travels and interviews with Soap and on previously unpublished writings. Shaw offers a rich profile of Soap's singular career—particularly as a champion of water rights.

In managing public infrastructure projects, housing assistance, and water development in the Cherokee Nation, Soap has exemplified ga-du-gi, the Cherokee word for community members working together for the collective good.

Charlie Soap's name in Cherokee, Ohni ai, translates as "the last one walking." In the Cherokee wolf clan, this is the member who trails the rest of the pack to watch for danger and opportunity.

The Native American fight for land has been well chronicled, but the fight for water has not. Last One Walking helps to fill that void with a narrative that is also deeply moving.