Movie: The Cherokee Word for Water

Top 7 Billed Cast

Kimberly Guerrero
Kimberly Guerrero

Wilma Mankiller

Mo J.
Mo J.

Charlie Soap

Steeve Reeves
Steeve Reeves

Johnson Soap

Darryl Tonemah
Darryl Tonemah

Chief Ross Swimmer

Oren R. Lyons
Oren R. Lyons

Grandfather

Zahn McClarnon
Zahn McClarnon

Deputy Jackson

Ben Livingston
Ben Livingston

Curly

  • HomePage

    The Cherokee Word for Water

  • Overview

    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 female Chief of the Cherokee Nation. Set in the early 1980s, The Cherokee Word for Water begins in the homes of a small town in rural Oklahoma where many houses lack running water and others are little more than shacks. The movie is told from the perspective of Wilma Mankiller and full-blood Cherokee organizer Charlie Soap who join forces to battle opposition and build a 16-mile waterline system using a community of volunteers. In the process, they inspire the townspeople to trust each other, to trust their way of thinking, and to spark a reawakening of the universal indigenous values of reciprocity and interconnectedness. This project also inspired a self-help movement in Indian Country that continues to this day. The movie is dedicated to Wilma Mankiller’s vision, compassion and incredible grace.

  • Release Date

    2013-05-01

  • Average

    8.7

  • Rating:

    4.3 starts
  • Tagline

    The story of Wilma Mankiller, the first modern female Chief of the Cherokee Nation.

  • Genres

  • Languages:

    English
  • Keywords

Recommendations Movies

Won't Back Down
61%

Won't Back Down(en)

2012-09-28

Jamie Fitzpatrick and Nona Alberts are two women from opposites sides of the social and economic track, but they have one thing in common: a mission to fix their community's broken school and ensure a bright future for their children. The two women refuse to let any obstacles stand in their way as they battle a bureaucracy that's hopelessly mired in traditional thinking, and they seek to re-energize a faculty that has lost its passion for teaching.

The Way West
61%

The Way West(en)

1967-05-24

In the mid-19th century, Senator William J. Tadlock leads a group of settlers overland in a quest to start a new settlement in the Western US. Tadlock is a highly principled and demanding taskmaster who is as hard on himself as he is on those who have joined his wagon train. He clashes with one of the new settlers, Lije Evans, who doesn't quite appreciate Tadlock's ways. Along the way, the families must face death and heartbreak and a sampling of frontier justice when one of them accidentally kills a young Indian boy.

Little Big Man
74%

Little Big Man(en)

1970-12-23

Jack Crabb, looking back from extreme old age, tells of his life being raised by Indians and fighting with General Custer.

Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here
58%

Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here(en)

1969-10-31

While confronting the disapproving father of his girlfriend Lola, Native American man Willie Boy kills the man in self-defense, triggering a massive manhunt, led by Deputy Sheriff Christopher Cooper.

Trees of Peace
72%

Trees of Peace(en)

2021-04-01

Four women from different backgrounds forge an unbreakable sisterhood while trapped and in hiding during the genocide in Rwanda.

A Call to Spy
68%

A Call to Spy(en)

2020-10-02

The story of Vera Atkins, a crafty spy recruiter, and two of the first women she selects for Churchill's "secret army": Virginia Hall, a daring American undaunted by a disability and Noor Inayat Khan, a pacifist. These civilian women form an unlikely sisterhood while entangled in dangerous missions to turn the tide of the war.

Geronimo: An American Legend
63%

Geronimo: An American Legend(en)

1993-12-10

The Apache Indians have reluctantly agreed to settle on a US Government approved reservation. Not all the Apaches are able to adapt to the life of corn farmers. One in particular, Geronimo, is restless. Pushed over the edge by broken promises and necessary actions by the government, Geronimo and thirty or so other warriors form an attack team which humiliates the government by evading capture, while reclaiming what is rightfully theirs.

The Brave
60%

The Brave(en)

1997-07-30

A down-on-his-luck American Indian recently released from jail is offered the chance to "star" as the victim of a snuff film, the resulting pay of which could greatly help his poverty stricken family.

The Last of the Mohicans
63%

The Last of the Mohicans(en)

1920-11-21

As Alice and Cora Munro attempt to find their father, a British officer in the French and Indian War, they are set upon by French soldiers and their cohorts, Huron tribesmen led by the evil Magua. Fighting to rescue the women are Chingachgook and his son Uncas, the last of the Mohican tribe, and their white ally, the frontiersman Natty Bumppo, known as Hawkeye.

Smoke Signals
68%

Smoke Signals(en)

1998-06-26

Young Native American man Thomas is a nerd in his reservation, wearing oversize glasses and telling everyone stories no-one wants to hear. His parents died in a fire in 1976, and Thomas was saved by Arnold. Arnold soon left his family, and Victor hasn't seen his father for 10 years. When Victor hears Arnold has died, Thomas offers him funding for the trip to get Arnold's remains.

Dances with Wolves
78%

Dances with Wolves(en)

1990-03-30

Wounded Civil War soldier John Dunbar tries to commit suicide—and becomes a hero instead. As a reward, he's assigned to his dream post, a remote junction on the Western frontier, and soon makes unlikely friends with the local Sioux tribe.

Woman Walks Ahead
67%

Woman Walks Ahead(en)

2018-06-28

Based on a true story, this riveting western follows a headstrong New York widow as she journeys west to meet Sioux chief Sitting Bull, facing off with an army officer intent on war with Native Americans.

Love's Enduring Promise
68%

Love's Enduring Promise(en)

2004-11-20

In the 1800s frontier, Missie Davis is a bright and beautiful schoolteacher whose love for the prairie is matched only by her passion for books. When Missie encounters Grant, a handsome New England railroad executive, she feels as though she's met a hero from one of her novels.

Faith Like Potatoes
73%

Faith Like Potatoes(en)

2006-10-27

Frank Rautenbach leads a strong cast as Angus Buchan, a Zambian farmer of Scottish heritage, who leaves his farm in the midst of political unrest and racially charged land reclaims and travels south with his family to start a better life in KwaZulu Natal,South Africa.

The River
63%

The River(en)

1984-12-01

Tom and Mae Garvey are a Tennessee farming couple battling violent floods to save their land. In addition to natural disasters, the Garveys fight to stop a selfish land developer and a local corporation from foreclosing on their farm. While Mae stays at home to care for their children and tend to the crops, Tom finds work as a scab at a steel mill to preserve his family's property.

The Secret: Dare to Dream
73%

The Secret: Dare to Dream(en)

2020-04-16

A widow with three children hires a handyman to fix her house during a major storm. When not doing home repairs, he shares his philosophy of believing in the power of the universe to deliver what we want.

Origin
64%

Origin(en)

2023-12-08

While investigating the global phenomenon of caste and its dark influence on society, a journalist faces unfathomable personal loss and uncovers the beauty of human resilience.

Sky
62%

Sky(en)

2015-09-16

A woman embarks on a journey alone across the United States after fleeing from her violent husband.

Breathe
74%

Breathe(en)

2017-10-13

Based on the true story of Robin, a handsome, brilliant and adventurous man whose life takes a dramatic turn when polio leaves him paralyzed.

High Ground
63%

High Ground(en)

2021-01-28

In a remote corner of the wild country, a bloody war rages. Travis is a bounty hunter with one last hope of redemption. Gutjuk is a young Indigenous man trying to save the last of his family. Together they embark on a manhunt, which unravels a secret that ultimately pits them against each other.

Similar Movies

Islandia
0%

Islandia(es)

2024-07-11

Emilia, a young widow, is traveling by river to Islandia with her young daughter, Irina, in the 1950s. Because the river is low, they are stranded in Santos, a small town in the Peruvian Amazon. The time they spend there is enough to change the course of their lives. Emilia is the first teacher the town has had. Fifty years later, her legacy remains.

Roe vs. Wade
63%

Roe vs. Wade(en)

1989-05-15

Holly Hunter plays a lonely, single, poorly educated Texan who finds herself pregnant with no means to support a child. To avoid giving up the child, she seeks an abortion. Denied an abortion in Texas the young woman hires a novice lawyer to plead her case in the US supreme court. Eventually the law is changed, but for the character it takes longer than nine months.

Musical Horrifically Funny Women
0%

Musical Horrifically Funny Women(ko)

2025-07-23

Seok-gu, a documentary producer specializing in current events and accusations, wishes to find meaning in the dark and inconvenient things of the world. Old women who fell in love with Hangeul (Korean alphabet) appear in front of him. Over and over again, they say "old people should die," but their joyful lives are more exciting than anyone else's.

The Pursuit of Happyness
79%

The Pursuit of Happyness(en)

2006-12-14

A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional career.

23
68%

23(de)

1998-07-02

The movie's plot is based on the true story of a group of young computer hackers from Hannover, Germany. In the late 1980s the orphaned Karl Koch invests his heritage in a flat and a home computer. At first he dials up to bulletin boards to discuss conspiracy theories inspired by his favorite novel, R.A. Wilson's "Illuminatus", but soon he and his friend David start breaking into government and military computers. Pepe, one of Karl's rather criminal acquaintances senses that there is money in computer cracking - he travels to east Berlin and tries to contact the KGB.

Apocalypto
76%

Apocalypto(en)

2006-12-07

Set in the Mayan civilization, when a man's idyllic presence is brutally disrupted by a violent invading force, he is taken on a perilous journey to a world ruled by fear and oppression where a harrowing end awaits him. Through a twist of fate and spurred by the power of his love for his woman and his family he will make a desperate break to return home and to ultimately save his way of life.

Norma: Antara Mertua dan Menantu
71%

Norma: Antara Mertua dan Menantu(id)

2025-03-31

When a young woman learns of an affair between her mother and her husband, she faces a difficult decision: forgive or seek justice.

All the President's Men
77%

All the President's Men(en)

1976-04-09

During the 1972 elections, two reporters' investigation sheds light on the controversial Watergate scandal that compels President Nixon to resign from his post.

La duquesa
50%

La duquesa(es)

2010-01-01

Anna and the King
68%

Anna and the King(en)

1999-12-16

The story of the romance between the King of Siam (now Thailand) and the widowed British school teacher Anna Leonowens during the 1860s. Anna teaches the children and becomes romanced by the King. She convinces him that a man can be loved by just one woman.

Saving Private Ryan
82%

Saving Private Ryan(en)

1998-07-24

As U.S. troops storm the beaches of Normandy, three brothers lie dead on the battlefield, with a fourth trapped behind enemy lines. Ranger captain John Miller and seven men are tasked with penetrating German-held territory and bringing the boy home.

The Queen
70%

The Queen(en)

2006-09-15

The Queen is an intimate behind the scenes glimpse at the interaction between HM Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Tony Blair during their struggle, following the death of Diana, to reach a compromise between what was a private tragedy for the Royal family and the public's demand for an overt display of mourning.

Letters from Iwo Jima
75%

Letters from Iwo Jima(en)

2006-12-09

The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye
65%

The Eyes of Tammy Faye(en)

2021-09-17

From the 1960s to the 1980s, evangelist Jim Baker and his ambitious wife, Tammy Faye, rose from humble beginnings to build an empire based on big-time evangelical Christianity--only for the couple to fall from grace because of some all-too-human sins.

1492: Conquest of Paradise
63%

1492: Conquest of Paradise(en)

1992-08-09

1492: Conquest of Paradise depicts Christopher Columbus’ discovery of The New World and his effect on the indigenous people.

Mum's List
68%

Mum's List(en)

2016-11-25

The story of Singe and Kate, a couple from North Somerset, whose lives were turned upside down when Kate was diagnosed with an incurable breast cancer. Over her last few days, she created her list: writing her thoughts and memories down, to help the man she loved create the best life possible for their two sons, after she was gone.

Sing
76%

Sing(hu)

2016-11-06

Quiet 10-year-old Zsofi has just changed schools. Feeling out of place at first, she is quickly admitted to the school’s famous choir and befriends her popular classmate Liza. Soon, they have to stand up united against their choir master, who isn’t quite the friendly and inspirational teacher they first thought she was.

The Diplomat
65%

The Diplomat(hi)

2025-03-07

The Deputy High Commissioner, J.P. Singh, faces an unusual crisis when a mysterious woman rushes inside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, claiming forced marriage in Pakistan and seeking a return to India.

Uloupené dětství
0%

Uloupené dětství(cs)

1988-03-15

The true story of a little boy who was taken from his grandmother's care during the war by a court decision at the request of his father and his upbringing was entrusted to the German authorities. Upbringing means Germanization. The methods used here did not even remotely resemble their noble name. Inhuman treatment and psychological and physical suffering also affected Mirko.

Mississippi Burning
77%

Mississippi Burning(en)

1988-12-08

Two FBI agents investigating the murder of civil rights workers during the 60s seek to breach the conspiracy of silence in a small Southern town where segregation divides black and white. The younger agent trained in FBI school runs up against the small town ways of his partner, a former sheriff.