Edwina Butler-Wolfe

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Edwina Butler-Wolfe is a Shawnee politician who led the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma as governor from 2013 to 2019, serving three terms. She is the only woman to hold that position and the only governor elected for a third term. Born in Oklahoma, she attended Dale High School and studied at several colleges, including Seminole State College, Rose State College, St. Gregory’s University, and Oklahoma Baptist University. Before entering politics, she worked as a project manager, grant writer, fund development manager, and event planner. As governor, she joined the National Congress of American Indians and championed opposition to Native American stereotypes in professional sports. She helped arrange a memorandum of understanding with the American Red Cross to ensure emergency response support for her tribe. In 2019, John Raymond Johnson succeeded her. After leaving office, she became the education director of the Sac and Fox Nation. She is married to Leonard Wolfe, has one son, and enjoys basketball. She says Wilma Mankiller inspired her to become involved in politics.