Williams, 66, has always called the Alabama-Coushatta reservation home. Born and raised on the 10,200-acre land near Livingston, she always made it a priority to go to tribal meetings. More than 1,300 people live in the area. Yet, she said she never saw women in leadership.
[Ads /]
"I think women have the right to say our opinion, to say what we think about what should be done, or how we can help each other as a tribe," Williams said.
Modest and humble, it took a nomination from her cousin for Williams to consider stepping up. In September, the tribe's election committee announced she had been chosen as their new second chief.
"Wow, this is a historical moment for me. I never thought I would be in this position. It was usually the men who got chosen to be the chiefs. So, for a while in my mind, I thought women weren't supposed to be chiefs. But along the way, I guess this was planned for my future," she said.
She will serve alongside Kanicu Donnis Battise, who was elected as the principal chief. Battise succeeds Herbert Johnson, who passed away in August 2021.
READ ALSO: Port Neches-Groves High School faces backlash following controversial Disney World performance
The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas is a fully-functioning sovereign government with a full array of health and human services, including law enforcement and emergency services. The role of both the principal and second tribal chiefs is to act as ambassadors of the tribe and provide cultural advice to the tribal council and key tribal committees.
[Ads /]
Williams spent most of her life as an educator and has been working as the health and mental health coordinator for the tribe's Head Start program for the last 37 years. She is a mother to four children and grandmother to six. On the weekends, she teaches tribal language classes at the local church.
As she reflects during Native American Heritage Month, Williams hopes her story will inspire young Indigenous women to pursue whatever their dreams may be.
"I want them to grow up, knowing that they can be whatever they want to be. They can be successful. They can just go into it, go for it," Williams said.
The second chief-elect said this is a commitment she doesn't take lightly, as the position is a lifelong term. Her official inauguration ceremony will be held on Jan. 1. 2023.
For stories on Houston's diverse communities, follow Rosie Nguyen on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.