Wanda Hatfield

Wanda Hatfield (née Claphan) is a Cherokee educator and politician who served as an At-Large Tribal Councilor for the Cherokee Nation from 2015 to 2019.

Wanda Hatfield
Cherokee Nation Tribal Councilor for the at-large district
In office August 14, 2015 – August 13, 2019
Preceded by	Julia Coates
Succeeded by	Julia Coates
Personal details
Born	Wanda Claphan Tahlequah, Oklahoma, U.S.
Citizenship	Cherokee Nation United States
Children	1
Education	University of Oklahoma

Career

Wanda Hatfield was born at WW Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and grew up in the Cherry Tree Community in Stilwell, Oklahoma.^[1] She is the daughter of the Jack Claphan and Carolyn Doublehead Claphan.^[1] Her great-great-grandfather, Rabbit Bunch, served as the Cherokee Nation assistant principal chief from 1880 to 1887.^[1] Hatfield graduated from Stilwell High School and earned a B.S. in education from the University of Oklahoma.^[2] Hatfield married Roger Hatfield and they had one daughter.^[1]

For 28 years, Hatfield taught in the Shawnee and Mid-Del School Districts.^[2] In 2015, Hatfield ran for the at-large seat of the Council of the Cherokee Nation.^[3] She finished first ahead of Betsy Swimmer and Shane Jett. Hatfield received 1,057 votes, Swimmer 770 votes, and Jett 717 votes.^[3][4] She assumed the position on August 14, 2015.^[5] She succeeded Julia Coates who was term-limited.^[5] As an At-Large councilor, Hatfield represented Cherokee Nation citizens living outside the tribe's 14-county jurisdiction in northeastern Oklahoma.^[6]

During her term, Hatfield was involved in sponsoring legislation, with records showing she sponsored 59 pieces of legislation during her time on the council.^[7] She ran for re-election in 2019, seeking to retain her At-Large seat.^[8] However, her campaign faced controversy when she was disqualified by the Cherokee Nation Election Commission on April 18, 2019.^[8] The disqualification came after a hearing and was related to Hatfield sending checks worth $500 to Cherokee communities in Oregon and California.^[9] Following her disqualification, Coates, who had previously held the At-Large seat, ran for the position again and won, returning to the Tribal Council in August 2019.^[10]