The first chairperson, elected in 1976, was Mildred Cleghorn, one of the last Chiricahua Apache born under "prisoner of war" status. She was an educator and traditional doll maker, and was regarded as a cultural leader among the elders.Everett, Dianna. "Cleghorn, Mildred Imoch (1910–1997)" Oklahoma Historical Society's Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture. (retrieved 1 Feb 09) She served as tribal chairperson until 1995 and focused on sustaining history and traditional Chiricahua culture.
