The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina has elected the first woman to lead the tribal council.

Terri Henry defeated Gene “Tunney” Crowe Jr. for the post. It was her second run for the job.

“I think that every government has its time,” Henry told The Smoky Mountain News.

Henry is well known in Indian Country for her work on S.47, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. She sits on the National Congress of American Indians Task Force on Violence Against Native Women.

“What I am really concerned about is living up to the expectations the tribe has for me,” Henry told the paper. “I want to be an example for young girls.”

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New Tribal Council chair is first woman to hold position (The Smoky Mountain News 11/13)