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]