Enoch Kelly Haney (November 12, 1940 – April 23, 2022) was an American politician and internationally recognized

Seminole The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, ...

Muscogee The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek or just Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language; English: ), are a group of related Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands Here they waged war again ...

artist from

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

, He served as principal chief of the

Seminole Nation of Oklahoma The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma is a federally recognized This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes are legally recognized b ...

from 2005 until 2009 and previously served as a member of both houses of the Oklahoma Legislature.Seminole Nation Executive Branch-Principal Chief Enoch Kelly Haney
He created a bronze statue that sits atop the

Oklahoma State Capitol The Oklahoma State Capitol is the house of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the building that houses the Oklahoma Legislature and executive branch offices. It is located along Lincoln Boulevard in Oklahoma City and contains 452,50 ...

, called ''The Guardian''. Another statue he created is located at the Chickasaw Nation headquarters in

Ada, Oklahoma Ada is a city in and the county seat of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 16,481 at the 2020 United States census. The city was named for Ada Reed, the daughter of an early settler, and was in ...

. Haney was also a candidate for the office of

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in the 2002 election, placing third in the Democratic Party primary. He died in Oklahoma in 2022 at 81

Early life and education

Enoch Kelly Haney was born on November 12, 1940, in Seminole, Oklahoma, to William Woodrow Haney and Hattie Louise Haney. His father was a

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maker and craftsman and his paternal grandfather, Willie Haney, contributed to the

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oral history Oral history is the collection and study of historical information from people, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people who pa ...

projectLester, Patrick D. '' The Biographical Directory of Native American Painters''. SIR Publications, 1995: 217-8. and served as Chief of the Seminole Tribe in the 1940s.The Guardian.
''Art of the Oklahoma State Capitol.'' (retrieved April 11, 2009) Haney graduated from Prairie Valley High School in Earlsboro, Oklahoma in 1959, then went on to earn an Associate of Arts degree from Bacone College in

Muskogee, Oklahoma Muskogee () is the 13th-largest city in Oklahoma and is the county seat of Muskogee County, Oklahoma, Muskogee County. Home to Bacone College, it lies approximately southeast of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tulsa. The population of the city was 36,878 as of ...

and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Oklahoma City University. He attended the

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on a

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Scholarship. He also served in the Oklahoma National Guard. In 1972, he was named as one of the Outstanding Young Men of America. Before he entered politics, he was a Methodist minister.

Political career

Prior to becoming Principal Chief of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma in 2005, Haney served in the

Oklahoma Senate The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.Oklahoma House of Representatives The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members introduce and vote on bills and resolutions, provide legislative oversight for state agencies, and help to craft the state's ...

, becoming Vice Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee in his second term. He was the first full-blood Native American to serve in either house of the Oklahoma Legislature. Earlier in his career, he had served the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, as a tribal councilman, band chief, business consultant, and planner. Haney ran in the Democratic Party's primary election in the 2002 Oklahoma gubernatorial election. He placed third in the primary behind Vince Orza and Brad Henry.

Artistic career

In addition to his political career, Haney was an internationally recognized Native American artist, specializing in paintings and sculpture. He painted in oil, acrylic, and watercolor and drew with pastels, as well as sculpting with bronze. Haney was shown throughout the United States, as well as Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Switzerland. The Five Civilized Tribes Museum declared him a Master Artist in 1976. Most notably, he created "The Guardian," a 22-foot bronze sculpture which adorns the

dome. Modeled after Haney's own relatives, "The Guardian" took 10 months to complete, weighs 4,000 pounds, and was erected on June 7, 2002. Seven 7-foot replicas of the statue are located throughout the state. Haney noted of his sculpture of "The Guardian": “The towering statue exemplifies the valor of Oklahomans and their ability to overcome the most horrific catastrophes such as the bombing at the Alfred P. Murrah Building in

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

. The Guardian is a reminder that just below him within the halls of our grand Capitol, the true guardians of

, our elected officials and others, are working every day to improve this already magnificent state.” Felder, Ben. "Enoch Kelly Haney, politician and artist who left a lasting mark on the state Capitol, dies." April 23, 2022. The Oklahoman. https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2022/04/23/enoch-kelly-haney-obituary-seminole-nation-chief-artist-politician-dies/7426107001/ Haney's other artistic accomplishments include the "Chickasaw Warrior" sculpture at the Chickasaw Nation headquarters in

, and the "Standing His Ground" sculpture at Seminole State College in Seminole, Oklahoma. Chickasaw cultural center 1

A painting created by Haney entitled "The Earth and I are One" is displayed at the

Other accomplishments

Haney produced and hosted his own weekly television program. He also narrated and worked as a consultant for the Seminole series of the

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's 1993 television documentary series, "How the West was Lost." He taught at Oklahoma City University and owned an art gallery, Haney, Inc.

References

External links