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Enoch Kelly Haney

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Enoch Kelly Haney
Chief of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma
In office
2005–2009
Member of the Oklahoma Senate
In office
1986–2002
Constituency50th, 28th districts
Member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
In office
1980–1986
Preceded byRonald G. Sheppard
Succeeded byJim Morgan
Constituency28th district
Personal details
Born(1940-11-12)November 12, 1940
Seminole, Oklahoma, U.S.
DiedApril 23, 2022(2022-04-23) (aged 81)
Oklahoma, U.S.
NationalityUnited States
Seminole Nation
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materBacone College
Oklahoma City University
University of Arizona
OccupationArtist, Politician

Enoch Kelly Haney (November 12, 1940 – April 23, 2022)[1] was an American politician and internationally recognized Seminole/Muscogee artist from Oklahoma, He served as principal chief of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma from 2005 until 2009 and previously served as a member of both houses of the Oklahoma Legislature.[2] He created a bronze statue that sits atop the Oklahoma State Capitol, called The Guardian. Another statue he created is located at the Chickasaw Nation headquarters in Ada, Oklahoma.

Haney was also a candidate for the office of Governor of Oklahoma in the 2002 election.

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 flute maker and craftsman and his paternal grandfather, Willie Haney, contributed to the Smithsonian Institution's oral history project[3] and served as Chief of the Seminole Tribe in the 1940s.[4] 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 and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Oklahoma City University.[3] He attended the University of Arizona on a Rockefeller Foundation Scholarship.[5] He also served in the Oklahoma National Guard.[6] In 1972, he was named as one of the Outstanding Young Men of America.[3] Before he entered politics, he was a Methodist minister.[7]

Political career

Prior to becoming Principal Chief of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma in 2005, Haney served in the Oklahoma Senate from 1986 to 2002.[2] During his tenure in the State Senate, he served as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. From 1980 to 1986, he served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives,[2] 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.[2] In 2002, Haney ran as a Democratic candidate for Oklahoma governor,[8] but was ultimately defeated in the primary by then-State Senator Brad Henry.

A statue created by Haney sits atop the Oklahoma State Capitol

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.[3]

Most notably, he created "The Guardian," a 22-foot bronze sculpture which adorns the Oklahoma State Capitol 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.[4] Seven 7-foot replicas of the statue are located throughout the state.[9] Haney's other artistic accomplishments include the "Chickasaw Warrior" sculpture at the Chickasaw Nation headquarters in Ada, Oklahoma, and the "Standing His Ground" sculpture at Seminole State College in Seminole, Oklahoma.

A painting by Haney, "The Earth and I are One" is displayed at the Oklahoma State Capitol.

Sculpture of a Chickasaw Warrior at the Chickasaw Cultural Center by Haney

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 Discovery Channel's 1993 television documentary series, "How the West was Lost." He has taught at Oklahoma City University and owned an art gallery, Haney, Inc.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ Former Seminole Nation Chief, creator of Oklahoma State Capitol’s Guardian dies at 81
  2. ^ a b c d Seminole Nation Executive Branch-Principal Chief Enoch Kelly Haney Archived March 10, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ a b c d Lester, Patrick D. The Biographical Directory of Native American Painters. SIR Publications, 1995: 217-8. ISBN 0-8061-9936-9
  4. ^ a b The Guardian. Archived July 8, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Art of the Oklahoma State Capitol. (retrieved 11 April 2009)
  5. ^ Art of the Oklahoma State Capitol-The Guardian by Enoch Kelly Haney Archived July 8, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ a b Enoch Kelly Haney. The Oklahoma State Senate. (retrieved 11 April 2009)
  7. ^ Native American artist, chief, Oklahoma lawmaker Haney dies
  8. ^ National Briefing | Plains: Oklahoma: Bid For Governor. New York Times. 24 November 2001 (retrieved 11 April 2009)
  9. ^ Kellyhaney.com (accessed May 16, 2013)
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