Presidential Medal of Freedom to be Awarded to Oklahoma Native

Press Release

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) today praised Dr. Suzan Harjo of El Reno, Okla., for being one of the nineteen recipients to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest honor bestowed to civilians in their respective fields of improving national interests, world peace, cultural preservation, or other public or private endeavors. Dr. Harjo will receive the award at a White House ceremony on Nov. 24 for her many years of continuous service to the Native American community.

"It is an honor for our state to have Dr. Suzan Harjo among the esteemed nineteen recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom," said Inhofe. "Dr. Harjo's commitment to the Native American people is admirable and beyond worthy of recognition. This honor not only acknowledges Dr. Harjo, but also the vast American Indian population that live in Oklahoma, and around our nation, that she continues to care for and champion."

Dr. Harjo is Cheyenne and Hodulgee Muscogee, and a citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. Dr. Harjo has been a key contender in safeguarding Native American culture and has most notably worked on the passage of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and the American Indian Religious Freedom Act.

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