Oklahoma Native to Receive Presidential Medal of Freedom

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after it was announced that Dr. Suzan Harjo will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom later this month. A native of Oklahoma, Harjo is a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes and has long advocated for Native Americans, including as the Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians and currently as the President of the Morning Star Institute.

"I am very pleased to hear that Dr. Suzan Harjo will be honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom," said Cole. "In the tradition of Wilma Mankiller, who received this same honor, Dr. Harjo has been a lifelong advocate for Native American rights and tribal sovereignty. As an author, poet, scholar and activist, she has tirelessly championed causes associated with Native Americans and has been instrumental in the passage of key legislation. This recognition of her decades of work and commitment brings honor not only to Dr. Harjo, but to her native state of Oklahoma as well."

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