Chief Gary Batton and Assistant Chief Jack Austin Jr., congratulate Lorene Blaine, Former Chief Greg Pyle and Sue Folsom during the AARP Oklahoma Honors event.
AARP Recognizes Oklahoma Indian Elders at Annual Honors Event
Oklahoma City, Okla. - AARP Oklahoma hosted its 6th Annual Indian Elder Honors Tuesday, October 7 at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. Fifty elders from 30 Oklahoma tribes and nations were recognized.
Three Choctaw Nation members were honored during the event.
Former Chief Greg E. Pyle was awarded the inaugural Dr. John Edwards Memorial Leadership Award in recognition of more than thirty years of service to his people.
“Chief Pyle is a visionary leader whose service to all Native Americans will continue to be felt for generations to come,” Marjorie Lyons, AARP Oklahoma State President, said.
Lorene Blaine and Sue Folsom were also honored as AARP Oklahoma Indian Elders during the event.
Lorene, a full blood Choctaw, is actively involved in cultural activities of the Choctaw Nation. She has passed down her talents of cooking native food, singing the native language, beadwork, and sewing to generations of Choctaws. Lorene’s contributions to the Choctaw Nation were honored in 2009 when she was named Outstanding Female Elder of the Choctaw Nation.
Sue Folsom serves as a standard bearer for the Choctaw culture as the Executive Director of Cultural Services for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. She leads a staff that preserves the Choctaw culture, traditions and history. She was recently appointed vice president of the National Trail of Tears Association and also serves on the Oklahoma Museum Association, U.S. Marshall Tribal Advisory Committee, Kiamichi Tourism Board, Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes, and National Native American Indian Museum Association.
The Choctaw Nation is honored to be associated with these great individuals as they continue to uphold the great standard of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.