Now Haney, who is also an internationally recognized artist with the title Master Artist of the Five Civilized Tribes, has sculpted the first Native American statue to adorn a state capitol.
In early June, his 17-foot, 5-ton bronze statue was placed atop the state's soon-to-be-completed $20.8 million dome, an addition that has been 84 years in the making. Despite architectural plans calling for a dome to be built, the project was indefinitely postponed when the state fell short of funds and World War I began.
Construction finally began in June 2001 under Governor Frank Keating and serves as the focal point of the state's centennial celebration festivities, which will culminate in 2007.
In a competition held to decide the statue design, judges unanimously chose Haney's model from among six finalists. To ensure fairness, the artists' names were withheld from their submitted designs.
"You could immediately see it above the capitol looking at the Indian red earth of Oklahoma," says Centennial Commission Executive Director Blake Wade. "It was such a unique composition."
Haney's work is entitled the "Guardian," which he says refers to "the state's responsibility to be the guardian of the rights and liberties of its citizens." It depicts an American Indian warrior of no specific tribal affiliation and draws upon Native American imagery with meanings Haney says transcend specific tribal and American Indian associations.
"The images I use and the stories that I tell are part of a larger picture and not just specific of native people," says Haney. "The Guardian is not just a native image but represents all the people of Oklahoma."
