AARP Oklahoma is now accepting nominations for the 14th annual AARP Oklahoma Indian Elder Honors, which celebrates 50 Native American elders who have positively impacted the country, state and/ or Indian Country.
Since its inception in 2009, AARP Oklahoma’s Indian Elder Honors has recognized more than 650 elders from Oklahoma’s 39 tribal nations, according to the nonprofit.
In a statement, AARP Oklahoma state director Sean Voskuhl said: “These honorees are beacons of hope and inspiration and embody AARP’s mission and vision, as they inspire others to serve. The Native American elders we recognize are an extraordinary example of the difference that we all can make in others’ lives and in the vitality of our communities.”
Past honorees include teachers, veterans, artists, tribal leaders, and culture preservationists. The AARP Oklahoma Indian Elder Honors celebration will occur in fall 2022. Nominations should be submitted at aarp.cventevents.com/2022NativeAmericanEldersNominations.
The deadline for submitting 2022 Indian elder nominations is March 31.
In 2021, AARP Oklahoma selected 47 Native elders from across Oklahoma, including five Osages who were recognized virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Each elder honoree received an honor medallion via mail due to the 2021 in-person honor ceremony cancelation.
Indian elder honoree nomination applications are available online at https://aarp.cventevents.com/event/bdbc33f1-43e1-4b1d-8192-59acc1ef1898/summary
Nominees must be an enrolled member of one of Oklahoma’s 39 federally recognized tribal nations, age 50 or greater and must be living. “Nominees are selected based upon their contribution to and social impact on their community, tribal nation, and/or country,” according to AARP Oklahoma. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Nominees do not have to be AARP members to be considered. Honorees will be selected by AARP.
For more information or to request a mail-in nomination form, contact Mashell Sourjohn at (405) 715-4474 or email her at msourjohn@aarp.org
According to its website, AARP is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization “that empowers people to choose how they live as they age.” For more information on AARP services and resources, visit www.states.aarp.org and select your respective state from the list.
By
Shannon Shaw Duty
Original Publish Date: 2022-01-18 00:00:00
