About the Candidate

Leonard M. Harjo will bring to the Office of Principal Chief a strong belief in the Seminole Nation and the value of our cultural traditions; as well as a family legacy of service to the Seminole People. In the 1960’s Leonard’s father led a successful campaign for a new Constitution to restore the right of the Seminole People to elect their Chief; during his many years in public office he served as General Council Representative for the Tusekia Harjo Band, Assistant Chief and Principal Chief. Leonard’s great grandfather was a member of the Seminole Light Horse.

Family

Leonard M. Harjo was born near Sasakwa to Floyd L. Harjo and Esther Barnoski Harjo in 1957. The grandson of Tima and Ida Burgess Harjo, Leonard was raised on his grandfather’s allotment near Wolf, Oklahoma. Like many rural Seminole families of the period, Leonard’s family lived the “old way”. They raised livestock, grew corn and other crops, and spent much of their leisure time at church. Leonard’s parents were proud of their heritage and encouraged their children to live by the traditional values of self-reliance, respect for others, humility and community service.

Leonard is married to the former Sheila Little, together they have four children and four grandchildren. Leonard belongs to the Panther Clan and is a member of the Tusekia Harjo Band. He is also a member of the Mekusukey Indian Baptist Church.

Education

Leonard attended Wolf Elementary School and Bowlegs High School where he excelled academically, played sports, and participated in a variety of extracurricular activities. As a sophomore at Bowlegs, Leonard began to think about his options beyond high school and Seminole County. He applied for and received a scholarship to the Northfield Mount Hermon School, a private preparatory school in Northfield, Massachusetts.

Upon completing his last two years of high school at Northfield Mount Hermon in 1975 Leonard entered Harvard University. In 1979 he received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with an emphasis in Economic Development.

In 1986 Leonard received a First Nations Fellowship to attend the Yale School of Organization and Management in New Haven, Connecticut. He graduated in 1988 with a Master’s Degree in Public and Private Management.

Professional Career

After spending a year at the Harvard Graduate School of Education Leonard returned to Oklahoma in 1980. He worked for the Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission; the United Tribes of Western Oklahoma and Kansas, Incorporated; and for what is now the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. At the Department of Commerce he coordinated planning activities for the State’s weatherization and anti-poverty programs, and helped create a business development program for Community Action Agencies.

In 1988 Leonard returned from graduate school and entered employment with the Seminole Nation. For the next ten year years he served in a variety of positions including: Tribal Planner, Director of Economic Development, and the first Director of the Seminole Nation Development Authority. Accomplishments Leonard helped the Seminole Nation achieve during this period of service include:

Completing the unfinished Wewoka convenience store project and turn the Seminole Nation Trading Post into the Nation’s best performing business.
Obtaining funds for and building critically needed facilities such as the Wewoka OAP/Office building, and the Mekusukey Food Distribution Center.
Creating the first comprehensive Tribal Code since 1903.
Creating a Usage Plan for the Judgement Fund that resulted in the range of benefits Tribal Members currently enjoy.
Developing and executing an economic development plan that resulted in construction of a new Bingo Hall at Mekusukey, acquisition of Rivermist, and construction of the I-40 Travel Plaza.

In 1998 Leonard left the Seminole Nation to become the Executive Director of the Division of Health Administration for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. During his four year tenure Leonard helped restore the Division’s financial integrity, and usher in a period of significant growth in funding and facilities. Since 2002 Leonard has provided project management and strategic planning services to tribes across the western United States through his company, The Harjo Group, LLC.

Leonard understands the importance of building partnerships to achieve our goals. He has served as a Regent for Seminole State College; a member of the Board of Directors for Rural Enterprises, Incorporated; a member of various state committees; and as liaison to various tribal organizations and federal agencies—including the Oklahoma City Area and National Indian Health Boards, and the IHS National Budget Formulation Team.

Activities

Leonard and Sheila enjoy sports, especially basketball. Over the years Leonard has coached several youth basketball teams. In 1995 he served as an advisor to the project team that coordinated Team Oklahoma’s participation in the North American Indigenous Games in Minneapolis, Minnesota.