OKMULGEE – The Muscogee (Creek) Nation Elder Services hosted their annual Festival Elder Gathering this year on June 19 at the Mvskoke Dome. The event is open to elders 55 years and older. Many attendees competed in activities, entered contests, and enjoyed seeing one another. Door prizes and lunch were provided to all participants.
Activities such as basketball free throw, golf pong, dominoes, and ring toss let elders compete and have fun together. Elders were able to show their skills in contests for aprons, art, beaded jewelry, frybread, o’safke, quilts, ribbon skirts, and woodwork.
Exactly 197 Mvskoke elders signed in at the gathering event, and 123 elders placed in events. Elder services also gave away 125 door prizes. They also had other booths, and the College of the Muscogee Nation had a photo booth for elders.
MCN Adult Protection Specialist April Harley (Mvskoke) spoke about this year’s gathering and what she enjoyed most about it.
Many elders participated or enjoyed watching everyone compete. This gathering offered the opportunity to socialize, catch up with friends or family, and meet new people.
This year, Elder Services requested that EMS be on site during the gathering because there had been minor incidents involving elders in the past, and they wanted to be prepared for anything that might arise.
Harley mentioned that their department tries to showcase Mvskoke elders in any way possible. For example, the program included a ribbon skirt contest. Harley knows that many elders make ribbon skirts, and she wanted to show off competitors’ skills and
Harley enjoyed planning for this year’s event. She worked on getting better door prizes for the elders, wanting them to be good so it would be hard for the elders to choose from all the available door prizes. They had a ton of door prizes, ranging from traditional clothing to items they could use daily.
“That was successful because they went up there and it was like ‘oh this is hard, we don’t know what we want’, and I think one of the things that it showed me was the elders were wanting the ribbon vests, the yarn belts, and the ribbon skirts,” Harley said.
One of the most memorable moments for Harley was watching the ring toss. All the elders are good at all the activities, but the ring toss, in its second year, is more challenging. Harley enjoyed seeing how hard they were really trying to win.
As for the contests, Harley liked all the categories offered by their department. This year, most of the participation was in the aprons; they had 15 entries. She knows it was really competitive in that category just by the number of entrants. Each apron came with a storyline.
Her favorite category was quilts because Harley had seen a lot of effort and time put into each one; she said some of those quilts were handmade.
For the winners, Harley sticks with medals rather than cash, and she always tries to pick the biggest ones she can find. To Harley, it’s the sentimentality- this is something that they can place in their home or show to their family and friends. Maybe later on the line, those medals can be passed down to the grandchildren to keep as a sentimental value, Harley mentions.
“So that’s why I chose medals instead of prize money, because you can spend the prize money in one day, but that medal is going to last a long time,” Harley said.
She spoke of how her uncles had received ribbons for their artwork at a different event, and recently they had received medals, and she noticed how her uncles placed the medals up to show them off.
Harley also said many of her family members came to this event, and she always tries to consider what would be best for them. Harley wanted all the elders to enjoy their time, and her uncles became a model she used to provide more activities for other elders.
“I really work hard to put on a good event and include everyone. Because before there wasn’t art, my uncles do art, there wasn’t woodwork, my uncles do woodwork. Of course, there are a lot of other Mvskoke artists and other people that do woodwork, but I’ve looked at my elders and said, ‘How do I fit this for everyone?’” Harley said.
Harley wants something that everyone can walk away with, which is why she likes to include many door prizes. She also extended the event placements so each event goes to the 6th place.
One of the main benefits that Elder Services is aware of when hosting events like this is social interaction and the second one is health. She says they do exercises using the movements in these activities and also offer blood pressure checks.
“The main thing is social, because not everyone can get on the court. That’s also why the contests are there because they are allowed to bring anything that they’ve made during their lifetime. You don’t have to make something new just for this event,” Harley said.
Harley feels great that their department hosts this event for the elders. It also gives the staff a chance to gauge how the elders are doing. They notice who shows and who doesn’t. This year, Harley noted that some of the elders who regularly attend their events didn’t come. This gives the department an idea of who to check up on.
From this year’s feedback, Harley understands that the elders like the Indian tacos for lunch and the door prizes.
Brenda Coon (Mvskoke) shared that this was her first year attending an elder gathering. Coon is currently 63 years old, her tribal town is New Tulsa, and she is from the Beaver clan.
“Since I’m retired now, this has given me the opportunity to participate in these. I just love coming in and fellowshipping with all the elders here and visiting and talking. It’s really just fun to participate,” Coon said.
Coon enjoyed the activities and contests. She also thinks the event gives elders an opportunity to get out and move, while having fun together. Coon says it’s an enjoyable competition.
Coon herself entered different contests and placed; she won first place in beaded earrings, first place in frybread, and 3rd place in ribbon skirts. She also got second place in the women’s golf pong in teams of two.
Coon spoke of how she enjoyed making all three items she entered into the contest, as well as the food she made in each category. But her favorite one was the ribbon skirt.
“I made it for my oldest girl. She requested what color she wanted, how she wanted it made, and so I did my best to do it exactly how she liked it,” Coon said.
“She’s really proud and happy of the outcome of it, and so am I.”
Her late mother taught her how to sew, bead, and make frybread.
“My mother did the beadwork years ago until she passed away, and then I started the beadwork up from a JOM conference I attended that the Choctaw Nation hosted. I started picking it up there. From there, I taught my two girls, and they also do beadwork. For the sewing, not only do I do the ribbon skirts, but I also do the traditional Mvskoke dress wear sets for young girls, and I do vests,” Coon said.
During her time at the Elder Gathering, she was able to see several of her family members from the Okfuskee Indian Community Center, but she has also seen relatives outside of the community center.
She is grateful that MCN Elder Services organized this event for the elders and appreciates the giveaways and services they provided. Coon also appreciates all who attended.
“It’s just exciting to see all the people that win something, how excited they are about the gifts they received, and then I just want to say Mvto to the elder program that puts on all these activities for us,” Coon said.
2026 Traditional Games Results that were obtained by Harley:
Ring Toss Men’s 70 & up:
1st place: James Bender
2nd place: Tim Harley Jr.
3rd place: Charlie Proctor
4th place: Speedy Harley
5th place: Jon Tiger
6th place: Merle Berryhill
Ring Toss Men’s 55-69 yr. old:
1st place: Justin Barnett
2nd place: Stanley Birdcreek
3rd place: Timothy Coon
4th place: Mitchell Barnett
5th place: Gary Harley
6th place: Billy Hill
Ring Toss Women’s 70 & up:
1st place: Emma Louse
2nd place: Debra Ridge
3rd place: Janine Wind
4th place: Nancy Conley
5th place: Lillie Hill
6th place: Ellen Hawziptz
Ring Toss Women’s 55-69 yr. old:
1st place: Saundra Harley
2nd place: Joyce Anglin
3rd place: Regina Revis
4th place: Anna Simmers
5th place: Connie Buck
6th place: Yvonne McIntosh
Men’s Golf Pong (teams of 2)
1st place: Mitchell Barnett & Billy Hill
2nd place: James Bender & Tony Roberts
3rd place: Stanley Birdcreek & Justin Barnett
4th place: William Fixico & Scott Lamb
5th place: Jon Tiger & Timothy Coon
6th place: Merle Berryhill & Martin Fleming
Women’s Golf Pong (teams of 2)
1st place: Mary Jones & Pam Harjo
2nd place: Brenda Coon & Lavern Tiger
3rd place: Mary Narcamy & Anna Simmers
4th place: Yvonne McIntosh & Lois Davis
5th place: Sherri Freeman & Nellie Powell
6th place: Lahoma Schultz & Rosie Fields
Basketball Free Throw Men’s 70 & up:
1st place: Charlie Proctor
2nd place: Jon Tiger
3rd place: Speedy Harley
4th place: Merle Berryhill
5th place: Leon Yahola
Basketball Free Throw Men’s 55-69 years old:
1st place: Billy Hill
2nd place: Mitchell Barnett
3rd place: Justin Barnett
4th place: Billy Harley
5th place: William Fixico
6th place: Stanley Birdcreek
Basketball Free Throw Women’s 70 & up:
1st place: Pat Factor
2nd place: Judy Williams
3rd place: Debra Ridge
4th place: Lillian Thomas
5th place: Rosalee Fields
6th place: Lillie Hill
Basketball Free Throw Women’s 55-69 years old:
1st place: Penny Harjo
2nd place: Janice Birdcreek
3rd place: Lois Davis
4th place: Sherri Freeman
5th place: Tammy McFalls
6th place: Yvonne McIntosh
Dominoes (teams of 2)
1st place: Annette Hicks & Lillie Hill
2nd place: Yvonne McIntosh & Lois Davis
3rd place: Tim Harley Jr. & Gary Harley
4th place: Rosalee Fields & Jon Tiger
5th place: Speedy Harley & Saundra Harley
6th place: Esther Gee & Lillian Thomas
Apron contest:
1st place: Carol Harley
2nd place: Pearl Thomas
3rd place: Lahoma Schultz
4th place: Joyce Reynolds
5th place: Sandy Denny
6th place: Jean Marshall
Art contest:
1st place: Henry Harley
2nd place: Sherri Freeman
3rd place: Sandy Denny
4th place: Lahoma Schultz
5th place: Rosalee Fields
6th place: Tim Harley Jr.
Beaded Jewelry contest:
1st place: Brenda Coon
2nd place: Barbara West
3rd place: Yvonne McIntosh
4th place: Sherri Bear Freeman
Frybread contest:
1st place: Brenda Coon
2nd place: Robin Jimboy Barnes
3rd place: Pearl Thomas
4th place: Pam Harjo
5th place: Lou Crowfoot
O’safke contest:
1st place: Connie Buck
2nd place: Anita Freeman
3rd place: Abbie Larney
4th place: Pearl Thomas
5th place: Dee Yargee
Quilt contest:
1st place: Sandy Denny
2nd place: Mary Ruic
3rd place: Sharon Bulter
4th place: Irene Boatwright
5th place: Donna Frikken
6th place: Lillian Fixico
Ribbon Skirt contest:
1st place: Irene Boatwright
2nd place: Susanne Doty
3rd place Brenda Coon
4th place: Sherri Bear Freeman
5th place: Lahoma Schultz
6th place: Pearl Thomas
Wood Work contest:
1st place: Sherri Bear Freeman
2nd place: Tim Harley Jr.
