Tony Reyna, an elder from Taos Pueblo in New Mexico, will be presented with the 7th Annual Spirit of the Heard Award.

Reyna, a World War II veteran, served two terms as governor. During that time, the tribe won the return of Blue Lake, one of its most sacred sites.

“This year’s recipient of the Spirit of the Heard Award is a man of extraordinary and diverse accomplishments," Wayne Mitchell, Mandan/Dakota, the chairman of the Heard’s American Indian Advisory Committee, said in a press release. "Tony Reyna was chosen for a variety of reasons, but primarily because he dedicated his life to the betterment of Indian people and, in particular, to helping preserve the culture, resources and traditions of his tribe.”

Reyna, 94, will receive the award at an October 1 ceremony at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Revered Taos Pueblo elder, leader to receive Spirit of the Heard Award (The Native American Times 8/18)