OKMULGEE, Okla. – The Muscogee (Creek) Nation proudly announces the 2014 inductees into the 3rd Annual MVSKOKE Hall of Fame, and this year’s inductees include an actor, journalist, community activist and Olympic athlete.

Inductees will be honored at the MVSKOKE Hall of Fame Induction Gala, which is set for Saturday, October 18 at 7 p.m. at the River Spirit Event Center, located at 8330 Riverside Parkway in Tulsa.

The MVSKOKE Hall of Fame induction requires that the individual must have brought recognition to the MCN or have made outstanding contributions to the quality of life and development. The inductee’s achievements may be local, national or international in scope. The hall of fame ceremony took the place of the Living Legends ceremony that was held in previous years.

This year’s Muscogee (Creek) inductees are:

William ‘Sonny’ Sampson Jr.: A full-blood Muscogee (Creek) citizen, who was best known for his work in the motion picture industry for his roles in films such as ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,’ ‘The Outlaw Josie Wales,’ ‘White Buffalo’ and many others. Sampson also appeared in several television series, documentaries and stage productions.

Peggy Berryhill: A Native American broadcaster and journalist honored for her work in bringing the authentic voice of Native Americans, Indigenous people, women and other minorities in public broadcasting.

Eli Grayson: A retired interior designer and homebuilder. He served as president of the California Muscogee (Creek) Association from 2005 until 2013. Grayson's personal goal as president was the difficult task of uniting all Mvskoke citizens living in California. He believes that our differences made us more interesting and stronger. He worked alongside Ken Taylor and others to bring Mvskoke culture and history to Creeks in California.

The MCN is also recognizing an honorary inductee into the MVSKOKE Hall of Fame this year:

Billy Mills: He is a citizen of the Oglala Lakota tribe, and was born and raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Mills was orphaned at the age of 12 and sent to boarding schools.  He graduated from high school at Haskell Indian School. Mills became involved in distance running and earned an athletic scholarship to the University of Kansas and was a three-time All-American in NCAA Division 1 cross-country. After graduating from the University of Kansas, Mills was a Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps and continued training for the Olympic Team. He made the Olympic team in two events, the marathon and the 10,000-meter run. He trained his body, mind, and soul for "Peak Performance." The world witnessed the Greatest upset in Olympic history when Mills won the gold medal in the 10,000-meter race.

"It’s always a special and momentous occasion when we recognize our tribal members who have distinguished themselves and represented Creek Nation,” Principal Chief George Tiger said. “In addition, we will have a special recognition/induction of Billy Mills, a Lakota Sioux, on the golden anniversary of his triumph in the 10,000 meter gold medal win in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Personally, I feel he should be a member of all Tribal nations Hall of Fame. More importantly, the event raises funds for the Muscogee Creek Nation Higher Education Scholarship Foundation and Tourism and Recreation."

The MVSKOKE Hall of Fame Induction Gala offers the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Indian Country and the local community the ability to honor inductees at a black tie and traditional clothing gala. Sponsorship opportunities are available for this special occasion.