Governor Kevin Stitt released the following statement honoring Chief Bill G. Follis, the longest serving Chief of the Modoc Nation, after he passed peacefully on Friday, October 14, 2022.
“Chief Follis was a great leader for the Modoc people, and a committed and dedicated member of the community in his hometown of Miami and in the State of Oklahoma. Sarah and I are praying for his family as they mourn the loss of their beloved father, husband, grandfather and great-grandfather.”
According to a press release sent on behalf of the Follis Family, Chief Follis was a lifelong resident of Miami, Oklahoma. He pursued his degree at Oklahoma State University before deciding to join the United States Navy as a naval aviator. He began his tenure as Chief of the Tribe in 1972, and served as Chief for nearly 50 years.
