His father was a flute maker and craftsman and his paternal grandfather, Willie Haney, contributed to the Smithsonian Institution's oral history project[3] and served as Chief of the Seminole Tribe in the 1940s.

Earlier in his career, he had served the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, as a tribal councilman, band chief, business consultant, and planner.

[9] In addition to his political career, Haney was an internationally recognized Native American artist, specializing in paintings and sculpture.

Modeled after Haney's own relatives, "The Guardian" took 10 months to complete, weighs 4,000 pounds, and was erected on June 7, 2002.

[10] Haney noted of his sculpture of "The Guardian": “The towering statue exemplifies the valor of Oklahomans and their ability to overcome the most horrific catastrophes such as the bombing at the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City.

[citation needed] A painting created by Haney entitled "The Earth and I are One" is displayed at the Oklahoma State Capitol.