Osage Attorney General files ethics complaints against chief
Osage Nation Attorney General Jeff Jones filed a three-count civil ethics complaint against Principal Chief John D. Red Eagle on Wednesday, alleging that the chief demanded an investigation stop and that a certain employee “shall not be touched” by that inquiry. The complaint, the first ever filed against an elected official under the new tribal [...]
Senators get involved in mineral affair
Three Washington D.C. heavyweights – Oklahoma’s two senators and a congressman – are weighing in on the proposed regulations governing the Osage mineral estate and asking the Bureau of Indian Affairs to hold off on approving the new rules until it hears from “all parties impacted” by them. Sens. Tom Coburn and James Inhofe, [...]
Local experts shed light on traditional Osage clothes and symbols
The annual Osage Nation In-Lon-Schka Dances are in full swing, having finished up the festivities in Hominy this past weekend. This tradition gives Osages a chance to get in touch with their history and heritage, wearing traditional clothes, eating traditional foods and performing traditional dances. Watching a traditional dance, to an outside observer, can almost [...]
Ethics complaint against Osage Nation Chief John Red Eagle
Osage Nation Attorney General Jeff Jones has filed a three-count ethics complaints against Chief John D. Red Eagle today. We will have a story about it later, but you can read a copy of the complaint by clicking on this link.
Father makes it back for dances before shipping off to Afghanistan
For most of their lives, Grant, Cameron, Julianne and Ryan West have lived in Germany. Army, but they are anything but brats. Ask them what they are going to do this Father’s Day for their dad, Lt. Col. J.R. West, and they bubble over with plans. “”I’m going to give him a cup of coffee!” [...]
Gray Horse gets new arbor in time for dances
Osage dancers broke in a new arbor over the weekend at the annual Osage Nation In-Lon-Schka Dances in Gray Horse. The arbor, which cost about $1.3 million appropriated by the Osage Nation Congress from casino profits, took about eight months to build, said George Pease, a member of the Gray Horse five man board. “We [...]
Since you asked… the indictment
Some people have wanted to know the names of other people, etc., on the federal indictment that included basketball coach William “B.J.” Smith in which he is accused of titling stolen cars through the Osage Nation Tax Commission. You can read the indictment by clicking on the image below. Be warned that it is 74 [...]
Osage Nation says no to eagle take permit
The Osage Nation, which has long opposed the development of a wind farm in Osage County, is gearing up to oppose the issuance of an “eagle take permit” by the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife to Wind Capital Group. “In November of 2012, the Osage Nation learned that the energy company submitted an application [...]
Story draws a brother’s ire
The brother of a Pawhuska native who was indicted by a federal grand jury in St. Louis has taken public issue with The Bigheart Times’ coverage of the charges last week and on Monday a Facebook page called “Occupy Bigheart Times” was created as a place “where people can tell the other side of the [...]
Feds: Car theft ring used Osage Nation titles
William “B.J.” Smith, a Pawhuska native who went on to have a somewhat rocky but successful career as a women’s basketball coach, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for participating in a luxury car theft ring for which he laundered some stolen cars’ titles through the Osage Nation Tax Commission. The 74-page indictment [...]
First Osage Indian ordained on Saturday
Todd Nance, a Hominyan who dreamed of being a priest since he was a toddler then spent nine years of his adult life in pursuit of that goal, was ordained Saturday in a three-hour ceremony at Tulsa’s Holy Family Cathedral. At times, Nance, 28, looked positively giddy as the event progressed through the laying on [...]
County road sets the stage for modern range war
The first of two hearings on requests to vacate county roads that oil producers want kept open to access drilling sites drew a crowd on Monday and took on the hue of a modern-day – and unarmed – range war. In February, less than a week after oil company BGI Resources asked permission and received [...]
Assistant chief: Rape suspect is a ‘big teddy bear’
The assistant chief of the Osage Nation testified at a bond reduction hearing for a man charged in a brutal rape and kidnapping is “a big teddy bear” who has never been known to be a danger to anyone. Assistant Chief Scott BigHorse made his statements May 7 at a bond reduction hearing for Christopher [...]
Run for the Health of it
The Osage Nation hosted a 5K run and Littlest Amazing Race during their ‘Run for the Health of it’ event in Pawhuska Saturday morning. The 5K started off at 8 a.m. followed by the Littlest Amazing Race. The even also had food, a dunk tank, music, climbing wall and bounce castle Cultural Park behind the [...]
Pawhuska Native crowned Miss Indian NEO
Robynn Rulo, a Pawhuska native and sophomore at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (NEO) was crowned 2013 Miss Indian Oklahoma after winning Miss Indian NEO. “I am so pleased with the way Robynn Rulo has represented Northeastern A&M College and the American Indian Center for Excellence as Miss Indian NEO,” said Claudia Little Axe, AICE cultural [...]
Preordained for the priesthood
When he was just a toddler, Todd Nance stood apart from the other young parishioners at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Hominy. While the other kids climbed over pews, fidgeted and ran around the nave, he was rapt, fascinated by the rites and ceremony administered by Father Jerry Ryan. “Todd would stand there enthralled,” his [...]
A diamond anniversary
The Osage Tribal Museum celebrated its 75th anniversary on Friday and Saturday with a ballet performance, parade and several other events, including a dance at the Cultural Center that drew both young people and adults. By Louise Red Corn
BIA rule changes in oilfield not that big
The proposed changes to the regulations governing BIA administration of the Osage oil and gas have been the subject of much misinformation. The process was started as part of the 2011 Trust case settlement. The BIA/DOI paid the Osage a great deal of money largely because they failed to provide their basic trust responsibility of [...]
5-year-old gone astray from school is safe, but parents irked
Brianna Cass, a 5-year-old kindergartner from Pawhuska with flyaway hair and big brown eyes, says she was scared Monday when she got off the school bus and found no one at home. Brianna’s parents, Jake and Stormy Cass, were fit to be tied that Pawhuska’s Indian Camp Elementary School lost track of their daughter, who [...]
Pawhuska’s Field of Dreams wins tentative lease agreement on split vote
In a rare split vote to which they were pushed by several passionate souls, the Osage County Commissioners approved leasing unused land near the county jail to a group that intends to build a ball field complex. Commissioner Scott Hilton cast the lone no vote, with Bob Jackson and Darren McKinney voting yes to approve [...]
Chief, Congress wrangle of appointment of chief’s brother to board
The Osage Nation Supreme court wants more time to decide the first declaratory judgment it has been asked for: Deciding whether Chief John Red Eagle’s appointment of his brother Eddy to the Osage Nation Energy Services board violates nepotism and ethics prohibitions in Osage law. The Osage Congress filed a complaint on April 4 and [...]
Village debates changes
Proposed changes to the federal laws governing the three Osage Indian villages in Pawhuska, Hominy and Grayhorse caused some raised eyebrows after they were revealed on Friday. The most surprising change, which struck many as rather cozy given the fact that the former Pawhuska Five-Man Board is currently the target of a federal criminal investigation, [...]
Village dumps city trash service
Residents of Pawhuska’s Indian Village voted unanimously Monday night to dumped the City of Pawhuska’s trash service and to hire JC & Sons Waste Management to do the job instead. JC & Sons made a one-year offer to do the job for $12.95 per household per month, nearly half the $22 the city charges, said [...]
Green campus gets go-ahead
In a suspenseful vote, the Osage Nation Congress approved spending $13 million to start building a new campus that will feature modem, sustainable buildings to replace a hodgepodge of trailers and other inefficient offices. The project, which will cost $23 million or more total, is for the first phase of the development and will pay [...]
