Special Election Is March 20
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Aquaponics Facility Feeding the Nation PAGE 12 Volume 13, Issue 2 • February 2017 The Official Newspaper of the Osage Nation Osage News 2014 File Photo The Osage Nation Election Office is located at 608 Kihekah in down- town Pawhuska. Special Election is March 20 Benny Polacca Osage News SHANNON SHAW DUTY/Osage News People wait in line to eat at The Mercantile, the restaurant of Food Network star Ree Drummond on Jan. 20. Next month, Osage voters will be asked two questions on the March 20 special election ballot and will also have early voting days on March 17 and 18 to vote in-person. Voters may also cast absentee ballots, but those must be Casino officials discuss completed in a filled-out absentee ballot request form pro- vided by the Osage Nation Election Office. The deadline to request absentee ballots for the special election is Feb. 13. On the ballot, one question asks voters whether the Na- possible hotel in Pawhuska tion’s tribal law should recognize same-sex marriages and the other question asks whether to amend the Osage Consti- tution regarding the annual government budget. due to ‘Pioneer Woman’ traffic On Jan. 6, the ON Election Board took several actions to approve business items regarding the special election, in- Tara Madden and Shannon Shaw Duty the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve increase in foot traffic while cluding approving language for the questions on the ballot. Osage News and she would send them to some feel the influx of tour- the Osage Nation Interpretive ists has caused so many park- See ELECTION It has been two-and-a-half Center but it’s closed. ing problems that their elderly —Continued on Page 4 months since Ree Drummond The Interpretive Center was customers are turned away. opened the doors to her an- open for one week in August “Our business has picked ticipated restaurant and store, of last year but it is currently up with foot traffic. We were The Mercantile. Ever since, closed due to lack of funding. closed on Mondays but now residents of Pawhuska have we’re open to accommodate seen thousands of tourists pour the influx of people coming in,” in from coast to coast to catch a Osage-owned businesses glimpse of the red-haired Food The local Osage-owned busi- See PIONEER WOMAN Network star. nesses in town have seen an —Continued on Page 4 They will wait in line for hours – sometimes in the rain, sleet or snow – to eat at the restaurant (which can seat up to 80), or shop at her deli, bakery or general store. The Mercantile is quickly making Pawhuska a destination loca- tion for legions of fans and as a result, local inns and hotels TARA MADDEN / Osage News are booked for months. Photo of a barbecue in 1924. Osage Nation Museum received a large do- “I do have a lot of people nation from Assistant Principal Chief Raymond Red Corn. The collection that travel from coast to coast, is approximately 1,100 items including photos, books, glass plate nega- and they come to see Ree tives and documents. Drummond’s The Mercantile, and they visit Pawhuska and love Pawhuska and think it’s One man’s passion a wonderful place,” said Debby Easley, co-owner of the Histor- becomes Osage Nation ic Whiting Bed & Bath on Ki- hekah in Pawhuska. She owns TARA MADDEN/Osage News the inn with her husband, Congresswoman Shannon Edwards spoke at the United Osages of Museum treasure Osage tribal member Steven Southern California, Fall Gathering on Nov. 5, 2016 in Carlsbad, Calif. Easley. “They have enjoyed Red Corn himself became Tara Madden it, and they plan trips back Osage News a collector in the early 1980’s here. Most people that come Edwards on Federal Judiciary and by the 1990’s his collection and stay two days, they like Assistant Principal Chief had taken off. His passion was it better. They say one day is committee helping to vet U.S. Raymond Red Corn comes collecting Osage items when- not long enough. But two days from a family of collectors. ever the opportunity arose. they’re able to visit some of the His mother and father both He obtained documents, other shops and other histori- Supreme Court nominee enjoyed collecting. His father books, photographs, negatives, cal sites we have in Pawhus- collected old bottles and books, and though he loved his col- ka.” Shannon Shaw Duty and many covered the history lection and had spent many She said many of their Osage News of the Osage. His mother was decades building it to an im- guests are unaware that the a collector of Osage dishes pressive size of more than Osage Nation is located in Osage Nation Congresswoman Shannon Edwards, 10th and cooking tools and many 1,100 items, he donated the Pawhuska and after staying Circuit representative on the American Bar Association’s remember that if she was at a collection to the Osage Nation one night they want to see Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary, will be the Museum. local auction and she had her what the Osage Nation has to See EDWARDS mind set on something, she See MUSEUM offer. She said she sends them —Continued on Page 4 was going home with it. —Continued on Page 6 to the Osage Nation Museum, INSIDE THE OSAGE NEWS FOLLOW THE OSAGE NEWS ONLINE Special Session for Fifth ON Congress . 3 Photosynthesis Exhibit . 9 • Breaking news at osagenews.org Gilcrease Museum to Expand Tours . 3 Culture Column . 14 • facebook.com/osagenews Osage Artists Selected for Leadership Program . .. 5 Energy Column . .. 15 • twitter.com/osagenews Osage Legacy Statue Unveiling . 5 Classifieds / Obituaries . 18 • flickr.com/osagenews 2 February 2017 Osage News • osagenews.org Three members of Standing Bear administration attend Inauguration for President Trump Shannon Shaw Duty Mike Andrews on important Osage News legislation effecting Native Americans, including the Three members of Principal Osage Nation, according to the Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear’s email. administration attended the “The delegation was in- Inauguration for President structed to work with Wash- Donald Trump on Jan 20. ington, D.C., contacts to lay Director of Operations the groundwork for upcoming Casey Johnson (Osage), Leg- meetings for Chief Standing islative Director Rebecca Kirk Bear,” Decker wrote. “One of and Chief Executive Advisor to those meetings will include the Chief Sheryl Decker were Osage Minerals Council Chair- sent on behalf of Standing man Everett Waller regarding Bear as his representatives, the federal and EPA regula- according to a Jan. 25 email tions at Osage Nation which from Decker. The chief could have damaged the Osage oil not make the trip “because of and gas production. The Chief urgent matters in Pawhuska is also going to be meeting with which required his immediate Washington, D.C., on funding attention.” of our language and immer- The delegation and their sion programs.” spouses attended the 13th An- Representatives from the nual American Indian Inau- Fifth Osage Nation Congress gural Celebration hosted by the American Indian Society did not attend the Inaugura- of Washington, D.C., at the tion. Hyatt Regency Crystal City in According to the AIS web- Arlington, Va. site, the American Indian According to the email the Society of Washington, D.C. Nation did not pay the way hosted the first American In- for the delegation’s spouses. dian Inaugural Ball in 1969. Johnson, Kirk and Decker met Over the course of 50 years, with U.S. Congressman Frank the American Indian Inaugu- Lucas and gave him the gift of ral Ball has expanded from a a bolo tie from Standing Bear. one night event into a four-day They met with Senator celebration. Lankford’s Legislative Assis- For more information on Courtesy Photo/Rebecca Kirk tant Derek Osborn, they met the American Indian Soci- From L to R: Casey Johnson, Director of Operations and wife Johnna; Attorney Ken Bellmard and wife Debra; with Staff Director and Chief ety of Washington, D.C., visit Garen Kirk and wife Rebecca Kirk, Legislative Director; Mark Cruz, Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director Counsel of the U.S. Senate their website at: http://www. for U.S. Congressman Todd Rokita; Sheryl Decker, Chief Executive Advisor and husband Matt Decker on Jan. 20 Committee on Indian Affairs aisdc.org/ at the American Indian Inaugural Ball. ON Wildland Fire Management issuing information on burn permit process Osage News The Osage Nation’s Wild- land Fire Management de- partment is now issuing information on the burn permit process to landown- ers where the Nation has SHANNON SHAW DUTY / Osage News jurisdiction. Ernie Stevens Jr., Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association, spoke to the United Indian Nations of Corbin Malone, a fire pre- Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas at their quarterly meeting on Jan. 30. vention technician for Wild- land Fire Management, said information packets that Tribes meet to discuss state of Indian include a permit form, will be mailed by his office to those who own restricted or trust lands within the Nation’s ju- risdictional boundaries. He said the packet mailing would Country under Trump administration He said it has been some “we are ready to take that start Jan. 13. Shannon Shaw Duty Osage News time since he has had to work As for those who lease ON-owned land, Malone said the head on and in fact, we have with a Republican majority, already started.” Bureau of Indian Affairs Osage Agency would be notifying PAWNEE, Okla. – The both in the House and the Sen- See TRIBES the lessees (i.e.