STATE OF THE NATION: Osage Nation Principal Chief Scott BigHorse delivers annual State of the Nation address PAGE 12 Volume 10, Issue 4 • April 2014 The Official Newspaper of the Osage Nation Former Osage Congressman Mark Freeman gives 9,000 acres to Osage Nation “The deed is done, because Land located 25 my word is a deed. But we miles north of haven’t signed all those papers yet; it won’t take a lot. But Pawhuska, by they (Osage Nation) have the Shannon Shaw Duty/Osage News deeds on all the land and the Mark Freeman Jr., 93, and his wife of 39 years, Eleanor, 90, in their home in Pawhuska, March 21, 2014. Kansas border papers, got our Osage lawyer, hopefully, reading those. So there are no words to express brings in $15 an acre for an the south. Three corrals are lo- By Shannon Shaw Duty we’ll have it done in a busi- the feeling of gratitude for the earning of $135,000 a year. He cated on the north, south and Osage News nesslike manner,” Freeman 9,000 acre gift to the Osage said about $27,000 needs to be middle areas of the land. said. “One of the deals was, I Nation,” said Principal Chief set aside to maintain fences, Freeman said he would like Mark Freeman Jr., 93, is said I want my Osage people Scott BigHorse. “His example springs, buildings and corrals the land to stay called MF still adding to his legacy. A to pay for my Osage burial and of leadership, honesty, and on the land because, “anyone Ranch and that he would do man who made his name in feast afterward.” generosity is something I pray who has owned a ranch knows his best to make sure the deal the ranching business, who The land transaction will all Osage people will grasp and if you don’t do that, things go prohibited the Nation from served on various boards and take place within the next follow.” to fallin’ down.” selling the land as long as he commissions in the state and month, he said, and any taxes The 9,000 acres sits about He said all the buildings and could. later was elected to two-terms or fees associated with the land 25 miles north of Pawhuska steel fences on the land are “Mark first mentioned his as an Osage congressman, is gift will be paid by the Nation. and runs north and south from new. A small house sits on the giving 9,000 acres of his ranch “Mark Freeman is my uncle the Kansas line. Currently south end of the land, a barn See FREEMAN land to the Osage Nation. and in my direct bloodline and named MF Ranch, the land on the north and two barns on —Continued on Page 4 Osage Nation holds first Primary Election Twenty-one Standing Bear and Osages file for Gray win most Fourth ON votes in Principal Chief’s race; Red Congressional Corn and Proctor race win most votes in By Benny Polacca Assistant Principal Osage News Twenty-one Osages Chief’s race filed for office in the By Benny Polacca 2014 Osage Nation Con- gressional race as of Osage News March 31. That total is 13 candidates less than One hour after the polling the total that ran for the place closed, the Osage Nation Third ON Congress in Election Office announced the 2012. results of the 2014 Primary As of the 4:30 p.m. Election for the Executive deadline on March 31, Branch’s top two offices. Chalene Toehay/Osage News four incumbents filed The top two vote recipients Osage voters take pictures of the voting results on election night for the 2014 Primary Election on March 10. for candidacy to seek in each respective race will The results were announced in front of the Osage Nation Congressional Chambers. another four-year term advance to the June 2 general on the ON Congress election for the voters’ consid- According to Election Su- third with 347 votes tion Board voted to move the and 17 challengers eration. pervisor Alexis Rencountre, a or 19.43 percent. polling place from the Con- filed, seeking first-time In voting results announced total of 1,798 voted in the Na- gressional Chambers with con- terms. With Congress- shortly after 9 p.m. in front • In the Assistant Principal tion’s inaugural election with cerns of potential inclement man Geoffrey Standing of the Congressional Cham- Chief race, Terry Mason the majority of votes coming wintry weather and cold tem- Bear and Congressio- bers on the Osage government Moore placed third with peratures and also to divert nal Speaker Raymond campus, Principal Chief candi- from absentee ballots. 441 votes (24.64 per- heavy traffic away from the Red Corn each seek- dates Geoffrey Standing Bear The vote breakdown is: cent); Randoph Crawford ongoing first phase construc- ing election to Execu- and Margo Gray won the most was fourth with 79 votes • Absentee ballots: 1,077 tion of the new campus mas- tive Branch office that votes in that race. Standing (4.41 percent); and James means at least two new ter plan. During construction, Bear received 1,080 votes or • Early voting on “Osage” Dailey received 60 Congress members will the campus road connecting 60.47 percent. Gray received March 7: 139 votes or (3.35 percent). be elected in the June 2 359 votes or 20.10 percent. the Congressional Chambers, • Early voting on March 8: 87 general election to the Assistant Principal Chief Osage Tribal Museum and Ex- Polling place at Wah-Zha-Zhi Fourth Osage Nation candidates Raymond Red Corn • In-person voting on ecutive Branch offices to the Congress. Cultural Center and Amanda Proctor will also March 10: 495 tribal courthouse, ON Head Alice Buffalohead was The Wah-Zha-Zhi Cultural Start, other offices and Senior appear on the June 2 ballot. Other candidate vote re- the first to file her can- Center served as the Nation’s Circle remain closed. Red Corn received 707 votes sults: didacy on the first day or 39.50 percent and Proctor inaugural primary election Despite the change in poll- See CANDIDATES received 503 votes or 28.10 • In the Principal Chief’s polling place on Election Day. See PRIMARY —Continued on Page 7 percent. race, Tom Boone placed Earlier this year, the Elec- —Continued on Page 6 INSIDE THE OSAGE NEWS FOLLOW THE OSAGE NEWS ONLINE Minerals Council Lease Sale . 2 Osage Culture Column . 20 • Breaking news at osagenews.org Five-Man Board Pleads Not Guilty . 2 Community . 21 • facebook.com/osagenews Osage Poet . .. 12 Classifieds . 22 • twitter.com/osagenews Candidate Announcements . 16 Editorial . 23 • flickr.com/osagenews 2 April 2014 Osage News • osagenews.org Minerals Council lease sale garners $356,200 in sales By Geneva Horsechief-Hamilton Osage News The smooth roll of an auc- tioneer’s call for bids jump- Marca Cassity started the March 19 lease auction for Osage oil and gas. Mostly unnoticeable gestures, Osage musician nods and slightly raised hands, provided enough signals for a Marca Cassity bid on a 160-acre tract of po- holding CD tentially profitable land. The Osage Minerals Council release parties and the Bureau of Indian Af- for new album fairs realty staff cooperatively managed the auction. This Benny Polacca/Osage News By Benny Polacca time around 30 available More than 50 attendees placed their bids at the March 19 Osage Minerals Council auction and lease sale at the Osage News tracts were up for bid, rang- Wah-Zha-Zhi Cultural Center. Osage musician Marca ing from $4,700 to $65,000 per • Only a minimum price is site, interested buyers bid to Osage Agency, has exclusive Cassity is holding a CD 160-acre tract. release party for her new established for tracts win. A guide to OMC lease sales authority to collect funds de- folk rock music album, “A lot of the people here are is as follows: • 25 percent of the total rived from the sale of mineral “Songs from the Well.” amount owed for a tract just here to watch the exciting Recorded with the help leases. The BIA manages the • The Bureau of Indian Af- is due at the time of sale parts,” said Curtis Bear, Coun- from online donations and fairs compiles potential cilman, who was unsuccessful day-to-day operations of the a matching grant from • Sites are also representa- sites until enough sites getting his family to watch the Osage Mineral Estate, includ- the Osage Nation Foun- are ready for auction tive of quarter sections dation, on April 16 at 11 auction. Bear laughed about of townships or property ing reporting on and the distri- a.m., Cassity will offer a • Tracts are nomi- not being able to convince owners, the Nation owns bution of lease sales. The BIA free acoustic solo perfor- nated by buyers all the mineral rights his children the auctions are mance of her new album reports to the elected members • The OMC reviews the fun, “I really wanted them to at the Osage Tribal Mu- of the OMC who oversee the seum in Pawhuska. potential sites the BIA Most of the tracts for sale see this process though, and I According to a news has prepared and makes went for slightly more than think they would like it too.” best interests of the estate for the final approval of avail- release, Cassity’s album the minimum bid and the the shareholders, also known features 11 folk rock able sites for auction According to the OMC: rest went as high as $65,000, as “headrights.” spirit songs, “that speak • No title or land department • The Osage Mineral Estate to overcoming hardship according to BIA reporting.