Volume 7, Issue 12 • December 2011 The Official Newspaper of the Osage Nation Osage Holiday Gala Osage shareholders receive to benefit Osage their settlement youth is canceled After settlement arrives, Gala planned for Dec. 10 at Osage Osage shareholders connect Event Center called off eight days before with each other online By Shannon Shaw By Sunnie Clahchischiligi Osage News Osage News The settlement is in and sharehold- An Osage Holiday Gala hosted by a group of Osage citi- ers across the country are rejoicing – and zens that was supposed to help raise money to benefit Osage they’re rejoicing online. Osage shareholders across the country are connecting with each other via Face- book, chat boards and Web sites, sharing stories about their delight, bills they’re going to pay, memories of loved ones who would have enjoyed this time and the sto- ries keep coming. “Those Osage Settlement checks are coming in like fresh-flowing water; so-so very glad for my Osage people who are re- Address Service Requested Service Address 1578 ceiving. All must try to be happy about this Permit No. No. Permit PAWHUSKA, OK 74056 OK PAWHUSKA, because this is a wonderful thing from the Tusa, OK Tusa, Courtesy Photo PAID P.O. BOX 779 BOX P.O. Good Lord above. From the Georgia pines U.S. Postage U.S. PRST STANDARD PRST OSAGE NATION OSAGE to the California beaches; Thank you Lord A photo of the late Dora Ponca, the grandmoth- for these gifts to my Osage people. We now er of Jan Mansfield, Osage shareholder. Mans- have a song for victory among our great field, of Ponca City, changed her Facebook pro- Osage Nation!” wrote James Dailey on the file picture to her late grandmother from whom Youth and the Osage Tribal Museum was canceled eight Facebook page, “Osage for Fiscal Respon- she inherited her headright share. She changed days before the event. sibility.” it to honor her after she received her settlement. News of the cancellation began mid-Friday morning on Jan Mansfield of Ponca City changed Ponca was from the Fairfax/Grayhorse area. Dec. 2, when the Osage Minerals Council posted a notice her Facebook profile picture to her late about the cancellation on their Web site. The gala was grandmother, Dora Ponca, from whom she be getting out of debt; 41 said they would planned for Dec. 10. inherited her headright share. Her late be using it for retirement; Five said a new “The Planning Committee for the Osage Holiday Gala has grandmother was from the Fairfax/Gray- house; and 13 said they were planning a cancelled (sic) the event. We will issue a statement about horse area. nice vacation. this soon. Individual tickets will be reimbursed,” the notice The Osage News has ran online polls for On the Osage News Facebook page, stated. weeks on their Web site, asking sharehold- shareholders posted that they had paid ers what they plan to do with their settle- See HOLIDAY GALA CANCELED ment money. See SHAREHOLDERS RECEIVE SETTLEMENT —Continued on Page 6 Sixty-nine shareholders said they would —Continued on Page 4 2 December 2011 Osage News • osagenews.org Wind farm lawsuit trial set for U.S. District Court Dec. 14 By Benny Polacca ect’s funding and efforts to qualify tion was granted. Frizzell noted that all rights to the subsurface minerals, Osage News for a federal tax credit. discovery time for both sides began which is held in trust by the federal Presiding U.S. District Court on Oct. 31 and lasts until Dec. 9 or government. The Bureau of Indian The legal debate over a proposed Judge Gregory Frizzell approved a can be extended through Dec. 14 Affairs has also opined it is con- wind farm in western Osage County motion recently, sought by the proj- upon agreement. cerned the wind farm construction is scheduled for court starting Dec. “Plaintiff has not persuaded this may interfere with oil and natural 14 at the U.S. District Courthouse in ect builder Wind Capital Group, to gas mining. Tulsa. consolidate the preliminary injunc- court that the discovery necessary The Osage Nation is opposing a tion hearing and a trial, accelerating for trial cannot be completed in that In its lawsuit, the Nation is also 94-turbine wind farm and has asked the process so both would be heard at time, that plaintiff’s experts cannot asking the court to find Wind Capi- the federal court for preliminary and the same time. adequately review the project en- tal Group in violation of federal law, permanent injunctions to prevent The company filed the consolida- gineering layout and design in that citing a Code of Federal Regulation the facility construction from moving tion motion on Oct. 26, which was time, and that it would not be fea- which guarantees the Nation access forward. granted by Frizzell during Thanks- sible to try this matter beginning on to the Minerals Estate. The Nation The Osage Nation, through the giving week. In his ruling, Frizzell December 14, 2011,” Frizzell wrote is also seeking incurred attorney fees Osage Minerals Council, filed suit wrote: “It . appears that the factu- in his ruling. and court costs. against the Missouri-based Wind al issues raised by the complaint are The Nation is against the wind In its request to consolidate the Capital Group on Oct. 18 to halt its relatively few, straightforward, and farm project, arguing its construction preliminary trial and trial on the plans for the 8,500-acre wind farm, identical with those which would be interferes with the Osage Minerals merits, Wind Capital Group argued which would be built near Bur- presented at a later trial.” Estate and would prevent produc- the company is “exposed to immi- bank and U.S. Highway 60 west of The Nation objected to Wind Capi- ers from mining oil and natural gas nent, permanent, irreparable harm. Pawhuska. Wind Capital Group, tal Group’s consolidation motion and in the area where the wind farm is The lawsuit jeopardizes the very which planned to start construction argued there is not enough “discov- proposed. The project will be built on existence of the wind facility not be- no later than December, is concerned ery” time to research and build its privately owned ranch lands, but the cause Plaintiff’s claim has any merit, the lawsuit will jeopardize the proj- case against the company if the mo- Minerals Estate shareholders own but because of the immediate, practi- cal impact of a pending lawsuit (even a meritless one) on Project finance- ability (sic) and schedule.” Congress to consider assuming See WIND FARM —Continued on Page 5 Wah-Sha-She State Park operations By Benny Polacca Osage News 109 E. 6th St. • Pawhuska, OK 74056 The Second Osage Nation Con- (918) 287-5668 gress is considering legislation to www.osagenews.org take over a former state park in northeastern Osage County that was Editor closed earlier this year due to state Shannon Shaw budget cuts. In March, Oklahoma’s Tourism Reporters and Recreation Department an- Benny Polacca nounced the closures of seven state Sunnie Clahchischiligi parks, which took effect in August. Wah-Sha-She State Park, located Editorial Assistant west of Copan, was among the facili- Chalene Toehay ties with its state funding slashed. The ON Executive Branch later Osage News announced it would study the feasi- Editorial Board bility of transferring the park opera- Teresa Lamsam tions to the Nation. But the transfer Denny McAuliffe Courtesy photo from travelok.com See WAH-SHA-SHE STATE PARK Robert Warrior —Continued on Page 5 Shoreline of Lake Hulah at Wah-Sha-She State Park in northeastern Osage County. Osage News • osagenews.org December 2011 3 Three Osages appointed to newly created Health Authority Board By Benny Polacca Osage News Osage Nation Principal Chief John Red Eagle has appointed three Osages to the new Health Author- ity Board created by Congressional legislation during the 2011 Tzi-Zho Session. Ron Shaw, MD, Tim Tall Chief and Lynette Freeman have been named to the board created by ONCA 11- 116. The board will be responsible for “consolidating and implementing the organizational structure of the Osage Nation Health and Wellness Division.” At the board’s initial meeting Nov. 16, the board met to select its offi- cers and review the legislation which states the board must have a mini- mum of three members but up to five can be appointed to it. The members are required to have experience in fields which include: public health and wellness; Indian health; medi- Photo by Benny Polacca/Osage News cine; pharmaceuticals; and mental Tim Tall Chief; Lynette Freeman and Ron Shaw, MD, have been named to the Osage Nation Health Authority Board in November health. 2011 by Principal Chief John Red Eagle. Tall Chief and Freeman selected Shaw as board chairman, which is dian health issues. Tall Chief, who a nurse for the Kanza Health Clinic, to have more control over providing the same post he held on the Na- ran for Principal Chief in the 2010 which serves the Kaw Nation. health care to their people. tion’s Health and Wellness Advisory election, previously served as deputy Upcoming issues the Health Au- The board will also be charged with Board, which ceased in the 2011 fis- commissioner of health and adminis- thority Board will consider will be adopting policies and procedures to cal year. Shaw recently started his guide the operations of the Nation’s tration for the Oklahoma State De- implementing the process needed for new post as clinical director for the Health and Wellness Division facili- partment of Health.