Anonymous June 28, 2017 at 10:44 AM What's up with this? Osage Minerals Council LLC? https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/events/minerals-council-special-meeting Whatever is happening here should be above board and out in the open.
Anonymous June 28, 2017 at 12:31 PM The 1906 Act and federal law requires the ME to be managed by the "Osage Minerals Council". The organization of an LLC using the same name is a sneaky and underhanded way to deceive the regulatory agencies, just as Osage Pinnacle Design Group, LLC was a front for a white-owned business named Pinnacle Design Group, LLC.
Fraud is a distasteful word, but if the shoe fits then someone should wear it.
Anonymous June 30, 2017 at 8:05 AM The legal standing of the Minerals Council is so stated in the Osage Nation Constitution in Article XV. The only way a new legal status can be created for this body is if THE OSAGE NATION MEMBERS VOTE TO MAKE THAT CHANGE IN A DULY AUTHORIZED ELECTION OF THE OSAGE NATION. In other words, it's in stone UNTIL WE SAY OTHERWISE. I get damn sick and tired of this constant vomitus wheeling and dealing attempted legal manipulation on the part of the elected officials of the Osage Nation where the Osage Mineral Estate is concerned!
Anonymous June 30, 2017 at 8:59 AM To the above posters you both said it well. Having my Lawyer take a gander at this and probably will be filing here with in a day or two after the fourth. Happy fouth and may the force be with all of us. It would have been nice had the M.C put this before the Headright owners remember we are all owners.
This could not be because we are trying to protect our asset because our trust is already protected by the 1906 Act. So, why else other than to hide money? Happens all the time. And this is what happens when there is no transparency or accountability. What are the terms?
Indian-Killer Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Act on Display for First Time: https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/history/events/indian-killer-andrew-jacksons-indian-removal-act-display-first-time/?mqsc=ED3886078
Is all this money going to come from the drawdown when all of the headright owners are struggling so horribly with payment so low already With oil dropping in price again and little if any need to duplicate what the BIA is already doing? Why don't these people lay off and start thinking like they have some ability to think logically about the realistic future of the Osage Mineral Estate?
From the Summer OMC Newsletter: https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/minerals-council
"We respectfully request the following specific funding to improve the management of the Osage Mineral Estate for the benefit of the "Osage people" (No! Not for the Osage people, for the Osage Headright Shareholders!"): $650,000 to employ experienced technical staff such as a petroleum technical advisors, geomatics engineers or geologists to advise the OMC before entering into mineral leasing agreements and to create a long-term economic development plan; $500,000 to employ an accountant or auditor to monitor lessee payments and fines for compliance with lease terms; $350,000 to hire professionals and consultants to develop a Reservation wide energy management analysis and remediation program to consider and address all of the impacts of this energy development to our people, lands, air, water, roads, law enforcement, traffic and health care systems; $500,000 to create a digital records management and modeling program so the OMC can inventory and monitor well production, environmental hazards, and lease productivity; $5,000,000 to the Osage Agency to plug abandoned wells.”
From what I understand the request was made to the interior, if I have it correctly. But I also think this money can come from our Government the Nation as well. Just because it can does not in anyway give the Nation autonomy. And I do believe this a great step in the right direction, not just that. Our future is for us to be realized and more responsibility will be given to the M.C if there are going to be changes at the BIA. (LESS FUNDING) For us less is not good because we are at already a disadvantage when it comes to the administrative. Processing our Permits has come to almost a dead stop ever since they tried to ram down the new regs. And what a loss we took with all this litigation. I cannot imagine how our producer's have survived.
This is about risk management to be able to forecast but also to evaluate and this should have been done years ago. Compliance is so valuable to us because it helps us to streamlinefor better efficiency. Knowledge is power.
This still seems to me like a way to get a bunch of OC Osages on the dole, but this time with our headright income coming right out of a higher drawdown from OME O&G royalty revenue. Did that new hire Director Lynn seem like a real professional when he spoke at the MC meeting earlier this month? The Nation is taking over on compacts a lot of new responsibilities and it's not going well at all from what I hear. This is the Nation's money that they whizz away away on a daily basis though. Not with my headright income. You want this? You set up a fund for Osages back home to donate to so you can get all this unnecessary spending going on with little to show for it in the end.
Let not conflate the two. The Nation can do what it wants and it is true every Government wastes. Probably from the drawdown.. We are in the 21st century and this should have been done years ago otherwise we wouldn't be where we are at today and our future is here and we are no where but still at square one fighting battles as opposed to getting real with the multi-billion dollar estate. Change is long over due and we need action not hindrances oh it wont eliminate all future litigation but we can get a jump on what ever issue before it gets to that point and will in the long run save us all a dime or two.
The first thing you ought to get real about is this fiction you call "the multi-billion dollar estate." Worth nowhere near that and what's left will still be subject in the future to strangling rules and regulations on the ground just like it is today and soon to be far worse. It's going no where and we need to stop living "pie the sky" and start eliminating costs, not adding to them. The Nation is a failure at running every business it's got and since GSB has gotten control of gaming through his various team players, it is going right down the drain too.
I read that link. It talked about history and the value of payments almost 100 Yeats ago. The last paragraph talked about Chaparral's venture in Osage County and how the production could bring in billions in payment over 30 years. I think we all know how that turned out. Unfortunately I must agree with the post up above, the mineral estate has seen it's better days. It's my understanding that the wells in Osage County produce more salt water than oil. Too bad we can't market brine.
Chaparral Energy Successfully Emerges from Chapter 11; Company Eliminates $1.2 Billion of Outstanding Debt & Approximately $100 Million in Annual Interest Expense does this give you a coue who we have on our land what has happened with this company who started out in 1988. So now you know this industry was severely impacted by Opec and the daunting regs especially at the administrative level on handling the permitting process for our Estate has come to mere slug pace. Yes we have oil but you must realize thre are and so much we can do that we haven't. Listen I am in marketing and have worked in marketing, emphasis in hospitality, studied world markets with business management, to put this way and nicely as possible we have a Multi-Estate with real black gold. We have run into some stumbling blocks created by the last Administration. (Green Energy) we need to protect who is here and help in anyway and we need to foster development for our future and build our reputation to where it was before 5years ago and even go 10 years. Now this is the kind of talk we need at this point. We do not need naysayers we want players. Protecting what we have and build upon that with new incentives to create that business atmosphere that is long missing and building upon that with new relationships and mostly we work with our land owners if there is a problem we fix it then and there or somewhere aroud there. But we must care above all our future is today. We need big players to come and I suspect we have been fostering the little guys way to much and thats good and dandy but its time to bring in bigger oil companies who have the assets. In other words its time tomplay ball you know I am right. Just speaking the truth.
What we have right now is, let me repeat that, IS players all over the assets of the Osage Nation like stink on crap!!!!!!! The only reason we don't have the same situation with the OME is because the oil and gas generated income is taken up, away and held in a government trust and these greedy people who run the Osage Nation can't get their hands on it. They've been trying to accomplish just that since the Osage Nation took over. Don't go there. No matter how bad you think it is right now, it will be over if the Nation is ever put in charge of that income and has any right to call the shots on how it is distributed. You better live in Osage County if and when that time comes or you will be SOL. Do yourself a favor. Read this comment over and over and over again until it finally begins to sink in.
Explain, don't get your stuff in a wad. Listen change needs to happen but at the will of the Headright owners right? Listen you are not the only one who has been wronged here. Now that we got this out of the way. I hear you loud and clearly. Experience speaks to the dire changes that is needec otherwise we wouldn't be going to Washington to make those changes. Hey I am out more than 100,000 since the permitting came to a slug pace. Not funny, but in this process you could see where we were failing ouselves by not insisting transparency and accountability is like cutting our nose to spite our face. You can feel and see that there are huge lapses in Governing the Estate by abd by the BIA is so incompetent. You cannot manage a M.E just by Government bureaucracy alone. We need coomen sense and we need to come to a concensus and by the way things are looking with the BIA and cutbacks its time we pick up stix and start playing or better yet we are moving in the direction to get caught up to the 21st century. Business savy is long over do. And I will say this though I am not that happy with our M.C of late I will say this they are trying. But we need to jump through hoops and stop with the baby steps and last but least the Nation would be sued by us if they think they can come in here and do what they want, why do you think we have a council. This fear mongering and people saying we can't either do not want change for all of us or they have something to hide just sayin and keeping it real. Jmho.
He replaces our old director and his experience is documented,but he is not enough we need more hands and feet on the ground to handle the future of our M.E which is today.
Well that would be better to call a M.C member and verify your concern. Why do you care so much? How will it effect you if you know or not, personally he's needed. And he has experience. And the money is there.
First we pay. second get a open records request then take it to the HR Dept or Comptroller which ever then you will know. It's a Government job hmm really? How so?
The Osage Nation runs the government. The Minerals Agency is a government entity along with the Osage Mineral Council created by the Osage Nation governing document otherwise known as the Constitution in Article XV. The Osage Minerals Council does not receive the $1,000,000 drawdown directly from the BIA. The money is deposited in the Osage Nation Treasury first, also a government entity of the Osage Nation, therefore, all of the above are government entities and all those who are employed by them are Osage Nation government employees with Osage Nation government jobs. Did you finish kindergarten or what?
Its an Entity separate from the Nation not owned by or controlled by, has Governmental functions. Hence Council. Our trust held by our Federal Government does not make us a Government. And must you be so condescending only a child would react the way you do snowflake. Doesn't sound nice does it? Usually when people acf this way they think their stuff doesn't stink..
Can't make it real by using your imagination. The Osage Nation has the MC and Agency as part and parcel, one and the same government entity.
Osage Nation Constitution, Article XV, Section 4: "Management of the Osage Mineral Estate: The Mineral Estate of the Osage Reservation is reserved to the Osage Nation. The government of the Osage Nation shall have the perpetual obligation to ensure the preservation of the Osage Mineral Estate. The government shall further ensure the rights of mineral royalty interest holders of Osage descent, as set forth in the Osage Allotment Act of June 28, 1906, as amended, to income derived from the Mineral Estate are protected. To discharge those obligations, the Osage Nation hereby creates a minerals management agency, designated the Osage Minerals Council, consisting of members of the Osage Nation who are entitled to receive mineral royalty income from the Osage Mineral Estate, as provided by federal law."
I noticed as well, there was a ststement made that there was not enough seating. But I do know you can go archive a article in the Osage News that it explains how the Chief and a mineral council member have been working directly with Sen. Lankford on our issues that have been plaguing our M.E. For example the New CFR's as well. Btw. I really liked how the Ute were at the table and Chickasaw, and the three affiliated Tribes the Manden,Hidatsa and Arikara, have some beautiful jewlry made by them, just to name a few. We can't always be at the table, and those Tribes also affected by bad regs as well. And they have a voice as well. We all do.
Descendants refused to take DNA test this from OsageNews.com Why would you refuse a DNA test if it could vindicate you? Sounds as if the Lintners are telling a story have used our entitlements and does not want to have to pay them back and is willing to settle. It is not enough to say they were told and just acted on it. Did they knowingly commit fraud? Looks to be if they want to settle, but ahere was the diligence in the first place? And another lets get the numberx posted how much of our people are using our resources? We hsve a right.
It won't vindicate you. It will only give you a rough idea as whether you are European, Black, or of Asian extraction. It isn't sensitive enough to tell you if you are from a particular Tribe in Africa or America or even South America for that matter. Anyone who says it will is scamming you big time and it's a wonder a lawsuit for major fraud hasn't been brought against these companies who advertise that it can. I took one of those tests as a lark for fun that gives you a broad range of where you come from. My mom and I took it together and did the swabs on the same day at the same time and sent the home testing packets away on the same day as well. The tests came back that I was predominately from Italian extraction and my mom was predominately from Spanish extraction. We are French, Native American and in my case, English and German on my father's side of the family. There is no Italian or Spanish or even Mexican for that matter and it said nothing about Native American at all! Well! I made arrangements to have real tests that are genuine and will stand up in any court of law in the country taken to determine what the genetic connection really is between my mom and me and for the hefty price of $350.00 each and it came back that I am 99% her daughter and she is 99% my mother. The man who has a legitimate business who took these tests at his office for us said point blank that these tests that are flying around in the market place that tell you down to the gene what nationality you are and what tribe you come from are all a huge scam. I was given right then to understand that anyone who buys into this ugly feeding frenzy going on right now with these junk science genetic tests is a fool who has soon parted with his money. Some of these scam tests are just as expensive as the legitimate ones so I don't blame this family at all for not being duped into taking one. Unless the genetic material is available from someone who died 100 years ago or more to actually compare to a living person today to prove actual genetic parenting, it's a scam so watch out. I'm really surprised the Osage Nation court is buying into this crap and making the family submit to a DNA test like this especially when the family probably doesn't have a hair or saliva sample of the relative who lived back in the early 1900's which is the only legitimate way to prove an actual genetic connection between the living family member today and the one who lived 100 years or more ago in the first place.
Though it could be junk science the court could have paid for it as far as knowing who you are culturally does not all of sudden start right? I can go back way far in my ancestry and all of you would know whom I'm talking about and the stories we csn relate to. My point and I should have been more clearer is just on principal I would have done it but by the optics though the the Lintners if they had nothing to hide why not,nothing to lose they want to settle but there are plenty of reasons to as well not to. We know in Indian Country it is rife with fraud of this sort, nothing new. Just amazes me to this day after 100 years we still are fighting the corrupt.
Fake Indian DNA tests is what it amounts to and no one can or should be made to take a junk science test like this when they know they are a costly and fruitless attempt to prove parentage. The BIA should be looking into the ethics and legality of this method of attempting to throw people out of a tribal community by a Tribal government or maybe it's the FBI. This is wrong. It's that simple.
Here is the original article --->>> http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2017/07/13/descendants-osage-allottee-lintner-dna-case-refuse-submit-dna-tests/
"How much does it cost to have a paternity test done? A Legal DNA Paternity test typically costs between $300-$500 which usually include the collection costs associated with the test. Non-Legal Paternity tests start at about $30 for the retail kit (not including the testing) to $250, depending on additional services such as expedited testing and shipping."
Here's the real story: A DNA Test Won’t Explain Elizabeth Warren’s (Cherokee) Ancestry You’re not 28 percent Finnish, either: "Another issue is limited and inconsistent data. Ancestry.com, for example, divides the world up into 26 genetic regions and uses just 115 samples to create the representative of each region—a very small sample size. And different companies place different weight on these samples, which come from burial grounds, modern isolated communities, and academically published data, like the Human Genome Diversity Project. For the consumer, this means if you don’t like your heritage results, try a different company. You’ll get a completely different breakdown." http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2016/06/dna_testing_cannot_determine_ancestry_including_elizabeth_warren_s.html
So...take off that kilt, you dupe, and get back to yodeling!
We are still working on environmental issues with the Region 6 EPA, Dallas office. We are still pursuing grants.
On May 16, Councilman Joe Cheshewalla and I went to Washington D.C. Any member of the Osage Minerals Council (OMC) could have gone. The purpose of the trip was for me to testify on May 16 at the U.S. House of Representative Appropriations Sub-committee. Andrew Yates thought it was a waste of money.
When I returned, I completed my travel reimbursement papers within 5 days per policy. One signatory signed but it takes two signatures. Kathryn Redcorn would not sign because the signatures were on the wrong lines. Andrew Yates did not sign it either. This is just one example of the pettiness I have to put up with. As of this date I have not received my reimbursement check. I won't sign my own paperwork like Kathryn did to get a check. That's against policy.
The chief is planning another trip to Washington D.C. and has invited only the OMC chairman to go with him. The purpose is to meet with White House staff regarding the regulatory process. When I heard a report on television about the regulatory process, the discussion was about the states regulations. As you know the Osage Minerals Estate is not regulated by the state. It is federally regulated. Since the OMC is involved in the regulation process, it would appear that this would be a Minerals Council matter, not an Osage Nation matter.
Why does a private citizen have the OMC database in their home? Lou Brock resigned from the OMC effective 6-30-17. I was surprised to learn that he is working at home with OMC records. The OMC did not vote on a resolution to allow him to do this. The Bureau of Indian Affairs send us oil company letters such as lease extensions, fines and lease terminations. He could use the lease termination information and sell it to an oil company for a finder's fee. I don't trust a former OMC employee who records conversations without your knowledge. I knew he had issues when he came to work for us full time but apparently his issues are more serious than I thought. I sent an e-mail to all OMC members to ask why is Lou Brock working at home but as of this date, no one has answered me.
Most recently Councilwoman Erwin wants to talk to our attorney about forming an LLC. One of my concerns would be of a jurisdictional nature. I am interested in learning what our attorney has to say about this subject.
In closing, any opinions herein are mine and not that of the entire OMC.
That's an interesting legal situation about the reimbursement money. One, because as Cynthia states herself "...on the wrong line." If so, then did K.R and A.Y. do right by not signing an incorrectly filed form? Is the person issuing a reimbursement check to Cynthia going to overlook the mistake and consider it a small matter of no great concern or have Cynthia redo the signing?
But also, thank you Cynthia for testifying.
I think it was the Special Meeting by the Chief, he said the WH does not want to listen to a group, they need only communicate with "the" representative of the Tribe, which is the Chief, and I believe this is why it's just the Chief and Waller going to the WH.
In reference to "...not an Osage Nation matter." -- It's so hard to define, the context of defining the ME and the Nation is so complexed. We, the shareholders absolutely know that the Tribe is gone (2006 election). The ME was the Tribe. But now, the ME is not the Nation nor is it a Tribe. The ME is part of the Nation, an undeniable connection. The Chief has no "power" over the ME or the MC, but as Chief of the Osages, along with Waller by his side in the WH, the Chief is "the" representative the WH wants to deal with, although he does not have the "last word."
Reference Lou Brock. When you leave the military, there's a discharge process, there's a check off you follow thru with. You turn in any secret access I.D. cards, etc., turn in inventory assigned to you. The Chairman of the MC is the one who would be held accountable for any adverse actions taken from OMC records. "...He could use the lease termination information and sell it to an oil company for a finder's fee." Now, that's a serious and alarming statement to make publicly. The Chairman had high regards for L. Brock in the meeting announcing his resignation. There's a high regard for his character and of his father and then there's the total distrust of a MC member. So, we wait, and hope it's not as bad as it sounds?
WRONG! The Osage Tribe has been abandoned by the Osage Nation government and left twisting in the wind. There is no place in the USA where a transfer of real estate assets does not take place in a court of law especially when real property is concerned except in the mind of the legal team past and present in the Osage Nation. I submit that until the Osage Nation seeks a quiet title lawsuit for all assets held in trust by the BIA, including the reservation of the mineral rights to the Osage Tribe and the royalty income generated from those mineral rights OR a further act of the U.S. Congress transferring all property rights, both real and personal; "under all is the land," for the Osage Nation government, the Osage membership and the Headright owners, the lot, all are on pretty shaky legal ground from an ownership status in any capacity. The Nation thinks it can will it to be so, therefore it is so but that just won't carry water from a legal standpoint as far as I am concerned. In leaving the Osage Tribal assets without any type of proper legal transfer of any kind, they risk everything they think they own today and tomorrow.
Further clarification: "...everything they think they own of the assets of the Osage Tribe as so stipulated by the 1906 Allotment Act as amended simply because they have chosen to appropriate it."
Woah lets have conversation with the Headright owners on this matter and the reasoning and or pros and cons and the impact. A limited liability company (LLC) is a corporate structure whereby the members of the company cannot be held personally liable for the company's debts or liabilities. Limited liability companies are essentially hybrid entities that combine the characteristics of a corporation and a partnership or sole proprietorship. While the limited liability feature is similar to that of a corporation, the availability of flow-through taxation to the members of an LLC. More over, the structure is where it is important to get this right for all whom is involved. And even if its being talked about it needs to be discussed with the Headright owners if the dynamics our going to change or we will find ourselves in litigation. This must be thought through and through. This is a good way to hide money. And thats no lie. Worse it gives cart blanche to do at will with our assets.
I figure the first question by Erwin to the attorney is "do I have to discuss any of this with the headright "owners?"
(Quote above: "More over, the structure is where it is important to get this right for all whom is involved.") - It's just the beginning of setting up "office" procedure in order to run the ME like a business, and it's lunatic to gamble to a whimsical business venture without our knowledge or our input, it's our FUTURE and our TRUST, and those after us!!!
I listened to the new "Director" speak at one of the meetings and he was well informed about the current situations and needs of the ME in Osage County. I am impressed with his reporting about the old records (microfilms) being offered to us. He was very detailed and I would like to hear him update at each meeting.
This mineral council has shown as a group it can not run a multi-million dollar business. Been bad blood among them since their election. It hasn't worked the way the MC is set up (8 members). At election time, there's more to be changed than just the members, a new set up or limited qualifications in certain fields of education or experience.
In a recent lawsuit won for the shareholders was that the Judge said the Nation could not speak on behalf of the shareholders, well, it seems it goes the same for the mineral council cannot make such a decision to drastically change the structure of the ME without the shareholders consideration and vote.
What has been defined as the legal status of the Minerals Council is in stone! It's a creation of the Osage Nation Constitution and does not exist as a legal entity, body, person or any other iteration on the planet UNTIL the Osage people VOTE TO CHANGE that section of the Constitution (ARTICLE XV) in a duly authorized election of the Osage Nation !!!!!!!!!! That's it. That's all. And nothing else or any more to it !!!!!!!! These wheeling and dealing legal machinations or should I write more accurately, these ILLEGAL MACHINATIONS that go on with these people no matter who they are as elected officials from the Chief to the Congress to the Minerals Council has to stop because they have no legal standing or any call to even be doing what they are trying to do until WE say they can do it by a vote of the members of the Osage Nation. WTH ?????? !!!!!!!!!!!
(This mineral council has shown as a group it can not run a multi-million dollar business. Been bad blood among them since their election. It hasn't worked the way the MC is set up (8 members). At election time, there's more to be changed than just the members, a new set up or limited qualifications in certain fields of education or experience.) I even the blind man can feel the palpable but nasty Pooitics that has plagued the M.C for years as history and facts speak for themselves loudly and never so boldly. Politics has a lot to do with why we are where we are at. At the detriment of the M.E. Worse is the tug a war that has created such a disfunction. Again to the detriment of the M.E. The BIA and the politics surrounding the CFR's and the incompetence and lack of funding just compounds at the administrative level of course. I to have been saying for quite some time and pondering what outcome in favor would be or action needed to move in the direction what is necessary to advance the M.E When you look at the dynamics, I have always said we will have rhetoric of some kind but it does not matter the difference of opinion in as much the outcome for the M.E is the priority. It does not matter why how or when the Nation asserts its will and they will always be there, and if the Politics continue to hinder then the absolute must happen, removal of said Council. There is no reason why we shouldn't because the incompetence astounds. We vote and have every right to, beg to differ anyone to challenge what I just said. In the end we need accountability and transparency we don't have that but a few memos thanks to Cynthia Boone. The optics is just bad with this idea in the first, its like putting the horse before the cart. Though I donhave lots of respect for Erwin and still champion her to be chairwoman I dont exactly want to draw a line until we hear her plan. IMHO I have to say no to the LLC. Lol, I have to say and agree experience is a understatement and we have been demanding such but we are protected our assets through the Federal Government and not to be able to hold those liable for making decisions for all 8f us Headright owners and not be held responsible for those decisions one has to just take one lookmat the Osage LLC need I say more. Yes we need to open a bigger office no doubt and we have eight council members who can take a seat, with a couple of new hires will address the issues we have. No less no more. Still waiting to hear what each memeber is making, so we can make formidable decisions. Less is more sometimes and we should work with what tools we have and able bodies who are willing to take the steps to further the progress od our M.E.
Question for the Trey Gill, Legislative Counsel for the Congress: If the ON Constitution states that the Osage Nation Congress (Legislature) in Article XV is the General Authority, does this also mean that they are the Plenary Power over utilization, development and conservation of all natural resources within the Territory of the Nation?
The term "General Authority" should maybe be broaden in the Constitution. Leave no room for the elected to define their own usage for their own benefit or goals.
Fyi, Indianz.com, July 7, 2017, "Secretary Zinke complains about long waits for approval at Interior"
"Sec. Zinke signed an order...to speed up reviews of oil and gas drilling permits on PUBLIC LANDS."
"...the BIA takes even longer -- 49 steps..."
"...land-into-trust applications...the process takes 16 steps."
politics? republicans? Zinke and Trump first priority is monies in the Fed. banks. Even if an order was given to the BIA to speed up the processes, not only is there not enough money or people in the BIA, now Trump is cutting the Interior's budget enormously.
Looks like each Tribe is own their own. I know the Chief and MC Chairman are working with the Interior on our plight but I tried to think of what the Interior could do to speed up the process? Seems the "steps" are the "general authority," other than RE-WRITE the steps, what could speed it up. Zinke just ordering it does not sound feasible, like the military "JUST DO IT" is not justifiable in this case.
Does anyone know what type of incentives draw oil producers to Osage County rather than them choosing the public lands?
Marketing draws them here but our reputation has been soild by the BIA and their green agenda got in the way of a chance of real work that couod have been accomplished out side of the fact we have been complaining about yhe BIA before 2014 where have you been? The permitting camr0e to a mere almost halt with processing what 300 a year to maybe two a year, something crazy like that and then, you add opec to the mix and no man power that was promised by the interior when the HPP case was settled. The incompetence at the administrative level is off the hook. One incentive is get organized and get running a full petroleum office as needed in the worst way to handle what the BIA isn't and wont do. We can do the permitting as wellmif not better.
And, looks to be the smaller interest here in Osage Co. has been well protected and the greater interest bigger oil co could come but haven't because of that interest, and the closer we get to the truth about how and why and what or where the Headright owners soon will be comprised if not surprised. Then you have to take a lookmat the contracts concerning the concessions we have made. Yes, I am saying it there has been corruption where that is concerned to that needs to come out. Other wise why would you want to create a LLc to hide the truth? we are damage goods in other words and no thanks to the BIA had we had a full blown office a lot of this bs could have been mitigated or circumvented. Knowledge is power and fornthe most part the new CFR's that they tried to cram down our throats slowed things down but shouldn't have because we were operating under the old ones.
OMC has a lot to over come as reputation wise because of the way BIA has handled the OME. Marketing can not happen until there is a clean up in procedures and Osage County is treated like the public lands. Faster permits output, open records again. etc MARKETING would be a waste of money & time right now sadly to say but true. So far OME is laughed at all over the U.S. by producers. Sad to be laughed at of all the total ignorance that has happened and still happening. Yes lets go drill in Osage County and let BIA over fine us, wait over a year or two to get permits, hidden records of past drillings and the terrain. 49 steps CFR ...
Let's say a prayer daily someone doesn't come up with a 50th step!
I guess maybe those "steps" are top secret, Indians will never know them cause then we could decrease them so as to reflect today's oil operations, not the days prior to the computer.
But seriously, how could we find out each step description? Each step needs to be evaluated with today's operations to see if it is out-of-date. Analyze.
(Osange, where are you? Do ya think ya could ..................?)
What about this don't you understand? The 1906 Allotment Act as amended calls out the Secretary of the Interior as the one who has ultimate control over the Osage Mineral Estate and that's it until the U.S. Congress in a further Act of this particular body changes the structure of the control established by law direct from the highest Legislature in the land. Not even a single lease can be approved until the Superintendent of the Osage Agency says so in writing. What most people don't really understand is that the Minerals Council members have always been and are today, a collection of figureheads who have no legal power to do anything where a final say so is concerned. Why those who continue to rail at the Minerals Council don't even bother to find out what the actual pecking order is and how things are really structured and work is beyond me. The Osage Nation will tell you that everything has changed where the sovereignty issue is concerned and the level of control they now have but that is not the truth where the control of the Osage Mineral Estate is concerned and that's a fact. Control over other income generating businesses and government functions and the like (gaming, taxation), the Nation does control but not an iota of the final decision making power over the Mineral Estate. The Bureau is tasked with that responsibility whether you like what they do or not.
Wrong and not, who tasked them (BIA) with the responsibility? Congress, because Congress has plenary power, truly. We understood who the upper echelon are. Does not mean the 1906 Act was to restrict the growth but to ensure who is the Authority other wise it looks to be they are just figureheads earning just a check. And,then there is as I have said before the (IRA) Indian Reorganization Act as defined by title, An act to conserve and develop indian lands. To strengthen, encourage and perpetuate the tribes and their historic traditions and culture. No where in the 1906 Act does it say we connot open up an office with a planning and development dept,legal dept, complance, HR? Yes we need Marketing in the worse way. It matters because we matter. We need to do more for ourselves and build our industry and pick up where the BIA fails on so many fronts. Man, I have ran multiple million dollar business and this is no way to run our M.E. you know it and so do I. Transparency and accountability long over due, long live the Osage Tribe and the 1906 Act as amended.
Do you want part of your check to fund this office to run the mineral estate? I know I don't. To get competent professionals you have to pay them, that means breaking the tradition of hiring relatives who can't find work anywhere else. I'm not convinced we have anything to market. There is lots of intent to drill in Kingfisher county but those Wells are producing at least 600 barrels or more a day. Think about that. All of Osage County produces 11,000+ barrels of oil in a MONTH. If you can convince a company to leave Wells that produce over 600 barrels a day and come to Osage county then you are a genius. I think we are all fooling ourselves.
Brilliant post! My compliments to someone with an intellect who actually knows how to use it. Most of them act like they haven't got sense enough to pour piss out of a boot.
BTW, I heard from an attorney -- in a position to know what he's talking about -- that the Indian Reorganization Act does not apply to us and we don't come under it because the track we are on is the one that is established by the 1906 Allotment Act at amended.
You don't have to be an attorney to know that the Osage are excluded from the Indian Reorganization Act, as the Act has language that plainly states the tribe is excluded.
Well there you are...another smart Osage who knows what he's about and willing to do the research to find out what's what where the law comes into the picture. Good for you!
I recently heard from someone in the know that most of them running the show in government and throughout the Osage don't care one bit about all the financial losses and stupid mistakes that have been made since the Osage Nation took over. With this kind of mentality, things won't change until those with different fiscal sensibilities run for office and start making changes to correct the horrendous fiscal path that has been set since Jim Gray was in office. What is important to never forget is that the last election sent a message that the elected officials have chosen to ignore since that time. The ballots were in a huge percentage under voted which in any country anywhere in the world is a huge signal that a vote of no confidence took place on the part of the constituents in the ballot box. That right there should tell you that the people want change and since that time, the latest gross error and lack of proper fiscal judgment took place with the purchase of the Bluestem Ranch at 4-5 times what it was worth and without an analysis from the BIA as to the worthiness of the property to be taken into trust beforehand. Shannon Edwards was the only one who didn't take the bait that Ted Turner held over the heads of the Osage Nation and others in Osage County. We need new blood in office and not just those who are too afraid to make those changes to keep us from completely foundering financially. It's more than draining the swamp now. It's serious business to keep these government Osages from continuing to feather their nests and also vote for one nonessential spending item after another while the benefits to all Osages who are registered members are at now at risk.
Exactly !!!! We have seen enough to know what is working and not working since we have become a Government revolving credit card, unsecured, just to appropriate to the cost of the Osage to no where in site this revolving door will not be closed until we have that conversation, a Constitutional Convention. Wasn't it the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act of 1936 that extended the IRA to the Tribes in Oklahoma which allowed for Indian Governments to crate a economic value in the creation of Casino's in Oklahoma? Just calling off form my memory , then we had the Indian Self Determination Act. With this is in mind combined with the 1906 Act says yes we can move in the direction of opening up office and my bet is we are moving in that way. Other wise if we don't we get left behind in this industry and truly thats not going to happen. Our future is here, it is today and no longer can we stay in thie quagmire. Time to end the stupid politics as why we shouldn't anymore because the truth be known and it is there for us to see why we are not already experiencing that future right now, I think special interest has to go to the way side and we get to business. The BIA cannot do it or has done it as of yet, it is up to us to see and I will say this again lets put a vote to this my bet everytime you vote for more those votes would rise. And as far as money goes and how it will be used, sometimes in order to make money you have to spend it or do you not understand economics 101. And what you will miss 20 even if that out of your check not much comoare to what you coukd make in a very short time. Peopel would have you think differently and thats a problem because we no longer naysayers we need doers not couch potatoes eatning a check and doing nothing.
Did I not say the future is here !!!! Trump administration withdraws fracking standards for Indian Country. @ Indianz.com Ah where are we at the future is here?
Cautious optimism on this one, especially in the State of Oklahoma. This is looking good... I hope it holds. BLM on BIA managed trust lands is an accommodation for uniformity in DOI rules between Bureaus and that benefits the Federal government, not the Native Americans in general and the Osages in particular. https://www.indianz.com/News/2017/07/24/trump-administration-withdraws-fracking.asp
If this is what Chief Geoffrey StandingBear is for going after and any other elected official, they need to be made to go away at the next election in June of 2018.
...without Federal funding and the high Osage membership numbers Nationwide in order to get it and as much of it as they do, what do you think will happen next?
reply to July 18 at 12:51 pm from July 17, at 11:59 pm
I know the history you gave. I also recently had to take my yearly income statements from the BIA to a retirement community based on income status and explain what they did (BIA--and how it affected the state of Oklahoma too) for me to end up where I am currently financially. By the way, the numbers look so bad on paper, I was approved.
I was (in my mind) asking about what incentives we have to offer at this time, cause I see on the internet how well oil producers are doing all around lower Oklahoma City, plus Chapparal went there to recover from bankruptcy instead of coming back to Osage County.
I asked because the Osage oil future looks so bleak. So much going on in the political scene. Today I heard on the news, Osama Bin Laden's son is going to take over the Al-Queda, he wants revenge over his father. WH putting sanctions on N. Korea and Russia. N. Korea shooting missles our way.
So much could happen before this long process of setting up a petroleum business office. Our future is in the hands of the WH politics and the Osage Nation politics.
Osage Nation Constitution, Article XV, Section 4: "Management of the Osage Mineral Estate: The Mineral Estate of the Osage Reservation is reserved to the Osage Nation. The government of the Osage Nation shall have the perpetual obligation to ensure the preservation of the Osage Mineral Estate. The government shall further ensure the rights of mineral royalty interest holders of Osage descent, as set forth in the Osage Allotment Act of June 28, 1906, as amended, to income derived from the Mineral Estate are protected. To discharge those obligations, the Osage Nation hereby creates a minerals management agency, designated the Osage Minerals Council, consisting of members of the Osage Nation who are entitled to receive mineral royalty income from the Osage Mineral Estate, as provided by federal law." The M.E is reserved my arce to the Nation lmao is what I am doing. And if you think that is the truth lets challenge it in a federal court and I guarantee you on my grandmothers grave you would lose I would say big time. Fear mongering dose no good. We can call a spade when we see one. Lol, I'll call out our Government the Nation, how have they protected the M.E? Looks to me I am well out of 100,000 dollars since the BIA tried to push a bad policy (CFR's) Bottom line snowflake, we are in a different era and there is one Republican who is Osage who has been doing some fact checking. Peace out til another day. Oh by the way, the Nation designated to appropriate. The Osage did not vote that way and as far as our de facto Constitution goes my council asked me, was everyone on board? Meaning? The descendants of the original allottees on board with this Constitution that was written? I a headright owner never saw such a print. Council, why, I didn't get a vote. Council how did that happen, I don't know. Someone please step up to the podium and twll me how this happened? I told my council, I called constituent services in 2006 they said everyone got a ballot. you didn't, it came with the newspaper, oh we have a newspaper, oh yes we do would you like to subscribe? So in essence if this happened to you would you feel that we have a de facto Government? 100% says yes or you didn't get the memo, I didn't get my vote. How many others didn't get there vote? Are we ready for a Constitutional Conversation we might just be there. I am for team Osage but when you see such no accountability, ( Bluestem Ranch )? Osage Llc. You expect more from our Government. When federal spending comes to a halt in Indian counrty with those Tribes who have Casino's do not come running to the M.E. We all know how the Casino business started by borrowing from the M.E
"Constitutional Conversation." let's get started, it's not too early, election time will come.
I believe the Constitution needs fuller explanations for definitions. There's loopholes that can lead toward unaccountability. One person may know what "NO" means, but another may need further explanation or given an example???
Since 2006 election, combined--wonder how many "total lawsuits" there's been within the Nation and MC. And combined--how much "total amount" added up came out of the Nation's accounts (member's) and the MC accounts (shareholder's).
So, back to "definitions," the different interpretations has cost all of us highly. It's not money out of your wallet, cause the money never got to your wallet, but it came out of your account.
The plague upon the Osage Nation is the funds spent on legal work from before the Constitution was even written. They don't publish how much is spent on legal work, lawyers, court cases and so on. If they did, the Osage people would probably move to bring the government down over that aspect of the unnecessary and injudicious use of government funds alone.
"Induced Earthquakes Raise Chances of Damaging Shaking in 2016" see https://www2.usgs.gov/blogs/features/usgs_top_story/induced-earthquakes-raise-chances-of-damaging-shaking-in-2016/
The Tulsa World reported that the 5.8 earthquake, that I thought was going to level my home, was caused by injection Wells in the Bend of Osage County. Electric to the Wells had gone off and when the electric came back on the Wells simultaneously injected water at the same time causing the earthquake near Sooner Lake in Pawnee County. For three weeks in a row there was a derogatory report about oil and gas operations in Osage County, as reported by The Tulsa World. There couldn't be worse publicity.
Trump administration withdraws fracking standards for Indian Country !!! Why, BLM had no authority. Comes down to it Congress has plenary power to change the rules and or make them. Slap on thr hand if I ever saw.
To poster July 22 4:11 Wrong and not... Agree!!!!!!! Yes the OME can recover by getting a proper office set up, which is long over due. Remember the BIA will pay half what ever function the Osage take over for length of time. It is time to start self governing different procedures of the BIA. Needed an O&G experienced professionals on the MC to manage a professional MC office. Now that is common sense.
Pay half? Of course they will and after that, they'll pull out and we will be left holding the bag for the clean up they are supposed to pay for at the Bluestem Ranch! Just so you can gain control when you have no idea of what you're even doing and don't really want to work when you finally have control? Forget it! With Osage lives who rely on this OME Trust annuity income in the balance? FORGET IT!
Pay half if not more. Change is coming poster 11:35 Am whether you like it or not. We have to get caught up to the 21st Century. And we are not there. And yor rhetoric will fall on death ears because in numbers we will bote as much for success and what is so evident what has not been working. You know it and see it so stop lying to yourself and everyone else because once we do, clarity will come to fruition. In other words we need to know how our contracts and leases are doing on a daily basis or there of and how they are working for us in as much we need clarification how our money is working for us. We no longer are going to trat our M.E like its hush money. You can use those who depend on this income all you want snowflake but my concern is out with the old and bring in new revenue to our resource so those who depend on this can have more. Who are you to think this way, does not advance the M.E but would hinder it, get a life buddy. Unless you have something to hide? Wheres that turkey voucher? That per-cap you all deserve? Long live the Osage Tribe and the 1906 Act as amended.
Clearly, you aren't a shareholder. If you were you would realize in no uncertain terms that once that oil and gas revenue comes into the Osage Nation Treasury, I posit that you will be receiving a letter from the BIA advising you that the current OME Trust has been terminated in favor of the sovereignty of the Osage Nation to run its own business affairs and that you will no longer be receiving a quarterly headright check from this Trust because it no longer exists. I further posit that you will then receive a letter from the Osage Nation advising you that the Federal OME Trust has been terminated and that an Osage Nation Public Trust has been set up to benefit the Osage Nation and its members forthwith. What that will mean is that the membership will be receiving same kind and type of benefits from the Osage Nation in the same manner as has been seen with the appropriation of the gaming revenue in the past eleven years. If you live in Osage County you will benefit. If not, if you are a child, a college or university student or a senior you will continue to benefit in the same manner as before. If you do not fall into these three categories or live in Osage County, you will be SOL. Mark every one of these written words. You read it here first.
Clearly you are missing the point and just like a true liberal,you will do everything thing in your power to obstruct the truth. No where did I say the banking, accounting is to be put in either hands. Everything in fashion as designed will stay as it is. What you fail to see is we can take on responsibilities otherwise that would be fortuitous. And I have given many solutions about funding, and how to pick up where the BIA does not and then sum. If we were in the Public Sector OMG, you would be ripped a new one and you know and I know it. Look, I have been trending and watching and waiting and all we seem to find ourselves in litigation after litigation and I'm sure now that the BLM has been told to pound sand when it comes to IC we will find ourselves again litigating our losses. And what is worse where is the representation they are working for us and yet they have left many Tribes and not just us pretty much in limbo. Well I want to take us out of the limbo we seem to fall back into. Its like we're the Wahlle and the shark is the BIA just taking bites little by little. I am not saying that we are going to eliminate all rhetoric that comes are way, but we can and should be doing more proven time after time how incompetent at the Administrative level the BIA is and so underfunded. Stop thinking about yourself and using excuses to probably cover up what has gone on, and truly I want to know why we have stalled and not do what is necessary to further the future of or M.E and you think I am not Osage and more Osage than you will ever know with right in front of me our Constitution and all its follies and the 1906 ACt is before me. So please brother or sister can we come to a consensus and get some work done. Lol isn't that what we want out of the U.S Congress.
Sovereignty - if we all sat down at a conference table with Bush now, what would we tell him about our progress. We'd have to tell him about the LLC, so much money purposely thrown down the drain because they didn't want to hurt their neighbors and friends, and relatives feelings, cause it's a hard thing to do. We, the others not in this group, meant absolutely nothing, it was just money anyway, can't let that get in the way of hurting some feelings.
That the ranch purchase was never meant for revenue income, just something to adore.
That we have hope with each new election, but only to find that its a continuation of the previous administration, different faces but same agenda.
To get our quarterly payments we are still classified as "incompetent."
So many obstacles have broken down our "high hopes." And like the energy bunny, it goes on, and one, and on.
I don't think the Osage Nation owes me a per cap, a turkey, or a ham. That is what's wrong with this world everyone thinks are owed something for nothing.
Fine. Then, while the Osage Nation elected officials and employees raid the income from the oil and gas revenue that would have gone into your pocket coming from your quarterly payment, then we won't hear so much as a peep of complaint coming from you!
Be sure to give me your name so I can take you off the list because thats what I am campaigning on, that and smaller government, term limits, accountability, jobs is a priority and I have a great plan to submit, and working with our communities to ensure viability and doing a deep audit. Then I will instruct our newspaper Yes, to print not just good, but sometimes the very ugly goes ignored and the bad is just a fad it appears. Every Holiday all will get a ham or Turkey Voucher. Ah the M.C much detail will be spent with them to rejuvenate the the M.E in some kind of monetary form. After all we would not have the Casino's we do have if it wasn't for the M.E. My bet watch what happens when this happens. When you put your people before Government, the health and the welfare of all. Many good things come from being transparent.
@ 6:45 pm. I do agree with you that the Nation/LLC can not run the mineral estate. I'm against the Nation having their hands in anything to do with the mineral estate because we can't sue them when they get off with our money.
What money,you haven't seen an increase in how long or have you not payed attention or is it because you have money and this is jut a honey check. Stupid is just that. We definitely do not want the Nations hand in our pockets its enough they built a de facto Government off our backs but sure is heck if we are not entitled to the same money to propagate our M.E future, lol. Dont be ignorant because this is why we are where we are at. Please!!! The Nation would not want you to know this. This is why I said there is so much we can do as opposed to taking a seat on the recliner. Stephanie Erwin is at least trying but trying is getting no where we have been trying since before 2006. And if it wasn't for the few updates from Cynthia Boone we would be in the total blind which is no accident. We should be working in tandem not in the opposite direction. Until we get a Chief that understands what has to happen and or done to bring back the credibility to the M.E remember he is a part of the 1906 Act. The consensus is long over due. We can have a natural resource dept and that would be the M.C as designed and should be without affect our Pockets but to add to them. Don't be fool hearted with our money. Because in the name of the M.E this is in no way to run our ME.
However, we can consider suing them as shareholders with a fiduciary obligation owed to us by the Secretary of the Interior as Trustee of the Trust of the OME, now in place, if the BIA agrees to allow the Osage Nation, or any other party for that matter, that has exhibited the depth of astounding stupidity and complete incompetence since it took over the running of the Osage government. I never thought I would ever, and I mean ever, say or write a thing like this in my life, but...if any person, party, entity, organization, institution, or government exhibited this much incompetence, misguidedness and downright foolishness with money, both in and out of court, it would lead to Federal government intervention, jail terms for misappropriation and malfeasance with a follow on of the right-minded appointment of a guardian or other management entity completely from the outside co-signing the checks and making sure that decisions associated with spending money are passed by this outside third party with impeccable credentials by way of handling such decisions with the authority of final decision making approval.
@ 1:21 pm. What office are you campaigning? Chief? Congress? I think it is rather childish that just because I don't want a handout from the Nation, that you will take my name off of your "list." Too bad. I decide who my family of 89 people vote for too. When you come out in public to campaign, I'll be sure to shake your hand.
Lol its not a hand out in any way shape or form why would you even think that? Is it a hand out when the our Government hands them a ham during the Holidays. I do not get that type of thinking lol, I thought it was for appreciation for the hard work? And to futher add I should have said taking your name off the list and then move it to another list a donation list. Because we should thank our constituency after all as I have said this is our money to. We vote right and really thats the principal. We do not forget about how and and who put them in office. Spending our Millions and to the tune how much has been lost. Its not much in return but its something.
"I thought it was for appreciation for the hard work."
You do realize they get $500 to 2,000+ bonus every year just for showing up for work and if you're related to the right people, you start with a $50,000 salary with bi-annual raises, right?
The ON gets their huge piece of the pie first and whatever is left after embezzlement goes to select programs.
Yes and if you even talk about running for office they act like they don't want you within a country mile of the place. Fear. You can hear it in their voices if you even mention it. That right there should tell you a lot.
Well the fear is someone might just do a better job of being "Transparent", but mostly, living by what they campaigned on as promised and walk the talk. We live in a time smaller Government is more and a hard oook at what we have to do to hold those accountable to their actions and closing those loopholes. Efficiency is key..
"We" are the Nation!!! We are not owed a ham or turkey, and it's not a handout BECAUSE it's our account.
How has things gotton better for the "people" since Bush signed an order for sovereignty for us? What did it mean to you?
We vote for officials and so far, they take the money and run.
Osage People, we've got to find out when we vote for a new Chief, what are his/her plans for all the money he/she is going to be able to spend, what expensive, outrageous plans does he/she already have in mind?
Thank you Cynthia for your bulletins. By the way, Cynthia, what changes would you make in the new government for the betterment and well being of all Osages. What changes would you like to see in or current constitution? Do you think it would be beneficial to all concerned (all of us) if there was "a limitation of spending, etc." for those who have authority to sign off checks be in legal terms.
I see no other way to stop this "love of money," "love of spending" but to have it written in legal binding details. As of now, there is no stopping those who have authority to monies. Any more law suits to defend the employees against each other should come out of their own Osage revenue checks.
We have to have this conversation and now is the time because the elections are just around the corner. As I have said, there is something wrong in little china and we need to get to the bottom of the barrel sorta speak and turn this tide of spending around where our Government isn't spending our money but making money and putting the money not in a general fund but have that money funding for us and we do that by one of several ways. Accountability and transparency is on top of the list, we live in a day that there is so much corruption. Indian Country being ripe for the taking and that is no lie. We have had a rough few years, Osage llc (Carol Leese) to some real conflicts of interest the BIA and Bluestem Ranch? Where was the diligence with our Congress? Here we have a guy who was mayor and now wants to join our Congress and use it like a revolving credit card, really? No way jose! His own words. One example of what we do not want. Had each and everyone of us had a chance to veiw the New Constitution because really there are loopeholes all over in this piece of paper in front of me, lol its really more. Its not so much the truth in it as much as we have to make that truth work for us and the real question is anybody can say what they want to say but once in office the tide turns in favor of not the people but big Government. This is not what we wanted for our people. So when I see the funding that is going on with in I suspect more of it will be spent before the Elections because there is going to be a new Chief in town that is going to say its time we buckle up because this is going to be one hell of a roller coaster ride, there's going to be something in ther for everyone, not just the few who live in the local communities or districts alone even for those communities outside our districts will benefit from the jobs program I am introducing, I even have jobs for our local producers as well no lie there. Not giving my secrets away until campaigning starts and yes I am running for your Chief. I've seen enough since 2006 and no where are we near that 25 year plan are we. I care I care enough to come out of the woods and I see the forest for the trees, and I have one person to thank. She knows who she is and my eyes are wide open long live the Osage Tribe and the 1906 Act as amended. Does anyone know where are Capital is going? I even have a plan for our cultural Dept. And out Museum. This is breaking news. After losing the Reservation case I am going out there on a limb do you think we lost some rights to our land because we cannot seem to keep those eye sore of the wind farms that devalue our land and surrounding areas is effectual? Like I said IC ripe for the taking? So lets see who can top this?
To the "running for Chief." - Thank you for your announcement.
Seems each election the candidates wait to the last minute to get their plans exposed. There's been times I didn't get candidates brochures until after the election.
In your comments what you will do "to correct" the inaccuracies in Osage politics is vague to me. Not much for me to speculate on toward voting for you at this time, I will wait for your "secrets" to come out.
I absolutely am behind you on reading and reviewing the Constitution. I will start my review as soon as I can run out a copy.
Do you think the shareholders have the right to view the salaries of those employees whose paychecks are coming out of shareholders quarterly payments? Where in the Constitution do you think a change in wording would change the hindrance in our right to know? Do you think we have a right to know and will you express your view as to "why" we might have a right to know? We are in a "LEGAL" era. Opinions and ignorance of the law is not going to get us pass the court doors.
It reminds me of the movie "The Ten Commandments," the saying "So it is written, So let it be." Same with the law, same with the Osage Constitution, let's make sure it says what we want "it to be."
These questions are not all directed to only you, future candidates are going to face similar scrutiny and they should be.
Do you have any legal background?W Will you be paying our lawyer frequently for advice?
What do you mean by: "And out museum?"
Why are you waiting (secrets) to tell your "cultural dept. plan? It's true someone else running for an office can use your idea for votes, but many other characteristics account for being elected, not just one notion.
You are the first entry in my "election notebook," again, good luck.
..."I decide who my family of 89 people vote for too."....
Looks like we got a real tough guy right here folks!
---------------------- Arrogant, check.
Self centered, check.
Hateful, check.
Domineering, check.
Threatening, check.
Dismissive, check.
Prideful, check ----------------------
I get the impression that poster on July 28, 2017 at 7:11 AM that he ...or rather, she is an Osage Nation government employee or worse an elected official. This person's mentality is the reason why the Osage government is corrupt and will eventually collapse.
8th Special Congressional Day 1 video is located here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq1zJmHjRbc Changes to the election law are going to be reviewed and voted on in this Special Session so it's time once again to pay close attention.
Important to note that the Legislation put forward by Alice Buffalohead is not on the roster for us to read: ONCA 17-89, An Act to govern the conduct of Osage Nation elections, including elections for Principal Chief, Assistant Principal Chief, Osage Nation Congress, elections for the retention of Judges of the Osage Judiciary, and other elections required by the Constitution and by law; and to establish an alternate effective date. (Buffalohead) OR ONCR 17-31, A Resolution to approve the Osage Nation Election Board rules and regulations governing elections in accordance with the Osage Nation Election Code. (Buffalohead) See https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/congress-legislative-branch/legislation We should be having full disclosure as to these changed on the call for this Special Session so that we know what they are doing over at that election office before the Osage Nation Congress votes on it up or down... The last "amended" call for this session was on July 21, 2017. That's plenty of time for this legislation to be posted to the Osage Nation membership on the legislation roster!
These two bills have been assigned to the Government Operations Congressional Committee. They should be vetted today: Governmental Operations Committee Meeting – 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.., CDST. This Committee Meeting should be available to listen to online live at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/multimedia/live-media
Should have been vetted before it made it to legislation. Need to cut out the redundancies. But why the concern now? Why the necessary action to control? I find this telling to a a extent. Vague to say the least. No content. Leaves doors open. We need to hear from her what the intended action is about and or the wording needs to be changed. How ever, I like Alice Buffalohead. Do not know her but I feel she isn't heard enough at times. Just my opinion. What bothers me most , the wording is so vague compared to many actions that can take place.. Zs it is a deperate atempt to make somthing mean something without the nucleus, missing core meaning just to sound effective. So maybe a callmis in order?
Live in Session today, the Congress voted against the bill on the new election bill. Again, the excuse was given that it is easier on the election board to do it this way to match the election filing dates for the Chief and the Assistant Principal Chief. C. Shaw reminded the Congress that there is a Primary involved for that election and no need for the additional time because the Congress does not have a Congressional Primary. Good. I for one do not want a Congressional Primary. From the last election we saw very few who came forward to throw their hat into the ring to serve the Osage people as their representatives.
The new Election Bill, ONCA 17-89 is now up on the website at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/congress-legislative-branch/legislation but none of the changes show as redlined to enable the Osage people to determine what the changes were before the bill was voted down...40 pages worth of text and no way to determine at face value what has been changed. As this directly involves the membership, it should be at our convenience and we should be able to have these changes made available to us and at hand. It appears more often than not that the Election Board and the Supervisor are structuring these elections to benefit themselves and not us. Elections are always ditch digging dirty hard work in any event and those on the Board or who work in the Election Office who cannot come up to speed and make the grade should perhaps look to the Osage Nation for another less challenging job? According to the Osage Constitution, this is a government about and for the Osage People. We need the best service we can get from all who work at the Osage Nation on our behalf. If it gets a bit rugged at times, so be it.
What is it about this that the Board and the Election office doesn't get? In the last Congressional election, there were a shocking number of ballots that were under voted. What that means is that the Osage Nation electorate was unsatisfied with the candidate choices that were there to vote for in this particular past election. We need more choices, not less and nothing should be done by the Election Board or the Supervisor to narrow the number of candidates who represent the Osage people. If this is an attempt at changing filing dates to sneak up on us to add a Congressional primary in the legislation at some future date, snap that idea in half right now.
I'd be happy if these election people would quit working on the election bill and the rules and the regulations because they are always loaded with more and more penalties for those who run for office. I don't care if the election team work in the light, either. I'd like them to quit work on all these changes and get down to the hard work at hand when the time comes for the elections and not complain about the work load. Sheesh!
I voted for Trump. But the truth of the matter is there were no choices, they were narrowed. I have 10 years of military service and no way did I want her to be Commander-in-Chief!
Time for "clarity" in our legal terms/laws/regulations/duties "as described."
Just went over to the Osage Blog site. Ah, its telling and not the first time I heard about this and how crooked our elections are and who is behind this sad state of affairs non the less, I still hink Red Eagle was a bad Chief its like Hillary Clinton putting the blame squarely on everything else but she just ran a poor campaign. He was incompetent because he did not know what he was doing, not that he didn't have convictions that has nothing to do with his abilities. There is no doubt in Osage County when it comes to outsiders running for Chief and truly they are afraid that someone truly cares for their people but mostly how much has been lost on frivolous line items.
Mostly how much fiscal access they'll lose if someone from the outside is elected who is there having direct access to what they're doing who can act as a whistleblower for the Osage people to put out there in the open all the stuff they've been getting away with for the past eleven years. Believe me, things will change when the lid is lifted and we get to see all the spending that doesn't benefit the Osage people other than those who live right in County and how much they pad their pockets in salaries and benefits. Last I heard, Shannon Edwards tried to introduce a bill that would cap employee salaries and benefits to 50 some odd percent of the total budget or to $50 million, I can't remember which. I found this post so I am reprinting it here: Trust with Verification on March 19, 2017 at 6:55 AM: You have too many employees who have little, if any, added value to the whole and who rarely answer the phone, return a phone call or are unprofessional in tone and attitude when they do. Yet they still expect a 3% merit bonus every year whether they deserve it or not and if you don't do the service work in a professional manner for and with the public, how is it that a merit bonus is deserved? I understand that one member of Congress tried to put forward a bill that places a cap on how much of the total budget can go toward the payment of employee salaries and benefits and placed that cap at over 50% of the entire yearly budget! What this means, if the total budget with government and Tribal funds all in, is $60,000,000 then $30,000,000 plus of that amount can go for the payment of Osage Nation employees! This is entirely upside down. More than half of the budget should be going for direct services to the Osage people benefitting them with the entire cash amount not on inflated budget amounts with line items that are never even spent and remain in the Osage Nation Treasury which are, as a result, kept completely away from those who are supposed to benefit from Congressional funding in the first place. It's a crooked little game that the Osage Nation government set up from the very beginning to keep the money in Osage County. For a while, that money was being dumped into a "permanent fund" that wasn't to be touched unless it was for direct services to the Osage people. Then, conveniently, that money began to be used as collateral for loans that the Osage Nation has gotten itself involved with in the last five years or so. The whole thing, meaning the Osage government, is set up pretty much for the use and benefit of Osage Nation elected officials, appointees and employees. Some have even called it a giant government slush fund for the benefit of those who live in Osage County. They talk big numbers about how much they actually spend on us in programs from Tribal funding but I guarantee you that those cost numbers are greatly inflated. I want to see them on paper on the letterhead of the outside administrators for both "Plan F" and the Osage Health Card Program, the amount actually paid out in scholarships and student aid, the total amount paid out for the death benefit, and all costs for the new Osage Academy for the children with an exact number of how many benefitted, and all of the above in the last fiscal year. In addition, for any other Tribally funded program, I would like to see back up verification for any other costs that directly go to benefit the Osage people. Though it's advertised at around $15 million total a year, I'll bet that number includes administration fees, employee salaries and benefits, office costs and so forth all padded into the grand total. I'd be surprised if a third of that $15,000,000 figure actually goes to benefit the Osage people who live both outside and inside Osage County.
I should have said in addition to the above statement, I would like something beter to happen not just post it for everyone to see a data table of our debt posted on the Osage Nation website for all to see similar to what you are asking. Lets make our Government work for us.
Still a sliver of hope-- http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2017/08/01/district-court-judge-denies-osage-nation-motion-challenge-county-wind-energy-ordinance/
This judge must be CHAing big time to keep a complaint being filed against his license to practice law. If a person, legal person included, doesn't have standing to sue when they retain the mineral rights throughout an entire county in a State of the USA, where acre upon acre of property is permanently taken off the table, effectively denying a potential income return without proper financial consideration in exchange, I just don't know. This is mind warping stuff and this guy must be through the looking glass. Only in Indian Country would this be the case. Wow! Somebody needs to get in touch with the Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma and have this guy's license placed under review with a complaint filed yesterday!
This may be of help: http://www.okbar.org/public/Courts/CouncilonJudicialComplaints.aspx http://www.okbar.org/public/Complaint.aspx Osage shareholders have rights against this kind of wheeling and dealing in the courtroom against their financial interest. Too much emphasis is placed on the rights of the Osage Nation and not enough on the rights of the Shareholders who are deprived of potential income as the real and actual recipients of this oil and gas income when a situation like this is allowed to become a stunning miscarriage of justice.
Well, well, well... GOOD! I'm glad that the Osage Nation does know how go to Court to bring a quiet title law suit. This proves they do know about it and can get it done... http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2017/08/04/osage-nation-wins-former-railroad-land-lawsuit-state-court/
So the Osage government owns 31 more acres worth about $10.00. Certainly, the chief has some sort of laundering scheme planned but how does this help the people? The government cuts funding for education and other needs for Osages but they're willing to spend tens of thousand of dollars on useless property.
But ther're gettign back our reservation one postage stamp size of it after another and when it's a big chunk ther'er paying thrice the price or better for it. You're not a real Osage if you don't understand this thought process and overall mentality.
Oh great, here we go again with the "real Osage" nonsense. The Osage Nation is a governmental entity. The people are members of this entity via Jim Gray's signature. The Osage government and the Osage people are two different entities. The "reservation" does not belong to the people is belongs to the Osage government. The Osage government it going to do what is in it's own best interest - not for what the people want or anything for their edification.
The Osage government is run by a political class who seek to enrich themselves and provide excessively high paying jobs and job security regardless of talent or experience. Nothing is done without someone getting their palms greased and embezzling money. The Osage Nation government is a corrupt system with no ethics or regard for the Osage people.
What are you getting out of this? Are you part of the Osage government that's going to benefit from the acquisitions or are you just a schmuck with a false sense of "Native pride"
This so not amusing. We want our Reservation and if we have to we will do one parcel at a time right folks isn't that what you want? But really why did they want this to go unnoticed or done on the QT and my guess they didn't want the opposition to know exactly what they were doing but hey how can they do that they have to notify the opposition the intent right. So whats up ?
Do you know the difference between wanting a reservation and actually having one? The former is a dream that can no longer be. Why? Because the courts have ruled definitively that the Osage reservation was disestablished by an Act of Congress in 1906. All that remains is a reservation of rights to the subsurface mineral estate, and that was never intended to last beyond June 1959.
It doesn't matter how much land the Osage Nation buys up, as the reservation will never be reestablished. When the land is taken into trust by the federal government the land is actually signed over and the Osage Nation is no longer the direct owner. This transfer puts the land of the Osage Nation on the same footing as a national park, but it does not further the purpose of establishing a reservation.
They were warned about creating the Osage LLC after the Harvard model, Ho-Chunk Inc. They were warned about Carol Leese and they were warned about his crazy "passive" investment strategy that conformed to the concept of "global initiative" -- whatever that means -- which lead directly to this:
US Securities and Exchange Commission accuses DC investment company of fraud, same company Osage are also suing for fraud
No business sense then and no business sense today, therefore no business set up for the OME because it would be more of the same. They haven't changed and the end result won't change either.
The Osage companies' entire business model is based on defrauding the federal government. You know the old saying, what goes around comes around.
Osage Pinnacle Design group was originally organized as a joint venture between Osage LLC and Pinnacle Design Group of Norman, OK. This was changed due to the 49% ownership by PDG giving rise to questions about actual control over OPDG, as none of the Osage LLC management had any expertise or experience in construction.
PDG produced the bids and provided the management, architects, technical expertise, corporate experience, and all personnel to perform the resulting contracts awarded to OPDG. All that OPDG was doing is marking the bid price up and serving as a conduct to get contracts for a company which was not eligible to bid on 8(a) set-asides, even though the law requires that OPDG perform at least 15% of construction contracts and 50% of services contracts with worker-bee employees (and not management on overhead) directly employed by OPDG.
There is no evidence that either Osage Pinnacle Design Group (dba Tallgrass Construction Services) or Osage Innovative Solutions (dba Tallgrass Technology Services) have actually changed their business models to comply with the law.
It is easier to cheat a cheat than it is to cheat an honest man. Why? Because the cheat is so busy running his game on you he can't see the game being run on him.
Ultimately, it is the members of the Enterprise Board who are responsible for all of the misdeeds of Osage LLC / Tallgrass Economic Development LLC (one simply being an alter ego of the other and not in fact a separate legally distinguishable entity). While there has been legal action brought against third parties, this action has been brought by the foxes who are guarding the hen house and several of these foxes need to be named as primary defendants.
And this is why we must stop protecting the cheaters. What work has any of these llc's produced and what has happened to the bad debt from the Osage llc? Who are the bad players in these companies? Lastly how have they been getting away with such lies if so? Any capital from any of the adventures? If so where is the capital going? Carol Leese was just bad from the get go and he knew what he was doing.
"...this action has been brought by the foxes who are guarding the hen house and several of these foxes need to be named as primary defendants." Starting with those who set this thing up from the beginning, funded it and have kept it running as a long game to run out gaming proceeds that have gone who really knows where and payable to who knows who. $19,000,000 is a lot of loot to be made to go away. I tell you right now; if it weren't for the Osage public outcry here on this blog and at number of them on Facebook that went on about getting answers and holding feet to the fire, nothing, let me repeat that, - n o t h i n g - would have been done about it on the Osage side by the very people who set it up with that Harvard boy Lance Morgan: http://hochunkinc.com/management_LM.php , who vetted and agreed to hire that creep Carol Leese without investigating his financial planning and investing background thoroughly when there was sufficient information out there to do so, who also vetted that other affiliate Harvard boy and OLLC Board member Jonathan B Taylor who, along with Leese was a principal in steering the company in the investment direction it went in as soon as he was put on the OLLC Board; click on his name in the yellow text: http://hpaied.org/about/people and especially those who funded it with votes and final signatures in the first place who were collecting a paycheck from the Osage Nation. I heard that some of that funding went forward to OLLC for purely personal reasons in case certain people didn't get re-elected or decided not to run again. Along those lines, I also heard a rumor that when one dropped out then tried to collect a big salary from OLLC, the door got properly slammed right in his face. The old management team at OLLC might have been crooked but they weren't that stupid.
Why hasn't anyone called for the head of those running the Harvard Project at the Kennedy School of Government which, in part, has been responsible for creating this business environmental stew pot? Keep Native American governments away while the crooks are at play? And, BTW, how much of our money given to the OLLC actually made it into the $32 Billion Harvard Endowment as a contribution or a payment starting with the Osage Government Reform Commission to draft the Osage Constitution that created this Osage government version of the Aurumvorax that it has become, feeding on every dime of our money that it can consume.
Sorry, you cannot have crooked and stupid in the same sentence, stupid is what stupid does. This is extremely convoluted and just deep with corruption from with in. In fact disturbing. Either we get a special prosecutor in here and open a investigation as to what extent the corruption is or we start the process of a take over in like a Constitutional Convention. Rewrite the whole dam thing and yes we can hold each and everyone of you to serve just one time in Congress. There's alot that can be done.
You see folks, all this corruption and money laundering just goes to show the characters of the politically motivated and greedy Osages. Jim Gray Gray started this whole thing, Pipestem argued in court the the HPP award go to the Osage government instead of the shareholders, and every Chief since Gray has been trying to bust the M.E.. Standingbear hates the Shareholders so much that he's willing to steal a person's mineral income to satisfy his lust for money and to show himself worthy to his Harvard masters in Washington.
Corruption, greed, theft, nepotism, and all manner of unethical behavior is the standard modus operandi. The Nation is going to face litigation after litigation until they go broke. But that's ok as long as the politicians and their families get huge a piece of the pie and more importantly, keep the casino revenues as far away from the Osage people as possible.
Good God...er, I mean Wakonta...the Osage Nation is an embarrassment to the Osage people.
Important Osage Nation Burial Assistance Fund Notification: https://www.facebook.com/OsageNews/photos/a.153834188010750.33094.134873493240153/1530262373701251/?type=3&theater
Newt Gingrich: America needs to be better prepared for a nuclear attack: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/08/11/newt-gingrich-america-needs-to-be-better-prepared-for-nuclear-attack.html
News five minutes ago -- India and China Fracas Brewing Up: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/08/11/542904162/india-steps-up-alert-amid-heightened-tensions-with-china
Even Jim Gray has said it! I'm reprinting the post here again as a cautionary reminder:
Anonymous March 11, 2016 at 2:38 AM Jim Gray reported this in a comment about an Osage Constitutional Convention on a Facebook site today: "I saw some chatter last night about bringing up blood quantum again, cultural and language requirements etc..." Beware of this developing situation and what Whitehorn and Standing Bear whip up together. If they threw all the headright owners out of Tribal membership with the 2006 Osage Constitution and they did, they can throw out all of the Osages living outside of Osage County with a new one. Watch out. I'm warning you and don't ignore it. If the U.S. Congress changes the 1906 Act to permit the Osage Nation to run the Mineral Estate, the Nation will be in a position to defeat the protections of the current Osage Constitution and open the door to running the majority of us off which will rob us of our membership in the Osage Nation too. Pay heed..."
Standingbear is up in Washington sticking his nose everywhere he can to gain political influence to bust the ME. The ME revenue will be split between the Osage politicians and the Washington politicians who Standingbear can influence with bribes.
Standingbear in an enemy of the Shareholders and Osages at large. His only concerns are his political and business cronies and his family. He will gladly stab an Osage in the back for a dollar. He is a traitor and a dog that eats his own puke.
Might be time to say a prayer... "Mad Dog" Mattis: If North Korea fires missile at US, it's 'game on' http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/08/14/mattis-if-north-korea-fires-missile-at-us-its-game-on.html http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/08/14/kim-jong-uns-disappearance-sparks-concerns-missile-launch-could-be-imminent.html
Bloody awful to even have to put this up on the Blog but there it is... http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/08/15/nuclear-attack-preparation-us-government-provides-survival-tips.html
In advance of a nuclear event, you should also look into Potassium Iodine tablets that protect the thyroid gland. CAUTION: Some people may be ALLERGIC to iodine! I am and cannot take these tablets. Be sure to have plenty of water in advance as well. See https://www.usaemergencysupply.com/information-center/self-reliance/emergency-water-storage
The Osage Agency has all phone numbers down due to the flood that resulted from the rainstorm that took place last week. I called, in desperation, to the Hotline number listed at https://www.bia.gov/WhoWeAre/RegionalOffices/EasternOklahoma/WeAre/Osage/index.htm and was able to get through to the person who answered the phone. I have asked that the Osage Agency list alternative numbers with cell phones at the URL listed above and hope that they will put up an emergency notice for contacts with the various departments of the Osage Agency so that business as usual can resume for those of us who need to get in contact with them in future.
Why hasn't the Osage News picked up on this situation and reported it as a public service to the Osages and others who need to get in touch with the various Osage Agency departments? Does it always have to be egocentric pats on the back, horn tooting and high-fives with this paper coming from those who run it?
I heard on talk radio yesterday that China told N. Korea that if the U.S. struck first, they would stand by N. Korea, but if N. Korea fired first they would stand "back" and not intervene or help them. N. Korea was talking big until they lost their back up (bodyguards). So if we strike first, China is telling us it's war with them too.
Agenda for Minerals Council Meeting held today at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/minerals-council-meeting-information-please-note-location-change
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT! Safe eclipse viewing: https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/solar-eclipse-safety-wah-zha-zhi-health-center-optometrist-encourages-safe-and-fun https://www.facebook.com/WHCqualitycare/?hc_ref=ARSym9PJbuCK365TAeBbG1B4t6ZJR7s1SE4pAsZIYp5eqwVG1FjELsjoYpgYXIP1nmE&fref=nf
What's going on with the Osage News and the "Application Error" Message? "Application error An error occurred in the application and your page could not be served. If you are the application owner, check your logs for details." Is anyone else getting this too at http://www.osagenews.org/en/?
"The average savings account has a measly 0.06% APY (annual percentage yield, or interest), and many of the nation's biggest banks pay rates as low as 0.01%."
All the while not paying us, FDIC-Insured Institutions Earn $48.3 Billion in the Second Quarter of 2017 alone: https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2017/pr17061.html
Current URL to the Osage Agency: https://www.bia.gov/regional-offices/eastern-oklahoma/osage-agency The phones have been down for three weeks across the board. The Agency rents from the Osage Nation government and it's up to them to get the Osage Agency cell phones (Tracfones as an example) on a temporary basis for all the departments at the Agency, if need be, as the landlord of the property, until the problem can be corrected and the land lines are restored to service.
If the Nation, meaning StandingBear, really cares about the mineral estate, he would do what a proper landlord would do and get the Osage Agency people the cell phones they need to conduct business in a professional manner with the outside world. Instead, he's already given $50k + for the campaign of the Missouri governor and this month hired a lobbyist. Throw away cell phones for each department at the Osage Agency run about $10 for the phone and $25 for 60 airtime days. https://shop.tracfone.com/shop/en/tracfonestore/phones/tf-alcatel-pixi-glitz-p5-reconditioned https://www.tracfone.com/shop/plans Even if it's 10 offices total, that's $350 all in for two months worth of airtime with the problem solved.
So it's campaign ‘dark money’ now we're getting involved with Chief ??????? http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article164069087.html
By the way, if Trump won't let Federal land-into-trust go forward and take place, how are we going to be building any new casino anywhere? Why even throw money at this with lobbying until the Nation is assured that Osage land can and will continue to be taken into trust? Take care of your own Osage shareholder's income Chief and forget about the pie in the sky and all these pipe dreams you continue to come up with all the time. Election time comes up in December of t h i s ` y e a r !!!!!!
What the living hell? "They also say A New Missouri improperly accepted a $50,000 donation for the Osage Nation tribe, which wants to build a casino in Missouri." http://www.missourinet.com/2017/06/14/bipartisan-group-of-mo-lawmakers-want-governors-ethics-investigated/ "A bi-partisan group of state Senators wants Governor Eric Greitens investigated for corruption." Chief, are you getting us in hot water again?
Right I said the very same thing when I first heard about this without comment. Pay to play anyone? Cannot get any more corrupt with our money than that right and what is being done about that we do the same thing for the race track as well we pay them to have our casinos in the same area. How corrupt is that ? Let them put machines in the race track.
Congressional Special Session today: https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/5th-osage-nation-congress-convene-9th-special-session No Agenda is available at this time. It has to do with release of natural gas at Pawhuska High School. Live, they are on the phone with Eddie Eddie Streater of the BIA to figure out who is responsible and who will be responsible for taking care of the problem. BIA is out and the EPA is involved and the Osage Nation is trying to figure out how they are involved and who has the liability. The State is involved as well with doing the hiring to take care of the problem. School is not open today and we're (Osages) being perceived as responsible therefore we're in a bind? https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/multimedia/live-media
Woah! The State of Oklahoma wants us to legally indemnify them to move forward to take care of the problem? We're being backed into a corner? WALK AWAY from this or get more information before we agree to indemnify anyone. If the State has jurisdiction to hire the contractors then they have the liability. Now with Erwin using scare tactics on this natural gas leak and bad gas too? Please!!!!!!!!! The problem is bad enough as it is without Erwin carrying on like this.
Brief recess... This looks very bad and is a very bad precedent to set. Rushing forward to cure a problem on non-reservation non-Osage land is a disastrously terrible idea especially for the future of the Osage Mineral Estate. There are larger issues here than the immediate problem. Let the State take care of this because we don't want to have them take jurisdiction and demand that we get involved with indemnity issues every time this happens in the future. DON'T give into the pressure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What? If the EPA gave the OK to go back to school, what's the problem? http://www.kswo.com/story/36209277/pawhuska-public-schools-will-resume-monday-following-geothermal-well-leak
"The Pawhuska Public Schools are scheduled to start classes Monday, August 28, 2017. Both the State Fire Marshal and the EPA have confirmed there are no current air quality hazards. Elementary and Indian Camp schools will have welcome tables set up Monday morning, in place of back to school night. We would like to again, thank our patrons for your continued patience and understanding." https://www.facebook.com/ppshuskies/
The question begs an answer why are we even in this position in the first place. Let the State take care of it. We have nothing to do with the leak. End of story.
When does our Congress work for the benefit of the people other than themselves? When does Congress see the forest for the trees then themselves in the mirror. I have little faith in our Government tomdo the right thing other than push their agenda or narrative. And you dont have to look to far from the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Lets see if they can get this right? lets see if they can think farther than can spit? Lets see if the diligence is going to be done? I'll be surprised.
Stephanie Erwin!!!!!! What the hell are you saying if both the Fire Marshall and the EPA have given confirmation that there is no current air quality hazards out there where the well is located? You are really getting a bad reputation for grandstanding for bad ideas lately. With election time up ahead, I'd watch it if I were you. Scare tactics after the problem has already been neutralized? Good G**!!!!!!!!
All those under the table bribes and crooked dealings are coming to haunt the Osages. Standingbear has such a rancid hatred for the Shareholders that he's willing to burn The Osage Nation. Greed and larceny is Standingbear's true spirit. One more chip taken away from the frail integrity of the Osages. But at least Standingbear is getting himself and his Washington overlords rich by stealing from the Osage people because that's all what really matters.
The Osage Nation Congress actually voted for the resolution, ONCR 17-32 giving the natural gas on all geothermal wells to the State of Oklahoma without a royalty paid to the Headright owners? Outside of what the Minerals Council agreed to in the first place on only one well at the school? Are you kidding me? Listen to this! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0FTC4bkVTU Don't you dare do anything but veto this damn resolution thing Chief or your current job is a thing of the past come June of next year. The BIA is tasked by U.S. Congressional Act with the approval of all agreements involving minerals coming out of the ground be it oil or natural gas. That means it's against the highest law of the land to take this responsibility away from the BIA and waive it away with a Legislative wand. I can't believe these people and their high crimes and misdemeanors.
The latest is the Chief actually signed this putrid sucker and the next sound you're going to hear in the ballot box from the Shareholders is his job going right down the drain. And Kugee changed his vote from no to yes!
This should have been looked over by our attorneys for a solid month as there was no rush since there was no longer any danger out in the ball field. This was not the agreement the Minerals Council approved in the first place for only this particular well! Now we have the Oklahoma Corporation Commission breathing down our necks in future to recover any natural gas coming from any geo-thermal well drilled in Osage County? The Osage Congress does not have the authority to make a deal with the State like this in the first place. BIA is top dog here and trumps the Osage Nation government where all minerals in Osage County are concerned. And what if geothermal wells are the wave of the future? If that's the case, the Nation just sold out the headright owners!
They waived the right of the Minerals Council to collect a royalty on natural gas from all geothermal wells! Who the hell gave them the right to do a thing like this when it's the BIA who approves all transactions associated with minerals including oil and natural gas by law and the Federal law trumps the State government and the Tribal governments too? I'm so sick of these train wreck dolts who always manage to do the most stupid thing possible that they or anyone else for that matter could ever think of doing anywhere on the planet. Yes. High crimes and misdemeanors sizes it up perfectly.
Every single one of these elected officials who voted yes and who signed off on this resolution are unfit to serve from the date and time of this legislative action forward.
I would venture to say that we need to get together as headright owners and talk about our future because I do not know about you but its high time we have a conversation with the eight members traveling around to Northern Cali to So Cali and Texas so they can get a better perspective what we expect from them as well as the BIA and the Chief. Weather you like it or not he should be included with all do respect its time we get the job done and come to a concensus what needs to happen here? Bottom line as I have said the markets are cooperative and where are we at? The ball needs to move. What is it going to take to make those changes?
They are unfit to serve because they always seem to operate on the basis of emotional knee jerk reaction rather than reasoned logic that dictates actions which reflect wisdom and proper planned preparation.
ARCHIVE COMMENTS FROM JUNE 2017
ReplyDeleteAnonymous June 28, 2017 at 10:44 AM
What's up with this?
Osage Minerals Council LLC?
https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/events/minerals-council-special-meeting
Whatever is happening here should be above board and out in the open.
Anonymous June 28, 2017 at 12:31 PM
The 1906 Act and federal law requires the ME to be managed by the "Osage Minerals Council". The organization of an LLC using the same name is a sneaky and underhanded way to deceive the regulatory agencies, just as Osage Pinnacle Design Group, LLC was a front for a white-owned business named Pinnacle Design Group, LLC.
Fraud is a distasteful word, but if the shoe fits then someone should wear it.
Anonymous June 30, 2017 at 8:05 AM
The legal standing of the Minerals Council is so stated in the Osage Nation Constitution in Article XV. The only way a new legal status can be created for this body is if THE OSAGE NATION MEMBERS VOTE TO MAKE THAT CHANGE IN A DULY AUTHORIZED ELECTION OF THE OSAGE NATION. In other words, it's in stone UNTIL WE SAY OTHERWISE.
I get damn sick and tired of this constant vomitus wheeling and dealing attempted legal manipulation on the part of the elected officials of the Osage Nation where the Osage Mineral Estate is concerned!
Anonymous June 30, 2017 at 8:59 AM
To the above posters you both said it well. Having my Lawyer take a gander at this and probably will be filing here with in a day or two after the fourth. Happy fouth and may the force be with all of us. It would have been nice had the M.C put this before the Headright owners remember we are all owners.
This could not be because we are trying to protect our asset because our trust is already protected by the 1906 Act.
DeleteSo, why else other than to hide money? Happens all the time.
And this is what happens when there is no transparency or accountability.
What are the terms?
Indian-Killer Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Act on Display for First Time:
ReplyDeletehttps://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/history/events/indian-killer-andrew-jacksons-indian-removal-act-display-first-time/?mqsc=ED3886078
Is all this money going to come from the drawdown when all of the headright owners are struggling so horribly with payment so low already With oil dropping in price again and little if any need to duplicate what the BIA is already doing? Why don't these people lay off and start thinking like they have some ability to think logically about the realistic future of the Osage Mineral Estate?
ReplyDeleteFrom the Summer OMC Newsletter: https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/minerals-council
"We respectfully request the following specific funding to improve the management of the Osage Mineral Estate for the benefit of the "Osage people" (No! Not for the Osage people, for the Osage Headright Shareholders!"):
$650,000 to employ experienced technical staff such as a petroleum technical advisors, geomatics engineers or geologists to advise the OMC before entering into mineral leasing agreements and to create a long-term economic development plan;
$500,000 to employ an accountant or auditor to monitor lessee payments and fines for compliance with lease terms;
$350,000 to hire professionals and consultants to develop a Reservation wide energy management analysis and remediation program to consider and address all of the impacts of this energy development to our people, lands, air, water, roads, law enforcement, traffic and health care systems;
$500,000 to create a digital records management and modeling program so the OMC can inventory and monitor well production, environmental hazards, and lease productivity;
$5,000,000 to the Osage Agency to plug abandoned wells.”
From what I understand the request was made to the interior, if I have it correctly. But I also think this money can come from our Government the Nation as well. Just because it can does not in anyway give the Nation autonomy. And I do believe this a great step in the right direction, not just that. Our future is for us to be realized and more responsibility will be given to the M.C if there are going to be changes at the BIA. (LESS FUNDING) For us less is not good because we are at already a disadvantage when it comes to the administrative. Processing our Permits has come to almost a dead stop ever since they tried to ram down the new regs. And what a loss we took with all this litigation. I cannot imagine how our producer's have survived.
DeleteThis is about risk management to be able to forecast but also to evaluate and this should have been done years ago. Compliance is so valuable to us because it helps us to streamlinefor better efficiency. Knowledge is power.
DeleteThis still seems to me like a way to get a bunch of OC Osages on the dole, but this time with our headright income coming right out of a higher drawdown from OME O&G royalty revenue. Did that new hire Director Lynn seem like a real professional when he spoke at the MC meeting earlier this month? The Nation is taking over on compacts a lot of new responsibilities and it's not going well at all from what I hear. This is the Nation's money that they whizz away away on a daily basis though. Not with my headright income. You want this? You set up a fund for Osages back home to donate to so you can get all this unnecessary spending going on with little to show for it in the end.
DeleteLet not conflate the two. The Nation can do what it wants and it is true every Government wastes. Probably from the drawdown..
DeleteWe are in the 21st century and this should have been done years ago otherwise we wouldn't be where we are at today and our future is here and we are no where but still at square one fighting battles as opposed to getting real with the multi-billion dollar estate. Change is long over due and we need action not hindrances oh it wont eliminate all future litigation but we can get a jump on what ever issue before it gets to that point and will in the long run save us all a dime or two.
The first thing you ought to get real about is this fiction you call "the multi-billion dollar estate." Worth nowhere near that and what's left will still be subject in the future to strangling rules and regulations on the ground just like it is today and soon to be far worse. It's going no where and we need to stop living "pie the sky" and start eliminating costs, not adding to them. The Nation is a failure at running every business it's got and since GSB has gotten control of gaming through his various team players, it is going right down the drain too.
DeleteIt might be worth as much or more as certain people on here think it is.
Deletehttp://aoghs.org/petroleum-pioneers/million-dollar-elm/
I read that link. It talked about history and the value of payments almost 100 Yeats ago. The last paragraph talked about Chaparral's venture in Osage County and how the production could bring in billions in payment over 30 years. I think we all know how that turned out. Unfortunately I must agree with the post up above, the mineral estate has seen it's better days. It's my understanding that the wells in Osage County produce more salt water than oil. Too bad we can't market brine.
DeleteChaparral Energy Successfully Emerges from Chapter 11; Company Eliminates $1.2 Billion of Outstanding Debt & Approximately $100 Million in Annual Interest Expense does this give you a coue who we have on our land what has happened with this company who started out in 1988.
DeleteSo now you know this industry was severely impacted by Opec and the daunting regs especially at the administrative level on handling the permitting process for our Estate has come to mere slug pace. Yes we have oil but you must realize thre are and so much we can do that we haven't. Listen I am in marketing and have worked in marketing, emphasis in hospitality, studied world markets with business management, to put this way and nicely as possible we have a Multi-Estate with real black gold. We have run into some stumbling blocks created by the last Administration. (Green Energy) we need to protect who is here and help in anyway and we need to foster development for our future and build our reputation to where it was before 5years ago and even go 10 years. Now this is the kind of talk we need at this point. We do not need naysayers we want players. Protecting what we have and build upon that with new incentives to create that business atmosphere that is long missing and building upon that with new relationships and mostly we work with our land owners if there is a problem we fix it then and there or somewhere aroud there. But we must care above all our future is today. We need big players to come and I suspect we have been fostering the little guys way to much and thats good and dandy but its time to bring in bigger oil companies who have the assets. In other words its time tomplay ball you know I am right. Just speaking the truth.
What we have right now is, let me repeat that, IS players all over the assets of the Osage Nation like stink on crap!!!!!!! The only reason we don't have the same situation with the OME is because the oil and gas generated income is taken up, away and held in a government trust and these greedy people who run the Osage Nation can't get their hands on it. They've been trying to accomplish just that since the Osage Nation took over. Don't go there. No matter how bad you think it is right now, it will be over if the Nation is ever put in charge of that income and has any right to call the shots on how it is distributed. You better live in Osage County if and when that time comes or you will be SOL. Do yourself a favor. Read this comment over and over and over again until it finally begins to sink in.
DeleteExplain, don't get your stuff in a wad. Listen change needs to happen but at the will of the Headright owners right? Listen you are not the only one who has been wronged here. Now that we got this out of the way. I hear you loud and clearly. Experience speaks to the dire changes that is needec otherwise we wouldn't be going to Washington to make those changes. Hey I am out more than 100,000 since the permitting came to a slug pace. Not funny, but in this process you could see where we were failing ouselves by not insisting transparency and accountability is like cutting our nose to spite our face. You can feel and see that there are huge lapses in Governing the Estate by abd by the BIA is so incompetent. You cannot manage a M.E just by Government bureaucracy alone. We need coomen sense and we need to come to a concensus and by the way things are looking with the BIA and cutbacks its time we pick up stix and start playing or better yet we are moving in the direction to get caught up to the 21st century. Business savy is long over do. And I will say this though I am not that happy with our M.C of late I will say this they are trying. But we need to jump through hoops and stop with the baby steps and last but least the Nation would be sued by us if they think they can come in here and do what they want, why do you think we have a council. This fear mongering and people saying we can't either do not want change for all of us or they have something to hide just sayin and keeping it real. Jmho.
DeleteWilliam Lynn is the new director of Minerals? Who pays his salary (the Nation or the Osage Minerals Agency) and how much is he being paid?
ReplyDeleteHe replaces our old director and his experience is documented,but he is not enough we need more hands and feet on the ground to handle the future of our M.E which is today.
DeleteAt what salary and benefits?
DeleteWell that would be better to call a M.C member and verify your concern. Why do you care so much? How will it effect you if you know or not, personally he's needed. And he has experience. And the money is there.
DeleteIt's a government job and it's my right to know and I want to know what he's getting paid and the benefits along with it. It is my business.
DeleteFirst we pay. second get a open records request then take it to the HR Dept or Comptroller which ever then you will know. It's a Government job hmm really? How so?
DeleteThe Osage Nation runs the government. The Minerals Agency is a government entity along with the Osage Mineral Council created by the Osage Nation governing document otherwise known as the Constitution in Article XV. The Osage Minerals Council does not receive the $1,000,000 drawdown directly from the BIA. The money is deposited in the Osage Nation Treasury first, also a government entity of the Osage Nation, therefore, all of the above are government entities and all those who are employed by them are Osage Nation government employees with Osage Nation government jobs. Did you finish kindergarten or what?
DeleteIts an Entity separate from the Nation not owned by or controlled by, has Governmental functions. Hence Council. Our trust held by our Federal Government does not make us a Government. And must you be so condescending only a child would react the way you do snowflake. Doesn't sound nice does it? Usually when people acf this way they think their stuff doesn't stink..
DeleteCan't make it real by using your imagination. The Osage Nation has the MC and Agency as part and parcel, one and the same government entity.
DeleteOsage Nation Constitution, Article XV, Section 4:
"Management of the Osage Mineral Estate:
The Mineral Estate of the Osage Reservation is reserved to the Osage Nation. The government of the Osage Nation shall have the perpetual obligation to ensure the preservation of the Osage Mineral Estate. The government shall further ensure the rights of mineral royalty interest holders of Osage descent, as set forth in the Osage Allotment Act of June 28, 1906, as amended, to income derived from the Mineral Estate are protected.
To discharge those obligations, the Osage Nation hereby creates a minerals management agency, designated the Osage Minerals Council, consisting of members of the Osage Nation who are entitled to receive mineral royalty income from the Osage Mineral Estate, as provided by federal law."
I seen no Osage representative at the Energy Roundtable at the WH on June 28th. (Indianz.com) This is all about the mineral estate.
ReplyDeleteI noticed as well, there was a ststement made that there was not enough seating. But I do know you can go archive a article in the Osage News that it explains how the Chief and a mineral council member have been working directly with Sen. Lankford on our issues that have been plaguing our M.E. For example the New CFR's as well. Btw. I really liked how the Ute were at the table and Chickasaw, and the three affiliated Tribes the Manden,Hidatsa and Arikara, have some beautiful jewlry made by them, just to name a few. We can't always be at the table, and those Tribes also affected by bad regs as well. And they have a voice as well. We all do.
DeleteMC Meeting Agenda for this coming Friday is located at:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/events/3rd-osage-minerals-council-meeting-6
Descendants refused to take DNA test this from OsageNews.com
ReplyDeleteWhy would you refuse a DNA test if it could vindicate you? Sounds as if the Lintners are telling a story have used our entitlements and does not want to have to pay them back and is willing to settle. It is not enough to say they were told and just acted on it. Did they knowingly commit fraud? Looks to be if they want to settle, but ahere was the diligence in the first place? And another lets get the numberx posted how much of our people are using our resources? We hsve a right.
It won't vindicate you. It will only give you a rough idea as whether you are European, Black, or of Asian extraction. It isn't sensitive enough to tell you if you are from a particular Tribe in Africa or America or even South America for that matter. Anyone who says it will is scamming you big time and it's a wonder a lawsuit for major fraud hasn't been brought against these companies who advertise that it can. I took one of those tests as a lark for fun that gives you a broad range of where you come from. My mom and I took it together and did the swabs on the same day at the same time and sent the home testing packets away on the same day as well. The tests came back that I was predominately from Italian extraction and my mom was predominately from Spanish extraction. We are French, Native American and in my case, English and German on my father's side of the family. There is no Italian or Spanish or even Mexican for that matter and it said nothing about Native American at all! Well! I made arrangements to have real tests that are genuine and will stand up in any court of law in the country taken to determine what the genetic connection really is between my mom and me and for the hefty price of $350.00 each and it came back that I am 99% her daughter and she is 99% my mother. The man who has a legitimate business who took these tests at his office for us said point blank that these tests that are flying around in the market place that tell you down to the gene what nationality you are and what tribe you come from are all a huge scam. I was given right then to understand that anyone who buys into this ugly feeding frenzy going on right now with these junk science genetic tests is a fool who has soon parted with his money. Some of these scam tests are just as expensive as the legitimate ones so I don't blame this family at all for not being duped into taking one. Unless the genetic material is available from someone who died 100 years ago or more to actually compare to a living person today to prove actual genetic parenting, it's a scam so watch out. I'm really surprised the Osage Nation court is buying into this crap and making the family submit to a DNA test like this especially when the family probably doesn't have a hair or saliva sample of the relative who lived back in the early 1900's which is the only legitimate way to prove an actual genetic connection between the living family member today and the one who lived 100 years or more ago in the first place.
DeleteJunk DNA tests. I agree.
DeleteThough it could be junk science the court could have paid for it as far as knowing who you are culturally does not all of sudden start right? I can go back way far in my ancestry and all of you would know whom I'm talking about and the stories we csn relate to. My point and I should have been more clearer is just on principal I would have done it but by the optics though the the Lintners if they had nothing to hide why not,nothing to lose they want to settle but there are plenty of reasons to as well not to. We know in Indian Country it is rife with fraud of this sort, nothing new. Just amazes me to this day after 100 years we still are fighting the corrupt.
DeleteFake Indian DNA tests is what it amounts to and no one can or should be made to take a junk science test like this when they know they are a costly and fruitless attempt to prove parentage. The BIA should be looking into the ethics and legality of this method of attempting to throw people out of a tribal community by a Tribal government or maybe it's the FBI. This is wrong. It's that simple.
DeleteHere is the original article --->>>
Deletehttp://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2017/07/13/descendants-osage-allottee-lintner-dna-case-refuse-submit-dna-tests/
"How much does it cost to have a paternity test done?
DeleteA Legal DNA Paternity test typically costs between $300-$500 which usually include the collection costs associated with the test. Non-Legal Paternity tests start at about $30 for the retail kit (not including the testing) to $250, depending on additional services such as expedited testing and shipping."
Here's the real story:
A DNA Test Won’t Explain Elizabeth Warren’s (Cherokee) Ancestry
You’re not 28 percent Finnish, either:
"Another issue is limited and inconsistent data. Ancestry.com, for example, divides the world up into 26 genetic regions and uses just 115 samples to create the representative of each region—a very small sample size. And different companies place different weight on these samples, which come from burial grounds, modern isolated communities, and academically published data, like the Human Genome Diversity Project. For the consumer, this means if you don’t like your heritage results, try a different company. You’ll get a completely different breakdown."
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2016/06/dna_testing_cannot_determine_ancestry_including_elizabeth_warren_s.html
So...take off that kilt, you dupe, and get back to yodeling!
...in your old pair of lederhosen!
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J5n8kzpbCs
Posted by Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteBoone's Bulletin 7-13-17
Still no work on our appeal of the wind farm.
We are still working on environmental issues with the Region 6 EPA, Dallas office. We are still pursuing grants.
On May 16, Councilman Joe Cheshewalla and I went to Washington D.C. Any member of the Osage Minerals Council (OMC) could have gone. The purpose of the trip was for me to testify on May 16 at the U.S. House of Representative Appropriations Sub-committee. Andrew Yates thought it was a waste of money.
When I returned, I completed my travel reimbursement papers within 5 days per policy. One signatory signed but it takes two signatures. Kathryn Redcorn would not sign because the signatures were on the wrong lines. Andrew Yates did not sign it either. This is just one example of the pettiness I have to put up with. As of this date I have not received my reimbursement check. I won't sign my own paperwork like Kathryn did to get a check. That's against policy.
The chief is planning another trip to Washington D.C. and has invited only the OMC chairman to go with him. The purpose is to meet with White House staff regarding the regulatory process. When I heard a report on television about the regulatory process, the discussion was about the states regulations. As you know the Osage Minerals Estate is not regulated by the state. It is federally regulated. Since the OMC is involved in the regulation process, it would appear that this would be a Minerals Council matter, not an Osage Nation matter.
Why does a private citizen have the OMC database in their home? Lou Brock resigned from the OMC effective 6-30-17. I was surprised to learn that he is working at home with OMC records. The OMC did not vote on a resolution to allow him to do this. The Bureau of Indian Affairs send us oil company letters such as lease extensions, fines and lease terminations. He could use the lease termination information and sell it to an oil company for a finder's fee. I don't trust a former OMC employee who records conversations without your knowledge. I knew he had issues when he came to work for us full time but apparently his issues are more serious than I thought. I sent an e-mail to all OMC members to ask why is Lou Brock working at home but as of this date, no one has answered me.
Most recently Councilwoman Erwin wants to talk to our attorney about forming an LLC. One of my concerns would be of a jurisdictional nature.
I am interested in learning what our attorney has to say about this subject.
In closing, any opinions herein are mine and not that of the entire OMC.
Cynthia Boone, OMC
That's an interesting legal situation about the reimbursement money. One, because as Cynthia states herself "...on the wrong line." If so, then did K.R and A.Y. do right by not signing an incorrectly filed form? Is the person issuing a reimbursement check to Cynthia going to overlook the mistake and consider it a small matter of no great concern or have Cynthia redo the signing?
DeleteBut also, thank you Cynthia for testifying.
I think it was the Special Meeting by the Chief, he said the WH does not want to listen to a group, they need only communicate with "the" representative of the Tribe, which is the Chief, and I believe this is why it's just the Chief and Waller going to the WH.
In reference to "...not an Osage Nation matter." -- It's so hard to define, the context of defining the ME and the Nation is so complexed. We, the shareholders absolutely know that the Tribe is gone (2006 election). The ME was the Tribe. But now, the ME is not the Nation nor is it a Tribe. The ME is part of the Nation, an undeniable connection. The Chief has no "power" over the ME or the MC, but as Chief of the Osages, along with Waller by his side in the WH, the Chief is "the" representative the WH wants to deal with, although he does not have the "last word."
Reference Lou Brock. When you leave the military, there's a discharge process, there's a check off you follow thru with. You turn in any secret access I.D. cards, etc., turn in inventory assigned to you. The Chairman of the MC is the one who would be held accountable for any adverse actions taken from OMC records. "...He could use the lease termination information and sell it to an oil company for a finder's fee." Now, that's a serious and alarming statement to make publicly. The Chairman had high regards for L. Brock in the meeting announcing his resignation. There's a high regard for his character and of his father and then there's the total distrust of a MC member. So, we wait, and hope it's not as bad as it sounds?
WRONG! The Osage Tribe has been abandoned by the Osage Nation government and left twisting in the wind. There is no place in the USA where a transfer of real estate assets does not take place in a court of law especially when real property is concerned except in the mind of the legal team past and present in the Osage Nation. I submit that until the Osage Nation seeks a quiet title lawsuit for all assets held in trust by the BIA, including the reservation of the mineral rights to the Osage Tribe and the royalty income generated from those mineral rights OR a further act of the U.S. Congress transferring all property rights, both real and personal; "under all is the land," for the Osage Nation government, the Osage membership and the Headright owners, the lot, all are on pretty shaky legal ground from an ownership status in any capacity. The Nation thinks it can will it to be so, therefore it is so but that just won't carry water from a legal standpoint as far as I am concerned. In leaving the Osage Tribal assets without any type of proper legal transfer of any kind, they risk everything they think they own today and tomorrow.
DeleteFurther clarification: "...everything they think they own of the assets of the Osage Tribe as so stipulated by the 1906 Allotment Act as amended simply because they have chosen to appropriate it."
DeleteRight on poster 10:51 am. Will elaborate later have questions but its sunday fun day. We have some serious questions for you poster. Thanks
DeleteWoah lets have conversation with the Headright owners on this matter and the reasoning and or pros and cons and the impact.
ReplyDeleteA limited liability company (LLC) is a corporate structure whereby the members of the company cannot be held personally liable for the company's debts or liabilities. Limited liability companies are essentially hybrid entities that combine the characteristics of a corporation and a partnership or sole proprietorship. While the limited liability feature is similar to that of a corporation, the availability of flow-through taxation to the members of an LLC. More over, the structure is where it is important to get this right for all whom is involved. And even if its being talked about it needs to be discussed with the Headright owners if the dynamics our going to change or we will find ourselves in litigation. This must be thought through and through. This is a good way to hide money. And thats no lie. Worse it gives cart blanche to do at will with our assets.
I figure the first question by Erwin to the attorney is "do I have to discuss any of this with the headright "owners?"
Delete(Quote above: "More over, the structure is where it is important to get this right for all whom is involved.") - It's just the beginning of setting up "office" procedure in order to run the ME like a business, and it's lunatic to gamble to a whimsical business venture without our knowledge or our input, it's our FUTURE and our TRUST, and those after us!!!
I listened to the new "Director" speak at one of the meetings and he was well informed about the current situations and needs of the ME in Osage County. I am impressed with his reporting about the old records (microfilms) being offered to us. He was very detailed and I would like to hear him update at each meeting.
This mineral council has shown as a group it can not run a multi-million dollar business. Been bad blood among them since their election. It hasn't worked the way the MC is set up (8 members). At election time, there's more to be changed than just the members, a new set up or limited qualifications in certain fields of education or experience.
In a recent lawsuit won for the shareholders was that the Judge said the Nation could not speak on behalf of the shareholders, well, it seems it goes the same for the mineral council cannot make such a decision to drastically change the structure of the ME without the shareholders consideration and vote.
What has been defined as the legal status of the Minerals Council is in stone! It's a creation of the Osage Nation Constitution and does not exist as a legal entity, body, person or any other iteration on the planet UNTIL the Osage people VOTE TO CHANGE that section of the Constitution (ARTICLE XV) in a duly authorized election of the Osage Nation !!!!!!!!!! That's it. That's all. And nothing else or any more to it !!!!!!!! These wheeling and dealing legal machinations or should I write more accurately, these ILLEGAL MACHINATIONS that go on with these people no matter who they are as elected officials from the Chief to the Congress to the Minerals Council has to stop because they have no legal standing or any call to even be doing what they are trying to do until WE say they can do it by a vote of the members of the Osage Nation. WTH ?????? !!!!!!!!!!!
Delete(This mineral council has shown as a group it can not run a multi-million dollar business. Been bad blood among them since their election. It hasn't worked the way the MC is set up (8 members). At election time, there's more to be changed than just the members, a new set up or limited qualifications in certain fields of education or experience.)
DeleteI even the blind man can feel the palpable but nasty Pooitics that has plagued the M.C for years as history and facts speak for themselves loudly and never so boldly. Politics has a lot to do with why we are where we are at. At the detriment of the M.E. Worse is the tug a war that has created such a disfunction. Again to the detriment of the M.E. The BIA and the politics surrounding the CFR's and the incompetence and lack of funding just compounds at the administrative level of course.
I to have been saying for quite some time and pondering what outcome in favor would be or action needed to move in the direction what is necessary to advance the M.E
When you look at the dynamics, I have always said we will have rhetoric of some kind but it does not matter the difference of opinion in as much the outcome for the M.E is the priority.
It does not matter why how or when the Nation asserts its will and they will always be there, and if the Politics continue to hinder then the absolute must happen, removal of said Council. There is no reason why we shouldn't because the incompetence astounds. We vote and have every right to, beg to differ anyone to challenge what I just said.
In the end we need accountability and transparency we don't have that but a few memos thanks to Cynthia Boone.
The optics is just bad with this idea in the first, its like putting the horse before the cart.
Though I donhave lots of respect for Erwin and still champion her to be chairwoman I dont exactly want to draw a line until we hear her plan. IMHO I have to say no to the LLC.
Lol, I have to say and agree experience is a understatement and we have been demanding such but we are protected our assets through the Federal Government and not to be able to hold those liable for making decisions for all 8f us Headright owners and not be held responsible for those decisions one has to just take one lookmat the Osage LLC need I say more.
Yes we need to open a bigger office no doubt and we have eight council members who can take a seat, with a couple of new hires will address the issues we have. No less no more.
Still waiting to hear what each memeber is making, so we can make formidable decisions. Less is more sometimes and we should work with what tools we have and able bodies who are willing to take the steps to further the progress od our M.E.
Here! Here! Poster @10:20 am.
DeleteQuestion for the Trey Gill, Legislative Counsel for the Congress:
ReplyDeleteIf the ON Constitution states that the Osage Nation Congress (Legislature) in Article XV is the General Authority, does this also mean that they are the Plenary Power over utilization, development and conservation of all natural resources within the Territory of the Nation?
No
DeleteNice try but I would like Trey to respond.
DeleteThe term "General Authority" should maybe be broaden in the Constitution. Leave no room for the elected to define their own usage for their own benefit or goals.
DeleteFyi, Indianz.com, July 7, 2017, "Secretary Zinke complains about long waits for approval at Interior"
ReplyDelete"Sec. Zinke signed an order...to speed up reviews of oil and gas drilling permits on PUBLIC LANDS."
"...the BIA takes even longer -- 49 steps..."
"...land-into-trust applications...the process takes 16 steps."
politics? republicans? Zinke and Trump first priority is monies in the Fed. banks. Even if an order was given to the BIA to speed up the processes, not only is there not enough money or people in the BIA, now Trump is cutting the Interior's budget enormously.
Looks like each Tribe is own their own. I know the Chief and MC Chairman are working with the Interior on our plight but I tried to think of what the Interior could do to speed up the process? Seems the "steps" are the "general authority," other than RE-WRITE the steps, what could speed it up. Zinke just ordering it does not sound feasible, like the military "JUST DO IT" is not justifiable in this case.
Does anyone know what type of incentives draw oil producers to Osage County rather than them choosing the public lands?
Marketing draws them here but our reputation has been soild by the BIA and their green agenda got in the way of a chance of real work that couod have been accomplished out side of the fact we have been complaining about yhe BIA before 2014 where have you been? The permitting camr0e to a mere almost halt with processing what 300 a year to maybe two a year, something crazy like that and then, you add opec to the mix and no man power that was promised by the interior when the HPP case was settled. The incompetence at the administrative level is off the hook. One incentive is get organized and get running a full petroleum office as needed in the worst way to handle what the BIA isn't and wont do. We can do the permitting as wellmif not better.
DeleteAnd, looks to be the smaller interest here in Osage Co. has been well protected and the greater interest bigger oil co could come but haven't because of that interest, and the closer we get to the truth about how and why and what or where the Headright owners soon will be comprised if not surprised. Then you have to take a lookmat the contracts concerning the concessions we have made. Yes, I am saying it there has been corruption where that is concerned to that needs to come out. Other wise why would you want to create a LLc to hide the truth? we are damage goods in other words and no thanks to the BIA had we had a full blown office a lot of this bs could have been mitigated or circumvented. Knowledge is power and fornthe most part the new CFR's that they tried to cram down our throats slowed things down but shouldn't have because we were operating under the old ones.
DeleteOMC has a lot to over come as reputation wise because of the way BIA has handled the OME. Marketing can not happen until there is a clean up in procedures and Osage County is treated like the public lands. Faster permits output, open records again. etc
DeleteMARKETING would be a waste of money & time right now sadly to say but true. So far OME is laughed at all over the U.S. by producers. Sad to be laughed at of all the total ignorance that has happened and still happening. Yes lets go drill in Osage County and let BIA over fine us, wait over a year or two to get permits, hidden records of past drillings and the terrain. 49 steps CFR ...
Let's say a prayer daily someone doesn't come up with a 50th step!
DeleteI guess maybe those "steps" are top secret, Indians will never know them cause then we could decrease them so as to reflect today's oil operations, not the days prior to the computer.
But seriously, how could we find out each step description? Each step needs to be evaluated with today's operations to see if it is out-of-date. Analyze.
(Osange, where are you? Do ya think ya could ..................?)
What about this don't you understand? The 1906 Allotment Act as amended calls out the Secretary of the Interior as the one who has ultimate control over the Osage Mineral Estate and that's it until the U.S. Congress in a further Act of this particular body changes the structure of the control established by law direct from the highest Legislature in the land. Not even a single lease can be approved until the Superintendent of the Osage Agency says so in writing. What most people don't really understand is that the Minerals Council members have always been and are today, a collection of figureheads who have no legal power to do anything where a final say so is concerned. Why those who continue to rail at the Minerals Council don't even bother to find out what the actual pecking order is and how things are really structured and work is beyond me. The Osage Nation will tell you that everything has changed where the sovereignty issue is concerned and the level of control they now have but that is not the truth where the control of the Osage Mineral Estate is concerned and that's a fact. Control over other income generating businesses and government functions and the like (gaming, taxation), the Nation does control but not an iota of the final decision making power over the Mineral Estate. The Bureau is tasked with that responsibility whether you like what they do or not.
DeleteWrong and not, who tasked them (BIA) with the responsibility? Congress, because Congress has plenary power, truly. We understood who the upper echelon are. Does not mean the 1906 Act was to restrict the growth but to ensure who is the Authority other wise it looks to be they are just figureheads earning just a check.
DeleteAnd,then there is as I have said before the (IRA) Indian Reorganization Act as defined by title,
An act to conserve and develop indian lands. To strengthen, encourage and perpetuate the tribes and their historic traditions and culture.
No where in the 1906 Act does it say we connot open up an office with a planning and development dept,legal dept, complance, HR? Yes we need Marketing in the worse way. It matters because we matter. We need to do more for ourselves and build our industry and pick up where the BIA fails on so many fronts. Man, I have ran multiple million dollar business and this is no way to run our M.E. you know it and so do I. Transparency and accountability long over due, long live the Osage Tribe and the 1906 Act as amended.
Do you want part of your check to fund this office to run the mineral estate? I know I don't. To get competent professionals you have to pay them, that means breaking the tradition of hiring relatives who can't find work anywhere else. I'm not convinced we have anything to market. There is lots of intent to drill in Kingfisher county but those Wells are producing at least 600 barrels or more a day. Think about that. All of Osage County produces 11,000+ barrels of oil in a MONTH. If you can convince a company to leave Wells that produce over 600 barrels a day and come to Osage county then you are a genius. I think we are all fooling ourselves.
DeleteBrilliant post! My compliments to someone with an intellect who actually knows how to use it. Most of them act like they haven't got sense enough to pour piss out of a boot.
DeleteBTW, I heard from an attorney -- in a position to know what he's talking about -- that the Indian Reorganization Act does not apply to us and we don't come under it because the track we are on is the one that is established by the 1906 Allotment Act at amended.
DeleteYou don't have to be an attorney to know that the Osage are excluded from the Indian Reorganization Act, as the Act has language that plainly states the tribe is excluded.
DeleteWell there you are...another smart Osage who knows what he's about and willing to do the research to find out what's what where the law comes into the picture. Good for you!
DeleteI recently heard from someone in the know that most of them running the show in government and throughout the Osage don't care one bit about all the financial losses and stupid mistakes that have been made since the Osage Nation took over. With this kind of mentality, things won't change until those with different fiscal sensibilities run for office and start making changes to correct the horrendous fiscal path that has been set since Jim Gray was in office. What is important to never forget is that the last election sent a message that the elected officials have chosen to ignore since that time. The ballots were in a huge percentage under voted which in any country anywhere in the world is a huge signal that a vote of no confidence took place on the part of the constituents in the ballot box. That right there should tell you that the people want change and since that time, the latest gross error and lack of proper fiscal judgment took place with the purchase of the Bluestem Ranch at 4-5 times what it was worth and without an analysis from the BIA as to the worthiness of the property to be taken into trust beforehand. Shannon Edwards was the only one who didn't take the bait that Ted Turner held over the heads of the Osage Nation and others in Osage County. We need new blood in office and not just those who are too afraid to make those changes to keep us from completely foundering financially. It's more than draining the swamp now. It's serious business to keep these government Osages from continuing to feather their nests and also vote for one nonessential spending item after another while the benefits to all Osages who are registered members are at now at risk.
DeleteGreat post poster @ 9:45 am.
DeleteExactly !!!!
We have seen enough to know what is working and not working since we have become a Government revolving credit card, unsecured, just to appropriate to the cost of the Osage to no where in site this revolving door will not be closed until we have that conversation, a Constitutional Convention.
Wasn't it the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act of 1936 that extended the IRA to the Tribes in Oklahoma which allowed for Indian Governments to crate a economic value in the creation of Casino's in Oklahoma? Just calling off form my memory , then we had the Indian Self Determination Act. With this is in mind combined with the 1906 Act says yes we can move in the direction of opening up office and my bet is we are moving in that way. Other wise if we don't we get left behind in this industry and truly thats not going to happen. Our future is here, it is today and no longer can we stay in thie quagmire. Time to end the stupid politics as why we shouldn't anymore because the truth be known and it is there for us to see why we are not already experiencing that future right now, I think special interest has to go to the way side and we get to business. The BIA cannot do it or has done it as of yet, it is up to us to see and I will say this again lets put a vote to this my bet everytime you vote for more those votes would rise. And as far as money goes and how it will be used, sometimes in order to make money you have to spend it or do you not understand economics 101. And what you will miss 20 even if that out of your check not much comoare to what you coukd make in a very short time. Peopel would have you think differently and thats a problem because we no longer naysayers we need doers not couch potatoes eatning a check and doing nothing.
Did I not say the future is here !!!! Trump administration withdraws fracking standards for Indian Country. @ Indianz.com
DeleteAh where are we at the future is here?
Cautious optimism on this one, especially in the State of Oklahoma. This is looking good... I hope it holds. BLM on BIA managed trust lands is an accommodation for uniformity in DOI rules between Bureaus and that benefits the Federal government, not the Native Americans in general and the Osages in particular.
Deletehttps://www.indianz.com/News/2017/07/24/trump-administration-withdraws-fracking.asp
On the other hand...
Deletehttp://www.hcn.org/articles/tribes-cobell-under-trump-tribal-land-initiatives-may-take-a-hit
Losing Tribal Sovereignty and therefore Federal Tribal Recognition as a Tribal Nation means losing Federal funding...
DeleteYou read it here first!
If this is what Chief Geoffrey StandingBear is for going after and any other elected official, they need to be made to go away at the next election in June of 2018.
Delete...without Federal funding and the high Osage membership numbers Nationwide in order to get it and as much of it as they do, what do you think will happen next?
Deletereply to July 18 at 12:51 pm from July 17, at 11:59 pm
DeleteI know the history you gave. I also recently had to take my yearly income statements from the BIA to a retirement community based on income status and explain what they did (BIA--and how it affected the state of Oklahoma too) for me to end up where I am currently financially. By the way, the numbers look so bad on paper, I was approved.
I was (in my mind) asking about what incentives we have to offer at this time, cause I see on the internet how well oil producers are doing all around lower Oklahoma City, plus Chapparal went there to recover from bankruptcy instead of coming back to Osage County.
I asked because the Osage oil future looks so bleak. So much going on in the political scene. Today I heard on the news, Osama Bin Laden's son is going to take over the Al-Queda, he wants revenge over his father. WH putting sanctions on N. Korea and Russia. N. Korea shooting missles our way.
So much could happen before this long process of setting up a petroleum business office. Our future is in the hands of the WH politics and the Osage Nation politics.
Osage Nation Constitution, Article XV, Section 4:
ReplyDelete"Management of the Osage Mineral Estate:
The Mineral Estate of the Osage Reservation is reserved to the Osage Nation. The government of the Osage Nation shall have the perpetual obligation to ensure the preservation of the Osage Mineral Estate. The government shall further ensure the rights of mineral royalty interest holders of Osage descent, as set forth in the Osage Allotment Act of June 28, 1906, as amended, to income derived from the Mineral Estate are protected.
To discharge those obligations, the Osage Nation hereby creates a minerals management agency, designated the Osage Minerals Council, consisting of members of the Osage Nation who are entitled to receive mineral royalty income from the Osage Mineral Estate, as provided by federal law."
The M.E is reserved my arce to the Nation lmao is what I am doing. And if you think that is the truth lets challenge it in a federal court and I guarantee you on my grandmothers grave you would lose I would say big time. Fear mongering dose no good. We can call a spade when we see one.
Lol, I'll call out our Government the Nation, how have they protected the M.E? Looks to me I am well out of 100,000 dollars since the BIA tried to push a bad policy (CFR's)
Bottom line snowflake, we are in a different era and there is one Republican who is Osage who has been doing some fact checking.
Peace out til another day.
Oh by the way, the Nation designated to appropriate. The Osage did not vote that way and as far as our de facto Constitution goes my council asked me, was everyone on board? Meaning? The descendants of the original allottees on board with this Constitution that was written? I a headright owner never saw such a print. Council, why, I didn't get a vote. Council how did that happen, I don't know.
Someone please step up to the podium and twll me how this happened?
I told my council, I called constituent services in 2006 they said everyone got a ballot. you didn't, it came with the newspaper, oh we have a newspaper, oh yes we do would you like to subscribe?
So in essence if this happened to you would you feel that we have a de facto Government? 100% says yes or you didn't get the memo, I didn't get my vote. How many others didn't get there vote?
Are we ready for a Constitutional Conversation we might just be there.
I am for team Osage but when you see such no accountability, ( Bluestem Ranch )? Osage Llc.
You expect more from our Government.
When federal spending comes to a halt in Indian counrty with those Tribes who have Casino's do not come running to the M.E. We all know how the Casino business started by borrowing from the M.E
"Constitutional Conversation." let's get started, it's not too early, election time will come.
DeleteI believe the Constitution needs fuller explanations for definitions. There's loopholes that can lead toward unaccountability. One person may know what "NO" means, but another may need further explanation or given an example???
Since 2006 election, combined--wonder how many "total lawsuits" there's been within the Nation and MC. And combined--how much "total amount" added up came out of the Nation's accounts (member's) and the MC accounts (shareholder's).
So, back to "definitions," the different interpretations has cost all of us highly. It's not money out of your wallet, cause the money never got to your wallet, but it came out of your account.
The plague upon the Osage Nation is the funds spent on legal work from before the Constitution was even written. They don't publish how much is spent on legal work, lawyers, court cases and so on. If they did, the Osage people would probably move to bring the government down over that aspect of the unnecessary and injudicious use of government funds alone.
DeleteWe are not Federal government, we are classified as a sovereign Nation, so can't we put it in OUR Osage Constitution that it "be done." (to publish)
Delete"Induced Earthquakes Raise Chances of Damaging Shaking in 2016" see
ReplyDeletehttps://www2.usgs.gov/blogs/features/usgs_top_story/induced-earthquakes-raise-chances-of-damaging-shaking-in-2016/
The Tulsa World reported that the 5.8 earthquake, that I thought was going to level my home, was caused by injection Wells in the Bend of Osage County. Electric to the Wells had gone off and when the electric came back on the Wells simultaneously injected water at the same time causing the earthquake near Sooner Lake in Pawnee County. For three weeks in a row there was a derogatory report about oil and gas operations in Osage County, as reported by The Tulsa World. There couldn't be worse publicity.
ReplyDeleteTrump administration withdraws fracking standards for Indian Country !!! Why, BLM had no authority. Comes down to it Congress has plenary power to change the rules and or make them. Slap on thr hand if I ever saw.
ReplyDeleteCan we now go after our losses?
DeleteTo poster July 22 4:11 Wrong and not... Agree!!!!!!! Yes the OME can recover by getting a proper office set up, which is long over due. Remember the BIA will pay half what ever function the Osage take over for length of time. It is time to start self governing different procedures of the BIA. Needed an O&G experienced professionals on the MC to manage a professional MC office. Now that is common sense.
DeletePay half? Of course they will and after that, they'll pull out and we will be left holding the bag for the clean up they are supposed to pay for at the Bluestem Ranch! Just so you can gain control when you have no idea of what you're even doing and don't really want to work when you finally have control? Forget it! With Osage lives who rely on this OME Trust annuity income in the balance? FORGET IT!
DeletePay half if not more. Change is coming poster 11:35 Am whether you like it or not. We have to get caught up to the 21st Century. And we are not there. And yor rhetoric will fall on death ears because in numbers we will bote as much for success and what is so evident what has not been working. You know it and see it so stop lying to yourself and everyone else because once we do, clarity will come to fruition. In other words we need to know how our contracts and leases are doing on a daily basis or there of and how they are working for us in as much we need clarification how our money is working for us. We no longer are going to trat our M.E like its hush money.
DeleteYou can use those who depend on this income all you want snowflake but my concern is out with the old and bring in new revenue to our resource so those who depend on this can have more. Who are you to think this way, does not advance the M.E but would hinder it, get a life buddy. Unless you have something to hide? Wheres that turkey voucher? That per-cap you all deserve? Long live the Osage Tribe and the 1906 Act as amended.
Clearly, you aren't a shareholder. If you were you would realize in no uncertain terms that once that oil and gas revenue comes into the Osage Nation Treasury, I posit that you will be receiving a letter from the BIA advising you that the current OME Trust has been terminated in favor of the sovereignty of the Osage Nation to run its own business affairs and that you will no longer be receiving a quarterly headright check from this Trust because it no longer exists. I further posit that you will then receive a letter from the Osage Nation advising you that the Federal OME Trust has been terminated and that an Osage Nation Public Trust has been set up to benefit the Osage Nation and its members forthwith. What that will mean is that the membership will be receiving same kind and type of benefits from the Osage Nation in the same manner as has been seen with the appropriation of the gaming revenue in the past eleven years. If you live in Osage County you will benefit. If not, if you are a child, a college or university student or a senior you will continue to benefit in the same manner as before. If you do not fall into these three categories or live in Osage County, you will be SOL. Mark every one of these written words. You read it here first.
DeleteClearly you are missing the point and just like a true liberal,you will do everything thing in your power to obstruct the truth. No where did I say the banking, accounting is to be put in either hands. Everything in fashion as designed will stay as it is. What you fail to see is we can take on responsibilities otherwise that would be fortuitous.
DeleteAnd I have given many solutions about funding, and how to pick up where the BIA does not and then sum. If we were in the Public Sector OMG, you would be ripped a new one and you know and I know it.
Look, I have been trending and watching and waiting and all we seem to find ourselves in litigation after litigation and I'm sure now that the BLM has been told to pound sand when it comes to IC we will find ourselves again litigating our losses. And what is worse where is the representation they are working for us and yet they have left many Tribes and not just us pretty much in limbo. Well I want to take us out of the limbo we seem to fall back into. Its like we're the Wahlle and the shark is the BIA just taking bites little by little. I am not saying that we are going to eliminate all rhetoric that comes are way, but we can and should be doing more proven time after time how incompetent at the Administrative level the BIA is and so underfunded.
Stop thinking about yourself and using excuses to probably cover up what has gone on, and truly I want to know why we have stalled and not do what is necessary to further the future of or M.E and you think I am not Osage and more Osage than you will ever know with right in front of me our Constitution and all its follies and the 1906 ACt is before me. So please brother or sister can we come to a consensus and get some work done. Lol isn't that what we want out of the U.S Congress.
Sovereignty - if we all sat down at a conference table with Bush now, what would we tell him about our progress. We'd have to tell him about the LLC, so much money purposely thrown down the drain because they didn't want to hurt their neighbors and friends, and relatives feelings, cause it's a hard thing to do. We, the others not in this group, meant absolutely nothing, it was just money anyway, can't let that get in the way of hurting some feelings.
DeleteThat the ranch purchase was never meant for revenue income, just something to adore.
That we have hope with each new election, but only to find that its a continuation of the previous administration, different faces but same agenda.
To get our quarterly payments we are still classified as "incompetent."
So many obstacles have broken down our "high hopes." And like the energy bunny, it goes on, and one, and on.
I don't think the Osage Nation owes me a per cap, a turkey, or a ham. That is what's wrong with this world everyone thinks are owed something for nothing.
ReplyDeleteFine. Then, while the Osage Nation elected officials and employees raid the income from the oil and gas revenue that would have gone into your pocket coming from your quarterly payment, then we won't hear so much as a peep of complaint coming from you!
DeleteBe sure to give me your name so I can take you off the list because thats what I am campaigning on, that and smaller government, term limits, accountability, jobs is a priority and I have a great plan to submit, and working with our communities to ensure viability and doing a deep audit. Then I will instruct our newspaper Yes, to print not just good, but sometimes the very ugly goes ignored and the bad is just a fad it appears. Every Holiday all will get a ham or Turkey Voucher.
DeleteAh the M.C much detail will be spent with them to rejuvenate the the M.E in some kind of monetary form. After all we would not have the Casino's we do have if it wasn't for the M.E. My bet watch what happens when this happens. When you put your people before Government, the health and the welfare of all. Many good things come from being transparent.
@ 6:45 pm. I do agree with you that the Nation/LLC can not run the mineral estate. I'm against the Nation having their hands in anything to do with the mineral estate because we can't sue them when they get off with our money.
DeleteWhat money,you haven't seen an increase in how long or have you not payed attention or is it because you have money and this is jut a honey check. Stupid is just that. We definitely do not want the Nations hand in our pockets its enough they built a de facto Government off our backs but sure is heck if we are not entitled to the same money to propagate our M.E future, lol. Dont be ignorant because this is why we are where we are at. Please!!! The Nation would not want you to know this. This is why I said there is so much we can do as opposed to taking a seat on the recliner. Stephanie Erwin is at least trying but trying is getting no where we have been trying since before 2006. And if it wasn't for the few updates from Cynthia Boone we would be in the total blind which is no accident. We should be working in tandem not in the opposite direction. Until we get a Chief that understands what has to happen and or done to bring back the credibility to the M.E remember he is a part of the 1906 Act. The consensus is long over due. We can have a natural resource dept and that would be the M.C as designed and should be without affect our Pockets but to add to them. Don't be fool hearted with our money. Because in the name of the M.E this is in no way to run our ME.
DeleteHowever, we can consider suing them as shareholders with a fiduciary obligation owed to us by the Secretary of the Interior as Trustee of the Trust of the OME, now in place, if the BIA agrees to allow the Osage Nation, or any other party for that matter, that has exhibited the depth of astounding stupidity and complete incompetence since it took over the running of the Osage government. I never thought I would ever, and I mean ever, say or write a thing like this in my life, but...if any person, party, entity, organization, institution, or government exhibited this much incompetence, misguidedness and downright foolishness with money, both in and out of court, it would lead to Federal government intervention, jail terms for misappropriation and malfeasance with a follow on of the right-minded appointment of a guardian or other management entity completely from the outside co-signing the checks and making sure that decisions associated with spending money are passed by this outside third party with impeccable credentials by way of handling such decisions with the authority of final decision making approval.
DeleteYes. Seriously consider as do-able if this ever should happen to us.
Delete@ 1:21 pm. What office are you campaigning? Chief? Congress? I think it is rather childish that just because I don't want a handout from the Nation, that you will take my name off of your "list." Too bad. I decide who my family of 89 people vote for too. When you come out in public to campaign, I'll be sure to shake your hand.
ReplyDeleteLol its not a hand out in any way shape or form why would you even think that? Is it a hand out when the our Government hands them a ham during the Holidays. I do not get that type of thinking lol, I thought it was for appreciation for the hard work? And to futher add I should have said taking your name off the list and then move it to another list a donation list.
DeleteBecause we should thank our constituency after all as I have said this is our money to. We vote right and really thats the principal. We do not forget about how and and who put them in office. Spending our Millions and to the tune how much has been lost. Its not much in return but its something.
"I thought it was for appreciation for the hard work."
DeleteYou do realize they get $500 to 2,000+ bonus every year just for showing up for work and if you're related to the right people, you start with a $50,000 salary with bi-annual raises, right?
The ON gets their huge piece of the pie first and whatever is left after embezzlement goes to select programs.
Yes and if you even talk about running for office they act like they don't want you within a country mile of the place. Fear. You can hear it in their voices if you even mention it. That right there should tell you a lot.
DeleteWell the fear is someone might just do a better job of being "Transparent", but mostly, living by what they campaigned on as promised and walk the talk. We live in a time smaller Government is more and a hard oook at what we have to do to hold those accountable to their actions and closing those loopholes. Efficiency is key..
Delete"We" are the Nation!!! We are not owed a ham or turkey, and it's not a handout BECAUSE it's our account.
DeleteHow has things gotton better for the "people" since Bush signed an order for sovereignty for us? What did it mean to you?
We vote for officials and so far, they take the money and run.
Osage People, we've got to find out when we vote for a new Chief, what are his/her plans for all the money he/she is going to be able to spend, what expensive, outrageous plans does he/she already have in mind?
Thank you Cynthia for your bulletins. By the way, Cynthia, what changes would you make in the new government for the betterment and well being of all Osages. What changes would you like to see in or current constitution? Do you think it would be beneficial to all concerned (all of us) if there was "a limitation of spending, etc." for those who have authority to sign off checks be in legal terms.
I see no other way to stop this "love of money," "love of spending" but to have it written in legal binding details. As of now, there is no stopping those who have authority to monies. Any more law suits to defend the employees against each other should come out of their own Osage revenue checks.
We have to have this conversation and now is the time because the elections are just around the corner. As I have said, there is something wrong in little china and we need to get to the bottom of the barrel sorta speak and turn this tide of spending around where our Government isn't spending our money but making money and putting the money not in a general fund but have that money funding for us and we do that by one of several ways.
DeleteAccountability and transparency is on top of the list, we live in a day that there is so much corruption.
Indian Country being ripe for the taking and that is no lie.
We have had a rough few years, Osage llc (Carol Leese) to some real conflicts of interest the BIA and Bluestem Ranch?
Where was the diligence with our Congress?
Here we have a guy who was mayor and now wants to join our Congress and use it like a revolving credit card, really? No way jose! His own words. One example of what we do not want.
Had each and everyone of us had a chance to veiw the New Constitution because really there are loopeholes all over in this piece of paper in front of me, lol its really more.
Its not so much the truth in it as much as we have to make that truth work for us and the real question is anybody can say what they want to say but once in office the tide turns in favor of not the people but big Government. This is not what we wanted for our people.
So when I see the funding that is going on with in I suspect more of it will be spent before the Elections because there is going to be a new Chief in town that is going to say its time we buckle up because this is going to be one hell of a roller coaster ride, there's going to be something in ther for everyone, not just the few who live in the local communities or districts alone even for those communities outside our districts will benefit from the jobs program I am introducing, I even have jobs for our local producers as well no lie there. Not giving my secrets away until campaigning starts and yes I am running for your Chief.
I've seen enough since 2006 and no where are we near that 25 year plan are we.
I care I care enough to come out of the woods and I see the forest for the trees, and I have one person to thank. She knows who she is and my eyes are wide open long live the Osage Tribe and the 1906 Act as amended.
Does anyone know where are Capital is going?
I even have a plan for our cultural Dept. And out Museum.
This is breaking news.
After losing the Reservation case I am going out there on a limb do you think we lost some rights to our land because we cannot seem to keep those eye sore of the wind farms that devalue our land and surrounding areas is effectual? Like I said IC ripe for the taking?
So lets see who can top this?
I've recently found my 25 year Osage booklet plan. Going to review it and do some comparisons from then to now.
DeleteTo the "running for Chief." - Thank you for your announcement.
DeleteSeems each election the candidates wait to the last minute to get their plans exposed. There's been times I didn't get candidates brochures until after the election.
In your comments what you will do "to correct" the inaccuracies in Osage politics is vague to me. Not much for me to speculate on toward voting for you at this time, I will wait for your "secrets" to come out.
I absolutely am behind you on reading and reviewing the Constitution. I will start my review as soon as I can run out a copy.
Do you think the shareholders have the right to view the salaries of those employees whose paychecks are coming out of shareholders quarterly payments? Where in the Constitution do you think a change in wording would change the hindrance in our right to know? Do you think we have a right to know and will you express your view as to "why" we might have a right to know? We are in a "LEGAL" era. Opinions and ignorance of the law is not going to get us pass the court doors.
It reminds me of the movie "The Ten Commandments," the saying "So it is written, So let it be." Same with the law, same with the Osage Constitution, let's make sure it says what we want "it to be."
These questions are not all directed to only you, future candidates are going to face similar scrutiny and they should be.
Do you have any legal background?W Will you be paying our lawyer frequently for advice?
What do you mean by: "And out museum?"
Why are you waiting (secrets) to tell your "cultural dept. plan? It's true someone else running for an office can use your idea for votes, but many other characteristics account for being elected, not just one notion.
You are the first entry in my "election notebook," again, good luck.
..."I decide who my family of 89 people vote for too."....
ReplyDeleteLooks like we got a real tough guy right here folks!
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Arrogant, check.
Self centered, check.
Hateful, check.
Domineering, check.
Threatening, check.
Dismissive, check.
Prideful, check
----------------------
I get the impression that poster on July 28, 2017 at 7:11 AM that he ...or rather, she is an Osage Nation government employee or worse an elected official. This person's mentality is the reason why the Osage government is corrupt and will eventually collapse.
8th Special Congressional Day 1 video is located here
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq1zJmHjRbc
Changes to the election law are going to be reviewed and voted on in this Special Session so it's time once again to pay close attention.
Right, as long as it is not a conflict of interest to, because if it is there will be a injunction filed. Waiting to see how the scale tips.
DeleteImportant to note that the Legislation put forward by Alice Buffalohead is not on the roster for us to read:
DeleteONCA 17-89, An Act to govern the conduct of Osage Nation elections, including elections for Principal Chief, Assistant Principal Chief, Osage Nation Congress, elections for the retention of Judges of the Osage Judiciary, and other elections required by the Constitution and by law; and to establish an alternate effective date. (Buffalohead)
OR
ONCR 17-31, A Resolution to approve the Osage Nation Election Board rules and regulations governing elections in accordance with the Osage Nation Election Code. (Buffalohead)
See https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/congress-legislative-branch/legislation
We should be having full disclosure as to these changed on the call for this Special Session so that we know what they are doing over at that election office before the Osage Nation Congress votes on it up or down...
The last "amended" call for this session was on July 21, 2017. That's plenty of time for this legislation to be posted to the Osage Nation membership on the legislation roster!
See the Session today at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5KE_pIH1-k
DeleteFor today's agenda see https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/congress-legislative-branch/sessions
DeleteThese two bills have been assigned to the Government Operations Congressional Committee. They should be vetted today:
DeleteGovernmental Operations Committee Meeting – 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.., CDST. This Committee Meeting should be available to listen to online live at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/multimedia/live-media
Turn up the sound in the meeting please!
DeleteShould have been vetted before it made it to legislation. Need to cut out the redundancies.
DeleteBut why the concern now? Why the necessary action to control? I find this telling to a a extent.
Vague to say the least. No content. Leaves doors open. We need to hear from her what the intended action is about and or the wording needs to be changed.
How ever, I like Alice Buffalohead. Do not know her but I feel she isn't heard enough at times. Just my opinion.
What bothers me most , the wording is so vague compared to many actions that can take place..
Zs it is a deperate atempt to make somthing mean something without the nucleus, missing core meaning just to sound effective.
So maybe a callmis in order?
Live in Session today, the Congress voted against the bill on the new election bill. Again, the excuse was given that it is easier on the election board to do it this way to match the election filing dates for the Chief and the Assistant Principal Chief. C. Shaw reminded the Congress that there is a Primary involved for that election and no need for the additional time because the Congress does not have a Congressional Primary. Good. I for one do not want a Congressional Primary. From the last election we saw very few who came forward to throw their hat into the ring to serve the Osage people as their representatives.
DeleteThe new Election Bill, ONCA 17-89 is now up on the website at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/congress-legislative-branch/legislation but none of the changes show as redlined to enable the Osage people to determine what the changes were before the bill was voted down...40 pages worth of text and no way to determine at face value what has been changed. As this directly involves the membership, it should be at our convenience and we should be able to have these changes made available to us and at hand. It appears more often than not that the Election Board and the Supervisor are structuring these elections to benefit themselves and not us. Elections are always ditch digging dirty hard work in any event and those on the Board or who work in the Election Office who cannot come up to speed and make the grade should perhaps look to the Osage Nation for another less challenging job? According to the Osage Constitution, this is a government about and for the Osage People. We need the best service we can get from all who work at the Osage Nation on our behalf. If it gets a bit rugged at times, so be it.
DeleteSession is adjourned.
DeleteWhat is it about this that the Board and the Election office doesn't get? In the last Congressional election, there were a shocking number of ballots that were under voted. What that means is that the Osage Nation electorate was unsatisfied with the candidate choices that were there to vote for in this particular past election. We need more choices, not less and nothing should be done by the Election Board or the Supervisor to narrow the number of candidates who represent the Osage people. If this is an attempt at changing filing dates to sneak up on us to add a Congressional primary in the legislation at some future date, snap that idea in half right now.
DeleteI'd be happy if these election people would quit working on the election bill and the rules and the regulations because they are always loaded with more and more penalties for those who run for office. I don't care if the election team work in the light, either. I'd like them to quit work on all these changes and get down to the hard work at hand when the time comes for the elections and not complain about the work load. Sheesh!
DeleteI voted for Trump. But the truth of the matter is there were no choices, they were narrowed. I have 10 years of military service and no way did I want her to be Commander-in-Chief!
DeleteTime for "clarity" in our legal terms/laws/regulations/duties "as described."
Just went over to the Osage Blog site.
DeleteAh, its telling and not the first time I heard about this and how crooked our elections are and who is behind this sad state of affairs non the less, I still hink Red Eagle was a bad Chief its like Hillary Clinton putting the blame squarely on everything else but she just ran a poor campaign. He was incompetent because he did not know what he was doing, not that he didn't have convictions that has nothing to do with his abilities. There is no doubt in Osage County when it comes to outsiders running for Chief and truly they are afraid that someone truly cares for their people but mostly how much has been lost on frivolous line items.
Mostly how much fiscal access they'll lose if someone from the outside is elected who is there having direct access to what they're doing who can act as a whistleblower for the Osage people to put out there in the open all the stuff they've been getting away with for the past eleven years. Believe me, things will change when the lid is lifted and we get to see all the spending that doesn't benefit the Osage people other than those who live right in County and how much they pad their pockets in salaries and benefits. Last I heard, Shannon Edwards tried to introduce a bill that would cap employee salaries and benefits to 50 some odd percent of the total budget or to $50 million, I can't remember which. I found this post so I am reprinting it here:
DeleteTrust with Verification on March 19, 2017 at 6:55 AM:
You have too many employees who have little, if any, added value to the whole and who rarely answer the phone, return a phone call or are unprofessional in tone and attitude when they do. Yet they still expect a 3% merit bonus every year whether they deserve it or not and if you don't do the service work in a professional manner for and with the public, how is it that a merit bonus is deserved? I understand that one member of Congress tried to put forward a bill that places a cap on how much of the total budget can go toward the payment of employee salaries and benefits and placed that cap at over 50% of the entire yearly budget! What this means, if the total budget with government and Tribal funds all in, is $60,000,000 then $30,000,000 plus of that amount can go for the payment of Osage Nation employees! This is entirely upside down. More than half of the budget should be going for direct services to the Osage people benefitting them with the entire cash amount not on inflated budget amounts with line items that are never even spent and remain in the Osage Nation Treasury which are, as a result, kept completely away from those who are supposed to benefit from Congressional funding in the first place. It's a crooked little game that the Osage Nation government set up from the very beginning to keep the money in Osage County. For a while, that money was being dumped into a "permanent fund" that wasn't to be touched unless it was for direct services to the Osage people. Then, conveniently, that money began to be used as collateral for loans that the Osage Nation has gotten itself involved with in the last five years or so. The whole thing, meaning the Osage government, is set up pretty much for the use and benefit of Osage Nation elected officials, appointees and employees. Some have even called it a giant government slush fund for the benefit of those who live in Osage County. They talk big numbers about how much they actually spend on us in programs from Tribal funding but I guarantee you that those cost numbers are greatly inflated. I want to see them on paper on the letterhead of the outside administrators for both "Plan F" and the Osage Health Card Program, the amount actually paid out in scholarships and student aid, the total amount paid out for the death benefit, and all costs for the new Osage Academy for the children with an exact number of how many benefitted, and all of the above in the last fiscal year. In addition, for any other Tribally funded program, I would like to see back up verification for any other costs that directly go to benefit the Osage people. Though it's advertised at around $15 million total a year, I'll bet that number includes administration fees, employee salaries and benefits, office costs and so forth all padded into the grand total. I'd be surprised if a third of that $15,000,000 figure actually goes to benefit the Osage people who live both outside and inside Osage County.
Wow, thank you I will copy and paste. Unbelievable.
DeleteI should have said in addition to the above statement, I would like something beter to happen not just post it for everyone to see a data table of our debt posted on the Osage Nation website for all to see similar to what you are asking. Lets make our Government work for us.
DeleteStill a sliver of hope--
ReplyDeletehttp://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2017/08/01/district-court-judge-denies-osage-nation-motion-challenge-county-wind-energy-ordinance/
This judge must be CHAing big time to keep a complaint being filed against his license to practice law. If a person, legal person included, doesn't have standing to sue when they retain the mineral rights throughout an entire county in a State of the USA, where acre upon acre of property is permanently taken off the table, effectively denying a potential income return without proper financial consideration in exchange, I just don't know. This is mind warping stuff and this guy must be through the looking glass. Only in Indian Country would this be the case. Wow! Somebody needs to get in touch with the Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma and have this guy's license placed under review with a complaint filed yesterday!
DeleteThis may be of help:
Deletehttp://www.okbar.org/public/Courts/CouncilonJudicialComplaints.aspx
http://www.okbar.org/public/Complaint.aspx
Osage shareholders have rights against this kind of wheeling and dealing in the courtroom against their financial interest. Too much emphasis is placed on the rights of the Osage Nation and not enough on the rights of the Shareholders who are deprived of potential income as the real and actual recipients of this oil and gas income when a situation like this is allowed to become a stunning miscarriage of justice.
Red Power Energy
ReplyDeletehttps://www.kcet.org/shows/red-power-energy/episodes/red-power-energy
Chairman Waller is on HBO's, "Vice" right now.
ReplyDeleteIt will repeat later on this evening on HBO2W.
DeleteWow
DeleteI don't have HBO. Can't afford it any more. What did he say?
DeleteI didn't see it either. What was the subject or subjects?
DeleteOil and gas.
DeleteFYI - News9.com -- on Aug. 3 in Edmond, OK area, a 4.2 earthquake, 7 earthquakes in 28 hours.
ReplyDeleteYes. Yesterday. Quiet now.
DeleteWell, well, well... GOOD! I'm glad that the Osage Nation does know how go to Court to bring a quiet title law suit. This proves they do know about it and can get it done...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2017/08/04/osage-nation-wins-former-railroad-land-lawsuit-state-court/
So the Osage government owns 31 more acres worth about $10.00. Certainly, the chief has some sort of laundering scheme planned but how does this help the people? The government cuts funding for education and other needs for Osages but they're willing to spend tens of thousand of dollars on useless property.
DeleteBut ther're gettign back our reservation one postage stamp size of it after another and when it's a big chunk ther'er paying thrice the price or better for it. You're not a real Osage if you don't understand this thought process and overall mentality.
DeleteOh great, here we go again with the "real Osage" nonsense. The Osage Nation is a governmental entity. The people are members of this entity via Jim Gray's signature. The Osage government and the Osage people are two different entities. The "reservation" does not belong to the people is belongs to the Osage government.
DeleteThe Osage government it going to do what is in it's own best interest - not for what the people want or anything for their edification.
The Osage government is run by a political class who seek to enrich themselves and provide excessively high paying jobs and job security regardless of talent or experience. Nothing is done without someone getting their palms greased and embezzling money. The Osage Nation government is a corrupt system with no ethics or regard for the Osage people.
What are you getting out of this? Are you part of the Osage government that's going to benefit from the acquisitions or are you just a schmuck with a false sense of "Native pride"
Hiding behind Identity politics.
DeleteThis so not amusing. We want our Reservation and if we have to we will do one parcel at a time right folks isn't that what you want? But really why did they want this to go unnoticed or done on the QT and my guess they didn't want the opposition to know exactly what they were doing but hey how can they do that they have to notify the opposition the intent right. So whats up ?
DeleteDo you know the difference between wanting a reservation and actually having one? The former is a dream that can no longer be. Why? Because the courts have ruled definitively that the Osage reservation was disestablished by an Act of Congress in 1906. All that remains is a reservation of rights to the subsurface mineral estate, and that was never intended to last beyond June 1959.
DeleteIt doesn't matter how much land the Osage Nation buys up, as the reservation will never be reestablished. When the land is taken into trust by the federal government the land is actually signed over and the Osage Nation is no longer the direct owner. This transfer puts the land of the Osage Nation on the same footing as a national park, but it does not further the purpose of establishing a reservation.
They were warned about creating the Osage LLC after the Harvard model, Ho-Chunk Inc. They were warned about Carol Leese and they were warned about his crazy "passive" investment strategy that conformed to the concept of "global initiative" -- whatever that means -- which lead directly to this:
ReplyDeleteUS Securities and Exchange Commission accuses DC investment company of fraud, same company Osage are also suing for fraud
https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/us-securities-and-exchange-commission-accuses-dc-investment-company-fraud-same-0
No business sense then and no business sense today, therefore no business set up for the OME because it would be more of the same. They haven't changed and the end result won't change either.
The Osage companies' entire business model is based on defrauding the federal government. You know the old saying, what goes around comes around.
DeleteOsage Pinnacle Design group was originally organized as a joint venture between Osage LLC and Pinnacle Design Group of Norman, OK. This was changed due to the 49% ownership by PDG giving rise to questions about actual control over OPDG, as none of the Osage LLC management had any expertise or experience in construction.
PDG produced the bids and provided the management, architects, technical expertise, corporate experience, and all personnel to perform the resulting contracts awarded to OPDG. All that OPDG was doing is marking the bid price up and serving as a conduct to get contracts for a company which was not eligible to bid on 8(a) set-asides, even though the law requires that OPDG perform at least 15% of construction contracts and 50% of services contracts with worker-bee employees (and not management on overhead) directly employed by OPDG.
There is no evidence that either Osage Pinnacle Design Group (dba Tallgrass Construction Services) or Osage Innovative Solutions (dba Tallgrass Technology Services) have actually changed their business models to comply with the law.
It is easier to cheat a cheat than it is to cheat an honest man. Why? Because the cheat is so busy running his game on you he can't see the game being run on him.
Ultimately, it is the members of the Enterprise Board who are responsible for all of the misdeeds of Osage LLC / Tallgrass Economic Development LLC (one simply being an alter ego of the other and not in fact a separate legally distinguishable entity). While there has been legal action brought against third parties, this action has been brought by the foxes who are guarding the hen house and several of these foxes need to be named as primary defendants.
And this is why we must stop protecting the cheaters.
DeleteWhat work has any of these llc's produced and what has happened to the bad debt from the Osage llc?
Who are the bad players in these companies?
Lastly how have they been getting away with such lies if so?
Any capital from any of the adventures? If so where is the capital going?
Carol Leese was just bad from the get go and he knew what he was doing.
What are if any status reports available?
Delete"...this action has been brought by the foxes who are guarding the hen house and several of these foxes need to be named as primary defendants." Starting with those who set this thing up from the beginning, funded it and have kept it running as a long game to run out gaming proceeds that have gone who really knows where and payable to who knows who. $19,000,000 is a lot of loot to be made to go away. I tell you right now; if it weren't for the Osage public outcry here on this blog and at number of them on Facebook that went on about getting answers and holding feet to the fire, nothing, let me repeat that, - n o t h i n g - would have been done about it on the Osage side by the very people who set it up with that Harvard boy Lance Morgan: http://hochunkinc.com/management_LM.php , who vetted and agreed to hire that creep Carol Leese without investigating his financial planning and investing background thoroughly when there was sufficient information out there to do so, who also vetted that other affiliate Harvard boy and OLLC Board member Jonathan B Taylor who, along with Leese was a principal in steering the company in the investment direction it went in as soon as he was put on the OLLC Board; click on his name in the yellow text: http://hpaied.org/about/people and especially those who funded it with votes and final signatures in the first place who were collecting a paycheck from the Osage Nation. I heard that some of that funding went forward to OLLC for purely personal reasons in case certain people didn't get re-elected or decided not to run again. Along those lines, I also heard a rumor that when one dropped out then tried to collect a big salary from OLLC, the door got properly slammed right in his face. The old management team at OLLC might have been crooked but they weren't that stupid.
DeleteWhy hasn't anyone called for the head of those running the Harvard Project at the Kennedy School of Government which, in part, has been responsible for creating this business environmental stew pot? Keep Native American governments away while the crooks are at play? And, BTW, how much of our money given to the OLLC actually made it into the $32 Billion Harvard Endowment as a contribution or a payment starting with the Osage Government Reform Commission to draft the Osage Constitution that created this Osage government version of the Aurumvorax that it has become, feeding on every dime of our money that it can consume.
Sorry, you cannot have crooked and stupid in the same sentence, stupid is what stupid does. This is extremely convoluted and just deep with corruption from with in. In fact disturbing.
DeleteEither we get a special prosecutor in here and open a investigation as to what extent the corruption is or we start the process of a take over in like a Constitutional Convention. Rewrite the whole dam thing and yes we can hold each and everyone of you to serve just one time in Congress. There's alot that can be done.
Bwahahaha!!!
DeleteI love it!!
You see folks, all this corruption and money laundering just goes to show the characters of the politically motivated and greedy Osages. Jim Gray Gray started this whole thing, Pipestem argued in court the the HPP award go to the Osage government instead of the shareholders, and every Chief since Gray has been trying to bust the M.E.. Standingbear hates the Shareholders so much that he's willing to steal a person's mineral income to satisfy his lust for money and to show himself worthy to his Harvard masters in Washington.
Corruption, greed, theft, nepotism, and all manner of unethical behavior is the standard modus operandi.
The Nation is going to face litigation after litigation until they go broke. But that's ok as long as the politicians and their families get huge a piece of the pie and more importantly, keep the casino revenues as far away from the Osage people as possible.
Good God...er, I mean Wakonta...the Osage Nation is an embarrassment to the Osage people.
Yes. A cosmogonic one you ask me.
DeleteI see payment for Sept. is $3550.00 per HR.
ReplyDeleteOn the far right of the page:
Deletehttps://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/minerals-council
Minerals Council meeting cancelled for August 11th
ReplyDeletehttps://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/minerals-council-meeting-cancelled-august-11th
See also https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/minerals-council
DeleteImportant Osage Nation Burial Assistance Fund Notification:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/OsageNews/photos/a.153834188010750.33094.134873493240153/1530262373701251/?type=3&theater
Storm Shelter Rebate:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/OsageNews/photos/a.153834188010750.33094.134873493240153/1528274797233342/?type=3&theater
Northern California Osage Summer Gathering
ReplyDeletehttps://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/calendar
Newt Gingrich: America needs to be better prepared for a nuclear attack:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/08/11/newt-gingrich-america-needs-to-be-better-prepared-for-nuclear-attack.html
News five minutes ago -- India and China Fracas Brewing Up:
Deletehttp://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/08/11/542904162/india-steps-up-alert-amid-heightened-tensions-with-china
Even Jim Gray has said it! I'm reprinting the post here again as a cautionary reminder:
ReplyDeleteAnonymous
March 11, 2016 at 2:38 AM
Jim Gray reported this in a comment about an Osage Constitutional Convention on a Facebook site today:
"I saw some chatter last night about bringing up blood quantum again, cultural and language requirements etc..."
Beware of this developing situation and what Whitehorn and Standing Bear whip up together. If they threw all the headright owners out of Tribal membership with the 2006 Osage Constitution and they did, they can throw out all of the Osages living outside of Osage County with a new one. Watch out. I'm warning you and don't ignore it. If the U.S. Congress changes the 1906 Act to permit the Osage Nation to run the Mineral Estate, the Nation will be in a position to defeat the protections of the current Osage Constitution and open the door to running the majority of us off which will rob us of our membership in the Osage Nation too. Pay heed..."
THAT'S BEEN THE PLAN ALL ALONG.
DeleteStandingbear is up in Washington sticking his nose everywhere he can to gain political influence to bust the ME. The ME revenue will be split between the Osage politicians and the Washington politicians who Standingbear can influence with bribes.
Standingbear in an enemy of the Shareholders and Osages at large. His only concerns are his political and business cronies and his family. He will gladly stab an Osage in the back for a dollar. He is a traitor and a dog that eats his own puke.
Might be time to say a prayer...
ReplyDelete"Mad Dog" Mattis: If North Korea fires missile at US, it's 'game on'
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/08/14/mattis-if-north-korea-fires-missile-at-us-its-game-on.html
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/08/14/kim-jong-uns-disappearance-sparks-concerns-missile-launch-could-be-imminent.html
Chicken little backed down knew he would. To many world powersxwill crush him.
DeleteBloody awful to even have to put this up on the Blog but there it is...
Deletehttp://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/08/15/nuclear-attack-preparation-us-government-provides-survival-tips.html
In advance of a nuclear event, you should also look into Potassium Iodine tablets that protect the thyroid gland. CAUTION: Some people may be ALLERGIC to iodine! I am and cannot take these tablets. Be sure to have plenty of water in advance as well. See https://www.usaemergencysupply.com/information-center/self-reliance/emergency-water-storage
DeleteGOOD! See http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/08/15/guam-residents-relieved-for-now-after-north-korea-tones-down-missile-threat.html
DeleteThe Osage Agency has all phone numbers down due to the flood that resulted from the rainstorm that took place last week. I called, in desperation, to the Hotline number listed at https://www.bia.gov/WhoWeAre/RegionalOffices/EasternOklahoma/WeAre/Osage/index.htm and was able to get through to the person who answered the phone. I have asked that the Osage Agency list alternative numbers with cell phones at the URL listed above and hope that they will put up an emergency notice for contacts with the various departments of the Osage Agency so that business as usual can resume for those of us who need to get in contact with them in future.
ReplyDeleteWhy hasn't the Osage News picked up on this situation and reported it as a public service to the Osages and others who need to get in touch with the various Osage Agency departments? Does it always have to be egocentric pats on the back, horn tooting and high-fives with this paper coming from those who run it?
DeleteI heard on talk radio yesterday that China told N. Korea that if the U.S. struck first, they would stand by N. Korea, but if N. Korea fired first they would stand "back" and not intervene or help them. N. Korea was talking big until they lost their back up (bodyguards). So if we strike first, China is telling us it's war with them too.
ReplyDeleteIn other words, Détente by telephone and the Press. Good. Hopefully it will shut up these children who masquerade as adults for a very long while.
DeleteAgenda for Minerals Council Meeting held today at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/minerals-council-meeting-information-please-note-location-change
ReplyDeleteLong Meeting today is still live at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/multimedia/live-media
DeletePUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT!
ReplyDeleteSafe eclipse viewing:
https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/solar-eclipse-safety-wah-zha-zhi-health-center-optometrist-encourages-safe-and-fun
https://www.facebook.com/WHCqualitycare/?hc_ref=ARSym9PJbuCK365TAeBbG1B4t6ZJR7s1SE4pAsZIYp5eqwVG1FjELsjoYpgYXIP1nmE&fref=nf
What's going on with the Osage News and the "Application Error" Message?
ReplyDelete"Application error
An error occurred in the application and your page could not be served. If you are the application owner, check your logs for details."
Is anyone else getting this too at http://www.osagenews.org/en/?
Yes
Deleteme too, it must be on their side
DeleteThanks. I haven't seen an error message quite like this one before and thought I should ask if you are seeing it too.
DeleteI'm getting the same error. Their server must be glitched.
ReplyDelete"The average savings account has a measly 0.06% APY (annual percentage yield, or interest), and many of the nation's biggest banks pay rates as low as 0.01%."
ReplyDeleteAll the while not paying us, FDIC-Insured Institutions Earn $48.3 Billion in the Second Quarter of 2017 alone: https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2017/pr17061.html
Current URL to the Osage Agency:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bia.gov/regional-offices/eastern-oklahoma/osage-agency
The phones have been down for three weeks across the board. The Agency rents from the Osage Nation government and it's up to them to get the Osage Agency cell phones (Tracfones as an example) on a temporary basis for all the departments at the Agency, if need be, as the landlord of the property, until the problem can be corrected and the land lines are restored to service.
The BIA Spill Hotline (918) 287-3107.
DeleteIf the Nation, meaning StandingBear, really cares about the mineral estate, he would do what a proper landlord would do and get the Osage Agency people the cell phones they need to conduct business in a professional manner with the outside world. Instead, he's already given $50k + for the campaign of the Missouri governor and this month hired a lobbyist. Throw away cell phones for each department at the Osage Agency run about $10 for the phone and $25 for 60 airtime days.
Deletehttps://shop.tracfone.com/shop/en/tracfonestore/phones/tf-alcatel-pixi-glitz-p5-reconditioned
https://www.tracfone.com/shop/plans
Even if it's 10 offices total, that's $350 all in for two months worth of airtime with the problem solved.
https://www.columbiamissourian.com/opinion/guest_commentaries/editorial-osage-nation-checks-to-governor-have-sticky-implications/article_431e51e6-4ac4-11e7-985d-878f199991e2.html
http://www.news9.com/story/36205585/oklahomas-osage-nation-pushes-bid-for-missouri-casino
So it's campaign ‘dark money’ now we're getting involved with Chief ???????
http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article164069087.html
By the way, if Trump won't let Federal land-into-trust go forward and take place, how are we going to be building any new casino anywhere? Why even throw money at this with lobbying until the Nation is assured that Osage land can and will continue to be taken into trust? Take care of your own Osage shareholder's income Chief and forget about the pie in the sky and all these pipe dreams you continue to come up with all the time. Election time comes up in December of t h i s ` y e a r !!!!!!
What the living hell?
Delete"They also say A New Missouri improperly accepted a $50,000 donation for the Osage Nation tribe, which wants to build a casino in Missouri."
http://www.missourinet.com/2017/06/14/bipartisan-group-of-mo-lawmakers-want-governors-ethics-investigated/
"A bi-partisan group of state Senators wants Governor Eric Greitens investigated for corruption."
Chief, are you getting us in hot water again?
Right I said the very same thing when I first heard about this without comment. Pay to play anyone? Cannot get any more corrupt with our money than that right and what is being done about that we do the same thing for the race track as well we pay them to have our casinos in the same area. How corrupt is that ? Let them put machines in the race track.
DeleteCongressional Special Session today:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/5th-osage-nation-congress-convene-9th-special-session
No Agenda is available at this time. It has to do with release of natural gas at Pawhuska High School. Live, they are on the phone with Eddie Eddie Streater of the BIA to figure out who is responsible and who will be responsible for taking care of the problem. BIA is out and the EPA is involved and the Osage Nation is trying to figure out how they are involved and who has the liability. The State is involved as well with doing the hiring to take care of the problem. School is not open today and we're (Osages) being perceived as responsible therefore we're in a bind?
https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/multimedia/live-media
Woah! The State of Oklahoma wants us to legally indemnify them to move forward to take care of the problem? We're being backed into a corner? WALK AWAY from this or get more information before we agree to indemnify anyone. If the State has jurisdiction to hire the contractors then they have the liability. Now with Erwin using scare tactics on this natural gas leak and bad gas too? Please!!!!!!!!! The problem is bad enough as it is without Erwin carrying on like this.
DeleteBrief recess... This looks very bad and is a very bad precedent to set. Rushing forward to cure a problem on non-reservation non-Osage land is a disastrously terrible idea especially for the future of the Osage Mineral Estate. There are larger issues here than the immediate problem. Let the State take care of this because we don't want to have them take jurisdiction and demand that we get involved with indemnity issues every time this happens in the future. DON'T give into the pressure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DeleteThe County of Osage and the State of Oklahoma should be handling this just like any other hazard on school property; In-house and done ASAP.
DeleteWhat? If the EPA gave the OK to go back to school, what's the problem?
Deletehttp://www.kswo.com/story/36209277/pawhuska-public-schools-will-resume-monday-following-geothermal-well-leak
"The Pawhuska Public Schools are scheduled to start classes Monday, August 28, 2017. Both the State Fire Marshal and the EPA have confirmed there are no current air quality hazards. Elementary and Indian Camp schools will have welcome tables set up Monday morning, in place of back to school night. We would like to again, thank our patrons for your continued patience and understanding."
Deletehttps://www.facebook.com/ppshuskies/
The question begs an answer why are we even in this position in the first place. Let the State take care of it. We have nothing to do with the leak. End of story.
DeleteCongress! Don't pass any bill or approve anything if the problem is solved!
DeleteChief, take that paper in your hand and burn it.
DeleteWhen does our Congress work for the benefit of the people other than themselves?
DeleteWhen does Congress see the forest for the trees then themselves in the mirror.
I have little faith in our Government tomdo the right thing other than push their agenda or narrative. And you dont have to look to far from the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Lets see if they can get this right? lets see if they can think farther than can spit?
Lets see if the diligence is going to be done?
I'll be surprised.
Stephanie Erwin!!!!!! What the hell are you saying if both the Fire Marshall and the EPA have given confirmation that there is no current air quality hazards out there where the well is located? You are really getting a bad reputation for grandstanding for bad ideas lately. With election time up ahead, I'd watch it if I were you. Scare tactics after the problem has already been neutralized? Good G**!!!!!!!!
DeleteCONGRESS! Don't even think about it!
DeleteAll those under the table bribes and crooked dealings are coming to haunt the Osages. Standingbear has such a rancid hatred for the Shareholders that he's willing to burn The Osage Nation. Greed and larceny is Standingbear's true spirit. One more chip taken away from the frail integrity of the Osages. But at least Standingbear is getting himself and his Washington overlords rich by stealing from the Osage people because that's all what really matters.
DeleteThe Osage Nation Congress actually voted for the resolution, ONCR 17-32 giving the natural gas on all geothermal wells to the State of Oklahoma without a royalty paid to the Headright owners? Outside of what the Minerals Council agreed to in the first place on only one well at the school? Are you kidding me?
DeleteListen to this! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0FTC4bkVTU
Don't you dare do anything but veto this damn resolution thing Chief or your current job is a thing of the past come June of next year. The BIA is tasked by U.S. Congressional Act with the approval of all agreements involving minerals coming out of the ground be it oil or natural gas. That means it's against the highest law of the land to take this responsibility away from the BIA and waive it away with a Legislative wand. I can't believe these people and their high crimes and misdemeanors.
The latest is the Chief actually signed this putrid sucker and the next sound you're going to hear in the ballot box from the Shareholders is his job going right down the drain.
DeleteAnd Kugee changed his vote from no to yes!
This should have been looked over by our attorneys for a solid month as there was no rush since there was no longer any danger out in the ball field. This was not the agreement the Minerals Council approved in the first place for only this particular well! Now we have the Oklahoma Corporation Commission breathing down our necks in future to recover any natural gas coming from any geo-thermal well drilled in Osage County? The Osage Congress does not have the authority to make a deal with the State like this in the first place. BIA is top dog here and trumps the Osage Nation government where all minerals in Osage County are concerned. And what if geothermal wells are the wave of the future? If that's the case, the Nation just sold out the headright owners!
DeleteThey waived the right of the Minerals Council to collect a royalty on natural gas from all geothermal wells! Who the hell gave them the right to do a thing like this when it's the BIA who approves all transactions associated with minerals including oil and natural gas by law and the Federal law trumps the State government and the Tribal governments too? I'm so sick of these train wreck dolts who always manage to do the most stupid thing possible that they or anyone else for that matter could ever think of doing anywhere on the planet. Yes. High crimes and misdemeanors sizes it up perfectly.
DeleteEvery single one of these elected officials who voted yes and who signed off on this resolution are unfit to serve from the date and time of this legislative action forward.
DeleteI would venture to say that we need to get together as headright owners and talk about our future because I do not know about you but its high time we have a conversation with the eight members traveling around to Northern Cali to So Cali and Texas so they can get a better perspective what we expect from them as well as the BIA and the Chief. Weather you like it or not he should be included with all do respect its time we get the job done and come to a concensus what needs to happen here? Bottom line as I have said the markets are cooperative and where are we at? The ball needs to move. What is it going to take to make those changes?
DeleteThey are unfit to serve because they always seem to operate on the basis of emotional knee jerk reaction rather than reasoned logic that dictates actions which reflect wisdom and proper planned preparation.
DeleteThis thread is now closed. Go to: http://osageblog.blogspot.com/2017/08/osage-shareholder-matters-august-2017.html
ReplyDelete