DON'T FORGET! Election Day is March 20. Voters can cast their ballot at the former Wah-Zha-Zhi Cultural Center building at 1449 W. Main St. in Pawhuska from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Early voting is also scheduled Friday March 17 (noon to 8 p.m.) and Saturday March 18 (10 a.m. to 8 p.m.) at the ON Election Office, 608 Kihekah in Pawhuska.
HA! HA! HA! I sure hope this one cost 'ole Sonny Bunny a fat lot! This Simple Simone doesn't even bother to do her homework to find out where to go to get the information she wants in the first place. I'd like to know who is actually paying for this lawsuit. Do we get to see who is paying her court costs and attorney's fees now that the case has been dismissed? Not money wasted by me if it keeps the Osage Nation away, out of minerals business because it's money well spent to protect the Minerals Agency and Minerals Council from a hostile takeover. "Hold their feet to the fire," as a statement coming from the Bench seems like it's a slight bit inflammatory against the Minerals Council, isn't it? http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2017/03/02/shareholders-request-omc-financial-records-dismissed-trial-court/
Lol Hostile take over by the shareholders for fiscal responsibility as the way I see not by the Nation their base, and it would not be A Hostle take over either stop the fear mongering. It would be well orchestrated and organized. And yes she should have done her home work. What I would like to know, is why is the financial handled by the nation on these accounts and not in the hands of the M.C.? The accounting is not hard in retrospect and it wouldn't hurt to take charge of all facets of this multi Billion estate. Wouldn't it be so much easier to consolidate to cut out the inefficiencies.
Chief has you bamboozled on this one, my friend. Chief's have been trying to take over the Minerals since the top of the day at the very beginning. Those of us who follow what they've been up to with MOUs and "gifts" and a plethora of other ways to inject their virus into the OME. You need to know who your friends are and who your enemies are as well. Guys who want to take over the OME and make it so that no one benefits from it unless they live in Osage County are not friends of the Federal Trust Beneficiaries. The ring leader of this whole constitutional government was Hepsi Barnett and before the thing was ever even voted on, she was floating the idea of a public trust for the OME. One little office and they'll be in the door and your money will begin to diminish at that point and from then on if you even get any after they are through. They can't let what you have and what you own alone and they take it personally like small children in a schoolyard who think every single toy belongs to them and no one else. It's sick and strange but there it is and it's been going on every since the first family member with a headright left them out of the will or trust. Can't get past it no matter what. It should be pitied if it weren't so widespread and widely held in the Osages. Be afraid. Be very afraid because this is real and palpable. Some of them would rather see you gone and outta there than have money coming to you from the OME. To ignore this is like being in a cage with a wild live Tiger and thinking you're going to make it out alive. If you can't take a legitimate warning then that's your fault. Not mine.
No one is bamboozled. This fight has been going on for centuries there will be people who will always want what they cannot have. Yep I know this name Hespie Barnet well and how deep the story goes. Thank you for keeping us current. I am a positive person and I tey to see all facets and even the flip to all of this and the laws of our Constitution and so forth. I know who you are Poster. You have been right here fighting the good fight but behind the scenes well,I am willing to do something. I am waiting to see what our Congress is going to do with this Chief out of Control because a little bird said, they have something up there sleeve. But we need to focus for the next in comming Chief and let her know what we expect from her and from what I am understanding she wants to give the People her Osage Brothers and Sisters real hope that respect and the integrity this position deserves with all of us in mind. Not just at a local level. She is promising to bring and unite us all and she will. She will put an end to this fight between the Great and little Osage. Shecwill give back the Government to the Osage by starting out with real numbers so each and all of us can be clear where we stand. She will bring work to the Osage as so many have failed on a gran scale. She be sure to tie up any and all in effective programs that do not make the Osage any money and as promised she will turn the operating control of the Bluestem Ranch to the Board and she will be clear the M.E. will be left in the hands of the M.C. and she will be sure that they have the technology to do so working with them as the way it should be. Shecwill only step in if she needs to. She likes Bone and Alice Goodfox and Stephanie Erwin. She would like to have Boone next to her in Office, why she likes to get stuff done. She would like Stephanie Erwin to be Chairwoman of the M.C. and Alice she has presented as of late some good legislation that has been bypassed and would like to revisit them..It's time we get some real work done not just for Na tion but for the betterment of our People. And personally there are quite a few of you who post here she would like to meet and greet and have a real conversation about what more we can do to support near and afar all Osages.
Lol, definitely not Hespi Barnet way and no way so don't go nuclear but it is time we do have a woman in that position and a smart one at that, just saying. A real woman knows hiw to clean house sorts speak, but non the less change is always good. But what I do know is and I believe there is a real strong economic plan that everyone can eat from just not at a local level as well.
Can anyone shed some light on the land buyback program. Is it worth selling my lands back to the tribe. Does this affect my head right or the minerals on the land. My family has several hundred acres and we want to hear how others feel. Thank you
Surface only does not affect your minerals rights. The decision is completely up to you. I sold my land one because it expands the Reservation and that is good for the Reservation, two, most of it is grazing land some of it was with in the district and the money they offered after checking the value was well above market price. Some of this land will never be developed or I will never develop or live on it. Three, this offer comes once in a life time or two. I believe in out Tribe and must do all we can to support them as they have been doing for us. Not enough though still want that Turkey Voucher for everyone at the end of the year.
It was a good deal for me. What was offered in payment for an undivided interest was way more than I would ever get out of leasing my share (for decades). The process is simple and easy to understand.
Opec was only part if the problem, second the biggest was the delay at the agency and the permitting process and I can go on but your ignorance shows. Just saying and keeping it real. Sure there is lots of blame to go around. Lol
The Bureau put in that temporary process for the producers until the new EIS was prepared. It lead to one delay after another and I'm fairly sure that the staff were taking no prisoners with the Osage beneficiaries at risk, at the same time, because of all the flack Superintendent Robin Phillips was getting over those proposed CFRs and the ramrod through she tried to attempt until she was shut down by the legal actions of the producers and the MC. There was an agenda and it seemed to me that the DOI wanted conformation in the Osage with what was happening elsewhere under its umbrella.
If Cynthia had been on that Negotiated Rule Making Committee, it would have been different but she got frozen out by Team Osage and look what was the end result. Bad business all the way around lead by Sonny Abbott with Andrew Yates and Galen Crum.
Does the OMC know that Mike Black is the Acting Assistant Secretary Of the Interior for Indian Affairs? It's a case of the fox guarding the hen house. Insane. Unless or until he is replaced, the Osage Mineral Estate is guaranteed to be in handcuffs.
Of course they care. They wouldn't have filed a lawsuit against the BIA to stop the harm to the OME by the Bureau from those new CFRs if the didn't. Bash and trash all you want but the real story is that many of us are fed up with you greed driven business incompetent foxes circling the hen house to get a big job and a fat unjustified pay check. You're killing the golden goose as it is with all the salaries and benefits going out to people on the payroll for 100 total divisions, committees, boards, commissions, departments, offices, and programs that benefit only a very privileged few to the detriment of the whole of the Osage Nation membership and on and so forth. We're in a tight spot but pulling us under the governance of the State of Oklahoma is not the answer either.
What I'd like to know is why aren't you headright owners stepping up, as beneficiaries of the ME Trust, to sue the Bureau for harm and damages due to arbitrary new regulations put in place that have crippled the OME when the real motivation came from two failed lawsuits filed in Federal Court by that attorney Gentner Dummone.
Chief got everything he wanted during appropriations. Supreme Court is backing him. What a week this has been in the Osage. Today he issued an executive order freezing any new hires, no travel, no purchases of office supplies, etc. Gaming Commission is starting to lay off workers due to lack of funding beginning May 1 because Chief has been dipping into their budget without their knowledge. They need to be expanding due to Tulsa Casino expansion. Ethics charges filed against Chief due to his interference in the Bluestem Ranch. Possible violations of competitive bidding on casino construction again. Now he wants to put a casino in Missouri in partnership with his lawyer buddies when we can't pay our compliance officers now and give away half the income from the ranch to more buddies.
Get those ethics charges filed on this guy before the whole damn thing blows up in everyone's face. Gaming Commission should file an ethics charge against him too for unauthorized use of funds in their budget. I'm telling you the way they move money around is criminal but no one seems to pay attention or even care what these EB elected officials are doing.
I AM blaming the Chief!!!!!! From what I'm hearing he has been engaging in sneaking underhanded tactics with our money right and left! There is also a lawsuit being brought by the Congress against him for executing some kind of lease purchase agreement where one of the parties to the transaction is holding the Deed for land already purchased with Osage Nation funds, IOW, our money!!!!!!! That Osage Nation Judiciary never publishes a schedule so you never know when they are meeting and on what case!!!!!!!!! We pay for their salaries too and should be kept up with their judicial activities!!!!!!!!!!!! The case filed is under the Angela Pratt (Osage Nation Congressional Speaker) vs. the Nowlins and Brad Hilton. From what budget did this money come from? Chief looks like to me that he is doing all kinds of deals and gaining access to all kinds of money under the table or at least in a hidden way to pay for his agenda, whatever that might be, either legal or illegal according to Osage Nation law. Seems the Judiciary has been backing him on some of the issues before the Court but now it seems to be spiraling totally out of control. If he's moving money out of the budget for our gaming commissioners, the Osage Congress needs to hold a hearing ASAP on this as well as on his activities associated with the Bluestem Board. They should bring that up at the hearing on the 12th of March at the Cultural Center and get this most recent revelation out there to the public. http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2017/03/10/second-public-hearing-scheduled-march-12-discuss-bluestem-ranch/
What is the duty of the Treasurer to report funds being moved out of one budget or another and given to the Chief so that these Executive Branch employees tied to those budgets know what is going on at the time the money is being moved? They are in a position to file an anonymous whistleblower ethics charge against the Chief and the Division Heads tied to those individual budgets should be doing just that to secure these budgets from being raided by the Chief/s.
If the Chief is not living within the Budget requirements or parameters accordingly to our Constitution is a conflict of interest to the Position he holds and the oath he took and has no business being a leader.
Yes. But there's a glitch. The Osage Congress has given the Executive Branch a lot of leeway on moving money around within an individual budget. Moving money back and forth between separate budgets altogether is another matter altogether.
Where is the Osage News on all of this? These are important and news worthy matters that need to be put before the Osage Nation membership. I guess the editor must be afraid that her budget will be next to be raided if she reports on these stories. What a mess! We at least need to see a copy of this Executive Order and what all it entails.
He claims that they are biased against him in their reporting. The important thing here is the threat. If they perceive that there will be payback, there won't be any in-depth or controversial stories in the Osage News and it will become nothing but a puff piece news venue that is too expensive and unuseful to the Osage Nation membership, if it comes to that.
Do the cattle in the photo look like they are starving? Their coats look bad and they sure don't look healthy to me with ribs and pelvis bones showing. I sure hope this improves in the Spring and Summer.
Discussion with Attorney Sikking on the Washington, D.C. Agenda, so it looks like they are going there to get some of these issues sorted out. Sikking is the Osage Producers Association Attorney and this discussion is centered on the new CFRs not going forward or a new version of them.
The audio of the entire first part of the meeting is here: http://mixlr.com/osage-nation/showreel/ The are now in Executive Session and will return shortly.
The Osage Nation Congressional Hearing on the Bluestem Ranch due to start in a few minutes: http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2017/03/10/second-public-hearing-scheduled-march-12-discuss-bluestem-ranch/ https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/congress-hold-public-hearing-0 Live at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/multimedia/live-media Later at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4mRcFPAMmqmqMFcFXuf_bA.
Here is where it gets very sticky for me and I have to take issue with the representation of the ON Congress about having done their due diligence. If this noxious weed Sericea lespedeza is widespread throughout the Bluestem Ranch, what was their responsibility to have disclosure about this by the Ted Turner team? What was the responsibility that a full disclosure in writing as to material defects associated with the land was given to the Osage Nation by Ted Turner before the bid was even put forward by the Nation? Sericea lespedeza is exactly as Kugee stated, a very expensive problem as is represented by the web page at the Missouri Department of Conservation: https://mdc.mo.gov/trees-plants/problem-plant-control/invasive-plants/sericea-lespedeza-control What other defects does the land have with regard to other issues? Land in other states is usually never sold, "As is." Nothing about this head long emotional land purchase as acknowledged by Speaker Pratt makes any sense especially if we find that the Osage people are left holding the bag because the Osage Nation never really did engage in even a rudimentary proper "due diligence" process where the purchase of real estate in Oklahoma is concerned. Who were State licensed real estate Brokers who were consulted by the Chief and the members of the Osage Nation Congress who are expected to find out this kind of information as to costly defects and liabilities before the sale of the property rather than afterward?
Now we get the rest of the story from Congressmen Tillman with his "exhaustive list" that will cost TWO MILLION + BUCKS TO HAVE THE PROPERTY UP TO SPEED FOR 5% OF THE PROPERTY AS TO NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENT CONDITIONS AND ANOTHER FORTY ONE MILLION DOLLARS + TO CURE THESE PROBLEMS IN ORDER TO GET THE ENTIRE PROPERTY IN TRUST WITH THE BIA?!!!!!!!!? THIS PROPERTY WON'T QUALIFY FOR LAND INTO TRUST WITH THE BIA UNTIL THESE MATERIAL DEFECTS HAVE BEEN CURED AND ARE NO LONGER A FACTOR OR A PROBLEM. WTFH? Where's that money going to come from? Negative Environmental Conditions is a material defect that should have been disclosed by the Ted Turner team to the Osage Nation and if they wanted and expected this land to be placed in trust from the very beginning, they should have had someone out there on that land to find this HUGE AND COSTLY defect!!!!!!! I say sue Ted Turner for not having properly disclosed in writing both the noxious weed and the negative environmental conditions associated with clean up of oil wells, spills and pipelines from this DOI report on placing the land into trust.
And now, Mr. Neff is left twisting in the wind on his lease because the Chief never informed or disclosed to him that he will have to have the Osage Congress approve his lease when the Chief told him that he had the authority to make this lease? "I'm sure we haven't heard the last of Mr. Neff!!!!!" I'm sure too!!!! Again we see the horrid Micky Mouse business behavior of the Osage Nation and its elected officials. What the hell? Imagine what will happen if the Osage Nation gets its mitts on the Osage Mineral Estate!!!!!!!!
You know, in some states like California, if you don't properly disclose material defects in writing to the buyer before the sale of property, you can go back into court and get your money back from the seller and keep the land as well. Perhaps someone in the Osage Nation government who handles property matters ought to look into the Oklahoma State law on a matter of non-disclosure where the purchase of real estate property is involved.
The Chief is a lawyer. Why didn't he see to this full disclosure of material defects, as to the state of the property from Ted Turner's representatives, himself? Good comments from Susan Forman as to this very issue and the BIA who should have been out there looking into this and cleaning up this environmental situation long before anyone even considered purchasing the land?
I disagree. We need a lease payment each month from the Ranch Board so that we get some kind of return on the investment. The way you want it structured, Maria Whitehorn, is the same way that the Osage, LLC was structured in the end without a single dividend payment to the member, the Osage Nation, in five or more years of its existence. These business ventures are expected to pay back to the Osage Nation and the Osage people, not take, take, and take ad infinitum!!!!!!!!!!
All income from the entire 43,000 acres needs to be made available to the ranch board. There are millions of dollars in improvements, too numerous to list here, that must be done, beginning NOW. Fencing, ceresa control, and preparing for controlled burns next winter should be at the top of that list. Nearly 900 head of cows and bulls, plus their calves, is pushing the capacity for 9,000 acres in the best of times. If we have a dry year, they will need more grass. Also, if they do controlled burns next winter, they will need unburned areas to rotate to.
This board knows what they are doing. Lets not handcuff them. Give them what they need to work with, and this ranch will be turning a profit in less than 5 years.
Less than five years? It had better happen a lot sooner than that! You sound exactly like that Osage, LLC Board on when a dividend was to be paid to the Osage Nation. BTW, that never happened. As for the Osage Nation, it's the oldest sales trick in the book. Create urgency. "You snoose, you lose." The elected members of the Executive and the Legislative Branches of the Osage Nation fell for that one like the proverbial ton of bricks.
A profit in 5 years? Doubtful. The raw cost of the land plus necessary remediation is $115,000,000. Amortize that over 40 years (without accounting for opportunity cost of money) and the minimum monthly lead payment for the Bluestem Ranch should be $239,583.
Given that over the useful life of a producing cow (5.7 years) the typical gross revenue is $5,203 and expenses are $2,623, the net profit is $2,580 - or roughly $453 per year. That includes seasonal pasture costs of $216 per year, and the cost of land on the Bluestem Ranch is far higher.
The ranch would have to be running nearly 6,400 producing cows and selling off bred heifers at a high rate to have any hope of showing a profit.
If they wanted to get into ranching they should purchases a small area of land and then leased other people's property on a seasonal basis as needed.
Well, the only one who didn't support it was Congresswoman Shannon Edwards. She wanted more information about a lot of things involving this real estate purchase and didn't get any answers as far as I know in the crazy rush to bid on Bluestem Ranch.
It was a rush = no transparency for Political gain what it surmounts to. Now we have 75,000,000 and 40,000,000 = 115.000,000 to get rid of those who did not do the diligence as required by the oath our Congress members took to protect the interest of the Osage. I ask Shannon Edwards to bring in a special prosecutor to investigate after this scam I feel we were sold a Bill of Goods by our Chief open up a federal investigation A.S.A.P.
I got a clarification today on two things. It was the Executive Branch that brought in the idea to purchase the Bluestem Ranch. I am going ahead to presume that it was also the Executive that put pressure on the Congress to move quickly to secure and win the bid. It's also the responsibility of the BIA to handle the clean up and that $41 million has to come from them, not the Osages. The problem is that they don't have the money to make such a clean up happen and probably won't for many years to come if ever. This all went way too fast and the only one who rejected the pressure was Shannon Edwards on the Congress side. Still, the prime movers were the Chief and the Asst. Chief on this purchase and they bear the largest responsibility for it.
There was never in question where the brunt of the blame goes but Congress administers the funding. They write the legislation so I ask before this happened what did the appropriation committee knew or not knew and keep in mind this money comes from our "Gaming" it is to be used to the economic benefit of the Osage. So I ask how is our Llc doing, how is our real property doing because it should be to the economic benefit, this is how the law is written, how is the hydroponics working to benefit the Osage? We are looking at a can of worms that has opened up with this purchase of the Ranch. Osages better wake up and smell the flowers and see the forest for the trees. You cannot write a good piece of legislation if you haven't read the small print in this contract, where was the vetting and so forth, the diligence? I said this is not chump change we are playing with in the last 10 years tbis all accumulates to the disadvantage Osage by there own people. I suggest people start talking and can the Chief and the A.P Chief. This is no accident.
You must remember that the Osage Nation government, with very few exceptions, is populated with individuals who are emoters as opposed to thinkers. No matter how educated they are, they still operate at this remedial decision making level and that makes them dangerous not only to the body politic but to the entire Tribal Nation from a fiscal point of view. They appear not to be able to properly add and subtract where budgeting goes and what is actually available to spend, they appear not to be able come up with a realistic figure beyond which they will not spend government money and they appear to come up with every substandard idea for spending, relative to the money they have to work with on a prioritizing basis as to what is realistic and what isn't, and then attempt to pay for it even when they know or should know that it's costing them double, triple and in some cases ten times what it should cost in the open market for goods and services rendered. This is widespread throughout the Osage Nation government with the elected officials who are actively engaged and with those who are reported not to be who mainly collect a paycheck and make noise that makes no sense at all even when they verbally weigh in. In some cases, they will even stand up and argue in one direction and then vote for the very measure that they argued against as if that's going to keep people from voting against them in the next election when they come up in the cycle. It's all so hopeless and without any redeeming value other than for the very few who actually see any benefit from this utter depth of corruption, the Osage people should complain direct to the U.S. Congressional Indian Committees in the House and the Senate to have the Osage Nation government officials brought before them both in open hearings to make an example of them and what they are doing which is really a good microcosm and "object lesson" of what is happening with other Native American governments all throughout the USA. These Tribal governments, for the most part, serve themselves and their employees but not the majority of the Tribal membership for whom they were brought into being and why they even exist in the first place.
1) Money appropriated and spent for the majority of the Osage Nation members for benefits like the Osage Health Card, scholarships for College and University educations, the Plan F Medicare Benefit for seniors over 65, prescription benefits for the membership no matter where they live, prescription eyeglasses, hearing aids, and other modalities for those in need no matter what age or where they live, per capita payments for those who do not directly benefit from Federal spending programs in Osage County, Christmas Bonuses for those 65 years and older, cash vouchers for early child learning and K-12 for all those who do not live in Osage County, the death benefit for all members, and, why not?, an all membership Turkey voucher for Thanksgiving.
You know, at least with the last Tribal Council government, no one, from the Chief on down, ever asked the membership to justify the reason why they deserved the benefits the Tribal Community provided for them back then, including the headright payments distributed quarterly. Such is certainly not the case with the self-serving Osage Nation government today. It's the Nation and its employees above all else these days and that's got to be the strangest dichotomy of all since the whole damn thing was sold as a government venue for fairness and inclusiveness for all Osages no matter what or where.
Buying that ranch land was a big mistake, Chief. Big mistake. Less do nothing employees and more universal membership benefits paid for with Tribal funds. Next election is coming up sooner than you think...
In response to Poater 10:04 AM. Yes yesterday there was a question how our money was being utilized and this is not the first attempt to address the issue more or less a power play of who can, she said and I'll be dam if we don't get our way, to where we are at today just in legal form of the taking, all in the name of sovereignty non the less what is happening, we have big issues and like I said non of this would have had to go this route but the money that is lost in 10 years and the fact no one will hold themselves accountable nor can we, is pretty much what is happening here because of the way our laws are constructed. But our recourse is to file in the federal court because this money that is coming from the Casinos is the Osages money thats yours and mine and make no doubt it is. It is to be used for economic benefits for the Osage not on someones pet project or food stand or for that matter a statue. Give and take amongst the few with no accountability. So basically we have a autocratic government.
To poster @ 9:51 AM
I have been saying for sometime include the Osages far and near for a per-cap. And I agrre with your comment.
To poster 9:09 AM
I whole heartedly agree with you. Well written. My hope that is that we right side our Government from a upside down znd hold each and everyone of them accountable and maybe we should move to Congress and let them know exactly what is going on.
Gullible people are what makes Ponzi schemes work over and over in the beginning. Only ignorant people would demand the return of startup capital and think they have made a profit.
Oldest sales trick in the book. Create urgency. "You snoose, you lose." The elected members of the Executive and the Legislative Branches of the Osage Nation fell for that one like the proverbial ton of bricks.
What kind of MOU would it take to maintain a 3000 voting block commented towards unity towards the betterment of the Osage.Be they Osage Shareholders or Non shareholders all voting as a single voice and direction.By building and maintaining a Osage Village in Northwest Arkansas,with all the Sovereign powers and tools which are enjoyed by The Osage with in the Nation,now.With the move towards the Osage re-buying land in Missouri,the same can be done in NW Arkansas and not ask our Osage congress for one dime.
If the Congress isn't involved, then the Osage Nation isn't involved and the land for an Osage Village won't be associated with our Tribal Nation and therefore there won't be any sovereignty with the Federal government. You need to think these things through a little more thoroughly, John, but I do like that part of the country and it would be nice to have a Casino/s in that general vicinity (AR/MO).
I have been working on this since 1988 and have never asked for any funding from The Osage People or its governmental bodies. Osage politics are detrimental to the future as its always been in the past. We truly live a modern world which anything is possible,and the only thing which is needed is funding. If one builds and maintains a finical environment where shareholders and investors are tax-exempted and the structure does not change with every election, then funding is possible.
Who have you been talking to John? Apparently, it's someone who had no clue as to how the Tribal system works where the establishment of sovereignty takes place. Just because you may be an Osage, you can't plant a flag in the ground and claim a Tribal village out from under the actual Tribal government that has an established government to government relationship with the Feds.
I talk to local elected officials in the State of Arkansas.They are very open for the Osage to re-establish Osage Sovereignty jurisdiction within the State of Arkansas.Its to a point where they are willing to dig the hole for the Osage to erect the flagpole for the flag of the Osage Nation.Those who have been posting here on the OSA discussions sites over these many pass years have seen and posted about a re-established Osage presence in Arkansas,written by myself.The Tribal system does not work for me here in Arkansas and never has. Now can I become a division Of the tribal system and do everything which is being done in Osage county under Osage jurisdiction here in Arkansas. Nothing legally stops this. Just because it has not happened as yet dose not mean it can't become a future for Osage of the Arkansas,a District of the Osage Nation. Under the current tribal system it would take 2 to 4 years of paper work,studies,debating,and authorizing such a project.Me, I'm old school and I gather information on our Osage Past and how they once lived,in all forms to build and maintain a traditional modern way of life,here in Arkansas.
I say a real authentic Osage Tribal Village including the Lodges and the works. Life just like it was way back before a white face ever showed up on the horizon. How about it John? Want to head up that committee? Maybe you could be one of the new Hun-Kah or Tzi-Zho Chiefs. War Chief or Peace Chief, John? What's it going to be? Kugee Supernaw, Raymond Red Corn, Ron Shaw, and Archie Mason can be the reconstituted Society of Little Old Men. NO? OK. Raymond maybe. For sure. He thinks he's wiser than anybody.
When I look at Osage Problems,I do not waste time on finding solutions to correct them but rather find the ways to manage the problem until solutions are found, agreed a pond and authorization towards correcting them by the will of the Osage People or their elected officials.If things are not going good among the Osage today why continue on the same paths or directions? We have to many groups of Osage,working against each other,towards their own goals and future and there is no unity,to work together,to meet and overcome our problems,in common,which can and at times affects all of us. What worked for the Osage for 100's of years,should, could work today.
Well, one thing I did like about the old way was the ability to vote with your moccasins. If you didn't like the Chief you were under and wanted to go with another one, you could pick up and go with another Osage Chief in another area and be the better for it. Saves a lot of time and money throwing one Chief out of office after another. Certainly we can't do that today.
The path we're on now, it's possible we could be facing an economical disaster like 2008 in our own Nation (our rich Nation). Already laying off employees, hiring freeze. What's next, will programs be shut down? Will the Nation have to borrow money to keep present salaries paid?
Like the National debt, got to stop the "unnecessary" spending. The Chief is dreaming "too big" with money not meant for his desires. Spiritualism is out and capitalism is in.
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.
It never stops astounding me how incredibly stupid some Osages can be in their thinking about the 1906 Allotment Act as amended. Without it, there would be no mineral rights reserved to the Osage Tribe in perpetuity, no Mineral Estate Trust from which the minerals income is taken and deposited into the Federal Trust account to be distributed to the Trust beneficiaries (the Headright owners) in quarterly payments, and nothing to even be talking about today as to Osage Tribal existence or sovereignty. As for the "group think," apparently this one, who is old enough to remember the wildly popular Hippie generation and its "Drug, Sex and Rock n'Roll wipeout, has forgotten too much and therefore, I say nuts to that! Think for yourself people. Look at how much trouble the "Osage Unity in Thought and Purpose" has gotten us in, in the last ten years and take a lesson from it. "Midwife Mistrust" indeed! It's Osage Nation decision makers I'm afraid of and I have every right to be afraid. Very afraid! Does this elder propaganda propagationist ever really read what she writes? http://osagenews.org/en/article/2017/03/14/ki-gthi-wi-do/ WHEW!
"We owe it to ourselves and to the tribal leaders we elected, to trust ourselves, and them, until and they prove themselves untrustworthy. “Trust but verify” seems the most prudent." Yo! Sister. They HAVE proven themselves untrustworthy or have you conveniently chosen to let that pass you right by? Fly right over your head did it? Let me remind you: -Osage, LLC.--$20,000,000 + or - and gone forever! -Tallgrass, LLC. muddle. -Bluestem Ranch initial unity and now the horrendous cost and the heated tug of war with the Chief. -Removal of Chief Red Eagle on a number of counts on ethics violations. -$806,000 Pawhuska Village embezzlement and open records cases that went to trial and the perps got only their hands slapped. -Tax lawsuit with the State of OK that robbed us of our Reservation in Federal Court. -Guy allegedly kills his girlfriend and the Osage Nation Tribal Court lets him off on a technicality for having taken too long to prosecute him when it took years in the same Court to prosecute the Pawhuska Village Embezzlers. Need I list more, because I can if you need your memory refreshed any further?
Why don't list the dollar amount in figures then maybe the above poster will get the big eye opener she needs, but my guess she's a liberal and they just don't understand nir want to, to spite there face. And this statement she is clearly wrong just because it isn't written doesn't mean it cannot happen sister.The Nation and M.C. is not one and never will be one. Because Government likes to keep us separated and thats fine with me. (I do not see exacting written statements specifically protecting shareholders’ right to manage the Osage Mineral Estate.) We have the right because we own the right ie M.E. not the Nation!!!! And we all know how our Government was built on stilts of lies. Who trusts the Nation and who trusts the M.C.?
Perfect verbal description of the situation, "built on stilts of lies." I got to hand it to you. The 1906 Allotment Act as amended is legally incorporated into the Osage Nation Constitution in Article 15, which calls out the whole process from top to bottom. Don't believe this propagandist for the Chief and his minions. She's ONO all the way and another one who wants that Mineral Estate income away from everyone but Osage County Osages. Dismiss her opinion as one of many who will do or say anything to end run the ONO Agenda.
For a long time the word or term Reservation, I've had a very strong opinion against it concerning the Osage.When the Osage re-bought this land,which to the Osage this became the Homeland of the Osage. Today the Osage continue to re-buy this Homeland and are and have re-bought land which was parts of our homelands,is at this time not against the Law.When the US congress re-affirmed the inherited right of self being towards the Osage,they alone decided who were,who we are and who we will continue to be. It is my opinion that the Tax lawsuit is moot and lays in a state of void and the Osage continue to exercise Osage Sovereignty as they always have,are and hopefully will always continue till the end of time.
Oh, and let's not forget the strategy of putting the cart before the horse in buying the Bluestem Ranch to take into Federal trust without even seeking a determination from the Bureau if it would even qualify for Trust status before the purchase. Now the story is $41 million to cure environmental problems on the land first before it can even be considered to be taken into trust and without that, there are no protections for the Osage Nation that would have been available on trust land. In short, it's a worst case boondoggle that needs to come to the attention of the Secretary of the Interior who can handle supervision because with this last horrible fiscal decision of the purchase of the Bluestem Ranch, I really don't know how much more we are expected to take. Clearly, those who run this Osage Nation government are simply not capable of running it properly from a fiscal standpoint and to the satisfaction of anyone who has a lick of common sense. I say enough is enough and the Osage Nation government officials really need to be subject to a guardian like supervision and review for any major spending outlay of the Osage people's money beyond, let's say $10,000. The first paragraph of the 1978 Act to amend the 1906 Allotment Act calls out a process for such a procedure to take place to relieve the currently elected members of the Osage government for "good cause" and gross fiscal incompetence in the budgeting, debt acquisition, and spending of the gaming and other funds of the Osage Nation government surely qualifies as one of them. I quote from this U.S. Congressional Act:
"The Secretary (of the Interior) is hereby authorized to remove from the council any member or members for good cause, to be by him determined, after the party involved has had due notice and opportunity to appear and defend himself."
Without a doubt now, we need an intervention in place on an immediate basis with someone in a position to guide and advise in any matter where the Osage people's money is being spent. For the sake of the Osage people who are continually harmed by this Osage Nation government in one financial way or another, we need this!
Plus a $450,000 Tribal matching grant for broadband internet access in BOWRING ?!!!? For 522 people, nearly all of whom are not Osages: http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2017/03/13/congress-passes-450000-match-grant-fund-broadband-internet-project/ https://censusreporter.org/profiles/95000US4005160-bowring-public-school-ok/
That's roughly 85 Osages who live in the Bowring area. Taken together with the grant and the matching Tribal funds of $900,000, that's $10,588 per person !!!!!!! Bowring is darned near to the Kansas State line South of Hula Lake.
Oh and the Chief taking money out of the Gaming Commission Budget without their knowledge! Of all the Boards and Commissions, this one is of utmost regulatory importance and this budget should be sacrosanct period.
http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2017/03/16/gaming-commission-declares-budget-shortfall-executive-branch-issues-hiring-freeze/ Here we go. If you can figure out what is what and how much money this Osage Nation government has, I've got to hand it to you. I can't make heads or tail of any of it with numbers flying around from one Branch of the government to the other. Second of all, I want that gaming commission to be handling the oversight of the security not the Osage Nation because they don't even have oversight over their money where the projected income is concerned: "“One of the problems is that the accounting for the shortfall has changed almost every other day during the past two weeks. At first, it was reported to be $445,000. At the next meeting, there was a change to approximately $300,000. Then, at a meeting with several Congress members present, it changed again to $760,000. Then, at the Gaming Commission meeting, it was $308,000." All I can conclude is that this is a shell game with Osage Nation projected revenue being reported from various sources. This has all got to end and someone in this incompetent government has to find out what the true numbers are and spend accordingly. This is what comes of the flippant way that the Executive deals with the Legislative Branch. It all began when budgets with line items began to disappear and only total numbers for each department, office, etc. began to be reported in round numbers. If the Osage Nation government can't provide oversight, then the Osage people should have the right to have a look at what is being spent and where. Then the Congress didn't want to come in for one Special Session after another to make line item adjustments in budgets (might have to work too much and too hard) so the freedom to move money around from one line item in a particular budget to another became the active practice. Now, from what I am able to understand, money is being moved from budgets placed all together in one Executive Branch Division. In short, money from one budget is robbed to give more money to another budget under the same Division, in this case, The Executive Administration division: "This division budget also contains separate budgets for the Nation’s Tax Commission, Election Office, Emergency Management Office, Archives, Communications, Information Technologies, Accounting, Human Resources and a separate HR budget for employee hams distributed during the holiday season." When you start doing this kind of robbing Peter to Pay Paul kind of accounting you are bound to get in trouble and shutting down Casino because you don't have the necessary people on the Gaming Commission to effect a proper regulatory oversight, this is trouble.
Outstanding reporting by Benny Pollaca of the Osage News on this developing situation. If you do stupid things with money, you pay the price. The Congress must have hard figures on exactly what is being spent and where for every single Department, Office, etc, and the Executive Branch MUST adhere to those fiscal choices made by them and put on down on paper on a daily, monthly and yearly basis or get back to the Congress to make those changes to those budgets by use of the appropriation process. Anything else will lead to the horrific consequences we find ourselves facing now. The very idea of of sending nearly empty boxes over from the Executive Branch to the Osage Nation Congress to thumb their noses at the representatives of the Osage people was worthy of severe discipline and this is what it leads to... I sincerely hope that the Chiefs have stepped in it big time and that finally they receive the discipline and the consequences that they so richly deserve. GSB and RRC, go ahead and run to the Osage Nation Supreme Court with that and see how far you get when the National Indian Gaming Commission swoops down and The government's gonna jump all over your head, GSB, and go "cock-a-doodledoo!" I say receivership and get this eleven year mess that has been made by people who have no respect for the way that things are properly done with money sorted out and put right once and for all. We want to see line item by line item what you are spending including salaries and employment positions as well as all other budgetary items and we want you to stick to them day in and day out or resign from office and go elsewhere where you can't any longer do fiscal harm to the Osage Nation government.
According to the article, and since GSB issued an executive memo stating there will be a hiring freeze on new ON government employees, how is the problem to be resolved if they can't hire a replacement for the Accounting Controller who resigned on Jan. 8, 2017? https://www.accountingcoach.com/blog/controller-accounting-department
I'm really shocked the Osage News is printing anything bad about GSB. For those of you who live out of state, you have no idea what a mess he's made of things.
I did not see anything negative about the Chief in the Osage News other than a down play by him of the Numbers and what they really are. All the same playing the shell game never works because one day it will show up with no accountability. If this happens then we know the Osage will know if the fix is in and if it is watch out because here we come to the rescue with a rewrite of the Osage Constitution and we give back this mes to our M.C to sort out. Give the Osage Tribe back to its people can and will happen.
I think that was the point. He was downplaying the numbers when to even do so is just "smoke and mirrors" excuses to the trained eye and mine is certainly trained by now. He is responsible for finding out what the true number is and working with it. Manipulating an already inflated budget and moving money around and away from the Gaming Commission budget is a risky venture at best. Taking the Casino security and surveillance away from the Gaming Commission is also a risky business, especially if they don't agree and don't want that responsibility taken away. I should think that they wouldn't but in any event, if I were the Chief, I wouldn't fool with that budget until the dust settled and it could be definitively determined what wasn't spent at the end of the fiscal year. With a new budget for the next year, then, the changes could be made but not beforehand. My question is this; if he is moving money around with this budget, what is he doing with the others? This could lead to a very bad place...
The Chief and Assistant Chief are throwing good people under the bus with the latest article in the Osage News about the Gaming Commission shortfall. The News prints everything the Chief says without checking anything. The article makes it look like the Gaming Commission is at fault. Of course, that's what the Chief wants it to look, but it's just not true. The shortfall is caused by the Chief overstating the expected income on purpose. (To make the needed tribal monies appear less.) Then he raids their budget without telling them he has taken some of their appropriated money. Now the chickens have come home to roost. Starting May 1 the Commission will have to lay off 5 people a week unless the Chief comes clean and restores their money. Innocent people will lose their jobs for his pie in the sky shenanigans.
Thank you. This clarification is sorely needed just now with all the intended disinformation coming out of the Chief's office. I can't believe this guy is engaging in tactics like this. Wasn't he there in the room during the Hearing to throw out Chief Red Eagle? When are these people going to start behaving like they've been paying attention to the Legislative process and the laws that have come out of it?
Yes. I've noticed that with the Osage News on your "fact checking" comment. Aren't good reporters supposed to abide by the Journalist's fact checking rule, “If your mother says she loves you, get a second source.”?
I will be attending the Southern Calif. meeting and I will make it Political. Everything Osage is not ok. Cynthia Boone, Stephanie Erwin, Alice Goodfox if I have it correctly, if you could join the meeting I would like to take you out for Dinner and talk about our unfortunate circumstances. Chief I am a Tallchief and I am calling you out. I know my clan our culture and I have a plan to carry out what shoulda coulda be all that we can for our people, my fathers goals where not just a dream, but can be a reality and that was to inspire growth for our economy, for our people and our neighborhoods, our districts. Called integrity. I am ready to fight for what is his dreams were for all of us. His name WESLEY LEROY ROBERTSON 111. I have been sitting on his goals and plans for our Tribe for some time. All of you know him and all of you hoped one day he would be Chief and unfortunately God had other plans. And as I write to you I am so disappointed in what I am hearing and seeing. His goals to make this Tribe Great, his goals was to build our economy, well look at what we have. We're in debt. I have been sitting on his goals for to long. He wanted that Per-Cap for all of us, he wanted to build oue economy thru the Casinos and build our future in our M.E not to take over the M.E as the Nation has so effortlessly tried to take over to no avail. Tim, Celia, got anything to say? If George was alive do you think he would stand for this? All of you need to take a seat, take a deep breath, because you will need it after I speak at the Southern meeting. I am the one who didn't get a vote for our Government and how did that happen still think I cannot go to the SOI, DOI, BIA, lastly Congress and if you don't think they will listen lets talk about who I know that will make a difference. If you think that the 20% of Osages who live back at home are the only ones that care you are sorely wrong wrong wrong on so many levels. I first want to say thank you to the person who opened this web site, I want to thank tne person who opened up the web site in 2006 the OSA. All food for thought and I have taken a big bite. The taste is bitter sweet. Just a word in between here. Who ever is announcing meeting in the Biased Newpaper the Osage News, need to announce two weeks ahead ov time. Some of us can't attend in such short notice is that done deliberately? The dances really need to be posted two months in advance. If I decide to run for Chief, the Osage News will be for the people. If not we will make our competitors our newspaper, ah, Bigheart comes to mind. The special interest willbe yoh not big Government. Sitting to long not to do nothjng. Have had health issues and thanks to the Choctaw Nation for the Great care I have received. God bless them. They are the ones we shoukd mirror not the UTES. Hope and Change is coming. Watch wait and see. To all of you who have posted on this site you all have inspired this soul. Somebody from the old site OSA asked me to wait before I leasched out my wrath sorta speak, listen there are routes I can take that would end this Nation in a heartbeat, but our Nations failure is not what I want to see because it would mean our failure. Someone called me out 2006 or there of and respectfully I submitted and complied out of respect funny word right because where is the respect for all of us. Cynthia I still have designs for hou and Stephanie Erwin and want you as chair, and Alice hou had good legislation and I want you by my side as well. Time to multi-task. I am a accountant and have raised five kids and I have run multi-million dollar businesses and this is no way shape or form of a Government our people hoped for, nor is what my father hoped for. Cleaning house starts with our Government then trickl downs to the Cassinos. Thats the tall order of the day chief hear me roar I coming. Lets get the Turkey Voucher each year to our members attached with a 100 dollar bill. How do you like that.
Good for you! State the case and make your expectations as an Osage Nation member known to the powers that be. Your comment tells me in no uncertain terms that the Osage Blog is working. Thanks for the heads up on the meeting too: http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2017/03/16/united-osages-southern-california-spring-meeting-april-29/
Your welcome, thanks again. The path we can see but the hard work is walking it and especially the right path and the direction or course we are on is not the path that we all hoped for. We cam do better.
ALERT! See Congresswoman Edwards testify at the Neil Gorsuch Confirmation Hearing before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary on March 23 at 9 a.m. http://osagenews.org/en/article/2017/03/21/osage-nation-congresswoman-testifying-gorsuch-committee-hearings/
It would be nice if our Councilpersons would ask more questions about the Superintendent report. All that is reported are “how many”. How many meter inspections for example but no information about the size of wells and if any errors were found. I witnessed three gas meter inspections last year and errors were found on all three that were corrected. The one time that a Councilperson asked about the results of meter inspections we were told there were NO errors found on over a dozen inspections. I am not convinced our BIA field people have a clue what to look for or even ask for the test results. The BIA field rep that was at the inspection I attended spent the whole time on the phone and admitted he had no training with put on the spot.
Our Superintendent’s most important monthly meeting is the Wednesday meeting with the OMC. She has missed many since the beginning of her tenure. She should be arranging her schedule around the monthly OMC so she can attend to do the business of the Mineral Estate. It is completely unacceptable to not attend this meeting. She is not there today for personal schedule conflicts. Please call your council person to express your dissatisfaction with her poor attendance record and demand she attend ALL meeting in future.
Live again and talking about the Washington, D.C., and are talking about TERA. If we go with it we will have to give up the Trust... Cynthia is pointing out that we are against doing that as a member of Council with a resolution. Chief's attorney's project is TERA? WTH is this all about?
I want to make this point and make it clearly: Cynthia made the statement that we will have to give up the Trust if we go with a TERA and she's against it. Remember that the next time you try to take her to the woodshed.
OK, this is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. Any “producing well” that is plugged for any reason needs to have “Remaining Reserves” determined and the Shareholders need to be paid accordingly. Sounds like our OMC has never addressed this! How much potential production in the past that has been plugged have we not been paid for??? We need to demand a report. I believe we are owed significant revenue.
Part 2 is now available here http://mixlr.com/osage-nation/showreel/ and you really should take the time to listen to the report on the Washington, D.C. trip and what was said about the Chief asking that the Bluestem Ranch be attended to by the BIA. Such nonsense. He should have made sure of and seen to the land-into-trust qualification determination prior to making the purchase, not afterward. Now we are left holding the damn bag as usual and this time it smells to high heaven from Maine to California and Oregon to Texas.
As a Headright Owner I have many concerns about comments and statements made in today’s meeting. Here are a few:
1. Robin Phillips POOR attendance at this “once a month meeting”. This meeting is the most important function of her job as Superintendent. It is an insult to all of you and also to all Shareholders when her personal schedule or anything else overrides her obligation to attend the monthly OMC live broadcast meetings. She needs to be publically reminded of this at the next meeting. Her attendance is not an option, it is required. Frankly, I do not understand why all of you tolerate this. 2. It should be standard operating procedure that if any “producing” well is scheduled for plugging (for any reason) the Remaining Reserves should be identified and the Shareholders should be paid for the unrecoverable reserves. The price can be based on futures prices (oil & gas) less basis for our region. The Shareholders will be requesting a report on all past producing wells that were plugged, the remaining reserves attributable to each well, and the value of the unrecoverable remaining reserves. NOTE: If the BIA was doing their job they should have remaining reserves on each well already as pointed out in the DOI Inspector General’s report. The BIA has never responded to our request and yours for an update of this report. You should demand it, please. I believe we will be owed significant revenue for these losses. 3. The OSA stated in the Chiefs meeting “To Increase Production in Osage Co.” that he and the OMC should go to Washington DC as soon after the new director was announced to discuss this issue. We wanted the Chief to go because it has become obvious that the Government only recognizes the Chief as the ON spokesperson with authority. I did not hear one thing in Chairman Wallers report that indicated the need to restart drilling and increase production. The Shareholders will be requesting a full written report about this meeting. 4. It is VERY concerning that the Chief did not allow the OMC’s legal representative to attend these meetings. Why didn’t Chairman Waller and Councilman Crum insist our attorney be allowed to attend these meetings? 5. Why is the Chief allowing the author of TERA to push for the ON to enter into one when we all know that we have to break the TRUST to do one? Once again, not a single Councilperson asked any probing question about the Acting Superintendent’s report. All that is ever reported are “how many”. How many meter inspections, for example, but no information about the size of wells and if any errors were found. I witnessed three gas meter inspections last year and errors were found on all three and the errors were corrected. The one time that a Councilperson asked about the results of meter inspections we were told there were NO errors found on over a dozen inspections. I am not convinced our BIA field people have a clue what to look for or even ask for the test results. The BIA field rep that was at the inspection I attended spent the whole time on the phone and admitted he had no training when put on the spot. I believe they have had training now so they should be able to provide us with more information than “how many”. Will publish the rest in next reply.
6. Chairman Waller discussed a “tough” late afternoon meeting in Washington but said nothing about it. I hope we will get a full report in the Newsletter discussed. 7. Funding for ”studies” (can’t remember the kind of study) was mentioned during the meeting today. If we are ever going to sue for BIA “Breach of Trust” then the most important evidence is the economic toll the Superintendent’s decisions, policies and actions have taken on the Shareholders payments and the economy of Osage Co. and the State of Oklahoma. This can only be accomplished by a Professional “Economic Impact Study” which should have been accomplished in the Fall of 2014 when first asked for. We still need it for evidence. As a Shareholder, I am requesting that the OMC finally obtain an Economic Impact Study. IF funding is available for this sort of study, then the OMC should submit a request for this. The BIA was supposed to do this as suggested in the shocking Inspector General’s report, the BIA was supposed to do this before they re-created CFRs and the BIA was supposed to do this before the EIS. When are you going to start demanding this and the other 32 points of improvements as reported in the Inspector Generals report?
There is so much that can be accomplished to increase the Shareholder Revenue that is not currently being addressed. Time is of the essence.
And why is Chairman Waller so damn short with people who ask questions? As for his remark about the Resolution, not being put forward at the meeting in Washington D.C., of the MC against a TERA, he said he has so many bullet to fire and not until he needed it or something to that effect. Listen Mister, every single one of those so called bullets cost a lot of money and a field trip to Washington D.C., is a hell of a costly one especially if this is a future that the none of us want but the Chief and his minions. Put as much information in front of these people every chance you get and all of it in advance of a decision by the Feds. This is ultra suspicious that Waller didn't give those at that meeting this resolution from the MC against a TERA. Is he secretly for a TERA and talking out both sides of his mouth depending on who is listening?
There's more than what meets the eye that is going on here. The incompetence level is thru the roof. Wouldn't it take a act of Congress to undo the Trust and that the trust is in perpetuity? Change in a hard way needs to happen like yesterday. Lack of accountability is thru the roof and transparency there is, bar none. The left not wanting you to know what you have a right to know how our M.E is working for us, in other words council members, we have a right to know how our money is working for us, please stand up? We have huge trust issue from with-in and this is a huge problem why we are where we are at. Get Waller out of the Chair put Stephanie Erwin in his place. Cynthia do what it takes this Shareholder has been pretty much on your side and I see the bigger picture. What we have is a failure to communicate and that is no accident. Most unfortunately there are moles from both sides of the fence sorta speak and I would not be surprised if we head for a Constitutional rewrite and by the looks of we might just have to do that as part of the bigger picture to have a successful M.E. This tug of war is over if we get this Chief out, end of story and all his staff can go to. And get a Chief for the People not special interest which is why we can't get anything done on both sides of the fence. Lastly, where was our representative in Washington with the Chief? He may be Chief but he is not the Authority of the M.E. The BIA, our Superintendent should be attending or a representative from our Council like our Lawyer should be attending for the interest of the Osage Shareholder and this is not just a conflict of interest but counter productive to the growth of our M.E. and my bet the Chief would say is all we had to do was ask, but truthfully in the interest of, the BIA should have gone as well. Epic failure, the ball has been dropped one to many times. Oh, just to add I brought up and asked when the regs were being cramed down our throats where was a "economic impact statement"?
Getting back to the topic of a "Tera". All it is is another word for self determination but we have laws already that allows us to be self determined. Will not go into that right now. Why is the Chief pushing for this? I can understand why he is pushing for tnis and to be honest with you he is frustrated with our council, but not only that if we were to sign up he would be Grandstanding because we would be the only tribe who has signed up for this program like we need another program on top of another and another. This is why we are where we are at becuase of the very same thing layering of regs. Like this is not going to solve all redundancies and all the layers of inefficiencies, the status quo at the agency does not change. What future do we have for our Children or our Tribe the Osage Tribe if we do not see this thru. Yes Chief, some of us have enough smarts in our pinky to understand that you may think your smart but there are other Osages that think you are pulling the wool over theie eyes or that we have blinders on, but guess what we do not. Cynthia Boone is right about the language in this policy " Tera" is very vague, as to compliance, if compliance is not met the asset or Trust could be lost and that to me sends signals about this policy and why no one has signed up for it. Poorly written. And as I have said there is many reasons to take the helm and run with a Petroleum office where we can be sure our technicians are trained fully and there is no reason not to but many reasons to and I for one as so many of us have said, if we do nothing we are dammed and if we do something we are dammed so what do we have to gain, so much more by doing so. We are Shareholders and we do have rights not one shareholder in this country does not have representation., we have a quasi council thats all we have. S.Erwin needs t tkae charge men just do not know how to multi task period. Waller needs to take to testerone boosters there supplements. It will help with his moods. What we have here is a failure to communicate. Again we have rights and we know this much the Nation needs to get their sticky hands of this Estate and I can tell you why it means so much for them to get there hands on it because we are the Reservation. Gray lost our status and I do not see anyone fixing the matter. So, to the poster above and it is with strength I support ammendments that need to clarify what the Chief can do and not do and this free willy spending of which the biggest was the Bluestem purchase that is now going to cost us 115,000000 million. Let me count how mwny years before a profit will be made. Yes laws have to change to protect the interest, the constituencies money. Impeach GSB now! The law is clear when it comes to spending our gaming money, it is to be used economically to benefit the Osage, again how will this Ranch be economical for the Osage? Anyone can step up and answer this question?
We are stuck with the Supt. We will always be under the BIA until the government reorganizes and abolishes that dept. (when pigs fly). Next to as good as a Constitutional rewrite are "amendments." Lawsuits among many Nations has proven the incompetence of the BIA in carrying out their responsibility to the Indian. We have a big responsibility now to protect our interest in the ME. "Outsiders" trying to make the call (change) of how the OME should be runned. It's not the Chief's call. I think his "title" has gone to his head too much. He's a temporary elected official. Wasn't it Judge Frizzel that said the shareholders have individual rights. We have to keep our eyes wide open to keep it that way. We were turned upside down in 2006 overnight. Can't afford such another life changing mishap.
There's no guarantee electing new people is the solution. To prevent the future Chief to overreach his authority and not have lawsuits against Congress, "rewrite or amend" that part of the Constitution that involves his duties and responsibilities, word it someway to control purchases without bypassing Congress.
I'm so glad S. Erwin brought up about the producer (Mr. Parks?) that when the Casino was built just treated him so badly, disrespected his lease (with us), and was also the same as doing it to us (shareholders), and it's going to be looked in and action taken on the circumstances. The producer spoke of it in the prior meeting, I was just stunned that the Osage did that. Who had the final signature to just ignore, overlook his rights? the Casino or the Chief?
C. Boone, I verify you did not say you agreed with the Chief's remark of the MC not doing it's job. Don't let that typo go in the minutes. The minutes are actually a legal document.
Please go further in detail about what happened to Mr.Parks and how he was disrespected? And how does this have anythjng to do with our current situation?
ref. March 22 at 1:02 pm item No 7 -- At one of the OMC meetings, the Supt. was asked directly what No. 7 mentions by one of the councilmen, and she answered with a sharp "No." I think the Dept. of the Interior was only concerned about any more repercussions from the lawsuit, protecting and covering up their lack of duties was the only objection on their part, nothing else at the time was more important to pursue than that.
An "Economic Impact Study" would have to be done to recover any losses/revenue. But in filing a lawsuit seems the Judge would order this impact.
"There is so much that can be accomplished to increase the Shareholder Revenue that is not currently being addressed. Time is of the essence." What exactly do you propose? A whole lot more of nothing except many more Osage County Osages get on the payroll with shareholder money footing the bill and that ONES Board which starts to get more and more money from the Osage Nation government instead of the membership in needed benefits? Give us a break! Used to be before the greed driven Osage Nation government got to the helm that only about $300K to $400K was used for the administration of the Osage Tribal government. The balance of the drawdown was returned to the headright shareholders in their checks...
Are you saying headlight income is used to finance the Nation's programs? Or are you pointing out that it didn't cost as much to finance the Nation when the Minerals council was in charge of everything? Just asking for clarification. Thank you.
And this is why we need to know how are dollar is working for us and I am pretty sure all of us Shareholder's would like to see some action action whats your function? Yep we need to know folks this is a different era and where are we at? Our future is here and in the past three years how are we trending? Who on our council will answer this Question, can The Agency who is working for us answer my question? Can our lawyer answer this question? And to boot, we seem to find ourselvex in this perpetual cycle of discourse with the Federal Government, lawsuits after lawsuits and tell ne how does this represent our future, our M.E? Now there you have in black nd white. Can we just get somewhere with some real answers and lets not sugar coat the reality, can we just get some work done? Our future is today, its here.
And the Tribal Council members served without a salary because it was a privilege to serve the Osage people. Nowadays, the only ones really being served, by a large percentage, are those who collect a paycheck from the Osage Nation government.
"Waller needs to take to testerone boosters there supplements." Woah! I don't think that this is or ever has been his problem. If anything, it's the exact opposite. Put him on "Low T" boosters and the roof might just come flying off the building. Funny remark though.
Did everyone see that Congresswoman Whitehorn has introduced legislation to remove the Supt. from the Agency? Even if it passes, I doubt if the BIA removes the Supt but bless her for trying. Do we even need a minerals council except to sign some leases once in a while?
Next the Chief but what ever happens with the sup, long over due, come on peeps wake up and smell the flowers she is right on this one, whitehorn, not that this is going to fix the challenges at the administrative level. You have to realize whos the pawn here. Changing the guard all the time isn't fixing the problem with this agency we need to go all the way to the SOI. Like this is going to expidite the changes at this agency that was promised over four years ago and now we are finally taking action. WTF. We can manage better ourselves yet we can't seem to come to a consensus about this. Its a waste of time unless we deal with the matter at hand.
Removing her is one thing, but wheres the fix? Don't pull a Paul Ryan. We need man power, feet on the Ground and that was promised by the Agency during the HPP lawsuit. Now fast forward 4 years later, still at square one and still hammered by the lack of performance by this agency. Get the special interest out and watch what happens.
An utterly priceless clap reaction from Kugee Supernaw at the end of the Chief's remarks. Hilarious is an understatement. Beautiful outfit worn by the Speaker today and a very nice tribute from her to Congresswoman Edwards on her service in vetting Judge Gorsuch.
She's too defensive and self-protective. She behaves in an emotional way when Osages rightfully vent and none of this answers to her fiduciary obligation to stop harming the Osage Mineral Estate. No other high level business executive who behaves this way is tolerated in the real world. It's substandard and there is no reason that the Osages should have to deal with her in any capacity related to the Mineral Estate. She needs to move on and find a less stressful environment that she can tolerate and behave appropriately.
Gaming Board is now issuing a newsletter to promote and provide transparency to the Osage membership. "Osages wishing to receive an email copy of the gaming board’s newsletter, or to provide comments and suggestions, contact the gaming board’s office at (918) 287-5558 or email Gaming Board Executive Assistant Mariellen “Mo” Fisher at mfisher@osagenation-nsn.gov http://osagenews.org/en/article/2017/03/24/gaming-enterprise-board-issues-inaugural-newsletter/
Yes! The Osage people are interested in a transcript of the Executive and Legislative Messages for each and every Session that takes place of the Osage Congress. Congresswoman Edwards is perfectly correct about that too.
Like a copy of the statement of the Chief about the $1.4 million from the Tax Commission that has apparently materialized out of thin air as referenced by Congresswoman Whitehorn's statement during the Opening Day of the Regular Session yesterday.
Congressional Session Day 3 is located at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7W4JH_wITc Important Note: The Bluestem Ranch Lease for the BR Board will be discussed in the Congressional Commerce Committee Meeting today between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/multimedia/live-media The Agenda is located at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/sites/default/files/event-brochures/CE%203-29-17%20Revised%20Notice3.pdf
BOONE'S BULLETIN--MARCH 28, 2017--PART 1 On January 3, the Chief met with a few people in Hominy. Some attending were Congress members Angela Pratt and John Maker, Osage Minerals Councilman Galen Crum and Councilman Andrew Yates, Eddie Redeagle Jr. of ONES LLC, Myron Redeagle, Patricia Spurrier Brite and George Shannon. The Minerals Council received no report about this meeting. Not all elected officials were invited to this meeting. That's why they are called secret meetings.
On January 12, there was a meeting held in Pawhuska. It was attended by those mentioned above, other members of Congress, other members of the Osage Minerals Council (OMC), oil producers and interested individuals. One of the topics was presented by George Shannon, the chief's uncle. He wants a million acre lease, do away with the BIA, form a new LLC company or new corporation. The OMC would be directors of the new corporation. Royalty to the shareholders would be a minimum. If a lease of this type were to be approved by the Secretary of Interior there would be no need for a Minerals Council. Article 15 of the Constitution gives the authority to develop and administer the minerals estate to the OMC. At this meeting, the chief announced plans for he and the OMC chairman to go to Washington D.C.in March. Not all OMC members were informed of this trip.
At the OMC meeting January 18, a new policy from the BIA superintendent is to have any requests for information to go through the chairman. I spend a lot of time at the office but I'm not there every day from 8-4:30. Our chairman isn't at the office all day.
On February 12, I attended a public meeting at Grayhorse regarding the 43,000 acre ranch the nation bought. I learned that the chief was not following Osage Nation law. He is interfering with the board by not allowing the board to have total control of the ranch.
BOONE'S BULLETIN--MARCH 28, 2017--PART 2 On February 15, the Chief came to our OMC meeting and spoke abut the proposed trip to D.C. I spoke about reasons why I might not go with the chief on such a trip. One reason was that we had not been provided with an agenda. The chief responded in such a tone that one of constituents stated he was this side of a heart attack. This was not a casual conversation. To listen you can google osage nation. There will be a pop up of 6 subjects. Click on Who We Are, then click on Minerals Council.Click on meeting information then scroll down to February 15. Click on audio 1 and begin at 41:35 to hear the chief's tone.
At the Osage Shareholder Meeting on February 26, the chief spoke and stated twice that the OMC isn't doing their job. Even though he belittles the OMC in public, he still finds it necessary to take us with him to D.C. When I asked what was on the agenda for that trip, the chief's response was that an agenda couldn't be made until he knew who was going.
On March 10, travel advance checks for the OMC trip to D.C. were prepared. Signatory Kathryn Redcorn signed her own travel advance check. This is against our policy.
At our March 22 meeting, past meeting minutes were on the agenda to be discussed. I specifically stated there were 7 missing pages on the January 18 minutes. In two places Galen Crum was identified as Councilwoman Crum. I continued to point out several more errors. These were mostly errors that could have been corrected if our executive assistant would simply proof read his work. Councilwoman Redcorn tried to protect the executive assistant by saying the corrections needed to be discussed in private. Councilman Redcorn made the motion to accept the minutes. It was not a motion to accept the minutes as amended. Andrew Yates seconded the motion. Yes votes were Talee Redcorn, Andrew Yates, Kathryn Redcorn and Everett Waller. No votes were Stephanie Erwin and me. Abstain votes were Joe Cheshewalla and Galen Crum. Why did these four vote to have incorrect information to become part of the record?
We are still waiting on a response to our appeal of the wind farm from the 10th circuit in Denver.
Patricia Spurrier Bright's Open Records lawsuit against the OMC was dismissed. That cost the shareholders at least $1500 in attorney fees. Her efforts to give the OMC a black eye were unsuccessful. Myron Redeagle supported his friends by speaking negatively about the OMC in court. We're waiting on the court hearing transcript to see exectly what he said.
The Chief took over the BIA function of issuing certificate degrees of Indian blood (CDIB). We read in the ON Newspaper how many wrong CDIB's were issued and all their heirs that could benefit.
The Chief also took over the BIA Realty Department. He can't even get the ranch into trust. How much in taxes to the state will that cost us, $100,000, $200,000? We recently read that before the ranch can be put into trust, the entire ranch needs to be remediated at a cost of over $40 million. Where will that money come from? Shareholders are having trouble receiving their checks from Realty that the Nation took over. Other failures of the Osage Nation: a gift shop, grocery store and Osage LLC. The verdict is still out on the health clinic. I guess we're living in la la land to think that we will ever receive a per capita check from the nation.
Any opinions stated above are mine and not that of the entire OMC.
"...a million acre lease, do away with the BIA, form a new LLC company or new corporation. The OMC would be directors of the new corporation. Royalty to the shareholders would be a minimum." That's our Greedy Chief and the man who runs him and Waller both, Sonny Abbott. Can that bstrd at the first election opportunity. $40 million to remediate the Bluestem land and this information comes after the purchase and not before. Drop kick this guy in the rubbish bin on June 4, 2018 and that little fella too with the big mouth that stands right beside him.
George Shannon is one individual. But look at "how many" headright owner's are also individual. We all have a legal "individual" vote in our government. We have a say in the ME. The Chief's uncle may have influence over him but that doesn't stop our vote and our headright owner's RIGHTS. The "royalty" to the shareholders is already at a "minimum." With each new purchase and new spending it gets "permanently" lower.
The election of June 2018 is far away, we have to watch the Chief's next purchase or spur of the moment deals, some of us will die before the debts are paid off, and the next generation will still receive royalty at a "minimum."
"...form a new LLC company." Incompetent is as incompetent does. It's sad that Osage history in business repeats itself.
Blue Stem Ranch. Like being married and find out your mate's purchase on a charge card, and the Judge says you also are responsible for the cost. We are all on the Nation's charge card and we pay for it one way or another (benefits, revenue, setbacks, progress).
The meaning of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again if our rights are abrogated in any way shape or form you will see lawsuits after lawsuits be prepared. I will say this the Chief is right our M.C is not performing as in substandard by far. I have been saying this for a while. And I know the status quo has not changed for quite some time. Not to detract from whats going on with our Chief five years lafter the HPP and where are we? If there are any changes made we as Shareholders will vote for those changes these changes will be explained in black and white we will understand the narrative or agenda and we will be asking for economic impact statement and so forth get my drift. You are the few bit this Osage will not be hoodwinked. Thank you Cynthia for the update.
Hostile is a better word for what is happening behind close doors. Be very careful the direction you take. This is why we have 8 council members to be performing not on the sidelines Chief if they are to old then we get young blood in there to do the job that they are not doing.
I don't know if everyone on here is just naive or misinformed. The MC does not, repeat, does not run the Bureau. The Bureau effectively runs the MC and everything they do because they have the Executive power to approve or disapprove what the MC does or does not do. Everybody keeps screaming about the MC when it's the Bureau that is causing these problems out in the field and a vituperative, vindictive, and punishing Superintendent who is constantly showing the MC who's boss and causing the fallout from all of this to land on the Shareholders. The one Federal office charged with handling Indian affairs is one of the few that the Executive Branch can't get in hand. It's OOC and has been in a greater or lesser way since it came into being. I mean, if the former Secretary of the Interior can arbitrarily change the legal definition of a "fiduciary obligation" to a relationship where the BIA works "with" rather than "for" the Native American Tribes and Nations, you've got to know right then and there that something is horribly wrong.
Absolutely and I happen to agree with what you are saying but still even if we are at square one and it's at the administrative level of the bureau then it is up to the mineral Council to make those necessary changes and go to Washington and seek out the SOI or we will be ib the court systen again to no end until we fix what needs to be done. Most unfortunate we can't trust our chief and that is absolutely horrible. This is no way shape or form this M.E. is operating as it should.
Geeze! Don't you follow what has been going on? They just got back from a trip to Washington, D.C.! If you think that the Federal government, in any Branch at any level, dances to the tune of the Osage Mineral Council, then you aren't self-deluded, you are certifiable! This isn't an "ask and you shall receive" proposition by any means. Where are you coming from?
From a place where a big fat salary is dangling for those who can get the OME income away from the headright owners and put it in their pockets. I could almost buy into it for the day when Sonny Abbott starts getting a quarterly check at 1/50th of what he is getting right now and finally realizes that he's been had in the worst way by the Osage 3/4 Bloods. They have been plotting this for years on all those who have little blood quantum and get a payment check whether they live in the Osage or not. Just saw a movie that reminds me of the "curse" of the Osage and it's "The Dressmaker". Those Aussies...Pow! WOW!
They may have gone to Washington but maybe not for these reasons... The Chiefs tone wow, he knows his time is up very shortly and he also knows he's not well liked or trusted so is he some what hostle he should be because all eyes are now watching and waiting for his next move.
I agree with the poster above stating the MC does not run the BIA. There are hard facts we have to accept, this is not the 1920s. Our MC has no clout with the BIA at the local or national level. Tinker had a Superintendent removed in the 1960s. That was 50 years ago. As Shareholders I think the time has come to accept the fact that an Osage mineral estate share can make you a living. Just yesterday the Bigheart Times reported that the new county sheriff is suing a producer for dumping of oil and gas production by-products. His attorney is Gentner Drummond. Every producer in this county is going to get sued, one at a time. There is nothing the MC can do about that.
Of course there is a lot we can do the BIA works for us if we do not hold them to a higher standard and or accountability then of course we are not going to be going anywhere and just because its not the 1920's is the point here, lets get them out of that era and get some forward thinking going on if it means going to Washington once a month and thats what should be happening with all the evidence points to a disfunctional agency that is not performing,Lets not throw in the towell so quickly. Like I said if we do nothing someone else will step in. This George Shannon guy dont you think we have enough families getting paid by our Government. Not just that his Idea would hurt all of us. No way jose our checks are at a minimum a bare minimum and we are not happy to say the least is a understatement. If our Council is doing a wonderful job I could see them acting as board members but they already are acting and doing a bad job at it so what makes you think they will do a better job as board members. My point, with all this rhetoric is we can still function and we're not. I am thankful for who in our History or past who have produced and still want to continue, but its time we get that Burbank area going with bigger producing companies stop protecting the smaller interest. And lets move on. And lets hold our Chief accountable as well he should have come to the dinner table and try to come to a consensus even if his idea was being rejected does not mean we all do not want to come to a reasonable solution either. Chief you are equally guilty to do nothing. Get this shit going or we will throw out the shit sorta speak. This crap has been going on since before we became a legal Government and all there is bad news after another. How much money have we lost realistically?
Notice: The Spring, 2017 Minerals Newsletter is now available for download online at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/minerals-council Scroll down to the section marked Newsletters and click on the text "Spring, 2017 Minerals Newsletter."
DON'T FORGET!
ReplyDeleteElection Day is March 20. Voters can cast their ballot at the former Wah-Zha-Zhi Cultural Center building at 1449 W. Main St. in Pawhuska from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Early voting is also scheduled Friday March 17 (noon to 8 p.m.) and Saturday March 18 (10 a.m. to 8 p.m.) at the ON Election Office, 608 Kihekah in Pawhuska.
Osage News, today March 2 - "Shareholder's request for OMC financial records dismissed by ON Trial Court"
ReplyDelete[..."the entity that would hold the OMC's financial records would be the Osage Nation Treasurer's Office and not the council."]
HA! HA! HA! I sure hope this one cost 'ole Sonny Bunny a fat lot! This Simple Simone doesn't even bother to do her homework to find out where to go to get the information she wants in the first place. I'd like to know who is actually paying for this lawsuit. Do we get to see who is paying her court costs and attorney's fees now that the case has been dismissed? Not money wasted by me if it keeps the Osage Nation away, out of minerals business because it's money well spent to protect the Minerals Agency and Minerals Council from a hostile takeover. "Hold their feet to the fire," as a statement coming from the Bench seems like it's a slight bit inflammatory against the Minerals Council, isn't it?
Deletehttp://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2017/03/02/shareholders-request-omc-financial-records-dismissed-trial-court/
Lol Hostile take over by the shareholders for fiscal responsibility as the way I see not by the Nation their base, and it would not be A Hostle take over either stop the fear mongering. It would be well orchestrated and organized. And yes she should have done her home work. What I would like to know, is why is the financial handled by the nation on these accounts and not in the hands of the M.C.? The accounting is not hard in retrospect and it wouldn't hurt to take charge of all facets of this multi Billion estate. Wouldn't it be so much easier to consolidate to cut out the inefficiencies.
DeleteChief has you bamboozled on this one, my friend. Chief's have been trying to take over the Minerals since the top of the day at the very beginning. Those of us who follow what they've been up to with MOUs and "gifts" and a plethora of other ways to inject their virus into the OME. You need to know who your friends are and who your enemies are as well. Guys who want to take over the OME and make it so that no one benefits from it unless they live in Osage County are not friends of the Federal Trust Beneficiaries. The ring leader of this whole constitutional government was Hepsi Barnett and before the thing was ever even voted on, she was floating the idea of a public trust for the OME. One little office and they'll be in the door and your money will begin to diminish at that point and from then on if you even get any after they are through. They can't let what you have and what you own alone and they take it personally like small children in a schoolyard who think every single toy belongs to them and no one else. It's sick and strange but there it is and it's been going on every since the first family member with a headright left them out of the will or trust. Can't get past it no matter what. It should be pitied if it weren't so widespread and widely held in the Osages. Be afraid. Be very afraid because this is real and palpable. Some of them would rather see you gone and outta there than have money coming to you from the OME. To ignore this is like being in a cage with a wild live Tiger and thinking you're going to make it out alive. If you can't take a legitimate warning then that's your fault. Not mine.
DeleteNo one is bamboozled. This fight has been going on for centuries there will be people who will always want what they cannot have. Yep I know this name Hespie Barnet well and how deep the story goes. Thank you for keeping us current. I am a positive person and I tey to see all facets and even the flip to all of this and the laws of our Constitution and so forth. I know who you are Poster. You have been right here fighting the good fight but behind the scenes well,I am willing to do something. I am waiting to see what our Congress is going to do with this Chief out of Control because a little bird said, they have something up there sleeve. But we need to focus for the next in comming Chief and let her know what we expect from her and from what I am understanding she wants to give the People her Osage Brothers and Sisters real hope that respect and the integrity this position deserves with all of us in mind. Not just at a local level. She is promising to bring and unite us all and she will. She will put an end to this fight between the Great and little Osage. Shecwill give back the Government to the Osage by starting out with real numbers so each and all of us can be clear where we stand. She will bring work to the Osage as so many have failed on a gran scale. She be sure to tie up any and all in effective programs that do not make the Osage any money and as promised she will turn the operating control of the Bluestem Ranch to the Board and she will be clear the M.E. will be left in the hands of the M.C. and she will be sure that they have the technology to do so working with them as the way it should be. Shecwill only step in if she needs to. She likes Bone and Alice Goodfox and Stephanie Erwin. She would like to have Boone next to her in Office, why she likes to get stuff done. She would like Stephanie Erwin to be Chairwoman of the M.C. and Alice she has presented as of late some good legislation that has been bypassed and would like to revisit them..It's time we get some real work done not just for Na tion but for the betterment of our People. And personally there are quite a few of you who post here she would like to meet and greet and have a real conversation about what more we can do to support near and afar all Osages.
DeleteBoone.
DeleteLet me add a real woman can multi task and we are ripe to have one sitting in this position don't you think?
Delete"She will..." Who the heck are you writing about? Hepsi Barnett? Before I go nuclear, I'd better understand who you mean.
DeleteMarch 4, 2017 at 9:05 AM--As Chief? Cold day in hell let me tell you.
DeleteBoone? Erwin? Oh My!
DeleteLol, definitely not Hespi Barnet way and no way so don't go nuclear but it is time we do have a woman in that position and a smart one at that, just saying. A real woman knows hiw to clean house sorts speak, but non the less change is always good. But what I do know is and I believe there is a real strong economic plan that everyone can eat from just not at a local level as well.
DeleteCan anyone shed some light on the land buyback program. Is it worth selling my lands back to the tribe. Does this affect my head right or the minerals on the land. My family has several hundred acres and we want to hear how others feel. Thank you
ReplyDeleteSurface only does not affect your minerals rights. The decision is completely up to you. I sold my land one because it expands the Reservation and that is good for the Reservation, two, most of it is grazing land some of it was with in the district and the money they offered after checking the value was well above market price. Some of this land will never be developed or I will never develop or live on it. Three, this offer comes once in a life time or two. I believe in out Tribe and must do all we can to support them as they have been doing for us. Not enough though still want that Turkey Voucher for everyone at the end of the year.
DeleteYES! A By Gum Turkey Voucher and nothing less.
DeleteIt was a good deal for me. What was offered in payment for an undivided interest was way more than I would ever get out of leasing my share (for decades). The process is simple and easy to understand.
Deletehttp://www.bartlesvilleradio.com/pages/news/138792017/rig-count-rises-this-week_0
ReplyDeleteOklahoma declined by three wow. Where is our Growth M.C.?
DeleteStop blaming the MC for economic conditions well beyond their control.
DeleteOpec was only part if the problem, second the biggest was the delay at the agency and the permitting process and I can go on but your ignorance shows. Just saying and keeping it real. Sure there is lots of blame to go around. Lol
DeleteThe Bureau put in that temporary process for the producers until the new EIS was prepared. It lead to one delay after another and I'm fairly sure that the staff were taking no prisoners with the Osage beneficiaries at risk, at the same time, because of all the flack Superintendent Robin Phillips was getting over those proposed CFRs and the ramrod through she tried to attempt until she was shut down by the legal actions of the producers and the MC. There was an agenda and it seemed to me that the DOI wanted conformation in the Osage with what was happening elsewhere under its umbrella.
DeleteIf Cynthia had been on that Negotiated Rule Making Committee, it would have been different but she got frozen out by Team Osage and look what was the end result. Bad business all the way around lead by Sonny Abbott with Andrew Yates and Galen Crum.
DeleteYou know what I agree with you. Shes has though at times over stepped her boundaries but still like her. Stubborn Osage she is.
DeleteHappen to agree with you all above except poster 11:05 am.
DeleteDoes the OMC know that Mike Black is the Acting Assistant Secretary Of the Interior for Indian Affairs? It's a case of the fox guarding the hen house. Insane. Unless or until he is replaced, the Osage Mineral Estate is guaranteed to be in handcuffs.
DeleteDoes the OMC care?
DeleteOf course they care. They wouldn't have filed a lawsuit against the BIA to stop the harm to the OME by the Bureau from those new CFRs if the didn't. Bash and trash all you want but the real story is that many of us are fed up with you greed driven business incompetent foxes circling the hen house to get a big job and a fat unjustified pay check. You're killing the golden goose as it is with all the salaries and benefits going out to people on the payroll for 100 total divisions, committees, boards, commissions, departments, offices, and programs that benefit only a very privileged few to the detriment of the whole of the Osage Nation membership and on and so forth. We're in a tight spot but pulling us under the governance of the State of Oklahoma is not the answer either.
DeleteWhat I'd like to know is why aren't you headright owners stepping up, as beneficiaries of the ME Trust, to sue the Bureau for harm and damages due to arbitrary new regulations put in place that have crippled the OME when the real motivation came from two failed lawsuits filed in Federal Court by that attorney Gentner Dummone.
DeleteIf you don't like the Bureau, sue them and stop criticizing the MC for actions taken by the BIA that are beyond the control of the MC.
DeleteBut they are complicit they are our representatives do you not feel me fool.
DeleteThey are complicit? Please enlarge upon this topic. I am greatly interested to know and who you are referring to in particular.
DeleteElection Workers needed!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/OsageNews/photos/pcb.1371896059537884/1371895199537970/?type=3&theater
Application:
https://www.facebook.com/OsageNews/photos/pcb.1371896059537884/1371895412871282/?type=3&theater
Chief got everything he wanted during appropriations. Supreme Court is backing him. What a week this has been in the Osage. Today he issued an executive order freezing any new hires, no travel, no purchases of office supplies, etc. Gaming Commission is starting to lay off workers due to lack of funding beginning May 1 because Chief has been dipping into their budget without their knowledge. They need to be expanding due to Tulsa Casino expansion. Ethics charges filed against Chief due to his interference in the Bluestem Ranch. Possible violations of competitive bidding on casino construction again. Now he wants to put a casino in Missouri in partnership with his lawyer buddies when we can't pay our compliance officers now and give away half the income from the ranch to more buddies.
DeleteGet those ethics charges filed on this guy before the whole damn thing blows up in everyone's face. Gaming Commission should file an ethics charge against him too for unauthorized use of funds in their budget. I'm telling you the way they move money around is criminal but no one seems to pay attention or even care what these EB elected officials are doing.
DeleteBlame Congress!!!!!!!!
DeleteBlame Trump and Russian hacking! Blame anyone except the Chief.
DeleteI AM blaming the Chief!!!!!! From what I'm hearing he has been engaging in sneaking underhanded tactics with our money right and left! There is also a lawsuit being brought by the Congress against him for executing some kind of lease purchase agreement where one of the parties to the transaction is holding the Deed for land already purchased with Osage Nation funds, IOW, our money!!!!!!! That Osage Nation Judiciary never publishes a schedule so you never know when they are meeting and on what case!!!!!!!!! We pay for their salaries too and should be kept up with their judicial activities!!!!!!!!!!!! The case filed is under the Angela Pratt (Osage Nation Congressional Speaker) vs. the Nowlins and Brad Hilton. From what budget did this money come from?
DeleteChief looks like to me that he is doing all kinds of deals and gaining access to all kinds of money under the table or at least in a hidden way to pay for his agenda, whatever that might be, either legal or illegal according to Osage Nation law. Seems the Judiciary has been backing him on some of the issues before the Court but now it seems to be spiraling totally out of control. If he's moving money out of the budget for our gaming commissioners, the Osage Congress needs to hold a hearing ASAP on this as well as on his activities associated with the Bluestem Board. They should bring that up at the hearing on the 12th of March at the Cultural Center and get this most recent revelation out there to the public.
http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2017/03/10/second-public-hearing-scheduled-march-12-discuss-bluestem-ranch/
Plus the Nowlin/Hilton case progress too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DeleteWhat is the duty of the Treasurer to report funds being moved out of one budget or another and given to the Chief so that these Executive Branch employees tied to those budgets know what is going on at the time the money is being moved? They are in a position to file an anonymous whistleblower ethics charge against the Chief and the Division Heads tied to those individual budgets should be doing just that to secure these budgets from being raided by the Chief/s.
DeleteIf the Chief is not living within the Budget requirements or parameters accordingly to our Constitution is a conflict of interest to the Position he holds and the oath he took and has no business being a leader.
DeleteYes. But there's a glitch. The Osage Congress has given the Executive Branch a lot of leeway on moving money around within an individual budget. Moving money back and forth between separate budgets altogether is another matter altogether.
DeleteWhere is the Osage News on all of this? These are important and news worthy matters that need to be put before the Osage Nation membership. I guess the editor must be afraid that her budget will be next to be raided if she reports on these stories. What a mess! We at least need to see a copy of this Executive Order and what all it entails.
DeleteIsn't the Chief related to the someone at the Osage News they are owned by him and biased.
DeleteHe claims that they are biased against him in their reporting. The important thing here is the threat. If they perceive that there will be payback, there won't be any in-depth or controversial stories in the Osage News and it will become nothing but a puff piece news venue that is too expensive and unuseful to the Osage Nation membership, if it comes to that.
DeleteDo the cattle in the photo look like they are starving? Their coats look bad and they sure don't look healthy to me with ribs and pelvis bones showing. I sure hope this improves in the Spring and Summer.
Deletehttp://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2017/03/03/cattle-operation-underway-bluestem-ranch-nation-owns-800-cows-40-bulls-and-nearly-200-calves/
Today's Agenda:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/3rd-osage-minerals-council-meeting-0
Discussion with Attorney Sikking on the Washington, D.C. Agenda, so it looks like they are going there to get some of these issues sorted out. Sikking is the Osage Producers Association Attorney and this discussion is centered on the new CFRs not going forward or a new version of them.
DeleteThe audio of the entire first part of the meeting is here:
Deletehttp://mixlr.com/osage-nation/showreel/
The are now in Executive Session and will return shortly.
Thats fine and dandy but with the new regs, take two off.
DeleteWhat two? Not following you at all.
DeleteTrump says with every new reg, take two regs off.
DeleteWho does he think he is? Coco Chanel? Take them all off and put them in the incinerator.
DeleteThe new Osage Blog Conversation web page is located at http://osageblog.blogspot.com/2017/03/conversation-march-2017.html
ReplyDeleteThe Osage Nation Congressional Hearing on the Bluestem Ranch due to start in a few minutes:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2017/03/10/second-public-hearing-scheduled-march-12-discuss-bluestem-ranch/
https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/congress-hold-public-hearing-0
Live at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/multimedia/live-media
Later at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4mRcFPAMmqmqMFcFXuf_bA.
LIVE NOW:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwGjw1AUHi8
Here is where it gets very sticky for me and I have to take issue with the representation of the ON Congress about having done their due diligence. If this noxious weed Sericea lespedeza is widespread throughout the Bluestem Ranch, what was their responsibility to have disclosure about this by the Ted Turner team? What was the responsibility that a full disclosure in writing as to material defects associated with the land was given to the Osage Nation by Ted Turner before the bid was even put forward by the Nation?
DeleteSericea lespedeza is exactly as Kugee stated, a very expensive problem as is represented by the web page at the Missouri Department of Conservation:
https://mdc.mo.gov/trees-plants/problem-plant-control/invasive-plants/sericea-lespedeza-control
What other defects does the land have with regard to other issues? Land in other states is usually never sold, "As is." Nothing about this head long emotional land purchase as acknowledged by Speaker Pratt makes any sense especially if we find that the Osage people are left holding the bag because the Osage Nation never really did engage in even a rudimentary proper "due diligence" process where the purchase of real estate in Oklahoma is concerned. Who were State licensed real estate Brokers who were consulted by the Chief and the members of the Osage Nation Congress who are expected to find out this kind of information as to costly defects and liabilities before the sale of the property rather than afterward?
Now we get the rest of the story from Congressmen Tillman with his "exhaustive list" that will cost TWO MILLION + BUCKS TO HAVE THE PROPERTY UP TO SPEED FOR 5% OF THE PROPERTY AS TO NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENT CONDITIONS AND ANOTHER FORTY ONE MILLION DOLLARS + TO CURE THESE PROBLEMS IN ORDER TO GET THE ENTIRE PROPERTY IN TRUST WITH THE BIA?!!!!!!!!? THIS PROPERTY WON'T QUALIFY FOR LAND INTO TRUST WITH THE BIA UNTIL THESE MATERIAL DEFECTS HAVE BEEN CURED AND ARE NO LONGER A FACTOR OR A PROBLEM. WTFH? Where's that money going to come from?
DeleteNegative Environmental Conditions is a material defect that should have been disclosed by the Ted Turner team to the Osage Nation and if they wanted and expected this land to be placed in trust from the very beginning, they should have had someone out there on that land to find this HUGE AND COSTLY defect!!!!!!! I say sue Ted Turner for not having properly disclosed in writing both the noxious weed and the negative environmental conditions associated with clean up of oil wells, spills and pipelines from this DOI report on placing the land into trust.
And now, Mr. Neff is left twisting in the wind on his lease because the Chief never informed or disclosed to him that he will have to have the Osage Congress approve his lease when the Chief told him that he had the authority to make this lease? "I'm sure we haven't heard the last of Mr. Neff!!!!!" I'm sure too!!!! Again we see the horrid Micky Mouse business behavior of the Osage Nation and its elected officials. What the hell? Imagine what will happen if the Osage Nation gets its mitts on the Osage Mineral Estate!!!!!!!!
DeleteYou know, in some states like California, if you don't properly disclose material defects in writing to the buyer before the sale of property, you can go back into court and get your money back from the seller and keep the land as well. Perhaps someone in the Osage Nation government who handles property matters ought to look into the Oklahoma State law on a matter of non-disclosure where the purchase of real estate property is involved.
DeleteSounds like a good opportunity to me.
DeleteHow do we get a copy of the DOI Report that makes this $41 million assessment?
DeleteThe Chief is a lawyer. Why didn't he see to this full disclosure of material defects, as to the state of the property from Ted Turner's representatives, himself? Good comments from Susan Forman as to this very issue and the BIA who should have been out there looking into this and cleaning up this environmental situation long before anyone even considered purchasing the land?
DeleteSounds like the BIA should have tapped the Osage Nation on the shoulder at the time of the arrangement and prior to the bid to purchase the property.
DeleteReally good meeting and a lot of important issues have come out in this Hearing. Well worth a listen.
DeleteIn recess and will return with the Bluestem Ranch Board to speak during the second half of today's meeting.
DeleteThey're back.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9-pH_iTCUI
DeleteI disagree. We need a lease payment each month from the Ranch Board so that we get some kind of return on the investment. The way you want it structured, Maria Whitehorn, is the same way that the Osage, LLC was structured in the end without a single dividend payment to the member, the Osage Nation, in five or more years of its existence. These business ventures are expected to pay back to the Osage Nation and the Osage people, not take, take, and take ad infinitum!!!!!!!!!!
DeleteAll income from the entire 43,000 acres needs to be made available to the ranch board. There are millions of dollars in improvements, too numerous to list here, that must be done, beginning NOW. Fencing, ceresa control, and preparing for controlled burns next winter should be at the top of that list. Nearly 900 head of cows and bulls, plus their calves, is pushing the capacity for 9,000 acres in the best of times. If we have a dry year, they will need more grass. Also, if they do controlled burns next winter, they will need unburned areas to rotate to.
DeleteThis board knows what they are doing. Lets not handcuff them. Give them what they need to work with, and this ranch will be turning a profit in less than 5 years.
Less than five years? It had better happen a lot sooner than that! You sound exactly like that Osage, LLC Board on when a dividend was to be paid to the Osage Nation. BTW, that never happened.
DeleteAs for the Osage Nation, it's the oldest sales trick in the book. Create urgency. "You snoose, you lose." The elected members of the Executive and the Legislative Branches of the Osage Nation fell for that one like the proverbial ton of bricks.
A profit in 5 years? Doubtful. The raw cost of the land plus necessary remediation is $115,000,000. Amortize that over 40 years (without accounting for opportunity cost of money) and the minimum monthly lead payment for the Bluestem Ranch should be $239,583.
DeleteGiven that over the useful life of a producing cow (5.7 years) the typical gross revenue is $5,203 and expenses are $2,623, the net profit is $2,580 - or roughly $453 per year. That includes seasonal pasture costs of $216 per year, and the cost of land on the Bluestem Ranch is far higher.
The ranch would have to be running nearly 6,400 producing cows and selling off bred heifers at a high rate to have any hope of showing a profit.
If they wanted to get into ranching they should purchases a small area of land and then leased other people's property on a seasonal basis as needed.
Who in Xongress supported this scheme? I want answers on how they came to a conclusion this was a tpgreat idea to buy this Ranch?
DeleteWell, the only one who didn't support it was Congresswoman Shannon Edwards. She wanted more information about a lot of things involving this real estate purchase and didn't get any answers as far as I know in the crazy rush to bid on Bluestem Ranch.
DeleteIt was a rush = no transparency for Political gain what it surmounts to. Now we have 75,000,000 and 40,000,000 = 115.000,000 to get rid of those who did not do the diligence as required by the oath our Congress members took to protect the interest of the Osage. I ask Shannon Edwards to bring in a special prosecutor to investigate after this scam I feel we were sold a Bill of Goods by our Chief open up a federal investigation A.S.A.P.
DeleteStop all spending from the Executive now !!!!
DeleteIs our Government operating in the red after 10 years do you know what that means? A real Audit is in order with real numbers.
DeleteI got a clarification today on two things. It was the Executive Branch that brought in the idea to purchase the Bluestem Ranch. I am going ahead to presume that it was also the Executive that put pressure on the Congress to move quickly to secure and win the bid. It's also the responsibility of the BIA to handle the clean up and that $41 million has to come from them, not the Osages. The problem is that they don't have the money to make such a clean up happen and probably won't for many years to come if ever. This all went way too fast and the only one who rejected the pressure was Shannon Edwards on the Congress side. Still, the prime movers were the Chief and the Asst. Chief on this purchase and they bear the largest responsibility for it.
DeleteThere was never in question where the brunt of the blame goes but Congress administers the funding. They write the legislation so I ask before this happened what did the appropriation committee knew or not knew and keep in mind this money comes from our "Gaming" it is to be used to the economic benefit of the Osage. So I ask how is our Llc doing, how is our real property doing because it should be to the economic benefit, this is how the law is written, how is the hydroponics working to benefit the Osage? We are looking at a can of worms that has opened up with this purchase of the Ranch. Osages better wake up and smell the flowers and see the forest for the trees. You cannot write a good piece of legislation if you haven't read the small print in this contract, where was the vetting and so forth, the diligence? I said this is not chump change we are playing with in the last 10 years tbis all accumulates to the disadvantage Osage by there own people. I suggest people start talking and can the Chief and the A.P Chief. This is no accident.
DeleteYou must remember that the Osage Nation government, with very few exceptions, is populated with individuals who are emoters as opposed to thinkers. No matter how educated they are, they still operate at this remedial decision making level and that makes them dangerous not only to the body politic but to the entire Tribal Nation from a fiscal point of view. They appear not to be able to properly add and subtract where budgeting goes and what is actually available to spend, they appear not to be able come up with a realistic figure beyond which they will not spend government money and they appear to come up with every substandard idea for spending, relative to the money they have to work with on a prioritizing basis as to what is realistic and what isn't, and then attempt to pay for it even when they know or should know that it's costing them double, triple and in some cases ten times what it should cost in the open market for goods and services rendered. This is widespread throughout the Osage Nation government with the elected officials who are actively engaged and with those who are reported not to be who mainly collect a paycheck and make noise that makes no sense at all even when they verbally weigh in. In some cases, they will even stand up and argue in one direction and then vote for the very measure that they argued against as if that's going to keep people from voting against them in the next election when they come up in the cycle. It's all so hopeless and without any redeeming value other than for the very few who actually see any benefit from this utter depth of corruption, the Osage people should complain direct to the U.S. Congressional Indian Committees in the House and the Senate to have the Osage Nation government officials brought before them both in open hearings to make an example of them and what they are doing which is really a good microcosm and "object lesson" of what is happening with other Native American governments all throughout the USA. These Tribal governments, for the most part, serve themselves and their employees but not the majority of the Tribal membership for whom they were brought into being and why they even exist in the first place.
DeleteOK then. So what is your top priority for Osage Nation government spending?
Delete1) Money appropriated and spent for the majority of the Osage Nation members for benefits like the Osage Health Card, scholarships for College and University educations, the Plan F Medicare Benefit for seniors over 65, prescription benefits for the membership no matter where they live, prescription eyeglasses, hearing aids, and other modalities for those in need no matter what age or where they live, per capita payments for those who do not directly benefit from Federal spending programs in Osage County, Christmas Bonuses for those 65 years and older, cash vouchers for early child learning and K-12 for all those who do not live in Osage County, the death benefit for all members, and, why not?, an all membership Turkey voucher for Thanksgiving.
DeleteYou know, at least with the last Tribal Council government, no one, from the Chief on down, ever asked the membership to justify the reason why they deserved the benefits the Tribal Community provided for them back then, including the headright payments distributed quarterly. Such is certainly not the case with the self-serving Osage Nation government today. It's the Nation and its employees above all else these days and that's got to be the strangest dichotomy of all since the whole damn thing was sold as a government venue for fairness and inclusiveness for all Osages no matter what or where.
DeleteBuying that ranch land was a big mistake, Chief. Big mistake.
DeleteLess do nothing employees and more universal membership benefits paid for with Tribal funds.
Next election is coming up sooner than you think...
Elected officials need to become familiar with the phrase, "All things considered."
DeleteIn response to Poater 10:04 AM.
DeleteYes yesterday there was a question how our money was being utilized and this is not the first attempt to address the issue more or less a power play of who can, she said and I'll be dam if we don't get our way, to where we are at today just in legal form of the taking, all in the name of sovereignty non the less what is happening, we have big issues and like I said non of this would have had to go this route but the money that is lost in 10 years and the fact no one will hold themselves accountable nor can we, is pretty much what is happening here because of the way our laws are constructed. But our recourse is to file in the federal court because this money that is coming from the Casinos is the Osages money thats yours and mine and make no doubt it is. It is to be used for economic benefits for the Osage not on someones pet project or food stand or for that matter a statue. Give and take amongst the few with no accountability. So basically we have a autocratic government.
To poster @ 9:51 AM
I have been saying for sometime include the Osages far and near for a per-cap. And I agrre with your comment.
To poster 9:09 AM
I whole heartedly agree with you. Well written. My hope that is that we right side our Government from a upside down znd hold each and everyone of them accountable and maybe we should move to Congress and let them know exactly what is going on.
Gullible people are what makes Ponzi schemes work over and over in the beginning. Only ignorant people would demand the return of startup capital and think they have made a profit.
ReplyDeleteAnd only ignorant people invest in a venture that doesn't have a viable business plan up front.
DeleteOldest sales trick in the book. Create urgency. "You snoose, you lose." The elected members of the Executive and the Legislative Branches of the Osage Nation fell for that one like the proverbial ton of bricks.
DeleteElection update:
ReplyDeletehttp://osagenews.org/en/article/2017/03/13/more-than-1000-absentee-ballots-received-special-election/
What kind of MOU would it take to maintain a 3000 voting block commented towards unity towards the betterment of the Osage.Be they Osage Shareholders or Non shareholders all voting as a single voice and direction.By building and maintaining a Osage Village in Northwest Arkansas,with all the Sovereign powers and tools which are enjoyed by The Osage with in the Nation,now.With the move towards the Osage re-buying land in Missouri,the same can be done in NW Arkansas and not ask our Osage congress for one dime.
ReplyDeleteIf the Congress isn't involved, then the Osage Nation isn't involved and the land for an Osage Village won't be associated with our Tribal Nation and therefore there won't be any sovereignty with the Federal government. You need to think these things through a little more thoroughly, John, but I do like that part of the country and it would be nice to have a Casino/s in that general vicinity (AR/MO).
DeleteI have been working on this since 1988 and have never asked for any funding from The Osage People or its governmental bodies. Osage politics are detrimental to the future as its always been in the past. We truly live a modern world which anything is possible,and the only thing which is needed is funding. If one builds and maintains a finical environment where shareholders and investors are tax-exempted and the structure does not change with every election, then funding is possible.
DeleteWho have you been talking to John? Apparently, it's someone who had no clue as to how the Tribal system works where the establishment of sovereignty takes place. Just because you may be an Osage, you can't plant a flag in the ground and claim a Tribal village out from under the actual Tribal government that has an established government to government relationship with the Feds.
DeleteI talk to local elected officials in the State of Arkansas.They are very open for the Osage to re-establish Osage Sovereignty jurisdiction within the State of Arkansas.Its to a point where they are willing to dig the hole for the Osage to erect the flagpole for the flag of the Osage Nation.Those who have been posting here on the OSA discussions sites over these many pass years have seen and posted about a re-established Osage presence in Arkansas,written by myself.The Tribal system does not work for me here in Arkansas and never has. Now can I become a division Of the tribal system and do everything which is being done in Osage county under Osage jurisdiction here in Arkansas. Nothing legally stops this. Just because it has not happened as yet dose not mean it can't become a future for Osage of the Arkansas,a District of the Osage Nation. Under the current tribal system it would take 2 to 4 years of paper work,studies,debating,and authorizing such a project.Me, I'm old school and I gather information on our Osage Past and how they once lived,in all forms to build and maintain a traditional modern way of life,here in Arkansas.
DeleteJohn you have a point if you can make it happen do it. You dont need permission as I sit on my land not in Osage County I think I will do the same.
DeleteI say a real authentic Osage Tribal Village including the Lodges and the works. Life just like it was way back before a white face ever showed up on the horizon. How about it John? Want to head up that committee? Maybe you could be one of the new Hun-Kah or Tzi-Zho Chiefs. War Chief or Peace Chief, John? What's it going to be? Kugee Supernaw, Raymond Red Corn, Ron Shaw, and Archie Mason can be the reconstituted Society of Little Old Men. NO? OK. Raymond maybe. For sure. He thinks he's wiser than anybody.
DeleteWhen I look at Osage Problems,I do not waste time on finding solutions to correct them but rather find the ways to manage the problem until solutions are found, agreed a pond and authorization towards correcting them by the will of the Osage People or their elected officials.If things are not going good among the Osage today why continue on the same paths or directions? We have to many groups of Osage,working against each other,towards their own goals and future and there is no unity,to work together,to meet and overcome our problems,in common,which can and at times affects all of us. What worked for the Osage for 100's of years,should, could work today.
DeleteWell, one thing I did like about the old way was the ability to vote with your moccasins. If you didn't like the Chief you were under and wanted to go with another one, you could pick up and go with another Osage Chief in another area and be the better for it. Saves a lot of time and money throwing one Chief out of office after another. Certainly we can't do that today.
DeleteThe path we're on now, it's possible we could be facing an economical disaster like 2008 in our own Nation (our rich Nation). Already laying off employees, hiring freeze. What's next, will programs be shut down? Will the Nation have to borrow money to keep present salaries paid?
DeleteLike the National debt, got to stop the "unnecessary" spending. The Chief is dreaming "too big" with money not meant for his desires. Spiritualism is out and capitalism is in.
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.
DeleteSpring Hun-Kah Congressional Session coming up:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2017/03/15/2017-hun-kah-congressional-session-start-march-27/
Special Minerals Council Meeting tomorrow!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/minerals-council-special-meeting
It never stops astounding me how incredibly stupid some Osages can be in their thinking about the 1906 Allotment Act as amended. Without it, there would be no mineral rights reserved to the Osage Tribe in perpetuity, no Mineral Estate Trust from which the minerals income is taken and deposited into the Federal Trust account to be distributed to the Trust beneficiaries (the Headright owners) in quarterly payments, and nothing to even be talking about today as to Osage Tribal existence or sovereignty. As for the "group think," apparently this one, who is old enough to remember the wildly popular Hippie generation and its "Drug, Sex and Rock n'Roll wipeout, has forgotten too much and therefore, I say nuts to that! Think for yourself people. Look at how much trouble the "Osage Unity in Thought and Purpose" has gotten us in, in the last ten years and take a lesson from it. "Midwife Mistrust" indeed! It's Osage Nation decision makers I'm afraid of and I have every right to be afraid. Very afraid! Does this elder propaganda propagationist ever really read what she writes?
ReplyDeletehttp://osagenews.org/en/article/2017/03/14/ki-gthi-wi-do/ WHEW!
"We owe it to ourselves and to the tribal leaders we elected, to trust ourselves, and them, until and they prove themselves untrustworthy. “Trust but verify” seems the most prudent."
DeleteYo! Sister. They HAVE proven themselves untrustworthy or have you conveniently chosen to let that pass you right by? Fly right over your head did it?
Let me remind you:
-Osage, LLC.--$20,000,000 + or - and gone forever!
-Tallgrass, LLC. muddle.
-Bluestem Ranch initial unity and now the horrendous cost and the heated tug of war with the Chief.
-Removal of Chief Red Eagle on a number of counts on ethics violations.
-$806,000 Pawhuska Village embezzlement and open records cases that went to trial and the perps got only their hands slapped.
-Tax lawsuit with the State of OK that robbed us of our Reservation in Federal Court.
-Guy allegedly kills his girlfriend and the Osage Nation Tribal Court lets him off on a technicality for having taken too long to prosecute him when it took years in the same Court to prosecute the Pawhuska Village Embezzlers.
Need I list more, because I can if you need your memory refreshed any further?
Why don't list the dollar amount in figures then maybe the above poster will get the big eye opener she needs, but my guess she's a liberal and they just don't understand nir want to, to spite there face. And this statement she is clearly wrong just because it isn't written doesn't mean it cannot happen sister.The Nation and M.C. is not one and never will be one. Because Government likes to keep us separated and thats fine with me. (I do not see exacting written statements specifically protecting shareholders’ right to manage the Osage Mineral Estate.) We have the right because we own the right ie M.E. not the Nation!!!! And we all know how our Government was built on stilts of lies. Who trusts the Nation and who trusts the M.C.?
DeleteWe have the right because we own the right ie M.E. not the Nation!!!! Dang it!!! We really need a BIA Official description of ownership of the ME.
DeletePerfect verbal description of the situation, "built on stilts of lies." I got to hand it to you. The 1906 Allotment Act as amended is legally incorporated into the Osage Nation Constitution in Article 15, which calls out the whole process from top to bottom. Don't believe this propagandist for the Chief and his minions. She's ONO all the way and another one who wants that Mineral Estate income away from everyone but Osage County Osages. Dismiss her opinion as one of many who will do or say anything to end run the ONO Agenda.
DeleteFor a long time the word or term Reservation, I've had a very strong opinion against it concerning the Osage.When the Osage re-bought this land,which to the Osage this became the Homeland of the Osage. Today the Osage continue to re-buy this Homeland and are and have re-bought land which was parts of our homelands,is at this time not against the Law.When the US congress re-affirmed the inherited right of self being towards the Osage,they alone decided who were,who we are and who we will continue to be. It is my opinion that the Tax lawsuit is moot and lays in a state of void and the Osage continue to exercise Osage Sovereignty as they always have,are and hopefully will always continue till the end of time.
DeleteOh, and let's not forget the strategy of putting the cart before the horse in buying the Bluestem Ranch to take into Federal trust without even seeking a determination from the Bureau if it would even qualify for Trust status before the purchase. Now the story is $41 million to cure environmental problems on the land first before it can even be considered to be taken into trust and without that, there are no protections for the Osage Nation that would have been available on trust land. In short, it's a worst case boondoggle that needs to come to the attention of the Secretary of the Interior who can handle supervision because with this last horrible fiscal decision of the purchase of the Bluestem Ranch, I really don't know how much more we are expected to take. Clearly, those who run this Osage Nation government are simply not capable of running it properly from a fiscal standpoint and to the satisfaction of anyone who has a lick of common sense. I say enough is enough and the Osage Nation government officials really need to be subject to a guardian like supervision and review for any major spending outlay of the Osage people's money beyond, let's say $10,000. The first paragraph of the 1978 Act to amend the 1906 Allotment Act calls out a process for such a procedure to take place to relieve the currently elected members of the Osage government for "good cause" and gross fiscal incompetence in the budgeting, debt acquisition, and spending of the gaming and other funds of the Osage Nation government surely qualifies as one of them. I quote from this U.S. Congressional Act:
Delete"The Secretary (of the Interior) is hereby authorized to remove from the council any member or members for good cause, to be by him determined, after the party involved has had due notice and opportunity to appear and defend himself."
Without a doubt now, we need an intervention in place on an immediate basis with someone in a position to guide and advise in any matter where the Osage people's money is being spent. For the sake of the Osage people who are continually harmed by this Osage Nation government in one financial way or another, we need this!
Plus a $450,000 Tribal matching grant for broadband internet access in BOWRING ?!!!? For 522 people, nearly all of whom are not Osages:
Deletehttp://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2017/03/13/congress-passes-450000-match-grant-fund-broadband-internet-project/
https://censusreporter.org/profiles/95000US4005160-bowring-public-school-ok/
That's roughly 85 Osages who live in the Bowring area. Taken together with the grant and the matching Tribal funds of $900,000, that's $10,588 per person !!!!!!! Bowring is darned near to the Kansas State line South of Hula Lake.
DeleteOh and the Chief taking money out of the Gaming Commission Budget without their knowledge! Of all the Boards and Commissions, this one is of utmost regulatory importance and this budget should be sacrosanct period.
DeleteI hope this is not true for his sake.GSB.
Deletehttp://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2017/03/16/gaming-commission-declares-budget-shortfall-executive-branch-issues-hiring-freeze/
DeleteHere we go. If you can figure out what is what and how much money this Osage Nation government has, I've got to hand it to you. I can't make heads or tail of any of it with numbers flying around from one Branch of the government to the other. Second of all, I want that gaming commission to be handling the oversight of the security not the Osage Nation because they don't even have oversight over their money where the projected income is concerned:
"“One of the problems is that the accounting for the shortfall has changed almost every other day during the past two weeks. At first, it was reported to be $445,000. At the next meeting, there was a change to approximately $300,000. Then, at a meeting with several Congress members present, it changed again to $760,000. Then, at the Gaming Commission meeting, it was $308,000."
All I can conclude is that this is a shell game with Osage Nation projected revenue being reported from various sources. This has all got to end and someone in this incompetent government has to find out what the true numbers are and spend accordingly. This is what comes of the flippant way that the Executive deals with the Legislative Branch. It all began when budgets with line items began to disappear and only total numbers for each department, office, etc. began to be reported in round numbers. If the Osage Nation government can't provide oversight, then the Osage people should have the right to have a look at what is being spent and where. Then the Congress didn't want to come in for one Special Session after another to make line item adjustments in budgets (might have to work too much and too hard) so the freedom to move money around from one line item in a particular budget to another became the active practice. Now, from what I am able to understand, money is being moved from budgets placed all together in one Executive Branch Division. In short, money from one budget is robbed to give more money to another budget under the same Division, in this case, The Executive Administration division:
"This division budget also contains separate budgets for the Nation’s Tax Commission, Election Office, Emergency Management Office, Archives, Communications, Information Technologies, Accounting, Human Resources and a separate HR budget for employee hams distributed during the holiday season."
When you start doing this kind of robbing Peter to Pay Paul kind of accounting you are bound to get in trouble and shutting down Casino because you don't have the necessary people on the Gaming Commission to effect a proper regulatory oversight, this is trouble.
Outstanding reporting by Benny Pollaca of the Osage News on this developing situation.
DeleteIf you do stupid things with money, you pay the price. The Congress must have hard figures on exactly what is being spent and where for every single Department, Office, etc, and the Executive Branch MUST adhere to those fiscal choices made by them and put on down on paper on a daily, monthly and yearly basis or get back to the Congress to make those changes to those budgets by use of the appropriation process. Anything else will lead to the horrific consequences we find ourselves facing now. The very idea of of sending nearly empty boxes over from the Executive Branch to the Osage Nation Congress to thumb their noses at the representatives of the Osage people was worthy of severe discipline and this is what it leads to... I sincerely hope that the Chiefs have stepped in it big time and that finally they receive the discipline and the consequences that they so richly deserve. GSB and RRC, go ahead and run to the Osage Nation Supreme Court with that and see how far you get when the National Indian Gaming Commission swoops down and The government's gonna jump all over your head, GSB, and go "cock-a-doodledoo!" I say receivership and get this eleven year mess that has been made by people who have no respect for the way that things are properly done with money sorted out and put right once and for all. We want to see line item by line item what you are spending including salaries and employment positions as well as all other budgetary items and we want you to stick to them day in and day out or resign from office and go elsewhere where you can't any longer do fiscal harm to the Osage Nation government.
http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2016/10/20/executive-branch-delivers-near-empty-boxes-congress-response-subpoena-requests/
DeleteSorry.
According to the article, and since GSB issued an executive memo stating there will be a hiring freeze on new ON government employees, how is the problem to be resolved if they can't hire a replacement for the Accounting Controller who resigned on Jan. 8, 2017?
Deletehttps://www.accountingcoach.com/blog/controller-accounting-department
I'm really shocked the Osage News is printing anything bad about GSB. For those of you who live out of state, you have no idea what a mess he's made of things.
DeleteI'm just glad that we're finally getting a confirmation in the Osage News of what we have been hearing is and has been happening for some time now.
DeleteI did not see anything negative about the Chief in the Osage News other than a down play by him of the Numbers and what they really are. All the same playing the shell game never works because one day it will show up with no accountability. If this happens then we know the Osage will know if the fix is in and if it is watch out because here we come to the rescue with a rewrite of the Osage Constitution and we give back this mes to our M.C to sort out. Give the Osage Tribe back to its people can and will happen.
DeleteI think that was the point. He was downplaying the numbers when to even do so is just "smoke and mirrors" excuses to the trained eye and mine is certainly trained by now. He is responsible for finding out what the true number is and working with it. Manipulating an already inflated budget and moving money around and away from the Gaming Commission budget is a risky venture at best. Taking the Casino security and surveillance away from the Gaming Commission is also a risky business, especially if they don't agree and don't want that responsibility taken away. I should think that they wouldn't but in any event, if I were the Chief, I wouldn't fool with that budget until the dust settled and it could be definitively determined what wasn't spent at the end of the fiscal year. With a new budget for the next year, then, the changes could be made but not beforehand. My question is this; if he is moving money around with this budget, what is he doing with the others? This could lead to a very bad place...
DeleteThe Chief and Assistant Chief are throwing good people under the bus with the latest article in the Osage News about the Gaming Commission shortfall. The News prints everything the Chief says without checking anything. The article makes it look like the Gaming Commission is at fault. Of course, that's what the Chief wants it to look, but it's just not true. The shortfall is caused by the Chief overstating the expected income on purpose. (To make the needed tribal monies appear less.) Then he raids their budget without telling them he has taken some of their appropriated money. Now the chickens have come home to roost. Starting May 1 the Commission will have to lay off 5 people a week unless the Chief comes clean and restores their money. Innocent people will lose their jobs for his pie in the sky shenanigans.
DeleteThank you. This clarification is sorely needed just now with all the intended disinformation coming out of the Chief's office. I can't believe this guy is engaging in tactics like this. Wasn't he there in the room during the Hearing to throw out Chief Red Eagle? When are these people going to start behaving like they've been paying attention to the Legislative process and the laws that have come out of it?
DeleteYes. I've noticed that with the Osage News on your "fact checking" comment. Aren't good reporters supposed to abide by the Journalist's fact checking rule, “If your mother says she loves you, get a second source.”?
DeleteI will be attending the Southern Calif. meeting and I will make it Political. Everything Osage is not ok. Cynthia Boone, Stephanie Erwin, Alice Goodfox if I have it correctly, if you could join the meeting I would like to take you out for Dinner and talk about our unfortunate circumstances. Chief I am a Tallchief and I am calling you out. I know my clan our culture and I have a plan to carry out what shoulda coulda be all that we can for our people, my fathers goals where not just a dream, but can be a reality and that was to inspire growth for our economy, for our people and our neighborhoods, our districts. Called integrity. I am ready to fight for what is his dreams were for all of us. His name WESLEY LEROY ROBERTSON 111. I have been sitting on his goals and plans for our Tribe for some time. All of you know him and all of you hoped one day he would be Chief and unfortunately God had other plans. And as I write to you I am so disappointed in what I am hearing and seeing. His goals to make this Tribe Great, his goals was to build our economy, well look at what we have. We're in debt. I have been sitting on his goals for to long. He wanted that Per-Cap for all of us, he wanted to build oue economy thru the Casinos and build our future in our M.E not to take over the M.E as the Nation has so effortlessly tried to take over to no avail. Tim, Celia, got anything to say? If George was alive do you think he would stand for this? All of you need to take a seat, take a deep breath, because you will need it after I speak at the Southern meeting. I am the one who didn't get a vote for our Government and how did that happen still think I cannot go to the SOI, DOI, BIA, lastly Congress and if you don't think they will listen lets talk about who I know that will make a difference. If you think that the 20% of Osages who live back at home are the only ones that care you are sorely wrong wrong wrong on so many levels. I first want to say thank you to the person who opened this web site, I want to thank tne person who opened up the web site in 2006 the OSA. All food for thought and I have taken a big bite. The taste is bitter sweet. Just a word in between here. Who ever is announcing meeting in the Biased Newpaper the Osage News, need to announce two weeks ahead ov time. Some of us can't attend in such short notice is that done deliberately? The dances really need to be posted two months in advance. If I decide to run for Chief, the Osage News will be for the people. If not we will make our competitors our newspaper, ah, Bigheart comes to mind. The special interest willbe yoh not big Government. Sitting to long not to do nothjng. Have had health issues and thanks to the Choctaw Nation for the Great care I have received. God bless them. They are the ones we shoukd mirror not the UTES. Hope and Change is coming. Watch wait and see. To all of you who have posted on this site you all have inspired this soul. Somebody from the old site OSA asked me to wait before I leasched out my wrath sorta speak, listen there are routes I can take that would end this Nation in a heartbeat, but our Nations failure is not what I want to see because it would mean our failure. Someone called me out 2006 or there of and respectfully I submitted and complied out of respect funny word right because where is the respect for all of us. Cynthia I still have designs for hou and Stephanie Erwin and want you as chair, and Alice hou had good legislation and I want you by my side as well. Time to multi-task. I am a accountant and have raised five kids and I have run multi-million dollar businesses and this is no way shape or form of a Government our people hoped for, nor is what my father hoped for. Cleaning house starts with our Government then trickl downs to the Cassinos. Thats the tall order of the day chief hear me roar I coming. Lets get the Turkey Voucher each year to our members attached with a 100 dollar bill. How do you like that.
DeleteI meant tl say so e of us cannot attend the meetings in such short two day notices.
DeleteGood for you! State the case and make your expectations as an Osage Nation member known to the powers that be. Your comment tells me in no uncertain terms that the Osage Blog is working. Thanks for the heads up on the meeting too:
Deletehttp://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2017/03/16/united-osages-southern-california-spring-meeting-april-29/
Your welcome, thanks again. The path we can see but the hard work is walking it and especially the right path and the direction or course we are on is not the path that we all hoped for. We cam do better.
DeleteI'm not interested in a turkey voucher or cash handouts. But if you won't steal, lie, and know how to manage within a budget then I'm with you.
DeleteCan we elect a Chief who isn't a thief and can follow basic rules?
ReplyDeleteThat's the question of the day, now isn't it?
DeleteIt sure is!
DeleteWould it come as a surprise if the answer is NO? Very few honest people go into politics.
DeleteMore Election Information:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/what-we-do/elections
https://www.facebook.com/Osage-Nation-Election-Office-250250828358561/
Election Day TODAY!
Deletehttp://osagenews.org/en/article/2017/03/20/special-election-voting-poll-open-till-8-pm/
Results:
Deletehttp://osagenews.org/en/article/2017/03/20/osage-nation-votes-yes-gay-marriage/
ALERT! See Congresswoman Edwards testify at the Neil Gorsuch Confirmation Hearing before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary on March 23 at 9 a.m.
ReplyDeletehttp://osagenews.org/en/article/2017/03/21/osage-nation-congresswoman-testifying-gorsuch-committee-hearings/
Cut to the chase:
Deletehttps://www.c-span.org/video/?c4662966/supreme-court-justice-confirmation-hearing-day-4
MC Meeting Agenda for tomorrow:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/minerals-council-meeting-5
Meeting is live at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/multimedia/live-media
DeleteIn Executive Session.
DeleteIt would be nice if our Councilpersons would ask more questions about the Superintendent report. All that is reported are “how many”. How many meter inspections for example but no information about the size of wells and if any errors were found. I witnessed three gas meter inspections last year and errors were found on all three that were corrected. The one time that a Councilperson asked about the results of meter inspections we were told there were NO errors found on over a dozen inspections. I am not convinced our BIA field people have a clue what to look for or even ask for the test results. The BIA field rep that was at the inspection I attended spent the whole time on the phone and admitted he had no training with put on the spot.
DeleteOur Superintendent’s most important monthly meeting is the Wednesday meeting with the OMC. She has missed many since the beginning of her tenure. She should be arranging her schedule around the monthly OMC so she can attend to do the business of the Mineral Estate. It is completely unacceptable to not attend this meeting. She is not there today for personal schedule conflicts. Please call your council person to express your dissatisfaction with her poor attendance record and demand she attend ALL meeting in future.
DeletePart I now available at http://mixlr.com/osage-nation/showreel/
DeleteLive again and talking about the Washington, D.C., and are talking about TERA. If we go with it we will have to give up the Trust... Cynthia is pointing out that we are against doing that as a member of Council with a resolution. Chief's attorney's project is TERA? WTH is this all about?
DeleteWashington, D.C. trip on the Agenda. Sorry.
DeleteWith a resolution against a TERA from the MC.
DeleteThat Chief! I'm telling you now. Watch out! Get this yo-yo out of office as soon as he comes up for reelection. I mean gone.
DeleteEnough of the super too. How do we lobby to get her replaced?
DeleteI want to make this point and make it clearly: Cynthia made the statement that we will have to give up the Trust if we go with a TERA and she's against it. Remember that the next time you try to take her to the woodshed.
DeleteOK, this is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. Any “producing well” that is plugged for any reason needs to have “Remaining Reserves” determined and the Shareholders need to be paid accordingly. Sounds like our OMC has never addressed this! How much potential production in the past that has been plugged have we not been paid for??? We need to demand a report. I believe we are owed significant revenue.
DeletePart 2 is now available here http://mixlr.com/osage-nation/showreel/ and you really should take the time to listen to the report on the Washington, D.C. trip and what was said about the Chief asking that the Bluestem Ranch be attended to by the BIA. Such nonsense. He should have made sure of and seen to the land-into-trust qualification determination prior to making the purchase, not afterward. Now we are left holding the damn bag as usual and this time it smells to high heaven from Maine to California and Oregon to Texas.
DeleteEmail sent to OMC today after meeting:
DeleteAs a Headright Owner I have many concerns about comments and statements made in today’s meeting. Here are a few:
1. Robin Phillips POOR attendance at this “once a month meeting”. This meeting is the most important function of her job as Superintendent. It is an insult to all of you and also to all Shareholders when her personal schedule or anything else overrides her obligation to attend the monthly OMC live broadcast meetings. She needs to be publically reminded of this at the next meeting. Her attendance is not an option, it is required. Frankly, I do not understand why all of you tolerate this.
2. It should be standard operating procedure that if any “producing” well is scheduled for plugging (for any reason) the Remaining Reserves should be identified and the Shareholders should be paid for the unrecoverable reserves. The price can be based on futures prices (oil & gas) less basis for our region. The Shareholders will be requesting a report on all past producing wells that were plugged, the remaining reserves attributable to each well, and the value of the unrecoverable remaining reserves. NOTE: If the BIA was doing their job they should have remaining reserves on each well already as pointed out in the DOI Inspector General’s report. The BIA has never responded to our request and yours for an update of this report. You should demand it, please. I believe we will be owed significant revenue for these losses.
3. The OSA stated in the Chiefs meeting “To Increase Production in Osage Co.” that he and the OMC should go to Washington DC as soon after the new director was announced to discuss this issue. We wanted the Chief to go because it has become obvious that the Government only recognizes the Chief as the ON spokesperson with authority. I did not hear one thing in Chairman Wallers report that indicated the need to restart drilling and increase production. The Shareholders will be requesting a full written report about this meeting.
4. It is VERY concerning that the Chief did not allow the OMC’s legal representative to attend these meetings. Why didn’t Chairman Waller and Councilman Crum insist our attorney be allowed to attend these meetings?
5. Why is the Chief allowing the author of TERA to push for the ON to enter into one when we all know that we have to break the TRUST to do one?
Once again, not a single Councilperson asked any probing question about the Acting Superintendent’s report. All that is ever reported are “how many”. How many meter inspections, for example, but no information about the size of wells and if any errors were found. I witnessed three gas meter inspections last year and errors were found on all three and the errors were corrected. The one time that a Councilperson asked about the results of meter inspections we were told there were NO errors found on over a dozen inspections. I am not convinced our BIA field people have a clue what to look for or even ask for the test results. The BIA field rep that was at the inspection I attended spent the whole time on the phone and admitted he had no training when put on the spot. I believe they have had training now so they should be able to provide us with more information than “how many”.
Will publish the rest in next reply.
6. Chairman Waller discussed a “tough” late afternoon meeting in Washington but said nothing about it. I hope we will get a full report in the Newsletter discussed.
Delete7. Funding for ”studies” (can’t remember the kind of study) was mentioned during the meeting today. If we are ever going to sue for BIA “Breach of Trust” then the most important evidence is the economic toll the Superintendent’s decisions, policies and actions have taken on the Shareholders payments and the economy of Osage Co. and the State of Oklahoma. This can only be accomplished by a Professional “Economic Impact Study” which should have been accomplished in the Fall of 2014 when first asked for. We still need it for evidence. As a Shareholder, I am requesting that the OMC finally obtain an Economic Impact Study. IF funding is available for this sort of study, then the OMC should submit a request for this. The BIA was supposed to do this as suggested in the shocking Inspector General’s report, the BIA was supposed to do this before they re-created CFRs and the BIA was supposed to do this before the EIS. When are you going to start demanding this and the other 32 points of improvements as reported in the Inspector Generals report?
There is so much that can be accomplished to increase the Shareholder Revenue that is not currently being addressed. Time is of the essence.
And why is Chairman Waller so damn short with people who ask questions? As for his remark about the Resolution, not being put forward at the meeting in Washington D.C., of the MC against a TERA, he said he has so many bullet to fire and not until he needed it or something to that effect. Listen Mister, every single one of those so called bullets cost a lot of money and a field trip to Washington D.C., is a hell of a costly one especially if this is a future that the none of us want but the Chief and his minions. Put as much information in front of these people every chance you get and all of it in advance of a decision by the Feds. This is ultra suspicious that Waller didn't give those at that meeting this resolution from the MC against a TERA. Is he secretly for a TERA and talking out both sides of his mouth depending on who is listening?
DeleteThere's more than what meets the eye that is going on here. The incompetence level is thru the roof. Wouldn't it take a act of Congress to undo the Trust and that the trust is in perpetuity? Change in a hard way needs to happen like yesterday. Lack of accountability is thru the roof and transparency there is, bar none. The left not wanting you to know what you have a right to know how our M.E is working for us, in other words council members, we have a right to know how our money is working for us, please stand up? We have huge trust issue from with-in and this is a huge problem why we are where we are at. Get Waller out of the Chair put Stephanie Erwin in his place. Cynthia do what it takes this Shareholder has been pretty much on your side and I see the bigger picture. What we have is a failure to communicate and that is no accident. Most unfortunately there are moles from both sides of the fence sorta speak and I would not be surprised if we head for a Constitutional rewrite and by the looks of we might just have to do that as part of the bigger picture to have a successful M.E. This tug of war is over if we get this Chief out, end of story and all his staff can go to. And get a Chief for the People not special interest which is why we can't get anything done on both sides of the fence. Lastly, where was our representative in Washington with the Chief? He may be Chief but he is not the Authority of the M.E. The BIA, our Superintendent should be attending or a representative from our Council like our Lawyer should be attending for the interest of the Osage Shareholder and this is not just a conflict of interest but counter productive to the growth of our M.E. and my bet the Chief would say is all we had to do was ask, but truthfully in the interest of, the BIA should have gone as well. Epic failure, the ball has been dropped one to many times. Oh, just to add I brought up and asked when the regs were being cramed down our throats where was a "economic impact statement"?
DeleteGetting back to the topic of a "Tera". All it is is another word for self determination but we have laws already that allows us to be self determined. Will not go into that right now. Why is the Chief pushing for this? I can understand why he is pushing for tnis and to be honest with you he is frustrated with our council, but not only that if we were to sign up he would be Grandstanding because we would be the only tribe who has signed up for this program like we need another program on top of another and another. This is why we are where we are at becuase of the very same thing layering of regs. Like this is not going to solve all redundancies and all the layers of inefficiencies, the status quo at the agency does not change. What future do we have for our Children or our Tribe the Osage Tribe if we do not see this thru. Yes Chief, some of us have enough smarts in our pinky to understand that you may think your smart but there are other Osages that think you are pulling the wool over theie eyes or that we have blinders on, but guess what we do not. Cynthia Boone is right about the language in this policy " Tera" is very vague, as to compliance, if compliance is not met the asset or Trust could be lost and that to me sends signals about this policy and why no one has signed up for it. Poorly written. And as I have said there is many reasons to take the helm and run with a Petroleum office where we can be sure our technicians are trained fully and there is no reason not to but many reasons to and I for one as so many of us have said, if we do nothing we are dammed and if we do something we are dammed so what do we have to gain, so much more by doing so. We are Shareholders and we do have rights not one shareholder in this country does not have representation., we have a quasi council thats all we have. S.Erwin needs t tkae charge men just do not know how to multi task period. Waller needs to take to testerone boosters there supplements. It will help with his moods. What we have here is a failure to communicate. Again we have rights and we know this much the Nation needs to get their sticky hands of this Estate and I can tell you why it means so much for them to get there hands on it because we are the Reservation. Gray lost our status and I do not see anyone fixing the matter. So, to the poster above and it is with strength I support ammendments that need to clarify what the Chief can do and not do and this free willy spending of which the biggest was the Bluestem purchase that is now going to cost us 115,000000 million. Let me count how mwny years before a profit will be made. Yes laws have to change to protect the interest, the constituencies money. Impeach GSB now! The law is clear when it comes to spending our gaming money, it is to be used economically to benefit the Osage, again how will this Ranch be economical for the Osage? Anyone can step up and answer this question?
DeleteWe are stuck with the Supt. We will always be under the BIA until the government reorganizes and abolishes that dept. (when pigs fly). Next to as good as a Constitutional rewrite are "amendments." Lawsuits among many Nations has proven the incompetence of the BIA in carrying out their responsibility to the Indian. We have a big responsibility now to protect our interest in the ME. "Outsiders" trying to make the call (change) of how the OME should be runned. It's not the Chief's call. I think his "title" has gone to his head too much. He's a temporary elected official. Wasn't it Judge Frizzel that said the shareholders have individual rights. We have to keep our eyes wide open to keep it that way. We were turned upside down in 2006 overnight. Can't afford such another life changing mishap.
DeleteThere's no guarantee electing new people is the solution. To prevent the future Chief to overreach his authority and not have lawsuits against Congress, "rewrite or amend" that part of the Constitution that involves his duties and responsibilities, word it someway to control purchases without bypassing Congress.
I'm so glad S. Erwin brought up about the producer (Mr. Parks?) that when the Casino was built just treated him so badly, disrespected his lease (with us), and was also the same as doing it to us (shareholders), and it's going to be looked in and action taken on the circumstances. The producer spoke of it in the prior meeting, I was just stunned that the Osage did that. Who had the final signature to just ignore, overlook his rights? the Casino or the Chief?
DeleteC. Boone, I verify you did not say you agreed with the Chief's remark of the MC not doing it's job. Don't let that typo go in the minutes. The minutes are actually a legal document.
Please go further in detail about what happened to Mr.Parks and how he was disrespected? And how does this have anythjng to do with our current situation?
Deleteref. March 22 at 1:02 pm item No 7 -- At one of the OMC meetings, the Supt. was asked directly what No. 7 mentions by one of the councilmen, and she answered with a sharp "No." I think the Dept. of the Interior was only concerned about any more repercussions from the lawsuit, protecting and covering up their lack of duties was the only objection on their part, nothing else at the time was more important to pursue than that.
DeleteAn "Economic Impact Study" would have to be done to recover any losses/revenue. But in filing a lawsuit seems the Judge would order this impact.
"There is so much that can be accomplished to increase the Shareholder Revenue that is not currently being addressed. Time is of the essence."
DeleteWhat exactly do you propose? A whole lot more of nothing except many more Osage County Osages get on the payroll with shareholder money footing the bill and that ONES Board which starts to get more and more money from the Osage Nation government instead of the membership in needed benefits? Give us a break! Used to be before the greed driven Osage Nation government got to the helm that only about $300K to $400K was used for the administration of the Osage Tribal government. The balance of the drawdown was returned to the headright shareholders in their checks...
Are you saying headlight income is used to finance the Nation's programs? Or are you pointing out that it didn't cost as much to finance the Nation when the Minerals council was in charge of everything? Just asking for clarification. Thank you.
DeleteAnd this is why we need to know how are dollar is working for us and I am pretty sure all of us Shareholder's would like to see some action action whats your function? Yep we need to know folks this is a different era and where are we at? Our future is here and in the past three years how are we trending? Who on our council will answer this Question, can The Agency who is working for us answer my question? Can our lawyer answer this question? And to boot, we seem to find ourselvex in this perpetual cycle of discourse with the Federal Government, lawsuits after lawsuits and tell ne how does this represent our future, our M.E? Now there you have in black nd white. Can we just get somewhere with some real answers and lets not sugar coat the reality, can we just get some work done? Our future is today, its here.
DeleteBack in the days the meetings used to cost I believe $75.00
DeleteAnd the Tribal Council members served without a salary because it was a privilege to serve the Osage people. Nowadays, the only ones really being served, by a large percentage, are those who collect a paycheck from the Osage Nation government.
Delete"Waller needs to take to testerone boosters there supplements." Woah! I don't think that this is or ever has been his problem. If anything, it's the exact opposite. Put him on "Low T" boosters and the roof might just come flying off the building. Funny remark though.
DeleteNOTICE: Osage Landowner Event!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1847699075256141&set=p.1847699075256141&type=3&theater
Opening day of the Spring Hun-Kah Congressional Session is tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteDid everyone see that Congresswoman Whitehorn has introduced legislation to remove the Supt. from the Agency? Even if it passes, I doubt if the BIA removes the Supt but bless her for trying.
DeleteDo we even need a minerals council except to sign some leases once in a while?
Next the Chief but what ever happens with the sup, long over due, come on peeps wake up and smell the flowers she is right on this one, whitehorn, not that this is going to fix the challenges at the administrative level. You have to realize whos the pawn here. Changing the guard all the time isn't fixing the problem with this agency we need to go all the way to the SOI. Like this is going to expidite the changes at this agency that was promised over four years ago and now we are finally taking action. WTF. We can manage better ourselves yet we can't seem to come to a consensus about this. Its a waste of time unless we deal with the matter at hand.
DeleteRemoving her is one thing, but wheres the fix? Don't pull a Paul Ryan. We need man power, feet on the Ground and that was promised by the Agency during the HPP lawsuit. Now fast forward 4 years later, still at square one and still hammered by the lack of performance by this agency. Get the special interest out and watch what happens.
DeleteVideo is available for opening day at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/multimedia/live-media
DeleteAn utterly priceless clap reaction from Kugee Supernaw at the end of the Chief's remarks. Hilarious is an understatement. Beautiful outfit worn by the Speaker today and a very nice tribute from her to Congresswoman Edwards on her service in vetting Judge Gorsuch.
DeleteShe's too defensive and self-protective. She behaves in an emotional way when Osages rightfully vent and none of this answers to her fiduciary obligation to stop harming the Osage Mineral Estate. No other high level business executive who behaves this way is tolerated in the real world. It's substandard and there is no reason that the Osages should have to deal with her in any capacity related to the Mineral Estate. She needs to move on and find a less stressful environment that she can tolerate and behave appropriately.
DeleteGaming Board is now issuing a newsletter to promote and provide transparency to the Osage membership.
ReplyDelete"Osages wishing to receive an email copy of the gaming board’s newsletter, or to provide comments and suggestions, contact the gaming board’s office at (918) 287-5558 or email Gaming Board Executive Assistant Mariellen “Mo” Fisher at mfisher@osagenation-nsn.gov
http://osagenews.org/en/article/2017/03/24/gaming-enterprise-board-issues-inaugural-newsletter/
Congressional Session Day 2:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBnW7jBasVo
Yes! The Osage people are interested in a transcript of the Executive and Legislative Messages for each and every Session that takes place of the Osage Congress. Congresswoman Edwards is perfectly correct about that too.
DeleteLike a copy of the statement of the Chief about the $1.4 million from the Tax Commission that has apparently materialized out of thin air as referenced by Congresswoman Whitehorn's statement during the Opening Day of the Regular Session yesterday.
DeleteCongressional Session Day 3 is located at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7W4JH_wITc
ReplyDeleteImportant Note: The Bluestem Ranch Lease for the BR Board will be discussed in the Congressional Commerce Committee Meeting today between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/multimedia/live-media
The Agenda is located at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/sites/default/files/event-brochures/CE%203-29-17%20Revised%20Notice3.pdf
BOONE'S BULLETIN--MARCH 28, 2017--PART 1
ReplyDeleteOn January 3, the Chief met with a few people in Hominy. Some attending were Congress members Angela Pratt and John Maker, Osage Minerals Councilman Galen Crum and Councilman Andrew Yates, Eddie Redeagle Jr. of ONES LLC, Myron Redeagle, Patricia Spurrier Brite and George Shannon. The Minerals Council received no report about this meeting. Not all elected officials were invited to this meeting. That's why they are called secret meetings.
On January 12, there was a meeting held in Pawhuska. It was attended by those mentioned above, other members of Congress, other members of the Osage Minerals Council (OMC), oil producers and interested individuals. One of the topics was presented by George Shannon, the chief's uncle. He wants a million acre lease, do away with the BIA, form a new LLC company or new corporation. The OMC would be directors of the new corporation. Royalty to the shareholders would be a minimum. If a lease of this type were to be approved by the Secretary of Interior there would be no need for a Minerals Council. Article 15 of the Constitution gives the authority to develop and administer the minerals estate to the OMC. At this meeting, the chief announced plans for he and the OMC chairman to go to Washington D.C.in March. Not all OMC members were informed of this trip.
At the OMC meeting January 18, a new policy from the BIA superintendent is to have any requests for information to go through the chairman. I spend a lot of time at the office but I'm not there every day from 8-4:30. Our chairman isn't at the office all day.
On February 12, I attended a public meeting at Grayhorse regarding the 43,000 acre ranch the nation bought. I learned that the chief was not following Osage Nation law. He is interfering with the board by not allowing the board to have total control of the ranch.
BOONE'S BULLETIN--MARCH 28, 2017--PART 2
DeleteOn February 15, the Chief came to our OMC meeting and spoke abut the proposed trip to D.C. I spoke about reasons why I might not go with the chief on such a trip. One reason was that we had not been provided with an agenda. The chief responded in such a tone that one of constituents stated he was this side of a heart attack. This was not a casual conversation. To listen you can google osage nation. There will be a pop up of 6 subjects. Click on Who We Are, then click on Minerals Council.Click on meeting information then scroll down to February 15. Click on audio 1 and begin at 41:35 to hear the chief's tone.
At the Osage Shareholder Meeting on February 26, the chief spoke and stated twice that the OMC isn't doing their job. Even though he belittles the OMC in public, he still finds it necessary to take us with him to D.C. When I asked what was on the agenda for that trip, the chief's response was that an agenda couldn't be made until he knew who was going.
On March 10, travel advance checks for the OMC trip to D.C. were prepared. Signatory Kathryn Redcorn signed her own travel advance check. This is against our policy.
At our March 22 meeting, past meeting minutes were on the agenda to be discussed. I specifically stated there were 7 missing pages on the January 18 minutes. In two places Galen Crum was identified as Councilwoman Crum. I continued to point out several more errors. These were mostly errors that could have been corrected if our executive assistant would simply proof read his work. Councilwoman Redcorn tried to protect the executive assistant by saying the corrections needed to be discussed in private. Councilman Redcorn made the motion to accept the minutes. It was not a motion to accept the minutes as amended. Andrew Yates seconded the motion. Yes votes were Talee Redcorn, Andrew Yates, Kathryn Redcorn and Everett Waller. No votes were Stephanie Erwin and me. Abstain votes were Joe Cheshewalla and Galen Crum. Why did these four vote to have incorrect information to become part of the record?
We are still waiting on a response to our appeal of the wind farm from the 10th circuit in Denver.
Patricia Spurrier Bright's Open Records lawsuit against the OMC was dismissed. That cost the shareholders at least $1500 in attorney fees. Her efforts to give the OMC a black eye were unsuccessful. Myron Redeagle supported his friends by speaking negatively about the OMC in court. We're waiting on the court hearing transcript to see exectly what he said.
The Chief took over the BIA function of issuing certificate degrees of Indian blood (CDIB). We read in the ON Newspaper how many wrong CDIB's were issued and all their heirs that could benefit.
The Chief also took over the BIA Realty Department. He can't even get the ranch into trust. How much in taxes to the state will that cost us, $100,000, $200,000? We recently read that before the ranch can be put into trust, the entire ranch needs to be remediated at a cost of over $40 million. Where will that money come from? Shareholders are having trouble receiving their checks from Realty that the Nation took over. Other failures of the Osage Nation: a gift shop, grocery store and Osage LLC. The verdict is still out on the health clinic. I guess we're living in la la land to think that we will ever receive a per capita check from the nation.
Any opinions stated above are mine and not that of the entire OMC.
As always I appreciate your support.
Osage Mineral Councilwoman Cynthia Boone
"...a million acre lease, do away with the BIA, form a new LLC company or new corporation. The OMC would be directors of the new corporation. Royalty to the shareholders would be a minimum." That's our Greedy Chief and the man who runs him and Waller both, Sonny Abbott. Can that bstrd at the first election opportunity. $40 million to remediate the Bluestem land and this information comes after the purchase and not before. Drop kick this guy in the rubbish bin on June 4, 2018 and that little fella too with the big mouth that stands right beside him.
DeleteChief Greedy Stumbling Bear. Truth to tell right there.
DeleteGeorge Shannon is one individual. But look at "how many" headright owner's are also individual. We all have a legal "individual" vote in our government. We have a say in the ME. The Chief's uncle may have influence over him but that doesn't stop our vote and our headright owner's RIGHTS. The "royalty" to the shareholders is already at a "minimum." With each new purchase and new spending it gets "permanently" lower.
DeleteThe election of June 2018 is far away, we have to watch the Chief's next purchase or spur of the moment deals, some of us will die before the debts are paid off, and the next generation will still receive royalty at a "minimum."
"...form a new LLC company." Incompetent is as incompetent does. It's sad that Osage history in business repeats itself.
Blue Stem Ranch. Like being married and find out your mate's purchase on a charge card, and the Judge says you also are responsible for the cost. We are all on the Nation's charge card and we pay for it one way or another (benefits, revenue, setbacks, progress).
The meaning of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again if our rights are abrogated in any way shape or form you will see lawsuits after lawsuits be prepared. I will say this the Chief is right our M.C is not performing as in substandard by far. I have been saying this for a while. And I know the status quo has not changed for quite some time. Not to detract from whats going on with our Chief five years lafter the HPP and where are we? If there are any changes made we as Shareholders will vote for those changes these changes will be explained in black and white we will understand the narrative or agenda and we will be asking for economic impact statement and so forth get my drift. You are the few bit this Osage will not be hoodwinked. Thank you Cynthia for the update.
DeleteAnother reason is for tax puposes its not a good deal it would affect the over all shareholder's front end.
DeleteHostile is a better word for what is happening behind close doors. Be very careful the direction you take. This is why we have 8 council members to be performing not on the sidelines Chief if they are to old then we get young blood in there to do the job that they are not doing.
DeleteI don't know if everyone on here is just naive or misinformed. The MC does not, repeat, does not run the Bureau. The Bureau effectively runs the MC and everything they do because they have the Executive power to approve or disapprove what the MC does or does not do. Everybody keeps screaming about the MC when it's the Bureau that is causing these problems out in the field and a vituperative, vindictive, and punishing Superintendent who is constantly showing the MC who's boss and causing the fallout from all of this to land on the Shareholders. The one Federal office charged with handling Indian affairs is one of the few that the Executive Branch can't get in hand. It's OOC and has been in a greater or lesser way since it came into being. I mean, if the former Secretary of the Interior can arbitrarily change the legal definition of a "fiduciary obligation" to a relationship where the BIA works "with" rather than "for" the Native American Tribes and Nations, you've got to know right then and there that something is horribly wrong.
DeleteAbsolutely and I happen to agree with what you are saying but still even if we are at square one and it's at the administrative level of the bureau then it is up to the mineral Council to make those necessary changes and go to Washington and seek out the SOI or we will be ib the court systen again to no end until we fix what needs to be done. Most unfortunate we can't trust our chief and that is absolutely horrible. This is no way shape or form this M.E. is operating as it should.
DeleteGeeze! Don't you follow what has been going on? They just got back from a trip to Washington, D.C.! If you think that the Federal government, in any Branch at any level, dances to the tune of the Osage Mineral Council, then you aren't self-deluded, you are certifiable! This isn't an "ask and you shall receive" proposition by any means. Where are you coming from?
DeleteFrom a place where a big fat salary is dangling for those who can get the OME income away from the headright owners and put it in their pockets. I could almost buy into it for the day when Sonny Abbott starts getting a quarterly check at 1/50th of what he is getting right now and finally realizes that he's been had in the worst way by the Osage 3/4 Bloods. They have been plotting this for years on all those who have little blood quantum and get a payment check whether they live in the Osage or not. Just saw a movie that reminds me of the "curse" of the Osage and it's "The Dressmaker". Those Aussies...Pow! WOW!
DeleteThey may have gone to Washington but maybe not for these reasons... The Chiefs tone wow, he knows his time is up very shortly and he also knows he's not well liked or trusted so is he some what hostle he should be because all eyes are now watching and waiting for his next move.
DeleteGet the Chief on ethic charges and remove him. ASAP.
DeleteA S A P !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DeleteI agree with the poster above stating the MC does not run the BIA. There are hard facts we have to accept, this is not the 1920s. Our MC has no clout with the BIA at the local or national level. Tinker had a Superintendent removed in the 1960s. That was 50 years ago. As Shareholders I think the time has come to accept the fact that an Osage mineral estate share can make you a living. Just yesterday the Bigheart Times reported that the new county sheriff is suing a producer for dumping of oil and gas production by-products. His attorney is Gentner Drummond. Every producer in this county is going to get sued, one at a time. There is nothing the MC can do about that.
DeleteOf course there is a lot we can do the BIA works for us if we do not hold them to a higher standard and or accountability then of course we are not going to be going anywhere and just because its not the 1920's is the point here, lets get them out of that era and get some forward thinking going on if it means going to Washington once a month and thats what should be happening with all the evidence points to a disfunctional agency that is not performing,Lets not throw in the towell so quickly. Like I said if we do nothing someone else will step in. This George Shannon guy dont you think we have enough families getting paid by our Government. Not just that his Idea would hurt all of us. No way jose our checks are at a minimum a bare minimum and we are not happy to say the least is a understatement. If our Council is doing a wonderful job I could see them acting as board members but they already are acting and doing a bad job at it so what makes you think they will do a better job as board members. My point, with all this rhetoric is we can still function and we're not. I am thankful for who in our History or past who have produced and still want to continue, but its time we get that Burbank area going with bigger producing companies stop protecting the smaller interest. And lets move on. And lets hold our Chief accountable as well he should have come to the dinner table and try to come to a consensus even if his idea was being rejected does not mean we all do not want to come to a reasonable solution either. Chief you are equally guilty to do nothing. Get this shit going or we will throw out the shit sorta speak. This crap has been going on since before we became a legal Government and all there is bad news after another. How much money have we lost realistically?
DeleteNotice:
ReplyDeleteThe Spring, 2017 Minerals Newsletter is now available for download online at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/minerals-council
Scroll down to the section marked Newsletters and click on the text "Spring, 2017 Minerals Newsletter."
This thread is now closed. Go to: http://osageblog.blogspot.com/2017/03/osage-shareholder-matters-march-april.html
ReplyDelete