Osage Nation families protest leadership as concerns regarding sovereignty rise

PAWHUSKA, Okla — Osage tribal members gathered outside just in front of the Osage Nation Welcome Center to protest against leaders, saying they are abusing their power.

Lance Harden said he has several younger brothers and sisters.

He said his 12 year-old sister was in class earlier this week when police came to search her classroom for what they say were stolen supplies, including books and bookshelves.

Both the Osage Nation Police Department and the Pawhuska Police Department worked together and got warrants to go into two Learning Pathways buildings.

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Harden says he believes it’s part of a larger issue to stop students from learning their native Osage language and being in touch with their culture.

“It's something you read out of dystopian novels, or if you're educated enough, you read about it happening in the world right now," he said. "Even arguing about why it's important for our children to be able to speak our language, is just as absurd to say."

Harden just never imagined his own tribal leaders would be ripping away the resources kids need to become more ingrained in their culture.

“Natives and having their language and their culture has always been a fight with the government," he said. "You should never be able to fight just to speak.”

Lacey Hufft was a teacher at one of the education centers that was searched.

“They took the kindergarten language book that my best friend had had written, and it's a it's a curriculum for teachers to use," she continued. "It's a fabulous curriculum book, and it's the core to my my kindergarten. And they they took those and they took a bookshelf that didn't even have a government sticker on it.”

While she said she's not Osage herself, she is part of the Chickasaw tribe and sees the importance of how this all leads to sovereignty.

"I've been with these Native families, these Osage families, and these Osage children, since they were little, and for somebody from another tribe to stand up and still fight, that says a lot," she said.

2 News did reach out to the Osage Nation to see if they would like to address any of the concerns or the protest.

This statement was sent on behalf of Chief Joe Tillman, who several of the protesters were calling to impeach.

If any updates come into play, 2 News will make sure to keep you all updated.