PAWHUSKA, Okla. — Osage Nation and Pawhuska Police Department's executed a search warrant Tuesday at two learning sites serving Osage students following the closure of Daposka Ahnkodapi in August.
According to the warrant, ONPD investigators believe property that belongs from Daposka Ahnkodapi may have been taken to the Learning Pathways Academy sites in Pawhuska.
Daposka Ahnkodapi is the Osage Nation school Principal Chief Joe Tillman closed before the start of the school year. The items listed in the warrant included bookshelves, library books and a bench.
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Princella Parker RedCorn said her daughter was at one of the learning sites when officers arrived, while her son was at the other.
“It just really felt like an intimidation tactic from the Tillman administration," said RedCorn. "As a parent organization, as teacher volunteers come together to maintain what Daposka Ahnkodapi was for our children, that community, that closeness and try to keep that education steady, try to keep that language incorporated in their daily usage. And for some reason, the Chief of the Osage Nation does not want us to do that. So it just felt like an intimidation tactic."
Lacey Hufft was teaching at the Open Studio, which has been hosting students through the home school Learning Pathways program since Daposka closed. Hufft said officers instructed her not to tell anyone why they were there and told her the 8 students in her classroom needed to be sent home.
“It’s an attack on the kids, and I get to watch it," said Hufft. "There’s only two teachers left. It’s not fair to them. I don’t understand why, why somebody that wants to get on stage and talk about supporting students and their language and the next day do this to these kids.”
When asked whether, to her knowledge, anything had been stolen from Daposka, Hufft said no.
“It was very nerve racking, very stressful," Hufft said "They were passing out stickers to the kids trying to make it fun, but they knew something wasn’t right, because they were surrounding me and questioning me."
She said she believes the search was intended to discourage teachers from continuing to teach language preservation to the students.
Both Hufft and RedCorn said the items police were searching for had been provided to Daposka students through a grant for at-home learning.
"Because why send police officers from the City of Pawhuska and from your own nation’s police force to children who are actively learning in a home school environment after you shut down their school?" questioned RedCorn.
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RedCorn said she repeatedly asked officers who had directed the search but said she did not receive an answer.
The uncertainty has also affected her children.
“For my daughter Elizabeth, she just really didn’t want this co-op to close,” RedCorn said. “And for me, that was sad to hear that she was like, ‘Oh, is the Chief going to close this one?’' And I’m like we’re really not going to let him do that. We’re going to figure it out.”
2 News Oklahoma made multiple attempts to get answers from Principal Chief Joe Tillman’s office and the Osage Nation Police Department about the searches.
The chief’s executive assistant said a statement about the searches would be provided, but 2 News Oklahoma did not receive one before publication.
Despite the searches, Hufft said she intends to continue teaching the Osage language.
“I tell these kids that they did not take our school, they took our building,” Hufft said. “They will not take the language because I can teach it with or without materials. I don’t need a book and that’s what I’m going to continue to do.”
Osage Nation citizens planned a community protest for Oct. 16 demanding accountability and transparency from the Executive Branch, and protection for Osage Nation language and culture.
As for what comes next for the Learning Pathways Academy, Hufft said they are planning to move to a new space where this doesn't happen again.
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