The 2022 Tzi-Zho Session is underway for the Eighth Osage Nation Congress with the priority focus on considering and approving the Nation’s 2023 fiscal year budgets for government operations and upcoming projects and endeavors.
On Sept. 6, Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear acknowledged the Nation’s recent awards of two federal grants – totaling $54.5 million – for building broadband internet infrastructure to serve the reservation communities, as well as other budgetary and money-related matters in his executive message to the 12-member Congress.
“This session is mostly about appropriations and authorizations of money for funding the Osage Nation government programs serving its people,” Standing Bear said in his message. “The three branches of our government each have their own constitutional authorities, but all rely on the Osage Congress to fund their operations. For the Executive Branch, Article VII Section 5 of the Osage Constitution states the Executive Branch includes not only the Office of the Chiefs, but also ‘all other administrative offices, departments, agencies and instrumentalities of the Osage Nation, including, but not limited to, public trusts, boards, village committees, authorities, and commissions.’”
The 24-day Tzi-Zho Session is the second of two regular Congressional sessions mandated in the 2006 Constitution. The 2022 session is the first regular convening of Congress following the June 6 General Election and comes at the end of the government fiscal year ending Sept. 30.
“To fund the Executive Branch we turn to what we call tribal funds and non-tribal funds. As you in Congress know, federal funds, such as the broadband grants make up the bulk of non-tribal funds,” Standing Bear said. “The tribal funds are best be described in the annual revenue projection of the Osage Nation which takes the form of a resolution of the Osage Congress.”
The Congress will consider a revised annual projection resolution, which lists income the Nation is expected to receive over the next fiscal year and use toward budgeting and appropriations for FY 2023. According to the resolution, ONCR 22-11 sponsored by Congresswoman Paula Stabler, the Nation is projecting to receive $70.2 million in tribal revenue, which will be budgeted for government operations in addition to non-tribal funding coming mostly from grants awarded for specific departments and operations.
“The increase in total projected revenue for Fiscal Year 2023 shows our continued increase in revenue, mostly from our successful gaming operations,” Standing Bear said. “There is disappointment that the Executive Branch Budgetary Outlay for Fiscal Year 2023 has not increased, despite the need to cover the increased costs of our (higher) education scholarship program, our Medicare Plan F Supplement, Part D Prescription Drug program, Health Card, our new minimum wage, our employee costs of living increases, construction inflations, equipment costs increases, and so on. This can only be made up by reductions from expectations. We request Congress to look at what is shown in ONCR 22-11 as remaining available for appropriations after all outlays. The Resolution shows over $11 million dollars remaining as available for further appropriation.”
In closing, Standing Bear noted the Nation will have legal challenges as efforts are ongoing with regard to water rights, as well as the recent court ruling on the Osage Reservation status.
“In the meantime, to move forward on probate reform, the Osage Nation Attorney General will need funding for federal legislative work for his staff and our Washington, D.C. attorneys and lobbyists. This funding was not included in their current request because this is a new issue. We will return to the Congress within the next three months with more information,” Standing Bear said.
“The need for continued funding to the Attorney General for the ongoing battle to reclaim our Osage Reservation boundary of 1872 must be a priority for the Osage Congress, as should our fight for our water rights,” Standing Bear said. “Past federal laws, including the 1906 Act are being used by the State of Oklahoma to say our rights have been diminished. Governor (Kevin) Stitt and the Oklahoma (State) Attorney General know the federal courts delivered a hard hit against the Osage Nation in 2010 in the Osage Nation v. Irby case. Now, the Osage County District Court has followed that case and also, and we are concerned about this: The Judge has said the 1906 Act itself presents us problems. If the current defendant in that Osage County case does not appeal, the Osage Nation Attorney General will have to seek another case in which to file to present our position that the Osage Nation Reservation was promised to our people when we bought this land with our own money in 1872, this purchase was ratified by the United States of America, and there has not been any Act of the United States Government to disestablish our Reservation.”
To view filed legislation and the Congressional calendar for scheduled sessions and committee meetings, go online to: www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/legislative-branch
