TULSA, Okla. – Osage Nation Congressional candidate Drew Tiger hosted a May 5 meet & greet at The Gypsy Coffee House to introduce himself and share his interests in seeking public office.
Tiger (Pawhuska District) lives in Jenks and has a professional resume including stints at major companies that he believes prepared him for serving the Osage people. His prior employment includes working as a jet fuel analyst and in telecommunications, and information technologies sectors in California, Seattle and Albuquerque, N.M.
After moving back to Oklahoma, Tiger worked for Williams Companies, Inc., Bank of Oklahoma, Society of Geophysicists, VGT – all in the I.T. realm, he said, adding he’s gained 29 years of I.T. experience in troubleshooting, running projects, business analyst, systems analyst, and quality assurance analyst.
“So, I have all that perspective of working around high-caliber talented people, very educated people on stringent deadlines and budgets,” Tiger said at his event attended by a handful in-person group, as well as people watching his event virtually that evening. “Working in that world, I was the only (minority at times) in many of those companies that I worked around. I was able to become a critical thinker, become someone who can analyze and peel an onion back and dissect an issue.”
In seeking office, Tiger said those experiences also included negotiations and teamwork. “So those types of things led me to think I could apply that to the (Nation) as a legislator, meaning we’re going to draft legislation, we’re going to vote on things, we’re going to appropriate funds, we’re going to dissect issues that require us to negotiate among each other, talk among each other, and try and come up with a resolution that will help our tribe.”
“The only promise I can make to our Osage people, is that it’s not about me, it’s about working for you, the Osage people who employ me,” Tiger said. “I’m not in this for personal gain, I’m in this from my heart because not only do I have the experience and education, but I was also raised around our culture and being able to understand what it means to go into our Inlonshka, I’ve been dancing for over 50 years and that’s one of the most humblest places you can be is in that arbor.”
Tiger said he would also like to work with the elderly, if elected, and explore establishing an at-large office to serve constituents living outside Oklahoma, as well as the Osage Reservation. “I hope that we can develop that so we can get our at-large (people) more involved not only in the health benefit card, but what else can they tap in to? And I hope I can get your support on June 6 and vote me in as one of your Congress members.”
