The Eighth Osage Nation Congress shared well-wishes to outgoing Congressional Clerk Shana Robedeaux as they honored her during her last workday as Legislative Branch parliamentarian on March 31.
Robedeaux conducted her usual clerk duties in recording Congressional votes while seated next to Congressional Speaker Alice Goodfox during Day 5 of the 2023 Hun-Kah Session. Afterward, Congressman Eli Potts read a citation honoring Robedeaux for her service as she departs the Osage Nation to work for the Delaware Tribe of Indians headquartered in Bartlesville.
In preparation for Robedeaux’s departure, the Congressional Affairs Committee posted the Congressional Clerk position and voted to hire Brooklyn Kemble as the new incoming clerk. Kemble previously served as executive assistant and had clerk duties for the ON Gaming Enterprise Board during their meetings.
Potts referred to March being Women’s History Month and said he wanted to honor someone who has worked and served the Nation for 20 years in addition to past years where elected female leaders were recognized for the annual observance.
“Shana’s been there through it all: My marriage, kids, house emergencies, plumbing emergencies, electrical fires, floods or adulting as we call it, adulting is hard,” Potts said. “She’s helped each of us, staff members, not just in our role in Congress, but in our everyday lives and we are thankful for that. She supported each of us too, though, training us through parliamentary procedure knowledge to keep us in line when we get out, reminding us where to go, who’s on first, who’s on second, reminding us to slow down and follow the rules. She’s able to cite Congressional rules and policies without hesitation often better than many of us. She’s been there for all of us also while being there for her family.”
“My hope is today we recognize Ms. Shana Robedeaux on this final day of Women’s History Month, on her final day of service to the Osage Nation Congress and to this government,” Potts said. “We recognize her contributions to our legislative body and to her years of service to the Osage Nation.”
Potts read a written citation honoring Robedeaux, who has served as Congressional Clerk for seven years, 10 years total with the Legislative Branch and she previously served as the Nation’s Child Care assistant director. In following the legislative procedure, Potts motioned to issue the citation, followed by several Congressional members’ “second” to the motion. Congress members and staff then issued their own comments and well wishes to Robedeaux before voting to issue the citation.
Congressman Joe Tillman recalled when he was first elected in 2016 as the lone new member among five others re-elected that year and received his introduction to the legislative rules and code and Robedeaux offered to help him. “You took me in and took me to the side and spent several hours with me for a couple of days in a row,” he said of Robedeaux helping him get acquainted with the information needed as an elected official. “I wish you best of luck in your future endeavors,” Tillman said and also applauded Robedeaux in helping ensure the Congressional sessions continued remotely during heightened periods of the COVID-19 pandemic when he was Speaker.
Congresswoman Pam Shaw said: “Being Second Speaker for the past year with you has been an amazing experience, thank you for imparting your extensive knowledge, for being a professional, for keeping me in line, for telling me things over and over and over. I know that moving on is hard… but I know that you’ll do a good job… Thank you for your service and I wish you the best.”
Congressman Billy Keene said “I want to wish you well on your future journey, we were blessed to have you here, so thank you for that.”
Congresswoman Brandy Lemon also applauded Robedeaux’s hospitality “and that is a great foundation to have and to live by, so thank you for that and thank you for carrying that value on that we so dearly hold near to our hearts.”
Congresswoman Whitney Red Corn said Robedeaux is one of the “best leaders” she’s ever met and has a servant’s heart that stands out. “Personally, I believe that servant nature, how your heart’s wired, determines whether or not you’re a true leader and you are and I admire that about you. I also admire the fact that you listened to the Lord’s calling to push you out of your comfort zone into new territory – that’s hard to do, a lot of people don’t do that… And I admire your endurance and your steadiness, you are a leader and I’m proud of you and I am grateful for the time I got to spend with you,” Red Corn said.
Congressional Legal Counsel Loyed “Trey” Gill thanked Robedeaux for her commitment in working for Congress. “It’s been absolutely unwavering and I think everybody sees that, I certainly appreciate it. I always know when I ask Shana to do something, if I call her and ask her to send an email, ask her to draft a letter, find a file that we haven’t seen in seven years, it will get done… You and I have been a team (for the past 10 years), what this (Congressional) body doesn’t see behind the scenes, the phone calls and the emails that go between us to make something happen, something that hasn’t happened before, we talk about the process, we talk about how it should happen, when it should happen to present this body in the best light, I will miss that… I wish you the best.”
Congressman John Maker praised Robedeaux for her loyalty and dedication in her job, including working overtime hours to ensure everything is ready for the next session day, adding she “did so much for this Congress, even singlehandedly sometimes.”
Congressman Otto Hamilton called Robedeaux’s service “remarkable” not only to Congress, but to all Osages. “I was Second Speaker in 2015 when you came in from Assistant Clerk to the Clerk of Congress. At that time, I was in panic mode and I think since then, all you’ve brought was clarity and direction to this branch of government and your calmness is overwhelming to everyone in the room when everyone is frazzling and you keep your calm and point us in the right direction… It’s very admirable how you never lose your cool.”
Assistant Principal Chief RJ Walker, also a former Congressman, said Robedeaux is good at “maintaining 12 bosses – who can do that, right? I’ve known Shana for a long time… (you) set the bar for what a clerk should be, how to conduct themselves, how to keep Congress in line, know when to hold them, know when to fold them and I admire that and respect you and have no doubt you will do well in your next adventure.”
Congresswoman Jodie Revard, who also grew up in Pawhuska and knew Robedeaux while they grew up, praised her for helping her get acquainted with her new elected office role and for being supportive during recent family member passings. “You just had a way about helping me do my job in a way that needed to be done, but also be observant of my grieving and not everybody can do that to the point that you come to my home with a blanket to share your acknowledgment of my grief because you knew my brother and then soon after we had to get to work… And I admire that about you, that fearlessness and it does take a lot to make change sometimes… I told you whatever you do, I’m going to support you in your endeavor in life because I know you outside of this office… Everything that you’ve learned is going to help (the Delaware Tribe) in their endeavors and I wish you the best.”
Goodfox recalled Robedeaux’s hiring by the Congressional Affairs Committee at that time and said “thank you for everything that you’ve done for this branch of our government. We appreciate all the long hours, all of the things you’ve helped us to work through and it’s been a lot. Even this morning as I woke up calling Shana right after 8 a.m. and said ‘we have a problem with the agenda’ and she was like ‘OK, it’s fixed!’… It’s the dedication that I have the upmost respect for and the thing I probably appreciate the most right now as Speaker is that she has spent the last five days helping to train our new clerk with every single free minute that Brooklyn and Shana have had – they’re going over things that took Shana a decade to get through… I feel like in the five days, I know that you have given her years worth of training honestly and so I appreciate that and I know this body will appreciate that, thank you very much, God bless you.”
After her comments, Goodfox continued the legislative process by asking for a voice vote from Congress to issue Robedeaux her citation. The motion passed with 11 “yes” votes and one absence from Congresswoman Paula Stabler that day.
Afterward Potts presented Robedeaux the written citation, a Pendleton blanket and a vase of flowers as gifts from Congress followed by cupcakes and photos afterward.
Amid tears shed by Robedeaux, some Congress members and fellow staff, Robedeau then appeared at the podium after accepting the gifts and shared some words to her former employers.
“This is bittersweet, I’m excited about the new journey, I truly entered into it with a ton of prayer,” Robedeaux said of her departure. “God has other plans, his plans are not the same and he was like ‘no you won’t’ (retire at the Osage Nation). But I have learned so much in my years at the Nation with Child Care before I came here and with Congress and every moment has been invaluable, I can’t tell you anything – even the negative things, even the hard things – are invaluable because of the lessons that are learned through them. I value every single one of you so very much and I thank each and every one of you because iron sharpens iron, guys. It takes all of us working with each other and correcting each other and encouraging each other and pushing each other to step out of their comfort zone.”
“I pray that as you move forward that you’re able to come together as a body and keep your focus on the Osage people, keep your focus on the true reason you’re sitting in these seats,” Robedeaux said. “I pray that you’re able to set your differences aside, I pray that you are able to understand what true forgiveness is and step out of emotion and into what God has called you to do in your seat because that is the absolutely reason you should be sitting in your seat is because you were called to sit there and you need to be serving in the capacity he called you to serve, so I’m going to continue praying for you, I’m going to continue lifting this body and this Nation up because you’re all important to me, you’re family, I love you guys dearly, thank you so much for the time I’ve had here.”
Downloadable copies of filed legislative bills and resolutions, as well as Congressional session and meeting notices and agendas are posted online to the Legislative Branch website at: https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/legislative-branch
