Efforts to establish an Osage Nation-owned funeral services facility will begin after the Seventh ON Congress voted to appropriate $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds toward the initial costs.
The Congress considered and debated bill ONCA 22-35 (sponsored by Congressional Speaker Angela Pratt) during the 2022 Hun-Kah Session before it received unanimous approval. According to the bill, the $3 million, coming from ARPA funding distributed to the Nation, will go toward costs including design, engineering and construction costs, as well as a land purchase within the Nation’s territorial boundaries.
Pratt said she sponsored the bill after hearing concerns and complaints from Osage families who experienced difficult dealings while planning their loved one’s funeral arrangements with non-Osage funeral businesses – many which date back years. During a Congressional Commerce, Gaming and Land Committee meeting for initial consideration, Pratt said pursuing a Nation-run facility would increase the “ability to control how to care for our people during their time of mourning, and their loss and their different needs.”
“While COVID has been a terrible thing that has happened in our world, in our communities, but at the same time the blessings that came from it is it highlighted the needs of Indian Country and the lack of services and things that are in our communities,” Pratt said of the opportunity to use federal money versus tribal funds. “To me there’s options on the table, we don’t know exactly right now should it be a completely new facility? Or where should it be? And those are things in planning that can move forward. This is to set money aside that we didn’t have before,” she added for pursuing a funeral facility, which she believes is a need for the Nation.
Congresswoman Paula Stabler said the Nation already budgets approximately $500,000 annually for the current Burial Assistance program, which has a recently-increased benefit amount capped at $8,000 per death “and that money could be used to drive this program” as a government service. “Besides the emotional need that we have for it, the practical need, we do have the ability to do this and to run it. I don’t think it’s going to take $3 million, it all depends on what goes into the design, but I think it’s a beneficial government service,” Stabler said in thanking Pratt for sponsoring the bill.
Congresswoman Brandy Lemon said she hopes the funeral home discussion will also open up more planning options when it comes to funerals, as well as keep the burial assistance component available for those who do not wish to be buried in one of the reservation communities. She also pointed to another complaint fielded by fellow Osages who feel a past funeral home experience was taken advantage of.
“We get taken advantage of by the funeral homes, in my opinion, because they know exactly how much money each tribal member gets to have on their death,” Lemon said, adding “I know some tribal members who decided to be cremated because they didn’t want their family to have a burden over the (burial assistance amount) and that’s not how they wanted to go and I worry they haven’t gone on.”
Congressional Second Speaker Jodie Revard agreed the legislation is a need and long overdue, adding she will vote for the bill. “I most certainly want this to come out of ARPA dollars because its allowable for a government service … I definitely would like to ensure we have the land and a design, architect and engineering.”
Congressman John Maker said he supports a funeral facility, noting he also looked into the idea after a discussion with former Congressman Archie Mason and they learned about state universities offering mortuary science degrees, noting there is also licensing requirements needed for a facility.
Congressman Eli Potts was also in support of the legislation considering the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding he would also support using tribal dollars to continue pursuing a funeral facility, if needed.
ONCA 22-35 passed unanimously on April 14 and Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear signed the bill into law. For more information regarding ON Congressional regular or special sessions, filed legislation and Congressional committee meetings, visit the Legislative Branch website at www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/legislative-branch