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Funding passed for storm shelters, IT project and football championship rings

Legislation covering community safety, technology improvements and celebrating Woodland High School’s victory was passed

The Ninth Osage Nation Congress approved several appropriation bills during its 3rd Special Session including $520,000 for storm shelter assistance, $127,000 for Information Technology costs and approximately $5,000 toward championship ring purchases for the Woodland High School football team.

On Jan. 14, the 12-member legislature convened for the first special session of the 2025 calendar year. Called by executive proclamation, the special session originated with consideration of extending the Nation’s tobacco tax compact with the State of Oklahoma but later included filed appropriation legislation.

Those appropriation bills receiving approval include:

ONCA 25-29 (sponsored by Congressman Eli Potts) is “An Act to authorize and appropriate the amount of $520,000 to the Storm Shelter Assistance Fund.” The amount replenishes the assistance fund for Osage constituents to purchase shelters for use during severe inclement weather.

ONCA 25-30 (sponsored by Congresswoman Jodie Revard) is “An Act to authorize $127,000 of residual assets in the Capital Asset Fund to be utilized by the Executive Branch Information Technology Department.” The amount will partially cover costs for fiber ring construction on the Nation’s campus.

ONCA 25-31 (Revard) is “An Act to amend ONCA 21-61 to increase the appropriation to the Executive Branch in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the continuation and completion of Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act projects by the amount of $160,000.” The amount will also partially cover costs for fiber ring construction on the Nation’s campus.

ONCA 25-32 (Revard) is “An Act to amend ONCA 21-75 to decrease the appropriation of ARPA funds to the Executive Branch for the expansion of broadband coverage throughout the Osage Nation by the amount of $160,000.”

ONCA 25-33 (sponsored by Congressional Speaker Pam Shaw) is “An Act to authorize and appropriate the amount of $5,047 to the Woodland High School football team for the purchase of state championship rings and pendants.” After much Congressional committee discussion, both for and against, the appropriation amount received votes for amending the amount down from the initial bill amount of $11,997. Outside fundraising and sponsorships were accounted for to help fund the ring purchases.

The ring purchases will go to players and coaches with the Woodland High Cougars football team who won the 2024 Oklahoma Class A, Division II state championship, which includes 15 Osage players and one Osage coach.

This isn’t the first time the Nation has supported the Woodland High School football team. The Cougars won the Class A State Championship in 2010. The late Principal Chief John Red Eagle donated $5,000 in March 2011 to help purchase rings for all players on the team. However, in 2016, Hominy High School won the Class A State Championship but did not receive funding from the Nation to help purchase their state championship rings.

Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear signed the legislative bills into law after the special session ended on Jan. 16.

Author

  • Benny Polacca

    Title: Senior Reporter

    Email: bpolacca@osagenation-nsn.gov

    Instagram: @bpolacca

    Topic Expertise: Government, Tribal Government, Community

    Languages spoken: English, basic knowledge of Spanish and French

    Benny Polacca (Hopi/ Havasupai/ Pima/ Tohono O’odham) started working at the Osage News in 2009 as a reporter in Pawhuska, Okla., where he’s covered various stories and events that impact the Osage Nation and Osage people. Those newspaper contributions cover a broad spectrum of topics and issues from tribal government matters to features. As a result, Polacca has gained an immeasurable amount of experience in covering Native American affairs, government issues and features so the Osage readership can be better informed about the tribal current affairs the newspaper covers.

    Polacca is part of the Osage News team that was awarded the Native American Journalists Association's Elias Boudinet Free Press Award in 2014 and has won numerous NAJA media awards, as well as awards from the Oklahoma Press Association and SPJ Oklahoma Pro Chapter, for storytelling coverage and photography.

    Polacca earned his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and also participated in the former American Indian Journalism Institute at the University of South Dakota where he was introduced to the basics of journalism and worked with seasoned journalists there and later at The Forum daily newspaper covering the Fargo, N.D. area where he worked as the weeknight reporter.

Benny Polacca
Benny Polaccahttps://osagenews.org

Title: Senior Reporter

Email: bpolacca@osagenation-nsn.gov

Instagram: @bpolacca

Topic Expertise: Government, Tribal Government, Community

Languages spoken: English, basic knowledge of Spanish and French

Benny Polacca (Hopi/ Havasupai/ Pima/ Tohono O’odham) started working at the Osage News in 2009 as a reporter in Pawhuska, Okla., where he’s covered various stories and events that impact the Osage Nation and Osage people. Those newspaper contributions cover a broad spectrum of topics and issues from tribal government matters to features. As a result, Polacca has gained an immeasurable amount of experience in covering Native American affairs, government issues and features so the Osage readership can be better informed about the tribal current affairs the newspaper covers.

Polacca is part of the Osage News team that was awarded the Native American Journalists Association's Elias Boudinet Free Press Award in 2014 and has won numerous NAJA media awards, as well as awards from the Oklahoma Press Association and SPJ Oklahoma Pro Chapter, for storytelling coverage and photography.

Polacca earned his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and also participated in the former American Indian Journalism Institute at the University of South Dakota where he was introduced to the basics of journalism and worked with seasoned journalists there and later at The Forum daily newspaper covering the Fargo, N.D. area where he worked as the weeknight reporter.

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