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HomeGovernmentCandidatesJacque Jones shares her campaign in seeking election to Osage Nation Congress

Jacque Jones shares her campaign in seeking election to Osage Nation Congress

Jones is running for a spot on the 9th Osage Nation Congress in the June 3 General Election

Jacque Jones hosted an afternoon reception at the Pawhuska Community Center sharing her campaign and professional experience as she seeks Osage Nation Congressional office in the 2024 General Election.

On April 21, Jones (Pawhuska District) spoke to a crowd of about 30 which comprised of family members, fellow Congress candidates and community members. “It would be the honor of my life to serve you as a Congress person,” she said.

Jones launched Whitehair Consulting LLC in 2019 with her business focus on helping clients build or increase revenue through municipal, federal, state and tribal contracting. Before that, Jones worked for two years as the Vice President and Director of Operations for Osage Nation Environmental Solutions. During her ONES tenure, Jones worked on business development plans, which included obtaining Small Business Administration 8(a) and HUB Zone certifications.

For past government experience Jones was an executive administrative assistant and later served as the first ON Constituent Services director (2007-2016) after the government department was established under the Executive Branch.

When it comes to Osage culture, Jones is a Lady Singer during the Inlonshka dances held each year. “I try to lead by example, I participate in our Inlonshka, I took it on myself to learn all the songs, it’s important to me. Our cultures and traditions – they teach me my place in this world.”

“When elected, I will approach (the job) the way I’ve lived the last 49 years – with inspiration drawn from my parents and grandparents. Today I’d like us to look at 10, 20, 100 years from now, look at the legacy we leave for our children and grandchildren.”

In seeking Congressional office, Jones said she would like to keep economic development for the Nation in front as a focus. “I’ve been doing it for the past five years,” she said of her Whitehair Consulting business, that has helped tribes and entities diversify and build income.

Jones said economic development is especially important to keep generating revenue for the Nation because the seven Osage Casinos are currently providing most of the tribal revenue, but she believes other moneymaking opportunities should be followed. She referred to a comment incumbent Congressman Joe Tillman made during the April 6 Osage News Editorial Board candidate debates, when he stated the Nation’s government would only have six months of rainy day money to continue operations should the casinos close as they did temporarily in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jacque Jones speaks at her candidate announcement luncheon in Pawhuska on April 21, 2024. ECHO REED/Osage News

“That concerns me, we have (LLC) businesses that have been in operations and they should be generating (more) revenue,” Jones said. “I commit to working with boards, Congress members, the Executive Branch and prioritize spending. That is my mission when I get on Congress is to focus on economic development to serve our people worldwide. I’d like us to get into utilities, affordable housing and all of that costs money.”

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.

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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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