The Osage Nation Strategic Planning Department hosted a Generation Z lunch and learn summit Dec. 20 at Wakon Iron Hall in Pawhuska.
The Nation’s strategic plan is focused on the next five years, from 2026 to 2030. According to the Nation’s website, the core purpose of the 25-year strategic plan is to strengthen the Osage Nation government and society in order to preserve and perpetuate a full and abundant Osage way of life that benefits all Osages, living and as yet unborn.
“The reason that we’re doing this is because strategic plans are very fluid,” said Strategic Planning Director Candy Thomas. “And with the time changes, things have changed since we did our last strategic plan.”
Thomas said having a Gen Z meeting was essential.
“We realized that the next generation for the strategic plan is the Gen Z’s because they are going to be the leaders of the Nation,” she said. “We called this meeting today to get their ideas to try to find out what the most important priorities are for them.”
The developers of the Generation Z summit thought it was important to let the participants discuss topics.
“The process that we use is the technology of participation, which is really to have the work that we do become more of a conversation than a presentation,” said Roger Fragua with Cota Holdings LLC. “The whole objective of the process is to have the Gen Z voices heard.”
Generation Z encompasses a large group of Osages.
“This growing sector of the Osage population is probably more Gen Z-er than any other in terms of demographics,” Fragua said. “We show that they are a very large and powerful group to try to engage in on having their voices heard to help direct the future programs, departments, agencies, initiatives and activities of the Osage Nation.”

Input was asked from Osages ages 18 to 25, and attendees came from all districts.
Former Osage Nation Princess and current Miss Indigenous OU, Gigi Sieke, attended the summit. Sieke is from the Grayhorse District.
“I’m very excited and encouraged and I know that our Nation is going in such an amazing direction,” she said. “Especially now that our voices are being heard. That is so important. We as Gen Z know that we’re going to be the next leaders of the Osage Nation, but it’s our time to start giving back.”
Hunter Wall, who is also from the Grayhorse District, found the summit inspirational.
“One word I would use to describe today would be inspirational,” he said. “It’s extremely inspiring and educational to see all these people coming together and sharing their ideas, and that’s what we need. We need to be connected. I just think continuing to be connected and informed is extremely important and to have your voices heard, which I think is the reason for the strategic plan itself.”
Makayla Davis from the Pawhuska District said cultural and tribal sovereignty were among the most important of the topics discussed.
“Today we talked about cultural sovereignty and tribal sovereignty and what that looks like as a people and for our people,” she said. “The most important pieces of that, for me, were that we want to continue with our traditional ways, but we also want to implement our new ways. We talked about adaptation as a people coming from Ohio, into Missouri and Kansas, and now in Oklahoma into Osage Reservation and what that looks like for our people today. When we come in and talk about tribal sovereignty, we want to respect our traditional values and be able to have that later on for future generations.”
Davis also thought the meeting was encouraging, as the future of the Osage Nation will depend on the participation of Generation Z.
“It was encouraging and invigorating to sit around with my people,” she said. “My sisters, my brothers, my aunts, my uncles, my cousins and to be here and represent, and to also learn about more connection opportunities to spread the word vast and wide, that we are here as a people and that we will be here for the foreseeable future.”
Strategic planning meetings will continue through March. The Strategic Plan Engagement Tour will be visiting colleges in February. The first stop will be Norman at the University of Oklahoma on Feb. 18. The next stop will be in Stillwater at Oklahoma State University on Feb. 19. The final stop will be in Tulsa at Tulsa Community College on Feb. 20. The times of all meetings will be 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., with locations being posted soon.