Efforts are underway to plan and build a new Pawhuska Indian Village dance arbor after the Third ON Congress approved a $200,000 appropriation bill to finance the design costs.
During the April 15 session, the Congress voted unanimously 12-0 to pass ONCA 14-16 (sponsored by Congressman Geoffrey Standing Bear) to appropriate the funding to the ON Tribal Development and Land Acquisition Department to oversee the design and construction process.
If the design and construction process goes as planned, the June 2015 Pawhuska In-Lon-Schka dances will be held under a new arbor.
The current Pawhuska village Five-Woman Board launched several improvement projects after winning election in 2012 and re-election in October 2013. For example, construction is underway on two new guest arbors for the Grayhorse and Hominy districts north of the current dance arbor that’s believed to be 40-50 years old.
At the advice of TDLA department director Bruce Cass, an independent engineering study conducted on the arbor revealed several deficiencies including bent, broken or deformed joints in the arbor roof. According to the engineer’s report, “the cost of repairing the structure and of the modifications could exceed the cost for a new similarly sized metal building.”
This project has been discussed for about a quarter of a century,” Standing Bear said. The village board took it upon themselves to improve the village property, which included saving money from the Pawhuska Osage Casino lease with the village to build the new guest arbors, he said, commending the board for its work.
Village board chairwoman Paula Stabler said the board has met with several Pawhuska District committeemen for input on the new structure design. In addition to the arbor projects, Stabler said the board is also interested in replacing the restrooms on the east side of the arbor.
Stabler visited with the Congressional Cultural Committee during an April 2 meeting for initial review of ONCA 14-16. Congresswoman Alice Buffalohead said, “I think it’s evident from anyone who goes down there” that there is a need to replace the aging arbor. She made the committee motion to pass the bill to the entire Congress with a “do pass” recommendation.
Congressman John Maker also said he supports a new arbor, adding, “I’ve seen the roof up there, I’ve been out there with Uncle Mog [Pawhuska District Head Committeeman Mogri Lookout] … We looked up there years ago and knew this day was coming.”
With ONCA 14-16 focusing on arbor design money, funding for constructing the new arbor and restrooms will be revisited at a later date. The next regular session is the Tzi-Zho Session, which meets in September with the Nation’s next fiscal year governmental budgets up for consideration.
According to the new dance arbor proposal submitted to Congress, the total preliminary estimate for the project is $2.1 million.
The proposal states the current arbor has a dance area that is 10,345 square feet with the preliminary plans for the new arbor to have a dance area of 17,424 square feet.
The estimate cost breakdown for the project, minus architectural design costs and $103,000 for contingency, is:
– $1.5 million for the arbor construction based on 30,000 square-feet at $50 per square-foot.
– $275,000 for restroom construction, including demolition of the current facilities and arbor.
– $150,000 for site work including sidewalks and storm drainage costs.
In its proposal, the village board says it plans to start the design process in May once a firm is selected through the Nation’s bidding process. The outcome of the design will determine the construction costs that will be presented to the executive and legislative branches in the fall for an appropriation bill.
The village board held a presentation meeting with village and fellow Pawhuska District Osages on March 30 ahead of the Congressional actions on the arbor plans.
“It’s going to take all of us to move this project forward,” Stabler said at the meeting. “This is not like the old days where we’d get a little bit of money from an oil company, we get a bunch of [construction] guys putting in some pipe, bring in some dirt … we’re just beyond that now. We’ve got to take a little bit of pride in what we’re trying to accomplish and hopefully it will last for a long time.”
Osage elder Eddy Red Eagle Jr. attended the meeting and said he believes the arbor project is the beginning of turning the area into a “complex” with the projects and plans being considered by the village board.
“The word ‘complex’ now takes the place of the dance arbor,” said Red Eagle. “This brings in a whole different kind of view of where we are now and where we want to be … It’s still amazing how many people this draws [the annual June In-Lon-Schka]. In order to make that comfort level, that security level, the safe level, all the things that we want in that complex – that has to be engineered, that’s a new demand on us … This causes a lot of good positive growth application for the future of the village.”
Principal Chief Scott BigHorse signed ONCA 14-16 into law on April 17.
By
Benny Polacca
Original Publish Date: 2014-05-02 00:00:00
