Osage Language students received over 30 awards from this year’s Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair.
Thirty-one awards were won in total, with 13 of those awards coming from Osage Language high school students – the rest came from the Osage Nation’s private elementary school, 𐓈𐒰𐓄𐓂𐓆𐒼𐒰 𐒰͘𐒼𐓂𐓈𐒰𐓄𐒻 (Daposka Ahnkodapi) and language program students.
The Language Fair is an annual celebration and competition of Native American youth learning their traditional languages. Open to students from pre-K through high school, the Fair is held at the Sam Noble Natural History Museum. This was the first year the fair has been held in person since the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Each year a poster contest is held and a Grand Prize winner is selected. The winner’s artwork graces the cover of next year’s Language Fair materials, including t-shirts and posters. This year’s winner was Lizania Garcia, a student at Hominy High School whose Osage Language instructor is Cherylynn Satepauhoodle.
A full list of winners is below.
2023 Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair Winners
PreK-2nd Book
2nd Place Harley Lookout
PreK-2nd Grade Comics/Cartoons
2nd Place: Mistiko McGlaston
3rd Place: Wahreshe Hamilton
Honorable Mention: Arian Jenkins
PreK-2nd Grade Large Group Spoken Language
2nd Place: Young Wazhazhe “Numbers”
PreK-2nd Grade Small Group Modern Song — Honorable Mention – Wazhazhe Singers “If You’re Happy”
PreK-2nd Grade Small Group Traditional Song – Awado “Kumbaya”
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3rd-5th Grade Book
3rd Place – Jesse McKibben
3rd-5th Small Group Modern Song
1st place: Liam Ashmore, Sam Ashmore, Jedd Kirk, Henry Kirk, Clovis Kirk, Koleman Seeliger
3rd – 5th Grade Group Spoken Prayer
1st Place: Wazhazhe Zhinkazhi “Prayer”
3rd-5th Individual Spoken Prayer
2nd Place: Jeffrey Elizondo
3rd-5th Poster Art
Honorable Mention: Joseph Duty
3rd – 5th Grade Mobile Video
1st Place: Jianna Jones “Dog Whisperer”
3rd – 5th Grade Small Group Skit/Short Play
2nd Place: Kokomazh “Three Little Pigs”
3rd – 5th Grade Medium Group Skit/Short Play
2nd Place: Wazhazhe Dancers “Getting Roached”
3rd – 5th Grade Small Group Modern Song
Honorable Mention: Wazhazhe Singers “Come and Get Your Love”
3rd -5th Grade Large Group Modern Song
Honorable Mention: Wazhazhe Singers “Country Roads/Jingle Bells”
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6th – 8th Grade Small Group Traditional Song
1st Place – Wazhazhe drummers “Osage Flag Song”
9th-12th Book
3rd Place: Chase Bowman
9th-12th Comic and Cartoon
1st Place: Avery Potts
9th-12th Group Film and Video
Honorable Mention: Pawhuska HS Osage Class
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9th-12th Poster Art
Grand Prize: Lizania Garcia
2nd Place: Emma McKibben
Honorable Mention: Maliyah West, Illyssa Leland, Kirsten Wallace, Riley Neel
9th-12th Mobile Video
2nd Place: Pawhuska HS Osage Class
9th-12th Individual Spoken Prayer
2nd Place: Aaron Watt
3rd Place: Tryp Neff
Honorable Mention: Chase Bowman
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