Following discussion and debate on providing donations, the Ninth Osage Nation Congress approved $5,047 toward purchasing state championship rings for the Woodland High School football team and coaches.
During the 3rd Special Session, Congress passed ONCA 25-33 (sponsored by Congressional Speaker Pam Shaw), which is the appropriation bill requesting tribal funding for the costs. After a Congressional Appropriations Committee discussion, the bill’s amount received votes for amending the amount down from the initial bill amount of $11,997.
“We’re proud of all of our kids, all of our Osage kids who are playing and participating,” Shaw told the committee. “In this case, what we’re asking for is assistance from the Osage Nation to help with the championship rings. Now, since I was first contacted many folks who are constituents and Osages who are concerned about making sure that these children were able to get their championship rings, the amount has changed because there has been a donation coming in from a corporate sponsor that is attached to the Fairfax area.”
Shaw made a motion to amend the bill to a lower amount as the committee discussed the bill.
Congressman Billy Keene said he favored the lower amount but also noted he heard from people from Fairfax objecting to the bill, adding “I think this is maybe something the Osage Foundation could help with … Nothing against the Woodland schools again, I will support this piece of legislation, but I do think something like this would be something the Foundation could help with, I think would be a better avenue before coming to this body.”
Shaw responded, “It’s really a timing issue, the request came in right before session, we have the funds, I know that this body has the desire to support our children, support our Osage children in our communities, so I decided to file a bill because I think it’s a worthy cause.”
The ring purchases will go to players and coaches with the Woodland High School Cougars football team who won the 2024 Oklahoma Class A, Division II state championship, which includes 15 Osage players and one Osage coach.
According to a Congressional fiscal analysis of the bill, the total cost of state championship rings and pendants is quoted at $11,997, some funds have been donated and acquired through fundraisers.
Shaw added timing is a concern so the rings can be ordered and those students who are graduating this May can receive their rings before the school year ends.
Congresswoman Whitney Red Corn said she had similar thoughts about the Foundation being involved but questioned whether the proposed ring purchases would fit into the charitable grant criteria. “I’m going to plant another seed of thought for future thinking here when it comes to budgeting. When we think of these small requests that come in that really don’t fit a mold of being able to ask for donations from the Foundation setting or from other sources, we need to consider how to go about that and create some consistency in what our process looks like when the Nation is going to be the donor and maybe think about budgeting for those sort of things,” she said.
Committee Chair and Congresswoman Jodie Revard, a former Foundation Board member, said “The mission of our Foundation is to enhance the general welfare of the people of the Osage Nation by supporting culturally, educational, health, historical, community and other appropriate activities and programs. And in that, I do know that the Foundations does support folks with their sports activities, so I would think that would be a good fit, but here we are.”
Revard also recalled in prior years, Congress eliminated its donations revolving fund “and right now we’re in a situation where we get approached by folks to do certain donations for certain things.”
Congressman Joe Tillman, who grew up in Fairfax and played high school football, said the team won three state championships in a row, adding “Our community came together and got us everything, we didn’t wear rings back then, but they do now. We got a nice plaque, we got a nice steak dinner, we had a very good banquet for the football team and those things were very special back then. But I remember it was the community that set everything up, donated their time, donated their money and to me that would seem to mean a lot more to those players and those coaches and those managers, that my community did this for me.”
Tillman noted he was more comfortable with the lower appropriation amount and asked about local fundraisers held to go toward the ring purchases. Shaw said two fundraisers raised money, leaving the remainder amount needed at $5,047, which is reflected in the amended bill.
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.
On Jan. 16, Congress voted 11-0, with one absence from Congresswoman Brandy Lemon, in approving ONCA 25-33. After the special session, Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear signed the bill into law.
