HOMINY, Okla. – Osage Nation officials celebrated the start of its next senior housing project here north of downtown with construction crews slated to build 10 duplexes for accommodating 20 Osage and Native American elderly households.
Tribal government and community members gathered at the future senior housing site on July 12 to celebrate the project’s start. The Nation, along with construction and engineering officials, as well as Hominy city officials started preliminary work on the project after the Nation purchased 44.17 acres of land just east of State Highway 99 in February 2022.
Russ Tallchief, of Wahzhazhe Communications, welcomed approximately 40 individuals consisting of government officials and community members to the commemoration with a blue tent and chairs for attendees set up at the project site.
“We’re working to create a space for them to call home and this is sacred land that we’re on that we call home and our elders will bless this space even further with their presence,” Tallchief said. “There’s been a need for additional housing for our elders and in response, the Osage Nation has purchased this (land) for 20 housing units that will house our elders here in Hominy.”
Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear said the Hominy senior housing project is being funded with American Rescue Plan Act funding awarded to the Nation. Standing Bear said his office and the ON Congress came together to decide what projects to fund with the ARPA funding, which included the senior housing complexes for Hominy and Fairfax, which was completed in 2022 with 10 duplexes as well.
In August 2021, the Seventh ON Congress passed bill ONCA 21-51 (sponsored by Alice Goodfox, who is now Congressional Speaker) to appropriate $7.6 million in ARPA funding for land purchase, design, engineering, and construction costs for the Hominy Senior Housing Complex.
In March 2022, the Executive Branch announced the purchase of the 44.17 acres of land for the Senior Housing Complex on land previously owned by the Fry family located north of the high school on the east side of State Highway 99.
Due to inflated construction costs, the Eighth ON Congress also passed ONCA 23-34 (sponsored by Congressman Otto Hamilton), which provided an additional $3 million for the project during the 2023 Hun-Kah Session.
Standing Bear added the Nation’s Si-Si A Pe-Txa (health) board is also exploring more ideas to develop the land where the Hominy Senior Housing will be built. “The health board is working in coordination with us and with Congress and they’re preparing all the ideas about taking this project and expanding it … We have investments we’re putting in here for water and sewer and for electricity. We have a relationship with the City of Hominy for that, so we have partnerships … with our broadband initiative to provide internet.”
“We’re taking action and it’s for good projects and we’re not just talking about our elders, we’re doing it,” Standing Bear said. “However, as we expand our further needs, we have assisted living we want to do, we also recognize unfunded needs that we must find a way so we can get our people to come back home. Since the early 1900s, our people have left our area for opportunity and some to flee the Reign of Terror – we want them to come back and that means we need to do housing for our younger people, those who have families … We’ve got to do within our limited resources what we can do.”
Congressional Second Speaker Pam Shaw spoke on behalf of Goodfox who was absent that day. Shaw recalled the 2022 completion of the Fairfax senior housing complex and added “I’m glad that we’re finally here so our Hominy relatives will be able to experience the same thing.”
Congressman John Maker, who comes from the Hominy District along with Goodfox, said the senior housing complex is being built on the former allotment land of Tom Carson, which is located next to the “Carson Mansion,” which is a residence now owned by the Sandra Drummond family.
“In our Constitution, we’re obligated to take care of our elders and our children and that’s what we’re doing here today,” Maker said. “It’s a great day for all Osage people.”
