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Osage News cancels upcoming Candidate Debates

Photo caption: An Osage News File Photo from 2016 shows the Candidate Debates at the Osage Casino and Hotel in Skiatook.

The Osage News Editorial Board has canceled its upcoming Candidate Debates, scheduled for April 4 at the Osage Casino and Hotel in Tulsa.

The board met on March 12 and made the unanimous decision.

“Our community is only as safe and healthy as our most vulnerable members. We’re sad to have to cancel the Congressional debates but we know it is in the best interest of protecting our community. We especially need to watch out for our elders, family members with conditions, and our broader Osage community members who have barriers to accessing quality health services,” said Editorial Board Vice Chair Tara Manthey.

“We know the debates are an important and trusted part of our election season and it is a priority of the Osage News to gather and present objective and thorough information about the candidates and their campaigns. We’re looking at innovative ways to do that online if we aren’t able to reschedule an in-person debate and will share these plans as soon as possible,” Manthey said.

The Osage News will produce videos of each candidate that will be posted to the News’ social media pages on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.

As for the upcoming election on June 1, the Osage Nation Election Office will be doing its best to accommodate those voters who have to stay home due to the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.

“If you are concerned about the spread of COVID-19 and in-person voting, we highly encourage voters to request an absentee ballot,” said Alexis Rencountre, Osage Nation Elections Supervisor. “The deadline to request an absentee ballot is April 17th by the close of business. If the current health situation changes closer to the election, you can still surrender your absentee ballot vote at the polling site and vote in person.” 

To download an Absentee Ballot Request Form, visit https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/what-we-do/elections/voter-information

Social Media  

With Osage tribal members staying home for the time being, the use of technology among potential voters will be more important now than ever. The Nation has also suspended all employee travel as of March 12, according to an all-employee email from Director of Operations Christian Johnson. For those employees already on travel, they were asked to return home immediately.

The cancellation of events such as the Osage Sovereignty Day Celebration, the Northern and Southern California Osage association meetings, the Texas Osage association meetings and now the Candidate Debates, Osage voters will be turning to social media and other online resources to get their information on candidates.

The good news, every candidate utilizes social media, whether it’s on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Below is a list of candidate pages that can be found on social media.

Facebook

Michael Bristow: Personal page and Michael Bristow Campaign
Melissa Dailey: Personal page and Melissa Goodfox Dailey for Osage Nation
Shannon L. Edwards: Personal page
Colt Herren: Personal page and Colt Herren for Osage Nation Congress
Billy Keene: Personal page and Billy Keene for Osage Nation Congress
Michael Kidder: Personal page
John Maker: Personal page and John Maker for Osage Nation Congress
Mary Jo Pratt: Personal page
Amanda Proctor: Personal page
Jodie Revard: Personal page
Pam Shaw: Personal page
Joe Tillman: Personal page under Joseph Dee Tillman
Jim Trumbly: Personal page and Jim Trumbly for Osage Congress
RJ Walker: Personal page
Maria Whitehorn: Personal page and public official page under Maria Whitehorn 

Instagram

Billy Keene: billykeene
Michael Kidder: kidder526
Mary Jo Pratt: maryjoforosagecongress
Jodie Revard: jodiepode
Joe Tillman: joetillman219
Jim Trumbly: trumblyjim
RJ Walker: rjwalkerjr 

Twitter

Billy Keene
Mary Jo Pratt


By

Shannon Shaw Duty


Original Publish Date: 2020-03-12 00:00:00

Author

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Shannon Shaw Duty
Shannon Shaw Dutyhttps://osagenews.org

Title: Editor

Email: sshaw@osagenation-nsn.gov

Twitter: @dutyshaw

Topic Expertise: Columnist, Culture, Community

Languages spoken: English, Osage (intermediate), Spanish (beginner)

Shannon Shaw Duty, Osage from the Grayhorse District, is the editor of the award-winning Osage News, the official independent media of the Osage Nation. She is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and a master’s degree in Legal Studies with an emphasis in Indigenous Peoples Law. She currently sits on the Freedom of Information Committee for the Society of Professional Journalists. She has served as a board member for LION Publishers, as Vice President for the Pawhuska Public Schools Board of Education, on the Board of Directors for the Native American Journalists Association (now Indigenous Journalists Association) and served as a board member and Chairwoman for the Pawhuska Johnson O’Malley Parent Committee. She is a Chips Quinn Scholar, a former instructor for the Freedom Forum’s Native American Journalism Career Conference and the Freedom Forum’s American Indian Journalism Institute. She is a former reporter for The Santa Fe New Mexican. She is a 2012 recipient of the Native American 40 Under 40 from the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development. In 2014 she helped lead the Osage News to receive NAJA's Elias Boudinot Free Press Award. The Osage News won Best Newspaper from the SPJ-Oklahoma Chapter in their division 2018-2022. Her award-winning work has been published in Indian Country Today, The Washington Post, the Center for Public Integrity, NPR, the Associated Press, Tulsa World and others. She currently resides in Pawhuska, Okla., with her husband and together they share six children, two dogs and two cats.
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