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The first Osage census in the works for 2023

The Osage Nation Membership Department has begun working on the initiative, and according to the law, the Nation will conduct a census every five years

For the 2023 fiscal year, the Osage Nation Membership Department will start working on the first census of the Osage people to collect demographical information.

During the Tzi Sho Session, Membership Department Director Lauren Malone told the Congressional Membership Committee that her office’s goals include conducting the census in accordance with bill ONCA 22-30 (sponsored by now-Congressional Speaker Alice Goodfox) which passed in April during the 2022 Hun-Kah Session calling for the census to be conducted every five years.

As the Congressional committees considered FY 2023 budgets, Malone said her department budget slightly increased to cover anticipated census costs including printing, mailing and advertising.

At the time of the bill’s vote, Goodfox said she sponsored the bill creating the census so the Nation has better information on its enrolled members and such information can be used to assess and develop future legislation for services. According to the bill, the Nation shall conduct a census every five years through the Executive Branch, which includes the Membership Department operations.

ONCA 22-30 provides a list of questions that will be asked on the census including: number of people in the household; number of Osages in the household; age of each person in the household; education level of each adult; employment status of each adult; net income, own or rent current residence; military or veteran status of each adult; whether any person receives disability benefits from the state or federal government; if you are within 5-10 years of retirement status, do you foresee needing assistance; do you have private health insurance, utilize Indian Health Service or both; and number of people in the residence who suffer with a chronic illness.

Malone said some additional questions will be asked in the census survey as well and she’s reviewing similar census work done by other tribes to help with the Osage census rollout.

“We’ll do it mainly electronically, but we’ll send actual mailouts to our elders, there’s going to be an incentive, a drawing for people who turn the census in and things like that,” Malone told the committee on Sept. 8. A start date for the census launch was not specified, but Malone said work continues on the project, including setting up a task force and software systems.

For more information or inquiries on the ON Membership Department, visit: https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/services/cdib-membership

Author

  • Benny Polacca

    Title: Senior Reporter

    Email: bpolacca@osagenation-nsn.gov

    Instagram: @bpolacca

    Topic Expertise: Government, Tribal Government, Community

    Languages spoken: English, basic knowledge of Spanish and French

    Benny Polacca (Hopi/ Havasupai/ Pima/ Tohono O’odham) started working at the Osage News in 2009 as a reporter in Pawhuska, Okla., where he’s covered various stories and events that impact the Osage Nation and Osage people. Those newspaper contributions cover a broad spectrum of topics and issues from tribal government matters to features. As a result, Polacca has gained an immeasurable amount of experience in covering Native American affairs, government issues and features so the Osage readership can be better informed about the tribal current affairs the newspaper covers.

    Polacca is part of the Osage News team that was awarded the Native American Journalists Association's Elias Boudinet Free Press Award in 2014 and has won numerous NAJA media awards, as well as awards from the Oklahoma Press Association and SPJ Oklahoma Pro Chapter, for storytelling coverage and photography.

    Polacca earned his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and also participated in the former American Indian Journalism Institute at the University of South Dakota where he was introduced to the basics of journalism and worked with seasoned journalists there and later at The Forum daily newspaper covering the Fargo, N.D. area where he worked as the weeknight reporter.

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Benny Polacca
Benny Polaccahttps://osagenews.org

Title: Senior Reporter

Email: bpolacca@osagenation-nsn.gov

Instagram: @bpolacca

Topic Expertise: Government, Tribal Government, Community

Languages spoken: English, basic knowledge of Spanish and French

Benny Polacca (Hopi/ Havasupai/ Pima/ Tohono O’odham) started working at the Osage News in 2009 as a reporter in Pawhuska, Okla., where he’s covered various stories and events that impact the Osage Nation and Osage people. Those newspaper contributions cover a broad spectrum of topics and issues from tribal government matters to features. As a result, Polacca has gained an immeasurable amount of experience in covering Native American affairs, government issues and features so the Osage readership can be better informed about the tribal current affairs the newspaper covers.

Polacca is part of the Osage News team that was awarded the Native American Journalists Association's Elias Boudinet Free Press Award in 2014 and has won numerous NAJA media awards, as well as awards from the Oklahoma Press Association and SPJ Oklahoma Pro Chapter, for storytelling coverage and photography.

Polacca earned his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and also participated in the former American Indian Journalism Institute at the University of South Dakota where he was introduced to the basics of journalism and worked with seasoned journalists there and later at The Forum daily newspaper covering the Fargo, N.D. area where he worked as the weeknight reporter.

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