Reaffirmation of Certain Rights of the Osage Tribe

REAFFIRMATION OF CERTAIN RIGHTS OF THE OSAGE TRIBE -- (House of Representatives - June 01, 2004)

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Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas), who is the author of this bill.

Mr. LUCAS of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to bring my strong support to H.R. 2912 to reaffirm the inherent sovereign rights of the Osage Tribe to determine their membership and form of government. Because of a law created in 1906 by this Congress, the Osage Tribe has not been afforded the same rights as every other federally recognized tribe. According to that law, membership in the tribe would be extended only to those who owned a share of the Osage mineral estate and their descendents. Today, there are literally thousands of Osage Indians denied the benefits of membership simply because they do not hold a share of that estate.

H.R. 2912, which I introduced in July of 2003, was designed to clarify the 98-year-old law. It is intended to put the Osage Tribe on equal footing with all other federally recognized tribes by allowing them to determine their own membership criteria and system of government, while protecting the headrights of the shareholders.

I believe most importantly it will give many Osages, many young Osages, the opportunity to take part in Indian programs that have been previously denied to them.

At a field hearing in March of this year, members of the Committee on Resources and I heard testimony from members of the Osage Tribe, as well as others involved with Indian affairs. It was clear from the warm reception that the bill received that the Osage people are prepared for the right to decide for themselves who is and who is not a tribal member.

Mr. Speaker, I am quite confident in 1906 that this body was acting in the spirit of benevolent support to protect the Osages from what was, at that time, I should say, fantastic mineral wealth within their tribal reservation. Times have changed. The oil fields are not quite what they once were. It is important, I believe, now that we allow the Osages the same rights as every other federally recognized tribe; that we allow the Osages to go forward with their tribe.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 2912, bringing the Osage Tribe one step closer to finally receiving that right.

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