Osage Youth Win Challenge Bowl

By: Donna Robbins

Osage Nation summer youth workers from Hominy, Pawhuska, Skiatook and Fairfax participated in the Fourth Annual Native American Leadership Day at Northern Oklahoma College. Eight tribes, primarily from the North Central Oklahoma area brought students to the event. These tribes included: Osage Nation, Pawnee Nation, Otoe-Missouria Tribe, Kaw Nation, Tonkawa Tribe, Ponca Tribe, Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma and Citizen Potawatomi Nation showed up ready for an educational and fun-filled day.

Chris Hill, education specialist for the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma, helped host the event as the master of ceremonies. After a fabulous lunch and homemade nitrogen ice cream, the students attended a college prep workshop. The staff of the Bah Kho-Je Xla Chi (Grey Snow Eagle) House presented information about the bald eagle and golden eagle they brought to show the participants. They provide shelter for many eagles that are injured and/or disabled and unable to care for themselves in the wild.

Ready for an afternoon of challenging opportunity, Xan Black, the coordinator for the Tulsa Alliance for Engineering, presented three STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) activities for all students to complete. The projects were tallest tower, marble rollercoaster, and the gravity lemonade machine. They used construction paper, masking tape, index cards, Dixie cups, sugar, water, lemonade mix and a marble to complete the different challenges. After the students divided into groups the competitive wheels started turning. The Osage Nation placed first in the tallest tower and second in the marble rollercoaster.

The Intertribal Challenge Quiz Bowl concluded the academic portion of the event agenda and many of the students felt it was the highlight of the day. The Osage Nation, with their confidence and enthusiasm, easily took first place. There was no doubt. These students studied and worked

hard to be the top contenders in this event.

Good leadership skills include dedication, assertiveness and integrity. A good leader understands the human spirit in individuals along with maintaining an open mind and being honest. The students of the Osage Nation, as our future leaders, have what it takes to be GREAT leaders.