Protecting Sovereignty is a Priority for New AG

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Protecting Sovereignty is a Priority for New AG

Special Judge Holli Wells was sworn-in on March 26 and awaits congressional confirmation

By ON Communications

PAWHUSKA, Okla. (March 27, 2015)—Holli Wells was sworn in as Osage Nation’s new Attorney General March 26 at the Osage Nation Court in Pawhuska. Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear said the quick appointment was in response to Wells’ sudden availability to do the job and her ability to protect Osage Nation sovereignty.

“She is very strong in the environmental and water law issues involving sovereignty and it is imperative that the Osage Nation has an Attorney General who has the experience the Nation needs,” he said. Jeff Jones is the current Attorney General and he has agreed to assist with the transition according to Standing Bear.

Wells stated that her top priority is protecting Osage Nation Sovereignty, “to me sovereignty infringement is an issue we are facing as a whole and something all tribes are facing as a whole. I will work with the state as much as I can but I will not tolerate any infringement upon our sovereignty as the Osage Nation.”

Working for the Nation is something that Wells sees as a vested opportunity where she will be able to give something back to her Nation. “My goal is to make the Attorney General’s office a necessary part of this government so that it advances the goals and the projects and the hopes of the Osage Nation,” said Wells about her overall ambitions.

More specifically, she said there were a few changes she would like to make in order to save the Nation money. “I hope to keep as much work as possible done in-house. A lot of things have been contracted out and a lot of things may need to be contracted out but I’d like to keep as much as possible done in-house so we can use our budget in other ways to help the nation.”

In response to the appointment Standing Bear added, “I talked to Judge Wells many months ago about serving as Attorney General and because she was a state judge at the time she could not accept the position,” said Standing Bear and he added, “The opportunity arose where she could retire as a state judge and take the position and because the [Osage Nation] congress is going into session next week we had to get this done before Monday.”

Wells is an Osage Nation tribal member who served as the Special District Court Judge for the 15th Judicial District in Tahlequah since 2007. She earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma School of Law and proudly stated she is from the Revard family from Pawhuska.

About her background Wells said her strengths are, “being on the bench, knowledge of law, knowing the similarities of our codes to different state codes, I’ve practiced in Cherokee Nation Court, my background in private practice and my experience as a defense attorney and as a prosecutor. I look forward to working with other attorney generals and learning from their experience as well so that I’m better able to do my job and quicker.”

All appointments must be confirmed by Osage Congress and Wells’ appointment will be voted on during the Hun-Kah Session that begins Monday, March 30.

The mission of the Attorney General’s Office is to provide legal services to the Osage Nation as well as opinions regarding questions about the Osage constitution and laws relating to Osage entities.

For Media Inquiries: Osage Nation Communications 918-287-5599