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When World War I broke out there was a great fear across the U.S. that there would not be enough domestic oil produced to support the U.S. economy as well as the war effort. In 1917, in response to this overwhelming fear, Principal Chief Fred Lookout, along with the help of Assistant Principal Chief Paul Red Eagle and the 7th Osage Tribal Council, passed a resolution that would create the Naval

One of the first great football teams in American football history was the Hominy Indians. The Indians got their start in the early 1920s. The idea for an all Native football team came from a young Osage man named Ira Hamilton. Hamilton, with the financial backing of fellow Osages: Dick Rusk, Harry Bigeagle, John Abbott, and Allison Webb, got a group of local Native Americans together and began

Osage Chief Arthur Bonnicastle was born on February 20, 1877, in Osage County, Oklahoma. He was born to a woman named Me-Tse-He. Bonnicastle spent his childhood years growing up in Osage County. His name, Arthur Bonnicastle, was taken from a novel written by J.G. Holland called Arthur Bonnicastle: An American Novel. In 1899 Bonnicastle left Osage County and began school at the infamous Carlisle

In 1918, Osage World War I veteran, Pierce St. John started the Pierce St. John Cemetery. St. John wanted to have a cemetery where not only his family could be laid to rest, but also Native American veterans. His reasoning for wanting to include Native American veterans in his family’s cemetery was because at the time Native Americans were not considered citizens of the United States government

The United States officially entered into World War I on April 6, 1917. At that time enrolled members of the Osage Tribe were not considered citizens of the U.S., therefore were not subject to the selective service for the armed forces. However that did not stop many Osages form volunteering for military service. At the deterrence of Osage Agent, J. George Wright, 153 Osage men enlisted and

In 1978 Camille Pangburn was elected to the 25th Osage Tribal Council and became the first woman ever elected to an office of the Osage Tribe. She went on to be elected to the tribal council a total of 7 terms, all of which were consecutive. On April 20, 2003, after almost 25 years of service to the Osage people, Camille Pangburn passed away, at the age of 90, while still in office as a member of

Since its discovery oil has played a major role in Osage history. Through conditions set in treaties, the Osage Tribe was able to obtain the mineral rights to all of what is now Osage County. Owning the mineral rights meant that the Osage tribe would have to be paid royalties for any oil drilled in Osage County. Oil royalties paid to the Osage people, during the early 20th century, helped to make

Like many other closely related plains tribes Osages would use tepees during hunting season. However, unlike those other tribes, the Osage people historically lived in permanent villages. These villages were made up of systematically placed huts that are commonly referred to as longhouses. Osage longhouses were typically made from tree saplings and animal hides, and were oval or circular in shape

The first recorded European contact with the Osage people occurred during a southward expedition of the Mississippi River led by French missionary and explorer Fr. Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet. Marquette and Jolliet’s journey began on May 17, 1673, in what is present day St. Ignace, Michigan. Their voyage took them across Lake Michigan. Upon reaching land again they headed west until they

Osage owned Black Gold won the 50th running of the Kentucky Derby in 1924. His owner was Rosa M. Hoots, who was allotted during the 1906 Act. It was because of Hoots’ Osage heritage that Black Gold was given the nickname “The Indian Horse”. Going into the derby he was the odds-on favorite and he went on to win by half a length. His official time was 2:05:1/5. Black Gold was foaled by U-See-It and

Fred Lookout was the longest serving elected chief in the history of the Osage Nation. Prior to serving as chief he was elected as the Assistant Principle Chief in 1908 but did not run for re-elections in 1910. His first term as chief was in 1913 when he was appointed by U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Walter L. Fisher, after the 1912 election results were recalled. Lookout finished out the term

The Reign of Terror The Reign of Terror was a frightful time for the Osage people. It began in the early 1920s, a time that should have been a prosperous one. The oil boom was in full swing, and the Osage people were prosperous due to ownership of mineral rights. Under the Osage Allotment Act of 1906, subsurface minerals within the Osage Nation Reservation were held in trust by the U.S. government