Attorney General

Duties and Responsibilities

Clinton N. Patterson was appointed Osage Nation Attorney General on October 1, 2019.  The Osage Nation Attorney General is charged by the Office of the Attorney General Act, 15 ONC § 3-101 et seq., to:

  • Defend and enforce the provisions of the Constitution and all other laws of the Osage Nation;
  • Prosecute and defend all actions and proceedings, civil or criminal, in the Osage Nation’s Trial and Supreme Courts;
  • To give the Principal Chief, the Osage Nation Congress, and its Committees formal legal opinions on such matters within the scope of their official duties as they may request from time to time and to give legal advice to the Boards, Commissions, and Instrumentalities of the Osage Nation government;
  • To institute civil actions against any Osage Nation Officer, Board or Commission Member for failure of such Officers or Members to perform their duties as prescribed by the laws and the Constitution; and
  • To perform all duties and responsibilities of the office in accordance with the highest standards of legal ethics as required of members of the American Bar Association by the ABA Code of Professional Responsibility.

To fulfill these responsibilities, the Office of the Attorney General serves as legal counsel to departments, offices, and boards of the Osage Nation government, issues legal opinions when requested by the Principal Chief or Speaker of the Congress, and defends challenges to Osage Nation laws and suits against the Nation in all forums. The Attorney General protects our Osage children by representing the Nation in all Indian Child Welfare and social services matters. The Office of the Attorney General is committed to upholding and protecting the Nation's sovereign immunity.

Although the Office of the Attorney General is prohibited from offering legal advice or representing private individual Osage members, the Attorney General serves and protects the rights of all Osage members by prosecuting violations of Osage Nation law and defending the principles laid out in the Osage Nation Constitution. The Office of the Attorney General is committed to serving our Osage people. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact our office.  The Opinions of the Attorney General are public information and are available on our website.

WHISTLEBLOWER HOTLINE: 

  • Phone: 1-833-OUR-OSAGE / 1-833-687-6724
  • Email: osage@ethicshotline.org
  • Mailing Address: 
    Whistleblower Hotline; Attn: Osage: P.O. Box 932; Glenview, IL 60025