PAWHUSKA, OK – Osage Nation has announced the completion of the first-ever Osage Nation census. In 2022, the Osage Nation Congress enacted a law stating that the Osage Nation shall conduct a census every five years. Shortly after, the census was deployed from June 1 to July 31, 2023. The Osage Nation received 3,922 census responses. The data collected is instrumental in better assessing the needs of Osage Nation tribal members for strategic planning.
“We are committed to using all tools available to distill the needs of our Osage people and then respond accordingly,” said Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear. “This information is critical to making sound and informed programmatic decisions. We are grateful to all who participated and our team members who worked diligently to gather this information.”
By conducting regular censuses, the Osage Nation can maintain sovereignty and strengthen its capacity to self-govern, fostering sustainable development and prosperity. The purpose of the Osage Nation census is to provide a comprehensive snapshot of the member demographics and empower the Nation to shape its future more effectively. This census will provide a fundamental tool for:
- Assessing the needs of Osage Nation tribal members
- Informing Osage Nation leaders as they decide how to use resources and plan for the future
- Strengthening grant applications for new funding
- Supporting the Osage Nation’s sovereignty
- Securing federal funding
- Allocating resources based on population size, such as healthcare, education, and housing grants
- Understanding the needs and challenges of the Osage Nation tribal members enables leaders to develop targeted programs and policies to address them
- Preserving Osage identity and culture, as it provides insight into language usage, tribal affiliation, and historical trends within the Nation, empowering the Nation to safeguard Osage heritage for future generations
