The Oath of Office

It will happen on Wednesday, July Fourth, Inauguration Day, when six honorable Osages will take the Oath of Office as members of the Third Osage Nation Congress. The Osage Constitution that was voted on, and ratified by the Osage People requires it.

We had many good and qualified candidates for Osage Congress this election, and it is appropriate that we thank each of them for debating the issues that our Nation is faced with at this point in our history.                

There are four outgoing members of Congress: Jerri Jean Branstetter, Mark Simms, Anthony Shackelford and Eddy Red Eagle. They served the People well, and we owe to them an expression of gratitude for the contributions each of them have made. We know the job is not as easy as it looks.

It is appropriate that this Oath of Office contains noble sounding words and phrases. That is because it is a noble and solemn responsibility that each elected member of Congress has agreed to undertake.

The Oath states:

I  do proudly swear to carry out the responsibilities

 of the Office of Congress Person to the best of my ability, freely

acknowledging that the powers of this office flow from

the Osage People and Wah Kon Tah. I further swear always

to place the interests of all Osages above any special or personal interests,

and to respect the right of future generations to share the rich historic

and natural heritage of the Osage People. In doing so I will always

uphold and defend the Constitution of the Osage Nation,

so help me God.

While it is a complex and difficult future we face, our history shows us that we have the ability to overcome those challenges.

It is now the responsibility of each of us to come together, to unite and solve the problems our Nation faces. Future generations will be better served.