Content about Wah-Zha-Zhi Cultural Center

The Osage Cultural Center is offering free finger weaving classes in hopes to keep the tradition alive.

“Finger weaving is a dying art,” said Addie Hudgins, Osage cultural coordinator and instructor. “There are not many weavers left and very few who know more than just a couple of patterns.”

Osage Nation services are offered to all Osages. A majority of services are also offered to low-income families in Osage County. Some of those services received state and national recognition in 2012.

Principal Chief John Red Eagle touted these achievements in his annual State of the Nation address March 8 at the Wah-Zha-Zhi Cultural Center. In his roughly 30-minute speech, Red Eagle highlighted each department’s accomplishments. Some highlights were:

The Hominy War Mothers will be hosting this year's Veteran's Day Commemoration on Sunday, Nov. 11, at the Wah-Zha-Zhi Cultural Center in Pawhuska.

American Legion Post 198 will conduct the flag raising at 11 a.m. in front of the Cultural Center.

Following the flag raising there will be an afternoon program where Individual songs will be sung. John Henry Mashunkashey will be the emcee for the event.

Dinner will be served at 5 p.m. and the parade-in for the war dance will begin at 7 p.m.

As Russell Mashunkashey lifted his drumstick, he closed his eyes and envisioned he and a couple of other singers were sitting under the arbor at In-Lon-Schka.

But there was no arbor, and it wasn’t June. But in the blink of an eye it was the dead of summer all over again.

The Osage Tribal Museum will be having its 10th Annual Christmas Tree Auction, Home Tour and Dinner. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11 at the museum. In honor of its tenth anniversary, tickets are $10 each and are available at the Osage Tribal Museum. Proceeds of the event will support the repair of the museum’s roof.

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HOMINY WAR MOTHERS TO HOST VETERANS DAY CEREMONIES

OKLAHOMA CITY – Two Osage elders known for their professional achievements and contributions in public service, community involvement and cultural preservation efforts received honors from the state’s AARP office along with 48 other Native American elders from across Oklahoma.

Seventeen-year-old Zachary Alred is an aspiring chef who attends Riverfield Country Day School in west Tulsa and until Saturday had loved Osage meat gravy but didn’t know how to make it.

“I’ve always loved meat gravy and now that I know how to make it, even better,” Alred said.

 The U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments in the Nation’s case against the Oklahoma Tax Commission Jan. 11. A timeline was not given as to when the appeals court will issue a ruling.

“The state [of Oklahoma] is trying to put tribal sovereignty on trial,” said Osage Principal Chief Jim Gray at a Jan. 12 all employee meeting at the Wah Zha Zhi Cultural Center. “The only entity under the sun that can disestablish the Osage Reservation is the United States Congress.”

In late October, 32 Osages participated in a two-day Cultural Walk that took them through the very same lands their Osage ancestors passed through 134 years ago, before they were forced to leave Kansas.

“This was something that the Osage Cultural Preservation Committee wanted to do for Osages everywhere,” said Vann Bighorse, Wah-Zha-Zhi Cultural Center director. “The [25-year] Strategic Plan called for more culture, something to bring people back to the reservation and we had families from Texas and Washington that came for this walk.”