Frank Lucas: “I am here today to bring my strong support to H.R. 2912 to reaffirm the inherent sovereign rights of the Osage Tribe to…”

“I am here today to bring my strong support to H.R. 2912 to reaffirm the inherent sovereign rights of the Osage Tribe to determine their membership and form of government. Because of a law created in 1906 by this Congress, the Osage Tribe has not been afforded the same rights as every other federally recognized tribe. According to that law, membership in the tribe would be extended only to those who owned a share of the Osage mineral estate and their descendents. Today, there are literally thousands of Osage Indians denied the benefits of membership simply because they do not hold a share of that estate. H.R. 2912, which I introduced in July of 2003, was designed to clarify the 98-year-old law. It is intended to put the Osage Tribe on equal footing with all other federally recognized tribes by allowing them to determine their own membership criteria and system of government, while protecting the headrights of the shareholders. I believe most importantly it will give many Osages, many young Osages, the opportunity to take part in Indian programs that have been previously denied to them.”