Around one hundred youth and children came out to this year’s The Osage Nation Education Summer Enrichment Camps that were held this past July. One week focused on Osage children ages 5-12 and one week focused on the Osage youth, ages13-20. The summer enrichment camps are designed to stimulate Osage students to learn about their Osage people’s history, traditions, government, and open up dialogue between the children and their families and communities.

Every year the Osage Nation Education Department focuses on different aspects of an array of Osage Culture. This year the youth chose from the following workshops: Osage Shirt Making taught by Avis Ballard from the Education Department, Loom Beading taught by William Lookout, free lance art and drawing workshop taught by Ryan Redcorn, and Scrapbooking consisted of tracing their lineage back to 1906, presented by Pauline Alred and Maureen Wright with the support of the Osage CDIB department and the Osage Tribal Museum.

The summer enrichment camps provided a centralized venue for Osage youth and children to participate in multiple programs that the Osage Nation provides including; Education, Osage Nation Language, Wazhazhi Cultural Center, Prevention, Tobacco Prevention, Diabetes/Nutrition, Higher Education, and the Boys and Girls Club. Each department provided a presentation that pertained to their department and gave the students a supplemental way to receive education or provided assistance to make the camps a success. Group activities opened up positive dialogue and communication among Osage youth about education, their culture and heritage to bring awareness of respecting and obtaining knowledge of the diversity within the Osage Nation in an educational and fun atmosphere. The Osage Nation Language Department provided the morning icebreakers and the Osage Nation Counseling Center and Prevention Programs gave the student ways to say “NO!” to drugs and alcohol.

This year’s cultural field trip ended each camp and was in the student’s own back yard. The students loaded a bus and headed to Grayhorse where Head Committeeman Archie Mason and Whipman, Popper Holloway talked about Grayhorse history and the structure of the Grayhorse District. From there the students headed to Hominy Indian Village were long time committeeman, Leonard Maker and Whipman, Everett Waller met them inside the roundhouse and talked to them about its history and Hominy District’s structure, as well as how each student identifies themselves, through their district, clan, division, fireplaces, etc. The students then went on to Barnsdall, to gain some knowledge on Chief James Bigheart. Paula Stabler talked to the students about Osage History, Osage Chiefs and the role that women have played throughout our history. The students also visited the Osage Historical Museum, the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Osage Nation Executive Branch, Osage Nation Congressional Branch, and the Osage Tribal Museum.

The Osage Nation Education Department would like to thank all students that came and to all of the departments and volunteers that made this years camp a success.