By now, most of you have received the Strategic Planning Booklet in the mail. If you took the time to read it, you realize the Osage Nation and its people have set out a very ambitious plan to be executed over the next 25 years. A variety of areas were addressed; including how to make sure the Osage culture is preserved, and can be continually taught to our children and our grandchildren. We asked, what is the best way to educate our people, and provide for their Health Care, and their well being? Exactly what has to be done to make sure our Natural Resources are protected and used well for the future, and what steps does this Nation take to move forward with economic development projects that will benefit all Osages, and economically strengthen the area for all who live in the Osage? Your response was overwhelming.
Strategic planning has opened the lines of communication and participation among the Osage people and its new government. The divergent ideas and wishes of the Osage people came together in the Strategic Plan to bring out the kind of commitment and imagination that lies within the minds and hearts of the Osage people. There are a huge number of questions that remain to be answered, but the process of carrying each objective in the Plan to completion can put us on the path to making this Tribe a strong, independent, and continually powerful force for the future. The completion of the objectives will not happen over night, but the investment of time, resources, and energy will be worth it if this Nation can accomplish what the people want, one by one, each objective building on the other over time.
We have already begun taking steps to realize some of the priorities in the Strategic Plan. A newly formed Health Board has been appointed comprised of talented Osage health experts and is hard at work with Assistant Principal Chief John Red Eagle to assess the health and wellness priorities and position the Nation’s programs toward successful delivery. Along those lines, we are happy to report the opening in February of the Fairfax Fitness Center. We anticipate opening a Fitness Center in Hominy in the next 3 months to compliment the Pawhuska and Fairfax Fitness Centers.
To keep you apprised of the progress and next steps, we have included a chart which lies out the next set of action items and includes a timeframe. Our main focus at this stage is to align organizationally to the Strategic Plan and better prepare our staff for their role in carrying out the Strategic Plan. To ensure this transition occurs, a new Strategic Planning Office is to open in March designed to centralize the management of the simultaneous activities which will have to be initiated on multiple fronts to carry out the Strategic Plan in the timeframe allotted. We are excited about what the future holds for the Osage Nation and, with your continued engagement, we are sure to stay on track.
Chart - Organizational Design Considerations