The Osage Nation Counseling Center hosted a seminar on Wahzhazhe culture and identity on April 25, 2024, at the Zonzoli village community building. The discussion was led by Dr. Steven Pratt, a Road Man for the Lottie Shunkamolah Chapter of the Native American Church, former Zonzoli Head Committeeman, former Zonzoli Tail Dancer, and champion straight dancer and roper. A Professor Emeritus for the University of Central Oklahoma, Dr. Pratt currently teaches for the Wahzhazhe Language Department. Dr. Pratt discussed different types of Wahzhazhe identities within our community, the importance of learning and following protocol, and returning to traditional ways. This seminar is a component of the Tribal 988 Response Grant, which is designed to offer cultural insight for our tribal members who live out of state and who cannot access such materials easily. This seminar offered an opportunity for those who wish to connect, reconnect with their Osage Culture and to discover their Identity to boost their mental health on and off reservation.
Dhegiha | The Osage people are part of the Dhegihan subgroup, also consisting of the Ponca, Omaha, Kaw, and Quapaw. The tribes share many commonalities in language, culture, and oral traditions that reveal a past relationship within an ancestral group. Today, the tribes continue to maintain a variety of connections, and more formally acknowledge their language relationship at an annual gathering for the purpose of language preservation.