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Wahzhazhe ๐“๐’ฐ๐““๐’ฐ๐““๐’ท: A Brief History

Culture
Historical
Territory
Videos

Dr. Andrea Hunter, Osage Nation Historic Preservation Officer, presents a brief history of the Wahzhazhe. The presentation includes our creation story, history, ancestral trails, sacred sites and our journey to current day Osage Reservation. All rights reserved.

Find out more about the Osage Nation Historic Preservation Office here.ย 

Osage (tribe, tribal member, or language) |ย ๐“๐’ฐ๐““๐’ฐ๐““๐’ท

Traditional Food

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Wild Lotus Root or Yonkapin | The wild lotus root or yonkapin grows in shallow ponds and along the edges of streams. The root is sweet and delicious when raw or cooked.
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Pork Steam Fry
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Traditional Wahzhazhe table setting.
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Frybread frying.
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Traditional table setting
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Pork Barbecue
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Meat cooking to be made into meat gravy, a traditional Wahzhazhe dish.
Food
Photography

Historical

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The Inlonshka, has been an important part of Osage life since 1884. The four-day ceremony is celebrated in each Osage district every year in June. This photograph by Vince Dillon shows Osage dancers from the Grayhorse district in 1912 in front of the old roundhouse.
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An important component of the June dances are the bells such as those worn by the following men seated under the dance arbor, L-R: Ed Beartrack, Francis Drexil, Jamison Bear Jr., Harold West, Clem Mason, Archie Mason, Ed Red Eagle.
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The following real photo postcard depicts four Osage women and a young child from around 1910. The woman second from the right was Louise Tuman, wife of Chief Black Dog.
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 Allottee #29 Herman McCarthy. He was full blood Osage and was born on January 1, 1881 and died on November 10, 1939. In this photograph from left to right is Wah-to-sah (Martha Neal McCarthy DeRoin, Allottee #417), Herman McCarthy (Allottee #29), Unknown
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Charles Mashunkashey (Allottee #2191). Mashunkashey was a Worshipful Master of the Wah-Sha-She Lodge 110 in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. He is the only full-blood Indian to be honored with a Knights of the York Cross of Honor.
Culture
Historical
Photography

Women's Dressing

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Women's Dressing 1
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Women's Dressing 2

Properly carrying forward Osage culture requires being meticulous and mindful of what is presented. No detail is too small to overlook. This video includes Osage womenโ€™s dressing for the InLonShkah, as well as an Osage wedding coat. Wedding coats were traditionally used for wedding ceremony, but are now utilized in paying for the drum ceremonies or given as a special gift. The original coats were actual military coats from the 1700s and are now replicated from that era.

Women's Dressing

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Wahzahzhe women complete the line during the procession to pay for the drum (Pawhuska 2021).
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Moccasins worn during the 2021 Pawhuska Inlonshka. The moccasins on the left are traditional Osage moccasins.
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Three Wahzhazhe women in wedding coats Hominy, OK (1979)
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Embroidered broadcloth skirt with lightning patterned fingerweaving. The hang downs are edged with beading.
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Young Wahzhazhe women pose for a photo before the Pawhuska Inlonshka (2021).
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Princesses at the Osage Nation Sesquicentennial | 10.22.22
Clothing
Culture
Ribbonwork
Photography

Properly carrying forward Osage culture requires being meticulous and mindful of what is presented. No detail is too small to overlook. Wedding coats were traditionally used for wedding ceremony, but are now utilized in paying for the drum ceremonies or given as a special gift. The original coats were actual military coats from the 1700s and are now replicated from that era.

Osage Nation Ranch | Bison

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Bison grazing on the Osage Nation 43,000-acre Ranch (Credit: Julie Larsen Maher ยฉ Bronx Zoo/WCS)
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Bison grazing on the Osage Nation 43,000-acre Ranch (Credit: Julie Larsen Maher ยฉ Bronx Zoo/WCS)
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Bison grazing on the Osage Nation 43,000-acre Ranch (Credit: Julie Larsen Maher ยฉ Bronx Zoo/WCS)
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Bison graze on the Osage Nation's 43,000-acre Ranch.
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Bison graze on the Osage Nation's 43,000-acre Ranch.
Territory
Photography

The people of the Osage Nation have a historical and cultural relationship with bison, and bison remains an important element in Osage life. Historically, Osages had two buffalo hunts โ€“ summer and fall โ€“ which were deeply rooted in the Osage way of life. Because so much of their food, clothing and tools centered around bison, elaborate preparations would be made for the hunts. While bison hunts no longer occur, a growing and healthy bison herd on the Osage reservation is a symbolic representation of a thriving Osage Nation.

Osage Nation Campus (Pawhuska, OK)

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Osage Campus 3
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Osage Campus 2
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Osage Campus 1
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The Osage Veterans Memorial Commission, formerly the War Memorial Commission, was established by the Osage Nation Congress in 2011. The purpose of the Commission is to follow the Osage Nation tradition of honoring Osage veterans and to provide a physical reminder for present and future generations of the contributions and sacrifices of Osage veterans and their families.

The Drum | ๐“Š๐’ท๐“๐’ท๐“๐’ป

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Drum warmers carrying in the drum along with the Grayhorse committee during the Grayhorse Inlonshka (2022).
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Drums circle from the 2019 Osage Nation Sovereignty Day celebration.
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Wahzhazhe drummers and singers during an Osage Nation employee picnic and hand game (2019).
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Pawhuska Drumkeeper walks towards the arbor during the ceremony to pay for the drum (2021).
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Singers during the Sesquicentennial | 10.22.22
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Singers during the Sesquicentennial | 10.22.22
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Singers during the Sesquicentennial | 10.22.22
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Singers during the Sesquicentennial | 10.22.22
Culture
Photography

The drum is an important part of Wazhazhe Culture.ย The drum stands at the heart of Osage cultural activities and brings people together.ย ย 

drum |ย ๐“Š๐’ท๐“๐’ท๐“๐’ป

ย 

Cooking | ๐“‚๐’น๐“‚อ˜

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Pawhuska cooks preparing food (and having a laugh) at Grayhorse Inlonshka 2022.
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A cook preparing meat for meat gravy.
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Dumplings being cooked over an outdoor fire.
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Wahzhazhe cooks preparing meat to make meat gravy, a traditional dish. Squeezing the meat removes the blood and makes it more flavorful.
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Cooks prepare meals during Inlonshka.
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Grayhorse cooks enjoying the day while making food for their families at the Grayhorse Inlonshka 2022.
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Hominy cooks prepare food during the Grayhorse 2021 Inlonshka.
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Wahzhazhe cook prepares squash, a traditional food, that was donated by Harvestland during Grayhorse Inlonshka (2021).
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Pawhuska cooks cook fry bread during Grayhorse Inlonshka (2022).
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Wahzhazhe cook cuts fruit during Grayhorse Inlonshka (2022).
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Pawhuska cooks clean up during Grayhorse Inlonshka (2022).
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Hominy cook stirs meat to prepare for meat gravy.
Culture
Food
Photography

To carry on Osage cooking traditions is an honor and Osage Cooks are held in the highest regard. Food is life-giving and brings blessings to family and friends. Whether it's during the Inlonshka, a naming, or a funeral, it's important to think good thoughts when you are preparing food for the community. You can find additional information about Osage foods in this Osage Traveling Trunk project.ย 

Moccasins

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Moccasins worn during the 2021 Pawhuska Inlonshka. The moccasins on the left are traditional Osage moccasins.
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Wahzhazhe men's moccasins in-process.
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Wahzhazhe women's moccasins.
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Wahzhazhe men's moccasins.
Clothing
Culture
Photography

Moccasins are made fromย tanned deer or buffalo leather and sewn with sinew. They are decorated with dye and beading. The Wahzhazhe Cultural Center holds various moccasin-making classes and instruction throughout the year. Classes will be posted on social media and the Wahzhazhe Class page.ย 

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      • Cultural Center Library
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      • Traveling Trunk
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    • Enroll
    • Class List
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    • Translation Request
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    • Coyote and the Bear
  • Museum
    • Plan Your Visit
    • Veterans Archive Project
    • Allottee 2229
    • Image and Research Requests
    • Past Exhibits
    • Meet the Staff
    • Get Involved
    • Resources
  • Visitor
    • Wahzhazhe Welcome Guide
    • Osage Nation Museum
    • Visitors Center
    • About Osage Reservation
  • Historic Preservation
    • Geography
      • Ancestral Map
      • Picture Cave
      • Sacred Sites
      • Sugarloaf Mound
      • Blanchard Springs Caverns
    • History
    • Advisors
    • Ethics and Commercialization
    • Osage Lands Acknowledgement
    • Research Bibliography
    • Preservation for Osage Youth
    • Archaeological Survey Standards
    • Looting and Collecting
    • NHPA Section 106
    • Osage Nation and NAGPRA
    • Section 106 Agency Assignments
    • Staff Information
    • Telecommunication Consultation Procedures