"Barring a successful appeal, the Osage Nation has lost the argument that the county bearing its name is in fact a reservation. A judicial decision last week confirms that although Oklahoma has a large American Indian population and a lot of Indian land, it has no Indian reservations.

A three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a district judge’s dismissal of the tribe’s claim that the entirety of Osage County is a reservation. The appellate judges said that what once was a reservation had been "disestablished by Congress.” The tribe plans to appeal further.

Land held formerly by the tribe as a whole was allotted to individual members. Official reservation status began dissolving at that point, early in the 20th century. Some maps still show Osage County as a reservation. Federal jurists disagree. We’re glad they do."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Map quest: Court rejects reservation claim (The Oklahoman 3/12)

10th Circuit Decision:
Osage Nation v. Oklahoma (March 8, 2010)

Related Stories:
Osage Nation wants rehearing over reservation status (3/9)
Court rejects Osage Nation over status of reservation (3/8)
Editorial: Osage Nation Chief Gray a 'radical' tribal leader (1/14)
10th Circuit hears arguments over status of Osage land (1/11)
Osage Nation files brief in reservation status case (7/28)
Osage Nation to appeal reservation status case (3/17)
Osage Nation seeks new ruling in reservation case (2/11)
Osage chief blasts ruling on reservation status (1/27)
Osage Nation loses state taxation lawsuit (1/26)
Supreme Court won't hear Osage Nation case (10/6)