Bison enjoy a sunny winter morning on conservation lands near Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Photo by Osage Nation
The Osage Nation finalized the purchase of a 43,000-acre ranch within the boundaries of its original reservation in Oklahoma. The tribe paid just over $74 million for the Bluestem Ranch, The Osage News reported. The property was owned by media mogul Ted Turner. The acquisition makes the tribe one of the largest landowners in Osage County, according to news reports. The tribe once owned all of the land in the county, whose borders encompass the entirety of the original Osage Reservation. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals subsequently ruled that Congress diminished the reservation through a 1906 law that allotted the land to individual tribal members. The tribe asked the U.S. Supreme Court. to overturn the decision but the justices rejected the petition in Osage Nation v. Irby without comment in June 2011. Get the Story:
Osage Nation buys Ted Turner’s Bluestem Ranch for just over $74M (The Osage News 6/9)
Osage chief completes purchase of Ted Turner's Bluestem Ranch (The Oklahoman 6/9)
Osage Nation finalizes deal to buy Ted Turner's ranch (The Tulsa World 6/10) 10th Circuit Court of Appeals:
Osage Nation v. Irby (March 5, 2010)
Join the Conversation
