Facebook Twitter Email
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 2002

In a stunning leadership shakeup, voters of the Osage Nation of Oklahoma have ousted their tribe's longtime and well-known chief along with most members of the tribal council.

Jim R. Gray, a new face in tribal politics, defeated incumbent Charles O. Tillman by an extremely close margin in Monday's hotly contested four-way race. The final tally was 421 to 386, translating to a mere seven-point victory in terms of "headright" votes, which represent Osage royalty owners whose rights date back to the first allotment of tribal lands.

Despite the win, an exhausted Gray was extremely cautious yesterday. After a night he described as filled with "laughing and crying and celebrating and crying," the publisher of the Native American Times said he would wait until Tillman officially concedes before accepting his new title.

"I'm not acknowledging anything yet," he said from his office in Tulsa.

But he added: "It's just real exciting right now. I feel really good."

Tillman was out of his office yesterday and could not be reached for comment about his views on the race. But according to Osage law, he can request a recount anytime this week, which could take up to a day.

"If i was him, I'd be considering it too," said Gray. "I certainly respect him and his decisions."

Word from Tillman, whose supporters are urging a recount, is heavily anticipated outside of Osage country because of his role in a number of national issues. His standing in various organizations could be revoked because he lacks an elected tribal position.

Included is his chairmanship of the Inter-Tribal Monitoring Association (ITMA), which is moving to negotiate the settlement of billions of dollars worth of outstanding trust fund mismanagement claims. He took a key role in the joint federal-tribal task force that presented its options for reorganizing Indian trust duties to Secretary of Interior Gale Norton yesterday. He also has been a long-time contributor to the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), the largest tribal organization in the country.

Closer to home, Tillman filed a breach of trust lawsuit against the federal government for alleged mismanagement of Osage oil royalties. In a recent letter to tribal members, he said the claim could be worth up to $3 billion and possibly more, in addition to a separate $100 million lawsuit alleging underpayment to headright owners.

Although Tillman's involvement is widely recognized, many within the 18,000-member tribe have grumbled openly about his handling of the affairs. A particularly defining case involves his continued support of Koch Oil, which drilled heavily on Osage lands, despite the company's conviction in federal court for cheating the federal government and tribal allottees out of royalties.

Judging by Monday's elections, however, voters weren't just dissatisfied with Tillman. Out of eight council seats up for grabs, only one incumbent, Camille W. Pangburn, was returned to the governing body.

Tribal members also chose Kenneth H. Bighorse over actor Larry Sellers by a wide margin. The tally was 1105 to 310, or a 460 headright-vote difference.

Besides being an impressive shakeup, Gray termed the results "historic." "Our tribe hasn't ever experienced anything like that before," he said.

"There's just a feeling out there of some times you just gotta start over."

Relevant Links:
Osage Nation - http://www.osagetribe.com
Jim Gray, election site - http://www.grayforchief.com
Native American Times - http://www.okit.com
Inter-Tribal Monitoring Association - http://www.itmatrustfunds.org/index.cfm

Related Stories:
Upset in Osage Nation elections (6/4)