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I am announcing my re-election campaign to continue to serve as your Principal Chief.
Eight years ago I was elected to serve as Principal Chief under the old tribal council system of government. I knew then that the old form of government was no longer what the Osage Nation needed. And then four years ago, I was elected to serve as the first Principal Chief of our newly reformed government.
During my administration I made it a priority to reach out and include the Osage people, and as a result we have all come to expect a new level of inclusion and meaningful involvement.
Because my administration reached out to the people, today Osage citizen Strategic Plan input is driving our programs. Responsive programs are a central part of the reform we are enacting to reach your strategic vision. Our new Osage Merit Employment System will increase morale, teamwork, and efficiency in our government. This progress must not falter. I am committed to seeing our government transformation completed. If I am re-elected as Principal Chief you will see this new level of transparency and reform continue to move our Nation forward.
Sure there have been growing pains but these are pains of the Osage Nation finally debating issues facing the Nation and through this conflict developing creative solutions. Where our citizens were once silenced, we speak. Where decisions were once made for us, we now decide. Where protection of our rights fell to others, now we advocate and stand up for our rights. By embracing our new democracy, we have also embraced the freedom originally envisioned by our Osage ancestors who wrote our first Constitution in the 1800’s.
With this new freedom comes great responsibility. I know first hand the gravity of the responsibility placed on the Office of Principal Chief. From our most vulnerable citizens who depend upon our services, to our citizens who expect meaningful, involvement, to our employees whose dignity and livelihoods are in our hands, to our neighbors who must depend on a stable and predictable course of action, to our future generations who deserve a greater Osage Nation. I have chosen to make this responsibility part of my daily life for the past eight years.
If you agree with me that our progress must continue, I will not miss a step in the transition to a second term. I will continue to rely on your input, and I value our dialogue. If re-elected Principal Chief of the Osage Nation, I promise you that we will once again stretch the imagination, protect and exercise our rights, and continue to build a stronger and more vibrant and resilient Osage Nation. I have been honored to have taken us this far, I know what it takes to keep going in a positive direction, and I hope to continue to serve as your Principal Chief for the next four years. May God bless the Osage Nation.
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