Osage Nation Lifts State of Emergency, School Stays Closed

Osage Nation Lifts State of Emergency, Language School Remains Closed

Osage Nation lifts state of emergency after tribal officials identified more than $7.2 million in retained revenue, but the financial discovery has not reversed operational cutbacks that include the closure of the Nation’s Osage language immersion school.

Principal Chief Joe Tillman ended the emergency declaration Friday after the Osage Nation Treasury Department completed its fiscal year 2025 audit and identified $7,223,992 in revenue that remained unspent at the end of the fiscal year.

The money is available for future appropriation, but tribal leaders say longer-term financial concerns remain as federal pandemic relief funding approaches its expiration.

Osage Nation Lifts State of Emergency

Tillman initially declared the state of emergency on Aug. 5 as the Nation confronted budget concerns and began making changes to several programs.

The newly identified retained revenue changed the immediate financial picture enough for Tillman to lift the emergency declaration. The Osage Nation Congress has also been examining projected revenue and retained funds as lawmakers consider the Nation’s financial outlook.

Tillman has asked Congress to increase the fiscal year 2027 budgetary outlay for the Executive Branch from $60 million to $82 million.

However, lifting the emergency does not mean the operational changes made during it are automatically being reversed.

The Nation says those changes will remain part of a broader effort to align spending with projected revenue, reduce long-term financial risks and protect essential services.

Osage Language Immersion School Stays Closed

One of the biggest unresolved issues is Daposka Ahnkodapi, the Osage language immersion school that served children from six weeks old through eighth grade.

The school remains closed despite the discovery of the additional revenue, leaving families searching for other educational options.

Parent Geneva HorseChief-Hamilton told News On 6 that she believes questions remain about the decisions surrounding the emergency declaration, the school closure and funding for Osage language and cultural programs.

For families, the concern extends beyond finding another classroom.

Daposka Ahnkodapi incorporates Osage language and culture throughout students’ education, making the school an important part of efforts to preserve and strengthen the Osage language for future generations.

Some members of the community have called for greater scrutiny of the closure and additional discussion about whether the school can be reopened.

Federal Funding Deadline Still Looms

The Nation’s longer-term budget concerns are also tied to the end of federal pandemic-era funding.

Osage Nation legislative records show extensive use of American Rescue Plan Act funding for programs ranging from health care and infrastructure to language and cultural initiatives. The Osage Nation legislation database documents millions of dollars in ARPA appropriations and subsequent adjustments made by Congress.

Federal ARPA rules generally require remaining eligible funds to be spent by Dec. 31, 2026, creating a looming deadline for governments that used the temporary federal money to support programs and operations.

The Nation says it must continue preparing for the expiration of CARES Act and ARPA-funded programs while determining how services can be supported with sustainable revenue going forward.

For now, the Osage Nation lifts state of emergency, but the discovery of $7.2 million has not settled the larger debate over spending — or answered when, or whether, Daposka Ahnkodapi will reopen.

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