Last week we had cold, snowy, icy weather here in Kansas. I stayed in, read and cooked. This week, we have temperatures in the 60s and 70s with beautiful clear blue skies. I am ready to get back out and explore more around the area!
Because there is so much to see and do there, I headed back to Osage County and Pawhuska, Oklahoma. I took a different route and drove on the Osage Nation Heritage Trail.
Osage Nation Heritage Trail
Osage Hills State Park
While on the trail, I saw a sign and decided to drive through Osage Hills State Park. It is a well maintained park with a campground, lake, trails for biking & hiking, tennis courts, ball fields and a swimming pool.
Osage Nation Campus, Pawhuska
My next stop was at in Pawhuska, which is the headquarters of the Osage Nation. Pawhuska was named after the 19th-century Osage chief, Paw-Hiu-Skah, which means “White Hair” in English.
The memorial honors Osage veterans and provides a physical reminder of the contributions & sacrifices of Osage veterans and their families.
After seeing it on their signs,I was interested in learning more about the Osage language. The Nation has a great website with information about the language, an Osage dictionary and even offers classes to learn Osage.
Osage County Courthouse
The courthouse was constructed in 1914 and grabbed national headlines in the mid-1920s with the trial of Ernest Burkhart, the nephew of William Hale, a wealthy Osage County cattleman. Hale, Burkhart, as well as many other locals, were complicit in the infamous “Reign of Terror” that saw nearly 100 members of the Osage murdered for their oil rights.
The documentary Back in Time: Osage Murders – Reign of Terror is a 30 minute video about the Osage murders.
To learn more about the events of this time, read Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann.
You will be hearing a lot about the book because it has been made into a movie by dierctor & producer Martin Scorsese. The movie has an all-star cast featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Brendan Fraser, John Lithgow and Jesse Plemons.
Read more about the movie, the cast and the reactions of the Osage tribe here. It is scheduled to be released in theaters November 2022 & will also be available to stream on Apple TV+.
I urge you to read and learn about the Osage Nation. Being here and seeing it in person brings their history alive. It is a heartbreaking story that needs to be heard and shared.
Their native culture today is a respectful memorial to their past. They participate in their dance, feasting and naming ceremonies because that is what the Osages have left. They do not try to
re-create the past, they are the present and their culture is in the present. Like all indigenous cultures, the Osages are a traditional people. “No matter where we roam, we are always ‘Osage’ and that is what brings us back to our Osage Nation. To commune with each other, to relate to each other and to be recognized each year during our ceremonials as Osages”.
https://www.osagefoundation.org/about
Camping with Christi 
Very interesting! Enjoy and stay safe !
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We are having the same kind of weather, less the snow, here in Calabash. Enjoy exploring the area. Send photos please.
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Anxious to see what you find!
MaryEllen
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So much to learn from you and your adventures always keeps me interested on new info .. thanx for sharing,..
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Hi , Thanks for another interesting history lesson in a nutshell.I am going to try and read that book!Keep exploring and bringing us more pictures and fact about our country!
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