Buying real estate to promote Osage culture
Jack Hickey, Osage citizen, bought land for the purpose of donating it to promote his Osage people’s legacy in Fairfax, Okla.
Photo by Cody Hammer, ON Communications StaffOsage Nation Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear, left, accepts land deeds from Osage Nation citizen Jack Hickey, Jr. Hickey’s aunt, Mary “Snookie” Bighorse, stands next to Hickey and supports the donation.
By Cody Hammer, ON Communications; and ON Communications
PAWHUSKA, Okla. (June 7, 2016) – On Tuesday, June 7, at the Osage Nation Office of the Chiefs an Osage man came by, not to request a service or ask about benefits, but to give back to support the legacy of the Osage culture in his community.
Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear met with Jack Hickey, Jr., Osage citizen, and his aunt Mary “Snookie” Bighorse, Osage citizen, on Tuesday to talk about land Hickey purchased in Fairfax, Okla. Hickey had the highest bids from the Osage County Treasurer’s tax sale for nine lots of land, a few grouped together and some single lots. He purchased the properties for the sole purpose of donating them to the Osage Nation to promote and strengthen the legacy of the Osage people in the Fairfax community.
“I wanted Fairfax to be more Osage and I wanted to secure more land,” said Hickey about why he decided he wanted the Osage Nation to have the land.
Hickey lives in Sioux Falls, SD, with his wife, Chee Hickey. They like it there a lot but Hickey still has family and cultural obligations to his Osage community. He said he hopes the land will be used to build good homes for Osage families.
“Fairfax desperately needs updated housing. Everything is run down,” he said. Hickey hopes quality housing options will bring in more Osage families who can be valuable contributing members to the Fairfax community.
“There aren’t that many Osages living [in Fairfax] because there’s nowhere decent to live. That’s what I’m about, more Osages living in Fairfax taking care of Fairfax,” he said.
Chief Standing Bear said, “On behalf of the Osage Nation I proudly accept this gift. And, thank you very much to you and your family for thinking the way you do. I wish more people would think like this because we would have more of our land and culture.”
The generous gift is as new to the Nation as it is unexpected and appreciated and a formal plan of action has not yet been decided.
“We will the look the land over and determine a use later. It is mostly residential lots,” said Osage Nation Director of Operations Casey Johnson. Johnson is also a member of the Grayhorse and Fairfax community and an Osage citizen. Hickey first approached Johnson about donating the land.
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