OSAGE INDIANS History

The original habitat or ancestral home of the Osages is shrouded in mystery as far as positive information is concerned; but according to their language and traditions many hundred years ago the five tribes, Kansa, Osage, Omaha, Ponca and Kwapa, were one people, and lived along the Wabash and far up the Ohio. There was even a tradition that their home at one time was near the shores of “the sea of the rising sun”, from whence came the mysterious sacred shells of the tribe.” Authorities all agree that the above named tribes (according to Wm. W. Graves book, The First Protestant Missions…), were originally all members of one tribe, and that they belonged to the Siouan linguistic family. Their migration westward was believed to have occurred in degrees over centuries, possibly due to food and greater freedom and escape from enemies. In the late 1800’s, Major Sibley, considered one of the best authorities of that period, in regard to the western tribes, obtained from an aged chief of the Osage--a well known Siouan tribe, speaking the same language as the Kwapa--a statement which confirms a 1707 account by Gravier. The chief said that the tradition had been steadily handed down from the ancestors that the Osage had originally migrated from the east, because the population had become too numerous for their hunting ground. Tradition has it that these Indian tribes remained as one tribe until they reached the Mississippi river, where they divided, the Omahas and Poncas going up the river and the Kwapa or Quapaw going down river. The Kansas and Osage continued to move westward until they reached the Mississippi river, in 1500 or sooner.

The first white men believed to set foot on the territory of the Osages were those under intrepid Spanish Francisco de Coronado in 1542. These armored soldiers and their horses were the first to be seen by the Osages (horses not being native to this country). The first Europeans found the Osages to be of a wandering nature, and although they had a location on the Osage river where they resided at times, they roamed all over much of what is now Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and frequently into Illinois.

George C. Sibley, United States Factor at Fort Osage (Clark), is considered to be one of the foremost authorities on the Osages during the 1820’s and beyond. My understanding is that Sibley, MO, was named after him and that is where Fort Osage is located. In October 1, 1820, he said, “Among tribes, the Great Osages of the Osage River live in one village on the Osage River, 78 miles (measured) due south from Fort Osage. They hunt over a great extent of country, comprising Osage, Gasconade and Neeozho rivers and their numerous branches. They also hunt on the heads of the St. Francis and White rivers, and on the Arkansas. I rate them at about 1,200 souls.”

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The Great Osages of the Neeozho, about 130 or 140 miles southwest of Fort Osage have one village of the Neeozho river. They hunt with the tribe of the Osage river and their village contains about 400 souls. Papuisca or White Hair is the chief. The Little Osages, with their village on the Neeozho river, from 120 to 140 miles of this place, have about 1,000 souls, with twenty families of Missouris intermarried with them. They hunt pretty much in common with the other tribes of the Osages aforementioned, and frequently on the headwaters of the Kansas. The Ioways only visit this place occasionally and is about as numerous as the Kansas. The Chaneers or Arkansas tribe of the Osages, I need to say nothing, because they do not resort here to trade. I have always rated that tribe at about an equal half of all Osages. They hunt chiefly on the Arkansas and White Rivers. I believe my account is not far from the truth, however, it is impossible to enumerate them correctly, as they are continually moving from one village to another quarrelling or inter-marrying, so that the strength of no particular village can be correctly ascertained. The Osages are always at war and not a year passes that they do not lose some that way. Epidemic diseases attack them now and then and sweep them off by families.”

The Spanairds claimed dominion over them for several years but made no friendly gestures except those of barter. The French were friendlier, but their intermittent rule limited their opportunities. Therefore, the Osages still retained most of their original ways of life when the protestant missionaries came among them in 1820.

The first protestant missions began in 1820, who were the first white people to bring their families to live among the Osage and closely associate with them. A wave of missionary enthusiasm arose in the New England states, resulting in the formation of a number of missionary societies, primarily planned for the foreign field, but at the suggestion of the government, were extended to include the American Indians. The United Foreign Missionary Society was organized in New York in 1817, and from this cam the five missions among the Osage Indians. Only two missions among the Osages, Union and Harmony, were directly formed by the Society. The other three grew out of these and were frequently called Presbyterian, but were really sponsored by three denominations: Congregational, Presbyterian and Dutch Reformed churches.

The U.S. Government was quick to discover that the French method of sending missionaries instead of soldiers, to bring peace and good will to the natives was a practical way of handling a serious problem. This gave rise to a system of governmental aid to recognized missionary societies that would cooperate with the governmental policies.

There were resident missionaries among neighboring tribes for more than 100 years before the Presbyterians established the Union Mission in 1821 on the Grand River. They did have many contacts with missionaries before 1820 when visiting other tribes or at white settlements along the Mississippi or lower Missouri rivers. Also, they had contact with French or Spanish priests who were accompanying or exploring or other expeditions into the Osage country and possibly a few itinerants.

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Osages were great travelers, and they came into contact with missionaries even before the above occurred. Rev. Father Jacques Gravier, in June 20, 1694, wrote of meeting the Osage and found them very hospitable.

In 1724 Father John Baptist Mercier, pastor at Cahokia, a fort on the north side of the river in what is now Carroll county, made such an influence on the Osage that an address to Louis XV in 1875 by Osage chiefs spoke of him as the one who taught them to pray and asked the French to send others.

Father Joseph is the name given to a priest who was said to have been a missionary among the Osages prior to 1811. The only information of him is given in the MO Historical Review, January 1928, in a published letter from a sailor, which was in possession of the relatives in St. Louis, which said, (referring to the earthquake of New Madrid in December 1811) “I am Firmin La Roche, living in St. Louis, and I was present at the earthquake which lately occurred above and below the mouth of the Ohio river along both shores of the Mississippi. There were with me Fr. Joseph, of the Mission to the Osages, returning to France… Everywhere there was noise like thunder, and the ground was shaking the trees down, and the air was thick with something like smoke. There was much lightning. We believed we much sure die. Fr. Joseph gave absolution. We did not see either of the other boats; one of them we never saw again…Of those who were with me there is not but Fr. Joseph now in New Orleans, now do I know where the others are gone…

An account of a Spanish expedition being massacred by the Missouris in1719, says: “Only one of the entire expedition escaped death. This one person was a priest who is Said to have fled on a horse. After great privations he reached the friendly Osages, with whom he spent the remainder of his life, and did much to reclaim them from savagery. The traditional story is that he was known to the Osages as “Whitebeard”.”

William Sherley Williams, otherwise known as Old Bill Williams, was considered the first missionary to take up his abode among the Osages and continue to reside amongthem. He was an itinerant preacher, with a Baptist upbringing, never licensed or ordained, or received training. He was a good exhorter. He tried to make a deal with the Indians to get them to adopt his religion if he became an indian, but it backfired. He married an Indian woman and took up the life of an Osage. However, he eventually quit preaching, took up his rifle and participated in the wild life of the tribe. Old Bill was instrumental in interpretation of the Osage language and helping to compose the First Osage Book for missionaries to use in spreading them message to the Osage.

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In 1825 Old Bill interpreted at the treaty of the Council Grove in 1825, by which the Osages conceded the right-of-way for the Santa Fe trail. Some of William Sherley Williams descendants (grandchildren) attended Father Schoenmakers Osage Manual Labor School at Osage Mission, and some of them, as of 1940’s, were quite prominent in the Osage Nation, in OK.

In 1872, occurred the final removal of the Osages to their present home, the Osage Nation in Oklahoma.

Additional Cultural and Religious Information:

In the early 1800’s protestants were mobilized with the call, “Go teach all nations”, and the effort was directed to sections of the country considered less favored. Men of means gave liberally and volunteers were abundant. This is the time where the suggestion of the government extended the call to include the American Indians.

Clothing and food came primarily from hunting, mostly buffalo, bear and beaver. They planted corn, beans and pumpkin and derived a portion of their subsistence regularly from wild fruits and walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, acorns, grapes, plums, papaws, persimmons, hog potatoes and several other nutritious roots, all of these they gathered and preserved with care, and possessed the art of preparing many of them so they are really good eating.

George Sibley believed that few, if any, Osage above the age of 15 would ever wholly abandon their savage pursuits. He advocated setting aside lots of 160 acres or more for the use of any Osage who showed a disposition of settle down, where they could have a house and his family could live securely on the fruits of their own industry.

Perhaps some of the best accounts of the conditions, morals, manners and customs of the Osages early in the 1800’s is told by the protestant missionaries that lived among the them and are as follows: They call themselves “Wau-sau-she”, from hence, Osage. They settle in villages long enough to plant crops, then go forth in the same community interest as their village, on their great buffalo hunts. In person, they are generally tall, and make a noble appearance. Osages are naturally amiable and friendly, and always shake hands with a smile. They love hunting and making war, but have never been known to torture prisoners. If anyone has lost a child the prisoner must supply a child in its place and it is treated with much attention and affection. They are always hospitable and share their last meal with strangers, inviting strangers to many feasts the same evening. With all their kindness to strangers, they will surprisingly sometimes leave an aged father or mother alone, far from home, without food, friends or pity. They are afraid of whiskey and call it firewater. Missionaries believed that the Osages, who were hated by white neighbors for plundering and killing, were tempted to do it. They saw white hunters crowd their country and destroy the animals Indians depended on for their subsistence. The number of white hunters was believed to be several thousands commonly killing thousands of deer only for their skins and buffalo for their tongues.

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Missionaries also believed and even printed the following information: The design of the U.S. Government is to unite all the Osage under one chief. In 1826 Claremore was acknowledged as first chief. The chiefs only have the power to advise. Whatever civil government existed was in the hands of the braves or warriors and the chiefs dared do nothing without consulting them first. Poverty was extreme, and the chief property of the Osages was horses and dogs, who were like hungry, starved wolves. Many families have nothing and boys generally go naked until six years old, and the clothing was usually one or two dirty deer skins. The poverty caused them to become beggars, but it was considered honorable. They seemed to feel that all white people are rich, and all are indebited to them. Osages had great superstitions, particularly arising from dreams, and one bad dream could turn back a whole army. Every man had his own personal glory to win, by killing an enemy and obtaining a single scalp. Before going to war, they consult oracles, particularly doctors, and they ask counsel from dreamers and the sacred bird. Among the Osage, plurality of wives was allowed, with a favored wife. While men recline at ease in camps, smoking and telling stories, females lived a harsh, degraded existence, expected to build homes, plant corn, dress the skins, transport baggage, wood and water, with not one day of rest from their marriage until death.

Their religion was pagan and their god to whom they prayed was always considered an imaginary god, like the sun or moon. The Osage could not tell you where a spirit goes after death. They have no land of promise. All he sees is a dark and narrow land, a land of shadows and of ghosts. He sees something beyond the grave, and assumes it is something like the present. They have no idea of one invisible spirit. If you tell them about Him, they triumphantly inquire, where is he, who is he, I want to see him and I will believe. If you ask them how many god they worship, they will never put up less than four fingers. Meh who-junda, the sun is god; Me-um-pah Wohejun-dah, the moon is god; Moineh Kan Kun da, the earth is god; and others will name even five, six, seven or eight.

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According to Louis Burns, a living researcher on Osage and author of A History of Osage People:
Osage stories tell of the search for the Isolated Earth People. Stories, which indicate no particular time span, clearly say the Isolated Earth People spoke the same language. The Osages had no design to represent the concept of the Isolated Earth, although the ideal is included in their ceremonies. This concept argues that the earth is a celestial body apart from the other heavenly bodies. As a matter of interest, all Osages claim origins in the four upper worlds, except the Isolated Earth People, who claim origins on earth. Since the Dakota Sioux also claim origins on the earth, this could indicate the Isolated Earth People were from either the Dakota or some other Siouan group. The upper worlds are O ke sa or Midheaven, where people acquired souls; O ke sa was midway between the second and third Upper Worlds and also symbolized the origin of all human life and the place where the soul must return when the physical body dies.

He believes that the Osage have historically been and still are very hospitable to the point that they will appear very agreeable to differing philosophies during discussions, but will not waiver easily from their beliefs. Regarding legends relating to their origins, each of the 24 clans have different versions of stories. Legends and stories were also considered, and may still be, valuable property and wee not given free of charge. Little Old Men, who were the true keepers of Osage stories charged for these stories. Thus, it is still believed that a story given without charge, especially in the dead of winter, should be suspect. In January and February, the Guardian of One’s Word was considered inactive, and an Osage would often tell whoppers. When the Guardian is active, an Osage was considered as truthful as his ability, knowledge and courtesy allowed.

Failure on the part of Euro-Americans to comprehend the Osage custom that warriors were required to protect their land, cost many their lives. To the Osage, there was a vast difference between being invited to hunt and trap and doing it without permission. White men would have killed anyone who slaughtered their livestock and stole their grain, but could not understand the Osages doing the same. The decapitated head placed on a stake to warn intruders away horrified Europeans. Spanish records report a modest estimate of over 1,000 white and Indian hunters and trappers slain as intruders. Osages always gave their permission is asked. Even a centuries old enemy, the Wichita, were starving during the Civil War and received the Osages permission to hunt in Osage territory.

Osage territory was like a great empire with well-known trails linking tribes. Feeder trails also joined the major trails and Osages could keep in close touch and rapidly reach anywhere in their empire in a surprisingly short time. Osages knew their trails well, but any invading force would find them to be death traps.

Oral Osage has no curse words or foul language. However, finger talk could be used to convey extremely vile, insulting concepts.

Anytime an Osage put black or red paint on any part of his face, an enemy could easily lose his life or face being captured and sold as a slave. Both red and black symbolized merciless fire that consumed all in its path. When worn all over the body, it meant all out war. Once one of the Little Osage chiefs, named Chetopa, led a war party killing every man, woman and child in four lodges of Kiowa, leaving their heads in brass buckets, as warnings to refrain from hunting in Osage territory or trading with people who brought goods south from the Platte Rive route.

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Without the Osage scouts, Custer would not have been able to fight at the Little Big Horn. The story claims that when Custer ignored their advice, the Osage and a Delaware scout pulled their blankets over their heads and slipped away before the Sioux struck.

In a 125 year period, 1678-1803, the Osages performed a feat no other American Indian duplicated. They stopped the westward expansion of the Euro-American peoples and simultaneously tripled the size of their domain. Because of the Osage nation, neither France or Spain became firmly established on the Middle Waters. Hence, the vast reaches of the American Wet was available to the U.S. when she was best able to capitalize on it.

After 1808, Osages in Missouri came into an increasing number of Euro-Americans. They had experienced greed for land and personal possessions before by them, but not on such a large scale. The Osage often referred to them as “keeping the Sabbath and everything else they could get their hands on”. Being unfamiliar with the “claim game”, the Osages, until 1865, filed no claims for theft of game, furs, hides, livestock, and the plundering of their burials. Yet, innumerable exaggerated claims were filed against the Osages, and most of these unfounded claims were paid by treaty provisions.

Pawhuska, OK, is the present Osage nations’ capital.

In 1893, the Great American Frontier ended. Only the million and one-half acre Osage reservation remained to be settled. It was desirable land. By 1900, the Euro-American culture has swirled around the Osages for 225 years. While influenced, the Osages still held it at arm’s length. It is this hard-core Osage culture (according to Burns) that turned the grinding land hunger of Manifest Destiny around their domain instead of through it. First, they fought with bows and arrows, then guns, always with wits. In 1925, the Osages were finally overwhelmed, but they still fought for their rights in the courts and halls of Congress. Their vast domain has been reduced to an underground reservation of petroleum -- the land was gone.

The entire practice of gift giving, as understood by the Osages, was not understood by the Euro-Americans. Usually, this custom at councils was considered to be a bribe. In early contact times, it was a tribute. Among Osages, gifts were tokens of thanks, a seal of high esteem, or gesture of respect. To an Osage, the greatest indignity is to be thought of as a stingy person.

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1924 Indian Citizenship Act was passed, which gave ‘all non-citizen Indians born within territorial limits of U.S. were to be declared citizens’.

The name black gold came from the Osage. Between 1906 and 1920 the price per barrel of oil rose from $.39-$.52 to a high of $3.00. Osage oil wells had a life expectancy of 20 years and Osage gas wells lasted three times longer than gas wells elsewhere. Wealth was considered a curse by many Osage, even today. Reporters write: There are 265,000 Indians in the U.S.; their race is not dying out. But, of them all, it is not improbably that these Osage Indians, with their wealth, are the unhappiest. You have that impression as you leave Pawhuska; it is not a happy town. A blight of gold and oil and greed is on it, as heavy a curse as Indians have ever had from their wickedest medicine men.

One reporter ponders: was it the guardians (during the oil boom) that place the curse of wealth upon the people? The people survived and became stronger because of the ordeal. Possibly when it has all been said and time heals the hurts, the following words or John Goodskin will not longer bring to the mind such terrible pictures, “In the old days, before we had money, it was easy enough. All you had to do was not get drunk. But, now your good behavior has nothing at all to do with it. Your money draws ‘em and you’re absolutely helpless. They have all the law and all the machinery on their side. Tell everybody, when you write your story, that they’re scalping our souls out here.”

Self-righteous, stern, militant approaches to religion were rejected immediately by the Osages. Hellfire and brimstone held no terror, since they had no concept of eternal damnation. Kindness gentleness and understanding were religious concepts easily accepted. Stern, sober services were not acceptable to a people who enjoyed living. Yet, symbolism and devout ceremonies were a part of their life. There is little doubt that the Catholic Church, of all Christian Churches, appealed to the Osages. There were thousands of baptisms recorded in Missions records, it was a custom easily received, as they had a ceremony similar to it already. Burial was different. Today, the Catholic Church permits Osage burial practices within Catholic interment.

The Catholic Church has shown an understanding of the Osages and has accepted many Osage practices in the local parishes. The Pawhuska parish, for example, is 80% Indian, the highest percentage of Indians in any Catholic parish. While the Catholic and other denominations have adopted some Osage ways, the American Indian Peyote Church in Osage County incorporates an even higher percentage of the old Osage religion.