An Oklahoma federal judge ruled he can't rule the Osage Nation's reservation is still intact, denying a legal maneuver to resurrect an old lawsuit.
However, Principal Chief Geofrey Standing Bear said this decision does not diminish hope; rather, it provides Osage leaders with more clarity on how to move forward.
U.S. district judge for the Northern District of Oklahoma, John D. Russell, issued an order Monday, denying the Osage Nation's request for relief from a 2009 ruling. Ultimately, the tribal nation sought to confirm its reservation was established, citing the landmark McGirt v. Oklahoma decision in 2020.
Russell's order said the request was "procedurally improper" and that "the Court is no longer active in the case." He did, however, suggest the nation could enter into a new version of the original lawsuit, which Standing Bear said offers the Osage Nation a roadmap for "bringing this reservation issue into the federal courts for complete review."
"We continue to uphold that the Osage Nation Reservation is intact and was never disestablished," Standing Bear said in a statement. "The Osage Nation paid for this reservation with our own money and with the United States' blessing, and we are asking the United States not to forget."
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