Geoffrey Standing Bear

Geoffrey M. Standing Bear is an Osage politician who has served Principal Chief of the Osage Nation since 2014.

Geoffrey M. Standing Bear
Principal Chief of Osage Nation
Assumed office
2 July 2014
Preceded byScott Bighorse
Personal details
RelativesFred Lookout (great-grandfather)
Residence(s)Oklahoma, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Tulsa, J.D.
ProfessionAttorney

Early life and education

Chief Standing Bear is a native Oklahoman who attended Bishop Kelley High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the University of Tulsa College of Law.[1] He is the great-grandson of Fred Lookout.[2]

Political career

Standing Bear took office as Principal Chief of the Osage Nation on July 2, 2014, after the previous chief, John D. Red Eagle, was impeached. He succeeding Scott Bighorse, who served as acting chief, in the role.[3][4] Under his administration, the Osage Nation's landholdings have increased by more than 50,000 acres, including the tribe's purchase of the 43,000 acre Bluestem Ranch in historic Osage territory from Ted Turner.[5] The tribe has also developed a $160 million casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma, new educational and language preservation initiatives and two community centers. The tribe has also challenged the Oklahoma Attorney General's office with regard to tribal sovereignty and water/mineral rights.[6]

References
  1. Klein, John (8 January 2017). "The land of the Osage is coming home". Tulsa World. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  2. Eger, Andrea (October 16, 2023). "Osage chief's own kin took extraordinary steps to remain safe during Reign of Terror". Tulsa World. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  3. Lenzy, Krehbiel-Burton. "Pawhuska attorney Geoffrey Standing Bear takes office as Osage principal chief". Tulsa World. No. 3 July 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  4. "Osage Nation holds inauguration for new chief and other leaders". Indianz.Com. 2014-07-03. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
  5. "Standing Bear to seek re-election as Principal Chief". Pawhuska Journal-Capital. November 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  6. "Osage Nation Defends Sovereignty Over Water, Minerals". KOTV News on Six. 6 October 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
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