Carolyn Quintero papers, 1971-1986

Osage is a Siouan language that is spoken by the Osage people of the state of Oklahoma. The Osage are identified as a Dhegiha Siouan language speaking tribe along with the Omaha, Ponca, Kaw, and Quapaw. Their original territory was in present-day Missouri and Kansas but they were gradually forced west by European-American pressure and treaties.

As time passed, the Native “Osage” language was diluted by European influences. Osages who were born in 1906 were sent to boarding schools, where they were forced to quit speaking their native language and speak English. Speakers between 1906 and 1940 continued to hear and speak Osage in their homes but took up more English and European influences. Osages born after 1940 generally had English as their first language.

The Osage Language Program, created in 2003, provides audio and video learning materials on its website. As of 2009, about 15–20 elders were second-language speakers of Osage. In early 2015, Osage Nation Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear announced he would make Osage language immersion a priority. Osage is among the few indigenous languages in the United States that has developed its own writing system.

[Information adapted from the “Cultural History” and “Language” sections of The Osage Nation’s official website; Date Accessed: 08/09/2023]

Forms part of the Jacobs Research Funds linguistic research collection.