Title 25—Indians--Volume 1
PART 91—GOVERNMENT OF INDIAN VILLAGES, OSAGE RESERVATION, OKLAHOMA
§ 91.1   Purpose.
The purpose of the regulations in this part is to establish policies and procedures for the government of Indian villages, Osage Reservation, Oklahoma.
§ 91.2   Definitions.
As used in this part:
(a) Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior or his authorized representative.
(b) Superintendent means the Superintendent or other officer in charge of Osage Agency.
(c) Council means the Osage Tribal Council, that elected governing body of the Osage Tribe of Indians.
(d) Tribal Member means any person of Osage Indian blood of whatever degree, allotted or unallotted.
(e) Minor means any person under 21 years of age.
(f) Resident means an adult tribal member who has resided in the village for thirty (30) days, in the 12-month period preceding the election.
§ 91.3   Description of village reserves.
The act of June 28, 1906 (34 Stat. 539), as amended by the act of June 24, 1938 (52 Stat. 1034), set aside certain tribal lands exclusively as dwelling sites for the use and benefit of the Osage Indians until January 1, 1984, unless otherwise provided by Act of Congress. These lands are described as follows:
(a) Grayhorse Indian Village. The southeast quarter (SE 1/2 ) of the southeast quarter (SE 1/4 ), and the west half (W 1/2 ) of the southwest quarter (SW 1/4 ) of the southeast quarter (SE 1/4 ), and the south half (S 1/2 ) of the northeast quarter (NE 1/4 ) of the southeast quarter (SE 1/4 ) of the southwest quarter (SW 1/4 ), and the south half (S 1/2 ) of the north half (N 1/2 ) of the northeast quarter (NE 1/4 ) of the southeast quarter (SE 1/4 ) of the southwest quarter (SW 1/4 ), and the southeast quarter (SE 1/2 ) of the southeast quarter (SE 1/4 ) of the southwest quarter (SW 1/4 ) of sec. fifteen (15); and the north half (N 1/2 ) of the northeast quarter (NE 1/4 ), and the northeast quarter (NE 1/4 ) of the northwest quarter (NW 1/4 ) of sec. twenty-two (22), all in township twenty-four (24) north, range six (6) east of the Indian meridian, and containing 197.5 acres, more or less.
(b) Hominy Indian Village. Lots Six (6) and Seven (7), and the East Half (E 1/2 ) of the Southwest Quarter (SW 1/4 ) of Section Six (6) in Township Twenty-two (22) North, Range Nine (9) East of the Indian Meridian, and containing 160 acres, more or less.
(c) Pawhuska Indian Village. Lots One (1) and Two (2), and the South Half (S 1/2 ) of the Northeast Quarter (NE 1/4 ) of Section Three (3) in Township Twenty-five (25) North, Range Nine (9) East of the Indian Meridian, and containing 160 acres, more or less.
§ 91.4   Plats of village reserves.
Plats of the Grayhorse Indian Village, the Pawhuska Indian Village, and the Hominy Indian Village, certified by Ralph M. Tolson, Registered Engineer, on July 5, 1966, are the official plats of dedication of said villages and shall be filed of record with the county clerk of Osage County, State of Oklahoma.
§ 91.5   Tracts reserved from selection by individuals.
The following described tracts, as shown on the plats of the three villages, are reserved from selection by individuals and are set aside for sepultural use or for public use by tribal members:
(a) Grayhorse Indian Village:
(1) Public Squares.
(2) Parks, and
(3) Cemetery.
(b) Hominy Indian Village:
(1) Public squares.
(2) Cemetery, and
(3) Lot 1 in block 1 set aside for religious and educational purposes to the Society of Friends, its Associate Executive Committee of Friends on Indian Affairs and its or their representative at Hominy, Okla., by Resolution of the Osage Tribal Council dated June 6, 1956, and approved by the Assistant Secretary of the Interior, September 7, 1956.
(c) Pawhuska Indian Village:
(1) Wakon Iron Square.
(d) Those individuals who have summer homes or dance arbors located on the Public Square of the Hominy Indian Village shall be permitted to retain said summer homes or dance arbors during their lifetimes if they are maintained in a condition satisfactory to the Hominy Indian Village Committee. Following the owner's death, the improvements shall be removed within ninety (90) days or become the property of the Hominy Indian Village.
§ 91.6   Custody of public buildings and tracts reserved from selection by individuals; village committees.
Each of the three (3) villages described herein shall organize a village committee to provide for the health, safety and welfare of its inhabitants, for the maintenance of tribal property, and to serve as custodian and manager of tribal property and improvements located within said village except that tract described in § 91.5(b)(3). Each village committee shall be composed of five (5) members, domiciled in the village, one of whom shall be designated by the committee as chairman. The committees shall be elected biennially by the residents of the villages, except in the Grayhorse Indian Village where the committee shall be appointed by the Council from among those tribal members residing in or historically associated with the village. The procedure for initial committee elections shall be established by the Council. Each village committee shall prepare a constitution and by-laws to be approved by the Council and the Superintendent before said committee will have any authority to govern, and any changes or amendments thereto must likewise be approved by the Council and the Superintendent. All actions of the committee are subject to appeal to the Council whose decision shall be final: Provided, That such committee shall have no control or authority to grant permission for the use of tribal property described in § 91.5 for the holding of dances. Such authority shall remain in the Council and any group or individual using the property for dance purposes without the written permission of the Council shall be in violation of these regulations: Provided, further, That the village committee shall not permit the use of any of the tracts described in § 91.5 in any manner that would conflict with Council authorization for dance purposes.
§ 91.7   Permits to occupy land for dwelling purposes.
The issuance of permits for the use of land for dwelling purposes within any village reserve described in § 91.3 except tracts reserved for specific purposes by § 91.5 will be under the jurisdiction of the Superintendent. Permits may be issued only to tribal members upon application to the Superintendent: Provided, That only one permit shall be issued to any one individual and that erection of a dwelling house shall be started on such land within six (6) months from date of approval of the permit or such permit shall be automatically terminated except that upon written application the Superintendent may extend such permit for an addition six (6) months: Provided, further, That only one dwelling shall be constructed under any one permit. Permits shall be issued for the use of one to three contiguous lots, depending upon the quality and permanency of the improvements to be placed thereon. Permits issued under this section shall be made in duplicate in a manner to be prescribed by the Superintendent. The original copy shall be filed in the Branch of Realty, Osage Agency, and the duplicate copy shall be mailed to the permittee.
§ 91.8   Sale or mortgage of improvements.
No improvements located within the village reserves described in § 91.3 shall be sold, mortgaged, transferred or assigned without the approval of the Superintendent.
(a) Improvements may be mortgaged for home improvements or the erection of new improvements. Such mortgages shall be made with acceptable lending agencies and shall be approved by the Superintendent. The lending agency shall have the right:
(1) To foreclose the mortgage and to sell the improvements within six (6) months of the date of foreclosure judgment to any eligible tribal member with the understanding that the use of the land on which the improvements are situated shall be transferable to the new owner; or
(2) To foreclose the mortgage and to sell the improvements to a non-tribal member, who shall remove the improvements from the village reserve within six (6) months of the date of sale. In the event of removal of the mortgaged property, it shall be the responsibility of the lending agency to level the land on which such improvements were located and to remove all debris, sidewalks, etc., leaving the premises in an orderly condition. Failure to make such disposition within the time stated in this paragraph shall result in forfeiture of the improvements to the village committee.
(b) Improvements may be sold by the owner thereof with the approval of the Superintendent. Sale of such improvements shall be accomplished by bill of sale executed by the owner in triplicate who shall file all copies with the Superintendent. If the purchaser of such improvements is a member of the Osage Tribe, the bill of sale shall be accompanied by a relinquishment of the permit in favor of the vendee for the occupancy of the land on which such improvements are located. If the purchaser is not a member of the Osage Tribe, such purchaser shall be required to endorse an agreement on the reverse of all copies of the bill of sale that he will:
(1) Remove the improvements from the village reserve within six (6) months of date of approval of the bill of sale;
(2) Transfer the title thereof as provided in this section to a tribal member who is eligible; or
(3) Failing to make such disposition within the time stated forfeit title to the village committee.
(c) Upon approval of the bill of sale by the Superintendent, the original or certified copy shall be filed in the Branch of Realty, Osage Agency, the duplicate copy mailed to the purchaser, and the triplicate copy mailed to the seller.
§ 91.9   Inheritance of improvements.
(a) Upon the death of the owner of improvements in a village reserve, such improvements shall, in probate matters, be subject to the jurisdiction of the county courts, State of Oklahoma, and shall be subject to inheritance or bequest in accordance with applicable State and Federal laws. The land within a village reserve is held in trust for the benefit of tribal members and is not subject to inheritance or purchase.
(b) When such improvements or interests therein are inherited by or bequeathed to a non-tribal member, he or she shall dispose of such improvements in the manner provided for disposition of improvements by purchaser under § 91.8: Provided, That when such non-tribal member is a legally adopted minor child such child may continue to occupy the land during its minority: Provided, further, That when such non-tribal member is the surviving spouse such individual, so long as he or she remains single may continue to occupy the land during his or her lifetime or may sell the improvements as provided herein and may receive a proceeds therefrom. In the event such surviving spouse remarries, the right to continuous occupancy of the land pursuant to this § 91.9 shall terminate and such surviving spouse shall make disposition of such improvements as provided for purchasers in § 91.8. If upon the death of the surviving spouse title to the improvements vests in a non-tribal member, they shall be sold as provided in § 91.8 and the proceeds distributed to the persons entitled thereto.
(c) Improvements inherited by tribal members may be occupied or rented in accordance with § 91.10: Provided, No tribal member shall be issued more than two permits or own more than two sets of improvements, one of which must be inherited property and one occupied by the tribal member: Provided, further, No tribal member shall be permitted to retain more than one set of improvements for rental. If this provision is violated, the tribal member will have three years, from the date of written notice from the Superintendent that such provision has been violated, within which to dispose of the surplus property in accordance with § 91.8.
§ 91.10   Renting of improvements.
The Superintendent may issue a certificate of permission to rent for a period of one (1) year improvements located on land held under valid permit, subject to renewal in the discretion of the Superintendent, upon written application by the owner of such improvements and the prospective tenant: Provided, That such prospective tenant is a tribal member and the property to be rented is that heretofore occupied or inherited by the owner. Certificates of permission issued under this section may be withdrawn upon 30-day notice to the tenant by the Superintendent and such tenant expelled from the village reserve. The application and certificate of permission on a form to be prescribed by the Superintendent shall be made in triplicate and all copies forwarded to the Superintendent for action. Upon approval by the Superintendent, the original copy of the application and certificate shall be filed in the Branch of Realty, Osage Agency, the duplicate copy of each forwarded to the owner, and the triplicate copy of each forwarded to the tenant.
§ 91.11   Domestic animals in village reserves.
(a) No livestock shall be permitted to trespass in any village reserve except that unassigned lots or unplatted areas enclosed by adequate fences may be leased by the village committee with the approval of the Superintendent and the proceeds therefrom credited to the account of the village committee. Trespassing livestock may be impounded by the village committee. The village committee shall give notice of impoundment to the owner of the animal, if known, by certified mail or by posting in the village square. The notice shall advise the owner that a $10 charge shall be assessed per day for each animal impounded and a reasonable charge for forage consumed and that the animal or animals shall be sold at the expiration of twenty (20) days from the date of mailing or posting the notice. In the event an animal is sold, the balance after deducting $10 per day for impoundment and a reasonable forage charge, shall be deposited at the Osage Agency and the owner may claim said funds if satisfactory proof of ownership is presented to the Superintendent of the Osage Agency within six (6) months of the date of sale. After six (6) months, any funds remaining on deposit will become the property of the village in which the animal was trespassing.
(b) No horses, mules, bovine, hogs, sheep, or goats shall be penned on assigned lots.
§ 91.12   Business enterprises and public buildings.
No permanent business enterprises shall be carried on within the boundaries of a village reserve and no public buildings shall be erected on lands within the boundaries of a village reserve except on tracts described in § 91.5 maintained for the use and benefit of tribal members. The construction or acquisition of dwellings for rental purposes is prohibited. The village committee may grant permission and charge fees for temporary concessions within the village reserve during Indian celebrations, dances, community gatherings, etc., such temporary permits to last only for the term of activities for which granted.
§ 91.13   Health, sanitation, and sewerage disposal.
Health, sanitation, and sewerage disposal problems within the village reserves shall be subject to and controlled by applicable County and State laws.
§ 91.14   Confirmation of permits.
The Superintendent shall prepare a certified list of all current permittees with a description of lots held, which descriptions shall conform to the plats certified July 5, 1966. Said list shall be served by certified mail on the individual permittees and the village committee chairman and shall be posted at the Osage Agency and each of the three village squares. Unless a protest is filed with the Superintendent within ninety (90) days of the mailing and posting, said certified list of assigned lots and the individual permittees shall be final and conclusive. Protests may be filed by tribal members claiming an interest in an assigned lot and such protest shall be determined by the Superintendent after notice and hearing.
§ 91.15   Suspension or amendment of regulations.
The regulations in this part may be suspended or amended at any time by the Secretary of the Interior: Provided, That such amendments or suspension shall not serve to change the terms or conditions of any mortgage approved in accordance with § 91.8(a).