Thursday, September 3, 2026 — Osage school closure delivers blow to tribe’s language revitalization

(https://www.nativeamericacalling.com/thursday-september-3-2026-osage-school-closure-delivers-blow-to-tribes-language-revitalization/)

The Osage Nation’s Daposka Ahnkodapi language immersion school in Pawhuska, Oklahoma announced it is closing one week before the start of the new school year. Tribal leadership closed the school citing dire budgetary problems. Teachers and parents were left scrambling to find a place for the nearly 100 students. For some, Daposka Ahnkodapi was the only school they’d known. We’ll speak with parents about their next steps.

We’ll also speak with Richard Zane Smith, a Wyandot artist and language teacher who has spent years working to revitalize his tribe’s language. He has been actively working to bring back traditional songs preserved on wax cylinders dating to the 1910s. Now, he’s seeing renewed interest among younger people in his community who want to learn and study the language. We’ll discuss Wyandot language revitalization efforts, as well as his thoughts on President Donald Trump’s renaming of Lake Ontario as “Lake America”.

GUESTS

Geneva Horsechief-Hamilton (Osage and Pawnee), parent of a Daposka Ahnkodapi student

Amy Shackleford (Osage and Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate), parent and homeschool teacher

Whitney RedCorn Hall (https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-redcorn-hall-8205bb228) (Osage), Osage Nation congress member

Richard Zane Smith (Wyandot), artist and language teacher

Break 1 Music: Osage Sovereignty Pow wow song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF-zi2XpUDY)  (song) unknown artist (artist)

Break 2 Music: Mountain by the Sea (song) Various Artists (artist) Traditional Voices: Historic Recordings of Traditional Native American Music (https://canyonrecords.bandcamp.com/album/traditional-voices-historic-recordings-of-traditional-native-american-music)  (album)

Written by Native Voice One