On October 6th, 2009, the Osage Nation travelled to abroad to participate in a cultural exchange commemorating a twenty-year old relationship with the people of Montauban, France. As the principal representative of the Osage Nation, I set two goals for our visit; namely to share our Osage culture and history with the citizens of the Montauban region, who have so graciously maintained our cultural exchange; and to explore options in strengthening the exchange beyond the cultural to areas of education, economic development, and tourism. On all accounts our mission was a resounding success, establishing new contacts, exchanging knowledge regarding issues of mutual concern, and enriching the lives of the many participants.
Our delegation travelled in two sections crossing the Atlantic. One group, assembled to represent governmental functions included expertise in tourism, economic development and education. I travelled with this group and we arrived in Paris on October 7th, where we immediately met with the United States Embassy representatives to discuss our mission to France, and Osage Nation interests.
Our meeting included U.S. representatives from in the areas of commerce, culture, education, and energy. We agreed to follow-up with these contacts to explore further mutual efforts regarding educating the French people about Osages, and more importantly Osage people about France. Such continuing education efforts could include professional and student exchanges, further exploration of economic policy and business partnerships, and participation in additional cultural exchanges.
To begin this new partnership with the U.S. Embassy, the Osage Nation will be participating in their new web portal project where French and U.S. organizational and governmental counterparts can meet and access resources about one another. The Embassy’s outreach to U.S. entities initially overlooked tribal governments, and an agreement coming from the meeting was to utilize a web partnership with the Osage Nation as the pilot project for the involvement of tribal governments in the initiative.
The U.S. Embassy also helped us arrange a meeting with the premier French international museum dedicated to indigenous peoples, the Musee du Quai Branly. We met with the Director of the Collection for the Americas, and he led our delegation on a personalized special tour where we learned of his challenges in identifying items in the collection and correctly attributing and interpreting them. The museum was delighted to establish a connection with our Nation, and we resolved to work together to learn more about their efforts, and collections, and to assist where we could in the research and collections work as well as programming new and interactive exhibits.
In Paris we also met with senior management of AREVA, the French national majority-owned energy company to learn about their sustainability efforts and plans for renewable energy development and other transmission infrastructure expansion in the United States. While there we learned the State of Oklahoma had been there as well, but in an attempt to better understand the nuclear side of AREVA. The plans for sustainability in North America include establishing their local and continental stakeholder groups for feedback on their operations. In our meeting we discussed opportunities for tribal governments and tribal enterprises to participate in their supply chain, and in technical evaluation of new energy opportunities such as geo-thermal. We will be meeting internally with our Osage, LLC and energy experts to discuss follow-up activities to these discussions, including the informal AREVA invitation for me to represent the Osage Nation, the Council of Energy Resource Tribes, and the Indian Country Renewable Energy Consortium and join their North American stakeholder group on behalf of tribal governments.
Following these successful meeting, we joined our cultural ambassadors group in Montauban, in southwest France, at the base of the Pyrenees Mountains between the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Our time in Montauban was really spent in the region and included official visits with the local towns of St. Nicolas de la Grave, Montauban, Lauzerte and Lafrancaise, and Sapiac. We were greeted enthusiastically by all of the towns, with tours, parades, speeches, ceremonial gift exchanges, land dedications, a tree planting, community receptions, and cultural performances usually lasting from morning until late in the evening. And even though not all of us spoke French, or they English, we were able to communicate goodwill and fellowship everywhere we went. Our Osage Princesses were treated to a reception at a local school that would have rivaled a welcome for the Jonas Brothers. Crowds of school children mobbed the Princesses and waving Osage flags trying to get their signatures, and then running along the fence cheering as we departed. And our group also received a special blessing from the regional Bishop delivered at the Church in Sapiac by the local priest.
In between all of the cultural events we also had time to take a tour of a local aerospace parts manufacturing plant, and came away with a much stronger understanding of that part of the industry. During that tour we met the Director of Economic Development for the 3 rivers Community of Montauban, who set up an impromptu meeting with a regional twelve company aerospace consortium interested in looking at the Tulsa market for expansion. We will be following-up to arrange a visit for the consortium CEO with the Tulsa Aerospace Alliance and the Osage, LLC. And during our breakfast presentation to the American Chamber in Toulouse we engaged in some candid discussions regarding company recruitment with the Regional Director of Economic Export, a direct representative of French President Sarkozy’s Administration.
Now that we are home, we are readjusting from the time change, and sorting out all the follow-up responsibilities from our successful trip. I look forward to report further on future outcomes from this mission to France, and hope Osages and the Osage government will continue to build and strengthen our cultural and economic ties to our historic allies the people and government of France.