Fred Lookout

Chief Fred Lookout was the longest-serving elected chief in the history of the Osage Nation. During his time in office he was a staunch advocate for tribal rights at the national level, making him one of the most revered Osage figures in modern history. He was born in the camp of the Little Osage near Independence, Kansas, and at just ten years old traveled 150 miles on foot with his family and tribe to the new Osage Mission in present-day Osage County on Mission Creek. He attended boarding school in Pawhuska, Indian Territory, and graduated from Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania. Following his graduation in 1884, Lookout returned to the Mission where he married and raised a family in Sand Creek.

Elected as Principal Chief in 1913, Chief Fred Lookout served 28 nonconsecutive years in the position until 1949. As the Principal Chief, Lookout used his position to advocate for the rights of Osage citizens in Washington, D. C. Most notably, he fought for an amendment to the 1906 Osage Allotment Act. This amendment helped to protect the property interests and oil leases of Osage citizens from those who were non-Osage. Lookout, while in office, created long-standing change that has forever shaped the history of the Osage Nation. Today, Chief Fred Lookout is remembered not only by his tribe, but by many across the United States for his dedication to bettering the lives of Osage people and his excellence in leadership.