Scott Bighorse facts for kids

Scott Norris Bighorse was born around 1956. He is an Osage American politician. A politician is someone who works in government. Scott Bighorse has held several important roles. He was a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 2006 to 2008. He also served the Osage Nation, which is a Native American tribe. From 2010 to 2014, he was the Assistant Principal Chief. He then became the interim Principal Chief for a short time in 2014. Since 2018, Scott Bighorse has been a member of the Osage Nation Congress.

Who is Scott Bighorse?

In the Osage language, Scott Bighorse is known as Kiheka. This name means "Big Chief" in English. Before he started working in public office, Bighorse worked for the state government of Oklahoma for 24 years. He was a correctional officer and helped young people in detention.

Even as a child, his family inspired him to get involved in politics. He learned about county and tribal government from them. Besides his work in politics, Scott Bighorse is also known as a traditional singer.

Working in the Oklahoma Government

Scott Bighorse's first campaign for a state government job was supported by a group called the Indigenous Democratic Network. In March 2006, he was the only candidate from the Democratic Party running for the 36th district seat in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. This is a part of the state government that makes laws.

Another candidate, Jack Rankin, later joined the race. Bighorse won against him in a special election held in July 2006. Then, in November 2006, Bighorse won the main election against Eddie Fields. This made him a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

In March 2007, he joined the Native American Caucus of the Oklahoma Legislature. He served as a spiritual counselor and an advisor for this group. In 2008, Bighorse ran for reelection but lost to Eddie Fields. He was the only sitting state representative in Oklahoma to lose their seat that year.

Serving the Osage Nation

After his time in the state government, Scott Bighorse decided to run for office within the Osage Nation. He started campaigning in August 2009 for the tribal election in 2010. The first part of the election was on June 7, 2010.

In a second election on July 19, 2010, he was elected Assistant Principal Chief. He officially started this job on August 4, 2010. He worked alongside the Principal Chief, John Red Eagle.

In January 2014, John Red Eagle left his position as Principal Chief. Scott Bighorse then became the Principal Chief for a temporary period. He finished the rest of Red Eagle's term but chose not to run for the job himself. Soon after becoming Principal Chief, Bighorse named Terry Mason Moore as his Assistant Principal Chief. Bighorse served as Principal Chief until Geoffrey Standing Bear took over on July 2, 2014.

Scott Bighorse was elected to the Osage Nation Congress in July 2018. The Congress is like a law-making body for the Osage Nation. He was reelected to this position in 2022.