Edward Red Eagle, Sr., a full blood Osage Wah Kon Dah Okia meaning “Talking to God,” was the sixth child born to Paul and Cecilia Red Eagle on May 24,1918 in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. He attended Barnsdall Elementary followed by Pawhuska High School where he graduated in 1936. After high school, he attended Business School in Wichita where he studied agriculture. He married Virginia Logan and they had three sons: Edward Jr., Johnny and Myron. From 1943 to 1946, he served in the Army during WWII in the 25TH Infantry serving during the Battle of New Guinea, Battle of Midway in the occupation of Japan. After his discharge he returned to his home on his original Osage allotment in Barnsdall, Oklahoma where he worked as a rancher and farmer.
In 1958, Oscar Logan passed while on the Osage Tribal Council and they asked Edward Sr. to serve the duration of his term, which led to a lifetime in Osage politics. In 1962, he moved his family to Pawhuska Indian Camp where he lived the rest of his life while serving the Osage people. Over the course of 30 years, he served as Councilman, Assistant Chief, and Chief when Chief Pitts passed away during his term. Edward Sr. passed in May 1999 and was one of the only elected official to lie in state in the Osage Tribal Council Chambers.
The Pawhuska Indian Village named the park off of Hwy 99 ‘Ed Red Eagle Park’ where many people stop and visit. During his lifetime he served in many capacities in his Osage Culture; such as Head Committeeman for multiple Drumkeepers, NAC Roadman for the Red Eagle Chapter and ran many meetings in Osage Country. The State of Oklahoma Governor named a day Edward Red Eagle day and the Osage Nation, then Tribe, would honor him and have an Annual Dance called ‘Edward Red Eagle Day.’ He and his wife Virginia also started the first American Legion Post 198 and Auxiliary where he was the first Commander and Virginia was the first President, they revised the old Soldier Dance and made it the now Veterans’ Day Dance which continues to this day.
