PAWHUSKA, OK – The Osage Nation will host an event celebrating the 43,000-acre Osage Nation Ranch in-trust signing. The event will be held on Monday, Nov. 18, starting at 1:30pm at the Osage Casino & Hotel (Pawhuska), 1421 John Dahl Ave., Pawhuska, OK. All community members are invited to the free event with celebratory punch and cake, along with remarks from Osage Nation Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear and U.S. Department of the Interior Eastern Oklahoma Regional Director Eddie Streater.
“I remain humble and grateful for all those who stayed the course to make this happen,” said Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear. “Our Nation is stronger because of our perseverance in upholding what is ours, and putting this land in trust is a massive accomplishment. We invite all Osages and community members to join us in celebration.”
A fee-to-trust land acquisition, also known as “land into trust,” is the transfer of land title from a federally recognized tribe to the United States in trust for the benefit of the tribal nation. It strengthens tribal sovereignty by providing the tribal nation full authority over the trust land. This is the second largest fee-to-trust acquisition in U.S. history, following Santa Ana Pueblo’s 60,000-acre application.
