Photo caption: A photo from January 2020 shows the members of the United Osages of Southern California meeting in person. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the organization will meet virtually on Feb. 20. CODY HAMMER/Osage News

The United Osages of Southern California is hosting its first virtual meeting on Saturday, Feb. 20 as the COVID-19 pandemic continues and vaccination efforts also continue to build.

UOSC Chairman Greg Clavier announced the Feb. 20 virtual gathering will take place via Zoom from 1 to 3 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time) featuring Osage Nation government officials. According to the event announcement, Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear is scheduled to speak and others will be announced at later date on an updated agenda.

“Due to the World Wide COVID-19 pandemic and continued state and local restrictions, we cannot meet in person,” Clavier said. “To stay connected to our Osage Nation Government, Osage Minerals Council, Department and Cultural Leaders, the UOSC will be creative and use technology, UOSC will use the Zoom Platform.”

As of Feb. 4, statewide COVID-19 cases totaled 3.2 million and the death toll stood at 42,466. The state’s regional stay at home order ended Jan. 25, but restrictions and closures remain in place for respective counties. In San Diego County, many non-essential businesses remain closed and small gatherings are restricted to outdoors only with a maximum of three separate households allowed to attend.

The UOSC update from Clavier comes more than a year since the last gathering event hosted by the San Diego County-based organization, which has held in-person gatherings for decades for Osage attendees living on the West Coast or in neighboring states. The gatherings typically include presentations from ON officials visiting from Oklahoma, local California Osages or other invited Native American-affiliated organizations presenting information of interest to the attendees in addition to a lunch meal and raffle of donated gift and art items to help pay for supply costs.

“A week prior to the UOSC Zoom Meeting, a detailed email will be sent out with the complete agenda,” Clavier said. “Since this will be our first time doing a Virtual Meeting please bring your patience.”

For more information on the UOSC, Osage constituents can email socal.osages@gmail.com

Up-to-date information on COVID-19 in California is available online at: https://covid19.ca.gov/state-dashboard/