Killers of the Flower Moon
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
A well-researched nonfiction that reveals a dark piece of American history and how that evil lingers today—unsolved, ignored, and covered up.
The Osage Native American tribes were forced off their land (Kansas) to relocate to a rocky, hilly land that is believed to be useless (Oklahoma). Oil is discovered on their land, promising a fortune for the Native American families. However, the US government exploits the wealth by labeling Native Americans second-class citizens in need of conservatorship and control, meaning white people are assigned to mediate and handle the money on their behalf. Worse still, from 1910-30, members of these families begin to die under suspicious circumstances. Those who inherit the money and land become the next targets. The local police department and legal system are corrupted by the conservatorship program so the FBI is called in for one of the Bureaus’ first major cases. The agents uncover the malicious web of murders, poisonings, and disappearances. The FBI finds a suspect at the center of the conspiracy but attaining justice for the Native Americans is nearly impossible.
I found this book on a list of recommended nonfiction; and, I try to continue the endorsement any chance I can. It is a tightly written murder mystery, conspiracy drama, and case study of our tendency to forget too easily. Like many books disclosing the ugly truth, this book should be taught in schools. This is by no means ancient history, but David Grann does not stop in the past. He does well to commit one-third of the book to TODAY. As he started writing this book, his research began to uncover what the FBI left unsolved. They got their man and the publicity, and therefore they left so much pain unresolved. One man could not have done so much. Grann’s research shows how the number of murders, the extent of coverup, and the depth of legacy from the Osage Murder Spree are much larger than anyone previously thought. Personal interviews with living survivors/descendants and research into what the FBI left unsolved are perhaps the most frightening parts of the book.
Reading this account, I believed it would make for a compelling documentary or film. Two of the author’s previous works have already been adapted into films: the Lost City of Z and The Old Man and the Gun. Then I found out that Martin Scorsese is teaming up with DiCaprio and De Niro to bring the story to the screen. I am interested to see how they adapt a story that spans tribal history, multiple injustices, and generations of trauma. It is quite the undertaking.
