Book review: ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ explores treatment of Osage

By LARRY BALLWAHN |  Wilton

The separation of children from their parents has been much in the news lately. It should not surprise you that the practice is not new in America. It was common practice in the slave trade, but it became government policy in dealing with the American Indians. 

In David Grann’s nonfiction work “Killers of the Flower Moon,” 7-year-old Mollie Burkart (Wah-kon-tah-he-um-pah) had been sent to St. Louise Missionary School to “conform to the white man’s ways.” She had to learn the white man’s language and wear a dress. So for eight months of several years, she was required to be in the boarding school.

In the 1920s, oil was discovered beneath the Osage Reservation in Oklahoma (where they had been forced to make way for the European settlers). Unlike residents of most reservations, members of the Osage Nation became rich. Mysteriously, individuals of the Nation began to be killed. The book looks at the situation through the eyes of Mollie Burkart as her family becomes a target. When Mollie’s sister disappears and is later found murdered, it is investigated only when the Osage hire it done. And then only haphazardly because of the condition of local law enforcement and local politics. There had been many other unexplained family deaths.

As the number of Osage murders grew (poison, guns, bludgeons), it finally drew national attention. At the time of death, an administrator of the estate was appointed. Often it was the legal guardian that had previously been named by the government; or someone who has obtained the right through some other questionable means (arranged marriage, alcohol, etc.). Osage estates were financed by headrights: mineral rights owned by the Nation. Perhaps this could be the motive?

A major part of the book deals with the involvement of J. Edgar Hoover’s fledgling FBI.

At this time in our history, trying to get a provable case against people with purchased political influence was even more difficult than today. While scientific methods were emerging — e.g., fingerprinting — personal testimony and confession tended to be the only way that gave some reassurance of conviction. The book details the trials and tribulations of ending the “reign of terror.” But as the author discusses, with the advantage of hindsight, many of the murders went unsolved and unpunished.

Most of the oil is now depleted. Historically, the land of the reservation could be sold, but the underground mineral rights remained with the Osage. Much of land did have to be sold. Ironically, a considerable amount of that land is now covered with giant windmills, a power source for the future. However, a court has ruled that the windmills do not involve Osage mineral rights. Thus this energy boom will have no bearing on the Osage and will do nothing to assuage their loss.

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