It’s Thursday. Let’s throw it back because it’s been ages since we’ve given an oldie a nod. This go around, I picked a 2017 narrative nonfiction. Why you ask? Leo DiCaprio—that’s my answer. That’s why I chose to give Killers of the Flower Moon a listen. Books first, film adaptations second.
I hate to cry ignorance here, but I was completely unaware of the plight of the oil-rich Osage Indians. How did I miss this? Was I sleeping in history when Mr. Gordon taught the Osage were the richest people per capita in the world over a century ago. Yes, that said richest. Turns out a permanent reservation purchased by the Osage in north central Oklahoma was golden ground. They couldn’t have known they put targets on their backs when they negotiated a deal with the US government. (Every full-blooded Osage received an allotment of land, including headrights in the community mineral trust.) White opportunists married Osage Indians to get at their money. Murders ensued. Lots of them. (The mysterious murders led to the inception of the FBI.) Everyone should learn about The Reign of Terror. David Grann’s bestseller proves a good teacher.
P.S. I was so glad to learn that I was not the only one in the dark here—one reviewer shared this:
I came to learn more about the FBI’s past but turns out this book is much more about the true story of what was once one of the most famous periods of time in American history but has now been forgotten: an oil boom led a native tribe to become the richest people per capita in the world and then they started getting murdered. It’s amazing true crime storytelling and an important part of history that shouldn’t be forgotten.
Oh my, here’s another p.s.—I listened to KFM. Sharee and I both agreed this makes for a better read. (Sorry narrators.)