Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. Early in the 20th century, the people of the Osage nation were “the world’s richest people per capita.” Unscrupulous whites stole this money by becoming guardians when the Osage were legally declared incompetent, and through inheritance…as in, marrying someone and then murdering them. The Osage became “the world’s most murdered.” The book is in three parts: the larceny, the FBI tracking down the culprits, and the victims and the crooks that the FBI missed. A story of corruption and victimization of minorities.
How did the Osage become so wealthy? Like all other native
American groups, the government conspired to make their land available for
white settlers. The Osage managed to reserve the mineral rights for the tribe. “That
the oil, gas, coal, or other minerals covered by the lands…are hereby reserved
to the Osage Tribe.” When the oil was discovered, they were all rich, very
rich.
How was this massive larceny accomplished? Virtually every white person was part of the conspiracy. This included the courts, the banks, law enforcement, the politicians, the doctors, the merchants, and the ministers. Everyone.
The second part of the book shows how difficult it was to track down, arrest, and convict, one of the key players. Lest this seems like a feel-good story, part three shows that the FBI only uncovered and brought to justice the tip of the iceberg. The remaining victims and conspirators were not identified nor brought to justice. The FBI numbered the victims in the dozens, while the author's research uncovered hundreds. Similarly, the author’s research shows the Reign of Terror to have lasted more than twice as long as the FBI suggested.
A thoroughly embarrassing book.
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