Killers of the Flower Moon depicts Osage Nation murders

The film ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’, directed by Martin Scorsese, depicts the historical ‘Reign of Terror’ involving the Osage Nation in Oklahoma during the 1920s. Based on the book by David Grann, the narrative explores a series of murders, suspicious deaths, and disappearances targeting the Osage community after the discovery of vast oil deposits on their lands.

Due to mineral rights known as ‘headrights’, the Osage became one of the wealthiest populations in the world per capita. This wealth led to widespread greed and manipulation, as individuals sought to inherit or seize these lucrative rights. The story follows characters such as Ernest Burkhart and his uncle William Hale, illustrating the systemic violence and exploitation used to target the Osage people.