The Exploitation of the Osage Nation and the Reign of Terror

The Osage Nation, an indigenous tribe, experienced systematic murders and disappearances of their members in the 1920s due to their vast oil wealth. Wealthy Osage were targeted and killed for their headrights, shares in the mineral trust. These murders created a reign of terror in the community, with many families being affected. The investigation into the Osage murders by the Bureau of Investigation, later known as the FBI, became one of their first major homicide cases. The crimes were eventually linked to a conspiracy involving various individuals who were complicit in the killings. The legacy of these crimes is still felt today, and the telling of this history reveals the dehumanization and othering of Native Americans, as well as the ongoing battle over controlling historical narratives.