Let's move on to Killers of the Flower Moon, which I am enjoying way more than I thought I would. The author uses a very narrative style that makes it feel like a story that is unfolding. It invites the reader to discover and decide for themselves, and even introduces investigative techniques in a way that doesn't insult the reader but doesn't assume the reader has read murder mysteries or police procedurals. The first three chapters lay out the facts in that narrative style, just giving the turning points which give a backdrop to further exploration of the heavy issues of exploitation, corrupting greed, and the theft of Indigenous lands.
Near the beginning, a quote struck me. When referring to the settlers/squatters who started to take the land by force, the land of the Osage Indians, the settlers slaughtered and mutilated the tribe, and an Indian Affairs agent said, "The question will suggest itself which of these people are the savages." It chronicles the shift of government policy from containment to assimilation. This book is a reminder of the lies, dismissal of concerns, and outright theft visited against the Indigenous People and is certainly hard to stomach, but the move to assimilation and the cruel practices that were employed to eradicate the children's culture and beliefs are truly heartbreaking. I appreciate that the book is giving us this context. The Osage and other tribes were forced to send their children away and watch as they forgot the old ways. When oil was struck on the Osage land, the government helped unscrupulous people take advantage of them and in fact, encouraged it. The declarations of incompetence mean that they weren't allowed to be in charge of their own finances. It wasn't until much later that Mary was allowed to manage her own affairs, even after the national spotlight was put on this issue during the trial.
The second part focuses on the period after the murders, during the lifetime of those deeply affected, as new inquiries were started, bodies were dug up, evidence was destroyed, and murders continued to happen. I can't imagine what it felt like to know your local government and law enforcement couldn't be trusted, much less your neighbors or your own spouse. The second part of the book also focuses in on the men who were assigned by the government to break past the stranglehold Holt had in Oklahoma. An influence Holt was always confident would see him through, even after he was convicted. It looks at the investigators, their character and background, as well as the influence of Hoover, who wanted good press for his new Bureau of Investigation. White's careful and meticulous investigation left no doubt in his mind who was guilty, but what was in doubt was whether a jury would convict an upright, white, powerful citizen for killing an indian. Even after Holt and his nephew were convicted of one murder, White knew there were so many more that were not being investigated, especially after Hoover got the good press he wanted.
The third section focuses on a time some years distant after those involved had passed on and uses the perspective of a reporter talking to those grandchildren whose lives are still affected by the events of the Reign of Terror. Once again, it reminds us that the indigenous peoples still bear the wounds of the abuses and atrocities perpetrated against them. This is not just a matter of history to them, but a living reminder not only of what they lost, but that the systems that are put in place are still taking advantage of their people
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