Late May, I drove to Pawhuska from my home in Washington, a three-day drive. I followed the Arkansas River through the panhandle of Oklahoma, over terrain our ancestors traveled and knew intimately. While I drove, Osage friends were in Cannes for the premiere of Killers of the Flower Moon.
As I drove across the Great Plains, that remarkable landscape of eastern Colorado, western Kansas through ranch country and small-town America, Osages stood on a world stage, each radiating personal style and confidence.
New buildings are sprouting across the reservation: the trademark orange of the Osage Casino across from Pawhuska Indian Village and on the highway to Bartlesville. A new larger Wakon Iron Community Center and funeral chapel are completed. It’s good to be able to read the Osage orthography emblazoned on each.
Photos of stars and our Osage friends on the red carpet in Cannes on the French Riviera and snippets of the release began to roll across social media. The film received a nine-minute standing ovation; Shannon and Jason Duty walked on the red carpet with Yancey Red Corn, Talee Redcorn, Chief Standing Bear, wife Julie and others. Having the Grayhorse Drumkeepers’ mother in her Osage clothes, walking with pride and integrity on the world stage was touching, an echo of our many early photographs. We, Osage, and specifically Osage women are still here.
Listening to the press conference after the screening, I could see that Martin Scorsese and the actors understand that this is a deeply personal tragedy for our people.
I hear Osages talking about their feelings about the film, wondering if their scenes will be included. The film opens with a scene from Charles Red Corn’s A Pipe for February as a pipe representing the old religion is put away. Talee Redcorn prays while Moira RedCorn and Margaret Sisk weep. The scene is impactful in Red Corn’s novel, it’s hard to imagine the depth of pain the film may bring.
I have feelings about the movie as every Osages does. I plan to watch with other Osages. I assume I’ll want to see it more than once, until I’ve identified all the Osages in the many crowd scenes. It’s uncanny to have Osage traumatic history reflected back to us by strangers. Sometimes non-Native friends or strangers will read David Grann’s book and begin to inform me of those times, as if I weren’t familiar.
Several Osage people have expressed concern, but the impact extends to other tribes. A Ponca man said he was triggered because of the Ponca wealth stolen. These impacts on our Native families are personal, the theft as well as the emotional and physical tolls.
While books, films and podcasts have considered the systematic theft of Native land and wealth, inequities are not remedied. Each generation has fought for restoration of Osage property, for justice and fiduciary good faith.
I wonder about the impact of this massive lens on the Osage people. It’s not the first time we’ve had national focus: oil wealth brought us publicity we didn’t need. I hope this time the effects are positive.
When I’m home I spend as much time as I can on the tallgrass prairie. The wild flowers on the prairie, the rolling swells to the horizon speak to me, calling to mind the shallow sea that once was. Experiencing the swell of public attention with this premiere, I wonder about the effects in October when the film is released.
On the West Coast, we drill for the impact of a tsunami. Signs point the way to higher ground, warn of vulnerable areas. The ground swell of interest the Killers of the Flower Moon will generate is clear, but its impact isn’t. I hope we are drawn together and use this as fuel to continue our work for justice.
New lawn signs are appearing around Pawhuska, We are Wahzhazhe Always.