In the early 20th century, the Osage Indian Murders shook the United States of America to the core. As known to everybody, the country’s original inhabitants were native tribal people like the Cherokee, Comanche, Navajo, etc.
When European settlers began occupying their land, the locals and the newcomers ran into violent conflicts which often ended with the slaughter of mankind. One of the tribes that fell victim to the atrocities of the settlers was the Osage people. Martin Scorsese’s new film titled Killers of the Flower Moon shows intricate details of the entire incident.
Who were the Osage Indian Murder victims?
According to The New York Times, The Osage people populated several parts of the central United States in the late 19th century. However, the U.S. government forced them to shift to a barren reservation in northeastern Oklahoma. Their new home was unfit for farming and agriculture, however, they discovered massive oil deposits in 1894. This led to the tribes becoming astronomically wealthy.
By the 1920’s, these Native Americans lived in mansions and even had luxurious cars. A wealthy local yet powerful businessman named William King Hale worked closely with the owners of these oil fields and gradually grew more and more influential with time.
However, in secret, he had a deep resentment for the Osage people and wanted every last bit of their wealth and resources. He devised a sinister plan to get rid of the rich natives and thus began the slaughter of the innocent. More than 60 Osage people fell victim to the brutal crimes of the settlers from 1918 to 1931.
Authorities arrested William King Hale and his nephew Ernest Burkhart in 1926 and the massacre finally came to an end. Burkhart even married a native American woman named Mollie.
