Killers of the Flower Moon

The Osage Oil Wealth and the First Murders

The Osage people experienced a jarring shift in the early twentieth century when they were forced onto a rocky reservation in Oklahoma. This land was initially thought to be worthless for farming, which tribal leaders hoped would keep white settlers away. However, the tribe had negotiated to retain collective ownership of all minerals beneath the soil. When massive oil deposits were discovered, the landscape was transformed into a forest of oil derricks. Every person on the tribal roll received a headright, which was a share in the profits that could only be inherited, making the Osage the wealthiest people per capita in the world.

The sudden explosion of wealth drew a tide of desperate and predatory outsiders to the territory. Oil barons flocked to the region to lease drilling rights, participating in high-stakes auctions under a massive elm tree. Meanwhile, sensationalized news reports exaggerated the spending habits of Osage families, creating public resentment. This narrative portrayed the Osage as irresponsible, ignoring the fact that many white oil magnates lived in even more extravagant mansions. The combination of vast wealth and public prejudice set the stage for a dark era of exploitation.

Mollie Burkhart grew up caught between traditional Osage customs and the pressures of forced assimilation. As a child, she was sent to a Catholic boarding school where she was forbidden from speaking her native language and trained in domestic arts. Despite this, she maintained many traditional customs as an adult, often wearing a traditional blanket while living in a large wooden house with servants. She married a white man named Ernest Burkhart, and together they built a life with their two young children in the settlement of Gray Horse.

In the spring of 1921, the peaceful life Mollie had built began to unravel when her older sister, Anna Brown, failed to return home. Anna had last been seen leaving a tense gathering at Mollie’s house in a car with Ernest’s brother, Bryan Burkhart. The disappearance coincided with the vanishing of another Osage man, Charles Whitehorn, whose body was soon found near an oil derrick with two bullet wounds. Shortly after, a young boy hunting near a creek discovered a badly decomposed body in a ravine.

Mollie and her family were called to the ravine to identify the remains. The severe heat and decay made it nearly impossible to recognize the victim at first glance. The family was only able to confirm the horrific truth by identifying Anna’s clothing and a specific gold filling in her teeth. As Mollie stood by the creek, she realized that a predatory darkness was beginning to target her family and the Osage people.