Killers of the Flower Moon Sheds Light on Forgotten Crimes and Inequality in Real-Life Story
One of the most eagerly awaited movies of the year, Killers of the Flower Moon, is finally hitting theaters. The film once again exposes the significant gaps in the U.S. educational system, as it delves into a real-life crime saga that remained largely overlooked in history books.
This is not the first time that popular culture has sparked conversations about forgotten historical events. HBO’s Watchmen series, for instance, brought the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre to the forefront of many Americans’ awareness. It highlights the persistent failure of our educational institutions, as they repeatedly neglect to cover essential historical events.
The latest example of this is Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, which explores a series of murders that took place between the 1910s and 1930s. These murders hold a significant place in history, as do the real-life characters who headline the film.
Among the leading characters in Scorsese’s movie are Ernest and Mollie Burkhart, based on individuals from the real world. Ernest Burkhart arrived in Oklahoma in 1912 with his brother, seeking employment opportunities in the bustling oil industry. He resided with his uncle, William Hale, a prominent businessman and cattleman in the region. It was during this time that Ernest crossed paths with Mollie, whom he courted and eventually married in 1917.
Mollie, a young woman and member of the Osage Nation, represented one of the wealthiest and envied groups in the United States. The Osage Nation had acquired substantial wealth through wise land purchases in Oklahoma, making its citizens some of the richest individuals in the entire country. Unfortunately, their prosperity made them targets for greedy white men.
One of these ruthless individuals was Mollie’s uncle, William Hale, and by extension, her husband, Ernest. Ernest’s marriage to Mollie was largely driven by his desire to access the Osage Nation’s oil money and elevate white influence within the tribe. The immense wealth generated by the oil industry was divided among Osage Nation citizens through a system known as headrights. However, Hale and Ernest quickly exploited a loophole within this system. When a headright owner passed away, their share was inherited by the next legal heir, which included non-Osage individuals.
The substantial flow of money from Osage land eventually attracted government intervention. Authorities, convinced that Native Americans were incapable of managing such wealth, appointed greedy white guardians to oversee the tribe’s finances. These guardians gradually siphoned money from its rightful owners.
Tragedy struck as the murders began. Osage people started dying under mysterious circumstances, some due to gunshot wounds and explosions. With each death, the headrights of the victims were passed down, often to non-Osage heirs. Between 1921 and 1925 alone, over 60 murders took place in Osage County, all connected to the headright holders and shrouded in inexplicability.
The FBI was eventually called in to conduct an investigation, revealing the perpetrators behind this harrowing series of crimes. Among them were William Hale and Ernest Burkhart, who was linked to multiple murders and even an attempted assassination of Mollie. While Mollie survived, Ernest was sentenced to life in prison in 1926, though his sentence was later revoked. Despite the initial support she bestowed upon her husband, Mollie divorced Ernest and remarried a man named John Cobb. Ernest’s children inherited their family fortune, yet the Great Depression greatly reduced their wealth, leaving them with meager payouts for years to come.
Ernest received two separate pardons, serving around ten years during his first sentence and nearly 15 years during his second, following a parole revocation due to a robbery committed against his sister-in-law. He was ultimately released from prison in 1966. Mollie tragically passed away in 1937 at the age of 50.
The release of Killers of the Flower Moon not only brings this forgotten history to the forefront but also serves as a reminder of the continual failings of the U.S. educational system. It is crucial that we rectify these educational gaps, ensuring that important chapters of our past are not left untold or overlooked. By shedding light on these stories, we can learn from our history and strive for a more inclusive and equitable future.
