In 1808, the Osage Indian Tribe was forced by the government to leave their land in Missouri and Arkansas. They migrated to a much smaller plot in Oklahoma where the land was rocky and no crops could grow. Fast forward to 1894 when oil was discovered on the Osage land. The tribe’s wealth was plentiful. Until the white man decided that they must manage the tribe’s money because they could not be trusted to do so.
Shortly thereafter, in the early 1900s, as many as 20 people died suspiciously within the small population. An investigation began to try and figure out who was killing these people, and why.
At this same time, J. Edgar Hoover was acting director of the Bureau of Investigation. His team decided to take on the case as a way to establish credibility.
The story is a fascinating look into the history of American Indians and their continuously demeaning treatment by the U.S. government. It also reads like a true-crime novel, which I particularly enjoyed. Find this item in our catalog here.