Our community struck oil; then the murders began
Former Osage Nation chief Jim Gray on the murder plot that targeted his ancestors and why he spoke up when Hollywood wanted to turn it into a film, Killers of the Flower Moon.
Jim Roan Gray is a former chief of the Osage Nation, a Native American community. In the 1920s, the Osage were the richest people in the world per capita after discovering oil on their lands. But then began the ‘reign of terror’ and the Osage were targeted in a series of mysterious murders. One of those killed was Jim’s great grandfather, Henry Roan Gray. The case led to the creation of the FBI, and decades later, the story caught the attention of Hollywood with plans to turn it into a film, Killers of the Flower Moon. But Jim had concerns. His intervention would change the film’s trajectory.
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Gaia Caramazza and Maryam Maruf
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: Jim Gray and his great grandfather Henry Roan. Credit: Jim Gray/Getty Images)
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