Who Are the Osage?
The Osage (Wazhazhe) are a Siouan-speaking people of the Great Plains, with approximately 20,000 enrolled members in the Osage Nation (federally recognized)—one of the largest tribes in the United States. Their name Wazhazhe means "Children of the Middle Waters." They speak Osage, a Dhegiha Siouan language with fewer than 5 fluent first-language speakers remaining. Originally inhabiting the Ohio Valley, then the Ozarks and Kansas, the Osage were removed to Indian Territory (Oklahoma) in 1871. The Osage gained fame and tragedy in the 1920s when oil discoveries made them wealthy—and targets of murder.
Osage Reign of Terror
When oil was discovered under Osage lands in the 1890s, the tribe negotiated to retain mineral rights communally—a decision that would make the Osage the "richest people per capita in the world" in the 1920s. This wealth attracted predators. The "Osage Reign of Terror" (1918-1931) saw at least 60 Osage murdered for their "headrights" (shares in oil revenue). Killers included white spouses who married Osage to inherit rights, hired assassins, and co-conspirators. The case, eventually investigated by the young FBI, exposed systemic murder. The story, told in David Grann's "Killers of the Flower Moon," reveals how wealth could not protect Indigenous people from violence and exploitation.
Sovereignty and Government
The Osage maintain unique governmental structure. The 1906 Osage Allotment Act preserved communal mineral rights while allotting surface land—creating separate "headrights" to oil and gas revenue. Until 2006, only headright holders could vote; constitutional reform extended citizenship and voting rights to all Osage. The Osage Minerals Council manages oil and gas resources separately from the tribal government. This complex arrangement reflects attempts to protect mineral wealth while adapting to federal requirements. Current oil production continues generating revenue, though at lower levels than the 1920s peak.
Contemporary Osage
Modern Osage experience cultural renaissance alongside ongoing resource management. Language programs work desperately to save critically endangered Osage; immersion efforts have produced new speakers. The In-Lon-Schka ceremonial dances continue each June—major community gatherings maintaining traditions. Osage artists and writers achieve national recognition. The 2023 film "Killers of the Flower Moon," directed by Martin Scorsese with significant Osage involvement, brought the Reign of Terror story to global audiences. How the Osage balance mineral wealth management, cultural preservation, and community building shapes this resilient nation's future.
References
- Grann, D. (2017). Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
- La Flesche, F. (1939). War Ceremony and Peace Ceremony of the Osage Indians
- Burns, L. F. (2004). A History of the Osage People