Editorial: ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is our chance to learn from … – Tulsa World

While the hype for the movie Killers of the Flower Moon is high five months before its worldwide premiere, we want to lift up one of its lesser known actors.

When Tulsa World Scene writer Jimmie Tramel turned in a story based on his interview with Yancey Red Corn, we quickly discovered something about this film we didnt know.

We have a chance to learn from it. And the way Red Corn told us this was emotional.

Martin Scorseses shot-in-Oklahoma film is based on David Granns best-selling book by the same name. Its the true story of the serial murders of the oil-rich Osage in 1920s Oklahoma.

Red Corn, who lives in Norman and acted in theater years ago, plays the part of a former Osage chief. He got a chance to see the finished film during the Cannes Film Festival, where it received a nine-minute standing ovation.

He had to wipe away tears as he watched some scenes, because it was a family story. Red Corns great-grandfather was fatally poisoned during the era captured in the movie.

Being that close to the story, Red Corn praised director Martin Scorsese for creating an intentional and culturally accurate film.

But then Red Corn said this, which is when Tramels story went from an interview with an actor to something much deeper that we want you to think about:

I hope when people watch it, they will recognize other Indigenous people other people all over the world are getting killed and (are victims of) genocide by other governments. The movie is about white supremacy. Its about colonialism and how they justify why theyre killing the Osages and why they deserve the land and the money. It is about white supremacy, which is making a strong resurgence right now. I hope it lets people look at themselves and know that we need to love one another. I hope it helps a little bit with that in Oklahoma. I hope people can say: We can learn from history. We dont have to do that again. But, you know, we always repeat ourselves. I hope we can love one another and treat each other equally and respectfully.

White supremacists targeted Oklahoma communities 169 times in 2022. The Anti-Defamation Leagues annual assessment of propaganda activity said thats an increase of 164% from the previous year.

Twenty-nine of those incidents of white supremacist propaganda distribution and events happened in Tulsa. Oklahoma City saw 21.

Add up the incidents across the country, and its an all-time high: 6,751 incidents in 2022, a 38% increase over the previous year.

Only one state Hawaii didnt record any incidents. The leader was our neighbor to the south. Texas had 526, thanks to the rise of the Patriot Front, a white supremacist group responsible for 80% of propaganda distributions nationwide in 2022.

While we all want a great movie to spring from all the filming in our state, let us also take an opportunity to learn from the words of Grann and the direction of Scorsese. Allow Killers of the Flower Moon to spark a movement to evolve past a deadly history.

The truth is Oklahomas ground is soaked in blood. You had the Trails of Tears there wasnt just one. And then all the violence that killed countless Native Americans once they settled here. Then the Tulsa Race Massacre, which happened in the same decade as the Osage murders. And then the Oklahoma City bombing.

Allow this movie this work of art to do what incredible art can do: move people on an emotional level to change them. Make them resolute to play a vital part in a better future. Maybe then we can do what Red Corn hopes and stop repeating our history.

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Editorial: 'Killers of the Flower Moon' is our chance to learn from ... - Tulsa World