Main content

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: [email protected] or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

(Photo: Jim Gray and his great grandfather Henry Roan. Credit: Jim Gray/Getty Images)

Available now

41 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Wed 12 Jul 202311:06GMT
  • Wed 12 Jul 202317:06GMT
  • Wed 12 Jul 202321:06GMT
  • Thu 13 Jul 202302:06GMT

Contact Outlook

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected