Killers of the Flower Moon

Killers of the Flower Moon details the efforts made by the Bureau of Investigation to protect the rights and well-being of Osage Nation members in 1920s Oklahoma. How were the federal investigators perceived by those involved due to their actions? What changes and advancements in the Bureau might be directly or indirectly tied to the events revealed in the narrative? It may be helpful to consider these points as you formulate a response:

• How did key figures in the historical narrative respond to the actions and decisions of the Bureau?
• What tone and mood does the writer employ in the various parts of Chronicle Two in which he discusses the Bureau?
• What might Grann’s discoveries and questions in Chronicle Three suggest about the Bureau’s involvement during the investigation?

Teaching Suggestion: Readers might generate responses to the bulleted questions during small group discussion before coming together as a class to address the topic. Encourage students to use a text-marking or highlighting tool (if utilizing an e-book) or sticky notes or bookmark tabs (if using a print copy) to note passages and quotes in the narrative that support their ideas.

Differentiation Suggestion: Advanced students or those seeking a tangential research topic might instead investigate the broader history of the FBI and the ways in which it has been praised or criticized by groups and individuals.