Killers of the Flower Moon with Osage Scholar Jimmy Lee Beason II

Osage scholar Jimmy Lee Beason II offers an Indigenous perspective on Killers of the Flower Moon and the history of the Osage murders that the book and film depict. In this Cocktails & Capitalism interview, we discuss the true history of the Reign of Terror–a horrific string of murders of Osage committed by white settlers pillaging Osage oil wealth. In addition to providing deeper context for the recent Martin Scorsese film, our conversation highlights some of the impact of this dark chapter on the lives of the Osage people.

A member of the Osage Nation, Jimmy Lee Beason II is a professor and writer who teaches in the Indigenous American Indian Studies Department at Haskell University. He was a guest on a prior episode about the residential school system — a system designed to remove Indigenous children from their communities and strip them of their culture. The university where Jimmy teaches was once the site of one of these residential schools. By teaching and mentoring Indigenous students, Jimmy works to combat the legacy of Indigenous erasure perpetuated by the residential school system.

Links and Calls to Action:

Follow @osage_scholar

Donate to the Osage Nation Foundation here

Advocate for oil headrights to go back to the Osage people

Contact Professor Jimmy Lee Beason II for speaking engagements: pahuska8@gmail.com

Mocktail Pairing: The Lily

(Crafted by Jesse Torres)

Jimmy chose to name this mocktail after Lily Gladstone to honor her representation of Indigenous perseverance and her historic accomplishment as the first Native American actor to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture.  

45ml  Apple Cider (or whiskey if you prefer)

15ml   Persimmon (or pear) syrup  (see below)

15ml   Elderflower syrup (or sweetened elderflower tea)

15ml   Lemon juice 

30ml  Ginger beer 

1 dash bitters 

Shake everything except ginger beer with ice and strain over fresh ice. Top with ginger beer

Persimmon (or pear) Syrup 

225g          Persimmons (or pears)

200ml        Honey

250ml      Water

Rinse, de-stem, and medium dice persimmons (or pears). Add to honey and water and bring to a boil. Lightly simmer for 20 minutes. Stir to thoroughly combine. Remove from heat and let cool for about five minutes. Fine strain and let cool. Bottle and label, adding the date. Persimmon Syrup must be refrigerated and is good for up to 2 weeks.