More Lessons From Killers Of The Flower Moon

The movie “Killers of the Flower Moon” depicts the harrowing true story of the Osage Indian Tribe during the “Reign of Terror” — a dark period when white “guardians” manipulated, exploited, and murdered Osage members to gain access to oil-rich land rights. One important takeaway is the need for flexibility in legacy planning as an estate planning lawyer can explain.

A well-crafted estate plan doesn’t just reflect current family dynamics, it anticipates that circumstances and relationships may evolve over time. Family expectations can uplift or burden different members, and a plan should accommodate that variability. Killers of the Flower Moon illustrates how the Osage people struggled to balance long-held traditions with sudden wealth and exposure to new cultural influences. Those who managed to adapt seemed better equipped to preserve both legacy and well-being. Similarly, modern families benefit from estate plans that are not rigid but designed to grow and change alongside them.

Another lesson centers on the valuation of assets as our friends at Bott & Associates, Ltd. can share. While estates are often summarized by a dollar amount, their true value is far more complex. Estates may include real estate, personal property, securities, and intangible rights — all with differing kinds of value: monetary, sentimental, or cultural. The Osage understood this well. When forcibly relocated to Oklahoma, they retained the subsoil rights beneath their reservation — a strategic decision that led to significant oil wealth. Understanding the worth of those rights proved crucial. This underscores the importance of accurate and thoughtful asset valuation, not just for tax reasons, but for preserving harmony among heirs and recognizing the true nature of a legacy.

Estate planning can be particularly nuanced when it involves blended families. Each family has its own structure and goals, and plans should reflect those unique dynamics. The film highlights how the perpetrators of the Osage murders embedded themselves into the tribe’s social fabric — marrying into families with the sole aim of inheriting wealth, even resorting to murder. While such extremes are rare, the lesson remains: blended families often require more thoughtful planning to ensure that inheritance decisions are fair and reflect the true wishes of the parties involved.

Lastly, the story illustrates the dangers of undue influence. Aging individuals often rely on caregivers, friends, or relatives for support. Unfortunately, that dependency can sometimes open the door to manipulation. In the case of William Hale — dubbed the “King of the Osage Hills” — he used charm, coercion, and calculated influence to amass wealth at the expense of the Osage people. Estate plans must be carefully reviewed to ensure they reflect the genuine wishes of their creators and not the intentions of someone seeking personal gain.

Killers of the Flower Moon offers more than historical insight, it provides valuable lessons in human behavior, power dynamics, and the importance of thoughtful, ethical estate planning. These themes serve as a compelling reminder: estate planning is not just about documents and numbers. It’s about people, values, and safeguarding a legacy for future generations.

For anyone uncertain about the structure or provisions of their estate plan, now is the time to reach out to a lawyer so they can help ensure that those plans reflect your true intent, protect vulnerable individuals, and adapt to the realities of family and legacy over time.