4. What do the media reports on the wealth of the Osage reflect about white perceptions of Native Americans (pp. 6–7; pp. 76–77)? In what way do they lay a foundation for the way the murders and mysterious deaths were treated by law enforcement?

[Jordan, Moderator]

The media reports about the Osage's wealth shows how deeply racist many white people were towards the Osage tribe. Many white people felt that the Osage were entitled and felt that the tribe was a threat to the white person's way of life. Their feelings about the Osage tribe definitely paved the way for the murders and are in large part why the murders went ignored and unsolved for so long. The United States government turned its head because the factor that made the Osages threatening -- their wealth -- was slowly being eliminated.

[Jordan, Moderator]

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