An Oklahoma law is making educators afraid to teach 'Killers of the Flower Moon'

It can easily be said that "Killers of the Flower Moon" has become a cultural touchstone. The critically acclaimed book by David Grann chronicles the true story of Native American murders in the Osage Nation in the 1920s, and was adapted last year into an Academy Award-nominated film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone and Robert De Niro. But in Oklahoma, the state where the murders occurred, some educators are worried that a specific statute might prevent students from being taught about the story behind "Killers."  

The statute in question, HB 1775, was signed into law in 2021 by Oklahoma's Republican governor, Kevin Stitt. The law dictates that educators may not give any lessons that teach that "an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously” or that "any individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race or sex." As a result of the law, Oklahoma has "instructed teachers to no longer use certain terms, including 'diversity' and 'white privilege,'" and has removed books such as "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Raisin in the Sun" from its schools, said the American Civil Liberties Union.

Some teachers have expressed fears that a similar fate could befall "Killers," and have also raised concerns about punishments they could face if they were to teach the book. Why is "Killers of the Flower Moon" specifically in the crosshairs of Oklahoma Republicans?

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Why are teachers feeling nervous about 'Killers?'

There have been instances throughout Oklahoma of teachers being wary of teaching the story behind "Killers" in fear of HB 1775 repercussions. The law is "so vague that some educators reportedly say that they have avoided assigning the book and other texts out of fear of punishment," Mother Jones said. 

At Dewey High School in northeast Oklahoma, English teacher Debra Thoreson had long assigned "Killers" to be read by her students. But after HB 1775 passed, she realized having them read the book "would be setting myself up for House Bill 1775 to take away my license," Thoreson said to The Oklahoman in 2022. As a result, Thoreson "decided not to teach it last year and doesn't intend to introduce it this year, either," according to The Oklahoman. 

Many teachers say it is important for students to learn the historical lessons from "Killers." To do this, they "have to be able to see things from their perspective and if we do not allow students to actually step into someone else's shoes ... we're doing them a disservice," Regan Killackey, a high school English teacher near Oklahoma City, said to ABC News.

Oklahoma "[owes] it to those people who died and who suffered during that decade in the '20s to have some recognition in our history books that it happened and this was wrong," Jim Gray, a former Osage Nation chief whose ancestor died during the murders, said to KOKH-TV Oklahoma City. The "story of the Osage Reign of Terror that's documented in this book and movie wasn't taught in public schools before," Gray said. 

The book's author has also spoken out against the law. Grann, who was a teacher himself before transitioning to writing, told Vanity Fair he believes HB 1775 is "dangerous because even when laws don’t explicitly say 'we're banning this book' or 'we are banning this subject,' they are leaving teachers and administrators always worried about losing their certification and their accreditation." The law "creates this soft censorship," Grann said.

What is being done about the law?

HB 1775's sponsor, state Rep. Kevin West (R), has pushed back against claims that the law is problematic. Oklahoma should be in a "position where we're teaching the children what actually happened in history and let them work through what that means to them," West said to KOKH-TV. The law "does not suppress teaching actual history. It doesn't suppress any of those conversations that need to be had."

Despite West's assertions, the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes called upon Oklahoma to repeal the law in 2022. The law's vague wording has "contributed to fear among school districts and teachers about teaching accurate historical information," the council said in a resolution.  The ACLU has also filed a lawsuit targeting the law, which remains ongoing.