Vincent Schilling

When wealthy Native people died during the Osage Reign of Terror, it was often their white spouses and court-appointed guardians who stood to profit most.

The conflict was their last, best chance for outside military help to protect their homelands from westward expansion.

For Indigenous people, the small, cylindrical beads crafted from purple and white shells served many purposes—just not as money.

Since the arrival of European settlers, leadership for America’s Indigenous peoples has disproportionately involved fighting to exist.