Pioneer Woman and Killers of Flower Moon

This is an interesting discussion as in my family history research, I found some interesting land history that intrigued me at the time. When New Mexico became part of the US many, many families who'd been there for hundreds of years lost their land. One contested ranchero in my family went all the way to the Supreme Court using their grants from the Spanish Viceroy to try and hold onto it - they lost. On one hand the systematic stealing of the land that was so "recent" really surprised me. But then as learning more about my Native American history - it's obvious that the Viceroy was granting land that belonged to other ancestors. So one branch of my family tree has been both the perpetrators and the victims.

I guess my story is mostly self indulgent, but I guess just reiterating most previous posters commentary that it's hard to unring the bell. And I guess it's fortunate that the controversy is educating some people on how much of this history isn't nearly as old as people think it is.

That's your response to my post???  You seriously have no issue with the "that's how the world works" comment.  I'll ask you the same question. So, you are OK with someone coming to steal your land...lets say tomorrow or 30 years from now? No biggie right,  because "that's how the world works".

I'll actually answer your snarky comment.  No, I'm not giving my miniscule piece of land back. And I sure as shit do not think stealing land is "how the world works".

And just so we're clear, I never commented on the Drummonds and whether or not they should give up their land. So your inference that I think they should is dead wrong.

Actually the big stink is the fact that her husband's ancestors killed the Osage Indians that lived on the land so that they could take it from them. That is the truth behind the story. They married into their families and then systematically killed them and covered up the murders.

I don’t believe I indicated agreement with any of the black and white arguments presented here. This is a complex issue, and neither “this is how the world works, get over it,” or “rich people I don’t like should cede their land back to the native Americans, and if you say otherwise you don’t have a conscience” is a thoughtful and realistic response.

So my response was intended to push back against the black and white argument you made, not to agree with its opposite (and equally ill-considered) response. There is simply a lot of gray area to be addressed with this issue and those responses ignore all of that.