Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear

Voices of Oklahoma

Geoffrey Standing Bear is the Principal Chief of the Osage Nation. He is the great-grandson of Osage Principal Chief Fred Lookout.Before his election, Chief Standing Bear practiced law for 34 years. He concentrated on federal Indian law receiving national recognition by Best Lawyers in America, Oklahoma Super Lawyers, and a listing with Chambers and Partners.
He served as Assistant Principal Chief of the Osage Tribe from 1990 through 1994 and was a Member of the Osage Nation Congress from 2010 to 2014. While a practicing lawyer, he was involved in the first Indian gaming cases in Oklahoma, representing the Muscogee Creek Nation, Seneca-Cayuga Tribe, and several other tribes. He also was General Counsel to the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association.
The book Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann has focused attention on the Osage Nation. In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma.After oil was discovered beneath their land, they rode in chauffeured cars and lived in mansions. Then one by one, the Osage began to be killed. As a young man, Chief Standing Bear heard his family talk about the Osage wealth and the fear of being killed.
In his oral history interview, from Chapters 1 through 12, Chief Standing Bear talks about the filming of Killers of the Flower Moon. Then, in a follow-up interview (Chapters 13 - 17) conducted upon his return from the film's debut at the Cannes Film Festival, he shares his experiences at the premier and his thoughts on the film.