Lily Gladstone (Photo/File)
On October 21, 2024, the National Archives Foundation will present the prestigious Records of Achievement Award to Academy Award-nominated actress Lily Gladstone (Blackfeet and Nimíipuu) for her portrayal of Molly Burke, the real-life Osage woman whose life was the center of the horror, in Killers of the Flower Moon. In addition, award-winning author David Grann, acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese for for their efforts in bringing the true story of the Osage Nation’s serial murders to light in the movie.

Grann’s acclaimed book, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, draws extensively on historical documents from the National Archives. Scorsese’s direction and Gladstone’s performance in the film adaptation earned them Academy Award nominations.

This recognition celebrates their commitment to preserving and narrating American history using the vast resources housed at the National Archives, as well as their dedication to highlighting Indigenous American stories. Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear, Principal Chief of the Osage Nation, will also speak during the event.

The evening will take place at the National Archives in Washington, DC, where Grann, Scorsese, and Gladstone will be interviewed by award-winning documentarian, journalist, and author Soledad O’Brien.

“For almost 50 years, I searched for a story based in Native American experience that I could develop into a film” said award-winning filmmaker Martin Scorsese. “When I read David Grann’s extraordinary book, I knew I’d found what I was looking for: a deep investigation into an epic tragedy that had remained largely unknown outside of the Osage community. We delved into Osage culture and history, and we all worked hard to not just bring the tale of the Osage murders to the screen, but to do so in a way that did justice to their story, their sense of the past, and their shared memory of this tragedy. And it led us to several important documents held at the National Archives. We were all dedicated to getting it right. And among the most dedicated was Lily Gladstone. She went out to live in Pawhuska, and she never stopped learning about the Osage, absorbing every aspect of the culture, bringing new ideas—her passion and devotion were extremely moving to me. It’s a tremendous honor to be receiving the National Archives’ Records of Achievement Award with Lily and David for our work on Killers of the Flower Moon.”

“We are thrilled to honor David Grann, Martin Scorsese, and Lily Gladstone at our Gala this October,” said National Archives Foundation Board Chair and President the Honorable Rodney E. Slater. “Grann’s impressive scholarship in writing Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI exemplifies the transformative power of archival research while Scorsese’s film is a masterclass in presenting Grann’s story with historical detail, precision, and form, brought to life by the incomparable Lily Gladstone.”

“The story told in Killers of the Flower Moon is a powerful one–and it is just one of the many stories that Americans can access through the National Archives,” said Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan. “We are proud that David Grann’s research in the National Archives at Fort Worth provided the historical documents to shine a light on this moment in time, and that Martin Scorsese and Lily Gladstone brought his research to the screen to share his work with millions of Americans. Making records like these accessible to the public allows us all to learn about our shared history.”

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