MetroFamily Magazine July August 2024

Inspirational First Americans Meet film icon Yancey Red Corn BY ERIN PAGE . PHOTOS PROVIDED. A member of the Osage Nation, Yancey Red Corn’s family history came full circle when he was cast to play Chief Bonnicastle in the 2023 blockbuster film Killers of the Flower Moon . Based on the book by David Grann and set in Oklahoma, the movie details the murders of Osage members after oil was discovered on Tribal land in the 1920s. Red Corn’s great-grandfather was among those murdered. Killers was Red Corn’s first film, and he’s since been in an episode of the TV show Reservation Dogs , also filmed in Oklahoma. A native of Norman, Red Corn’s pride in his Osage heritage and his creativity have developed over generations. He began participating in Osage dances at the age of 3. As an Osage name giver, presiding over the ceremony bestowing an individual their Osage name, Red Corn has been speaking in front of crowds since he was young, which prepared him for delivering both his written lines and powerful ad libs. Red Corn’s mother is an internationally-renowned artist. Her larger-than-life Caddo pottery design stands at the entrance of the Okla Homma gallery at First Americans Museum. Among other famous patrons, President and First Lady Obama selected a piece of her work to grace the Oval Office. Red Corn’s sister is a physician and a Caddo artist; she added intricate beading to his suits and blazers for various red carpet events. Before Killers , Red Corn’s father wrote a historical fiction novel about the Osage murders. A Pipe for February focuses on the experiences of fictitious Osage characters during the 1920s. Red Corn’s father inspired both Grann and film director Martin Scorsese in their tellings of Killers . Jovial, generous of spirit and much more apt to applaud his family members’ accomplishments than his own, Red Corn shared with MetroFamily how the power of storytelling can help local families understand our collective history and pave the way for a more inclusive future.

RED CORN PORTRAYS CHIEF BONNICASTLE IN THE 2023 BLOCKBUSTER FILM KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON .

What was the most memorable experience during filming of Killers of the Flower Moon ? The first was a scene with Jesse Plemons, and it was the first time I was on set to do lines with Martin Scorsese behind the camera. We did the lines over and over again, with the camera in different angles. I ad libbed some lines, and one of those lines they kept in the movie, which was basically: ‘In the old days, we would fight these people and we would kill them … [Then], I could see my enemy, but this enemy we cannot see. It’s an invisible enemy all around us.’ I am proud they kept lines that show a defiant chief. When I was done and walking back to my trailer, I saw all the background Osages who were there — including some of my uncles and cousins. It was really emotional. They said they were proud of me and that I sounded like a true chief. The other was the Round House scene with Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone. I could see some of my aunts and cousins in the scene, too, and just like me, some of them had relatives who were murdered during the 20s. I could see them tearing up. It was a very emotional scene. I ad libbed there, too, and when I went out for the next scene, De Niro said ‘that was really great’ and Leo gave me a fist bump and said ‘great speech.’ Was there any sense of vindication for you in being part of this movie that shares the truth of what happened to Osage people? It doesn’t solve the PTSD and intergenerational trauma. But I was glad to be part of it. I think a lot of the Osages had a sense that people are finally hearing this story. [Growing up], it wasn’t something we talked about. Our grandparents and great-grandparents tried to talk about it, but no one listened. So they insulated themselves and got through with our culture and traditions.