Designing for Killers of the Flower Moon: My Traumatizing Working Experience

Ó 2023

Designing for Killers of the Flower Moon My Traumatizing Working Experience

A behind the seams exposé of alleged race discrimination, retaliation, and oppression…

Kristi Marie Hoffman

Costume Designer, Storyteller, and Anishinaabekwe enrolled member of The Sault Sainte Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians

Designing for Killers of the Flower Moon: My Traumatizing Working Experience Copyright Ó 2023, Kristi Marie Hoffman. All rights reserved.

Cover painting Copyright Ó 2023, Lauri Henry (Kristi’s Mom). All rights reserved.

I am dedicating my story to my mom who encouraged me to be fearless…

Under California Law, The Silenced No More Act (SB 331), I would like to share my experience working on Killers of the Flower Moon… I will not be able to get to everything in this format. I am likely to have more to say. This is a start. This is a 35 page short story about some of my experiences while working on the film, which was completely traumatizing.

I would like to start off by mentioning a continuation of a quote reportedly from the director according to an article that was published in the Hollywood Reporter on September 28, 2023, written by Christy Piña. The director is quoted as part of a continued discussion as saying, “The thing is that there are certain things about our history, about ourselves as human beings, that if we hide them away, they’re not gonna go away. We might as well talk about it and try to show it.”

I believe the quote above reportedly by the director serves as a great place to agree upon, and have an honest conversation about…starting with the alleged unlawful acts that I reported that took place in my working environment; many of them by the way, witnessed and heavily documented. This is about my working experience known within the EEOC (the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) and with my attorneys as Hoffman v. Apple (Apple LLC, Apple TV+, etc.). Upon reviewing a draft of the lawsuit prepared by my attorneys, a popular entertainment payroll company as well as individual defendants were notated and to be named as well. The company (Apple) and I eventually agreed to a settlement and what is likely considered a form of justice outside of a courtroom, though my attorneys prepared to reach a form of justice in one. As a Native woman, and member of a federally recognized tribe, it was important to me to hire attorneys that included women and women of color to help me push back against a very high profile powerful employer; and one of the largest employers. The settlement was completed almost exactly on Martin Luther King Junior Day of 2023.

I realize this is the most unpopular conversation to have, however, pretending that the reported alleged issues did not exist is not the answer either. Pretending that there was not a Native Costume Designer performing the role of one on this production about the erasure of Native people is not okay either. I say “alleged” out of respect for the law and yet believe that due to witnessed events and what I understand to be a preponderance of the evidence, the company wanted to settle outside of court. If I were not in fear at the time of succumbing to the suicidal thoughts I had from enduring incessant bullying, mistreatment, discrimination, continuous harassment and retaliation, I most certainly would have made the choice to file the lawsuit. Other factors came into consideration. My family and people who genuinely love me were worried beyond measure, and for a very long time. Seeing me become a shell of my former self was and has been painful for all of us.

At one point I gave my mom a hand written note telling her in so many words that if anything should happen to me, that I wanted her to sue the company. I wrote it in writing that I did not recognize as my generally neat, legible penmanship; clearly a result of the raw emotion that ran through my fingers while quickly preparing it for her in front of her. I did this while unable to reach a resolve on my own without an attorney at the time. Instead, after giving my mom the

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note, I headed to a figure skating lesson; something I rediscovered and loved as a child…something that was helping me to be free of the darkness… and start anew.

I was working in what I believed to be a most toxic, exploitative, discriminatory work environment; often apprehensive that in addition to experiencing severe emotional distress I would be physically injured as part of a multitude of incidences. I was somehow able to teach myself to go numb in order to survive it. I refused to be anything other than a consummate professional, and push through the nonsense while producing incredible results with the Osage Nation members and consistently receiving high praise and approval from my former boss who indicated often verbally and in writing how happy she was and the director was with my work.

To be clear, none of the work could have been done without the many Osage Nation artisans, and consultants that I had the pleasure of directly working with.

I am a professional costume designer, and have worked in the film and television industry for approximately 20 years. I am a classified costume designer in Local 892, the Costume Designers Guild, and have been for many years. I was originally hired to be a main Assistant Costume Designer to my former boss, Ms. Jacqueline West, a known public figure in our industry. A main producer, and right hand person to the director introduced me to several members of the Osage Nation (including several of our consultants) as my former boss’s co-costume designer. I believe this was acknowledgement of the level of work I was successfully doing on the production, and in the right way.

To be clear, though I am not Osage, I am an Anishinaabekwe (Native woman, Ojibwe). I knew my place, and whole heartedly took a back seat every day to the voices of the amazing Osage artisans and consultants while using my skillset as a costume designer in my craft to push them through; a level of storytelling I did not take for granted. This to me always means that inclusion was vital at the onset, and I worked hard every day to make sure that was reality.

For those who may not know, when shooting films, we often shoot out of order of the script. It requires a meticulous attention to detail, and continuous planning to assure there is time to produce the pieces within the parameters of the film world; which historically does not accommodate a realistic time frame and is ever changing. In addition, my job of marrying the components of the director’s vision, my boss’s personal aesthetics, and the main focus of assuring authenticity through the many voices of the Osage Nation was a challenge I was up for.

Unfortunately, often they were not the same thing.

It was my responsibility at the onset by Ms. West to be in charge of manufacturing in Oklahoma; including designing for the main principal Native cast, Native day players, and to work directly with Osage Nation artisans and consultants (to name a few of my many responsibilities). One of my characters included the lead actress, Ms. Gladstone. Her character, Mollie, alone had over 40 costume changes. While I must say that while I use the word “costume” as a means of describing the overall craft of costume design, I do not use it to describe the clothing that Native people (including Native actors) wear during the process of filmmaking out of respect for us Native people. It can be disrespectful, craft or not. Ms. West 2

and I worked hand in hand to go through scripted scenes per character after a series of fittings, and agree upon which head to toe looks would be appropriate for the visual storytelling we were doing [emphasis always in my heart (paired with consistent actions of inclusion) marrying authentic visual storytelling through the lens of the Osage Nation members].

Though Ms. West and I had an agreement that we would put together an in-house Osage Nation hired work room (cutter/fitters, seamstresses, special crafts persons, artisans, etc.), reality set in soon after I arrived in Oklahoma. An all non-Native crew was hired, though I consistently asked why we were not hiring an in-house Osage Nation artisan crew or including them as part of our workroom. I found this to be very concerning and extremely disappointing.

It isn’t what I signed up for. Ms. West’s costume supervisor had a different idea as someone who was also a department head and who had the authority to hire costumers with the permission of Ms. West, my boss at the time, too of course; whom I learned let the costume supervisor do as she pleases.

Flashing back to my first official day of (paid) work, I was called what I received as a racial slur by the costume supervisor. This happened in a well-known Los Angeles, California costume house in an open space in early December 2020. It was witnessed by another member of our costume department. A quote from my original 8 page complaint to the EEOC that they received on July 20, 2021 while I was still employed reads, “Within my first few days of official employment (early December 2020), I was called a racial slur by the costume supervisor. She said this to me while putting down Native people from the Native community we were/are telling the story about. This was said in an open space near people. I reported this to my direct supervisor.”

“The conversation started by her telling me a friend of hers told her that “these people” aren’t very good and will not deliver the goods on time…she continued to put them down and while I was trying to delicately express positive truth regarding the incredible talent of Native people and how naturally skilled they (we) are… I was interrupted by her saying, “No Kemosabe.”… This was said with negative facial expressions and what I believed to be as mean eyes.

Continuing quotes from my EEOC complaint reads as follows: “I want to be very clear that I was introduced to this costume supervisor (and all department heads and crew) as a Native woman and someone from a federally recognized tribe…”

“The person who witnessed the racial slur and conversation pulled me aside after, and privately apologized for the experience and said it was “cringe-worthy”…. And she was not okay with the behavior which effectively shocked and silenced me.”

My witness, also a working member of our costume department, pulled me aside and offered to have a conversation with me after work if I should need to talk. We had a conversation about it later that evening. Coincidentally, I also received a phone call afterward from someone in the Native community that I respected and personally considered a friend. I told this person about 3

my experience and they expressed to me what I heard as a visceral and very angry reaction for what was said to me; confirming with me that it was absolutely as I received it… I will leave out the specifics here, however, they did not mince words with their thoughts and reaction.

It is at this time that I am going to list things I reported. I will not be able to get to everything here. Writing this means re-experiencing things. Also, trying to condense over a year’s worth of experiences is challenging. The list to the EEOC regarding the costume supervisor’s behaviors: “Below is only a small glimpse of the abhorrent behaviors by the costume supervisor: *racial slur incident, *changing my time card, *withholding a pcard from me when all other ACD’s and key people including a production assistant had one to make job related purchases, *having a (specific title redacted) member of our costume department follow me from her desk job to a costume house over three miles away, *eye glaring, leering, deep sighs, and rude disrespectful derogatory comments to me and regarding Native people (including Osage Nation members), *refusal to hire a requested Native production assistant (from the Osage Nation) that production approved to work with me, *attempted to refuse hire another highly recommended Native (Osage) artist from the community, *physically and aggressively following me while I am performing my job duties (stalking), *walking up behind me right before Easter weekend and opening and closing standard size scissors (not the small size) with my back to her…and long hair down…involving a costumer in this rhetoric,*assigning my job responsibilities to certain costumers and pursuing allowing them to be rude, disrespectful, and micro and macro aggressive. To be clear, departmentally speaking, I only have one boss (the costume designer).

This is union work under Local 892. *Making up untrue stories about me to my boss forcing me to delicately navigate the truth of “that didn’t occur” and/or prove that these untruths had no merit, *Sabotaging my work flow.” “After months of enduring atrocious behaviors that eventually became a gang up environment of other costumers participating in the ongoing harassment, I reached out to an ally who suggested speaking to the Costume Designers Guild Office…and so I called and spoke to Brigitta.”

Together Brigitta (Romanov) and I navigated my options. I did not want to go to human resources. I did not trust that process. Human resources, I mentioned at some point to her, is always for the employer.

Before going further, it is important to mention that Ms. Jacqueline West, my former boss, has a no complaining policy. Regarding the racial slur incident, though I talked about it with my witness, someone I believed to be a friend, my mom, and another, I believed telling Ms. West would be seen as violating her personal no complaining policy. In fact, before I had an opportunity to address it myself (or not), she spoke to me over a Facetime call while I was in my parked car just outside of another LA costume house. The costume supervisor was complaining about me in some manner that was not truthful. Unable to withstand the ridiculousness of what I was hearing, I began to tell Ms. West what her costume supervisor said to me. Ms. West told me that what the costume supervisor said was okay, and that it meant friend. She told me the word was not a racial slur (though ironically I had not even mentioned that that is how I received it). She said it is something we say (I took “we” to mean non-Natives). She said the costume supervisor can be terse but is not a racist because she loves Asians. She repeated 4

herself to me several times and told me that this supervisor was the most important person on the production. She said so in a lecturing manner. She told me that this project was a big deal, that it was Apple, it was Marty, and I was not to make any political statements and reminded me again that the costume supervisor was the most important person in the department. I began to cry to the point of near hyperventilation (my mask still on as a reminder of working during the pandemic). I told her that I wasn’t there to make any political statements and didn’t understand what she meant — that I just wanted to be able to do my work without being spoken to this way or mistreated. It is worth noting that between the racial slur incident and our talk, the costume supervisor also engaged in further disrespectful behavior to me in front of several people where she yelled at me and aggressively ordered me not to have a planned design-related meeting with Ms. West, ordered me not to go to a costume house where I needed to finish my work for Ms. West, made consistent derogatory comments specifically related to the skin color of Native people, and other mean and aggressive behaviors that I quite frankly found disturbing.

It is worth noting that Ms. West had never seen me cry. I had known her at the time for approaching 20 years. I was originally introduced to her when I was a student in the Advanced Costume Design Program for Film and Television at FIDM. A (name redacted person in authority) at the time introduced us after a speaking event because she knew Ms. West had a Native American scholarship. Ms. West seemed to take an immediate liking to me, and I would say we had what I believed to be was an instant connection at the time. We developed a close relationship, and after I already was a professional costume designer and even had supervised successful productions, she invited me to work for her. We worked together on numerous projects (many not even on my IMDb page) since around 2013 or so. She said to me many times that I was like a daughter to her. Work-wise she told people I was her secret weapon, and her one man army; clearly acknowledging in her own way the capacity of work she saw me produce for her and with her. She also knew I was not only hard-working, but kind and respectful. I was helpful and collaborative with others, and able to remain calm and good natured under the most pressure filled environments; environments where tempers reach levels of inappropriateness and problems still need fast resolutions.

Ms. West told me she was not going to speak to the costume supervisor about the incidents, and instead later suggested to me that she could arrange with the Executive Producer/UPM for myself and a considered mutual friend from the Native community to instead educate the entire crew. This was difficult for me to process, and I just sent a note to the considered mutual friend as I was asked to do. Though I did not say so, I didn’t believe it was my job or our job to educate people on how to be professional, and respectful…how to not use words that injured people; in particular Native American people… all while telling a story based on true events that happened to Native people of the Osage Nation. The conversation about educating did not come up again, and I did not bring it up.

Ironically, in November of 2020, a short few weeks before meeting the costume supervisor in person, I had participated in and helped produce a panel discussion titled “Native Voices: We Are Still Here.” It was part of a diversity committee educational series for the Costume 5

Designers Guild titled, “Cultural Conversations”. It was promoted through IATSE. We had members of several different locals participating, including members of SAG-AFTRA as part of the planning and discussion. One of the words I specifically mentioned among others we discussed was the word “Kemosabe.” The discussion took place that morning in November, and later that same afternoon the costume supervisor emailed me to call her. Among new start dates she was giving me, she reminded me that I was not technically an employee.

Long story short, I most certainly was working for Ms. West on the film as she hired me. I was working for her for several months with the agreement that my time would be made up to me.

The costume supervisor knew I was working, and actually I was asked to meet with costumers who were being paid. My boss wanted me to look over their work in Los Angeles (before anyone traveled to Oklahoma). I did just that, and later one of them told me two of them were exposed to someone who had Covid — which meant that I was exposed in some capacity too.

When I became more aware that several people were being paid for their work, and I was expected to work for Ms. West unpaid for months for the time being and be paid at a later date, I asked to be officially treated as a paid employee, the same as others. I wanted to know what the protocol was or where to go for being tested for Covid, like others. It is unclear why the costume supervisor got involved in any of this because this is not permitted under Local 892. My only boss outside of the costume designer would be producers.

Ms. West and I worked together when she had not yet hired a costume supervisor. She had me do an extensive amount of research starting with reading and watching everything I could related to the story; including researching photographs related. I had already read the book, “Killers of the Flower Moon”, by David Grann on my own years prior through the recommendation of a friend. Ms. West wanted me to research the blankets. I did all of this and more. I compiled research for her, and for us. We had design meetings.

In my research, I came across Mr. Friedman, an author and collector of period blankets; particularly relevant to our time period of the 1920s. I contacted him, established a professional relationship with him early on, and learned how to recognize blankets of the time period through his expertise. I later personally shopped his collection at his home, and hand selected period blankets for the film — which Ms. West loved. Blankets were also a part of my many responsibilities…not just the existing period blankets, but any we would be creating with Pendleton, in house recreations, and most certainly by working with individual Osage Nation artisans to create their exquisite ribbon work blankets and more.

I asked Osage Nation members and consultants for names of members that may want to make blankets, clothing, jewelry, and more for the film. I had found members on my own through research, and was actively making a list. One day I was also given a printed list of artisans, not all were Osage, and many names and numbers were crossed out. It is unclear who crossed them out or why. I made sure to contact all Osage Nation artisans on this list anyway. If there was a name crossed out or a number I could not read, I asked other artisans for the info. I asked each artisan to let me know of other Osage artisans that wanted to make Osage clothing, jewelry, ribbon work blankets, finger woven belts, and so much more for the film. I began 6

creating another work room that was specifically an Osage workroom with many artisans working from their homes or on the weekends as they could and chose to. There were so many artisans at one time that I created team leaders within the community in some cases and/or point of contacts to help me facilitate our ever growing Osage Nation work room… They absolutely had a creative say in the collaboration and it was a joy to experience. I provided each artisan with all materials needed and all requested sewing supplies. I arranged for materials to be delivered to their homes, and/or places of work…whatever was convenient for each of them. They also recommended a few other Native artisans for some pieces, so they were also included. A producer I worked with gave me other names to check in with, and thankfully they were on the list-and contacted.

I wanted to be sure we were reaching out to as many Osage Nation artisans as possible, and had an inclusion idea that I mentioned to Ms. West. I checked in with a few consultants and members to get their feedback. Ms. West approved for me to pitch it to producers. It was called a Trunk Show. The original concept behind it was to be able to have tables set up for Osage Nation members to bring pieces they wanted to sell and/or potentially rent to the production for the film. Due to possible weather issues among some concerns, we quite literally had people drive up and show us their most beautiful pieces, and educate us on the details and stories behind each piece. Connections were made. With Covid restrictions, the event took place outside in our back area parking lot, and several other department heads and crew found it to be a very helpful event. It was another way for those who wanted to participate to meet with crew, and for all of us to figure out ways to continue working together. I asked one costumer in our department who was respectful and kind to me to help me coordinate things as I had a lot on my plate, and together we met to coordinate a flier, an email address for the trunk show, as well as eventually turn it into a virtual trunk show even after the event. There were people who couldn’t attend the event and wanted to meet and participate. So, for one example, I invited a mother daughter Osage team to a zoom meeting where they showed me finger woven belts, and a finger woven hat band that I had been trying to find or have made as a design idea. I bought several pieces from them, and we had such a lovely experience. Ms. West, again, was most pleased with the results and I believe it was easy for her to sign off on things. She chose not to attend the trunk show and instead chose to focus on other things.

The strange juxtaposition is that I was always praised for my work, and for my ability to endure the behaviors from others at the same time. It was made clear to me that I was expected to do so because my former boss knows I am a strong person. The behaviors did not stop, however.

I received some push back from the costume supervisor about the trunk show. I suppose to an extent I could understand that it was seen as more work. I also felt it was a vital part of reaching other Osage Nation members that wanted to be included, and that we needed as part of our team.

I was in my office prior to the trunk show that was already approved by producers. The Executive Producer/UPM’s assistant contacted me to ask me to come meet with the Executive Producer/UPM. I did not know what it was regarding, and made my way upstairs. Upon 7

entering an open space area near the offices upstairs, I saw people sitting together like there was a meeting. The costume supervisor was present, along with the costumer that was helping me. The Executive Producer/UPM wanted to discuss the trunk show, and was awaiting my presence. Thankfully his assistant called down for me because otherwise I was not aware of the meeting regarding the Trunk Show I had pitched and gotten approval on (by producers and Osage Nation consultants). The costume supervisor knew of the meeting, and did not tell me.

She instead brought the costumer upstairs, and the costumer later apologized to me on her own and described to me in so many words that she was a deer caught in the headlights. She knew I wasn’t made aware of the meeting.

Consistently leaving me out of meetings vital to my work was something the Costume Supervisor did. This time was no exception.

On one instance early on I was in a scheduled meeting with an Osage Nation member, and when we finished our meeting over the phone, I opened my office door to discover the AD (Assistant Director) department was having a meet and greet with our entire department and I was not informed. Vital information was given, which left me to check in with Ms. West and others on what I had missed out on. I made sure to introduce myself after the meeting. This became a normal occurrence, and I would often find out about meetings I was not invited to and/or left out of; meetings vital to my work… forcing me to work harder to stay in the know…to ask to also be copied on upcoming meetings and related information pertinent to my work.

Some other specific incidences: A costumer (specific title and name redacted) who was consistently disrespectful to me, came onto the trailer where I was working and pulling the line. Pulling the line refers to setting up in a prep line on the trailer what the actors by their character would be wearing top to bottom for any upcoming scenes we were shooting. This could mean any number of costume changes per day per character. While diligently working away, this person came over to me and began yelling at me in front of another person, who later mentioned to me in so many words that the behavior was a reflection of that person and not me. While true, it was such an unnecessary occurrence. I looked at her, listened patiently as she continued her behavior. I then calmly let her know that I was doing exactly what my boss asked me to do, and reminded her that she was not my boss. She stormed off the trailer, and declared that I didn’t know what I was doing; another belittling and arrogant comment she made to me while moments before trying to take specific moccasins made for one character, and give them to another character, which would have been a mistake culturally speaking (and one that would have been noticed). I calmly let her know. She backed off, and yet still found a way to continue her disrespect. I also later received what I believed to be as a scathing email from her with Ms. West on copy. In the email she made several untrue statements with what I read as a biting tone, and a kind of superiority to me. She wrote as if she too was my boss. I re-forwarded the email to Ms. West alone, and let her know that the statements were not true. I asked her if we could talk about it. I was told earlier on in so many words that this person was important and could also do as she pleased 8

because she worked with another costume designer that was Ms. West’s idol. Ms. West and I did have a conversation about this later, and we discussed other incidences that were happening in the department. I let her know it was a mean girls environment, and it wasn’t okay. People were initiating conflict where there wasn’t any and behaving in ways that were beyond disrespectful, and harassing. Ms. West asked me if I thought they were jealous. We just kept eye contact, and I believe she could see a sadness in my eyes. We were shortly whisked off to set to establish characters, and I finished telling her my side of things when we were privately walking together.

In addition to the costume supervisor, there were eight Non-Native members of our costume department consistently participating in the harassment. An additional three more Non-Native people also began going along with the events taking place. Others I believed were complicit.

Some specifically listed behaviors that occurred: a right hand person to the costume supervisor withholding my pcard receipts from accounting, giving me late statements, and reconciled envelopes turned in were consistently sent back to me with erroneous sticky notes on them. In one instance, for example, a sticky note read “what kind of hides?” when the line item of the coordinating receipt clearly read “deer hides”. Something like this could easily mean thousands of dollars worth of turned in receipts were held up from accounting in what I believed to be as a sick game of unnecessary harassing behavior that caused problems and undue stress. This type of behavior occurred multiple times, and I asked at one point to have control over my own account in the system. I offered to do the coding required so it could be completed in a professional, timely manner. This person, again, a right hand person to the costume supervisor, insisted on maintaining control. Usually when a card that operates much like a credit card is in your name, you always have a password and access to the system to check purchases, and create reconciliation envelopes in preparation for turning in receipts each week. So many times my receipts (which this person and a production assistant assisting me) always had access to in my organized filing system were not turned in on time — though they were prepared and turned in departmentally for the purpose of this person having the responsibility of turning them into accounting. I later believed that because the costume supervisor and others could not take away the high quality results I was producing as part of my job, they seemed to try other avenues to prevent me from doing my work—like the person who was withholding entire packets of turned in receipts from accounting; which of course was not professional and was a consistent attempt I believe to sabotage my ability to make purchases for my Osage and Native characters. This person also required me to take photographs of non-asset purchases that I already had photographs of on file, creating extra unnecessary work for me. Upon asking others, I did not hear of them being required to do the same. I believed this was all a way for the costume supervisor to initiate more complaints about me.

The weight of the costume supervisor and her right hand person withholding a purchasing card from me did not go unrecognized to me as a reflection of the story we were telling. I had asked multiple times about receiving one, and was initially told I would not be getting one, and that I would have to go through the costume supervisor’s right hand person to make job related purchases. Even after I asked in writing about facilitating getting a pcard, it was still not given to 9

me right away. Upon finally going to pick up my pcard, an accountant mentioned to me that they did not know why it was not given to me as it was ready approximately two months earlier. As discussed previously via my EEOC complaint, others had one. Mine was withheld. In addition, withholding receipts from accounting after my purchases was another level I believe, of sabotaging my work flow.

The costume supervisor originally tried telling Ms. West early on that she could not hire me as an Assistant Costume Designer, though I already was working in that capacity as offered by Ms. West (and accepted by me). In fact I had turned down another equally prestigious job to do so because Ms. West asked me not to take anything else. I believe the costume supervisor did not want me on the job. I believe she had preconceived ideas of Native American people that she clearly indicated to me with her words on many occasions. Outside of the first racial slur incident, Ms. West was present during several of these comments. I believe it was hate speech that the costume supervisor delivered to me in the costume house while then calling me a racial slur. I was performing in a high capacity, in a way in which Ms. West knew I did and hired me to do so. I believe I was also proving the statements made to me by the costume supervisor in that costume house to be incorrect. Through my expertise and the cultural expertise of Osage artisans, we were effectively proving her wrong. I believed that this might garner respect from her. I believe I was wrong. I believe it only caused her and her team of what I believed to be as a group of mean girls to double down on me. I believe these were bullying behaviors that were also discriminatory. They were unwanted, and pervasive. Ms. West, though I could see was not happy with the behaviors that others directed toward me, did not put a stop to it.

Instead I was expected to endure it. Her no complaining policy clearly did not apply to everyone; especially her most important person and others. Ms. West did however compliment me on how gracious I was handling things and as time went on what a great sense of humor I had. At one point she said she hadn’t realized just how funny I was. What I was doing is using self-deprecating humor as a means of self preservation and survival. Quick moments of releasing the negative energy that was consistently directed toward me.

There were incidences where a person (already mentioned) in our department destroyed belts I needed for a fitting. I had prepared for a fitting, and was looking for the belts, and this person told me she cut them, and showed them to me while smiling and laughing, forcing me to replace them. They were specific pieces that required me to take extra time to remake them.

She also hid costume pieces from me for fittings. One time Ms. West asked where a specific and recently made piece of jewelry was. She seemed to be getting upset over it. I had just layed it out on a tray with other jewelry, and Ms. West mentioned she just saw it, though I also discretely put multiples of it in an organized out of site area knowing the behaviors that were happening. I told Ms. West I had multiples, and I would use those in the meantime. The person then opened pages of her script she had, and showed Ms. West that she had (oops) put this particular piece of jewelry in it. She opened it to the exact page she hid it in immediately. Ms. West chose to take a playful attitude in response. It was a piece of jewelry that took several weeks to get made and approved in a coordinated effort with the property department head and others. It was specifically for one of my characters, and specifically recreated Osage jewelry. The jewelry was originally in a prepared jewelry tray not near this person’s script.

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Several other members of our costume department did the same types of behaviors. It was exhausting, and I believe deliberate. The way I was spoken to by them was beyond disrespect.

Grown women throwing temper tantrums and directing negative, unprofessional behaviors at me in front of others. Playing what I saw at times also as a game of hot potato with costume pieces that were for my characters, already prepared, and living in the closets I helped create for them only later to find certain pieces missing (without notifying me).. In some cases, pieces that took months to build. All of the people participating were non-Native.

After a period of time I was also subjected to excessive impromptu meetings where I was singled out in front of others and humiliated in front of them for things that were not true and had no merit. I believe I was expected to take it. Ms. West was present during these meetings, and began initiating them on behalf of her costume supervisor with her costume supervisor and others present. It was counterproductive to the work flow. I believe it also taught the costume supervisor and others that they could continue to mistreat me without consequence (and they did). The meetings served no other purpose than to single me out and pick at me for things that had no merit.

In one experience I was going over design details with a member in our department who was to implement these details and Ms. West contacted me via text message and then via phone call.

She started telling me that a member of our department (I believe likely one who had been participating in harassing me) told her that I had not set a correct change for an actor. She started yelling at me and was very angry and accused me of sending the wrong photos to the director’s producer (which, by the way, she saw in advance). I assured her I had not sent an incorrect change, and went back to my office to read over the script to her, and remind her that one actor was in the same change because it was the same scripted day (continuity), and others would be newly establishing. I calmly walked her through the process and calmly reminded her that I pulled the line in front of her on the trailer, and we went over it together. Her anger toward me softened, and she apologized to me with an, I’m sorry sweetheart, and wishing me a good weekend. Choosing to believe people who were mistreating me for what I believed to be as race motivated discrimination was really difficult for me to process. They were quite literally getting her upset and concerned over nothing. This became a normal occurrence. I had a lot more work to do, and worked well into the evening like usual. When I went to my car, as soon as I shut the door, I immediately broke down and started crying. I failed to understand how performing my job correctly continuously meant being disrespected and mistreated. It is worth also noting that while on my way to call Ms. West in my office, the costume supervisor came walking quickly at me yelling at me to call Ms. West. I believe she had a hand in initiating the situation that was created over a non-issue.

I tried desperately to understand why I was being treated this way. When I realized that performing the work correctly caused problems, getting praised for my work caused problems, being a consummate professional caused problems, I realized that my existence was the problem. Breathing in the same space that others were in (that clearly did not want me there) was the problem. When I realized these things, I began contemplating which decisions would 11

end my life. I began having these consistent suicidal thoughts while working in Oklahoma. I believe this was a direct result of my working environment. I had never experienced anything like this before. I reached out to a (still current) therapist. I was ashamed of thinking this way, and at the same time knew that something wasn’t right; that I needed help.

Getting back to my reporting to my Local 892 business representative, Ms. Romanov… Ms. Romanov sent a memo to our membership and reminded our membership that costume supervisors were not in charge of assistant costume designers and in so many words that the direction was to come only from the costume designer. She encouraged me to have us move toward contacting human resources for Apple. She also suggested if I didn’t want to do that first that I could ask the production supervisor for a confidential conversation to start as an option.

Just before Easter weekend 2021 the costume supervisor yelled at me and told me I needed to move out of my apartment. She told me she and Ms. West did not want to deal with it, and the production supervisor wanted me to move. The back story here is that my apartment accommodations were somehow always an issue. After making my deal with me, the production supervisor called me to tell me that within a certain period of time he would need to move me. I asked him if they could just put me in a place that I could stay for the duration as agreed upon. This was not an option. Upon my arrival in Oklahoma, I had to get my own hotel accommodation. My apartment was not ready. I then moved to a hotel paid for by the production while awaiting to move into my apartment. My car was packed with my kit and belongings I needed while on location, and I could not access it all for the time period I did not have a place to unload it. I finally moved into my apartment. Ms. West said she told the production supervisor early on that moving me would be disruptive to our work, and I was told I would no longer have to move. The move was to put a cast member clearly deemed more important into my apartment while putting me in lesser accommodations and by the photographs I saw at some point of this potential new place to move into, it also appeared to be an unkempt place.

While I was having a meeting with a person in our background costuming area, the production supervisor came looking for me. He said I would have to move out of my apartment and I believed indicated that it was to happen at the time over that Easter weekend. I expressed to him that I thought this was already discussed and agreed upon that I didn’t have to move. I told him I was too slammed with work, and (as he knew) was working on the weekends. He expressed to me that he could have a production assistant help me move. I explained to him that I was already moved in and didn’t want someone touching my personal belongings during Covid. It didn’t feel safe. I also didn’t understand why I had to move so last minute over the Easter weekend. I asked him what the criteria was for me to be on that list. I also expressed to him that I already had enough on my plate, and it would be too much before principal photography. I told him that in addition, I may need to have a confidential conversation with him about some words and behaviors happening in our costume department that were not okay. He said he didn’t want me to feel targeted, and I expressed to him that that is how I was feeling. I asked him to please reconsider moving me from my apartment. He said he would get 12

back to me later. He followed up with me later, and told me I didn’t have to move. I thanked him. I believe the costume supervisor was angry that I didn’t have to move out of my apartment. When Ms. West mentioned this in her presence, she did appear angry. I also didn’t understand why any of this was seen as acceptable in the first place. I believe there was consistently an importance that certain people had over others. I didn’t think this was an example of respecting and valuing an employee.

As a reminder, we worked on the film during the heightened phases of the pandemic where many people were dying of Covid. When I first met with Mr. Friedman, for example, and others, I was wearing a full face shield and mask. We had hand sanitation on the ready, and complied with social distancing rules. The challenge of wearing a face shield and mask was that regardless of any tricks used to solve the issues of the face shield fogging up, it still did. It was an uncomfortable way of working while delicately navigating safely wiping off face shields so visibility remained and a human connection regardless of that barrier could continue.

We were tested for Covid twice a week to start, and closer to filming it was three times a week.

This meant getting a long swab put inside of our nostrils as part of our work week. We consistently received event notifications letting us know when crew tested positive for Covid, which happened often. At one point our department seemed like a ghost town. The work remained steady regardless of people in quarantine for 14 days at the time.

On several occasions our entire costume area was chemically treated with some kind of sanitizing treatment or spray is as best as I can recall it being described to us. It had a smell that permeated the rooms, gave me a headache, and made me anxious about what exactly we were breathing in from it. It curled our research, photographs, and paper so we learned to prepare to cover our department with sheets and muslin as best as possible so we didn’t lose work — though on occasion there were times papers curled so much that there was some loss and adjustments. We covered costumes as much as possible. I believe other areas departmentally were sanitized in the same manner upon notification of these Covid positive events.

Early on there was a production zoom meeting that took place while I was traveling to Oklahoma (hand selecting 1920s blankets for the film on the way). At the meeting the Executive Producer/UPM let us know that if we wanted to receive a vaccine to email a specific lady in health and safety to be put on the list. This was in January of 2021. Within a short window of time, I sent an email to the designated person, and expressed wanting to be on the list. I believe the Executive Producer/UPM told us the state of Oklahoma considered film workers to be “essential workers” and said we were eligible for getting the vaccine in that regard. I was also eligible to receive a vaccine through IHS as a tribal member within my allotted time frame permitted. For those who may not know, IHS stands for Indian Health Services, health services that are specifically for Native American citizens. When the vaccines became available via IHS, I was set to travel close to the time that I may have been able to receive a vaccine through IHS on my own. So I was unvaccinated during my course of travel, and for the months that I had been working at that time.

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I was being told by members of production (members in charge of health and safety; including at least one member with an Apple email address) that I did not qualify to receive a vaccine.

While this may have been true with other health care entities outside of an IHS system at a certain time frame, it was not true within Indian Health Services. At the recommendation of family, I separately put an application in to IHS services (Wahzhazhe) at their Osage Nation IHS services in order to establish a chart in their system. I had my tribal medical records and tribal card sent in to IHS through my emergency contact, who is also an enrolled Native American citizen.

After a period of time I emailed IHS to check in on my application and newly establishing chart. I also asked the lady in charge of health and safety for the film to please verify my employment should someone from IHS contact her. At some point, I spoke to an employee at IHS. I was checking in on a potential upcoming appointment to receive the vaccine; not in front of tribal elders or others that were priority, and only as my turn should arise.

I was made aware that I might receive a call to get a vaccine as available on a particular day. I let Ms. West know that my work was at a good place, and I asked for her permission to go to Indian Health Services and come back afterward should I be called. She became angry with me and lectured me immediately and told me that I did not qualify to receive a vaccine. She told me I wasn’t better than anyone else, and I did not qualify. She would not agree to allow me to go if I got called to go for an opening.

The Covid vaccine talks started in January 2021. Ms. West lectured me daily for a period of time both in an open space and separately in my office about how I did not qualify for a vaccine. The health and safety department for the film consistently said I did not qualify. It was my initial understanding that certain qualified individuals from production were going to get vaccinated through another medical entity. When Ms. West told me I wasn’t better than anyone else, I calmly assured her that I did not think I was better than anyone else. I thought she was getting vaccinated with others at another medical facility. I did not think that non-Natives would be run through IHS services in advance of what was called a rollout (and opening up to everyone) when Native people were still being vaccinated and I knew Native people who wanted to be vaccinated.

At some point Ms. West told me that she was told the state of Oklahoma ran out of vaccines.

She said she was going to tell the Executive Producer/UPM that if she didn’t get a vaccine, she was going home, and if she goes home I go home. I understood her fear. I did not understand what I believed to be as a lack of disregard for my health and safety too.

On another occasion within the scope of this time frame Ms. West asked an Osage Nation member who was working in another department to help her get a vaccine at IHS services. She pleaded with this person to help her, and then gave this person a list of names of other nonNatives and their non-Native spouses who were not working members of production to be on the list as well. I was awaiting to do a design related check in with her when this occurred. She

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was rude and disrespectful to me in front of this person from the Osage Nation, and told the person not to include me on the list, and angrily told me that I was on my own.

I was shocked at the behavior of Ms. West, especially the continuous lecturing afterward on how I did not qualify.

At one point, Ms. West also came into my office and shut the door. She told me after a meeting she had with the Executive Producer/UPM and the person in charge of health and safety that they did not want me to discuss this list being submitted to IHS with anyone because they did not want Osage Nation members and other Natives to think they were taking vaccines away from or in front of Natives. This is exactly what I believe they were doing, and I found it to be unconscionable. I believe this was also likely before the rollout of the vaccines to the public; meaning that Indian Health Services was in the phases of vaccinating Native American citizens (not non-Natives).

The person in charge of health and safety denied to me several times that there was a list given to IHS services from production. This person and her staff would only tell me I did not qualify, effectively withholding an opportunity for myself and other Native American people not on the list to receive the covid vaccine. I was not aware at the time that they were planning to go through Indian Health Services. I thought they were going through a separate system as mentioned above. It is unclear if their plan was always to go through IHS or if there was another medical entity involved that was not an IHS service.

I became aware that Ms. West, and other non-Natives deemed important would be going through Indian Health Services in a time frame that I believe was in advance of the rollout to non-Natives. An employee at IHS services connected with me over the phone, and said that production gave a list of employees to receive the vaccine, and the IHS staff was awaiting (a specific person name redacted) to sign off on it. The IHS employee said production did not include my name on this list. This person said from their understanding it was a list of people who would be working directly with actors. I let the IHS employee know that this included me.

This person said to me in so many words that they did not agree with me being left off the list. I also had a chart established, and qualified. This person said they were putting my name on the list, and would have a meeting about it.

While still on the phone and speaking to the employee at IHS services, I was startled by Ms. West angrily slamming files of our research in front of my office onto the floor. I believed she was angry with me for speaking to IHS services, though I could not understand why. I also did not want to get sick during such unprecedented times. I thanked the IHS employee for helping me, and said that it wasn’t likely that I would be able to go to take a vaccine during working hours or during the week days. This person gave me info on where to check in on upcoming events they were opening up for Native American citizens to receive the vaccine on the weekend. Though I had to work on the weekend, I would be able to go because I did not have to directly report to the office first.

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One day Ms. West said that she and the costume supervisor would be at a meeting and would be in later that morning. She said the meeting didn’t require my presence. I had a feeling they were going to get vaccinated. I believed it to be an open secret at this point. When Ms. West arrived back at the office, we were having a design discussion and the wide neckline of her top fell off her shoulder and I noticed a band-aid high on her arm. She also discretely indicated through gesturing to another non-Native department head through our glass window facing the front parking lot that she had gotten the vaccine. She told me later that this alleged non-Native department head went through another IHS service location from another tribe and received the Covid vaccine. She also said in so many words that this person now claimed to be Native.

I remained unvaccinated and unable to get vaccinated for a period of time that extended well beyond non-Natives who went through Indian Health Services. I also had an Osage artisan contact me and coincidentally report to me that their spouse (an Osage elder) had to go to a place over an hour away because they could not get a vaccine at their Indian Health Services, and were upset about it. People began to know that non-Native film folks were being run through the IHS system ahead of other Natives that wanted the vaccine.

I watched a YouTube video of Q & A from the Cannes Film Festival with Mr. Scorsese, Ms. Gladstone, Mr. DeNiro, and Mr. DiCaprio who were interviewed by press. A reporter asks Mr. Scorsese and the cast in so many words what if any issues there were during the Covid 19 pandemic during which we worked. Mr. Scorsese provides a response about having Covid working conditions, how his team handled it, and how he didn’t feel as much of a disturbance in terms of not being able to do certain things because of the restrictions. He made a reference to masking and that everyone was vaccinated. Ms. Gladstone thankfully expresses sentiments that we need to thank the Osage Nation for vaccinating people… she references it being a “star studded” place to be over at the Osage Nation’s Indian Health Services. (Please refer to the link provided for their specific responses outside of paraphrasing) I understand that it is up to a sovereign nation to decide how to handle their services. With much respect, I am not here to comment on or question that. I do, however, believe the behaviors of certain non-Native executives, non-Native-crew members, and others who in my eyes took a me first attitude to assure themselves a vaccine ahead of Native American citizens to be exploitative and unethical. During my time in Oklahoma and early on the number of reported deaths that occurred within the Osage Nation was uncanny; even eerie at times considering the story we were telling. I recall being told often about new deaths in the community in overwhelming numbers, and by their family members and friends. Though I do not know the causes of each death, it still served as a sobering reminder of darkness.

It is worth noting that recently someone asked me why the costume supervisor would work on a production with Native American people and behave in the reported manners. I did not have the answer. I did not understand it. I did recall, however, overhearing the costume supervisor telling someone on the phone that it was worth it to take the job just to get the vaccine. I had reported this to my business representative too at the time.

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At the Tribal Nations Summit (found on whitehouse.gov, Remarks by President Biden at the Tribal Nations Summit) on November 16, 2021, President Biden talks about how Covid-19 affected Indian Country. He says, “it hit Indian Country with devastating consequences. Native Americans contracted the virus at over three times the rate of white Americans, nearly twice the rate of lives lost; twice as many died as a percentage.” I believe it is worth mentioning the reality of how the Covid-19 pandemic served as a reminder of the continued historical trauma and inequities of Native American citizens.

There are numerous incidents that took place. I will only be able to scratch the surface in this format here. I do want to try to share some more experiences…

Another example of an incident is when another non-Native (specific title and name redacted) member of our costume department called herself an Indian giver while Ms. West and I were in a design meeting with her. I reported to human resources that this person said, “I am such an Indian Giver.” I calmly let her know that it was not okay to say that. She then folded into my arms and apologized, and said her sister tells her all the time not to say that. Ms. West told her that it was okay, and that that is what they said (I took “they” to be non-Natives). I politely thanked the lady for apologizing, and then removed myself from the conversation, walking away.

While this lady did apologize to me in this instance, what she did not apologize for is her consistent rude, disrespectful, at times yelling behavior to me while in fittings in front of actors.

She did not apologize for disregarding already design approved work orders from me where she changed details to her own personal liking — outside of already approved details that were culturally accurate, or for participating in mean girl tactics with another (specific titled and name redacted) member of our costume department where they discussed convincing my boss to get me kicked out of fittings in front of me as if I were not also in the room, but invisible. It was not this person’s role or job to do anything other than be helpful and professional while implementing design details that were also custom designed for specific actors playing the roles of course of real life Osage Nation members. I found the behavior to be embarrassing and appalling. It was not addressed or corrected. I believe it also made actors uncomfortable.

Several times these behaviors caused myself and a consultant to use a seam ripper and even scissors to literally take apart details that were culturally inappropriate and/or made the previously correct aesthetics change in a way that wasn’t right. One time we had to do major adjustments for an actress’s custom made skirt not long before her scenes were filmed. It was taken from the actress’ prep line without my knowledge and deliberately re-sewn in areas that made the skirt pucker in an unflattering way. We had to quickly adjust it by quite literally cutting it, and restitching it on her. Thankfully the actress was kind, understanding, and so patient.

In one example of many during a fitting, this lady who called herself an Indian giver also initiated putting leggings over top of pants on an actor in a way that would not have been culturally appropriate. While delicately navigating and letting this person know that this was 17

not the intended way, she snapped at me and continued to assert herself in charge. The Native actor also told this person that he would not wear leggings this way culturally speaking. It was this person’s job to be helpful to me in a fitting within the scope of her job, not be combative.

It was reported to me by a member working in our background costuming area that the words “Indian giver” were also being used I understood by other non-Natives working in this area. This person assured me that they handled it by having a talk about it, and making it clear that it was not to happen again. This person wasn’t even a department head so I really appreciated the allyship and the ownership of doing the right thing.

There was an incident where another (specific titled and name redacted) non-Native member of our costume department started joking that Italians were good at playing Indian. He said this to Ms. West and me. Ms. West agreed and commented in return that they (the non-Natives) were better at it than Indians themselves. She said there was one Italian who was the best at it.

They laughed about this. I was shocked, and just calmly told them that I needed to walk away from the conversation. I had too much work to do anyway. So I calmly let them know I needed to walk away from the conversation, and I walked away.

For those who may not know, “playing Indian” is the same as “redface.” “Redface” in the Native community is the same negative equivalent of “blackface” in the black community. This man who worked in the background costume department also made other racially insensitive jokes to me related to Native American people. They were sometimes seemingly subtle innuendos that didn’t go unnoticed that I found to be offensive, and disappointing.

Another time another non-Native (specific titled and name redacted) member of our costume department put all of my work away when I had pulled the line for well over a dozen characters preparing them for an upcoming shoot day (which easily also meant several costume changes per character). It was a lot of work, and time consuming. It was not this person’s decision to do this, and I found it to be disrespectful and macro-aggressive. It also forced me to do the work all over again. Specific outfits for actors (top to bottom) were separated and undone and put away back into their closets. It took a long time for me to complete it in the first place, and I had to send photographs of them to a producer. I had to shift my day around in order to recomplete the work. Having this person give me an explanation of this by asserting that it was another person who also believed my work should be undone was completely out of line. Neither had the authority to do this, and neither were reprimanded for this behavior.

On one occasion I reported that Ms. West began dramatically stumbling from side to side pretending to be drunk, and declaring to dress one of our Native characters “Anna” like a “drunk slut”, and that she was going to give her a garter belt and slits thigh high on her dress so when they pulled her dead body out of the water her legs would dangle out of her dress.

Another (specific titled and name redacted) non-Native member of our costume department whom I’ve already mentioned, was present, and they both laughed. This was reported to Ms. Romanov of Local 892. The dress I saw at the time did not make sense to me. It wasn’t anything like our research or information that several of our consultants had given. I softly nudged later 18

to Ms. West, not bringing up the specific comments and actions she said and did. I asked her in so many words to help me understand why she was having this specific dress made for Anna.

She showed me a specific research picture of a specific non-Native lady in a dress, and said she had shown it to Mr. Scorsese. She said he loved it, and in so many words liked the idea of her being dressed like this. After we spoke, she told me later that she was going to adjust the dress a bit, and I believed it was because she was listening to my thoughts and inquiry at the time.

While I understand that sometimes in a story that is of a specific time there may or may not be language used in the writing which by the way was written by non-Natives, I did not think my former boss dramatically stumbling from side to side and pretending to be drunk while declaring to dress Anna like a drunk slut with other specifics was appropriate to say or do, specifically in front of me. I was disheartened and shocked by this. I didn’t think it was funny; especially since Anna was murdered, and likely a number of other things in between.

When I saw a member of our department come to my office and have a garter belt in their hands while looking for Ms. West, I had a visceral internal reaction.

The idea of my non-Native former boss and former friend making a declaration to dressing a Native woman like a stereotype of a drunk slut while in a mocking way pretending to be drunk herself really bothered me. It made me feel like there was going to be this fantasized portrayal of Anna, a relative of people we were working with.

I think it’s time to get into reporting to Apple. First, as mentioned earlier, I reluctantly contacted my business representative of Local 892, Ms. Romanov. The behaviors were so out of control that I did not know what other choice I had. I could not continue to work in the environment with these continued and ever aggressive behaviors that occurred daily. I had already endured them for several months.

I tried not to mention Ms. West’s complicity or the ways in which she also was contributing, and this was not possible. Ms. Romanov wanted to know how my former boss was handling the situation. The fact that she wasn’t, and even began to participate in behaviors that were inappropriate was concerning and problematic. My genuine love for my former boss whom I was once close to both as a person and as her many times employee made it extremely difficult to do. Unfortunately, because she avoided helping me, for my own well being and safety I didn’t have another choice.

Getting back to my confidential conversation with the production supervisor as a starting point I agreed to do a next step… after a series of text messages to him, we agreed to have a meeting related.

While in the production supervisor’s office to speak with him to report the costume supervisor’s behaviors as well as the continuous back to back meetings I was being pulled into where I was targeted and humiliated, the costume supervisor sought me out by both calling my cell phone and texting me. I immediately showed him my phone, and discussed how right there 19

in front of him she was harassing me; something she did daily and often. I also pointed out to him the fact that she did not need to do this, and that her communications with me in this manner were compounding. I did discuss other behaviors from those under her in our department. There were too many to get to during our meeting which was once interrupted by the Executive Producer/UPM coming into the production supervisor’s office.

I then asked the production supervisor if I could please go home to my apartment (in Oklahoma) and finish my work. I said I could no longer tolerate or be around the costume supervisor. Her behaviors directed at me were out of control, and I needed it to stop. I wasn’t feeling well because of it. I told him I would let my boss know I was going to work from home, and that I was able to complete my current work from my apartment, which was not too far from our production office. He did approve for me to do this, and I let Ms. West know that I was going to work from home, and in so many words I was not feeling well uncovid related. This was something I was asked to be clear on, so I was. I also worked from my apartment the next day too for the same reason. Ms. West and I kept in contact with work related activities, and I was actually able to get a lot done without the extra nonsense.

The production supervisor did let me know at some point that it was likely time to contact the human resources lady from Apple. I let my business representative, Ms. Romanov know about my conversation with the production supervisor, and we began speaking over conference call with the lady from Apple HR regarding the incidences. We had several phone conversations, and she requested that in addition to verbally reporting to her, that I report incidences in writing.

When I returned to work, at some point my boss told me that the costume supervisor told her that I was not talking to her, and that I worked in my office with my door shut (something that others did too while on the phone, in meetings, and/or concentrating on the work). I also did not have a desk job, and was often in various areas of our large department giving design direction which included selecting specific design elements, fabrication, utilizing sketches and research and samples to communicate the details to be implemented to several others in our in house work room and department (in addition to meeting with and speaking to Osage consultants as well as Osage artisans directly working with me).

Ms. West told me in a very stern, even angry manner that not talking to the costume supervisor was not the answer and I needed to fix it. She said it was my job to make it better. I realized that nothing was going to change. I had just returned to work, and I felt a new approach of what I believed to be as continued angles of turning my former boss against me was taking place. I still did as my former boss said and was extra kind to the supervisor. I was still met with the same disrespectful behaviors that made my chest tighten up, and gave me extreme anxiety, though I muscled through it with professional behavior in return.

Ms. Romanov and I were in consistent contact with Apple HR, mostly at times for me that were late into the night like 10 p.m. my time in Oklahoma while it was 8 p.m. LA time. On one occasion among others, the Apple Human Resources lady (name redacted) adjusted our 20

originally scheduled time frame to much later in the evening my time, and I was so exhausted from my already 15 hour+ work day that I quite literally fell asleep missing the call…a call that I believed was much too late my time to talk, but I adjusted as asked anyway. I awoke to my alarm reminding me about the call, and then couldn’t get back to sleep in a way that made me feel rested for the next day.

When I first spoke to the Apple HR lady with Ms. Romanov, I expressed to her that I just wanted the behaviors to stop so I could do my job without them. I said it was my understanding that human resources worked in a way that did not support employees or protect them. I believe she worked hard to convince us that human resources had changed over the last ten years or so, and that Apple had a No Tolerance policy for these behaviors. I told her I had fear of losing my job if I reported further. She said that she would be the one to stand in the way of that, making me believe that I was protected; which by law I should have been. She asked me what resolution I would like to see as a result of the process. I mentioned three things. 1) To keep my job (I had fear of losing it for reporting). 2) For the behaviors to stop. 3) As a wish list (only) to require mandatory training for everyone working on Native subject matter/Native stories and/or stories in the future regarding or about marginalized communities. She told me she thought that was fair and reasonable in so many words.

After reporting and emailing 13+ pages of other incidences in writing, the Apple HR lady left Ms. Romanov and me in 14 days of silence. She did not respond to inquiry or give an update during that time frame. I continued to endure daily harassment that caused me severe emotional distress. At some point I had (witnessed) panic attacks, my hair began coming out by the handfuls, and I later developed a twitch in my left eye that lasted for many months.

There were many instances where Ms. West and her costume supervisor did not want an in house clothing consultant. I welcomed this person into the space at the recommendation of a producer, and we worked well together. Unfortunately, she was not brought on in our journey until what I believe may be considered a short time before principal photography. She was also not scheduled full time, so we found ways to work together within the parameters. Ms. West and her costume supervisor initiated complaints about her, and tried to have her terminated.

They tried to include me in this process, and I did not think that was okay, and I did not want to participate in what I believed was some kind of power struggle among other things. I did not participate in this, and it made me uncomfortable to feel like people were trying to pit a Native woman against another Native woman. I was there to work with every Osage consultant and artisan regardless of politics that I really had no time to get involved with.

When the Apple HR lady finally responded some time after the 14 days she notified us that an investigation would be one week later.

Meanwhile people in my department began talking. I was retaliated against for reporting. The behaviors amped up in ways that I believe would bring a grown man to his knees. She and Ms. West were what I believed to be as continually cruel to me. They talked about me in front of me to themselves and others like I wasn’t in the room too. They openly discussed firing me and our 21

in house clothing consultant with me and others present in the space. I reported this to Apple HR and Ms. Romanov. I reported that the costume supervisor literally said that she couldn’t deal with 17 more weeks of me and the clothing consultant and asked Ms. West, “So what do you want to do, get rid of them?” To which Ms. West said, “Yes.” Ms. West was punishing me for reporting what I believed to be and understood as unlawful acts. She spoke negative untruths to Mr. Dicaprio’s costumer about me in front of me on at least two occasions. This was someone who was kind and professional to me. I believe this was used as a means to leverage her power over me. So if it looked like I had done something wrong (which I had not), that powerful people would not help me either. The experiences were isolating and continually caused me to rethink my existence. I also failed to understand why the behaviors were not stopped in a timely manner. They were in fact never stopped by anyone in a position of power and authority to help me.

The only thing I believe I failed to do on this film was to endure race based discrimination, race based harassment, retaliation, oppression, and other unlawful acts in my working environment.

The egregiousness of this was astounding.

In early June of 2021 Ms. Romanov and I were scheduled to have a meeting with the lady of Apple HR. Prior to this, the HR lady used what I believed to be as intimidation tactics toward me by initiating having me meet alone with Ms.West and the Executive Producer/UPM. After I clarified with her that this is what she wanted me to do, she later changed her mind…only after what I believed to be as doubling down on it in the first place. An Osage Nation member who was contacted by the Apple HR lady also described to me in words intimidation tactics toward her by the AppIe HR lady, and expressed to me that she found the experience to be scary. I told Ms. Romanov I didn’t trust the situation. She assured me that there would be a resolution and that I needed to trust the process.

Unfortunately, Ms. Romanov and I were as she called it later “blind-sided.” During an on camera meeting equivalent to a Zoom meeting, but within Apple, we met with the Executive Producer/UPM, the Apple HR lady, and Ms. West.

The first thing I believe the Apple HR lady did was shame me for reporting. She continually brought up times that I reported, and continually shamed me for reporting all of the incidences and in the time frame that they occurred. While she was shaming me in front of Ms. Romanov, Ms. West, and the Executive Producer/UPM, Ms. West was seen nodding her head angrily in agreement. It was clear where this meeting was heading.

It is worth noting that it was the Apple HR lady that insisted that I report the behaviors in order to receive help. She said she would stand in the way of me losing my job after doing so. At one point, when people were retaliating against me for reporting it was the Apple HR lady that said she needed me to tell her in real time when these incidences occurred. So I complied. For example, one incident that occurred in real time was when a (Non-Native specific titled and name redacted) member of our costume department drove to set to harass me. It was not her 22

job or position to do this or even to be at set. She delivered specific costume pieces to set that myself and even a witness rendered as deliberately ruined, and effectively unusable for camera.

She did not adhere to the design direction that her team was given in her absence. The person who witnessed this said in so many words without any commentary from me that he thinks she did it on purpose. I was floored and relieved at the same time that the truth of the matter was understood. While I was on foot, this same person harassed and yelled at me asserting authority over me while in her moving vehicle she was driving that was not too far away from me. I told the Apple HR lady I really needed this to stop. She was given the information in real time as she asked me to do. I copied Ms. Romanov as usual.

Getting back to the meeting, and specifically the shaming of me by the Apple HR lady… I believe she indicated and admitted that there were things I reported that were verified. She indicated that it was being handled. Then she began to tell me what was going to happen to me. She encouraged Ms. West to have her say. Ms. West told me she no longer needed an assistant costume designer, and was ending my job as I knew it in Oklahoma effective immediately.

When Ms. Romanov questioned her, she mentioned in so many words untruthfully that we were finished fittings with the Osage, and that she has photographs of fitting photos so no longer needed my presence. She said that instead she could offer what she was calling a lateral transfer back to Los Angeles because she said she needed someone to make suits for Mr. De Niro’s character “Hale.” She said in a taunting and what I considered to be as a mean delivery that that is if (stressing on If) I take it. Ms. Romanov asked her what my pay would be and more about the supposed lateral transfer. Ms. West indicated that my pay would be the same. She claimed that I would be making new suits for Mr. De Niro because he lost weight. I was shaking my head in disbelief. The Apple HR lady asked me in so many words why I was responding this way. I told her (and them) that this was retaliatory.

The Executive Producer/UPM jumped in quickly and told me that I was looking at things the wrong way. He said I was going to get to go home to LA and learn a new skill of making suits; clearing disparaging me. I laughed out of disbelief. What I didn’t say to him was that the first time I made a suit was in the 90’s. It was hardly a new skill.

Among other things, the Executive Producer/UPM also tried explaining away the behaviors of people by suggesting he believed it was Covid that made people act this way.

I had had enough of the meeting where I believe I was officially also now retaliated against not only by the original participants, but also by Apple, the Executive Producer/UPM, and again Ms. West. No one outside of myself on that call was Native. Our historical and cultural advisor was not invited in or present. I let Ms. Romanov know that I wanted to have a private meeting with her. We got off the meeting, and began a private discussion.

Ms. Romanov told me that she had a conversation with the Apple HR lady and another labor relations lady. She asked them for another option for me. She said she also told them in so many words that the Executive Producer/UPM’s disparaging comment to me about learning a new skill was not okay. She expressed to me that she told them (I’m paraphrasing) that you do 23

not tell a veteran costume designer that, and that is equivalent to designing 101 (i.e. something you learn early on in your career).

At the advice of an attorney and Ms. Romanov I took the disguised lateral transfer back to Los Angeles. We were not given the option of allowing me to keep my job as I knew it in Oklahoma.

A non-Native costumer was brought to Oklahoma from Los Angeles, and had taken over my office before I was even gone. I believe from the evidence, he was also clearly given some of my job responsibilities (something I believe not permitted under Local 892). Other non Local 892 members, and non union members were given my job responsibilities also. So my former boss asserting she no longer needed me was in fact untrue. It is my belief and understanding that Apple breached our contract in several areas, did not follow their own No Tolerance policy, and continued to punish me for complaining which, by the way, is a protected activity. At no time was I ever disciplined for my work. I was only praised for it, and was delivering beautiful results despite my very toxic working conditions. I don’t believe that existing in the same space as others and performing and delivering high quality results was a reason to end my employment in Oklahoma. I don’t believe that not being able to tolerate unlawful acts of discrimination and harassment in my working environment was a reason to end my job as I knew it in Oklahoma either.

After a short period of time when I arrived back in Los Angeles, I received a phone call from our now late Historical and Cultural Advisor of the film who was also the Senior Advisor to Chief Standing Bear, as well as a beloved person to many and a veteran. He became a friend to me, and we worked closely together. Among many things, I sketched design ideas he had for him, and on one occasion had his specific design beaded on the back of a ribbon work blanket for a specific purpose. The beadwork was done by an Osage Nation member and the blanket was made by an Osage Nation member, following the same groundwork I promised. He delighted in telling me that three people signed off on my sketch of his design, and one was Chief Standing Bear. That is one of many beautiful moments I did have working on the film that I choose to hold close to my heart. There were numerous other moments like this, and with many other Osage artisans as well as many Osage consultants that I worked directly with as part of my job as a designer.

After not seeing me on set, and hearing from other Osage Nation members, he was calling to check in. I did not want to bother him before I left Oklahoma because there was a series of other deaths in the Osage Nation, and people were at services. I wanted to be respectful of the grieving process. After hearing about events that occurred, he encouraged me to file a complaint with the EEOC. My business representative had also encouraged me at some point to do the same. I did just that as mentioned earlier.

Regarding the disguised lateral transfer: I believe that Ms. West knew that though I am strong, I am sensitive too. I believe she knew that it would devastate me to lose a job I loved; this one in particular. Not only was she taking me away from Osage Nation community members that welcomed me after earning their trust, she was assigning me to make imaginary suits for the character “Hale” who was known to the Osage as the devil. This particular detail was also most 24

disturbing to me considering the story we were telling. I believed she was being deliberately cruel to me. The loss of our once close relationship was also such an act of betrayal that I would never have imagined in my life.

I never made suits for Mr. De Niro. I did not meet him or a body double for him in Los Angeles.

When I arrived back home in LA, Mr. De Niro was set to continue to film in Oklahoma. Ms. West was untruthful along with others in order, I believe, to attempt to appear non-retaliatory…only things time-wise simply did not add up. Our vendors told me that they were told we were finished making costumes. While sourcing suit fabric in LA as asked, a (non-Native specific titled name redacted) member of our costume department was calling a costume house I was working with, and telling a lady in a department we were not making any suits. This person was also given my responsibilities in Oklahoma. It was someone I also believed pretended to be helpful to me only to get close to my former boss and personally gain access to my job in an effort to benefit her own career.

In Los Angeles, Ms. West assigned me tasks I already completed, and those of a first time employee. She sent me condescending text messages, and had me put together a binder full of “talking points” for her to discuss during press time. She also directed me to turn in my time card to one of my harassers. The costume supervisor began copying me on several emails that no longer had anything to do with my work. I received this as her harassing me from afar. I noticed she also copied the director’s friend, another non-Native whom I was once told would show up for a few weeks on the production and receive credit as an assistant costume designer too; though she did not do the work of one. I welcomed her when she arrived several months in. Not having seen the final film, it is unclear how or if this person was screen credited.

I barely had any work to do in Los Angeles. I believed it was made up busy work, and continued to report this to Ms. Romanov. With Ms. Romanov’s guidance, I also pursued an unfair labor practice that had to go through our board of directors.

An August 2021 letter that I received while still employed from our former President of Local 892 states near the beginning, “The Guild and its Executive Board are disturbed by the actions of the producers during and in the aftermath of the investigation of your harassment complaints. The Guild supports the right of its members to air harassment complaints, to have those complaints investigated, and to have any misconduct or other improprieties remedied. In this case, the Production seems to have not given due regard to the distress caused to you by the working environment on this jobsite. Their response to the situation was insufficient. The Guild deeply regrets that you found yourself in this situation, and that the Production responded in such an insensitive manner.” Later on in the letter it reads, “The Guild does not in any way condone the Producer’s conduct nor does the Guild discount the underlying issues of lack of inclusivity and bullying in this industry. To that end, the Guild is working to educate its membership and push the industry issues of inclusion, diversity, and the need to treat members of our community with dignity and respect. Please know your experience will serve as a launching board for a letter to the Guild’s membership reiterating our commitment in this regard.”

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We heavily established numerous scenes while I was working in Oklahoma before Ms. West sent me home to make imaginary suits for the character known as the devil. I believe she not only ended my job as I knew it, and also ended my career as I knew it. I believe she damaged my reputation irreparably.

I received a right to sue letter from the State of California while still employed, and believe the company would have been notified of this letter while I was still employed. Within a short window of time, I began receiving dozens of emails prompting me to sign a new contract. They came in daily. Ms. Romanov printed out the pdfs from one email, and we went over the contracts at the CDG office side by side. She helped me determine that the difference was new info related to Covid, and that there was an arbitration agreement which I told her I did not sign in my original agreement. In addition, the contract I had signed and screen grabs of was dozens of pages less than the two versions we were comparing.

I did not understand the contract and asked the production supervisor for clarity and/or to sign an addendum page instead of an entirely new contract with language I did not quite understand. If I did not sign it, I believe the production supervisor threatened to have to recoup money from me. This would mean owing thousands of dollars, and I believe it wasn’t necessary for the company to do.

The two issues at hand were a cell phone allowance, and my car allowance. I was told I would get a car rental in Oklahoma, and then later when I arrived I was told they ran out of rental cars and I would not be getting one. I was told they would then pay me car allowance instead, which they did at some point. Ms. Romanov reminded the production supervisor that the cell phone allowance was something owed to me by California law. We asked them about signing addendums for these two things instead of signing a whole new contract that I did not understand. There was significant back and forth. I was not given the option to sign addendums, and did not want to sign a contract that had an arbitration agreement considering the circumstances.

In an updated complaint to the EEOC, I said, … “there was continued retaliatory behavior as stated in these documents, including, and not limited to the following: Attempting to continue to force me to sign an updated contract without giving a clear understanding of what I was signing, and why there was a gross disparity between the number of pages of my original contract as I understood it, and the new one given to me. There was a threat of recouping earned benefits from my paychecks if I did not sign. After several attempts to find a resolution, I was told on August 20th that my employment was ending based on (the production supervisor’s) email stating, “with only a few weeks left in the shooting schedule, we are at the point where we are starting to wrap departments and crew.” August 27th 2021 was identified as my last day.” Meanwhile I knew another costumer that was brought to Oklahoma to work on the film.

Additional details related from the EEOC complaint: 26

I was told I would not be given equal pay to a non-Native male assistant costume designer (though it was my understanding that our rates were nearly the same). Months after I was hired, two other non-Native women may have been offered and received more pay, though in addition had less responsibilities).

The agreement Ms. West and I had was that myself and one other person (a non-Native) would make up the design team with her. Unfortunately, this person also left the production very early on. This person was professional and kind to me on this production so I was disappointed she was not able to stay. Ms. West chose to have a costumer take on her responsibilities in Oklahoma. No other costume designer outside of myself traveled to, and remained in Oklahoma to work with Ms. West in that capacity.

In fact, because Ms. West had me operating as a co-costume designer to her directly designing for (and with) the Osage Nation using my skillset and my craft, several people in our department and even another department continued to contact me for approvals because that is how she wanted and approved things to be from the onset. I then always kept her in the loop and presented the work to her for her final approval. It was my job to make her job easier. That is what someone in my position does. She loved my work, and trusted me to do it in the right way; assuring every detail was handled and the aesthetics would be beautiful. She trusted my designing, and I believe I made it easy for her to sign off on. Someone from our department texted me when I was back in LA and an elaborate scene I designed was shot without my presence, and said my work was “stunning.” I don’t know if that person will ever know how much I appreciated that note. I didn’t reach out and inquire. It was a thoughtful gift this person gave to me on their own. It showed me that someone acknowledged my work. Regarding the same scene, our late historical and cultural advisor also told me that it was accurate. He was kind to me, and expressed to me that I was a very talented lady, which made me feel good. He did not have to offer those sentiments, and I believe he meant it. I believe that it is because I made sure to consistently check every detail with all of our consultants and make sure that Osage artisans were a part of making as many pieces as possible within each meticulously planned look.

On my watch, of the hundreds of Osage moccasins custom made for the film, only one pair was made by a Non-Native. This was because the costume supervisor insisted on it early on while trying to force things to be made in house by an at the time all non-Native workroom. Ms. West wanted me to appease her, and directed me to assign a specific pair to a non-Native member of our department. Outside of this, on my watch, all other Osage moccasins were Osage made, and as approved and recommended by the Osage some made by other Native American citizens. I would love to say that all Osage clothing was made by Osage artisans is true. It is not.

What is true is that many pieces of Osage clothing, including most of the jewelry was Osage made and/or purchased from Osage Nation members and Osage Nation business owners.

On September 19, 2023 In British Vogue, and republished in the Hollywood Reporter Leonardo Dicaprio is quoted and reported as saying “Hollywood has a long history and checkered past in its depictions of Native American People. We need to do more. You Know, we are coming to a 27

great reckoning of our past, The more that these stories can be told in a truthful way, the more it can be a healing process.”

I’m not sure if Mr. DiCaprio is aware that the striped jacket he is wearing in the film was a design concept by me, the Native American costume designer on the film. I presented this design concept to Ms. West, who loved the idea. The thing is, for us Native folks, this isn’t anything new. We wear these types of jackets, and have for many years. The fabrication is from a 1920s blanket that I personally hand selected from Mr. Friedman’s blanket collection. What is also true is that the jacket was made by the lady who I reported that called herself an “Indian giver” while Ms. West and I were in a design related meeting with her.

Mr. DiCaprio, no doubt, is a brilliant actor. His sentiments did not go unnoticed. I believe it is also important to pair words with actions. While it may be likely he had a lack of knowledge of all of the events that occurred, there was what I believe to be as a likely failure of production to reveal all of the information that should have been known.

Many depictions of Native American people in film and television, etc. have been a result of collaborations of filmmakers that historically are non-Native. These collaborations happen both in front of and behind the camera. I don’t believe it was okay for me as a Native American citizen and costume designer to be retaliated against because I did not agree to being harassed, discriminated against, and mistreated on this film by all non-Native filmmakers. I don’t believe the retaliatory action of ending my job as I knew it for reporting the behaviors was okay. I don’t believe that giving me an option instead to take a disguised lateral transfer was okay. This to me, is an example not only of erasure, which, by the way is largely a part of the story of the film, but a means of putting me in my place.

A consultant and Osage Nation member that I worked with privately communicated with me that I was an MVP, which warmed my heart in a way that helped me to understand that I was being given the gift of appreciation for the work. I believe that when you have an MVP (according to a well respected Osage Nation member) you don’t bench them. You continue to let them play, and you show them they are valued and respected.

While I understand that Mr. DiCaprio was certainly not in that final meeting that ended my job, and quite frankly my career and reputation as I knew it, I do believe he as well as others are in powerful positions to make change. I am hearing among his reported quotes that “We need to do more.” I would encourage him to start that process. I would also ask him to take the time to assure the Native American woman, and costume designer who poured her whole heart into designing for Killers of the Flower Moon is properly acknowledged.

I do not believe complicity is the answer. Not talking about these things, and seemingly hiding them away does not make them go away (as a paraphrasing of the reported quote I started with from Mr. Scorsese). I believe I am not the bad guy here. I believe I did everything that was asked of me. I did not even initiate complaints. I only spoke up when being incessantly harassed, discriminated against, and bullied. I only ever asked for respect. I only ever said on 28

very few occasions calmly to the people discriminating against and bullying me, “Please don’t speak to me that way” and “Please choose kindness when you speak to me.” I believe this ensured more punishment for me. Also, as a reminder, out of the eight plus people participating, all were non-Native and almost all of them were white. These were consistent, daily acts of mistreatment that were unwanted and undeserved.

I want to make it clear that though I understand there will be those that see this as “sour grapes” and no more than a disgruntled employee (and perhaps even a stereotypical assumption), that is not the truth. The truth is, I too, did the work of a costume designer as I was hired to do and as part of a collaboration with Ms. West.

I believe this was an opportunity for Ms. West to amplify a voice like mine as a costume designer (and one who is a Native woman) in this industry. That is how we began this journey, and it is a place that I earned with her. I am not a consultant. I am a costume designer. I also started my career early on as a fashion designer, and at the same time helped manage other people’s businesses; a skillset that has been most helpful in my career.

British Vogue may be interested in knowing how happy my Native and non-Native friends and I were to see so many Native designers highlighted by Ms. Gladstone wearing their pieces. Then there was the elephant in the room which was that what is also true is that Ms. Gladstone was wearing the costume designs of a Native costume designer who collaborated on the film the magazine was promoting. I had the awkward task also of letting a few friends outside the business know that they were highlighting fashion designers, and the two, while influence one another are different. A small shout out might have been nice to see. This is the unfortunate unfairness of the business. It is worth noting, however, that several of the Native designers have also been highlighted on the CDG Native resources pages for well over a year now. My Native friends, colleagues, and others have contributed to these pages, and were so excited for these Native designers.

My design work for the film is being and has been heavily shown in photographs and in the trailers for the film in advance of its release. It continues to be shown alongside articles that are shared with me. Having others omit me and take credit for my work without acknowledging me feels laterally violent, and laterally oppressive considering the nature of this film. I believe it serves as further acts of retaliation for my inability to endure alleged unlawful acts in my working environment. I also believe there’s room for all of us.

To the people who mistreated me, you may think of me as less than without what I believe to be as taking a proper reflection of yourself in the mirror. You may convince yourself that your behaviors were okay. You will not, however, take away my voice. You will not silence me.

To the people who were complicit and some who eventually began going along with it, I believe you are equally responsible. Choosing complicity, I believe, for your own personal gain and opportunities is something you and I will never agree upon.

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What I believe I also learned from my experience is to be careful when you are the number two person in your department on the call sheet. I believe I learned that people that should support you will turn on you to leverage themselves over you for their personal gain. My voice and my craft on this production in the costume department was equally as important behind the scenes or perhaps I should say behind the seams as Ms. Gladstone’s roll is as the lead actress in front of the camera. It was a pleasure, by the way, working with Ms. Gladstone to do my part in authentically representing Mollie. This always included Osage Nation voices. It was also a pleasure to work with our other Native cast members and especially those that are direct relatives of the people we were telling the story about.

Ms. West hired me to be in this role because she trusted me. Being number two on the call sheet (the person directly under her) meant (among other things) that when she had appointments and other things to attend to, she also put me in charge of establishing several scenes alone in her absence. To those who made assumptions and had preconceived notions of me without knowing my experience or background, this meant that she gave me the responsibility to assure aesthetically that all would be taken care of. So, for example, should Mr. Scorsese have had any adjustments or things needing to be changed, I would do so on her behalf.

It is at this time that I shall wrap up this portion of my story. It is likely that I will have a part two at some point… I am not able to get into everything that I would like to share. I am in a continued state of trying to heal. I currently suffer from ptsd, I believe, as a direct result of my experiences on the film and being retraumatized by events including the promoting of the film and what seems like continued punishment for all of the above that I have already mentioned.

I am under the care of a therapist, and have great friends and family that continually show up for me. Several have known me most of my life, and some feel like I have known them just as long. I am grateful for them. My fur babe son guards me and makes sure to distract me when he knows I am not feeling well with playfulness and love.

I am grateful for my attorneys from Payton Employment Law PC (Marissa, Laurel, and Chantal) and their team for helping me push back against a very high profile powerful employer. I am grateful to my business attorney for her expertise and guidance as I continue new adventures in my life while trying to heal.

I believe nothing will ever make up for the toll this experience took on me, on my soul. I believe the behaviors were completely abhorrent, traumatizing, exploitative, humiliating, and oppressive. I believe they were pervasive. No one deserves to feel used and discarded. No one deserves to feel like collateral damage; especially while making a movie; in particular one about the murdering and erasure of Native American people… (while also being a Native American woman)…

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I am not interested in engaging in a back and forth dynamic of being continually picked apart. I believe it is important that we don’t remain silent on these issues, and that we don’t give our friends or former friends and colleagues a day pass to cause harm to another or others.

I understand that there are some that may be star struck, and want to associate themselves with stars and powerful people. I just wanted to tell authentic stories through the art of costume design and maybe work with some good humans in the process too…

This experience highlighted who my true friends are, how cruel and unfair I believe the business is, and how cruel I believe others continue to choose to act toward Native American citizens. It taught me that I deserved better.

My business representive of Local 892, Ms. Romanov, sent a text message to the Apple HR lady with me on copy. Ms. Romanov said, “After much thought, I see this supposed lateral move as retaliation and demotion as you know. Can you offer a different option? All Kristi asked for was to keep her job with the Osage community with respect and dignity from the costume crew and the exact opposite is happening. You said there would be options but you only gave one. Is there anything else that can be done?”

A (name redacted) member of the costume department sent me a text message that said, “Thank you Kristi for caring about the people you are working with and about your craft.

Everything was well followed through on. You have been professional throughout a very arduous and challenging project as well as having to contend with the personal affronts and other bad behaviors from others around you.”

I will end on this quote for now. Thank you for taking the time to listen to my story of the alleged unlawful acts I experienced and reported within my working environment while designing on Killers of the Flower Moon. I am sharing my experience as protected under the Silenced No More Act in California, SB 331. Thank you to Mr. Newsom for signing off on SB 331, and for the brave women who I believe initiated it in the first place.

As mentioned on my website, I am dedicating this to my mom who encouraged me to be fearless… (that is her artwork on the cover) © 2023

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Links: British Vogue “We Are Coming Towards A Great Reckoning”: Lily Gladstone & Leonardo DiCaprio On Their Searing Period Drama, Killers Of The Flower Moon https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/leonardo-dicaprio-lily-gladstone-british-vogue-interview Costume Designers Guild Native Voices: We Are Still Here https://youtu.be/X-yZL_VkPkE?si=Xi_rjdzvaPGwIY62 Facebook Barry Friedman Indian Blankets https://m.facebook.com/BarryFriedmanIndianBlankets https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02Bf3Yd9yZKaa9vH7jkWw5oyf7iSqMXfwK 5R9rFGuf1Ww8myEArZDisJhXiWwjj5wfl&id=100057447819717 Hollywood Reporter Leonardo DiCaprio on Hollywood’s “Checkered Past” in Depictions of Native Americans: “We Need to Do More” https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/leonardo-dicaprio-interview-britishvogue-cover-killers-of-the-flower-moon-1235594048/ Martin Scorsese, ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Team on Importance of Telling the Film’s “Rough History” https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/martin-scorsese-killers-of-the-flowermoon-osage-nation-rough-history-1235603296/ Killers of the Flower Moon Cannes Press Conference https://youtu.be/WjTLEfFuPeM?si=jAR174Yg4NOT-CZ2 White House Remarks by President Biden at the Tribal Nations Summit https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/11/16/remarks-bypresident-biden-at-the-tribal-nations-summit/

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