Wife a 2001 graduate of Eufaula High School
Reuben “Batt” DeRoin, 37, has been dancing in Native American ceremonies since the age of five.
Who would have thought that 32 years later he would be among the drummers, singers and dancers performing on-stage at the Oscars on March 10 in Hollywood.
Batt’s brother, Scott George, wrote the music and lyrics to “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” for the motion picture Killer’s of the Flower Moon, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone, who became the first Native American nominated for a Best Actress Oscar.
The music was nominated for an Academy Award and was performed by Batt and several other Native American musicians in front of an estimated 19.5 million viewers worldwide.
“Wahzhazhe” lost out to “What Was I Made For,” written by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell for the film Barbie.
Batt was disappointed. So were a lot of others.
“How much more original and authentic can you get? It was in our own language; using our own hand made instruments,” he said.
But that was probably the only disappointment for the Osage/Otoe performer, who was born and raised in Hominy – 21 miles south Pawhuska, County Seat of Osage County, and 40 miles northwest of Tulsa.
Afterall, how often does someone from rural Oklahoma get treated to a trip to Hollywood and rub elbows with an A-list of American celebrities?
The memories will last a lifetime.
The movie, based on a non-fiction book by journalist David Grann, was filmed in 2023 in Fairfax, 25 miles northwest of Hominy.
It depicts a tragic period in Osage history in the 1920s when tribal members, made wealthy by the discovery of oil on their property, were systematically murdered.
Batt lives in Hominy with his wife, Erin Saltsman, a native of Eufaula who still has a home there, and their son Parker. Erin graduated from Eufaula High School in 2001. Her father, Pecan Gordon, still lives north of Eufaula.
Though Batt, who works at the River Spirit Resort in Tulsa, only lives a few miles from Fairfax he said, “I didn’t watch the movie being made. I didn’t really want to go up there and be in the movie.”
But he was happy to accept an invitation by AppleTV +, producers of the film, to join the cast of performers.
He was one of 10 dancers who performed.
For most of his life he has spent countless hours and driven countless miles dancing in ceremonies around the state.
“Growing up, there were a lot of cultural outings, powwows all over the state. My uncles and aunts traveled with us. Mother took me, always to ceremonials,” he said.
He grew up steeped in his tribal culture in Osage County, noted mostly for oil and ranching. He is raising his son, Parker, to be a dancer. He has a 26-year-old son, Alex, who has been dancing since he was five.
Batt says he has been to California once, but not Hollywood.
AppleTV + flew the participants to Los Angeles.
“They had us on a plane Wednesday , March 6, and flew us out of Tulsa. Apple supported everything, transportation, hotel and everything.
“We were treated like movie stars ourselves, but it was mostly all business. They warned us, don’t be grabbing tickets to Disneyland,” he said.
There was a little free time, and he got to see the statue of Koby Bryant at Crypto.com Arena Star Plaza and he visited the Santa Monica Pier.
They were back at the Dolby Center at 4 p.m. the day of the Oscars.
After the ceremony, he attended an afterparty hosted by Apple, where they met a lot of stars, including Gladstone, who failed to win an Oscar; Kirsten Dunst and her husband, Jesse Plemons, who portrayed an FBI agent in the “Kill-ers” movie; David Allen Grier, an actor and comedian; actor Danny DeVito and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, among a host of others.
“They were all really nice and welcoming,” said Batt. “It was a Heck of an experience. I was thankful to be thought of. I just was happy to be able to go out and represent my district and my people.”
Now that they are back home, he and his family have returned to living their traditional lives.
“I grew up in tradition. My dad was 55 when he had me. He raised me in this way of life. This is my way of life. I conduct myself the best I can – every morning and every evening saying prayers.”
The whole experience, he said, was surrealistic, almost overwhelming.
He said he hopes the experience will open up more opportunities.
“Maybe not for us, but for others.”
