In 2005, Native spiritual leader and Vietnam veteran, Jim Miller had a
dream of arriving on horseback at a riverbank in Minnesota and seeing 38
of his Dakota ancestors hanged. At the time, Jim was unaware of the
largest mass execution in United States history, ordered by Abraham
Lincoln. Richard Whittaker writes, "I remember Silas telling us about
meeting a Native American elder [Miller,] who talked about a dream he'd
had, an important dream, one that he'd tried to ignore. But finally he
understood that the dream had to be re-enacted. There would be a ride of
Native Americans on horseback, over 300 miles across the Dakotas in the
dead of winter, a healing ride to the place where 38 Native Americans
had been hung during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. This ride would
have to be filmed the elder told Silas. "That's what you'll do," he'd
said. I remember feeling shocked by the story. I asked Silas, "Are you
going to do it?" He was. I didn't have to ask if there was any money
involved. I knew there wasn't. And I remember being alarmed."...
In this
beautifully wrought interview, Silas Hagerty shares the backstory of
his extraordinary film Dakota 38 and the profound challenges and
insights that accompanied its creation.
