Diversity & Inclusion Committee Activities: Native American Heritage Month

After Custer's defeat at Little Big Horn and Chief Sitting Bull's subsequent surrender and execution, the Lakota Sioux set out on a 300-mile walk through South Dakota. Pursued by the Seventh Cavalry, they ended up at Wounded Knee where 350 Lakota were massacred, on December 28, 1890. Since 1986, young Lakota have retraced this 300-mile route on horseback as part of an annual tradition known as the Chief Big Foot Memorial Ride. In this intimate documentary, we accompany the riders - many of whom had ancestors at Wounded Knee - on this important journey.
Amid the stunningly photographed Badlands, the documentary captures the interactions between the young riders and the adult Lakota supervising the trek. The elders share their wisdom and knowledge, and reflect on their culture's history and traditions. For young riders, it's a transformational experience, as they open up about their fears and emotions and thoughts about the future.

Cory Mann is a quirky Tlingit businessman hustling to make a dollar in Juneau Alaska. He gets hungry for smoked salmon, nostalgic for his childhood, and decides to spend a summer smoking fish at his family's traditional fish camp. The unusual story of his life and the untold history of his people interweave with the process of preparing traditional food as he struggles to pay his bills, keep the IRS off his back, and keep his business afloat.