"Dakota 38" A Documentary Film

Minnesota History Center, St. Paul, In the spring of 2005, Jim Miller awoke from a dream in which 38 of his Dakota ancestors were hanged. According to Jim, at the time he knew nothing of the largest mass execution in United States history ordered by Abraham Lincoln on December 26, 1862. Four years later, Jim and a group of riders decided to retrace the 330-mile route of his dream on horseback across the Great Plains to arrive at the hanging site in Mankato, Minn. on the anniversary of the execution. This film is the story of their journey- the blizzards they endured, the communities that housed and fed them along the way and the dark history they are beginning to wipe away.Dakota 38 has been screened across the country, from Washington DC to Berkeley, CA, on reservations, at churches, at Historic Fort Snelling and at San Quentin Federal Prison. Join us for this free, public screening at the Minnesota History Center and be a part of the community dialogue about the ride and the film, and the ongoing impact of history.Coffee and dessert reception will follow the program.This event is made possible by the Legacy Amendment's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on Nov. 4, 2008