2020 Arkhaios Film Festival - Virtual Edition

DIGADOHI: Lands, Cherokee and the Trail of Tears

Expired October 12, 2020 3:59 AM
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DIGADOHI means lands in Cherokee, and the story of genocide and ethnic cleansing is recorded in the archaeology at places along the Trail of Tears and in the traditions and family histories of the Cherokee today. The film chronicles archaeological excavations at witness sites along the trail including the Snelson-Brinker farm in Missouri, where on July 4th, 2017 the historic cabin was burnt to the ground. Using cutting edge archaeological methods and archival research, researchers, community activists and Cherokee leaders work to rescue a historic property from the arsonist's flames and preserve the memory of the Cherokee who died there. 

The film chronicles a year of those investigations and weaves the family stories - European, African, and Native - that were unearthed along the Trail into the national story of America. 


ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Dobson is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and archaeologist who holds a PhD in Archaeology from The University of York and an MA in History from Central Michigan University. A former museum executive, Monty is perhaps best known for the award-winning public television documentary series America from the Ground Up. Dobson is the Board President of South Side Projections which presents films at locations across Chicago’s south side to foster conversation about complex social and political issues. In 2014 he co-founded Stratigraphic Productions with historian Andrew D Devenney to make engaging documentaries about science, history, and culture.


AWARDS and SCREENINGS:

Official Selection 2019 Tribal Film Festival, Tahlequah, Oklahoma. 

Official Selection 2019 30th Annual Festival of Archaeological Cinema, Rovereto, Italy

  • Year
    2019
  • Runtime
    61 minutes
  • Language
    English
  • Country
    USA
  • Director
    Monty Dobson
  • Producer
    Monty Dobson