Crying over Older than America

'Older Than America' hits home for audience in CloquetIt touched Margaret Roth of Cloquet. Her grandparents had both attended boarding schools, and they constantly told her father what they had learned—he was worthless, he was nothing because of his American Indian heritage.

“My dad suffered so much, and he didn’t talk about it,” Roth said. She thought of her father as she watched the film and wept afterwards.And:“I have 50 years of memories of listening to my grandpa talk about running away from the boarding school, of the atrocities,” said Jeff Savage, director of the Fond du Lac Cultural Museum. He watched the film on Thursday. “I have literally seen my elders crying over their memories. I can still see the hurt in their eyes and hearts.”

Fond du Lac Band member Francis DeVerney of Cloquet can remember his mother talking about the era. “My mother was a product of the boarding schools,” he said. DeVerney’s grandparents had lived in boarding schools and, as a result, ended up sending their own children to foster homes. Seeing some of those experiences on the big screen made it seem more real, DeVerney said.Comment:  Sounds like a good film. I hope to see it eventually, if not soon.

For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Movies.