BISMARCK – A documentary film, “Dakota 38,” will be shown at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum on Thursday, Dec. 26, at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in the Russell Reid Auditorium. There is no charge for the film showings.

On Dec. 26, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln’s order to hang 38 Dakota men following the U.S.-Dakota War was carried out. This was the largest execution in United States history.

“Dakota 38,” an award-winning documentary produced by Smooth Feather Productions, tells the story of Jim Miller, a Vietnam veteran and Native spiritual leader who rode his horse from Lower Brule, S.D., to Mankato, Minn., to honor those executed there. Descendants of the Dakota 38 learned of Miller’s plan to retrace the 330-mile route and joined him on the journey through incredible physical hardships. Upon their arrival, the riders’ efforts were recognized by Mankato residents, furthering the understanding and reconciliation between Native American and white populations.