The Lessons of Minidoka: Broadcast Documentary and Education Project

In 2018 we were also awarded a Japanese American Confinement Sites grant to produce an hour-long documentary for national public television and a 7th- 12th grade educational curriculum package, through a partnership with Portland-based film company North Shore Productions. This project allows us to expand the 27-minute orientation film created by North Shore for the National Park Service being screened in the Minidoka visitor center. These films are almost entirely oral history driven, and strive to tell the story of Minidoka and its relevance to civil liberties today primarily through first-hand interviews with survivors and descendants of incarcerees. Our project is moving along, with a first draft of the script complete and focus groups with educators and partner institutions underway. 

As the JACS grants are 2-1 matching awards and require additional fundraising towards the projects, we are thrilled to announce that we have received generous support towards from the Freeman Foundation and the Regional Arts and Culture Council. We are immensely grateful for their support of this critically important project of bringing the Minidoka story into classrooms. However we still have additional fundraising to do, so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you are interested in supporting this project and helping us reach the finish line!