Movie Monday: The Forgotten Slavery of Our Ancestors

Now featuring a Conversation Guide from our new Teacher Tools site!

This week’s Movie Monday is part of our continuing spotlight on See Stories’ new Conversation Guides, now available through our Teacher Tools site. These resources are designed to help educators, students, and community members engage deeply with culturally relevant films and stories — and the conversation they spark.

One of the most powerful examples is The Forgotten Slavery of Our Ancestors, a short documentary that introduces a long-overlooked truth: the widespread enslavement of Indigenous peoples across what is now the United States. As historian Andrés Reséndez reminds us, “This is our shared history.”

Directed and edited by Howdice Brown III and produced by Marie Acemah of See Stories and Alice Qannik Glenn of Coffee & Quaq, this film recasts our understanding of American history. It brings to light the system of Indigenous enslavement that predated and shaped African enslavement and persisted well into the 19th century.

The film features stories from Wampanoag and Alaska Native communities, expert historical analysis, and a deeply human appeal for inclusive education. It challenges us to rethink what we’ve learned—and what we’ve left out.

🎥 Watch the film: The Forgotten Slavery of Our Ancestors or click the still below to watch!

Discussion Questions

• How can we honor and share Indigenous stories about slavery in our history?

👉 Explore the Conversation Guide for this film here:
The Forgotten Slavery of Our Ancestors Conversation Guide

 Want access to more culturally responsive resources?
Register now for the Teacher Tools community to see everything we have to offer:
https://seestoriesalaska.org/teachertools

🌿 Continue the Conversation with Our New Conversation Guides

We’re excited to unveil our new conversation guides—a tool designed to help viewers deepen engagement with the themes explored in See Stories films. These guides provide thoughtful, accessible questions and cultural context to support meaningful dialogue in classrooms, community spaces, or at home.

Developed in partnership with the Alaska Humanities Forum as part of their Kindling Conversation initiative, these guides are a part of a broader effort to foster empathy, connection, and understanding across Alaska.

We also offer a full lesson plan to accompany the film and a growing library of lesson plans on our Teacher Tools online community. Register today to access for educators who want to bring cultural storytelling into the classroom! If you’re an educator interested in integrating storytelling and cultural preservation into your classroom, check out Teacher Tools—our online community where educators can access free lesson plans, digital storytelling resources, and more.

🔗 Explore the new conversation guide for this film and others on our *New* Teacher Tools Community: See Stories Teacher Tools Community
🔗Find out more about our new Teacher Tools online community here: What to Expect from Our New Curriculum

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Join us back here for our next Movie Monday, a weekly showcase of student- and educator-produced films from our workshops across Alaska. Each film tells a unique story—shedding light on history, cultural traditions, and pressing social issues.