Ohiyesa: The Soul of an Indian

Ohiyesa: The Soul of an Indian is a deeply personal family film that follows Kate Beane, an urban, Dakota scholar, and her family as they trace the remarkable life of their celebrated relative, Ohiyesa (Charles Eastman), an important author, activist, lecturer and one of the first Native American doctors. Along the way, Beane uncovers uncanny parallels between their lives, though they were born more than 100 years apart.

For the first time, Beane and other relatives reunite to share Ohiyesa's story through an indigenous perspective, considering questions their grandfather posed more than a century ago, such as how can indigenous people retain their cultural traditions and worldviews, while also working within institutions and a society that was created to oppress them?

Beane and her family search for the legacy of Ohiyesa, while trying to determine what their own legacy will be.

Ohiyesa: The Soul of an Indian is a co-production of Dakota Eastman Productions and Vision Maker Media. Major funding is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding provided by the people of Minnesota through an appropriation to the Minnesota Historical Society from the the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund.