Black Indians: An American Story,” explores the issue of racial identity among Native and African Americans.

This in-depth documentary examines the coalescence of these two groups in American history. Discounted, and often ignored by mainstream America, these minority peoples have often shared a common past. However, with their heritage ignored and their contributions denied they are all but invisible at the dawn of the new millennium.

It was a black and white world in the early days of the Republic and little or no thought was given to people of mixed race, especially if they looked "black.” “We were told ‘if you could pass for white, that's who you'd be; if not, it was usually better to be identified as black than Indian,’" recalls Executive Producer Steven Heape. "It was this kind of thinking that later led to ‘pencil genocide’--changing one’s race on a birth certificate to fit the skin color of the child.”

Directors: Chip Richie

Format: Color, DVD, NTSC

Language: English

Number of discs: 1

Rating: G (General Audience)

Studio: Rich-Heape Films

DVD Release Date: January 1, 2004

Run Time: 60 minutes

VHS & DVD