November’s installment of the Livingston Film Series will feature two short films with a Q&A and intermission in between.

 7 PM:

Big Medicine: York Outdoors explores the untold story of York, the only African American member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Enslaved by Captain William Clark, York did not choose to be part of this journey, yet his significant contributions as a hunter, guide, caretaker, and intermediary in interactions with Tribal Nations are chronicled in the journals of Expedition members as well as in accounts from the tribes they met along the way. The Arikara tribe referred to him as Big Medicine for his strength and the color of his skin. 

Produced in partnership with the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail and NEW Multimedia, and distributed by the Lewis & Clark Trail Alliance, this powerful documentary follows a group of Black outdoor leaders on a four-day expedition through Montana’s Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. Their journey retraces the path of the original Corps of Discovery while honoring York’s legacy and highlighting the healing, empowerment, and joy that the natural world can offer.

This film follows eight educators and environmental stewards as they retrace York’s steps on a four-day river trip along the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. On their journey to revive York’s story, they explore themes of recreation access for people of color, and the joy and healing that the outdoors can provide.

The film is a collaborative effort between Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail and NEW Multimedia, as part of Big Medicine: The York Project, an initiative to bring York’s story to the foreground.

Mr. Norm Miller (film outfitter and guide) will conduct a post film Q&A.