Jay Rohr
Stories I Didn’t Know is a curious spinoff. What starts as a story about family heritage soon leads to an honest reckoning with history. It’s a tale oddly shared by many U.S. citizens, especially those with a certain ancestry. In a way, the documentary is an invitation to reconcile old wounds that still plague the country. It’s just a shame the film isn’t more compelling.
Inspired by revelations learned during the filming of Burren Girl (2020), Rita Davern decides to pursue facts about her family that may not be flattering. It soon comes to light that her ancestors came to the United States and participated in the theft of land from the Dakota people in Minnesota. This unsettling revelation spurs Rita into the pursuit of efforts to help with the Land Back Movement, a Native American endeavor to reclaim lost land.
Stories I Didn’t Know desires to be a warts and all presentation of the past. Rita’s family history is remarkably like a great many U.S. citizens. The farther back one’s roots go the more likely they touch a similar situation, either buying stolen land or outright participating in the forced removal of native peoples. As the documentary points out, Minnesota Governor Alexander Ramsey offered a $200 dollar bounty to anyone who killed a Dakota person. In that respect, Stories I Didn’t Know takes an unflinching look at a part of history many would rather ignore.
Rita’s own family is an interesting microcosm of these conflicting attitudes. Their varied perspectives are made plain, yet the most intriguing is her older brother Bill. His resistance to her project not only adds drama to the narrative, but it also shows how a certain percentage of the population feels about the subject.
The problem, though, is that Stories I Didn’t Know doesn’t have many stories. There is a broad concept of stolen land and natives forced to live in concentration camps. But Rita’s family history isn’t a concrete narrative. It’s a few factual dots with a certain degree of speculation. That her family arrived in Minnesota then purchased parcels of land is indisputable. There’s also no denying this land belonged to the Dakota. Outside of that, what the Daverns did or didn’t do is largely left to the imagination. As such, they’re guilty enough to be responsible for the sins of Manifest Destiny yet never presented in a way that makes them despicable.
Make no mistake, the theft of native lands is a serious issue that contemporary U.S. citizens need to contend with. The dilemma here is that the documentary suggests it’s going to offer some historical account it never really produces. The personalization of the atrocity doesn’t need this one family to make it more real. Yet, some may argue Rita is using her white privilege in the best way possible by raising awareness. It just seems that the point of the documentary is made clear early on, but instead of expanding the narrative scope, the fixation on the Davern family results in a certain repetition. What could have been a tight short film is drawn out into a 74-minute feature. That’s because Stories I Didn’t Know tends to reiterate points its already made.
Co-director Melody Gilbert is no stranger to documentaries. Consequently, when the film feels amateurish that seems intentional. It has a degree of charm. Stories I Didn’t Know sometimes feels like it was composed with modest equipment then edited on a personal computer. This gives it a home movie vibe as opposed to a slick production. Those qualities never undermine the main message. However, they do become increasingly noticeable as the documentary pads itself with filler.
There’s a cynical way of looking at this movie. It’s very easy to feel like this is a tale of white guilt getting eased by someone making a documentary about how bad they feel. Still, there is a sincere desire to confront the open wound of Native American displacement. Stories I Didn’t Know does try to include representative voices of the Dakota population. Mainly, Ramona Kitto Stately who often has the most interesting information on the subject. There are also fantastic displays of amazing art produced by native peoples.
The real issue, though, is that what is shown of Rita’s efforts to become an activist does not inform much. She’s shown making some phone calls and having meetings which don’t lead to anything. With whom she’s interacting seems like a limited pool, plus she rarely seems to be getting in touch with government officials, the people most likely to enact change.
Based on a Q&A at the 10th Annual Irish American Movie Hooley, where I saw the film, Rita’s biggest contribution to the cause is touring with this documentary. She then tells people how it took eight years to put together and basically encourages viewers to investigate the issue on their own. Stories I Didn’t Know is essentially a call for audiences to go home and google activism regarding the Land Back Movement.
Rita’s story is one of confronting a cultural blindness many have without being aware. There are elements of the past not being taught on purpose, and Stories I Didn’t Know does desire to make people question their own stances. Granted, it’s an important message. And if you’ve read this far, perhaps feel a desire to investigate the Land Back Movement, which I strongly encourage you to do, there’s no need to see this movie. The feelings it intends to stir up are already there.
However, for a curious look at one person’s awakening to activism, the film is brief. The only downside is that it doesn’t offer much direction on what to do if it does inspire. It’s like being told to carry a light in the dark but not how to turn it on.
