Last updated: May 21, 2026
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Up and Down the River: Film and Forum
NPS Graphic. Movie poster courtesy of Mohegan Tribe.
Up and Down the River
Film and Forum
Thursday, June 11, 2026
Bunker Hill Community College
6 pm - 7:30 pm
Join the National Parks of Boston and Bunker Hill Community College for a screening and discussion of the Mohegan Tribe’s historical film Up and Down the River.
Spanning the colonial and American Revolutionary eras, Up and Down the River delves into the difficult decisions made by members of the Mohegan Tribe at these pivotal periods in both tribal and U.S. history. Featured in this film is the Ashbow family, including Hannah and her son Samuel Ashbow Jr. Choosing to fight alongside the American colonists, Samuel Ashbow Jr. died at the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775, becoming one of the first Indigenous soldiers to die in the American Revolution.
Following the film showing, there will be a reflective conversation between Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel (Mohegan, Council of Elders Vice Chair and co-writer of the film) and endawnis Spears (Diné/ Ojibwe/ Chickasaw/ Choctaw, Co-Founder, Akomawt Educational Initiative).
Event is free and open to the public. Please register in advance via Eventbrite.
About the Film
Up and Down the River is a 20-minute educational film that centers Mohegan nuanced perspective of and participation in the American Revolution. In siding with the American colonists, Mohegans faced sacrifices as they sought to preserve Mohegan sovereignty, identity, and cultural traditions. Some Mohegan soldiers, such as Sameul Ashbow Jr., gave their lives for the cause of Mohegan and American independence. Mohegan women faced the loss of family members, as well as their social and political rights. Through these losses, generations of Mohegan women resiliently preserved their traditions, language, and identity to ensure the future of the Mohegan nation.
Up and Down the River was co-written by Council of Elders Vice Chair Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel and her daughter Film Director Madeline Sayet. The National Parks of Boston helped the Mohegan Tribe secure funding to produce this film through the National Park Foundation.