Dr. Joshua Nelson, a Cherokee Nation citizen scholar, talks with Dr. Farina King about his experiences in Italy and work on a documentary tentatively titled, "Trail of the Thunderbirds." His documentary film project features two Native American Medal of Honor awardees, Ernest Childers and Jack Montgomery of the 45th Infantry Division, known as the "Thunderbirds," during World War II. President's Associates Presidential Professor Dr. Nelson is an associate professor of English and affiliated faculty with Film & Media Studies, Native American Studies, and Women's & Gender Studies at the University of Oklahoma, focusing on American Indian literature and film. He is the author of Progressive Traditions: Identity in Cherokee Literature and Culture, and a co-producer of the PBS documentary Searching for Sequoyah (directed by James Fortier and produced by LeAnne Howe). He is also one of the leading organizers of the Native Crossroads Film Festival and Symposium at OU. He and his wife divide their time between Norman and Park Hill, Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma.

Resources:

Dr. Joshua Nelson's OU webpage
Searching for Sequoyah website- https://searchingforsequoyah.com
Native Crossroads Film Festival- http://www.nativecrossroads.org
Demichelis's Iperstoria Interview with Dr. Nelson
Oklahoma National Guard Museum website- https://www.okngmuseum.com
OU in Arezzo