We are thrilled to congratulate EAGLE School eighth-grader Sahir Kamal, whose documentary Echoes on the Lake – Chippewa Spearfishing and Treaty Rights: The Walleye War earned national recognition through National History Day and was recently featured by Spectrum News as an “Everyday Hero.”
National History Day is an annual program in which middle and high school students choose a historical topic, conduct in-depth research using primary and secondary sources, and present their findings as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. Projects advance through regional and state contests to the national competition.
Sahir spent eight months and hundreds of hours creating his 10-minute film about the conflict over Chippewa spearfishing and treaty rights in Wisconsin in the late 1980s. As part of his research, he interviewed Patty Loew, a retired Northwestern University professor and member of the Ojibwe nation, who said his work “rivaled the projects that I’ve seen at the university level.”
At the national contest, Sahir received the Outstanding Affiliate Entry award, honoring a standout project from Wisconsin, as well as a National Honorable Mention. He is already preparing for next year’s competition.
We are so proud of Sahir’s curiosity, dedication, and commitment to telling stories of history that deserve to be better known.
Read the full story and watch the Spectrum News video here: Spectrum News article
And be sure to watch Sahir’s documentary on YouTube: Echoes on the Lake – Chippewa Spearfishing and Treaty Rights: The Walleye War
