SIX NATIONS — A new docuseries on the History Channel takes a deep look at the military service of Six Nations veteran Tom Longboat — the historic Onondaga runner who won the Boston Marathon.
Though Longboat was a sports celebrity in his day, less is known to the public about his military service during WWI.
Developed and produced by Lark Productions, Our War takes viewers on a real-life genealogical investigation that reveals the past through a younger generation. In the episode featuring Tom Longboat Longboat — the show follows his great grandson, Jagger Miller, on a journey to discover more about the military service of his great grandfather.
The Six Nations Elected Council heard an update from the production company in December 2021 of their plans to film the docuseries on the territory at the Woodland Cultural Centre. At the SNGR request a community showing was scheduled and was held at the Gathering Place on the Grand on November 6.
Longboat made history as the first Indigenous person to win the Boston Marathon in 1907, setting a new record for the course. He won various other races and competed in the Olympics before he headed off to war.
Longboat was a dispatch runner in the war, running messages back and forth between units.
The docuseries “OUR WAR” features Longboat’s story in episode 2 and was directed by Michael Bourquin, an award winning filmmaker from the Iskut First Nation, and is now available for streaming on StackTV.
