Reclaiming History: Our Native Daughters(2021)

Witness the recording of an album that gives a voice to the centuries-long struggles of Black women.

Reclaiming History: Our Native Daughters is a documentary following four Black female musicians—Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell—as they create a landmark album for Smithsonian Folkways. Recorded in a Louisiana bayou studio and performed across the country, the film captures their collaborative effort to reclaim and reinterpret overlooked chapters of American musical history. The musicians blend traditional folk roots with contemporary sound, centering Black women's narratives and cultural contributions that have long been marginalized. Through intimate studio sessions and live performances, the documentary reveals how these artists excavate buried histories and forge new artistic meaning from America's complex past. Their work becomes both a musical statement and an act of historical reclamation.