Award Winning videographer David Hinshaw is the force behind the upcoming documentary, "The Right to Bury Their Own," which is intended to help the Waccamaw Indian People in South Carolina obtain recognition by the federal government as an official Indian tribe.
Hinshaw’s television and video career spans over 30 years and includes a wide variety of production experience. He has worked with many independent documentary makers and has produced three documentaries of his own.
David’s work has taken him to 28 countries in Africa and Europe. His experience includes Live Sporting Events, News, Documentaries, Music Videos, Image Pieces, Training Videos, Reality TV, and Fund Raising Videos for non-profit organizations. Volunteering for the Democratic Party of Horry County South Carolina, David continues producing web and broadcast videos.
David holds a masters degree; received a National Endowment for Arts grant; won three southeastern Emmys and winner of COVR awards and Video Librarian Best Video.
"We are grateful that David has agreed to lead this effort to bring understanding to the need for our people to be recognized by the federal government," said Harold "Buster" Hatcher, chief of the Waccamaw. "He is an outstanding talent and is committed to our cause. We are hopeful to gain enough financial support to bring this important project to reality."
Film Details
In “A Right to Bury Their Own,”the viewer will learn the story of the Palmetto State’s original inhabitants, and the difficult and seemingly discriminatory roadblocks they are trying to overcome. The film will explore the determined efforts of the 550 members of the Waccamaw Indian People to obtain the right to bury more than 600 ancestors, only to be blocked by the federal government. I
Most of the Indians’ ancestral remains have been unearthed at construction sites and roadbuilding projects and the Waccamaws desire to inter them in a respectable and sustainable manner. Those remains now are stored in museums; not on display, but stuffed unceremoniously into boxes and warehoused.
Before the Waccamaws can properly bury their ancestors, they must be officially recognized as a tribe by the federal government in order to gain access to those remains. Although the State of South Carolina has recognized the tribe, the federal requirements are virtually impossible to meet.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) requires the Waccamaws to show unbroken lineage from the first ancient Indian until today, a virtual impossibility since no records were kept by early Indians. Without this recognition, the ancestral remains are considered federal property and will not be released to the Waccamaws for burial.
Like most indigenous native Americans the Waccamaws had no written language, much less documentation of births, marriages and deaths, so the regulatory requirements of the federal government simply cannot be met unless they are modified or unless Congress passes legislation to recognize them.
The film will explore the history and contributions of this peace-loving people, their service to our nation, their care for the land and our environment, the sacred rites of burial, why honoring indigenous Americans’ rites should be both permitted and honored, and what all of this means to the descendants of South Carolina’s first inhabitants.
To help meet the $50,000 budget for the documentary's production, a Go Fund Me campaign has been established with an initial goal of $20,000. All tax deductible contributions are welcome and much appreciated. To support the Go Fund Me campaign, please click here.
The Waccamaws were among South Carolina's original inhabitants. They have served our nation honorably and well, many fighting and sacrificing their lives on the battlefield for America. They contribute to the South Carolina economy and the wellbeing of the Palmetto State, and their heritage deserves to be recognized, respected and honored.
Please help the Waccamaws and support the tribe's Go Fund Me campaign so this documentary can be completed.