Fugitive slave experience forces participants out of comfort zones for better understanding of struggles, dangers

FISHERS, Ind., Nov. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- On the run, Dominique King sensed that something bad was about to happen. In heavy woods and darkness, the Michigan man walked softly while constantly looking over his shoulder in fear he was going to be caught. He was.

King was ordered to the ground. He was told he was going to be strung up in the trees and killed. King was yelled at, intimidated, berated and confined with a small group of others while their captors talked about what to do next.

Then, someone yelled to run.

"I didn't hesitate," he said. "I struggled to my feet and we all just ran."

King participated in Follow the North Star, a program that recreates some of the conditions, struggles and dangers that fugitive slaves in 1836 experienced as they navigated Indiana's terrain and sought northern freedom.

The scenario: Guests are slaves brought north by their owner, who decides to sell them at an illegal nighttime auction in the woods. Throughout their 90-minute ordeal through the historic grounds of Conner Prairie in Fishers, Ind., they capitalize on multiple opportunities to escape but must avoid slave traders and choose whether to trust sympathizers.

None of the horrors or atrocities of slavery are depicted and no vulgar language is used. But participants are forced out of their comfort zones for a realistic historic recreation.

"Follow the North Star is a drama and guests are the characters," said Conner Prairie President and CEO Ellen Rosenthal. "The intent of the program aligns with Conner Prairie's mission to immerse guests through hands-on experiences that lead to a much higher level of learning than takes place from studying a textbook or watching a documentary."

The program ends as guests encounter a visionary who shares their eventual fate – some are tortured, others captured, some die and a few find freedom. A debriefing session allows participants to share their feelings, ask questions and learn more about Indiana's role in the Underground Railroad.

After the program, facilitators draw correlations between 1836 slavery and today's human trafficking, bullying and equal rights struggles.

Sponsored by Fifth Third Bank, Follow the North Star debuted at Conner Prairie in 1998 and is offered in November and April. Nearly 30,000 guests, including more than 17,000 students ages 12 and older, have participated in the last five years. The program has earned national awards from the American Association of Museums and American Association for State and Local History.

Spanning 800 wooded acres in central Indiana, Conner Prairie Interactive History Park welcomes more than 340,000 guests of all ages annually. Five outdoor, historically themed destinations and indoor experiential learning spaces combine history with science, technology, engineering and math and offer an authentic look into history that shapes society today.

CONTACT
Duane Brodt
[email protected]
(800) 966-1836

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141103/156146

SOURCE Conner Prairie