Eric Hemenway

Before America is a cinematic documentary uncovering the Indigenous histories of Michigan long before the United States existed. From the 1763 uprising at Fort Michilimackinac to Odawa trail trees and the overlooked women of Fort Detroit, the film reveals how Anishinaabe nations shaped Great Lakes history and helped spark the chain of events that ultimately pushed the American colonies.

Frontier to Freedom unearths the rich and often overlooked history of Michigan, tracing its evolution from a vast, untamed wilderness inhabited by Indigenous peoples in 1600 to its emergence as the 26th State in 1837. Through a blend of expert interviews, archival imagery, animated maps, and stunning visuals, the film explores the region’s formative years, its history of war and conflict on the American frontier, and the complex socio-political forces that shaped its path to statehood.