Indigenous history, resiliency and sovereignty take center stage in WKAR’s newest documentary series Before America.
Each episode of the five-part series explores key moments in Indigenous history before the revolutionary war.
WKAR Senior Producer Nicole Zaremba said the series came together as way to highlight this part of Michigan’s history and to compliment Ken Burn’s The American Revolution, which is currently running.
“Michigan wasn't a state at that time, so we wanted to figure out what was happening here in Michigan or the Great Lakes region,” she said. “This series really began when we noticed how often American history jumps straight to 1776, almost as if nothing meaningful happened before that.”
Zaremba said that although Michigan wasn’t a state, it was very much active politically, culturally and strategically.
She points to the unfolding of Pontiac’s Rebellion in 1763 as an example. The war spanned roughly three years and involved a coalition of tribes in the Great Lakes who attempted to drive out British settlers in the region.
The first episode picks up right around this period to Michilimackinac in northern Michigan, where a group of Odawa, Sauk and Ojibwe warriors take over a British fort using a game of lacrosse as a ruse.
During the game being played outside the fort, the warriors intentionally allow a ball to roll beyond the door of the fort. While they go retrieving the ball the warriors are given weapons from nearby Indigenous women who hid spears, clubs and knives under blankets.
Zaremba said she hopes people walk away from this story realizing how strategic and intentional these actions by the warriors were.
“The lacrosse game takeover was in some spontaneous revolt. It was brilliant planning by Indigenous communities,” she said. “Moments like that really showed resistance, not as chaos, but as strategy. I think that reframes a lot of what we thought we knew.”
The series can be found here.
Interview Highlights:
On how the series came about:
"This series really began when we noticed how often American history jumps straight to 1776, almost as if nothing meaningful happened before that. So we started asking what was happening in Michigan at that exact time period. Michigan wasn't a state yet, but the land was incredibly active, politically, culturally and strategically. Pontiac's Rebellion, for example, was unfolding right as the colonies were moving toward independence."
On the show's message to show where the fight freedom truly began:
"I've been telling a very narrow version of the quote freedom story for a while now. It usually starts with the colonists and the Declaration of Independence, but struggles for autonomy, land, identity and survival were happening long before that. So when you recognize that Indigenous nations were fighting for their freedom generations before the revolution, it changes the whole timeline. It broadens our understanding of what freedom meant on this continent, and who was fighting for it."
On what people should take away from the series:
"All of us that live here in Michigan should know that, the people that once lived here, and still live here, we should recognize. And the fact that this was a really cosmopolitan area, you would hear French, you would hear Indigenous languages that there was so much more to Michigan culturally before we actually became a state. So I just, I think stories like Pontiac's rebellion are stories that should be taught in all history classes here in Michigan especially."
Interview Transcript:
Melorie Begay: A new documentary series from WKAR-TV explores hidden moments of Indigenous history in the Great Lakes region during the pre-revolutionary era.
The series Before America explores Indigenous resistance, memory and sovereignty. Here to talk about the new series, is Senior Producer Nicole Zaremba good morning, Nicole.
Nicole Zaremba: Good morning.
Begay: How did this series come to be, and what made you want to focus on Indigenous history, specifically during the pre-revolutionary era?
Zaremba: Well, it kind of landed in our lap because we wanted to feature something to spotlight Ken Burns's American Revolution that is currently airing on PBS.
Obviously, Michigan wasn't a state at that time, so we wanted to figure out what was happening here in Michigan or the Great Lakes region at that time in history. So this series really began when we noticed how often American history jumps straight to 1776, almost as if nothing meaningful happened before that.
So we started asking what was happening in Michigan at that exact time period. Michigan wasn't a state yet, but the land was incredibly active, politically, culturally and strategically. Pontiac's Rebellion, for example, was unfolding right as the colonies were moving toward independence,
Begay: The first episode takes us to right around that time, to Michilimackinac in northern Michigan. It's 1763 and a group of Odawa, Sauk and Ojibwe warriors have a plan to take over a British fort using a game of lacrosse. Here's Eric Hemingway from the documentary series.
Eric Hemingway: ”So the game is going on. It's getting heated. There's a group of Anishinaabe women who are watching. They're like right against the backs against the fort, and they all have blankets on. They had weapons under the blankets, spears, clubs, knives, and as the Warriors throw the ball through the door, the British crack the door a little bit wider so they can let the warrior go and get the ball, the warriors run by the women, and the women hand off all the weapons.
Begay: So, Nicole, what do you hope viewers take away from moments of resistance like this?
Zaremba: You know, I hope they walk away realizing just how strategic and intentional these actions were. The lacrosse game takeover was in some spontaneous revolt. It was brilliant planning by Indigenous communities. Moments like that really showed resistance, not as chaos, but as strategy. So I think that reframes a lot of what we thought we knew.
Begay: This series aims to show where the fight for freedom truly began. Why is this message important?
Zaremba: You know, it's because we've been telling a very narrow version of the quote freedom story for a while now. It usually starts with the colonists and the Declaration of Independence, but struggles for autonomy, land, identity and survival were happening long before that. So when you recognize that Indigenous nations were fighting for their freedom generations before the revolution, it changes the whole timeline. It broadens our understanding of what freedom meant on this continent, and who was fighting for it.
Begay: As people watch this series, what do you hope people come away with?
Zaremba: All of us that live here in Michigan should know that, the people that once lived here, and still live here, we should recognize. And the fact that this was a really cosmopolitan area, you would hear French, you would hear Indigenous languages that there was so much more to Michigan culturally before we actually became a state. So I just, I think stories like Pontiac's Rebellion are stories that should be taught in all history classes here in Michigan especially.
Begay: And where can people watch the series?
Zaremba: You can watch the whole series on our YouTube channel, WKAR, our main channel, and just search before America. It's also streaming on our website@video.wkar.org,
Begay: Nicole Zaremba is WKAR TV's Senior Producer, you can find more information on the series and a link to the episodes at wkar.org. Thanks for being here, Nicole.
Zaremba: Thank you.
