15 minutes that'll make you rethink who really owns the water.
"The First People Taking Care of the Fishery" are the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, the largest indigenous tribe east of the Mississippi. For generations, they have been stewarding the fisheries of their Great Lakes territory in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. This project explores the cultural and economic importance of the fishery to the tribe and how use historic and sustainable practices to ensure a healthy fishery and preserve their way of life for the next seven generations in the face of climate change and invasive species.
Cinematography
Lake Superior as character—vast, moody, alive.
Direction
Finn Ryan lets elders speak, never over-narrates.
Production
Intimate access to sacred practices rarely filmed.
Director
Finn Ryan
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The Anishinaabe seven generations principle isn't metaphor—it's literal treaty law embedded in tribal governance, predating Western sustainability frameworks by centuries.
Director Finn Ryan spent two years building trust before filming; tribal members operate their own cameras for sacred ceremonies, making this true collaborative cinema.
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