Ken Burns’ Latest Chronicles the Slaughter and Revival of ‘The American Buffalo’
Jun 17, 2023 04:55AM ● By Content Editor
Photo: Buddy Squires photographs buffalo on the CSKT Bison Range in Montana for the upcoming Ken Burns documentary “The American Buffalo.” (Photo: Jared Ames)
By Erika Fredrickson, Montana Free Press via Native News Online - June 15, 2023
The film pays particular attention to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when bison were brought to near extinction and then, incredibly, revived. Classic western characters make appearances — Buffalo Bill Cody, for instance — and familiar ground is covered, but the film is notably centered on Indigenous experiences, focusing on bisons’ inextricable link to Indigenous people of North America for thousands of years and what happened when that link was attacked. Much of that story is told from Indigenous perspectives, through interviews with scholars, tribal leaders and land experts who provide worldviews and knowledge that disrupt the classic narrative.
“The American Buffalo” is a two-part, four-hour series that will premiere on PBS in October, although Burns will be in Missoula for a free preview June 8.
To read the full story, visit the Native News Online site here.
By Erika Fredrickson, Montana Free Press via Native News Online - June 15, 2023
The film pays particular attention to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when bison were brought to near extinction and then, incredibly, revived. Classic western characters make appearances — Buffalo Bill Cody, for instance — and familiar ground is covered, but the film is notably centered on Indigenous experiences, focusing on bisons’ inextricable link to Indigenous people of North America for thousands of years and what happened when that link was attacked. Much of that story is told from Indigenous perspectives, through interviews with scholars, tribal leaders and land experts who provide worldviews and knowledge that disrupt the classic narrative.
“The American Buffalo” is a two-part, four-hour series that will premiere on PBS in October, although Burns will be in Missoula for a free preview June 8.
To read the full story, visit the Native News Online site here.
