The American Buffalo: A Mythic Tale of Survival and Loss is set to premiere on October 16-17 on Montana PBS. Directed by Ken Burns, this two-part, four-hour documentary delves into the biography of the American buffalo—a creature that has been intertwined with countless legendary and heart-wrenching stories in American history.
The documentary will air at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on both nights and can be found on the Montana PBS website schedule. Montana, with its rich history, plays a significant role in the film. The production team began their promotional tour in Missoula in June, hosting a public event with Montana PBS and visiting the CSKT Bison Range.
Shot throughout the state, the film features renowned locations like First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park, Flying D Ranch, Fort Belknap, and Yellowstone National Park. Interviews with Montanans such as Steven Rinella, Michael Punke, George Horse Capture Jr., Rosalyn LaPier, Marcia Pablo, and Germaine White are also included in the documentary.
Spanning over 10,000 years of North American history, The American Buffalo takes viewers on a captivating journey across some of the continent’s most iconic landscapes. According to Ken Burns, the series tells a quintessentially American story that encapsulates unforgettable tales and individuals. It also serves as a morality tale, highlighting the detrimental impact humans can have on the natural world, as well as the importance of working together to preserve our environment.
Ken Burns emphasizes that the story of the buffalo is inherently tied to the Native nations that relied on it for survival. The documentary was written by Dayton Duncan, who has also authored the companion book titled Blood Memory: The Tragic Decline and Improbable Resurrection of the American Buffalo, which will be published by Knopf in conjunction with the broadcast.
Julie Dunfey, a long-time colleague of Ken Burns, produced the series. Julianna Brannum, who is a member of the Quahada band of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma, served as a consulting producer, while W. Richard West Jr., a Cheyenne and the founding director and director emeritus of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian, acted as the senior adviser.
With its compelling storytelling and exploration of America’s history, The American Buffalo: A Mythic Tale of Survival and Loss promises to be a must-watch documentary. By shedding light on the buffalo’s significance and the crucial lessons it imparts about our relationship with the natural world, the film offers viewers a chance to reflect on our past and our collective responsibility to preserve our environment.
