The First Nations of North America band together to repatriate buffalo to their territories in Singing Back the Buffalo. In 2014, Blackfoot Elder Leroy Little Bear introduced a treaty with First Nations to reintroduce buffalo to their lands, restoring the interdependency between humans, buffalo, and the land. Over the next decade, herds of buffalo are transported from the Elk Island National Park Buffalo Conservatory to various indigenous territories across the continent.
Singing Back the Buffalo Synopsis
Singing Back the Buffalo is a documentary by Cree filmmaker Tasha Hubbard (nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up, Birth of a Family) about the efforts to reintroduce buffalo herds to their ancestral territories. The title of the film is in reference to indigenous stories about buffalo dancing to ceremonial songs. The reintroduction of the buffalo is also integral to climate change mitigation, due to how their presence affects the ecosystem.
My Thoughts on Singing Back the Buffalo
It can be said that Singing Back the Buffalo is an environmental film from an indigenous perspective. The First Nations believe in a symbiotic relationship between humans, the buffalo, and the land and the repatriation effort is the first step to healing the land. Tasha Hubbard creates a very hopeful worldview with Singing Back the Buffalo, in how bringing back these mighty beasts can help reverse the degradation caused by climate change.
Trailer for Singing Back the Buffalo – Hot Docs 2024
