The American Buffalo

History Series / 1 Season

The dramatic story of America’s national mammal, which sustained the lives of Native people for untold generations, being driven to the brink of extinction, before an unlikely collection of people rescues it from disappearing forever. Ken Burns recounts the tragic collision of two opposing views of the natural world—and the unforgettable characters who pointed the nation in a different direction.

18m 36s / TV-14

Bring Them Home

18m 44s

An intimate look at the only indigenous tribal-led buffalo drive in North America, Bring Them Home follows members of the Blackfeet Nation as they experience the power of the American bison while driving their herd through rough terrain and hostile weather to their winter pasture --a rare ritual of stewardship that brings hope for a modern-day cultural rebirth.

Iniskim

9m 30s

Shot on the real-life Blackfeet buffalo drive and inspired by a true story, Iniskim follows a young woman’s journey from trauma to recovery. By reconnecting with the ancient power of the buffalo, the timeless landscape of her ancestors, and the wisdom of her culture, her life is changed forever.

The Wolakota Buffalo Project

5m 51s

The Rosebud Indian Reservation is moving forward on their Wolakota Project to bring the buffalo home to restore the Buffalo Nation. Wolakota means "The Lakota way of life." 40 square miles of ranchland owned by the reservation is being converted to a buffalo range. SDPB visits the leaders working on this monumental effort.

George Bird Grinnell and Early Conservation Efforts

6m 25s

George Bird Grinnell was a student of Lucy Audubon, the widow of the famous ornithologist and painter. She taught him how to observe and appreciate the natural world. More importantly, Lucy taught him to think about future generations and how they might live one day. Grinnell put Lucy’s lessons to work, fighting against the destruction of birds and other wildlife, including the buffalo.

Sitting Bull and the Wounded Knee Massacre

6m 21s

U.S. concern over a new Ghost Dance ceremony prompted the arrest of the Lakota Chief Sitting Bull. Dozens ended up dead, including Sitting Bull. Several hundred Lakotas headed toward the Black Hills to end things peaceably with the U.S. Army. En route, they camped at a creek called Wounded Knee. The next morning, more than 250 Lakotas – mostly women and children – were killed by U.S. soldiers.

Buffalo Bill and His Wild West Show

5m 23s

By 1889, Buffalo Bill Cody was the most famous American in the world. “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West” show promised “a year’s visit West in three hours,” complete with a stampede of buffalo – and the urban crowds couldn’t get enough of it. The show played an instrumental role in building a following in the country to save the buffalo from extinction.

The Buffalo Nickel and Bison Facts Today

9m 15s

The 1913 Buffalo Nickel raises important questions about the romanticization of the American West. Bison were brought back from the brink of extinction. Today conservation work continues in concert with the people whose lives have been intertwined with the buffalo for over 10,000 years. At least 80 tribes in 20 states control their own herds on nearly a million acres of tribal land.

Behind the Scenes | Making The American Buffalo

6m 31s

Ken Burns, Julie Dunfey and Dayton Duncan give us a behind-the-scenes look at the production of The American Buffalo. The film is biography of an animal, but also a window into a broader American history.

Official Trailer

30s / TV-PG

The American Buffalo, a new two-part, four-hour series, takes viewers on a journey through more than 10,000 years of North American history and across some of the continent’s most iconic landscapes, tracing the animal’s evolution, significance to the Great Plains, near demise, and relationship to the Indigenous People of North America.

A Legacy of Broken Promises

10m 24s

The U.S. government made treaties with Indigenous people when it was convenient, and broke these treaties when it was inconvenient. This recurring pattern made it increasingly difficult for Native people to live – and survive – as they once had.

Why Is Destruction Part of Our Story?

9m 59s

The scale of destruction of wild animals in the American West during the 19th century is the largest in known human history. When hide hunters ran out of buffalo, they turned to other animals to feed the market economy, from antelopes and elk to wolves and grizzly bears. Even scavenging animals could not escape the destruction.

Industrial Expansion West and Its Impact

8m 52s

After the Civil War, Americans set out with renewed energy to unite the East and West. They built railroads to span the continent, opening up vast areas for homesteaders and connecting distant metropolitan markets to domestic crops and cattle. The effect on the environment, the bison, and the Plains Indians was catastrophic.

Surprising Facts About the Buffalo

9m 40s

Did you know a buffalo can clear a six-foot fence? Or hit running speeds of 35 miles per hour? These animals may look strange and slow, but they’re "a souped-up hotrod of an animal hiding in a minivan shell." They were also driven nearly to extinction – but that’s only the beginning.

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