Overview:
An ambitious art event brings buffalo to NYC.
Later this month, a herd of buffalo will flow through the streets of New York in an art event honoring the animals that sustained many Native American tribes and once roamed the country in the tens of millions.
The event, dubbed Return of the Buffalo: Tatanka Owe Akupi, was created by award-winning theatre director and playwright Amir Nizar Zuabi in collaboration with Elders from Lenape and Lakota communities.
The buffalo won’t be the living, breathing beings that are intrinsically tied to many Native cultures; instead, they will be life-size puppets created out of recycled and recyclable materials, including plywood, metal, and burlap, designed by Cape Town collective Ukwanda Puppets and world-renowned puppetry director Craig Leo. The puppets will be operated by 150 volunteer puppeteers.
The herd will follow a route through Lower Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn, joined by civic leaders, gospel choirs, dance troupes, marching bands, prominent musicians, and tribal leaders at parks, plazas, squares, and other historically significant locations. Buffalo advocates and culture keepers from across Indian Country will participate in select events throughout, including Jason Baldes of Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative; Lenape elder John Thomas Delaware; Eric and Aubree Wensman (Shawnee Tribe); Lakota Sicuga elder Tokala Two Elk, ; Delaware Nation Cultural Preservation Director Sonnie Allen; and Delaware Nation Cultural Events Coordinator and elder Evelyn Kionute.
Featured artists include Rhiannon Giddens, Laurie Anderson, Nathalie Joachim, Dither, Caridad De La Luz, Cannupa Hanska Luger, Native Pride Dancers, Pilobolus, Fogo Azul marching band, Heather Christian and the Terce Choir, and Brooklyn United Marching Band.
The event kicks off on Friday, Sept. 18, when the buffalo herd will march through Lower Manhattan from 5:00–7:30 PM, starting at Bowling Green Park and ending in Foley Square, with artistic events popping up along the route.
On Saturday, Sept. 19, the herd will march through Downtown Brooklyn from 2:00–4:30 PM. The Brooklyn procession will travel from Abolitionist Place to Brooklyn Bridge Park, with artistic activations along the way.
The event is free and open to the public.
