“We have the songs, we have the stories, but we don’t have the Buffalo”

In Indigenous traditions, the Buffalo symbolizes respect, as it gives all parts of itself to sustain the lives of the people, as not to limit its own value, but rather to find balance between itself and the needs of others. Tasha Hubbard has created a piece of living history, focused on the dedication and trails of different Indigenous groups throughout Canada bringing the Buffalo back to their home land – after the disappearance of the animal due to the colonization of our country from white settlers. 

Hubbard explores and describes the intergenerational trauma passed through generations of Indigenous peoples correlating with this disappearance, and how by getting rid of the Buffalo and replacing them with Cattle, it signified the genocide of Indigenous peoples and their cultural values. Throughout the film, the viewer gets a firsthand look into the difficult efforts communities have made to bring the Buffalo back onto Canadian soil. It also looks into the cultural significance of these herds coming back to their native lands to benefit the multispecies ecosystem. The buffalo is key to the restoration of our ecosystems, Indigenous food sovereignty, and allowing individuals to build connections back with cultural experiences integral to who they are and where they come from.

This documentary is one that speaks to our history as Canadians. As I explain to my students learning about the importance of Indigenous perspectives and the understandings of the immigrants that now call this land our home, we all walk in the footsteps of the people before us. The key to understanding ourselves is learning through the perspectives of others, and Hubbard has created a film that speaks to the importance of understanding who we are, and what here truly matters.