The American Buffalo

Spirit of a people. A story of resilience.

Ended First aired 16/Oct/2023 United States English 2 season(s) 4 episode(s)

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.

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TimeScore 33% Skip It

Binge Meter 48% Slow Burn

Episode Pulse Quiet 40% activity score

Drop Rate 0% Very Low

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Seasons & Episodes

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Season 1 · Miniseries

2 episode(s) · Air date: 16/Oct/2023

Season Overview

S1E2

Into the Storm

Air date: 17/Oct/2023 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 120 min

Summary

By the late 1880s, the buffalo that once numbered in the tens of millions is teetering on the brink of extinction. But a diverse and unlikely collection of Americans start a movement that rescues the national mammal from disappearing forever.

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S1E1

Blood Memory

Air date: 16/Oct/2023 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 117 min

Summary

For untold generations, America's national mammal sustained the lives of Native people, whose cultures were intertwined with the animal. Newcomers to the continent bring a different view of the natural world, and the buffalo are driven to the brink of extinction.

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Season 0 · Specials

2 episode(s) · Air date: 14/Aug/2023

Season Overview

S0E2

Homecoming

Air date: 14/Aug/2023 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 19 min

Summary

Homecoming chronicles the efforts of those working to rebuild Native American communities’ enduring relationship to the buffalo. At the turn of the last century, Yellowstone National Park helped to save the nation’s buffalo population from extinction. Now, in the 21st century, their Bison Conservation and Transfer Program is supporting buffalo restoration to the Plains and to the Indigenous people whose lives, spiritually and physically, were inextricably linked to the bison for thousands of years.

S0E1

The American Buffalo: A Story of Resilience

Air date: 14/Aug/2023 · Time: 20:00 · Runtime: 57 min

Summary

Judy Woodruff moderates a one-hour conversation with filmmaker Ken Burns and three experts: Jason Baldes, Rosalyn LaPier, and Dan Flores. The discussion explores lessons from the film - the early history and special relationship between native American people and the buffalo; its relation to the larger grassland and prairie ecosystems; and Tribal contributions to restoration of the buffalo today.