Forty Bison Puppets Take Over Manhattan Streets in Indigenous History Tribute
Some 40 life-sized bison puppets, steered by about 170 volunteers, paraded through Manhattan on Friday as part of an art project honouring Indigenous history.
A herd of some 40 life-sized bison puppets moved through the streets of Manhattan on Friday, brought to life by around 170 volunteers in a public art project titled "Return of the Buffalo: Tatanka Owe Akupi."
The puppets stamped, roamed, meandered and grazed their way past city landmarks, including the New York Stock Exchange, drawing onlookers as they went. Each bison was steered by three puppeteers, with volunteers trained over three days to make the herd behave like wild bison — moving together as a group.
The project was created in partnership with Elders from the Lenape and Lakota Tribes, and the life-sized buffalo were built at St. Ann's Warehouse in Dumbo, Brooklyn.
Director Amir Nizar Zuabi said the story of the American buffalo is a painful one that is not told often enough. The animals were driven to near extinction, he said, hunted not for their meat but to exterminate them — a campaign that also pushed First Nations communities to the brink of starvation.
By bringing the herd back, Zuabi said, the project aims to introduce a different energy into the city and to prompt a different relationship with nature, the land and its original peoples.
He added that marching a large herd through the city raises questions about ownership — whose land lies beneath the tarmac, tall buildings, steel and glass — and about who moves aside for whom in a crowded city.
Puppetry director Craig Leo said the puppets are presented as wild animals that operate with a herd mentality, with certain bison acting as alpha leaders guiding smaller groups, as would happen in the wild. He described the bison as embodying a striking contrast: a huge, fearsome beast capable of taking out a car, yet also gentle, with a serene quality in its eyes.
The herd is scheduled to roam in Brooklyn on Saturday.