Finally got around to watching a two-part Ken Burns documentary “The American Buffalo,” originally broadcast on PBS October 16-17.
It’s a beautiful, panoramic history of the life cycle of the buffalo as central to the culture of Indigenous People in America, the near total annihilation of the buffalo, the impact on Native Americans, and the struggle to resurrect free roaming buffalo herds on our country’s central plains.
Near the end of the second segment the documentarians focused on the birth several decades ago of a white buffalo with blue eyes. A white buffalo is revered by Native Americans as a sign that prayers have been heard and a better future is coming.
I didn’t need this documentary to enlighten me that a white buffalo possessed supernatural powers.
Growing up in the 1950s one of my favorite TV shows was “The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin.” The half hour show followed the exploits of Rusty, an orphaned youngster adopted by a calvary troop of Fort Apache, Arizona, after his parents and the rest of the members of their wagon train were killed by Indians. Rusty’s German shepherd dog was Rin Tin Tin. During each week’s exploits, Rinty saved Rusty and the troopers from outlaws, Indians or natural disasters (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Rin_Tin_Tin).
In a second season episode titled “Rin Tin Tin and The White Buffalo,” aired October 14, 1955, when I was 6-1/2, Rusty was invited to observe a buffalo herd. The adventure turned dangerous when the herd stampeded directly toward Rusty. At seemingly the last second the buffalo stopped running. It was only then that Rusty observed what the herd had seen—a white buffalo atop a hill. Rusty, and I, learned from Native Americans about the spiritual, mystical powers of a white buffalo.
Bald eagles are the national animal of the United States. They represent American values of freedom and strength. Eagles frequently are chosen as symbols of many countries, but the bald eagle can be found only in North America.
Buffalo, also known as bison, are similarly indigenous solely in North America. Named our national mammal in 2016 under the National Bison Legacy Act, the buffalo was hailed as a model of American freedom, strength and might.
The buffalo nickel was part of our national currency from 1913 to 1938. The nickel featured a relief of a Native American face on the front and a buffalo on the flip side. It also was called an Indian Head nickel. In 1938 it was replaced by a portrait of Thomas Jefferson on the front and a rendering of his home, Monticello, on the other side.
If you ever have a chance to view the Ken Burns two-part documentary spend the four hours learning about our history with North America’s largest mammal. You won’t regret it, but you will be saddened by our treatment of the buffalo and the Indigenous people who relied on the buffalo for sustenance and their way of life.
TV Alert: At least in the New York region covered by WNET-Channel 13, the two-part documentary will be rebroadcast January 5 and January 12.
