Singing Back the Buffalo

{{Infobox film | name = Singing Back the Buffalo | image = | caption = Film poster | director = Tasha Hubbard | writer = Tasha Hubbard Bonnie Thompson Amethyst First Rider Leroy Littlebear | producer = Tasha Hubbard George Hupka Jason Ryle | narrator = Tasha Hubbard Leroy Little Bear | cinematography = George Hupka | editing = Hans Olson | music = John McMillan Melody McKiver | studio = Buffalo Song Productions Downstream Documentary Productions | distributor = Cinema Politica | released = {{film date|2024|2|24|Big Sky}} | runtime = 98 minutes | country = Canada | language = English }}

'''''Singing Back the Buffalo''''' is a Canadian documentary film, directed by Tasha Hubbard and released in 2024.<ref name=king>Randall King, [https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/2024/09/14/giving-a-voice-to-the-north-american-buffalo "Giving a voice to the North American buffalo: New documentary tells overdue story of bison ‘genocide’"]. ''Winnipeg Free Press'', September 14, 2024.</ref> The film profiles indigenous efforts to restore the buffalo to the North American plains ecosystem after the animals were driven to near extinction.<ref name=parker>Andrew Parker, [https://www.thegate.ca/film/066505/hot-docs-2024-review-singing-back-the-buffalo/ "Hot Docs 2024 Review: Singing Back the Buffalo"]. ''TheGATE.ca'', April 26, 2024.</ref>

The film follows the path of the buffalo during the spring, summer and fall of 2022, across the Northern Plains of Canada and the United States.<ref>Kayla MacInnis, [https://thestarphoenix.com/news/saskatchewan/cree-filmmakers-documentary-explores-buffalo-justice-and-a-vision-for-herds-returning "Cree filmmaker’s documentary explores 'buffalo justice' and a vision for herds returning"]. ''Saskatoon Star-Phoenix'', May 12, 2024.</ref>

==Production== In 2016, Hubbard was invited to film a historic transfer of buffalo, which were returned from Elk Island National Park to their original territory on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana.<ref>Tasha Hubbard, [https://www.cbc.ca/arts/tasha-hubbard-singing-back-the-buffalo-hot-docs-2024-1.7184511 "Buffalo deserve an epic film about their history — so I decided to give it to them"]. CBC Arts, April 25, 2024.</ref> However, she put the project on pause following the controversial death of Colten Boushie, and turned her attention to making ''Nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up'', her film about the Boushie incident which was released in 2019.<ref name=king/>

Hubbard was then approached to make other films about similar incidents of anti-indigenous violence, but returned to ''Singing Back the Buffalo'' after being convinced by her family that she needed to take a break from telling difficult stories and make a film that brought her joy.<ref name=king/> She resumed production on the film in 2022.<ref>Victoria Ahearn, [https://playbackonline.ca/2022/06/21/cameras-roll-on-tasha-hubbards-singing-back-the-buffalo/ "Cameras roll on Tasha Hubbard’s Singing Back the Buffalo"]. ''Playback'', June 21, 2022.</ref>

==Release== The film premiered at the 2024 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival,<ref>Taimur Sikander Mirza, [https://playbackonline.ca/2024/01/16/in-brief-singing-back-the-buffalo-to-world-premiere-at-big-sky-fest/ "In Brief: Singing Back the Buffalo to world premiere at Big Sky fest"]. ''Playback'', January 16, 2024.</ref> and had its Canadian premiere at the 2024 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.<ref name=parker/>

A shorter edit of the film was broadcast by CBC Television in March 2025 as an episode of ''The Nature of Things''.

== Awards == {| class="wikitable" |+ !Year !Award !Category !Title !Result !Ref |- |rowspan=11|2024 |DOXA Documentary Film Festival |Nigel Moore Award |rowspan=3|Tasha Hubbard |{{honored}} |<ref>Janet Smith, [https://www.createastir.ca/articles/doxa-documentary-film-festival-awards-2024 "Red Fever, Bye Bye Tiberias, and La Laguna del Soldado amid award winners at DOXA Documentary Film Festival"]. ''Stir'', May 11, 2024.</ref> |- |rowspan=2|Calgary International Film Festival |Best Canadian Documentary |{{honored}} |<ref>Aryn Toombs, [https://livewirecalgary.com/2024/09/26/calgary-international-film-festival-awards-the-assistant-now-eligible-for-academy-award-consideration/ "Calgary International Film Festival awards The Assistant, now eligible for Academy Award consideration"]. ''LiveWire Calgary'', September 26, 2024.</ref> |- |Audience Award |{{won}} |<ref>Nicholas Sokic, [https://playbackonline.ca/2024/10/09/audiences-fete-drive-back-home-tragically-hip-docuseries-at-ciff/ "Audiences fete Drive Back Home, Tragically Hip docuseries at CIFF"]. ''Playback'', October 9, 2024.</ref> |- |rowspan=8|Alberta Film and Television Awards |Best Documentary Production Over 30 Minutes |rowspan=2|Tasha Hubbard, Bonnie Thompson |{{nom}} |rowspan=7|<ref>[https://media.ampia.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/AMPIA-2024Rosies-Program-CMP.pdf "50th Annual Film and TV Awards"]. Rosie Awards, 2024.</ref> |- |Best Production Reflecting Cultural Diversity |{{nom}} |- |Best Director in a Documentary Over 30 Minutes |rowspan=2|Tasha Hubbard |{{nom}} |- |Best Screenwriter in a Documentary Over 30 Minutes |{{nom}} |- |Best Editor in a Documentary Over 30 Minutes |Hans Olson |{{nom}} |- |Best Overall Sound in a Documentary Over 30 Minutes |Johnny Blerot |{{nom}} |- |Best Original Music Score in a Documentary |John McMillan |{{nom}} |- |Best Narrator in a Web Program or Series |Tasha Hubbard |{{won}} |<ref>[https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/local-arts/this-too-shall-pass-calgarys-troy-greenwood-emily-howard-among-winners-at-50th-annual-rosie-awards "This Too Shall Pass, Calgary's Troy Greenwood, Emily Howard among winners at 50th annual Rosie Awards"]. ''Calgary Herald'', October 23, 2024.</ref> |- |2025 |imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival |Alanis Obomsawin Award for Best Documentary |Tasha Hubbard |{{won}} |<ref>Jamie Casemore, [https://playbackonline.ca/2025/06/11/seeds-takes-two-awards-at-2025-imaginenative/ "Seeds takes two awards at 2025 imagineNATIVE"]. ''Playback'', June 11, 2025.</ref> |}

== References == {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{IMDb title|21064852}}

Category:2024 films Category:2024 documentary films Category:Canadian documentary films Category:Documentary films about First Nations in Canada Category:English-language Canadian films Category:English-language documentary films Category:2024 Canadian films Category:Films directed by Tasha Hubbard