A herd of 40 life-size buffalo puppets will move through Downtown Brooklyn on Sept. 19 as part of Return of the Buffalo: Tatanka Owe Akupi, a large-scale public art event connecting performance with Indigenous history and storytelling, according to Playbill.
The Brooklyn procession will run from 2:00 to 4:30pm, traveling from Abolitionist Place to Brooklyn Bridge Park. Artistic events will take place along the route as the buffalo move through streets, parks, plazas and other public spaces.
Produced by St. Ann’s Warehouse, The Walk Productions and KBH Arts, the two-day event will begin in Lower Manhattan on Sept. 18 before coming to Brooklyn the following day. The Manhattan procession is scheduled for 5:00 to 7:30pm, beginning at Bowling Green Park and ending at Foley Square.
Playwright Amir Nizar Zuabi created the project in partnership with Elders from Lenape and Lakota communities. First Nations participants include Lenape elder John Thomas Delaware, Tokala Two Elk, a Lakota Sicuga elder, Jason Baldes of the Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative and members of the Shawnee Tribe and Delaware Nation.
The Brooklyn procession will feature music, dance and other performances from artists including Rhiannon Giddens, Laurie Anderson, Nathalie Joachim, Native Pride Dancers, Pilobolus, Fogo Azul marching band, Heather Christian and the Terce Choir and Brooklyn United Marching Band. More artists are expected to be announced.
The buffalo were designed by Ukwanda Puppets of South Africa, a Cape Town collective, under the direction of puppetry director Craig Leo. The lifelike puppets are made from recycled and recyclable materials, including plywood, metal and burlap.
The project draws on the buffalo's cultural significance to Indigenous communities while bringing the story into New York City's public spaces. In Brooklyn, the Sept. 19 procession will combine large-scale puppetry with live performances and community gatherings along a route linking Abolitionist Place with Brooklyn Bridge Park.
