Forty life-sized buffalo puppets traveled through Lower Manhattan on September 18 as part of Return of the Buffalo: Tatanka Owe Akupi, a public art procession connecting Indigenous memory, performance and the city's layered past.
The work, whose Lakota title translates as "buffalo trail home," follows a route through sites including Bowling Green, Federal Hall, the World Trade Center area and Chinatown. Its second and final program is set to continue in downtown Brooklyn on September 19.
A Living Route Through History
The project was created by theater writer and director Amir Nizar Zuabi in collaboration with descendants of the Lenape, New York's original Indigenous inhabitants, and Lakota elders. Their guidance shaped the procession's artistic direction and its reflections on the buffalo's enduring cultural importance.
Across nine historic locations in Manhattan, Native dance groups, gospel choirs and Lenape youth contributed performances that turned public spaces into shared stages. The event explores the buffalo's journey in the United States, including its restoration through Indigenous leadership and conservation efforts.
By bringing movement, storytelling and community participation into the urban landscape, the procession creates a contemporary encounter with traditions that remain deeply connected to land, identity and collective renewal.
Return of the Buffalo points to a future in which public art can help cities make more space for Indigenous knowledge, cultural dialogue and environmental awareness.
