Independent Lens

Facing the Storm: Story of the American Bison

From the first Americans who relied on bison for food, shelter and clothing, to modern wildlife conservationists who are struggling to re-establish a place for bison in the Great Plains, Facing the Storm introduces viewers to a rich history of conservation and spiritual relations with the ultimate icon of wild America.

Facing the Storm: Appreciating the Animal That Symbolizes th

49s

Watch an excerpt from the Independent Lens film, Facing the Storm, in which the American Bison is described as a window looking out onto a vanished world and a living symbol of the American West.

Previews + Extras

  • Is There Room for the American Bison in America Anymore?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Is There Room for the American Bison in America Anymore?

    S13 E20 - 2m

    The bison is an enduring symbol of America, and yet it stands on the brink of collapse. Cattle ranching, urban sprawl, and sport hunting has squeezed the beast from the Great Plains it once dominated. Is there room for the American bison in America anymore?

  • Facing the Storm: Nearing Extinction, the Buffalo Was Hunted: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Facing the Storm: Nearing Extinction, the Buffalo Was Hunted

    S13 E20 - 2m 26s

    By the early 1880s, buffalo were on the verge of extinction. Ironically, one man, William T. Hornaday, decided that hunting down and stuffing them was the best way to preserve these majestic animals. During one hunting expedition, Native Americans decorated the body of one of fallen buffalo, revealing their reverence for the buffalo.

  • Facing the Storm: Remembering Big Medicine and the Big Bison: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Facing the Storm: Remembering Big Medicine and the Big Bison

    S13 E20 - 4m 44s

    In 1933, a white buffalo was born on the National Bison Range in Montana. He was named "Big Medicine" by the Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Valley. White buffalo are sacred to many Native American tribes. In the companion video to the documentary "Facing the Storm," we see a special ceremony held in 2006 commemorating this earlier appearance.

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