If there were one
emblem of Western history, it might be the American buffalo. In
Matthew Testa’s new documentary, The Buffalo
War, that emblem becomes the focal point for an
impassioned controversy. “The buffalo provide a mirror,” says
Testa. “They reflect how we see ourselves and our place in
wilderness. And that reflection is incredibly different, depending
on who you are.”
The film centers around
Yellowstone’s famous bison herd, which includes the last wild stock
in the lower 48 states. Each winter, some of the animals migrate
beyond the park’s snowy boundaries to search for forage. As the
bison descend into Montana’s neighboring Gallatin National Forest,
they carry brucellosis, a bacterial disease that once exacted large
tolls on the cattle industry. While no proof exists that buffalo
spread brucellosis to cattle, in an effort to control the disease,
Montana state officials have killed over 3,000 bison since 1985,
prompting fierce debate over their methods and their motives (HCN,
1/29/01: Montana, feds find common ground for
bison).
Testa introduces us to protesters like
Rosalie Little Thunder, a Lakota Sioux, who leads a 507-mile walk
to protest the slaughter, and Mike Mease, founder of the Buffalo
Field Campaign, an activist group that uses civil disobedience to
block buffalo capture. We also watch the six Munn brothers, who
graze their cattle on the Gallatin and struggle to save their
ranch.
The film contains the heart of Western
history and its multiple cultures, and opens a debate that should
resonate far beyond the boundaries of
Yellowstone.
The hour-long film aired on PBS
stations in the mountain states in November and should air again
early next year. For broadcasting schedules, visit
www.pbs.org/buffalowar; to order the film, call Bullfrog Films at
800/543-FROG or e-mail bullfrog@igc.org.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline The Buffalo War: a maelstrom of Western issues.
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