In This Together, We Are One: The Buffalo Unity Project

American bison were pushed to the brink of extinction in the late 1800's, and with them, an entire Indigenous culture was nearly destroyed. Now, the Dakota and Nakoda people are re-connecting their youth to a culture that many thought to be lost forever. In their efforts, they bring hope, healing, and unity to a new generation.

The Buffalo Unity Project is a program created by Poplar Middle School on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana. The goal is to connect students to the importance of the buffalo to the Dakota and Nakoda people, and to teach them that communities thrive when they are united in common purpose.

Written and filmed by the students of Poplar Middle School, this film was produced in collaboration with MAPS Media Institute. The MAPS Media Lab taught students how to direct interviews, record sound, and operate camera and lights for one week in the Spring of 2019. MAPS then worked with Poplar Middle School to edit and finish the film.

For more information about MAPS visit: www.mapsmediainstitute.com