Bronxites, Heads Up: Life-Size Buffalo Will Roam NYC Streets This September
- Damian Ali
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
A life-size Return of the Buffalo puppet displays the natural fibers, stitched fabric, and structural details used in its design. Image courtesy of Ant Strack/St. Ann’s Warehouse
What to Know
Buffalo puppets will roam Brooklyn and Manhattan Sept. 18 and 19.
The event will include music, poetry, dance, and Indigenous ceremonies
Buffalo are making their way to New York City this September, and if you’re from the Bronx, consider this your invitation to join in.
Don’t worry, you won’t see actual buffalo stampeding down the streets. Instead, a herd of life-size buffalo puppets will make their way through Downtown Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan for Return of the Buffalo: Tatanka Owe Akupi, a free public art event happening September 18 and 19.
The two-day gathering will bring puppetry, live music, poetry, dance, and Indigenous ceremonies into parks, plazas, and other public spaces. The herd will roam, graze, and occasionally run along routes that include locations with historical significance.
Return of the Buffalo was created by Amir Nizar Zuabi in partnership with Elders from the Lenape and Lakota Tribes. The title’s Lakota phrase, Tatanka Owe Akupi, roughly translates to “The Buffalo Are Coming Back” or “The Return of the Buffalo.”
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An artist works on the frame and fabric covering of a Return of the Buffalo puppet inside the production workshop. Image courtesy of Ant Strack/St. Ann’s Warehouse
The production draws inspiration from the recovery of buffalo populations after the animals were pushed close to extinction. Their return becomes part of a larger story about survival, healing, and restoring connections.
The puppets were designed by South Africa’s Ukwanda Puppets, with Craig Leo serving as puppetry director. Zuabi previously created The Walk, the international public art project that followed Little Amal, a 12-foot puppet representing a young Syrian refugee, across cities and borders.
The artists announced for the New York event include Rhiannon Giddens, Laurie Anderson, Nathalie Joachim, Dither, Cannupa Hanska Luger, Native Pride Dancers, Pilobolus and the all-women Brazilian percussion group Fogo Azul. Heather Christian and the Terce Choir and the Brooklyn United Marching Band are also scheduled to participate.
Puppeteers guide a life-size Return of the Buffalo puppet along the Brooklyn waterfront near the Brooklyn Bridge. Photography by Teddy Wolff/St. Ann’s Warehouse
The Bronx will be represented in the program through Caridad De La Luz, also known as La Bruja. The Emmy-winning poet, performer, and executive director of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe was born and raised in the borough.
Return of the Buffalo is free and requires no tickets. The organizers have not released the complete routes, performance times, or location-by-location schedule, so visitors should check the St. Ann’s Warehouse event page before heading out.
For Bronxites crossing a bridge, riding the train downtown, or leaving work in Manhattan, this could be a fun chance to catch the buffalo roaming the city streets.
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