The 150-year celebration of Yellowstone includes local Indigenous voices on the importance of Buffalo to our communities. Patti Baldes’s “REMATRIATE” group includes community members from the Wind River Reservation in an exhibition celebrating song and dance.
From Yellowstone Revealed 2022:
REMATRIATE by Patti Baldes – REMATRIATE premiered on August 25th at Madison Junction and again that evening at Old Faithful. The artwork showcased 6 moving buffalo sculptures made of willow branches. 12 dancers, who are matriarchs and their daughters from the Wind River reservation brought the buffalo sculptures to life. The focus of Baldes’ project was land rematriation through buffalo restoration.
The artwork also featured Northern Arapaho singer, Christian Wallowing Bull, and 10 singers and drummers. Few Buffalo in the United States are considered Conservation Buffalo, those that are regulated under natural factors and genetically reputable. Yellowstone Buffalo are genetically pure and invaluable to Tribes working to restore. There are 49 Tribes who have ancestral ties to the land now called Yellowstone National Park. Restoring these herds to Tribal Land gifts healing, identity and land rematriation.
The REMATRIATE group after their first performance at Yellowstone Revealed. (Photo GYC/Emmy Reed)
For more articles about Rematriate, please visit these websites:
‘Rematriation’ in America’s oldest national park
Yellowstone Revealed: Land rematriation through buffalo restoration
Movement to ‘re-Indigenize’ Yellowstone gains steam
Dancers and their buffalo sculptures. The buffalo sculptures were built using willow branches, red willow (water birch) branches, sage, twine, and silk handkerchiefs. (Photo GYC/Emmy Reed)
The drum group during the REMATRIATE performance. (Photo GYC/Emmy Reed)
Christian Wallowing Bull sings as the buffalo dancers exit the trailer for the Yellowstone Revealed “REMATRIATE” performance. Photo by Fiadh Vincent from County 10.