Where Have All The Buffalo Gone?
Where Have All The Buffalo Gone? is a love story through the ages. Two star people and a Buffalo, fall to earth and continue to reconnect throughout history. Our play covers seven different periods of Métis history. We bear witness to the emergence of the Métis nations across the plains, the robust colonization that arises from the fur trade, the disappearance of the buffalo and the political uprising of the Métis Association of Alberta. The story begins during creation amongst the stars and ends in the present day.
Where Have All The Buffalo Gone? specifically shares stories from the Callihoo family’s stories, incorporating fiddle music, jigging and a life-like buffalo puppet. Inspired by historical events of the Métis people of Canada, this original play for young audiences explores the loves, the losses and the fight of Treaty 6’s Métis people – and their love and kinship to the buffalo.
Reviews
“Where Have All the Buffalo Gone? is not just a play—it’s an homage to the Métis Nation, weaving stories of love, loss, and the profound impact of the buffalo’s disappearance on the Métis people.
It follows the lives of Marie and Louis, and their unique connection with Buffalo, a character who swings between being a spirit and a real buffalo, symbolizing the bond between the Métis and these majestic creatures.
“I hope people leave understanding the Métis story better,” says playwright Tai Amy Grauman, “and understanding our connection to the buffalo a bit better.”
This narrative aims to shed light on a crucial part of Canada’s history, focusing on the resilience of the Métis culture amidst adversity. The play conveys the complexities of Métis culture, not as a tale of complication but as a narrative of integration, resilience, and pride.”
- Dean Broughton, Georgia Straight
"Where Have All the Buffalo Gone? is also a true celebration of Métis culture — from jigging to fiddle music. Grauman’s deep ties to the Métis community, with both her parents’ lineage descending from the Calihoo and Beauregard families, are everywhere in this performance.”
“I wrote this play in one day,” she says. “[My heritage] is just intricately intertwined for me, You can’t have one without the other.” - Tai Amy Grauman
- Cristina Paolozzi, Apt 613
