At Poplar Middle School, students are reconnecting with their culture and community through the Buffalo Unity Program. Designed as part of Montana's "Indian Education For All" program, the project combines hands-on-learning with traditional teachings using the buffalo as a foundation.
“This is how Native American people survive,” said Poplar Middle School educator, Joseph Hammar. “Unless we teach these kids about the buffalo and the importance of the buffalo to their people, they’re not going to know it.”
This year, the program focused on engaging students in workshops, storytelling sessions, and field trips out to Turtle Mount Buffalo Ranch on the Fort Peck Reservation, where the students learned about the buffalo’s role within tribes.
Hammar explained, “The kids did everything to harvest the buffalo, all the way from the tongue to the back, leaving only intestines. The Native American people used everything from the buffalo, and we taught them what to do with it like tanning the hide and things like that.”
Hammar’s media class has worked tirelessly since the start of the school year to master skills in videography, editing, and storytelling.
Their final documentary project titled “The Buffalo Unity Project 2024" has recently been completed - watch it here:
Capturing everything from B-roll to interviews, the students were able to tell a story of their reservation and the efforts of culture reconnection through the lens. The kids said that they enjoyed everything from editing to filming, to just simply being involved.
“It’s great when you can tell that they’re into it,” Hammar explained. “We were shooting an old merry-go-round. It was kind of turning slow and I looked back, and all the kids had a big smile on their face, like they knew they got a good shot.”
Hammar says that strengthening culture ties is important for the young students. “It’s part of Montana history. It’s part of United States history, and it should be covered by every school in America. The importance of the buffalo. The project is just a little piece of trying to give that back to the students.”
The administration has promised the film crew a drone to help with filming if their video reaches 6,000 views.
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