Lily Gladstone Talks Working on Bison Documentary

“Bring Them Home” follows the decades-long efforts of members of the Blackfoot Confederacy to bring bison back to the Blackfoot reservation. The film examines the role the bison, or “iinnii,” played in Blackfoot life before settlers killed millions of the species in an attempt to eradicate the tribe.

Following the documentary screening, documentary filmmaker Juliana Brannum hosted a Q&A with Gladstone and Cherokee Nation Secretary of Natural Resources Christina Justice to discuss the documentary’s impact and Gladstone’s connection to the story.

“My dad always raised me to think that we were Buffalo people living as cattle ranchers,” Gladstone said. “This project feels like a full-circle moment and a real gift.”

The 85-minute feature film is directed by Blackfeet brother-sister duo Ivan MacDonald and Ivy MacDonald, along with Daniel Glick. It follows the main protagonists at the heart of the bison conservation effort: Ervin Carlson, director of the Blackfeet Buffalo Program; Paulette Fox, co-creator of the Iinnii Initiative; and Leroy Little Bear, a prominent tribal elder and educator involved with the Iinnii Initiative.

The documentary shows the obstacles they faced from ranchers who viewed the bison as a threat to cattle ranchers until they were able to release some of them into the Chief Mountain area of ​​Montana.

“It’s not about hating cows,” Gladstone said. “It’s just about the importance of bringing back bison and recognizing that there’s a huge inequality on the land. Ultimately, it’s important to focus on the positives and the net gains, which is the return of Western ecology to catching up with Indigenous knowledge and realizing that we’re all saying the same thing.”

Gladstone grew up on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana and said she understood from a young age the connection and influence of bison on Native American history. During the documentary, she worked with people she had known since she was a child while meeting new people along the way. She said the knowledge and understanding she and the filmmakers had of the culture made the process respectful and effortless.

“We call each other ‘buffalo cousins,’” Gladstone said. “A lot of people in this movie do ceremonies together, and that’s part of the movie. You have to trust each other. I think when it comes to stories and the power that movies like this have to change the world, it’s important that everyone listens to those who are there to contribute to the movie.”

In 2021, while filming Killers of the Flower Moon in Oklahoma, Gladstone shared with Leonardo DiCaprio his passion for the project and the challenges of getting the bison to a place where they could roam free. DiCaprio is an advocate for biodiversity and wildlife and has provided Gladstone with support and advice. After the documentary was released, Gladstone said DiCaprio attended screenings and worked with his production and film company to find major film distributors to carry the documentary. Gladstone said the more people know about the subject, the more awareness there will be around it.

Before and after the documentary screening, Gladstone took pictures with fans, signed autographs and took the time to talk to everyone who approached her. Gladstone said hearing people laugh or gasp during the moments in the documentary where she did the same was special and unique.

“I’m grateful to bring this film here and to be in this room with multi-tribal people who are leading initiatives to bring buffalo back to our lands,” Gladstone said.