In the age of “looking down,” Axis Theatre draws young eyes up to engage them in interactive experiences that educate, inspire, and transform. Audiences experience smart, entertaining interpretations of traditional and cutting-edge physical theatre. Axis incorporates combinations of red-nose clown, live music, mask work, puppetry, and improvisation to expand the meaning and impact of the stories presented. It is deceptively simple, completely fresh, and memorable.  

 

Where Have All The Buffalo Gone? follows two Métis souls, Marie and Jean, through four love stories in four distinct 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. Inspired by true historical events of the Métis people of Canada. Where Have All The Buffalo Gone? explores the love, the loss and the fight of treaty 6’s Métis peoples and the lessons and love stories of the buffalo.  

Date: Monday, October 20, 2025 - 10:30 am  

Grades: Grades 4+

Curriculum Connections:  Indigenous Studies, Storytelling, Social Studies, Music, Drama, Dance  

* CONTENT ADVISORY

The characters in Where Have All The Buffalo Gone? depict scenes that would have happened in Métis history. And there are several marriage proposals. These historical actions are addressed in the study guide (download below) and include the following:

  • 1830: Marie is skinning a rabbit with a knife. She also shoots a buffalo with a rifle. The buffalo dies and is cut up by Marie.

  • 1885: Louis has a musket in silhouette, we hear gunshots (a depiction of the battle of Batoche).

  • 1925: Marie and Louis run away from residential school and ascend to the stars (they die).

  • The musket and the knife are stage props and are representative of the time in history, the situation, are used to tell the story

“The playwright and director duo aim to not just entertain, but educate, inspire, and ignite a conversation about identity, culture, and the spirit of the Métis nation.” -Dean Broughton, The Georgia Straight 

Where Have All the Buffalo Gone? video

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Audience
For Teachers
Where Have All the Buffalo Gone?
Where Have All the Buffalo Gone?

Upcoming Performances

  1. Monday, October 20, 2025
    10:30AM
Files
Educator Resource