When Ian Munsick moved to Nashville from Wyoming 12 years ago, he vowed to carry the influences of the West with him through Music Row. Now, Munsick is setting aside his fiddle and casting the spotlight on friends whose stories often go unheard with his documentary, White Buffalo: Voices of the West, available now on Apple iTunes, Apple, Google Play, Kanopy (Libraries), Microsoft, Vudu, YouTube Rentals and Amazon TVOD.
“Over a year of filming, editing, interviewing, planning, and capturing magic is finally ready for the world to see! I am beyond excited for you to watch ‘Voices of the West’ and experience all of the emotions that come along with it,” shares Munsick. “I hope it makes you fall in love with the west and all that it represents. Okay, stop reading this and GO WATCH!!!”
A film that The Tennessean noted is “essential to maintain and humanize the tie to Western culture,” Voices of the West features conversations with Pro Buckin’ Horse producer and entrepreneur from the Blackfoot Tribe, Dougie Hall; rancher, horse trainer and actor from the Crow Tribe, Stephen Yellowtail; and cowgirl from the Blackfeet Nation, Sammy Jo Bird.
The documentary compliments Munsick’s sophomore album White Buffalo – the concept of which was inspired by the sacred symbol for the plains tribes of Native America, where the return of the white buffalo is believed to bring prosperity and rebirth. Both the album and documentary serve as an important recognition of the modern-day relationship between cowboys, ranchers and Native American tribes, and how they often rely on each other to live off the land out west.
Munsick first premiered the documentary to an intimate crowd of 150 attendees on Wednesday, Dec. 6 at the Beverly Theater in Las Vegas during NFR. Following the screening, the cast was joined by Cam Mackey, director/cinematographer from the Tohono O'Odham Nation and executive producer Caroline Munsick, for a panel discussion moderated by film, television actor and enrolled member of the Lakota Nations, Mo Brings Plenty. The 30-minute conversation highlighted the importance of sharing Native and Western experiences from those who live them in order to shed an authentic light on the culture.
The event was sponsored by Wrangler; Boot Barn; Musket Powder Seasoning; Big Horn Bison Ranch; Southern Recipe Small Batch Pork Rinds; Sheridan Travel & Tourism; Montana Silversmiths; Lone River Beverage Company, and Pendleton Whisky.
Munsick released White Buffalo earlier this year, earning accolades from Billboard, American Songwriter, People, MusicRow and more. Grammy.com remarked, “Munsick's ability to turn his Western upbringing into relatable sentiments is the epitome of what makes him special… his passion for his homeland — from the culture to the people — rings through in both the lyrics and the musicality.”
