As the U.S. Army pushes west and the Lakota world fractures, a young Crazy Horse, burdened by prophetic visions, becomes the reluctant center of a rising storm —one that will shape his nation and reveal an epic America has never dared to tell.

SYNOPSIS:

Set in 1863 at the height of Lakota strength, BUFFALO NATION is a sweeping epic about the rise of Crazy Horse, a young visionary whose prophetic dreams and spiritual calling thrust him into a struggle for his people’s survival. In the spirit of "Shogun," "Vikings," and "Game of Thrones," the series blends prophecy, politics, love, betrayal, and war across a shifting frontier, seen entirely through the eyes of the Lakota.

The story opens with Crazy Horse enduring a harrowing spiritual trial, his body wracked by visions of burning villages and advancing soldiers. Watching him are two figures who will shape his destiny: Pretty Fellow, a winkte whose gender-fluid identity grants respected spiritual authority, and Dark Shawl, a formidable warrior woman whose insight and resolve command respect.

Parallel to this, fifteen-year-old Blue Blanket survives a U.S. cavalry massacre that wipes out her village. Fleeing with her sister, White Bear, she triggers a desperate escape that ends when Crow warriors capture White Bear. Fevered and alone, she collapses on the plains, unknowingly approaching Crazy Horse’s path.

Crazy Horse returns to the Bad Faces, the Oglala Lakota band at the center of the story. Known for fierce independence and influential women, the band becomes the crucible for rising conflict. Crazy Horse’s bold defiance during a buffalo hunt divides leaders like Red Cloud, High Backbone, Pretty Owl, and the jealous No Water. Women such as Pretty Owl and Red Leggings maneuver politically with shrewd authority, while their ties to Dark Shawl and Black Buffalo Woman ripple through the camp.

When Crazy Horse finds Blue Blanket, her story echoes his visions. That night, he infiltrates the Crow camp and, with poetic brutality, kills the warriors who took White Bear, rescuing her. This act reveals his potential and draws the eyes of the U.S. Army, rival tribes, and shifting factions within the Bad Faces.

Season One explores the aftermath. Blue Blanket enters the camp carrying grief and a growing sense of purpose. Dark Shawl, Pretty Owl, Red Leggings, and Pretty Fellow shape political and spiritual debates, each wielding influence in a society where women and winkte hold meaningful power. Refugees fleeing northern violence strain resources and intensify arguments among leaders like Red Cloud, Spotted Tail, and Sitting Bull over how to confront the U.S. military.

Crazy Horse joins raids while battling visions that warn of betrayal. His journey north to Sitting Bull and Gall builds alliances that will define history. Blue Blanket evolves from a traumatized girl to a determined warrior. No Water’s jealousy grows. Pretty Fellow’s choices shift spiritual influence in camp.

As the post–Civil War army advances, Crazy Horse’s power grows, matched only by the unease it stirs among friend and rival alike. His relationship with Horn Chips becomes a spiritual anchor, while his first encounters with Sitting Bull reveal a shrewd leader who recognizes Crazy Horse’s potential not just as an ally, but as a weapon the Lakota may one day need. A daring raid crowns Crazy Horse as an emerging war leader. But while he is away, Pretty Fellow poisons Worm, believing the act will prevent the band from unraveling. Crazy Horse returns to a divided camp, carrying victory in one hand and the heavy shadow of destiny in the other.

BUFFALO NATION charts the forging of a legend and the rise of a nation. It follows Crazy Horse, Blue Blanket, and the political, spiritual, and cultural forces, including the vital roles of women, winkte, and allied bands, that shape Lakota resistance. The story leads toward Red Cloud’s War, the Sand Creek Massacre, the Bozeman Trail conflict, the Powder River campaigns, and the path to Little Bighorn.

The pilot script and complete series bible are complete and available. Built on years of research and collaboration, and though set in the frontier era, BUFFALO NATION is not a Western. It is a dramatic narrative inspired by real people, a culturally grounded prestige drama that opens a window into a world and a people whose stories have too long gone untold. The project has already garnered industry recognition, including finalist honors at the Omaha Film Festival, the Scriptation Showcase, and WeScreenplay’s Diverse Voices competition, underscoring its creative and commercial potential. Designed to stand alongside today’s most ambitious historical epics, BUFFALO NATION blends emotional depth, sweeping action, and spiritual and political intrigue for a global audience hungry for new worlds and perspectives presented with authenticity and cinematic scope.