Wyoming native Ian Munsick returned to his home state this week to commemorate the opening of his curated exhibit hosted by Exclusive Tours at Center of the West. Honoring the legacy of “Buffalo Bill” Cody, known for his embodiment of the authentic Western lifestyle, Munsick also joined the museum for a screening and panel discussion on his award-winning documentary, White Buffalo: Voices of the West.
“From the very beginning of my career, Buffalo Bill Cody has been a huge inspiration in terms of his dedication of sharing authentic western culture with the world,” shares Munsick. “Having my own exhibit on display in the Buffalo Bill Center of the West is a great honor for me in that I feel like I’m following in his footsteps 150 years later. I believe that Voices of the West has been an instrumental piece of our vision to ‘bring the west to the rest’ as it showcases a piece of cowboy culture that really hasn’t been captured in any format. The Native American cowboy is a sacred secret that deserves to be recognized and appreciated, and that was our primary objective with this documentary. Screening the film at the Center of the West will be a real treat.
“The spirit of the west is just as important today as it was in the ‘Wild West’ era and it’s evermore important to share the legacy of those who continue to shape it. I’m just fortunate to help spread that message,” he adds.
The panel discussion featured Ian and Caroline Munsick alongside Rylon Bird, Director, cinematographer, owner of Valley of the Chiefs Productions and member of the Crow Nation Tribe; and Noel Two Leggins, Youth Coordinator for Big Horn College and member of the Crow Nation. Moderated by Hunter Old Elk, Assistant Curator of the Plains Indian Museum, member of Crow and Yakama Nations, the four panelists invited audience members to contribute their questions and insights, while offering a platform to recognize the integral role Native Americans have played in shaping cowboy traditions and culture.
Voices of the West spans nearly an hour, and delves into 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; cowgirl from the Blackfeet Nation, Sammy Jo Bird; and Munsick as the four explore 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.
Since its release in January, Voices of the West has been selected for eight film festivals and has won nine awards, including six Telly Awards for Best Directing, Best Editing, Best Use of Music, Best Videography & Cinematography, Best Documentary: Long Form (Above 40 minutes), DEI: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
Voices of the West is available to stream now on Apple iTunes, Apple, Google Play, Kanopy (Libraries), Microsoft, Vudu, YouTube Rentals and Amazon TVOD.
To complement the documentary screening, the Center of the West recently opened a special exhibit honoring Munsick, featuring 11 items signifying pivotal career moments. Items on display include his custom Manuel suit that he wore for his Grand Ole Opry debut, Red Rocks debut boots from Boot Barn, a bolo gifted to him from Morgan Wallen and more. The exhibit will be on display until January 2025. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit CenterOfTheWest.org.
Exclusive Tours at Center of the West hosted a film and panel discussion for White Buffalo: Voices of the West | Pictured L to R: Caroline Munsick, Ian Munsick, Rylon Bird, Noel Two Leggins | Photo Credit: Hulli
About Ian Munsick:
A native son of Wyoming, Ian Munsick painted a stampeding, spirited portrait of the American West with his sophomore album 18-track White Buffalo: Introduce You To God, out now. Spanning unfiltered tales of romance and ranch life, hard-working anthems with honkytonk hooks and mountain-time odes to family and forever-young fun, it builds upon the spacious roots-pop beauty he introduced on his major label debut, Coyote Cry. Over the past four years, Munsick has accumulated nearly 750 million global streams and a host of accolades. He has been named an “Artist to Watch” by Spotify, CMT, Fender, MusicRow and most recently was named a Martin Showcase Artist. A seasoned entertainer, having grown up tending cattle by day and playing music in a family band each night, Munsick toured recently alongside country music superstars Morgan Wallen and Cody Johnson, and as direct support for select dates of Lainey Wilson’s Country’s Cool Again tour, while simultaneously headlining his own Boots, Buckles & Bolos Tour and Country & WESTern Tour presented by Boot Barn. The Warner Music Nashville recording artist and multi-instrumentalist is representing his home, and its special cast of people, like never before. The first release from White Buffalo, standout duet “Long Live Cowgirls” (with Cody Johnson), hit No. 1 on SiriusXM’s The Highway Hot 30 Countdown, was named one of Amazon Music’s Best Country Songs of 2022 and recently received RIAA Gold-certification alongside “Long Haul” and “Horses Are Faster.” Fans of Ian Munsick will always find an open heart, natural awe and plainspoken honesty as he rides on… bringing the West to the rest. Online at IanMunsick.com.