Welcome to a new edition of the Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino series. On this episode, we talk with Rebecca West, Executive Director and CEO of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming. Rebecca first arrived at the Center more than 30 years ago as an intern on a six-month assignment. Today, she leads one of America’s premier cultural institutions, guiding a team of 67 full-time and more than 120 seasonal staff while overseeing an organization with a remarkable 107-year history rooted in the American West.

Our conversation centers on the Center’s groundbreaking new two-year exhibition, “Buffalo Nation,” an immersive experience celebrating the American buffalo—one of the few surviving mammals from the Ice Age. The exhibition explores the buffalo’s powerful history, its near extinction, its inspiring recovery, and its enduring cultural, spiritual, and historical significance to Indigenous peoples and communities across North America.

Equal parts history, biology, conservation, and art, Buffalo Nation offers visitors an unforgettable look at one of America’s most iconic animals. We also discuss the Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s role as a Smithsonian Affiliate, its five world-class museums under one roof, and why it’s considered one of the premier destinations in the American West, located just 50 miles from Yellowstone National Park’s East Entrance.

In this interview, we discuss:

• Rebecca West’s remarkable 30-year journey from intern to CEO
• The creation and vision behind the Buffalo Nation exhibition
• The cultural and historical importance of the American buffalo
• Indigenous perspectives and buffalo conservation
• The Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s five museums
• The future of museums, Education, and preserving Western history

Whether you’re interested in American history, wildlife conservation, museums, Indigenous cultures, Yellowstone National Park, or the Legacy of the American West, this conversation offers fascinating insights.

Learn more about Rebecca West and the Buffalo Bill Center of the West:
https://centerofthewest.org/about-us/rebecca-west/

Learn more about the Buffalo Nation exhibition:
https://centerofthewest.org/event/buffalo-nation-august-opening/

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Joe Dimino Podcaster/Artist

Joe Dimino has been writing & creating in a variety of capacities since his college days at the University of Missouri-Kansas City somewhere around 1993. If you are keeping score, that would be about 29 years+. It all began at UMKCs University News as a Sports Writer & turned into a myriad of expressive avenues. Inventing poems, art, video & audio has always been in the proverbial cards.