Native tribes honor birth of rare white buffalo calf in Yellowstone

WEST YELLOWSTONE — In early June, a white buffalo calf was born in Yellowstone National Park. In addition to being an extremely rare occurrence, this white buffalo calf has a deeper meaning for the Native American community.

“We heard there was a little white buffalo here. And I wanted to see it. To feel this is a blessing,” says one of the speakers.

On Wednesday afternoon, Buffalo Field Campaign held a ceremony recognizing the birth of the sacred white buffalo calf. The event took place on sovereign Shoshone-Bannock lands, just outside of West Yellowstone. Tribal members from all over the country came to speak and represent their people.

“We’re really grateful to bring people together.” We gather today for prayer and song. For people to spread the message of what we do and who we are,” says Thurman Horse, a native of Porcupine, South Dakota, and a member of the Lakota tribe.

Wednesday’s ceremony was led by Chief Arvol Looking Horse, a 19th-generation keeper of the sacred white buffalo calf pipe and pack. He spoke about the first white buffalo born in the wild, in Wisconsin in 1994.

“When I first heard it, my heart was so heavy. I just want to cry.”

Native tribes honor birth of rare white buffalo in Yellowstone in sacred ceremony

Now, more than 30 years later, another white calf has been born.

“This is the second coming of the little white buffalo,” says Chief Arvol Looking Horse.

But why does the birth of this sacred animal make Chief Arvol Looking Horse so sad? In the indigenous community, there is a prophecy that began over 2,000 years ago.

“Ptesan-Wi, the white buffalo woman. She told the people: “Next time I will come back and stand on the earth in the form of a white buffalo with a black nose, black eyes, black hooves. Then everything is going to be so sick. Mother Earth, Unci Maka, will be sick and have a fever. »

According to the prophecy, the return of the little white buffalo is a blessing but also serves as a warning of the changes coming to the earth. It is a sign calling for cooperation between people. Humans must unite on a global scale to protect the well-being of Grandmother Earth.

Chief Arvol Looking Horse said when he heard about the second coming of this little white buffalo, “It struck me so much. I am very happy, but very sad that this is happening now in this day and age. We are here to honor Onci Maka, Mother Earth, and when she dies, we die. »

At the end of the ceremony, the name given to the white buffalo calf was revealed: Wakan Gli, which means “sacred return”.