A Rare White Buffalo Calf Has Been Born In North Dakota
A rare event and some say a sign of hope for the future, happened in North Dakota this June. A rear white buffalo calf was born at Turtle Mountain Tribal Buffalo Park on June 16, 2022.
The bison calf was born on the land of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Tribe in Belcourt, North Dakota.
Tribal Chairman, Jamie Azure, told Native News Online, “The white buffalo calf that we were gifted by the Creator is a sure sign that our prayers have been heard.”
North American bison, also commonly called ‘buffalo,’ usually have a covering of brown fur over brown or black skin. The white buffalo is born with a coat of white fur, Experts estimate that white bison are born in approximately one out of every 10 million natural births.
"The white buffalo is a blessing and a warning for our people, not just Native people but all people," Kevin Tacan a spiritual advisor to Canada's Sioux Valley Dakota Nation told the CBC when a white calf was born in April 2022.
The white buffalo has long been a sacred symbol to many of the indigenous peoples of North America, especially in the Great Plains. The legend of the white buffalo has been told and retold for generations, possibly for thousands of years.
White Buffalo Calf Woman
Lakota spiritual leader Chief Arvol Looking Horse wrote this in 2001:
"Nineteen generations ago the beautiful spirit we now refer to as White Buffalo Calf Woman brought the Sacred C’anupa (Sacred Pipe) to our People. She taught the People the Seven Sacred Rites and how to walk on Mother Earth in a sacred manner. Pte-san win-yan. As she left, she turned into a young beautiful white buffalo and then she walked over the hill and out of sight. This is where she received her name, White Buffalo Calf Woman. She gifted us with the Seven Sacred Rites that still sustain our People today. The person who smokes the sacred pipe achieves union with all Beings. By smoking this C’anupa, you will make direct personal contact with the Great Mystery. . . Following the Way of this Sacred C’anupa, you will walk in a sacred way upon the earth, for the Earth is your grandmother and your mother and she is sacred. . .″
The National Parks Service, Wikipedia, The Earth Fire Institute also contributed to this story