Why the rare white bison is both a celebration and a warning for indigenous tribes

Until now, there has never been a record of a white bison being born in Yellowstone National Park.

The rare American white bison was sighted for the first time earlier this month, and for some indigenous tribes, the birth was both a blessing and a warning to the world.

“I never thought this would happen to our generation” Chief Arvol looking at the horsethe spiritual leader of the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota Oyate, said in an interview that aired on TODAY on June 27.

Looking Horse said the birth is considered the second coming of the female white buffalo calf, which first appeared thousands of years ago when buffalo were rare and people were hungry, NBC News reported . She taught members of the Lakota to pray and honor the Earth, and promised to one day return as a white bison with black eyes, nose, and hooves.

Indigenous groups burned sage, sang songs and danced during a ceremony honoring the calf’s June 26 birth in the national park, according to NBC News, where the calf’s name was revealed: Wakan Gli, or Return Sacred.

“This is a warning for us to do something,” Looking Horse said on TODAY.

Looking Horse hoped the white buffalo woman would not return in his lifetime because it would be a sign that the world needed healing, according to NBC News. When a white calf was born in Wisconsin in 1994, he said he remembers feeling fear and dread when scientists began speaking out about climate change.

“It makes me cry every time I think about it because it shouldn’t have happened in this day and age and it did,” Looking Horse told TODAY.

Looking Horse also shared the lesson of birth: “Mother Earth is sick and has a fever. And right now, it’s a spiritual awakening.”

The calf was first photographed on June 4, according to NBC News, when tour guide Jordan Creech was leading visitors through the park and came across the herd with a new arrival.

After taking the photo, Creech showed it to his boss, who told him it was a white buffalo.

“It’s not like an unusually white bison,” Creech recalled his boss telling him on the TODAY show. “It’s a white bison. »

“It seemed unreal to be so lucky to be one of dozens of people who took pictures of this thing, and I don’t think it’s been seen since,” Creech added.

The calf is likely roaming around Yellowstone National Park, though it hasn’t been seen since early June — and may never be seen again during its trip to the area.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com