Tribes honor birth of rare white bison in Yellowstone National Park

WEST YELLOWSTONE — In early June, a baby white bison was born in Yellowstone National Park.

Besides being an extremely rare phenomenon, the white bison calf has a deeper significance to the Native American community.

“We heard there was a little white buffalo here. And I wanted to see it. Feeling it like a blessing,” said one speaker at a recent rally.

On Wednesday afternoon, Buffalo Field held a ceremony recognizing the calf’s birth. The event took place on Shoshone-Bannock sovereign lands just outside West Yellowstone.

Tribal members from all over the country came to speak and represent their people.

Courtesy of Erin Braaten

“We’re really grateful that we were able to bring people together.” We gathered today to pray and sing. We want people to spread the message of what we do, who we are,” said 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 custodian of the sacred white buffalo pipe and calf bundle. He spoke of the first white buffalo born in the wild, in Wisconsin in 1994.

“When I first heard it, my heart was so heavy. I just wanted to cry,” Looking Horse said.

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

“This is the second coming of the little white buffalo,” Looking Horse said.

Jonas Fiedler

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

“Ptesan-Wi, the white buffalo women. She told the people, ‘Next time I will come back and stand on the earth like a white buffalo calf with a black nose, black eyes and black hooves. Then everything will become so sickly. Mother Earth, Unci Maka, will be sick and have a fever.

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

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 bison was revealed: Wakan Gli, which means “return to the sacred”.