HELENA, Montana – According to members of the American Indian tribe, the reported birth of a rare white buffalo in Yellowstone National Park fulfills a Lakota prophecy that portends brighter times, but it also serves as a reminder that more has to be done to safeguard the planet and its wildlife.
“The birth of this calf represents both a blessing and a warning. “We must do more,” said Chief Arvol Looking Horse, the spiritual leader of South Dakota’s Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Oyate tribes and the 19th custodian of the holy White Buffalo Calf Woman Pipe and Bundle.
The birth of the sacred calf follows a harsh winter in 2023 that drove thousands of Yellowstone buffalo, commonly known as bison, to lower elevations. More than 1,500 were murdered, slaughtered, or handed to tribes wanting to recover stewardship of an animal with which their forefathers had coexisted for centuries.
Reported Birth Of Rare White Buffalo Calf In Yellowstone Park Fulfills Lakota Prophecy
Erin Braaten of Kalispell photographed the calf immediately after it was born on June 4 in the Lamar Valley in the park’s northeastern portion.
Traffic stopped as bison crossed the road, so Braaten stuck her camera out the window to get a better look with her telephoto lens.
“I look, and it’s a white bison calf. “I was completely floored,” she added.
After the bison had crossed the road, the Braatens turned around and found a place to park. They observed the calf and its mother for 30 to 45 minutes.
“And then she kind of led it through the willows there,” added Braaten. Braaten returned the next two days but did not see the white calf again.
Looking Horse explained that the birth of a white buffalo calf with a black nose, eyes, and hooves represents the second coming of Jesus Christ to the Lakota.
According to Lakota legend, nearly 2,000 years ago, when nothing was good, food was running short, and bison were disappearing—White Buffalo Calf A woman appeared, handed a tribal member a bowl pipe and a bundle, showed them how to pray, and explained that the pipe could be used to attract buffalo to the region for sustenance. As she departed, she transformed into a white buffalo calf.
“And someday when the times are hard again,” Looking Horse stated in relating the narrative, “I shall return and stand upon the earth as a white buffalo calf, black nose, black eyes, and black hooves.”
According to him, an identical white buffalo calf named Miracle was born in Wisconsin in 1994.
Reported Birth Of Rare White Buffalo Calf In Yellowstone Park Fulfills Lakota Prophecy
According to Troy Heinert, executive director of the InterTribal Buffalo Council in South Dakota, the calf in Braaten’s images appears to be a true white buffalo due to its black snout, black hooves, and dark eyes.
“From the pictures I’ve seen, that calf appears to have those characteristics,” said Heinert, who is Lakota. Albino buffaloes would have pink eyes.
The Yellowstone calf was named, according to Looking Horse, but the name was not revealed. A ceremony commemorating the calf’s birth is scheduled for June 26 at the Buffalo Field Campaign headquarters in West Yellowstone.
Other tribes adore white buffalo.
“Many tribes have their own story of why the white buffalo is so important,” Heinert stated. “All stories go back to them being very sacred.”
Heinert and numerous Buffalo Field Campaign members claim they have never heard of a white buffalo born in Yellowstone with wild herds. Park officials had not yet seen the buffalo and could not confirm its birth in the park, and there was no previous record of a white buffalo being born there.
Jim Matheson, executive director of the National Bison Association, couldn’t say how rare the calf is.
“To my knowledge, no one has ever counted the number of white buffalo born throughout history. So I am not sure how we can determine how frequently it occurs.”
Aside from herds of bison on public lands or managed by conservation groups, over 80 tribes in the United States have more than 20,000 bison, increasing in recent years.
Reported Birth Of Rare White Buffalo Calf In Yellowstone Park Fulfills Lakota Prophecy
Almost every winter, huge numbers of bison are killed or removed in Yellowstone and the surrounding area thanks to an agreement between federal and Montana agencies that limits the size of the park’s herds to roughly 5,000 animals. Yellowstone officials proposed a slightly bigger population of up to 6,000 bison this week, with a final decision due next month.
However, ranchers in Montana have traditionally opposed expanding the Yellowstone herds or sending the animals to tribes. Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte has stated that he will not approve any management plan with a population target of more than 3,000 Yellowstone bison.
Heinert sees the calf’s birth as a reminder “that we need to live in a good way and treat others with respect.”
“I hope that calf is safe and gonna live its best life in Yellowstone National Park, exactly where it was designed to be,” Heinert stated.
SOURCE – (AP)
