Great White Buffalo Nocturne, Badlands NP
Legend of the White Buffalo
I learned of this legend passed down by the Lakota Sioux of South Dakota after visiting the Badlands and viewing herds of buffalo. The white buffalo is extremely rare, said to occur only once in 6 million births. White buffalo are considered sacred to the Lakota Sioux and may have spiritual significance similar to weeping statues, bleeding icons or crosses of light in some Christian traditions. White buffalo symbolize abundance and sacred life as evidenced in this legend.
One summer long ago seven council fires of Lakota Sioux met together to discuss their lack of game as the people were starving. Two young braves were sent out to hunt in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
A beautiful young woman with long dark hair and dressed in buckskin and carrying a bundle wrapped in a buffalo hide appeared before the young hunters. She told them that she knew their thoughts and that one had good thought and one had bad thoughts. A cloud of dust rose around the man with lustful thoughts and only a skeleton was left. The second hunter was very frightened but listened to the holy woman’s message.
The woman said that change was coming and soon there would be an abundance of buffalo, but there would also be trials as the climate of the earth was changing. Her message was that all people of every color must work together if they hoped to thrive in the future. She gave the bundle containing a sacred pipe to the young brave to share with the tribes. The sacred pipe has been honored and passed down for nineteen generations.
As the woman departed she tumbled four times and changed in color from black to red to yellow and finally to a white buffalo calf. Soon after the visit of the holy woman herds of buffalo became abundant. It is believed that the changing colors of the woman represent all races of humans, who must work together in unity to save our earth for future generations. The Native Americans see the white buffalo calf as a sign of life’s sacred circle.
Source: http://www.lightningmedicinecloud.com/legend.html Read More
I learned of this legend passed down by the Lakota Sioux of South Dakota after visiting the Badlands and viewing herds of buffalo. The white buffalo is extremely rare, said to occur only once in 6 million births. White buffalo are considered sacred to the Lakota Sioux and may have spiritual significance similar to weeping statues, bleeding icons or crosses of light in some Christian traditions. White buffalo symbolize abundance and sacred life as evidenced in this legend.
One summer long ago seven council fires of Lakota Sioux met together to discuss their lack of game as the people were starving. Two young braves were sent out to hunt in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
A beautiful young woman with long dark hair and dressed in buckskin and carrying a bundle wrapped in a buffalo hide appeared before the young hunters. She told them that she knew their thoughts and that one had good thought and one had bad thoughts. A cloud of dust rose around the man with lustful thoughts and only a skeleton was left. The second hunter was very frightened but listened to the holy woman’s message.
The woman said that change was coming and soon there would be an abundance of buffalo, but there would also be trials as the climate of the earth was changing. Her message was that all people of every color must work together if they hoped to thrive in the future. She gave the bundle containing a sacred pipe to the young brave to share with the tribes. The sacred pipe has been honored and passed down for nineteen generations.
As the woman departed she tumbled four times and changed in color from black to red to yellow and finally to a white buffalo calf. Soon after the visit of the holy woman herds of buffalo became abundant. It is believed that the changing colors of the woman represent all races of humans, who must work together in unity to save our earth for future generations. The Native Americans see the white buffalo calf as a sign of life’s sacred circle.
Source: http://www.lightningmedicinecloud.com/legend.html Read More
