(NewsNation) — The birth of a rare white bison in Yellowstone National Park has fulfilled a Lakota prophecy foretelling a better future ahead, the Associated Press reports.
But members of the American Indian tribe also see the birth as a signal that more needs to be done for the Earth and its inhabitants.
Chief Arvol Looking Horse, the spiritual leader of the Lakota, Dakota and the Nakota Oyate in South Dakota, and the 19th keeper of the sacred White Buffalo Calf Woman Pipe and Bundle told AP: “The birth of this calf is both a blessing and warning. We must do more.”
The reported rarity joins the thousands of other bison living in the national park. According to Yellowstone’s Bison Management website, anywhere from 2,300 to 5,500 bison populate the park each year.
Looking Horse said a naming ceremony has been held for the calf, but he did not disclose its name.
On June 26, a ceremony celebrating its birth will be held at the Buffalo Field Campaign headquarters in West Yellowstone. As of Friday, Yellowstone officials have not confirmed the birth.
White bison significance
The “White Buffalo Woman,” a sacred and beautiful woman of Lakota myth is the reason a white calf carries such a prophetic meaning, according to the Aktá Lakota Museum & Cultural Center.
She showed them how the buffalo could help them sustain themselves and gave them seven sacred rites to follow, including how to pray, live peacefully and dress for ceremonies.
The woman also presented a bowl pipe and a bundle to a tribal member, telling him the pipe could be used to bring buffalo to the area.
After sharing her wisdom, the White Buffalo Woman walked into the sunset before stopping, rolling over and transforming.
“Outside the opening of the circle, she stopped for an instant and then lay down on the ground. She rose again in the form of a black buffalo cow. Again she lay down and then arose in the form of a red buffalo cow. A third time she lay down and arose as a brown buffalo cow. The fourth and last time, she had the form of a spotlessly white buffalo cow,” the museum’s archive reads.
The white bison is revered across many native cultures who share similar legends and beliefs.
Other white bison births
Oklahoma saw the birth of a “genetically pure” white bison calf in December, aptly named Frosty.
According to the National Buffalo Association, the odds of a female birthing a pure, white buffalo, were at least 1 in 10 million historically, NewsNation’s KSNF reported.
Last April, another rare calf was born at Wagon Springs Ranch in central Texas. Ranch owner Carl Chambers named her “Unatsi,” the Cherokee word for snow.
“It can be an omen to some people, like peaceful times, good fortune, good luck,” he said. “It’s very important to Native people. And so we’re going to make sure that we do what we can to protect her, and hopefully, she can live the rest of her life here,” Chambers told NewsNation’s KXAN.
