An incredibly rare white bison calf has been photographed in Yellowstone National Park, exciting Native American tribes who view its arrival as a religious prophecy heralding major change.
It was spotted in the Lamar Valley area of the park, making it the first white bison to be born from the last wild herd in the US, according to modern records.
The birth of a white buffalo is a sacred event for many Native tribes of the Great Plains, including the Lakota people, who believe that it relates to a time around 2,000 years ago when food was scarce and the bison were rarely seen.
The Lakota legend tells of a beautiful woman who appeared and delivered the gifts of a sacred pipe and bundle to the people. The woman told them she would return to restore harmony in a troubled world, and then rolled on the ground four times, changing colour each time before becoming a white buffalo calf.
Her departure led the bison to return, and white buffalos are now seen as a sign that prayers are being heard and that change is coming.
I don’t believe in religion or superstition, but fuck I hope it does bring positive change.
I firmly believe that positive change will happen, but only for a few … like Indigenous people the world over who never lost, or underestimated, the need for community and a relationship with the land.
Those of us who benefited most from colonization and capitalism have lost the bulk of that, and I don’t think we’ll survive long.
(I’ve thought this for a while now, but a fictional book written by Waubeshig Rice called Moon of the Crusted Snow cemented it for me. Especially when a couple of incidents happened at the beginning of COVID that almost mirrored what he had written.)
Oh interesting! Il have to look into that book. Thank you! 😊
heralding great change
Learn to swim
You think another great flood is coming?
Well, I’ve heard some rumours about the ice melting
Rare and beautiful, but not that rare considering the small number of bison around. Another was born last year in Wyoming
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rare-white-bison-born-in-wyoming-state-park-180982262/
There are also white Black Bear called Kermode bears. Lots of superstition around those too. Rare, but they are born all the time
Another was born last year in Wyoming
This one probably was too since it was photographed in Lamar Valley.
Kermode bears are one of the rarest bear species on earth. They are a subset of the American black bear, and only 1 in 10-20 births inherit the mutated gene from both parents that makes their fur white.
They only live in a small area of the BC coast, north of Vancouver Island and on a couple of small coastal islands.
Estimated population is between 400-1200 bears total.
~Great White Buffalo~
heralding major change
In a good way though, right? Right…?
Heading back into Yellowstone next month hope I get to see this.
Oklahoma is going to get wrecked by another tornado that will be so bad that the tornado measuring system will have to be updated, again.
Reminds me of the “Last Great American Whale”.
for many Native tribes of the Great Plains, including the Lakota people, who believe that it relates to a time around 2,000 years ago when food was scarce and the bison were rarely seen.
The 1800s has entered the chat
2000 years ago is 24 AD.
You’re missing the snark.
Where was the white buffalo when there was an active bounty on bison?
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How come the omen is never “everything is basically going to stay the same except tiny things that don’t really matter much”?
At least that omen would be correct 99.9% of the time.
Sorry, Lakota. The white people seriously fucked you over in every way possible and that’s going to continue. Your prophecy, nice as it sounds, won’t help. I wish it would.
