Intern James Bright gives us a glimpse of a white buffalo. To find out why it’s so significant, read on. (Video shot by James Bright; editing by Blaine Mountain)
Most people hold no special reverence for buffalo. That’s not the case with Arby Little Soldier and the mystical white buffalo born on his ranch May 12.
Little Soldier, a descendant of Sitting Bull, says he always expected a white buffalo would be born to him, but now that it has actually happened, it’s like winning the lottery.
“ I should have been getting myself ready a long time ago.”
The white buffalo has special significance to Native American culture. According to a prophecy associated with the tale of the white buffalo calf woman, four white buffalo will be born prior to the woman’s return and the end of the world. There is a set of rules surrounding these animals. The buffalo’s coat must be natural. It cannot be due to a defect such as an albino animal. The calf must be male, and it must be born to a Native American as well. Several buffalo have been born white and free of defect over the years–in fact there is herd of them in the Northwest–but this is only the third animal to fit the bill born to a Native American.
Although Little Soldier’s herd is wild, he says people have actually been jumping his fence in an attempt to touch, or get a glimpse of the animal. This is trespassing and Little Soldier has started urging people to follow protocol for their safety and because of the spirituality surrounding the buffalo.
“It’s not a tourist attraction,” he says. “This is a spiritual awakening and a prophecy.”
Despite the recent influx of crime on Little Soldier’s property, he is currently preparing a path and area where people can view the animal at a safe distance. The “pilgrimage path” will be premiered at a naming ceremony June 29 at 9 am, which is open to the public. Little Soldier has already named the animal Lightening Medicine Cloud, but his name will not be official until after next Wednesday’s event.
For now though, all private viewings of the animal have been suspended for the buffalo and the public’s safety. –James Bright
