Collection: The White Buffalo Collection
Story Time:
The Buffalo has always been at the heart of Native American culture. Highly respected, this animal once provided for almost every need of the Native American people. The Lakota people have a legend of the White Buffalo and the White Buffalo Calf Woman.
It is said that the seven sacred council fires of the Lakota Sioux came together to camp. The sun was strong, and the people were starving because there was no game to be found on the hunting grounds. Two young hunters left to seek out any signs of animals to hunt. While on their journey they came upon a beautiful woman.
While one brave bowed in respect seeing this woman was a "wakan" a sacred spirit, the other sought after her full of lust and desire. He was left in a smokey pile of bones, while the other was sent back to the tribe with a message to ready for the woman's coming. Upon her arrival she presented the people with a wrapped bundle.
She brought to the Lakota people the sacred pipe. When White Buffalo Calf woman arrived with the sacred bundle (the prayer pipe) she taught the People of the seven sacred ways to pray.
These prayers are through ceremonies that include the Sweat Lodge for purification; the Naming Ceremony for child naming; the Healing Ceremony to restore health to the body, mind and spirit; the adoption ceremony for making of relatives; the marriage ceremony for uniting male and female; the Vision Quest for communing with the Creator for direction and answers to one’s life; and the Sundance Ceremony to pray for the well-being of all the People.
Before leaving, she told them that within her were the four ages and that she would look back upon the People in each age, returning at the end of the fourth age, to restore harmony and spirituality to a troubled land. The woman then turned into a black buffalo, after a few steps she laid on the ground rising again as a yellow buffalo. A few more steps and she lays down, rising again as a red buffalo. Until finally becoming the White Buffalo calf, signaling the fulfillment of the White Buffalo Calf Prophecy.
This story inspired me to paint the image of The White Buffalo, leading her people through the storms until the time of peace is once again brought to the races of the world as promised in her prophecy.
The Buffalo has always been at the heart of Native American culture. Highly respected, this animal once provided for almost every need of the Native American people. The Lakota people have a legend of the White Buffalo and the White Buffalo Calf Woman.
It is said that the seven sacred council fires of the Lakota Sioux came together to camp. The sun was strong, and the people were starving because there was no game to be found on the hunting grounds. Two young hunters left to seek out any signs of animals to hunt. While on their journey they came upon a beautiful woman.
While one brave bowed in respect seeing this woman was a "wakan" a sacred spirit, the other sought after her full of lust and desire. He was left in a smokey pile of bones, while the other was sent back to the tribe with a message to ready for the woman's coming. Upon her arrival she presented the people with a wrapped bundle.
She brought to the Lakota people the sacred pipe. When White Buffalo Calf woman arrived with the sacred bundle (the prayer pipe) she taught the People of the seven sacred ways to pray.
These prayers are through ceremonies that include the Sweat Lodge for purification; the Naming Ceremony for child naming; the Healing Ceremony to restore health to the body, mind and spirit; the adoption ceremony for making of relatives; the marriage ceremony for uniting male and female; the Vision Quest for communing with the Creator for direction and answers to one’s life; and the Sundance Ceremony to pray for the well-being of all the People.
Before leaving, she told them that within her were the four ages and that she would look back upon the People in each age, returning at the end of the fourth age, to restore harmony and spirituality to a troubled land. The woman then turned into a black buffalo, after a few steps she laid on the ground rising again as a yellow buffalo. A few more steps and she lays down, rising again as a red buffalo. Until finally becoming the White Buffalo calf, signaling the fulfillment of the White Buffalo Calf Prophecy.
This story inspired me to paint the image of The White Buffalo, leading her people through the storms until the time of peace is once again brought to the races of the world as promised in her prophecy.
