The Library Kids : The White Buffalo and Three Pieces of Corn

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The White Buffalo and Three Pieces of Corn

There was a white buffalo named Miracle that was born in Janesville, Wisconsin in 1994. This white buffalo was believed to fulfill the promise to Native Americans that the White Buffalo Calf Woman was coming back. The Lakota tribes had a mysterious woman they called White Buffalo Calf Woman come and visit their tribe long ago to give them "ways to live by" since their tribe was starving and fighting. She gave them sacred ceremonies and told them the duties of the men and women were equally important. She told them at the end of the age, she would return.

When I went and visited the white buffalo in Janesville, she had fulfilled the prophecy by changing colors four times (white, black, red, and brownish-yellow). She was brownish-yellow when I went to see her. I stared at her for a bit and she hopped up on the feed box with her front legs and stared at me from behind the electric fence as she ate.

There was a Native American there who noticed that she was staring at me. I was in a squatting position thinking about her and wondering what all of this prophecy was about. The Native American man came up to me and my friend and told us more about White Buffalo Woman's prophecy and gave each of us three pieces of corn/maize. He asked me to pass out the corn to three people and tell them about White Buffalo Woman and that the corn was a reminder of her.

After the visit, I tried to tell people about the white buffalo named Miracle and the story about White Buffalo Woman, but to my surprise, no one wanted to take the corn. Some listened to the story, but no one wanted the corn. Some even thought it might have a curse with it (very silly). I still have the corn.

It actually kind of hurt my feelings that no one wanted to listen about White Buffalo Calf Woman or that they were afraid to take the corn home to think about her. Well, I did listen to the Native American story and wrote about White Buffalo Calf Woman in my first book, The Library Kids Mystery of the Blue Mounds.

Here is a little more information about Miracle and White Buffalo Woman:

http://whitebuffalomiracle.homestead.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_buffalo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Buffalo_Calf_Woman

Here is a short explanation of her story from an excerpt in wikipedia:

The traditional story is that, long ago, there was a time of famine. The chief of the Lakotas sent out two scouts to hunt for food. As the scouts travelled they saw a figure in the distance. As they approached they saw that it was a beautiful young woman in white clothing. One of the scouts was filled with desire for the woman. He approached her, telling his companion he would attempt to embrace the woman, and if he found her pleasing, he would claim her as a wife. His companion warned him that she appeared to be a sacred woman, and to do anything sacrilegious would be folly. The scout ignored his advice.

The companion watched as the scout approached and embraced the woman, during which time a white cloud enveloped the pair. After a while, the cloud disappeared and only the mysterious woman remained. The remaining scout was frightened, and began to draw his bow, but the woman beckoned him forward, telling him that no harm would come to him. As the woman was fluent in Lakota, the young man decided she was one of his tribe, and came forward. When he arrived, she pointed to a spot on the ground where the other scout's bare bones lay. She explained that the Crazy Buffalo had compelled the man to desire her, and she had annihilated him.

The scout became even more frightened and again menaced her with his bow. At this time, the woman explained that she was Wakan and his weapons could not harm her. She further explained that if he did as she instructed, no harm would befall him and that his tribe would become more prosperous. The scout promised to do what she instructed, and was told to return to his encampment, call the Council and prepare a feast for her arrival.

The woman's name was PtesanWi which translated White Buffalo Calf Woman. She taught the Lakotas many sacred rituals and gave them the chanunpa or sacred pipe which is the holiest of all worship symbols. After teaching the people and giving them her gifts, PtesanWi left them promising to return. Later, the story became attributed to the goddess Wohpe, also known as Whope, or Wope.

When Roman Catholic missionaries first came among the Lakota, their stories of the Virgin Mary and Jesus became associated with the legend of White Buffalo Calf Woman. The syncretic practice of identifying Mary with PtesanWi and Jesus with the chununpa continues among Lakota Christians to this day.