The Native American prophecy presents a fork in the road
By Benjamin Alva Polley EBS COLUMNIST
On June 4, a white buffalo calf, later named Wakan Gli, was born in Yellowstone National Park’s Lamar Valley. Wakan Gli means “returns sacred.” The birth symbolizes a blessing and warning, fulfilling a Native American prophecy for many tribes.
The birth of a white buffalo calf is exceptionally rare, occurring only once out of every 10 million buffalo births. This rarity adds to the unique and special nature of the event.
The prophecy presents a hopeful future, but it also poses a significant question for humanity. We stand at a crossroads with a choice to be made. Will we choose a path that respects and aligns with nature, based on reciprocity and giving back, or will we continue down a path of excess and exploitation of the natural environment?
Chief Arvol Looking Horse, the spiritual leader of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Oyate in South Dakota says the birth of a white buffalo calf signifies a spiritual awakening, a fulfillment of a prophecy. “It’s our responsibility to care for Mother Earth,” he told NBC News.
American Indians share a deep spiritual and cultural connection to the bison with which they share the land. Bison represent strength and abundance to numerous cultures, including the Sioux, Cherokee, Commanche and Navajo, to name a few.
According to the American Indian College Fund, the spiritual and cultural significance of a white buffalo calf is deeply rooted in the history of the Lakota Sioux. It harkens back to a time in the Black Hills of South Dakota when the seven sacred council fires of the Lakota Sioux united and camped during the summer. Food was scarce, and people were starving. Two young men ventured out to search for game.
Along their path, a beautiful young woman dressed in white appeared and said to them, “Return to your people and tell them I am coming.” She presented a sacred pipe to the Lakota people, symbolizing and revealing how everything was connected, called “Mitakuye Oyasin”—we are all related. She taught them the mysteries of the Earth, how to pray, and how to follow the proper path on Earth.
Then, before Buffalo Calf Woman departed, she rolled upon the earth four times, changing color each time, turning into a white buffalo calf before she vanished. As she departed, great buffalo herds surrounded the encampment. Once again, people were fed and happy. After that day, the Lakota honored their pipe, and buffalo were abundant.
The Lakota and other tribes believed that a white buffalo is Earth’s most sacred living being. In addition, many bison change colors as they age, and a holy man must interpret those colors to decipher what they mean.
The American buffalo is a symbol of abundance and manifestation. The lesson learned that day is that we do not have to struggle to survive if the proper prayer joins the right action. The sacred white buffalo calf’s birth signifies hope and prosperous times. For many tribes, the birth of the white buffalo calf is the most significant of prophetic signs.
“In tribal lore, it is similar to the second coming, a personal life-long journey,” said Chief Arvol Looking Horse.
No one has seen the white buffalo calf since its birth. The white buffalo calf symbolizes hope and prosperity to tribes, whether seen again or not, as a reminder of how humanity should treat one another, not just other humans but all life forms, all my relatives—mitakuye oyasin. The white calf symbolizes a new beginning—a path forward to abundance and peace.
Humanity has come upon a fork in the road. A choice must be made. What path will we choose?
Benjamin Alva Polley is a place-based storyteller. His stories have been published in Audubon, Esquire, Field & Stream, The Guardian US, Outside, Popular Science, Sierra, and other publications on his website. He holds a master’s in Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism from the University of Montana.
