West Yellowstone, MT – On June 26th, Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC) will host a ceremony acknowledging the birth of the sacred white buffalo calf earlier this month. The event will be held on the sovereign land of the Shoshone-Bannock and led by Chief Arvol Looking Horse,19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe and Bundle. All people and major media outlets are welcome.

“The birth of the white buffalo calf in Yellowstone has captivated the world,” reflects James Holt, Sr., Executive Director of BFC. “I hope this sacred occurrence will aid the plight of the wild buffalo, for their existence is needed by all beings, especially here in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.”

This historic event holds a unique significance for many Indigenous nations. As an elder of the Mni Coujou Lakota, Chief Arvol Looking Horse reminds the world that it marks the return of the White Buffalo Calf Woman, the one who presented the first bowl pipe and bundle to the Lakota, teaching them how to live and pray.

As the Spiritual Leader of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Oyate, Looking Horse explains the implications of this occurrence, reciting the words of the White Buffalo Calf Woman:

“[S]ome day when the times are hard again, I shall return and stand upon the earth as a white buffalo calf, black nose, black eyes, black hooves.”

When the animals show their sacred color, it is critical for us to listen. It is a blessing, but also serves as a warning of coming changes in the earth. The arrival of the white buffalo calf is connected to the appearance of the White Buffalo Calf Woman almost 2,000 years ago, when food was scarce and the buffalo were disappearing. It is a sign calling for cooperation among peoples of the earth. Humans must come together globally to protect the wellbeing of Grandmother Earth.

“It is time for Tribal Nations to come together to honor each of our traditional lifeways, our shared history, our shared traditional ecological knowledge, and now, guide a sustainable future—as part of the natural world—in harmony and balance with the principles of coexistence, respect, responsibility, restoration, reciprocity, and humility,” asserts J. Dallas Gudgell, Vice President of the BFC Board.

James Holt, Executive Director
buffalo@buffalofieldcampaign.org
208-791-3306