Honoring the white buffalo

[Drac]

Hello all,

Got a chance to attend the naming ceremony for the white buffalo (bison) born on May 12, 2011. This is a significant event in the Native American society.

It only happens 1 of 10 million births. If you ask the Lakota this is the third such recorded birth.

The calf was named Wakinyah Pejuta Mahpiya - Lightning Medicine Cloud:





I was a great honor to attend the ceremony. Well worth the vacation day from work.

I am not an expert or even well versed in Native American ceremonies so please take this for what I understood.

Here is the tree we gave of gifts to the Elders. I heard what they had called it and promptly forgot tough. I left a traditional offering of tobacco (white man's not kinnikinick) wrapped in red cloth tied shut with four treads of white, red, yellow and black -



Also brought a couple bails (from a friend, one for me and one for her) of hay for a gift to the calf. Also given the symbolic red covering and four color cords. Also, since I need to smile at everything(it's a Buddha and Pagan thing) I also included a bib for each saying "I love my Dad" and "I love my Mom" -



Arby Little Soldier's Ranch was the gentleman blessed/gifted with the responsibility of Lightning -



Here are the drummers. They serve this functions for many generations and is a skill held in high honor -



Had to get the Navy in Many of those there were veterans -



Gourd dancers performed several times during the day. Very enjoyable to watch -

[Bugbear]

[Drac]

Opening was a prayer. The lady here did a sign language translation -



Was followed up by Color Guard done by Native American Warrior's Society of Texas and a flyover -





During the Direction Song and the Pipe Ceremony we were requested not to photograph.

Here is Arby and his brother blessing the corral where Lightning and his herd with stay -



The spear that was part of the blessing -



The rest of the ceremony was a lot of VIPs. You have never heard so many "were as" in you life to you get a lot of government reps reading proclamation after proclamation.

Some of the other activities were of course the vendors. Things like this always bring them out, especially those gutters ones. There were buffalo food available from several vendors. I guess nothing honors the calf like grilling up some of his relatives. The tacos were quite good. Ran out of money before getting down to the fry bread. Bummed as I keep hearing about it but haven't gotten a chance to try it.

There were a couple bummers. Couldn't where a kilt as they had requested nothing above the knee and long sleeves. Though it seems most of the people thought they were above respecting the requests. I was in jeans and a button up. Unfortunately this made me look like the model "pale face" ad there were several comments about "pale faces" by a guest speaker. Also got snubbed rather badly by a couple of people. I guess I could understand the dislike sometimes but most of the ceremony was about being one Nation, not Native, African, Oriental or white but just Americans.

Jim

[Bigkahuna]

Washte" Kola!

[Riverkilt]

Sad about being shunned at such a sacred event. Some Whites believe as the Native people do. Some Native peoples welcome and accept such believers - some don't.

We are all related. Thanks for the pics of this most sacred buffalo

[Oldhiker]

I have read about a few white buffalos before. Neat you got to attend.

I have always liked Ted Nugents song "white buffalo" even though it probabaly has no significance to our Native Americans.

[tripleblessed]

Many have said these births indicate the onset of the prophecies relating to the passage through the galactic ecliptic late next year. Plains folk were watching for white buffalo, Zulu for white lions, Tlingit for a white raven, Inuit for a black polar bear. There are other indicators as well. At the request of an Inuit elder, I went to the approximate place of birth of the white lions in South Africa to do ceremony in the working circle of a Shongaan Lion Priestess. Astonishingly similar to a medicine wheel. Indeed an honor to participate. I wouldn't worry much about your reception, that can happen anywhere, to anyone, for a lot of reasons, mostly irrelevant and inappropriate. Enjoy, be respectful, often you find out it was a misunderstanding.

[James Hood]

We are all riding the same cosmic spaceship called Earth and are all from the same greater gene pool. Tribalism excluding and discriminating, in whatever guise is just not taking the human race where it needs to go.

Very cool, about the white buffalo.

[kscowboy1866]

Lila Waste Kola!

Wish I could have gone to the naming ceremony as well. And dont worry bout being snubbed by a few people at such a ceremony. I've delt with the same on a few occassions and had to earn their respect before i was accepted. The word for white people in sioux is Wasicu - 'wah - shee - chue' and the little bundles you tied tobacco in are called prayer ties and the colors represent the 4 directions and the tobacco is an offering to carry your prayers to Wakan Tanka - 'Great Spirit'.

PilaMayaye - 'pee - lah - mah - yah - yea', Thank you for sharing.