The Story of the White Buffalo Calf Woman

Pte san Wi 

The Promise is remembered, and we are given new hope

As in May of 2004 at the dawning of the first light a pure white buffalo calf was born. The fourth, who was appropriately named Sunrise. Now the Buffalo Spirit stands upon four legs again, and the return of Pte san Wi , the White Buffalo Calf woman is very near.  Even as you read this Grandmother Spider is weaving her webs for the rebirth of the Nations, all colours, all cultures under one Peace Tree.  United under the blanket of harmony and peace.  Look to the hilly country for the birthing of the New Nation. The seeds of which have been planted for seven generations. The Children of the Earth arte awakening. The purification will commence, and great struggles will come upon this land and her peoples. The old dream, the Piscean age of suffering and pain is over.  In this next generation we will be witness to the passing away of the old and the ushering in of the new. No stone shall be unturned, no living thing shall go untouched by the hand of the Creator.

    This is the year that we honor the Buffalo Nation, Tatonka Oyate Wan, and the powers of the Northern Gateway. From the time of the solstice until the spring equinox is the time of the White Buffalo.During Winter when the land is covered in the white blanket of Pte san Wi   Is the time the Old Woman of the North, and the Wasia, the wizards blow their breath down from the north and we dream the dreams that will be born in our life in the spring , at the equinox when the Eagle comes.

In 1997 in Janesville, Wisconsin, a female White Buffalo Calf was born, this was the first of four,  Today Miracle the first White Buffalo is surviving in good health living on a special reserve in Flagstaff. Arizona.. She was a significant sign of the coming of the Fifth World. or the World of the Fifth Sun .  She and the now three that have followed her are a sign that Tunkashila, Grandfather, has remembered his promise to the people. To those of us who hold the White Buffalo Calf Woman close to our hearts, this is a sign that we have waited for, for many generations. I have heard the story of Pté San Wi, the White Buffalo Calf Woman many times, it is one of my favorites. In the story there is much prophesy; there is hope for the renewal of life here upon the Earth., even when things look their darkest.

In a time when all around us seems to be drying up in the grasp of a spiritual drought and mankind is lost in the shadows walking between two worlds, one can easily give in to despair. Yet we have our stories, our prophecies, like the story of the White Buffalo Calf Woman is a beautiful story that tells of the coming of a Rainbow Nation, a world without borders, and a Great Age of Illumination. We are told of the coming of this Fifth World, when man learns to walk upright, and is at one with Great Spirit and remembers who they are, and why they are here,.

Like the changing of the seasons, the conditions and the consciousness that have created the present world conditions  the old dream we have been experiencing is coming to its close. It has been a long winter here in the land of Turtle Island one that has lasted over seven generations. We have seen many things vanish from our horizon over the years, some gone forever from the face of the Earth walk. We must now prepare for the new season that is arriving.

The days to come are no longer something off in the distant future, told in stories shared by the elders around the council fires. They are here and now. The signs will continue to affirm that fact. And they are everywhere! We simply must have the heart to accept the messages that Spirit brings. We must have the eyes to see and ears to hear. The Earth is singing her song, and it is being carried upon the winds of change. It is hard to see all of this clearly when you are in the midst of the storm. The dark clouds are thickening around us, and at times we can forget our covenant with Great Spirit. It has been foretold and we know that we will pass through this time of change and emerge into a world of grand illumination. Some people hold the return of Earthly language=JavaScript> </SCRIPT> paradise as their hope for the future.

This is the story of the White Buffalo Calf Woman. As my Nakota Grandmother told us one winter solstice night in the Sweat Lodge.

The Sioux have been given the promise of the White Buffalo Calf Woman. She made this promise to us long ago, before the white men from the land across the waters came back to our land.  There was one who came before these men. Wa Coma Tete , The Lord of the Wind we called him.  He told us of the coming of these others, and the path of blood they would leave behind them. He warned us that we would become like dust in the wind, and many would even forget their own language as well as our ways.   Then in the time of the Seventh Generation we would begin to see the signs that the New World was birthing.  There would be much confusion in those days, and the hope of all people not only the Indian people would be like the dying flame of the camp fire, almost about to go out.  Just a small flicker of hope would remain in those dark days., as the Great Dying  that the Old ones foretold us about was upon the land. Everything would seem to be dying, the grasses, the standing people, the animals, the waters, it would be as if the Earth herself was dying.

We are now experiencing our grand initiation.  This is the first generation after the Seventh Generation, this is the time of the Great Dying when  we were told the four White calves would return, it will be a fulfillment of many things and this dream we have known will come to its ending. We will be reborn into the world that we choose, by our actions we have taken along the journey. And the children would remember the Great Tree of life

Pté san Wi appeared to the Sioux people long ago; so long ago that we can no longer remember when. She came during the time of the Great Hunt when all the clans gathered together to form the seven sacred fires, The Oceti-Shakowin, of the Great Sioux Nation. It had been a long winter and many were hungry, for there was little left of the winter stores and game was scarce. The scouts went out for long periods to look for game, but always came back empty handed.

The Great Herds were not to be found. The people were lamenting for they felt they had done some wrong to offend the spirits. The people had traveled far from their homeland in Virginia, following a vision given by their Medicine Chiefs, telling of the coming of strangers to this land and of the destruction that would follow them. They had become a nomadic people, and had traveled this great distance by foot. They were not yet the great horse nation they would later become. they had been moving so long that many of them even started to loose the memory of from where they started the journey. Chief Hollow Horn was the elected head chief of the council in this time. Early one morning, in this long ago time, he sent two scouts to look for some sign of the great herds. In these days the scouts were part of a medicine society, and they had many powers that today are only memories. They could shape-shift, or become invisible, and move without a sound, becoming totally unnoticed until they chose to make their move.

It is told that the two scouts were out searching for many days, and were becoming disheartened, for they could find nothing. Nowhere was a sign that the herds were nearby. They had climbed a hill so that perhaps they could get a better view of the distance when a strange thing happened. A wind came to them that carried a strange and unfamiliar, yet beautiful fragrance. The two men turned toward the direction of the enrapturing scent and saw, in the distance, something coming toward them. They were spellbound and could do nothing but stare, frozen in silence and awe.

As the mysterious form came closer toward them they could see that it was a woman, a very unusual woman. For not only was this woman very beautiful, but she had appeared from nowhere. She seemed to be floating across the prairie rather than walking. She was luminescent and seemed to glow with the warmth of the sun. As she got closer they could begin to make out that she had hair that shown blue-black like the raven, and her eyes were blue like the clear sky in fall. She was dressed in white buckskins that were so finely tanned that they almost reflected the light of the sun off her countenance. The dress was embroidered with many symbols of strange design, made from porcupine quill. The colors and patterns were so exquisite, no ordinary person could have made them. In her arms she bore a bundle.

Now, this woman was so beautiful that one of the scouts had thoughts of uncontrollable lust for this mysterious creature. He turned to his companion and told him of his desires and intentions. But his companion begged him not to think such things. Surely he could see that this woman was Takua Wakan, a very holy woman. All the while, the woman was coming closer to the two men, gliding as if upon a cloud that shimmered just above the ground. As she came upon them, she beckoned the man who had lusted for her to come closer. He did so, and he and she moved closer together. The shimmering cloud that was all around her feet began to swirl around the two of them. Now the other man could see nothing; but he heard many strange sounds. The sounds were almost like singing at times, and at other times it sounded like strange, dark winds and moaning. When the cloud finally settled and then lifted, he could only see the Sacred Woman standing there. Then, as the cloud dispersed, he saw a pile of bones at her feet. They were the bones of his companion. Entwined around the bones were the most terrible snakes that he had ever seen.

He was taken back with terror at this strange occurrence. The woman looked upon him and spoke, “Behold, do not fear what you see, but learn from the wisdom of Great Spirit. For I Am sent to your people from Grandfather, and I desire to share with them a message of great importance. Your friend came to me with his desires before him, not his dreams; and they were all granted. But his was the desire of lust, and the desire of lust devours the very heart of all people that it touches. It is like a beast that will eat you up alive, leaving no part of spirit behind. I bring a message from Tananka Oyate Wan, the Buffalo Nation. Go tell your Great Chief, Hollow Horn, to have the people prepare a Grand Medicine Lodge, for they must form a Grand Council to receive this knowledge from Great Spirit.�?/FONT>

She instructed him in what she wanted done and how the Grand Lodge was to be prepared. The young scout returned to Hollow Horn, and told him what had occurred and of the strange woman’s instructions. Now, the old chief was a medicine chief and knew that this strange tale was truth, for in the young scout’s eyes he could still see the reflection of this strange woman burning in his soul. So Hollow Horn had the Grand Lodge constructed in accordance with her instructions. The floor was covered with sage and cedar, and in the center was an altar, the owanka wankan. It was made from red earth, and upon it they placed a buffalo hide. There they also constructed a rack made from cedar branches. This was to be used for the sacred bundle she was bringing. When it was done, they placed a buffalo skull by the cedar rack. When the work was done, it was a sight to behold.

They waited four days. Then, on the morning of the fourth day, the criers sang out the call that the Sacred Woman was approaching. Chief Hollow Horn welcomed her, and it was just as they had been told. She was a being of extraordinary beauty, and all could feel the strange power that radiated from her.

Hollow Horn invited her into the lodge. As she entered, she saw that all had been prepared in accordance with her instructions, and she was very pleased. In that meeting, she brought out two pipes from her bundle. The Sacred Calf Pipe and the Cannunpa. She circled the lodge four times, each circle made in a sunwise manner. She told the people of the great wisdom these gifts would bestow upon the them. She told them that this Sacred Calf Pipe, carved from the foreleg of the White Buffalo, was a gift from Tunkashila. The Cannunpa, the second pipe, was the symbol of her teachings that they could carry through all of time, through all of their journeys in the times to come. She told them that it represented the sacred fire of life, the fire that burns forever from one generation to the next. She instructed them that through this pipe they would continue, and that the wisdom shared here would last through the coming of the next world, the Fifth World.

“Look�?she said. “Look at the bowl of the pipe. It represents the blood of the Mother, the blood that flows through a people, through all beings of the Earth. It represents the female, the Mother of us all. This Cansassa is the smoke made from the sacred herbs. Blended with the red willow, it represents the flowers of the Earth, for through the flowers of the Earth, spirits make themselves known upon this plane. The smoke that rises is the breath of Great Spirit, the Breath of Life. The Buffalo that is carved here represents the universe and the Four Directions of the Earth Plane, for the Buffalo stands firmly upon four legs. It represents the giveaway, for the Buffalo gives freely of itself, that all your people may be sustained and sheltered from the elements.

“It represents the power and sacredness of your women, for the women are the bearers of life. It is through woman, and her womb, that you enter this world. That, alone, is equal if not greater, than any act your warriors can perform. For as the bearer of life, Woman gives you, from her womb, the gift of foreverness. The womb of man should always be honored, for it is through the work of her hands and the fruit of her womb that the people themselves continue.

“Here, upon the surface of the bowl, are carved seven circles. They represent the seven ceremonies that I will share with you, ceremonies you will carry from one generation to the next. The keeping of the soul, Kinji�?Yu la�?nagi�? the rite of purification, Inipi; crying for a vision, Hanbleceya; the sundance, Wi-wang Wacipi ; the making of relatives, Hunkapi; the young girls purification rite, Ishnati Alonwapi; the throwing of the ball, Ih�?pe’ya ta’pa.�?/FONT>

Then she took the stem, which was made from wood and said, “This represents all that grows upon the Earth, the Tree of Life. For the Tree is forever; it knows not of death. For when its embodiment ceases to be, it becomes the Mother to new life and the Tree lives again and multiplies. Many nations live within its branches and under it’s branches. And more, still, live from its fruit. The Tree, like the Earth, is a giver of life. Growing up towards the heavens, it touches the breath of Creator, and represents the male, the Father, who is the giver of all life.

“This pipe is alive. It is a living being, endowed with the spirit of every soul that is a pipe carrier. It will always show you the way along the Good Red Road, the road to Wakan Tanka, the road back to Great Spirit. For it is from Great Spirit that you come; and it is to Great Spirit that you return after this dream is over.�?/FONT>

The Calf Woman stayed for some time, no one is certain of just how long. But she stayed long enough to teach the people and conduct the ceremonies, so it is assumed that it was that she would come back, over time to teach them each rite. We do not assume that she actually lived with the people, but that is possible. and taught them the seven rites, the seven ceremonies.

As she was leaving, she turned to Hollow Horn and the elders gathered and said, “Remember always the sacredness of this Cannunpa. Remember me when you smoke it. Remember this time, and all you have learned. The Cannunpa will take you and your people through to the end times.

“There will be four ages in the dream of man. I will return to you in each of those ages with more instructions. I Am leaving now. But know that I will return. When I come to you again in this embodiment, it will be at the time of the awakening of the Fifth Sun. Here you will be with your relatives again, and you and I will walk together as we did this day..�?/FONT>

She walked out toward the distant hills, and she began to turn, as if in a dance, in a sunwise direction. After she had walked a short distance, she looked back toward the people who stood watching, and she sat down. The people were amazed to see that she turned into a Red Buffalo Calf. Then she repeated her dance, and sat down again, turning into a Brown Buffalo Calf. As the dance continued, she turned into a Black Buffalo Calf, finally turning into a White Buffalo Calf, bowing to all four directions.

The White Buffalo Calf stood in the West, holding back the waters of purification, then disappeared in the mist. As the shimmering cloud rose toward the heavens, the voice of the Calf Woman was heard singing songs of joy .

It is told that at the beginning of this present cycle, the White Buffalo Calf, standing at the Western Gateway, would lose one hair for each year that passed. At the end of each age, the White Buffalo would lose one leg. When the buffalo is bald and the four legs are gone, the waters of purification will rush in once again. When it appears as if all of the people will perish and the Good Red Road seems lost forever, there will come a sign that Creator has not forgotten those who remember him, a sign that the sacred covenant will be remembered. It is told that this sign will begin with the returning of the Buffalo to the grasses of the Earth, and that at the dawning of the Fifth World, the White Buffalo Calf will return to the herds in physical form, heralding the Age of Illumination, the age when mankind walks upright and once again remembers his true relationship with Creator. It is told that we will awaken, as if from a dream, and the Earth will be reborn.

This is the time that is upon us now. We must strive for the balance of male and female energies. Women must assume their rightful role as the bearers of life, the teachers of balance and compassion. For like the sacred pipe, the Cannunpa, the power of Creator can only be realized with the joining of male and female energy in harmony and balance, as full and equal partners in the Wacipi Kini Wakan, the Sacred Dance of Life.

Women, the hearth fires that are the center of the family, the center of the strength of the people, have dwindled to sputtering coals, and are almost out. All society is founded in the family circle, for it is from this sacred fire that we learn our wisdom in relationship to all of life. We must speak out our sacred prayers, Wocekiya Wakan, that the spirits can hear them.

Manchild, what has happened to the sacredness of our actions? We act without Great Spirit. We act, not from our hearts, but from the madness of fear. We have become lost in survival, and we walk as if we are without Great Spirit. This is the black road, the road that leads to endings. Without Spirit, we are as empty gourds. We are without power, so we seek only power. But we find only a power that destroys everything it touches. We have become as cannibals that eat the very source of our own life, our Mother. So now when we call the ancient spirits, the old ways fade, the old powers no longer work. It is as if spirit has turned a deaf ear. Our women no longer turn to us for guidance, and our children are leaving home. The old ones are leaving; they are no longer sharing their wisdom. We have fallen into dis-creation.

Our children are our future. They are our continuance. Once we were connected to our past so that each generation nurtured the next. It once was that the past, the now, and the future all connected into the Great Way. Once our children looked upon their elders with respect, and received encouragement to help them face the future. When the time of the silverhair came upon us, we shared our wisdom, so that the next generation became stronger. Now we are all separating; we are even afraid of each other. When the young are told stories of the old ones, the old ways, and they do venture to the mountain to cry for a vision, they see the forest clear cut along the way. They see oil derricks sucking the life from the Mother. They see smoke stacks filling the sky with black poison, and mining machines that move across the land like beasts, devouring everything that lies before them. Our young people are left with the inheritance of a nightmare, not the dream of life.

The story of Pté San Wi is a story of ascension. It is the story of the raising of Spirit to meet, in evenness, the presence of Creator. This happens within. For it is the Spirit that gives life to the robe, not the robe that gives life to the Spirit. The return of the Buffalo Calf Woman, and the bringing in of the Fifth World, the Age of Illumination, is the story of Great Spirit returning through the hearts of the people. This will occur when the people choose to live in the way that Creator intended. There will be nothing given to us. It must be earned. It must be reclaimed from the ashes of the old world, the dying consciousness. We must re-learn that life is not to be taken for granted. Any life is sacred. For all of life is sacred, means that we are the Tree. We are the Mountain. We are the Buffalo, the Fish, the Eagle, the Rabbit. We are all connected.

 

Another story of the Ascension of Human spirit-

There is another story from my Iroquois ancestors. It is the story of the Phoenix. The Phoenix is the Bird of Fire, the Thunder Being that has slept through this long winter of our history. It is the Bird of Fire that is rising this very moment from the ashes of death. The Phoenix is also an ascension story. In its telling, we are shown that the Spirit of mankind will rise once again because the Spirit within, is forever. In its rising, we will refuse to worship death. We will, instead, choose to embrace the dream of Great Spirit. In the very action of refusing to play the game of death; in the very action of no longer being ruled by survival, no longer motivated by fear and enslaved by tyrants, we will remember our foreverness. In the process of this action, we will begin to hear the calling of our relatives on the other side. It will sound like a great hum. This hum will not go away and will drive many mad. In our hearts, we have cried for vision; we have called our ancestors, and they are chanting their sacred songs, breaking down the walls that we have built by following lifetimes of illusions.

The Crazy Horse of today, the Buffalo Calf Woman of today, is the being who is the Spirit Warrior, whether it be man, or whether it be woman. It is time to say, “It is enough!�?For the demons that devour us are of our own creation. The diseases that are killing people, for which there are no cures, are the manifestations of a sick and dying human spirit.

Humanity is like a great being in the throws of a high fever. In this fever, we see many things that are not real. We say many things that speak of madness. The Fifth World is here, and it demands a change. We must gather the Spirit that is within us, and like the Dog Soldiers of old, the sunka-akicita, we must stand our ground as the last wall of defense against the darkness so that the people might live. We must demand that the road turn back to Great Spirit. How much more of the nightmare do we need to experience before we say, “This is not a good path to follow; there is danger here?�?Nothing else matters, for in the end, it is all a dream; and we are the dreamers of the dream. To live without Spirit within is to be the walking dead. We are the seventh generation; the White Buffalo Calf has returned; now it is up to us as to how the future will unfold.. 

We must make the choices!  no one can do it for us, It is time to live in harmony with each other, to help each other. Between now and when we actually merge into the Fifth World  The Great Emergence that the Elders have told us was coming is now here. , Love is our only strength, our only shield. We can go through the Great Change gracefully, or it can be hard. What we can say for certain is that no living thing will not experience the change. Which way do you choose? The way of grace, or the way of pain and sorrow?

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