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The Lakota are one of the most famous of the Native American tribal groups. They are often presented in film (Dances with Wolves) and stage (Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show). Their traditional dress and cultural practices are often ascribed by pop culture to all Native people in error. "The Lakota, (known historically as the Teton, Sioux and Dakota) are composed of seven tribes: Oglala (They Scatter Their Own), Sicangu (Burned Thighs, also known as the Brule), Oohenunpa (Two Kettles), Itazipco (Sans Arcs, Without Bows), Hunkpapa (End of the Camp Circle), Sihasapa (Blackfeet), Mniocowojou {Minneconjou} (Planters by the Water)...The Lakota did not and do not live in a world of total ecological harmony or mystical participation of all beings: rather they seek balance in the world through reciprocity." (Taylor, 2005, 983). The four values of Lakota culture are "courage, respect, generosity, and wisdom...The Lakota people were given a Calf Pipe and seven sacred rites by the White Buffalo Calf Woman to remember the sacredness of all life, a way to pray, give thanks, and to honor the Creator. The seven ceremonies represent the way in which the Lakota learn and relearn their place in the great design of life." (Atkinson & Locke, p. 1).
White Buffalo Woman is considered the messenger of Lakota religion and culture. "Nineteen generations ago the beautiful spirit we now refer to as Pte-san win-yan (White Buffalo Calf Woman) brought the Sacred C'anupa {pipe} to our People. She taught the People the Seven Sacred Rites and how to walk on Mother Earth in a sacred manner." (Lookinghorse, 2006, p. D1). Like many savior figures, White Buffalo Calf Woman arrived at a time of great famine among the Lakota people. Two brothers (or cousins) were out scouting/hunting the buffalo which had vanished at the time. Then a magical woman in a white buckskin dress (or nude depending on the version) walks up to the two men holding a sacred bundle. One of the scouts begins to approach her with "lustful thoughts on his mind," in different versions he intends to (1) take her by force, (2) make her his wife or (3) simply is imagining making love to her. When the young man approaches her he is swallowed up by a magical cloud that subsequently vanishes leaving only a pile of bones. Needless to say, the other man is quite frightened but White Buffalo Calf Woman assures him of her good intentions and send him as a messenger to his band that she will be arriving at their village the next day and they must setup a special tipi for her to speak to the tribal elders in.
"She told them 'This is the C'anupa (the Sacred Pipe). the person who smokes it achieves union with all Beings and with all things in the World. By smoking this C'anupa you will make direct contact with Wakan Tankan (the Great Mystery) {sometimes translated as the Great Spirit}...The red stone of the C'anupa's bowl represents the blood of the People, and it also represents the female. And the wooden stem represents the Tree of Life, and it also represents the male. The Tree of Life also represents the root of our ancestors, and as this Tree grows so does the spirit of the People...When you put the C'anupa's bowl and stem together, you connect the world above and the world below. The only time the C'anupa is put together is when you are in prayer. And when you pray with the C'anupa humble yourself. Present your prayers to the four Sacred Directions, and pray to the Great Spirit above and Mother Earth Below and pray for life, peace, harmony and happiness. (Lookinghorse, 2006, p. D1). The seven sacred ceremonies of the Lakota are the Inipi {sweat lodge/purification ceremony}, the Wi-wanyang Wacipi {Sun Dance Ceremony}, Hanblec'iya {Vision Quest ceremony}, Kunka kag'a (Making of a relative/adoption ceremony), the Tapa kah'g'oya (Throwing of the Sacred Ball: a children's ceremony}, Wiyan Is'nati {Womanhood Ceremony}, and finally the Nag'i gluha (Keeping of the Spirit Ceremony}. (Brown, 1953).
The Role of the Sacred Pipe through history has been a part of Lakota culture and traditional beliefs. The Sacred Pipe is the quintessential part of Lakota spirituality. (Salmon, 2010, lecture). The 19th Keeper of the Sacred Pipe is Arvol Lookinghorse. ALH.jpg The Sacred Pipe still figures largely in contemporary Lakota practices. Deloria (2003), stated "perhaps the most important aspect if the Wounded Knee protest was that the holy men of the tribe and the tradtional chiefs all supported the AIM activists and younger people on the issues that they were raising. Some people were fearful of the violence that threatened their lives, but te strong ceremonial life and presence of the medicine men in the Wounded Knee compound diffused a great deal of criticism that would have been forthcoming from members of the other Indian tribes. No Indian could keep up a sustained criticism of the confrontation upon knowing that the people at Wounded Knee had their sacred pipes and that the medicine men from both the Pine Ridge and the neighboring Rosebud Sioux reservations were performing the ceremonies." (p.246).
Located on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, the White Buffalo Calf Society is integrated the worship of White Buffalo Calf Woman as well as cultural and spiritual beliefs in the Lakota tradition with domestic violence care/shelter. "Many winters past (a waken woman), the White Buffalo Calf Woman, gave the sacred pipe to the Lakota people. The pipe represents the unity of all people and all things of the universe. Through the pipe, peace may come to all who understand and follow its meaning. The understanding would be in both their minds and their hearts.The White Buffalo Calf Woman Society, Inc. strives to follow the teaching if the White Buffalo Calf Woman. The goals are peace, understanding, and quality of life for all people. Only if there is peace and strength within each of our hearts can we hope to share this with others...The White Buffalo Calf Woman Society, Inc. (WBCWS) prioritized violence against women is not a random state but is, in fact, a system of behaviors and tactics used to maintain power and control over women, whether that is as individuals or as a group. The WBCWS believes that violence against indigenous/Lakota women is not traditional to our culture and life way teachings. We believe it has its roots in an imposed and institutionalized system that was designed to maintain control over us as a People after genocide failed. We do not define violence against indigenous women as a problem within a relationship or as the pathology of an individual perpetrator. Again, it is perpetrated and maintained through society and institutions and is the same dynamic that perpetrates other forms of oppression, i.e. racism, classism, ageism, homophobia, able-bodyism, adultism, etc.We are committed to providing shelter and advocacy for individuals victimized by violence. We recognize the necessity of a multi-faceted approach –the need to develop an effective response to systems in our community such as health, criminal justice, and other institutions that minimize violence against woman. We also believe it is necessary to raise community awareness by naming what has happened to us as indigenous women...We have internalized our oppression. It is also the mission of the WBCWS to support each other in our exploration of ourselves and our attachment to beliefs that justify our own oppressions and the oppressions of others. As we work to transform the world into a circle of peace and harmony, individual responsibility and self-growth is essential. As indigenous women, we have survived and held on to much of our tradition. In keeping with our woman culture we are expected to conduct ourselves ethically, and there is an expectation that WBCWS members and employees interact with one another in the spirit of unity and mutual support." (http://www.wbcws.org/index
"White buffalo are American bison (American buffalo) that are considered to be sacred signs in several Native American religions, {such as the Lakota} and thus have great spiritual importance in those cultures and are visited for prayer and other religious ceremonies. Buffalo are normally brown in color; white buffalo can result from one of several physical conditions:
They may be leucistic, with white fur but blue eyes, instead of the pink seen in albinos.
They may have a rare genetic condition which causes a buffalo to be born white, but to become brown within a year or two as it matures.
They may be albinos, in which case they will remain unpigmented throughout their lives, and may also have hearing and vision problems.
They may be beefalo, a bison-cattle crossbreed, and thus have inherited the white coloration from their cattle ancestry.
White buffalo are extremely rare; The National Bison Association has estimated that they only occur in approximately one out of every 10 million births."(http://en.wikipedia.org/wi
Works Cited:
Atkinson, Robert & Patricia Locke (n.d.) "Children as Sacred Beings" Retrieved from http://www.usm.maine.edu/~
Black Elk, & Brown, Joseph Epes. 1953 The sacred pipe : Black Elk's account of the seven rites of the Oglala Sioux / Recorded and edited by Joseph Epes Brown University of Oklahoma Press, Norman.
Deloria, Vine (2003) God is Red: A Native View of Religion 30th Anniversary Edition. Fulcrum Publishing, Golden, Colorado, p. 246.
Giago, Tim (Sep. 28, 1994) "White Buffalo: A symbol of hope for Lakota people" Indian Country Today. vol 14, iss 14 pg A-4.
Lookinghorse, Arvol.(Oct, 2006) "The Story of Pte-san Win-yan: White Buffalo Calf Woman" Native Voice. vol. 5, iss. 13; pg D1-D2.
Richey, Virginia (Jul. 6. 2007) "Another White Buffalo calf born inspires a new look at an old legend" Native American Times vol. 13 iss. 27, pg S14.
Salmon, Enrique (2010) lecture.
Taylor, Bron. (2005) "Lakota" Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature London & New York: Continuum, p.983-985.
"About Us" (n.d.) White Buffalo Calf Woman Society website. Retrieved from http://www.wbcws.org/index
"White Buffalo" (n.d.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wi
"White Buffalo" (n.d.) http://www.ask.com/wiki/Wh
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