White bison calf born in Yellowstone National Park fulfills Native American prophecy
Many American tribal cultures view bison as the most sacred living thing on Earth.
InterTribal Buffalo Council protects bison population so environment benefits
FILE VIDEO: Troy Heinert, member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and Executive Director of the InterTribal Buffalo Council, discusses the mission to keep these animals safe.
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Mont. – The birth of a rare white bison calf in Yellowstone National Park could be a sign of better times ahead, according to a Native American tribal prophecy.
Montana photographer Erin Braaten captured the unusual offspring by chance on June 4 in the Lamar Valley of the national park, she told FOX Television Stations.
A rare white bison calf photographed at Yellowstone National Park on June 4, 2024.
(Erin Braaten: Dancing Aspens Photography)
"At first glance, I thought it might be a coyote," Braaten told FOX. "There were bison crossing the river and the road, so we were stuck in traffic for a few minutes so I decided to look at the ‘coyote’ through my camera and discovered that it wasn't a coyote but a white bison calf."
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The bison calf in Braaten's photos appears to have a black nose and eyes, which indicates that its color is not caused by albinism, which is caused by the absence of melanin.
According to the National Park Service, a white buffalo calf named Miracle was born in 1994 on a farm in Janesville, Wisconsin. She is believed to be the first since 1933. Another was born in Avon, Minnesota, in 2012 but died two weeks later.
Bison calving season runs from mid-April to early July across multiple herds. According to Yellowstone National Park, about 80% of bison calves are born in April and May.
There were nearly 5,000 bison in Yellowstone as of summer 2023, according to park biologists.
It's unclear how rare a genuine white bison calf is in North America. The National Bison Association does not track these statistics.
What is the white buffalo calf prophecy?
Every year, bison are transferred to Native American Tribes as part of the park's Bison Conservation Transfer Program, helping to "restore their lost culture and ways of life." Since 2019, more than 400 bison have been transferred to 26 tribes across 12 states through the program.
According to Yellowstone's Bison Management program, many North American tribal cultures are intertwined with bison. Many American tribes view bison as the most sacred being on Earth.
A rare white bison calf photographed at Yellowstone National Park on June 4, 2024.
(Erin Braaten: Dancing Aspens Photography)
For the Lakota people, the birth of a true white buffalo calf is similar to the second coming of Jesus Christ, Chief Arvol Looking Horse told The Associated Press.
A white buffalo calf is a sign that "we must do more," said Looking Horse, the spiritual leader of the Lakota, Dakota and the Nakota Oyate in South Dakota, and the 19th keeper of the sacred White Buffalo Calf Woman Pipe and Bundle.
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The Lakota legend began more than 2,000 years ago when bison and food were scarce. A figure known as the White Buffalo Calf Woman brought a "sacred bundle," including the White Buffalo Calf Pipe. She taught the Lakota people about the seven sacred ceremonies and said that one day, when a white buffalo calf was born, it would be a sign she would return during times of turmoil.
The birth of the white bison calf in Yellowstone comes after the 2022-2023 winter produced the largest northern migration the park ever recorded, when about 4,000 bison migrated into the state of Montana, according to Yellowstone's Bison Management program.