$18,500 to kill Sacred White Buffalo in Texas outrages Native Americans

Native Americans have always had many legends that span over thousands of years. Yet despite the many legends, the most sacred one involves the birth of a White Buffalo calf.

There are countless stories about the White Buffalo, with a slightly different tale being told for every tribe. But the message is clear in all of them; The Native Americans see the white buffalo calf as a sign to begin mending life’s sacred hoop, to connect with each another and with our Mother Earth whom we must stop destroying. The White Buffalo is a very sacred sign and symbol to the Native Americans.

It may be that not all white buffaloes are created equal, for there is a herd in Bend, Oregon, that contains 11 white buffaloes. Even so, it’s safe to say there aren’t a lot of them; an article on the herd from 2010 said that experts estimate that there are less than 50 white buffaloes in existence. Native Americans are taking this as a sign that something profound is happening to our planet as well as to humanity.

The sacredness of the white buffalo is linked to the story of White Buffalo Calf Woman, a Lakota prophet who brought the Lakota the Seven Sacred Rituals.

Esteemed Lakota spiritual leader John Lame Deer called the white buffalo “the most sacred living thing you could ever encounter.” Oglala Sioux spiritual leader Floyd Looks for Buffalo Hand, a grandson of Red Cloud, is quoted as saying “The arrival of the white buffalo is like the second coming of Christ. … It will bring about purity of mind, body, and spirit and unify all nations—black, red, yellow, and white.”

Understanding just how important the white buffalo is then, it becomes extremely hideous and despicable that a canned hunting outfit in Texas called the Texas Hunt Lodge is now offering the chance to kill these majestic and spiritually significant creatures. For $18,500, a person can go there and do exactly that.

These are canned hunts which means the animal has no chance for escape and is in an enclosed area that makes it extremely easy to kill them. They are also usually very used to the presence of humans so they do not have the fear of man as would a wild bison. The White Buffalo has a very spiritual significance to the Native American culture.