Why to Visit Janesville Wisconsin Home of the Sacred White Buffalo

The Native American legend of the White Buffalo Calf Woman is one of the more prominent spiritual events of the Plains Indian Tribes. While variations of the legend are in existence. The story of the sacred woman who appeared in the form of a white buffalo calf to the Sioux tribe in South Dakota is a symbol of unity and awakening of the spirit of man to the important teachings of interdependence of all living creatures and the Great Spirit. It is the very first instance of the introduction of the peace pipe. The white buffalo is not an albino buffalo. It is white that turn various shades of colors and then turns white again. It is the symbol told in the tale as the white buffalo is representative of all the shades and colors of man. Thus, the rare birth of the white buffalo is viewed by Native Americans as a significant spiritual event. The mystery as to why the small farm in Wisconsin is the birthplace of three white buffalo over the last 12 years is best explained by an elder of one of the tribes. He states the White Buffalo chooses a good and safe place to appear. The Heider Family farm was chosen.

The tale of the White Buffalo Calf Woman that is most noteworthy is by John Fire Lame Deer a Lakota holy man who wrote "Lame Deer, Seeker of Vision." He passed away in 1974 on the Rosebud Lakota Reservation in South Dakota. Another must see book, "American Indian Myths and Legends" written by Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz who travelled throughout the Plains during the 1960s memorializing the religious and sacred teachings of Native Americans and particularly the interpretations of John Fire Lame Deer. This story of the White Buffalo Calf Woman is the tradition and heritage of the Native American Tribes. It provides the meaning, the necessary ritual and the messages of redemption and hope for the Native Americans religious beliefs and culture. I am not going to retell the detailed legend, but refer you to the exact words of John Fire Lame Deer: http://www.kstrom.net/isk/arvol/lamedeer.html. My inquiry is confined to the cross cultural implications of the White Buffalo Calf Woman and to explore some reasons why the white buffalo calf born in August 2006 chose a white farmer from Wisconsin of German/Austrian ancestry to make its appearance.

The White Buffalo Calf Woman in the original tale appears to two scouts of the Lakota tribe who had been sent out to find a source of food. The tribe was literally starving to death and the buffalo the main source of all their needs of the tribe was no where to be found. An exquisite woman appeared to these scouts. One scout made advances that were carnal in nature. He was immediately turned into a pile of bones. The other scout was respectful and the woman told him to return to his tribe. He was told to tell the elders to erect a medicine lodge with 24 poles and make preparations for her pending visit. Some four days later she appeared with her white buckskin dress which could be seen shining by the brilliance of the sun. Her time with the tribe was primarily spent instructing them on building an altar, the use of a buffalo skull and a three stick rack for the item she would present to them. Her gift to the tribe was the chanunpa or the first sacred pipe known to be given to the Native Americans. She held the stem with her right hand and the bowl of the pipe was cradled in her left hand. This tradition has been sent down from generation to generation and among the tribes of the Plains.

Important to a complete understanding of the importance of her visit is the instruction she gave to the children and particularly to the women of the tribe. Lakota women had always played a submissive role within the society of the tribe. Often times they walked several steps behind the men of the tribe. The Lakota, now known as the Sioux had great hunters and warriors. Their prowess was revered by the Chief of the tribe. The visitation by the exquisitely adorned woman in white changed all of that. She told the woman of the tribe that their role was of equal importance as the warrior. They would keep the tribe alive and that they were from Mother Earth. The men carve the bowl and the stem. The women decorate the bow. Upon a marriage both hold the sacred pipe with a red cloth wrapped around their hands to signify unity.

As she made her final farewell to the tribe she told them she would see them again. She walked back into the direction of her coming in the sunset hours when the sun appears like a red ball across the plains. As she left, she rolled once and turned into a black buffalo, then rolled again and turned into a brown buffalo, rolled again and turned into a red buffalo. Finally on her fourth roll she turned in a white buffalo calf. The white buffalo being the most sacred of all. It is interpreted that she represented all of the shades of mankind and their unity. Following her visit, the area was filled with abundant buffalo and the tribe was saved from starvation.

As in many religions the White Buffalo Calf Woman is akin to the Madonna and is seen as the great unifier and messenger of hope and salvation for the soul and the salvation of mankind. She provides hope and love among the people. She is a unifier of all people. She instructs the elders and the people in spiritual matters and how to achieve harmony and sanctity of the human soul.

The genealogical rarity of the white buffalo calf is undisputed. It is a rarity and is not an albino. Thus in 1994 when a white calf was born in Janesville, Wisconsin on the small buffalo farm of the Heider Family it raised quite a stir. The Heider Family named the female white calf "Miracle". She survived for ten years and passed on in 2004. There was also a white male calf born that died soon after birth. Now in late August 2006 a new white male calf has been born on the Heider Farm. The Cheyenne, Sioux and other Plains Indians revere the white buffalo. They are welcoming the new birth as the fulfilling a promise that the white buffalo chooses only one place or person to appear. It is destiny that the white buffalo has thrice been born at the Heider Family Farm. It is reasoned that the work of Miracle the female white buffalo had not yet been completed and therefore the newborn white male calf needs to finish up the details. The spiritual leaders of the tribe are considering the possible spiritual implications of this new birth.

From purely a non sectarian point of view I can think of no time in our recent history of man that the need for unity among all people of varying colors could use a symbol of hope and unity. This is a great vacation for anyone who would like to see an all American town. Janesville is located in Rock County, Wisconsin and there are a variety of activities going on in Wisconsin during the Fall months. The Heider Farm is near the town and the Heider's have been very cordial allowing people to visit during select times during the day. The Native Americans are visiting now for their spiritual retreat and to pay respects to the new white buffalo calf. There are numerous places to stay in Janesville. The town boasts a Holiday Inn and various motels. The food and the people are always good in Wisconsin. http://janesvillewi.cu.myareaguide.com/hotels.html.