September 2004

Hello

Many thousands of people around the world will be in mourning today, they will be feeling lost and wondering why. No it has nothing to do with wars or famines or anything like that, it has to do with a Buffalo dying.

10 years ago a small buffalo was born, she was a sign to Native Americans and those who follow the red road worldwide, she was a sign of hope for the world, she was a sign that at last we may have peace on earth. She was Miracle the White Buffalo. She was born in Wisconsin, (USA) to a pair of ordinary brown buffalo. There had been a prophesy that a white buffalo would be born that would herald the return of the White Buffalo Calf Woman, the entity who bought the sacred red Chanupa (Pipe) to the Lakota People. The White Buffalo Calf Woman had promised that she would return one day, and it was thought that this tiny white Buffalo was this promise fulfilled. The prophesy said that the father of this buffalo would die of natural causes within a couple of months of the birth, that way no other calf could be born from these parents. True to the prophesy the father, Marvin, did die of natural causes about a month after Miracle was born.

As Miracle grew her color changed she went from white to yellow to red to black and then to brown, at that point people said that she had started to go back to white again, but because the world wasn't ready for her she stayed brown. The White Buffalo Calf Woman had changed color as she left the Lakota people, first she turned into a buffalo and then she lay down turned over and over and changed into all of the same colors that Miracle did, the colors of mankind, as she turned, but she stayed white. Yet another prophesy fulfilled. It was said that when MIracle changed back to white again something big would happen on the Earth, many said it would be Peace, and all looked forward to that. I felt that the world was not ready for peace though and thought that when she got old she would turn grey and that would be when it would happen, there were years to go until then though, or so I thought.

The last time I saw Miracle I was with Chuck Derby, his son and daughter in law, and our two grand-daughters, Jenny and Dabbie. We did a pipe ceremony by the side of her run where she was laying. As soon as she smelled the sage burning she looked over to us and stood to face us and it was as if she joined us in the ceremony. When we finished she lay down again and looked back to where she was looking before. Her eyes held so much wisdom, it was as if she looked straight into your heart and soul. (My friend Elizabeth was touched so much by Miracle the first time we saw her, she looked into Elizabeths eyes and changed her life. I will always remember the way she talked about her meeting with Miracle on the way home to Pipestone that day.) Before we left that day in 2002 the grandfather of the family that took care of Miracle gave my grand-daughter some of Miracles fur as she was feeling ill. She still has that fur tucked away in a special sacred place. It will be even more precious after the news we heard today.

Last Sunday, September 19th 2004, just 10 years and one month after she was born, Miracle the beautiful White Buffalo, the symbol of peace, died. She has left us. That is so sad to know that the hopes that were held by so many people because of this small magical animal have died as well. The world will never be the same.

We can ask why did she move on, I have my own theories, one is that we as a world were not ready for such a peace symbol. We are not good enough to have her in our lives. War is uppermost in peoples makeup still, war between nations, war within families, war between friends, war between partners, it is all negative energy that has the same impact; sadness, hatred, fear, regret, but no one wants to stop, no one wants to say 'I forgive you'. We from all of our worldwide religions are not big enough to accept differences, to accept our neighbours, to accept other religions, even to accept others point of view. We always want to say we are the best and we are the ones who know the right way and I am right and you are wrong. While this happens there will never be peace in the world.

Another reason I feel that Miracle has left us is because of the rift within Indian Country, the problems happening with the Chanupa, the quarries, with people turning away from their traditions and with the exclusivity of many of the Indiginous people of America towards non indiginous people when it comes to ceremony, learning and the Chanupa. These people feel that they should be the ones to lay down the law as who can be included in a prayer ceremony, or who has a Chanupa and who shouldn't. While this is happening they are basically saying that they are above the Creator. I have always felt that if the Creator accepts people of any culture joining in prayer ceremonies, then surely that is what counts. As long as the person joining in shows respect of the prayers, and the people and above all the Chanupa then that is what matters.

I wonder if because of all this turmoil in Indian Country right now about the ceremonies and the Chanupa, then Miracle and the Creator said, 'Enough. These people do not deserve this symbol of peace, of hope and of tradition.'

Miracle was born on a farm that was owned by a non-indiginous family, these people knew nothing about the native cultures, but they learned and they hosted people from all over the world over the years, they were friendly, and respectful and above all loved Miracle. If the Creator can put such a high Native symbol in the home of a non native family, then why can't these people who say non-natives cannot do ceremony accept that it is the Creator's will for us to join together in prayer if we are pulled to do so, Red, yellow, black, brown and white, we all bleed red, we all cry salty tears, and we all feel a higher power within our souls. Who can say that that higher power cannot be for us because we are the wrong skin color? I certainly can't........ can you?


 

I did a Pipe ceremony for Miracle on October 2nd at 11:07p.m. (GMT) and many people joined in with me from all over the world our prayers mingled with each other and hopefully we felt better in ourselves for doing them, and Miracle and the Creator saw that some of us cared about this great loss.

Our world will miss Miracle, I know I shall, she was very special to me.

Gloria Hazell