End of Days by Sylvia Browne

Posted by admin_akashic on Aug 9th, 2022 in Stories

THE SIOUX NATION AND THE WHITE BUFFALO WOMAN

To the Sioux, there is no more sacred living thing than a white buffalo. On the rare occasions when a white buffalo calf is born—most recently in 1994, 1996, and 2005—Native Americans from throughout the North American continent make pilgrimages to pay homage to what they consider to be a newborn sign of hope and healing and fulfilled prophecies. “For us,” they’ve said, “this would be something like coming to see Jesus lying in the manger.”

The legend of the White Buffalo Woman is a beautiful and significant cornerstone of the Sioux heritage itself. Crow Dog, a Sioux medicine man, described her importance by saying, “Before she came, people didn’t know how to live. They knew nothing. The Buffalo Woman put her sacred mind into their minds.”

The story has passed from one Sioux generation to the next through their elders and medicine men for countless hundreds of years, expressing the deeply spiritual nature of a traditionally warrior tribe and their prophecies for the earth and all its people.

Legend has it that one summer, longer ago than anyone can trace, the sacred council of the Sioux nation, called the Oceti-Shakowin, gathered to camp together out of concern for their people. Despite a steady bright sun, there was no game for the braves to hunt, and people throughout the land were starving. Each day the council sent out scouts to search for game animals, but none could be found.

Among the assembled council was Chief Standing Hollow Horn, in his own camp circle with his tribe, the Without Bows, or Itazipcho. One morning as dawn broke Standing Hollow Horn dispatched two of his young braves to hunt. The Sioux had no horses, so the two braves proceeded on foot, and after finding nothing in the surrounding area, they decided to climb a high hill nearby for a better view of the vast countryside.

As they scaled the green hill they noticed a figure moving toward them from very far away. Because it seemed to be floating rather than walking, they were sure a holy person was approaching them. The closer it came the more clearly they could see that the small form was a radiantly beautiful woman. Her dark eyes seemed electrified with power. Her long black hair cascaded freely down her back, with the exception of a single strand tied gracefully back with buffalo fur. Circles of red were painted onto her cheekbones, dramatically contrasting with her transluscent brown skin. Her gleaming white buckskin clothing was embroidered with sacred designs in colors that were unearthly in their intensity. She carried a large bundle in her hands.

The two braves stared at her, transfixed. Then one of them, overwhelmed by her beauty and wanting to possess her, reached to touch her. But she was far too sacred to tolerate being an object of earthly desire, and the young impulsive man was suddenly consumed by a black fiery cloud and reduced to nothing but a pile of incinerated bones.

The other scout remained silent, in pure respectful awe, as the White Buffalo Woman turned her dark eyes to him and said, “I bring your people a message from the Buffalo Nation, along with sacred gifts for this difficult time. Return to your camp and help prepare for my arrival. Your chief should construct a medicine lodge, supported by twenty-four poles, and make it holy to receive me.”

The young brave hurried back to Chief Standing Hollow Horn and the others at the camp circle, breathlessly repeating the instructions of the White Buffalo Woman. Excited, they built the medicine lodge with twenty-four poles for support, performed rituals to sanctify it, and then waited eagerly for the most reverent arrival.

Four days later they saw the sun glinting off of the radiant white dress of a small approaching form, and before long they found themselves in the divine presence of the White Buffalo Woman. They respectfully bowed their heads as Chief Standing Hollow Horn stepped forward to greet her, his voice hushed with awe. “Sister, ” he said, “we are honored that you have come to help us.”