White buffalo calf born

Lightning Medicine:  Rare white buffalo calf named

By Linda Stewart BallThousands of people came from miles around Wednesday to see and honor a legend in the flesh—the white buffalo born in a thunderstorm on a northeast Texas ranch.

The rare white buffalo calf, regarded as sacred by the Lakota Sioux, was honored with Native American prayers, religious songs and the solemn smoking of a pipe in a special naming and dedication ceremony at the Lakota Ranch in Greenville, about 50 miles northeast of Dallas.

Flag-flying patriotism, a steady Native American drum beat and scorching heat provided the backdrop for the spiritual event that drew about 2,000.

The calf was named Lightning Medicine Cloud—a reference to the thunderstorm that marked the arrival of his birth as well as a tribute to a white buffalo born in 1933 named Big Medicine.The incredibly rare sacred white buffalo who's one in TEN MILLION

By Oliver PickupWhite buffalo are considered to be sacred signs in several Native American religions, and thus have great spiritual importance in those cultures and are visited for prayer and other religious ceremonies.

Yesterday flag-flying patriotism, a steady Native American drum beat and scorching heat provided the backdrop for the spiritual event that attracted a crowd of about 2,200.

Lightning Medicine Cloud, whose name is also a tribute to a white buffalo born in 1933, named Big Medicine, is thought--in Lakota Sioux tradition--to be the third of its kind ever born.

In addition, he is thought to be the first male white buffalo calf born in 150 years.Comment:  "He's the hope of all nations," said Arby Little Soldier. Let's hope that he's the hope. I'm worried that he may not be able to solve all our problems singlehandedly. (Single-hoofedly?)

But he's off to a good start. He's trademarked his name and started his own website.

He also has a Facebook page. No word on a Twitter feed yet.

For more on the subject, see Pendleton's White Buffalo Blankets and White Buffalo = Marauding Indian.