White Buffalo Calf Woman (Lakota: Pte San Win), a sacred woman of supernatural origin, is treated as a prophet or a messiah and is central to the Lakota religion. Oral traditions relate that she brought the extended Lakota nation of the Teton Sioux their "Seven Sacred Rituals".
Story
The traditional story is that, long ago, there was a time of famine. The chief of the Lakotas sent out two scouts to hunt for food. As the scouts travelled they saw a figure in the distance. As they approached they saw that it was a beautiful young woman in white clothing. One of the scouts was filled with desire for the woman. He approached her, telling his companion he would attempt to embrace the woman, and if he found her pleasing, he would claim her as a wife. His companion warned him that she appeared to be a sacred woman, and to do anything sacrilegious would be folly. The scout ignored his advice.
The companion watched as the scout approached and embraced the woman, during which time a white cloud enveloped the pair. After a while, the cloud disappeared and only the mysterious woman remained. The remaining scout was frightened, and began to draw his bow, but the woman beckoned him forward, telling him that no harm would come to him. As the woman was fluent in Lakota, the young man decided she was one of his tribe, and came forward. When he arrived, she pointed to a spot on the ground where the other scout's bare bones lay. She explained that the Crazy Buffalo had compelled the man to desire her, and she had annihilated him.
The scout became even more frightened and again menaced her with his bow. At this time, the woman explained that she was
WakanWakan may refer to:*"Wakan" meaning "powerful" or "sacred" in the language of the Lakota Sioux*"Wakan," the original Lakota name for the Rum River of Minnesota...
and his weapons could not harm her. She further explained that if he did as she instructed, no harm would befall him and that his tribe would become more prosperous. The scout promised to do what she instructed, and was told to return to his encampment, call the Council and prepare a feast for her arrival.
The woman's name was
PtesanWi which translated
White Buffalo Calf Woman. She taught the Lakotas many sacred
ritualA ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value, which is prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. The term usually excludes actions which are arbitrarily chosen by the performers, or dictated purely by logic, chance, necessity, etc..A ritual may be...
s and gave them the
chanunpaChanunpa, or Chanupa, is the Sioux language name for the sacred, ceremonial pipe and the ceremony in which it is used.The Chanunpa is one means of conveying prayers to the Creator and the other sacred beings...
or sacred
pipeA smoking pipe for tobacco smoking typically consists of a small chamber for the combustion of the tobacco to be smoked and a thin stem that ends in a mouthpiece...
which is the holiest of all
worship'Worship' is acts, expressions or a state of religious devotion typically directed to one or more deities.Worship is etymologically derived from Old English words meaning "worth-ship". Giving worth to something...
symbols. After teaching the people and giving them her gifts,
PtesanWi left them promising to return. Later, the story became attributed to the goddess Wohpe, also known as
WhopeIn Lakota mythology, Wóȟpe is a goddess of peace, the daughter of Wi and the Moon, Haŋhépi-Wi. She was the wife of the south wind. When she visited the Earth, she gave the Dakota Indians a pipe as a symbol of peace. Later, Wóȟpe became the White Buffalo Calf Woman...
, or Wope.
When Roman Catholic missionaries first came among the Lakota, their stories of the
Virgin MaryThe Blessed Virgin Mary, sometimes shortened to the Blessed Virgin or the Virgin Mary, is a traditional title used by most Christians and most specifically used by liturgical Christians such as Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholics, and some others to...
and
JesusJesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity. Within most Christian denominations...
became associated with the legend of
White Buffalo Calf Woman. The syncretic practice of identifying Mary with
PtesanWi and Jesus with the
chununpa continues among Lakota
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
s to this day.
The story of
PtesanWi is associated with the
white buffaloWhite buffalo are American bison that 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...
.
See also
American Indian relics (category)
ALightFromWithin
Twin Deer Mother