In Native American cultures, the sight of a white buffalo is considered the appearance of a sacred sign. The Lakota believed a white bison was the appearance of a prophet known as the white buffalo calf woman or white buffalo maiden. Hearing that is one thing, but it is easy to see how Native Americans were inspired by the sight of a white buffalo when you see one yourself. TikTok user jesus_86 recently went viral with some video footage of one walking down a snowy road.
While it appears from the ear tag that this bison is in a captive herd, it's hard not to appreciate the majestic beauty of this rare creature as it walks incredibly close to the photographer.
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It is unlikely this bison is a true albino. It is more likely a case of Leucism, which is a similar condition that results in a loss of skin pigmentation. However, leucistic animals are far more common than true albinos. In the case of the bison in this video, the giveaway seems to be the darker eyes. Leucistic animals usually retain some degree of pigmentation there while albinos do not. Still, this does not lessen the beauty of this creature any less.
According to the National Park Service, the story of the white buffalo calf woman is also called Ptesan Wi, and is considered sacred not just by the Lakota, but the Cherokee, Sioux, Dakota, and the Navaho. In one of the more popular tales told by Natives, Ptesan Wi appears before two scouts hunting for food during a famine. She turns one into a pile of bones and instructs the other to inform the people of her arrival. When she later comes to visit the people, she turns into a white buffalo calf and disappears. But immediately after disappearing, herds of buffalo appear to save the tribe from famine.
To this day, many Native Americans see the birth of a white buffalo calf as a good omen. It is also why you won't see any of them hurting a bison with a snow-white coat. Stories aside, we think anyone can appreciate the beauty of the bison in this video. It is truly one of nature's wonders.
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and Instagram For original videos, check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
READ MORE: AMERICAN BISON: AMERICA'S MOST CONTROVERSIAL CONSERVATION TALE
