White Buffalo Calf Woman
Pte Ska Win - Sacred Messenger of the Lakota
White Buffalo Calf Woman (Pte Ska Win in Lakota) is one of the most sacred and revered figures in Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota spirituality. She appeared to the people in a time of great need, bringing the sacred pipe (Chanunpa) and the seven sacred rites that form the foundation of Lakota spiritual practice. Her story speaks of the sacred feminine, the power of right relationship, and the promise of renewal. Her return, prophesied to occur in times of great change, is heralded by the birth of white buffalo calves.
Attributes & Domains
The Sacred Story
The Coming of White Buffalo Calf Woman
Long ago, when the Lakota were experiencing a time of famine and hardship, two young scouts were sent out to search for buffalo. As they stood on a hill scanning the horizon, they saw something approaching - a beautiful woman dressed in white buckskin, walking toward them across the prairie.
As she came closer, they saw that she was more beautiful than any woman they had ever seen. One of the scouts had impure thoughts and reached out to touch her. Instantly, a cloud of mist surrounded him, and when it cleared, only his skeleton remained - he had been destroyed by his own disrespect.
The other scout, who had approached with a humble and pure heart, was told: "Go to your people and tell them to prepare a great lodge. I am coming to bring them something holy."
The Gift of the Sacred Pipe
The scout returned and told the people what he had seen. They prepared a great lodge, and soon the mysterious woman appeared. She carried a bundle on her back, and as she entered the lodge, the people felt a sense of overwhelming peace and reverence.
She opened her bundle and revealed the Sacred Pipe - the Chanunpa. The bowl, she explained, represented the earth and all female beings. The stem represented all that grows upon the earth and all male beings. When joined together and filled with sacred tobacco, the pipe became a living prayer that connected the people to Wakan Tanka (the Great Mystery) and to all of creation.
"With this pipe," she said, "you will send your voices to Wakan Tanka, your Grandfather and Father, and to Grandmother and Mother Earth. All things are connected. When you pray with this pipe, you pray with and for everything."
The Seven Sacred Rites
White Buffalo Calf Woman taught the people the seven sacred rites that would guide their spiritual life:
Her Departure and Promise
After teaching the people these sacred ways, White Buffalo Calf Woman prepared to leave. She told them that she would look back on them in every age, and that she would return at the end of an age.
As she walked away from the lodge, she stopped and rolled upon the earth. When she rose, she had transformed into a black buffalo. She walked further, rolled again, and became a brown buffalo. Rolling a third time, she became a red buffalo. Finally, on her fourth roll, she became a white buffalo calf - the most sacred of all animals - and disappeared over the hill.
The Sacred Pipe she left behind has been kept by the Lakota ever since, currently in the care of the Arvol Looking Horse family at Green Grass, South Dakota. It is among the most sacred objects in Native American spirituality.
The Prophecy of Her Return
White Buffalo Calf Woman prophesied that she would return in a time of great change and hardship for the people. Her return would be signaled by the birth of white buffalo calves.
In 1994, a white buffalo calf named Miracle was born in Wisconsin, the first in several generations. Since then, several more white buffalo calves have been born. Many Lakota elders see these births as signs that the prophecy is being fulfilled and that humanity is entering a time of great spiritual significance.
The prophecy speaks of a time when all peoples will come together in peace and harmony, recognizing their relationship to each other and to the earth. White Buffalo Calf Woman's return heralds this era of healing and unity.
The Sacred Pipe (Chanunpa)
The Sacred Pipe is at the heart of Lakota spirituality:
- The Bowl: Usually made of red pipestone (catlinite) from the sacred quarries at Pipestone, Minnesota. Represents the feminine, the earth, all female beings.
- The Stem: Made of wood, often ash. Represents the masculine, all that grows upon the earth, all male beings.
- Union: When bowl and stem are joined, all of creation is united in prayer. The smoke carries prayers to the spirit world.
- Tobacco: Sacred tobacco (not commercial tobacco) is offered and smoked as a sacrifice and prayer.
- Respect: The pipe is never used casually. It is taken out only for serious prayer and ceremony, and is treated with the utmost reverence.
Teachings & Significance
- Sacred Feminine: White Buffalo Calf Woman embodies the power and wisdom of the sacred feminine. Her teachings came through a woman, reminding the people to honor women and feminine power.
- Right Relationship: The first scout's destruction and the second's blessing teach the importance of approaching the sacred with respect and purity of heart.
- Mitakuye Oyasin - "All My Relations": Her teaching that the pipe connects all beings expresses the fundamental Lakota understanding of interconnection.
- Prayer as Connection: Through the pipe, prayer becomes a physical act of connection to all that is, visible and invisible.
- Living Prophecy: The prophecy of her return keeps her presence alive in the present, giving hope and calling people to prepare for transformation.
Cultural Significance Today
White Buffalo Calf Woman remains central to Lakota spiritual life:
- The seven sacred rites she brought continue to be practiced
- The Original Sacred Pipe (Chanunpa Wakan) is kept and protected
- The birth of white buffalo calves draws thousands of visitors and is celebrated as spiritually significant
- Her story is shared as a teaching about respect, prayer, and right relationship
- Her prophecy gives hope during times of hardship and change
Cultural Respect
White Buffalo Calf Woman and the teachings she brought are among the most sacred elements of Lakota spirituality. The sacred pipe ceremonies are not open to outsiders, and many details of the rites are not shared publicly. This is respected.
Non-Native people are asked to approach these teachings with humility and respect, to support Lakota sovereignty and religious freedom, and not to appropriate ceremonies or symbols without permission and proper relationship.
Related Across the Mythos
Spider Woman
Southwest Creator Goddess