Archive for the ‘mother earth’ tag
White Cloud – Albino Buffalo
Another photo of the white buffalo found in Jamestown, North Dakota. A second white buffalo, a young calf, is also to be found in Jamestown. I watched the buffalo interact for a while as I searched for photo opportunities. It wasn’t as if I could get all that close to the animals, but a decent camera and good luck made for a good time. One of the things that I was surprised at was how White Cloud was isolated by the others. Each time she came close, a large dark bull would chase her away. Still for all of that, she hangs around the edges of the small herd. And, as time has shown, she does interact enough. In spite of being white, males do get drawn to her when she is in heat. And, she becomes mother again and again to young calves as the years pass.
The white buffalo, the buffalo woman in myth, speaks of mother earth, her power and her promise. The white buffalo is about vision, a promise for what is to come if one would follow the way. There is a sacredness, a holiness that rises out of such visions, dreams which feature the white buffalo.
In my opinion, the white buffalo is another symbol of individuation, perhaps one that calls to women more than men. I can’t help bu think of how women both in the present and in the past have suffered when they are perceived as different from the rest of the herd. Though forced to live a different path, the desire for connection remains strong and vital. The need to nurture that very community that rejects them. Interesting …
