Apr 15, 2007 By Jenny Susa 4 min read

This was the start of a ceremony that David Swallow of the Lakota Tribe and his family traveled more than 2,000 miles to perform. They came from Pine Ridge, S.D., to tell the people here the significance of the white buffalo, Kenahkihinen, that was born at the Woodland Zoo in November.

According to zoo owners Sonny and Jill Herring, the odds of getting a white buffalo from a normal brown buffalo is about 1 in 10 million. But the white buffalo is also a sacred animal in American Indian tradition.

On Saturday, Swallow, who identified himself one of the headmen of the Lakota Nation, explained why the birth of the white buffalo was so important.

Swallow said that his culture is beginning to die because he is one of only 200 people who can fluently speak the Lakota language. He taught himself how to speak the English language and travels as a way to help other people.

According to Swallow, in his culture the white buffalo would appear to the people when there was a great need.

“Why there is so much turmoil and violence on earth, these are the signs that are brought by the white buffalo,” said Swallow. “The white buffalo showed itself to the people so that they could live on.”

He said that it was about 200 years ago when someone in the Lakota Tribe last performed a white buffalo ceremony, and since that time, they have only appeared on agricultural land, because the Lakota Nation was divided.

“Great disaster, sickness and war are coming and that is why the white buffalo has showed itself to the people…to give them a warning,” said Swallow.

He explained that in the old days, the Indian man who had seen the white buffalo would have performed a ceremony in which they killed the buffalo.

“It was about giving,” said Swallow. “He had to do this in order for the people to live.”

Over the course of four days, the parts of the buffalo would have been distributed for use, and sacred symbols would have been printed on the hide, which would have been taken to the Black Hills of South Dakota. They did this so that disease and hatred that was to come would pass over their people, and their descendants would live on.

“Today there is so much hatred,” said Swallow. “There is child abuse going on, and violence.”

Swallow said that it was prophesied in his culture that these things would take place, and their people were told they would hear “the voices of the children cry.”

“The great white buffalo has come to this place with a message,” said Swallow. “Regardless of your color, we are all living on this Mother Earth, and there are children here who still need to live. It might be that there is a great sickness that no doctors can cure, and we will see our children and grandchildren get sick. This is not about me or where I come from, but it is about humanity. The white buffalo has come to give the people a warning and we must listen to the message of the white buffalo. I am not talking about the end of the world, but about a new beginning. Today we must change, we must give.”

Before closing with a traditional blanket dance, Swallow said a prayer in the Lakota language that he said was for all American people and the children of all nations.

“I have asked the Great Spirit to look down upon us with compassion because we don’t know what is going to happen to us,” said Swallow.

Since there was no charge to attend the event, men stood at the exits with blankets to collect donations to help Swallow and his family get back home. Swallow said he was asked to come to Farmington by relatives who had heard of the white buffalo, but knew nothing of the ceremonies that used to be conducted by their people, since it had been so long since a ceremony had been performed.

Swallow said the importance of the white buffalo, and how to perform the ceremonies, had been taught to him by his grandfather.