Pickering, Robert B
SEEING THE WHITE BUFFALO
I spotted the story in The Denver Post. On August 20, 1994, a pure white buffalo calf had been born on a small farm in Wisconsin. I was aware of the significance of the white buffalo to numerous Indian tribes; it was considered sacred and had been revered by Plains Indians for centuries. Told and retold through generations, the story of White Buffalo Woman prophesied that she would return to Indian peoples in times of need. The birth of a female white buffalo was a rare and portentous event.
I finished my morning tea and called Karen Sekich, executive director of the American Bison Association, to see what she knew. Karen and I had been working together to develop an exhibit on the American bison for the Denver Museum of Natural History, where I am curator of anthropology. She had already spoken with the Heiders, the owners of the herd, and knew many of the details. Her conversation with the Heiders, however, was different from most calls from people claiming the birth of a white buffalo, which, if authentic, would be a highly valued and valuableanimal.
Karen receives several calls a month from people inquiring about white buffalo calves, and when she explains that blood tests are necessary to verify that a calf's coloring is not the result of crossbreeding with white or light-colored breeds of cattle, the callers rarely follow through. Yet when she explained the blood-testing requirement to Dave Heider, he wanted more information on the procedure and inquired how much it would cost. Karen realized that the Heiders were unaware of the importance of the white buffalo to American Indians. That would soon change.
In the days and weeks that followed the birth of the white buffalo, the story was reported in newspapers across the nation, broadcast on the evening news, and translated into numerous languages as it made worldwide headlines. I, too, joined in the media circus when Karen suggested that I travel to Wisconsin to see the newborn calf and write an article or two for Bison World, the magazine of the American Bison Association. She would provide me with an introduction to the Heiders, and the Association would help cover my expenses.
With no more thought or expectations than that, I started down a path that has introduced me to many fascinating people, revealed surprising aspects of Indian spirituality, and eventually led me to write this book. I have no doubt that this work will lead to other encounters, stories, and projects. Sometimes, when looking back on choices made, people have second thoughts. In this case, I can truly say that if I had the chance to do it all over again, I would.
I flew to Milwaukee in mid-September, just a few weeks after the birth of the white buffalo. My time there would be brief, as I had only two days to meet the Heiders, arrange an interview, see the calf, take pictures, and head back to Denver. The hassle of getting out of the airport was more annoying than usual. There was a delay at the car rental counterthe computer was down. The employees tried their best, but with the long line of customers, it didn't look good. By the time I was finally behind the wheel and traveling west to the Heiders' farm in Janesville, Wisconsin, the blue skies had turned dark. I watched the sky grow darker still as I listened to the weather report on the radio. There was a thunderstorm warning calling for heavy rains, high winds, and possibly golf ball-size hail. Looking through the windshield, I didn't need the radio to tell me what those black thunderheads meant. As the announcer listed the towns included in the bulletin, I smiled. I would pass through them on my way to Janesville. The storm and I were headed in the same direction.
It hit while I was still on the highway. The heavy, threatening clouds let loose with a pounding rain and a fierce wind that nearly blew me off the road. I could hardly see past the windshield. Other cars had pulled off to the side, yet for some reason I kept going. I wondered if the storm was an omen, or maybe a trial to see if I was worthy of seeing the calf. Such thoughts were irrational, I knew, certainly beneath the consideration of a scientist such as myself, but then so was driving in this outrageous storm. If this was a quest, I wanted to be worthy, so I kept going.
Finally the storm broke and the sky began to clear. A patch of blue started to grow beyond the dark and bilious cloud bank. In this clearing, puffy white clouds now reflected the sun, looking majestic and luminescent, the kind of light that Albert Bierstadt captured in his paintings of the western landscape, showing both power and serenity at the same time. The white clouds seemed to form a buffaloa white buffaloor so I convinced myself. The dark storm clouds appeared to be a wild, rampaging herd of buffalo surrounding a peaceful, white calf. Sometimes you see familiar shapes in the clouds, sometimes your mind plays tricks on you, sometimes you just don't know. Even scientists fantasize.
As I drove on, a flock of Canada geese flew overhead. Could this be an omen too? Then a pheasant appeared along the side of the road, running in the same direction that I was headed. What did this mean? I looked for signs and omens in the landscape. Maybe I was looking too hard. Why, I wondered, am I traveling more than a thousand miles to see a curious little buffalo calf? Has something important happened here? Or is this simply a natural oddity that has captured the public's attention?
There are many ways to view the phenomenon of the white buffalo calf. In this book I have chosen to examine it from four perspectives: from the personal perspective of the Heiders, whose lives are forever changed by this event; and from a spiritual perspective, the meaning that others look for and find in such an event.
Both before and since my visit to the Heiders' farm, many people have traveled to Janesville to see the white buffalo, and each one probably sees something different. I hope that this book will help you look at the white buffalo from different perspectives. What you see is up to you.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The creation of any book requires many hands to make it happen. Betsy Armstrong, former manager of the Publications Program at the Denver Museum of Natural History, initially encouraged me to write this book and helped guide the project through its formative stages. Stephen Topping at Johnson Books and James Alton at the Museum then saw the project through to completion. Kathy Honda, Kathie Gully, and Dorothea Miller pulled together library resources to add historical detail to the story, and Suzanne Venino polished the manuscript. I thank all of you for your help and support.
The cooperation of and hours of interviews with Floyd Hand, Arval Looking Horse, and John and Virgene Tarnesse made it possible to share their views on the white buffalo. They are all extraordinary people with whom I look forward to spending many more hours in the future. A special thanks to Father Peter Powell of the St. Augustine's Center in Chicago for his kindness and guidance.
I owe a great debt of gratitude to Karen Sekich, former Executive Director of the American Bison Association. She persuaded me to go to Wisconsin and meet the Heiders in order to write several articles for Bison World, the association's bimonthly magazine. Those articles evolved into chapters, which evolved into this book. Similarly, Todd Runestad, former editor of the Denver Museum of Natural History's Museum Quarterly, persuaded me to write for the general public rather than limit the book to an academic audience.
To Brian Ward, Susan Maas, and Paul Jonjak members of the National Bison Association and my mentors in learning about many aspects of bison ranching gratefully thank you for all of your help. I have become an enthusiastic supporter of the bison ranching movement, only hampered in my pursuit of becoming a rancher through lack of money, land, and experience.
To the Shirek family, Doug Paulson, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Berry, and Gerald Parsons, DVM, I thank you for your patience and for answering my many questions. Your cooperation will benefit bison enthusiasts long into the future.