In December of last year, when snow covered the ground and a man’s breath turned to frost in the air before his eyes, a small plain in Manitoba hummed with the thudding of hooves.
The Birdtail Sioux Dakota Band of southern Manitoba, Canada, welcomed 11 bison onto their tribal lands for the first time in over 100 years.
Received as a gift from the much larger Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, also located in Manitoba, the mini herd included a sacred white calf, a symbol of fortune for the tribes when times are bad.
Released into the pasture to the sound of the bison song, members of the Birdtail Sioux cried out in celebration as the herd stampeded out over the frosty plains in a video shared on Facebook.
Birdtail Knowledge Keeper and land-based coordinator Doug Hanska asked those in attendance, “can you feel that energy?”
The significance of a white calf—gifted from another nation no less—is great. The story goes that long ago, the prairie nations were starving as the buffalo had vanished. A beautiful woman in white came to the Lakota tribe one day and taught them how all things on the Earth are connected.
When the lessons concluded, she transformed into a white buffalo calf and brought a massive herd of bison to the people, promising to return in that same form in times of need.
Photos of the Sioux Valley Unity Riders arriving on horseback to escort the bison to their new home were posted on the Southern Chiefs’ Organization’s Facebook page.
WATCH and LISTEN to the return of the buffalo…
This article by Andy Corbley was first published by The Good News Network on 25 February 2025. Lead Image: The bison return, including a sacred white calf – credit Southern Chiefs Organization, via Facebook.
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