Rare White Bison Born in Yellowstone Honored by Tribes

An extremely rare white bison has been spotted in Yellowstone National Park. The calf was born in the Lamar Valley on June 4, 2024.

Nat Hab Expedition Leader Jordon Creech was one of the few people to photograph the calf shortly after its birth. While leading Nat Hab travelers around Yellowstone, he saw a buffalo about to give birth near the Lamar River. Returning later, they came upon the same buffalo with a newborn calf. “I noted to my guests that it was oddly white, but I didn’t announce that it was a white bison, because, you know, why would I just assume that I just witnessed the very first white bison birth in recorded history in Yellowstone?” he said.

According to the Yellowstone National Park Service:

The National Park Service has never reported a white calf being born within Yellowstone National Park.
The birth of a white bison calf may reflect the presence of a natural genetic legacy that was preserved in Yellowstone’s bison, which has revealed itself because of the successful recovery of a wild bison population of 3,000-6,000 animals.
The birth of a white bison calf in the wild is a landmark event in the ecocultural recovery of bison by the National Park Service.

white bison calf with mother in Yellowstone

Indigenous tribes from across the West came together for a sacred ceremony to honor the white bison calf. Hundreds of people gathered at Hebgen Lake near Yellowstone to take part in a special naming ceremony. Named Wakan Gli, which means “Returns Sacred” in Lakota, the calf is a symbol of hope and answered prayers but is also thought to foretell great change.

According to many tribes, including the Lakota, Sioux, Shoshone-Bannock, Cherokee, Comanche, Colville Tribes, Northern Arapaho and Navajo, the birth of a white bison is both a warning and a blessing. It points to the vulnerability of Mother Earth and is seen as a bringer of peace.

The celebration featured dancing, drumming, singing and stories told in Native languages, including the prophecy of the White Buffalo Calf Woman. This 3,000-year-old Lakota prophecy tells of a beautiful woman in a white buckskin dress who carried a buffalo robe in her arms. She appeared before two scouts, one with peaceful intentions and the other with lustful thoughts. After turning the man with harmful intent into a pile of bones, she told the other scout to go back to his people, put up a great tipi and build an altar of sage and cherry branches. The next day, she came out of the sunset, singing and carrying a bundle that held a sacred pipe. She taught the people her songs and how to pray to Mother Earth for peace, harmony and happiness. She then turned into a white bison calf with black eyes, black hooves and a black nose. Before departing, she told the Lakota that she would return again to restore harmony to a troubled world.

Photos taken by travelers, guides and researchers indicate the calf is leucistic rather than albino, with dark eyes, a black nose and pigmented hooves, as predicted in the prophecy. Chief Arvol Looking Horse, a Lakota spiritual leader and the 19th keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe and Bundle, proclaimed, “The prophecy of the White Buffalo Calf Woman [shows] that we are at a crossroads. It’s up to each and every one of you to make it happen for the future of our children. We must come together and bring that good energy back.” The fulfillment of the prophecy is a spiritually significant event, one that sends a powerful message that more must be done to protect Mother Earth.

“This is all so overwhelming,” said Chief Looking Horse, who was brought to tears by the birth, adding he believes the prophecy shows now is the time that people around the world must unite and become better stewards of the planet.

July is National Bison Month, and what better way to celebrate than seeing bison in person? Follow the herds on our new five-day trip to Yellowstone National Park: Wild Yellowstone Explorer.

This new trip is designed to deliver an immersive Yellowstone National Park experience in a packed itinerary over just five days. We hit the highlights—Mammoth, the Lamar Valley, Old Faithful—without sacrificing the exclusive access and insight you expect from Nat Hab.

If you’re on a quest to tap into the wildest sides of Yellowstone, searching for bison, bears, wolves and elk and delving into the park’s remarkable geothermal features, our new Yellowstone adventure is for you.

Highlights include:

Expert naturalist guides with intimate knowledge of the park and personal connections with wolf researchers, enabling us to visit lesser-known trails and wildlife spots most visitors never see
Wolf and wildlife viewing in the Northern Range, including the Lamar Valley, considered one of the best wolf-watching spots in the world
Exploring from our custom North American Safari Truck, a customized Mercedes Sprinter van with a pop-top roof offering a 360° view
In-depth exploration of the park’s bubbling mud pools, steaming hot springs and erupting geysers, including stops at Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring
An exclusive home and gallery visit with renowned naturalist and wildlife photographer Dan Hartman
Fewer crowds, thanks to our small group size and nimble itinerary, allowing us to start early in the day when wildlife viewing is at its best