Lakota Life Mural

Buffalo Calf Woman

   Two warriors were out hunting small game, poor and a bit misguided. They came across a young maiden and were very enthralled with her beauty. The older warrior made advances towards the maiden, wanting to touch her. As he did so, he was struck down and very humbled by the act of her striking him. She told them to go and tell their people that she was coming, so that she could present her gift to them.
   The council and the people met to discuss her coming. The maiden appeared to give her gift to the elders. She presented them with a pipe and told them this is a pipe of peace and they should smoke it at the start of all meetings. The pipe was very simple, with pipestone for the bowl, a wooden stem, a quilled wheel and some feathers.
   She then left, and as she walked away with the people watching her, she went to the ground on all fours. There was a cloud of dust and when it cleared she was in the form of a white buffalo. She turned and lay down covered in a mist. When the mist cleared again the buffalo took on a yellow color. Again she turned and shrouded herself in a mist and as the mist cleared she was a brown buffalo, and the fourth time she turned and the mist cleared she was in the form of a black buffalo.
   This is one of the legends of our people, on how they acquired the pipe and we have kept it for generations.


	Buffalo Calf Woman Two warriors were out hunting small game, poor and a bit misguided. They came across a young maiden and were very enthralled with her beauty. The older warrior made advances towards the maiden, wanting to touch her. As he did so, he was struck down and very humbled by the act of her striking him. She told them to go and tell their people that she was coming, so that she could present her gift to them. The council and the people met to discuss her coming. The maiden appeared to give her gift to the elders. She presented them with a pipe and told them this is a pipe of peace and they should smoke it at the start of all meetings. The pipe was very simple, with pipestone for the bowl, a wooden stem, a quilled wheel and some feathers. She then left, and as she walked away with the people watching her, she went to the ground on all fours. There was a cloud of dust and when it cleared she was in the form of a white buffalo. She turned and lay down covered in a mist. When the mist cleared again the buffalo took on a yellow color. Again she turned and shrouded herself in a mist and as the mist cleared she was a brown buffalo, and the fourth time she turned and the mist cleared she was in the form of a black buffalo. This is one of the legends of our people, on how they acquired the pipe and we have kept it for generations.