Arapaho Myths: The White Buffalo Cow

Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.

“The White Buffalo Cow” from Traditions of the Arapaho by George A. Dorsey and Alfred L. Kroeber, 1903.

A long time ago, when there were yet plenty of buffalo, the Arapaho were camping near the river where there was plenty of wood and grass for the winter's hunt.

One day a party of young men spied a vast herd of buffalo and chased it until they had killed enough for beef and hides. The young men took the fresh beef to their respective homes, which greatly relieved the people from hunger. A young man who had been out herding a bunch of ponies came home and heard of the recent slaughter. So he started out to kill for his family.' He was on a good horse, so that he could run down many buffalo.

Reaching a high hill, he went to the top of it and saw a vast herd down in the other valley, grazing in bunches. After locating a big herd he rode down and got close to it. He dismounted from his pony and crawled slowly, until he had come within a short distance of the herd. Looking for a fat steer, he saw a white buffalo cow in the herd grazing. This hunter was a famous warrior, and it was the method of killing the white buffalo cow that before a man should shoot at it, he must tell a war story. After telling a story, he shot at it with a gun, wounding it slightly. The herd started off away from him in a walk, the white buffalo cow taking the lead.

Once more the hunter got on his horse and encircled the herd. He dismounted from his horse and advanced, told a war story and shot at the white buffalo cow, wounding her slightly again. When he fired the bullet, all the others looked at him, then they started off in a walk.

"Well, I have undertaken the task of killing this white buffalo cow, and now I shall try again," said the man. So he mounted his pony again, encircled or went ahead of it and then dismounted. "Now I was detailed as a scout to locate an enemy and succeeded in doing so. I took a prominent part in battle and struck a brave foe," said he shooting at the white buffalo cow and injuring it slightly. All the others looked at him again, then walked off slowly. This time the white buffalo cow was weakened and dropped back, but followed the herd.

Again the hunter went ahead of the herd and succeeded in getting closer to it. This herd had sat down on a nice piece of buffalo grass, some were still standing. The white buffalo cow was in the center, sitting very prominently. "Well, my friends were afraid of a man in a breastwork, and I had just arrived on the scene. I asked if they had struck him yet, and they said no. I thanked them for not striking the man. So without waiting unnecessarily, I made a plunge and struck him with my club," said he, shooting at the animal, but only wounding it again. All the others got up, walked around four times, licking her face. Then they walked off, leaving her. Afterwards she got up slowly and followed the herd.

"Well, it is my earnest desire to kill this cow, and I have got to do it," said he. So he mounted his horse again and went ahead of the herd, which had stopped on a good range. Quite a good many were lying down, while the rest were still standing, grazing on fine grass. The white buffalo cow was again in the midst and was sitting on the ground. "We were on the war-path when the snow was deep. Again I was detailed to go out and get on some mountain to locate the enemy. So I got on my horse and started off. To my surprise and luck I ran across a big camp in the river bottom. I then returned and told my comrades about the enemy. We got ready and made a charge on the camp. I saw a man just coming out of the tipi and made a rush at him, killed him instantly, got off from my horse and took his scalp-lock," said he, shooting at the cow. The herd then got up and walked around the cow four times, licking the white buffalo's face as they passed. Finally the whole herd walked away, leaving her in a sitting position. For some distance the herd looked back to see if she would get up and follow, but she was dead, in a sitting position.

This hunter then went over to the cow, kneeled down and prayed to it. After he had taken a good look at the cow's hide, he began to skin it reverently. By sunset he got through and packed his horse with the hide and meat. He reached his tipi and told his wife that he had killed a white buffalo cow and that she must be careful with the hide. In the morning he took this sacred hide to the high priest's tipi, carrying it on his back.

This sacred hide was like that of a gray wolf and the hoofs were light, its horns were white. The beef was fat and tender.

The women scraped the sacred hide. They wore sage wreaths at their wrists, waists and ankles, and on the head (as a headdress). The meat or beef is not eaten. When these women had scraped the meat from the hide, they threw it away. The children accidentally ran to this waste beef, and while at play, roasted it for a meal. Those who ate it found it tasted little different from ordinary meat. Some years afterwards their hair turned gray. So this meat of white buffalo cow is not eaten, because the hair will surely turn white or gray.

Dorsey, George A., and Kroeber, A. L. Traditions of the Arapaho, Field Columbian Museum, 1903.

George A. Dorsey and Alfred L. Kroeber

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