White buffalo gets a name: Cante Pejuta

THE SENTINEL-NEWS, SHELBYVILLE, KY., WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2005

White buffalo gets a name: Cante Pejuta By ELIZABETH LAUER Special to The Sentinel-News Bagdad road was teeming with people Sunday afternoon at Shelbyville's first ceremony to name and bless a rare white buffalo calf. The calf was born June 3 at Buffalo Crossing; it was the first of its kind born in America since 1994. The calf is the grandchild of famed buffalo Cheif Joe. The ceramony attracted Native Americans, who consider the white buffalo a sacred animal. Natives came form as far away as South Dakota, New York and Wisconsin. A 90-minute ceremony, performed by Stephen McCullough and the Salt Creek Sundancers, gave names to the mother, Spirit Mother, or Ina Nagi, and the calf, Medicine Heart, or Cante Pejuta. photos by Elizabeth Lauer Prayer flags in black, red, yellow, white, blue and green were tied to the pen holding the bison.	Native Americans from as far away as South Dakota attended the naming ceremony.

The Whopil (thanks you) ceremony brought forth names for the mother and calf, Spirit Mother, or Ina Nagi, and Medicine Heart, or Cante Pejuta.
Ceremony honors, names rare white buffalo
The Whopil, or thank you ceremony provided the Native Americans a chance to give thanks, offer blessings and bestow honor upon the calf and her family. "She brings a message to the whole world," McCullough said. "It is time to put away our malice, greed and jealousy." Prayer flags were tied around the pen during the ceremony, each color symbolizing something different.	Julie Allen, owner of Buffalo Crossing, described a similar interpretation. "For me it's a hope for all people to come together to respect each other, to love each other" Many people are still expected to flock to the farm to see the rare calf, which is inside the exotic petting zoo. The farm offers a wide spectrum of information on the calf and her ceremony. Further information is available at www.buffalocrossing.com.
The Lakota ceremony was filled with prayer and singing, all held to the beat of a drum.

Ceremony honors, names rare white buffalo