Seeing the White Buffalo

In the summer of 1994, the birth of a white buffalo calf in Wisconsin created a wave of excitement throughout Indian Country. The event inspired Dr. Robert Pickering to research the white buffalo’s importance to Indian peoples, as well as its historical and biological significance. He journeyed to the family farm of Dave and Val Heider, where the calf—aptly named Miracle—was born. He spoke with them about the astonishing flood of visitors who came to see Miracle, and about the uncanny accuracy of some Indian elders’ prophecies.

With the Heiders’ cooperation, he uses their poignant story as the starting point for his investigations. Pickering examines the history of the buffalo and the biological reasons for the white buffalo’s rarity, and he shares his conversations with tribal elders and modern bison ranchers. "Seeing the White Buffalo" skillfully marries scientific and cultural perspectives in its exploration of the phenomena of this unusual animal.