In the Lakota tradition it is the White Buffalo Calf Woman who brought the sacred pipe and taught the people to pray. The White Buffalo is most Sacred. It's appearance is a sign that prayers were heard, that the sacred pipe was being honoured and the promises of the prophecy shall be fullfilled. White Buffalo signals a time of abundance and plenty.

Buffalo was the major source of sustinance to the Plains Indians. It gave meat for food, hides for clothing and soft buffalo robes for the long winters.The Medicine of the buffalo is prayer, gratitude , and praise for that which was recieved. Buffalo Medicine is also knowing that abundance is present when all relations are honoured as sacred, and when gratiude is expressed to every living part of creation.

Buffalo is a sign that you achieve nothing without the aid of the Great Spirit and you must be humble enough ask for assistance and then be grateful for what you recieve.

Become Buffalo. Feel the smoke of prayer and praise change. Your Buffalo robe is white so that you may answer to the prayers of the world

The Native American Ten Commandments

The Earth is Our Mother, care for Her

Honour all your relations

Open Your Heart and Soul to the Great Spirit

All life is sacred, treat all beings with respect

Take from the Earth what is needed and nothing more

Do what needs to be done for the good of all

Give constant thanks to the Great Spirit for each new day

Speak the truth; but only of the good in others

Follow the rhythms of nature; rise and retire with the sun

Enjor life's journeys, but leave no tracks

A Wakun (holy) man is one who is wise...it is one who has power with the spirits. It is one who communicates with the spirits. He knows the ceremonies and the songs. He can tell the people what their visions mean.He can tell the people what the spirits wish them to do. He can tell what is to be in the future. He can talk with the animals and with the trees and the stones. He can talk with everything on earth.

The Wakun Tanka are those who which made everything...the medicine fathers are all things that are above mankind...the medicine fathers have power over everything on earth.

Mankind should think about the medicine fathers and do what will please them. They should think of them as their fathers and mothers...

Animals may be wakun.When an animal is wakun, then mankind should treat it as if it were one of the medicine fathers.Things that do not live may be wakun.When anything is food, it is wakun because it makes life.When anything is medicine, it is wakun for it keeps life in the body..

The songs and the ceremonies of the Oglalas are wakun because they belong to the medicine fathers...the spirit of every man is wakun.

Little Wound, Oglala Lakota

In these six directions is found everything needed for renewal, physical and intellectual growth, and harmony. There is the Wakun Tanka himself, God, the "highest and most holy one";there is Tunkashila, Grandfather, who correspondsto the Son of God; there is Grandmother Earth; and there are four cardinal directions, moving in order of importance from west to north to east to south. Wakun Tanka is unlimited( infinite), and has given to each of the other directions sacred powers that are their own to impart as they see fit, including such things as purification, joy, good health, growth , endurance, wisdom, inner peace, warmth, and happiness. The directions are holy and mysterious beings. Wakun Tanka remains above them in power, and they are not separated even though they are distinct and identifiable. The powers do the will of God, yet they have a will and intellect of their own. They hear and answer prayers, yet their powers and ways remain mysterious. With them and through them we send our voice to God.

Fools Crow, Oglala Lakota

We should understand well that all things are the work of the Great Spirit. We should know that He is within all things: the trees, the grasses, the rivers, the mountains, and all the four-legged animals and the winged peoples; and even more important, we should understand that he is also above all these things and peoples. When we do understand all this deeply in our hearts, then we will fear, and love, and know the Great Spirit, and then we will be and act and live as He intends.

Black Elk, Oglala Lakota