Purple Buffalo Robe

When it rains and wind blows,
the cow turns her back
to the storm.
Horses do the same.
The proud old buffalo,
never turns away,
always facing troubles head on.

The Lakota people shared the Earth
as equals with their animal relatives,
especially the buffalo.

The buffalo is connected with the creation
and Creator of Life.

The People end their ceremonies
with the words "all my relatives,"
expressing the truths
that all life is connected.

The Lakotas and their neighbors
relied on the buffalo
as their primary resource for meat,
housing, tools, and clothing.

After acquiring horses,
the Lakota changed their living habits
so that they could hunt better.
They moved onto the Plains
from the woodlands,
following the buffalo herds
across the vast grasslands.

The Great Plains teemed
with millions of buffalo
at the beginning of the 1800's.
By 1883, not one buffalo
remained in Lakota territory.
The disappearance of the buffalo,
the animal that was central
to the Lakota life devastated them.

When it rains and wind blows,
the cow turns her back
to the storm.
Horses do the same.
The proud old buffalo,
never turns his back,
always faces the troubles head on.