LAKOTA WARRIORS ESTABLISH PROTECTION FOR PENNSYLVANIA WHITE BUFFALO
Cante Tenza Okolakiceye
Strongheart Warrior Society of Lakota Nation
MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Monday, November 16, 2009
Contact: Duane Martin Sr, Headsman, Cante Tenza, 605-517-1547
LAKOTA WARRIORS ESTABLISH PROTECTION FOR PENNSYLVANIA WHITE BUFFALO
Announcement Follows Traditional Native Ceremony at Nemacolin Sanctuary
Farmington,
Pennsylvania - On Monday November 16th, Cante Tenza the Strongheart
Warrior Society of the Lakota Nation, announced the warrior society
will oversee protection for the sacred white and black buffalos living
at the Nemacolin Resort near Farmington, Pennsylvania.
Cante
Tenza Okolakiceye, which has included famous Lakota warriors such as
Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull and No Ears, and the Tokala Okolakiceye Kit
Fox Warrior Society sent representatives to the Saturday Wopila (thank
you) ceremony to protect the ceremony and its participants and to
ensure traditional protocols are being followed related to the Inipi
(Lakota sweat lodge) ceremony and other sacred aspects regarding the
care of the buffalos and the donated land for their sanctuary.
"We
are honored to come here with direction from the Grandmothers to ensure
balance and traditional protocol is followed related to the recognition
of the sacred white and black buffalos," said Canupa Gluha Mani (Duane
Martin Sr.), headsman of Cante Tenza. "These beings are sacred to our
people and their colors of white and black show us that we must all
return to balance through the renaissance of traditional language and
lifeway."
Cante Tenza will ensure the 50 acre buffalo sanctuary
which is free and open to all people continues to be welcoming to
Native people who would be concerned traditional ways are being honored
on site.
"We have welcomed Hawk Goodfire (Holikachuk,Shawnee)
and Mark "Kingfish" Wassler (Shawnee) of Buffalo Messengers into Cante
Tenza to watch over the buffalo and traditional protocols," explained
Canupa Gluha Mani. "They have been with the buffalo from the beginning
and can help to ensure fairness and balance are practiced going into
the future."
Representing the Tokala Okolakiceye was Louis Janis, who along with Martin are both Tetuan Oglalla Judiciary Council members.
Elders
of numerous Indigenous nations have been coming to honor the white
buffalo since its birth in November 2006. Both the white and black
buffalo were transferred to Nemacolin in mid October of this year
leading to Saturday's ceremony that included visitors from the Lakota,
Shawnee, Oneida, Mohawk, Cherokee and Crow nations. Strongheart's
announcement adds another level of significance to this historic event.
Canupa
Gluha Mani said, "We want to bring our Lakota Elders to visit these
sacred beings in the months to come. Ensuring traditional protocols are
being followed will help to support the visits from our Elders and
Elders of other Indigenous nations."
More information about the buffalo can be found at http://www.buffalomessengers.org/ on Myspace at http://www.myspace.com/buffalomessengers and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/hawkgoodfire