After last week’s discussion, specifically the question of cross-cultural influences on American Indian mythology, I found myself delving deeper into the story of the White Buffalo Woman (47). This story seemed to have too many parallels with Western concepts to be coincidental. For me, the part of the text that raised this question was the part containing instructions for constructing an altar of sorts for the Chununpa (pipe). As a Jew, this part seemed strikingly similar to a section of the Old Testament. My research has shown me that this sections is only the tip of the iceberg.
According to most accounts, this story was first encountered by the Western world when Roman Catholic missionaries were working with the Lakota in the 18th century. Although the extent of cross-cultural influence can only be speculated, the Catholic faith seems to have heavily influenced the myth of the White Buffalo woman. The “Native Daughters” project at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln explores the ways in which oral American Indian myths have changed throughout time and adapted to new cultural influences. For example, the “seven rites” listed by the White Buffalo woman, are said to have been shortened from a much longer list to match the number of Holy Sacraments of the Catholic Church. For many Lakota-Catholic converts, the White Buffalo Woman is analogous to the Virgin Mary, or the second coming of the messiah.
Perhaps the fluidity of the story is essential to its continued relevancy, as some assert. Unlike the Bible, the American Indian myths are able to adapt to new generations because of the nature of Oral storytelling. While some may see the influence of Western culture or the Catholics as a corrupting force, I am inclined to believe that the adaptability of these and other oral myths allows them to remain relevant in a changing world. This realization has allowed me to see the rest of the American Indian myths in a different, and more understanding, light.
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