The Gift - Bison with white calf by wildlife artist Bonnie Marris

The Gift by Bonnie Marris

 

According to Cheyenne legend, the birth of the almost-unheard-of white buffalo is a significant sign. To these Native Americans, white symbolizes the essence of life, as well as the rarity of understanding the true essence of life. The white birth is the heavenly father's voice, telling the Cheyenne that all things will be renewed and made better. The spirituality of this legend and the universal familial love of a mother and child were what attracted Bonnie Marris to the subject.

 

"I have loved the strength, fortitude, and perseverance of the buffalo for years," says Marris. "They have survived, as both a living animal and a symbol of nature, against some of the worst adversity ever recorded. They still have the gift of life and give us all hope for the future." 

 

Print released 1995, see also "The Gifts of Spring"