Rare white bison born in Bitterroot

Town Crier “Briefs from the Region” (1) – 9/11/20

To many native tribes in Montana, the birth of a white bison is a symbol from the Great Spirit. It can mean good fortune as well as unrest in the country. Last week, about 30 people from seven different tribal communities gathered to celebrate the birth of an extremely rare white bison calf that was born earlier this month at the Bitterroot Valley Bison Ranch. Wildlife biologist Craig Knowles says that the rare fur pigment is a recessive gene and sometimes does not last into adulthood.

“I think the reason the Creator sent this calf here is because of all the injustice that’s been done,” said Glenn Gopher, a member of the Blackfeet and Ojibwe tribes who visited the calf and conducted a ceremony. “Our country is in serious chaos. We have this virus and we have racial injustice. Our world is corrupt.”