Standing Upright Buffalo

Standing Upright Buffalo~ First Keeper of Sacred Bundle. Of White Buffalo Calf Pipe.

According to John L. Smith in "A Short History of the Sacred Calf Pipe of the Teton Dakota", he speculates the date the White Buffalo Calf Pipe was given was somewhere in the vicinity of 1785 to 1800, based on testimony he gained from Lakota informants. However, according to Garrick Mallery in "Picture Writing of the American Indians", he cites evidence on two different, very old wintercounts, both pinpointing the date the White Buffalo Calf Pipe was given as 1540. Yet Frances Densmore in "Teton Sioux Music" states that according to Lakota informants in 1916, the White Buffalo Calf Pipe bundle was at that time about 300 years old, putting the origin at about 1616. There are varying lists of Keepers of the White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle with different amounts of names. (Curtis, 1916) lists 7 Keepers; (Mekeel, 1931) lists 9 Keepers; (Left Heron, 1931) lists 8 Keepers; (Thomas, 1934) lists 10 Keepers; and (Smith, 1966) lists 13 Keepers. The most common versions of the name attributed to the first Keeper have been, Walking Standing Buffalo; or Standing Walking Buffalo; or Buffalo Stands Upwards; or Buffalo Standing Upward; or Standing Hollow Horn. There are various differences as to who held the White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle after the first Keeper, but most agree that Elk Head, aka Red Hair, aka Red Haired Elk Head (b. 1818 - d. 1916) was one of the Keepers who obtained the White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle from his father, who was also known as Elk Head. See photo of Elk Head (b. 1818 - d. 1916) and the White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle below, taken by Edward S. Curtis in 1908.

When Elk Head in the 1908 died in 1916, the White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle went to his daughter, Martha Bad Warrior, aka Red Eagle Woman, (b. 1854 - d. 1936). When Martha Bad Warrior died in 1936, the White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle went to her son, Ehli Bad Warrior, (b. 1882 - d. 1959). When Ehli Bad Warrior died in 1959, the White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle went to his sister, Lucy (Bad Warrior) Looking Horse, (b. 1891 - d. 1966). Just before Lucy (Bad Warrior) Looking Horse died in 1966, she chose to pass over her son, Stanley Looking Horse, and pass the White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle to then 12 year old grandson, Arvol Looking Horse, (b. 1954) the current Keeper.

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