Health & Fitness
Why Kill the Sacred White Buffalo?
In Texas, hunting safaris are now promoted to kill the White Buffalo, a sacred animal in Native American tribal cultures.
I recently heard about a planned safari outing by a Texas service club being auctioned off to kill a sacred White Buffalo in order to raise money. Just a couple of weeks ago, 60 Minutes on CBS aired a story about the raising of herds of rare endangered African antelope by private ranchers who then host hunting safaris with the opportunity for the thrill of sport killing the wildlife.
A relative who has passed away once proudly told a story of how he went to Texas with other business executives on organized private duck hunting trips. These types of outings and trips, particularly in Texas where there's a lot of acreage, have long been common for business executive hunting outings.
Seeing one of Donald Trump's son's photos on the national TV news this week, holding with a proud smile an elephant's tail, the result of a faux African safari in Texas, reminded me of my relative's proudly shared experience and the evolution of safari hunting trips in Texas.
Find out what's happening in Petalumawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Today, raising endangered species under the auspices of so-called saving them, so hunting safaris can be offered and income made, is controversial on many levels. The 60 Minutes story also reported about a woman who almost singlehandedly, using legal means, worked so permits must be obtained in Texas for these hunting sprees. That action, according to the owners of the properties where the wildlife are raised, thought it would negatively impact the safaris.
As I watched that story, I thought of how courageous this woman was to take on this issue in Texas and how stressful the experience must be to advocate in Texas for the species to instead be raised and saved in their native African habitats on reserves.
Find out what's happening in Petalumawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Then, I heard about this newest safari offering for the sacred White Buffalo to be thrill hunted in Texas, along with the story of a service club auctioning off such a safari to help raise funds for the club. I felt this also deserved sharing and expanded awareness.
A close friend shared this story with me. A Native American she knows in the southeast U.S. was focused on education and trying to stop this practice. The White Buffalo is sacred in Natival American tribal culture.
