BIG MEDICINE

“Plains Indian legend holds that the white buffalo was such a rarity that even the Great Spirit was in awe of it,” explained acclaimed artist Frank McCarthy. “The beast was valued by all the tribes, especially the Mandans for whom a good skin could command the price of ten to fifteen horses. Displayed in a place of special importance, the hide was considered 'Big Medicine.' I modeled the white buffalo after a photo I took of the last known albino. The chances of a white bison appearing in a herd are one in five million, so I feel lucky to have seen one under any circumstances – almost as lucky as the two Sioux hunters in 'Big Medicine' must have felt.”