White Buffalo Calf Woman
White Buffalo Calf Woman (Ptesan-Wi) is the most revered supernatural figure in Lakota religion, appearing to the people in ancient times when they had forgotten how to pray. She brought the sacred pipe (chanunpa) and taught the Seven Sacred Rites that form the foundation of Lakota spirituality. She appeared as a beautiful woman in white buckskin carrying a bundle, instructed the people in prayer and ceremony, and before departing transformed through four colors—black, red, brown, and white—becoming a white buffalo calf who promised to return when the people need her most