White Buffalo Night was painted in 1989 following the Sun Dance Ceremony, an important ritual marking the new year for the Lakota People, and a consistent source of inspiration for Chief Marvin. Elements of the image include the medicine wheel within a starry night sky, bringing our attention to the 4 winds or directions of West, North, East, and South (clockwise), which orient us to space and time. Chief Marvin explains that within his tradition, these four directions also depict the four seasons of the human life cycle from birth and infancy (West) to old age (South). Within the medicine wheel is a star-knitted turtle, representing Turtle Island, the Lakota term for the North American continent, and the human race.
White Buffalo Calf Pipe Woman, depicted below, is a sacred spiritual teacher and messenger. According to the Lakota People, she gifted them the Chanupa, or sacred pipe, to help them find gratitude and deeper connection with themselves and the earth for the generations to come.