A rare white bison that spent nearly two decades captivating visitors at Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park Zoo was honored in a ceremony led by Indigenous community leaders.
Blizzard, who died at age 21 after a procedure related to declining health, was remembered not only as a popular zoo resident but also as a sacred animal with deep cultural meaning.
What happened?
Blizzard was honored Wednesday at a ceremony attended by Indigenous leaders and others, CBC News reported. The white bison came to the zoo during a 2006 snowstorm as an anonymous gift from an American rancher.
The gathering featured a pipe ceremony, drumming, singing, and teachings about the spiritual meaning of white bison, according to CBC News.
Cree community leader and advocate Coleen Rajotte said Blizzard held special meaning for many Indigenous people.
"He was a beautiful, sacred being, and we're going to miss him," she said.
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She also said years of visits to the zoo had led her to form a personal connection with Blizzard.
At the ceremony, Sioux Valley Dakota Nation community leader Jace Pratt told the story of the White Buffalo Calf Woman, while Dakota Tipi First Nation community leader Karl Stone conducted the pipe ceremony and spoke about the white bison's message of healing and caring for the Earth.
Chris Enright, senior director of zoological operations for the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, said the ceremony was a "really moving way to say goodbye" and that Blizzard "helped build connections to the natural world."
Why does it matter?
For multiple Indigenous cultures, white bison are sacred animals.
For those mourning him, Blizzard was not just a zoo attraction, a sentiment conveyed during the ceremony, which honored Blizzard with respect and served as a collective expression of community grief.
Enright described Blizzard as "very charismatic" and said he was highly aware of the people around him, helping create a bond between the public and wildlife.
What's being done?
Rajotte said she wanted to make sure the community could "honour [Blizzard], do ceremony, and send him home to all of his relatives in a proper way."
"Now I know he's back with his relatives, and I feel so much better about that," she said.
Stone said the ceremony was powerful and could help people process their grief.
As the zoo community and Indigenous peoples mourned Blizzard's passing, the zoo also experienced an important new birth.
The zoo announced that a male red panda cub was born June 8. According to CBC News, the cub is still nursing with his mother, Mei Mei, and is expected to make his public debut later this summer.
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