November invites us to pause and give thanks—not only for the harvests that feed our bodies, but for the living land that sustains our spirits. This is the season to remember that gratitude is a circle—what we give returns, renewed. The story that follows carries me back to the western plains, where I learned what it means to offer thanks in action, not just words, and to listen when the Spirit of the Land speaks.

I was born and raised on the New Jersey shore, far from the wild herds of buffalo that once thundered across the plains. Yet the call of the Animal People has been a constant thread through my life. They were my teachers long before Reiki and shamanic practice opened the way to understanding their messages more deeply.

In 2010, I found myself connected to a remarkable place: the Earthfire Institute Wildlife Sanctuary in Idaho. Their mission mirrored mine: to help people remember that animals are not lesser beings, but conscious and spiritual relatives. It was there that I first met Buffalo Bluebell, who would become one of my teachers.

On my first trip to Earthfire, as I crossed Montana’s vast landscapes, a vision unfolded before me. The rolling land outside my window shimmered, and suddenly I saw not fences and cattle but endless herds of buffalo and pronghorn antelope flowing like a living river. The earth itself seemed to move. Then, just as swiftly, the vision faded, and I saw the land as it is now—divided, fenced, tamed—and nary a buffalo in sight. My heart ached with the memory of what once was, and I silently promised to do what I could to help restore the connection between the people, the land, and the animals.

Some time later, Spirit began weaving the next thread of that promise. A Pendleton catalog arrived in the mail—something I’d never received before. Flipping through the pages, my attention caught on an image of a blanket unlike any other: The Big Medicine Blanket, bearing the image of a white buffalo surrounded by four human hands.

From the image of the white buffalo my mind leapt to the outlines of hands created by our ancestors on cave walls to my experience the previous year with the hoofprints left by the bison herd in Yellowstone and my need to be one with them by placing my hand where one of their hooves had touched the earth, leaving the impression of hand and hoofprint joined together.

Reading the catalog description of the symbolism contained in the blanket was just as powerful as that moment in Yellowstone.

“The rare white bison occurs only once in every 10 million births. In 1933, a white buffalo was born in the wild on Montana’s Flathead Indian Reservation and was called ‘Big Medicine’ to reflect his sacred power. Many Native American tribes consider the return of the White Buffalo the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy and the beginning of a new era for the peoples and Mother Earth. Tradition spoke of the coming of a herd of pure White Buffalo. The seven bison on this blanket represent the seven directions: North, South, East, West, Above, Below and Within. Together they symbolize wholeness for mankind and the earth. Prayer pipes signify mankind’s communication with the Creator. In the center of the blanket, within the circle of life, are four hands representing the diverse peoples of the world and a new beginning. Shades of brown and green reflect the natural beauty of Mother Earth.”

As I read it, I felt my heart open and tears streamed down my face, a sure sign that Spirit had a message for me, and that it was important.

I told myself I didn’t need to buy the blanket—that understanding its meaning was enough. But Spirit had other ideas.

Weeks passed, and the blanket called to me again and again. When I finally surrendered and ordered it, I was told it was not for me; it was a gift I must give away. To whom, I had no idea.

That question followed me for months until a friend suggested a trip to Glacier National Park, bordering the Blackfeet Reservation. My guides confirmed: Bring the blanket.

Consulting my extensive notes, compiled over a summer of immersion in Buffalo history, I realized that our visit held some significance. The Blackfeet were the last indigenous tribe to know the old ways of the People and the Buffalo. An alternate story about the origin of the Blackfoot name comes from their ancient association with the buffalo, whose hooves are black. They are the people of the buffalo, and the vast herds of buffalo were more dense upon their territory than anywhere else in the U.S.

My guides said we needed to go visit the buffalo on the Reservation. The next thing I knew, I was contacting a local Native American guide and arranging a special visit. Our human guide was surprised that we wanted to see the buffalo; most visitors were interested in the wildlife inside the Park.

I was both excited and nervous about the expedition. From time to time, I would get a nudge to check in with our guide and remind him when we were coming and what we wanted to do.

Meanwhile, I was still wondering who I was supposed to gift the Blanket to. Having gotten no answers from my research, I finally went on a shamanic journey to see what I could discover.

During the journey, I saw the Big Medicine Blanket with the white buffalo on it facing right, and above it, facing in the opposite direction, appeared the silhouette of a regular brown buffalo. Then I saw a herd of buffalo on the prairie, and above them was the Big Medicine Blanket, which grew in size until it was large enough to encompass them all.

Powerful imagery, but what did it mean? Later that day, in my reading, I learned that the Blackfeet culture had two special lodges in their villages, one with a yellow bison on it and another with a black. Was that what I would find on the reservation? Would the person I was seeking be there?

Despite my check-ins, our guide had forgotten about my request to find the buffalo. What followed was a fascinating and tooth-rattling quest that combined modern technology, Spirit, and animal guides. Since the reservation measured 1.5 million acres, it made finding the buffalo something like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Our guide got on his cell phone and started calling folks he knew, asking when (and where) they had last seen the buffalo. Several calls were made, and he was not receiving any clear information. One thing I did learn is that there were cattle on the reservation as well, and apparently, the buffalo often ignore fences, walking through them and freeing the cattle.

As doubt crept in, I felt a tug from the buffalo nickel I carried in my medicine bag—the same nickel that had been part of the first ceremonies at Earthfire Institute—and it was pulling in the direction we were traveling.

As we bounced across the roadless prairie, the tug got more insistent. And then we saw him—a lone bull buffalo. He was standing on a hillside, calmly facing us. I was so excited—even if we only saw one buffalo, surely that would be enough? To my dismay, as we got closer, he turned and began to walk away, disappearing from sight around the other side of the hill. I felt despair grip me, and experienced a significant moment of doubt. I wondered about all the guidance I had received. Perhaps I had heard it wrong? Perhaps it wasn’t meant to be?

And then something magical happened. As we rounded the base of the hill, there, looking as regal as the buffalo on the nickel, stood the lone bull. Standing totally stiil, he faced right—pointing the way to an entire herd of buffalo. He was our greeter, leading us directly to the Buffalo People. His job done, the lone buffalo returned to his vigil.

My heart pounded as the buffalo herd drifted toward us. The moment of truth had come. I had carried this blanket hundreds of miles—who was it for? Spirit whispered the answer: It is an offering to the Buffalo People themselves.

I offered tobacco and eased the blanket, still in its carry bag, through the truck window so that it faced the herd. Four Elder Buffalo Cows stepped forward—one for each direction—facing the blanket directly. In that instant, I felt the energy flow between us: a circle of giving and receiving, human and buffalo joined once more in ceremony.

That day, I became a Blanket Carrier for the Buffalo People. It is not a title I sought, nor one I fully understand, but it changed how I walk in the world.

In the years that followed, the Blanket and I traveled to buffalo herds across the West, including the descendants of the last wild herd in Yellowstone. For nine years, the Blanket was presented in ceremony to Elder Buffalo Bluebell and White Buffalo Nima at Earthfire Institute. The message they carried was clear: where the buffalo walk, the land—and the people—come back to life.

Bluebell at Earthfire Institute enjoys the energy of the Buffalo Blanket after its travels in ceremony to the Buffalo People in Yellowstone National Park.

This month, as we celebrate Thanksgiving and honor the Spirit of the Land, may we remember the deeper meaning of gratitude—not as a single day of feasting, but as a way of living in balance and reciprocity.

The Buffalo Nation teaches that abundance flows from relationship, that true prosperity comes when we remember our place within the circle of life. As we give thanks for the gifts of the Earth, may we also ask what offerings we might make in return—to restore harmony, to heal the land, and to listen once more to the voices of All Our Relations.

Celebrate November’s Sacred Rhythms with All Our Relations

This month’s Sacred Rhythms is a celebration of the Spirit of the Land and a living expression of Thanksgiving—a time to honor the circle of giving and receiving that sustains all life.

You’re invited to join us for stories of gratitude and connection, a shamanic journey to speak with the Spirit of the Land, and activities that guide you in creating rituals of reciprocity for your local wildlife.

November’s collection also includes a variety of season-inspired offerings: music playlist, wildlife videos, digital puzzle, plus the next installment of The Chronicles of Tamerlan, following his journey from a starved outdoor cat to his first steps into home.

There is much to explore and celebrate this month—come share the rhythm of gratitude with All Our Relations.

👉 Register or learn more here and enjoy a year of Nature’s wisdom.

Enjoy the blessings of the season,
Rose De Dan, Night Sky and Tamerlan, fosters Noctua and Sadiya

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I had a heartwarming moment recently. A longtime student reached out to share that she was spontaneously traveling to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation (CSKT) to meet with the Buffalo in ceremony.

Pictured here is her prayer stick and the current Pendleton Big Medicine Blanket—a powerful image of intention and connection.

Hearing how students carry these teachings into the world to deepen relationship with All Our Relations fills me with joy and gratitude. Each step taken in reverence for the Land and our Relatives ripples outward in healing ways.

🌿 The next Listening to Zoo Animal Ambassadors begins December 1. I hope you’ll join us and discover how the animals are inviting us to ceremony.

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Learn how to walk in harmony with the natural world, connect more deeply with animals, restore balance to your life, increase intuitive skills, and help heal the Earth with my live Reiki and shamanic virtual classes and digital workshops.

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A WILD WAY TO HEAL
Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC is an animal communicator, Reiki Master Teacher, shamanic energy healer, and author of Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism and Out of the Darkness and Other Animal Tails. Her classes, sessions, and ceremonial work are inspired by wild and domestic animals who have issued a call to action for personal and global healing.