Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux

by Neihardt, John Gneisenau

• ISBN13: 9780803283855
• ISBN10: 0803283857
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-11-01
• Publisher: Bison Books

Summary

Black Elk Speaksis the story of the Lakota visionary and healer Nicholas Black Elk (18631950) and his people during the momentous twilight years of the nineteenth century. Black Elk met the distinguished poet, writer, and critic John G. Neihardt (18811973) in 1930 on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and chose Neihardt to tell his story. Neihardt understood and conveyed Black Elk's experiences in this powerful and inspirational message for all humankind. When Black Elk received his great vision, white settlers were invading the Lakotas' homeland, decimating buffalo herds, and threatening to extinguish the Lakotas' way of life. The Lakotas fought fiercely to retain their freedom and way of life, a dogged resistance that resulted in a remarkable victory at the Little Bighorn and an unspeakable tragedy at Wounded Knee.Black Elk Speaksoffers much more than a precious glimpse of a vanished time, however. As related by Neihardt, Black Elk's searing visions of the unity of humanity and the earth have made this book a venerated spiritual classic. Whether appreciated as the poignant tale of a Lakota life, a history of a Native nation, or an enduring spiritual testament,Black Elk Speaksis unforgettable. This new edition features two additional essays by John G. Neihardt that further illuminate his experience with Black Elk; an essay by Alexis Petri, great-granddaughter of John G. Neihardt, that celebrates Neihardt's remarkable accomplishments; and a look at the legacy of the special relationship between Neihardt and Black Elk, written by Lori Utecht, editor ofKnowledge and Opinion: Essays and Literary Criticism of John G. Neihardt. For more information on John G. Neihardt, visit www.neihardt.com

Table of Contents

Foreword
The offering of the pipe	p. 1
Early boyhood	p. 6
The great vision	p. 16
The bison hunt	p. 37
At the soldiers' town	p. 47
High horse's courting	p. 52
Wasichus in the hills	p. 59
The fight with three stars	p. 70
The rubbing out of long hair	p. 80
Walking the black road	p. 100
The killing of Crazy Horse	p. 107
Grandmother's land	p. 112
The compelling fear	p. 119
The horse dance	p. 124
The dog vision	p. 136
Heyoka ceremony	p. 145
The first cure	p. 150
The powers of the bison and the elk	p. 157
Across the big water	p. 164
The spirit journey	p. 172
The messiah	p. 177
Visions of the other world	p. 184
Bad trouble coming	p. 191
The butchering at Wounded Knee	p. 196
The end of the dream	p. 202
Author's postscript	p. 208
Letter from Neihardt to Black Elk, 6 November 1930	p. 211
Comparison of the transcript and draft for the origin of the peace pipe	p. 215
Lakota words in the text	p. 221
John G. Neihardt beyond Black Elk	p. 225
Neihardt and Black Elk	p. 245
A letter written by John G. Neihardt to Julius House, 10 August 1930	p. 257
A great Indian poet, 20 June 1931	p. 261
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.