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

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

~ Nicholas Black Elk (Author), John G. Neihardt (Collaborator)

4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Black Elk Speaks is the story of the Lakota visionary and healer Nicholas Black Elk (1863-1950) and his people during the momentous twilight years of the nineteenth century. Black Elk met the distinguished poet, writer, and critic John G. Neihardt (1881-1973) 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 Speaks offers 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 Speaks is 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 of Knowledge and Opinion: Essays and Literary Criticism of John G. Neihardt.

For more information on John G. Neihardt, visit www.neihardt.com

From the Inside Flap

Black Elk Speaks is the story of the Lakota visionary and healer Nicholas Black Elk (1863–1950) and his people during the momentous twilight years of the nineteenth century. Black Elk met the distinguished poet, writer, and critic John G. Neihardt (1881–1973) 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 Speaks offers 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 Speaks is 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 of Knowledge and Opinion: Essays and Literary Criticism of John G. Neihardt.

Product Details

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press; 3rd edition (November 1, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0803283857
ISBN-13: 978-0803283855
Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds

Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,101 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
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#6 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Earth-Based Religions > Native American
#31 in Books > History > Americas > Native American

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Black Elk

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Customer Reviews

16 Reviews

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4 star:		(2)
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4.2 out of 5 stars (16 customer reviews)

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35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Literary Classic, American Classic,, August 1, 2005

By	CNJ (USA) - See all my reviews

I could not have read this book without then reading the original notes from which it was taken. "Black Elk Speaks" is a lovely piece of literature, but it is incomplete without the original notes, published as "The Sixth Grandfather: Black Elk's Teachings Given to John G. Neihardt." I admire Black Elk's ability to express universal philosophical insights. This book will be understood on many levels, but was meant to appeal to those seeking a mature contemplation on the great mystery of life.

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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing challenge to mainstream ways of knowing, August 21, 2007

By	Barbara Z. Johnson "Doctoral student in educa... (Duluth, MN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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This book is quite difficult to read on many levels - but the challenge it presents to mainstream, American readers is worth stretching one's mind to encompass.

As with any written account of an oral presentation, it often seems as if it lacks polish. But its directness is part of its art. It is not a story told to entertain. It is a recounting of an important story and a vision unfulfilled, a factor that puzzles the sympathetic reader as much as it seemed to grieve Black Elk himself.

The value to many readers lies in hearing a different point of view no only on history but also on valid ways of knowing and thinking. As a counterpoint to European epistemology, this book is worth the effort to see the world through another set of eyes.

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15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ghostly Reminders, September 17, 2007

By	Douglas Doepke (Claremont CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As I recall, it was one of those hot, smoggy summer days in LA. We were sitting on a park bench in the shade. The park was one of those anonymous lttle collections of half-watered, half-dead grassy spots that dot the LA sprawl. Present were Manuel, his wife Vera chief of what was left of the Huhumonga tribe (Gabrielino, in Spanish), and several of us white activists. We were all working to preserve the remaining sage scrub beds (a sacred plant to Western tribes) from San Bernardino area developers. Now, Manuel, as long as I had known him, was a mild-mannered man, content to let Vera make decisions for those Gabrielinos still active in tribal affairs. Maybe, it was the summer heat or the unruly kids playing nearby, I don't know. But suddenly Manuel jumped from the bench, strode over to the several families with the kids, and in a stern and steady voice proceeded to remind them that all the land upon which they now walked and drove had once belonged to his people who had peaceably roamed the land. A moment later, he returned, and we resumed without comment. But I've never forgotten that moment, not because it was embarrassing for Manuel or for the bewildered families who had no idea who he was, but for what it demonstrated to me. That even in the middle of one of America's great cities, having long ago replaced the vast beds of coastal sage and peaceable people, there remain ghostly encounters with a very real pre-European past.

And that's the sort of glimpse Black Elk Speaks provides in wonderful detail. The past comes alive through the proverbial eyes of a revered man whose people have been overly villified or overly romanticized, but rarely portrayed in all their human complexity. Black Elk, I think, manages the complexity as he recounts experiences from boyhood through young adulthood. From the poetically practical names of people and months, eg. Moon of the Grass Appearing (April), to the migrations across traditional lands, to the historic battles with the Wasichus (white men), to the Ogalalas' end at Wounded Knee, the reader is immersed in a strange and vanished culture. It's said in the notes that the Indian Black Elk and the white man John Neihardt possessed something of a common spirit that communicated across racial and linguistic barriers. As it reads, the seamlessly flowing narrative demonstrates something of a communal overlap, a kind of deeper commonality. The book's centerpiece revolves around the nine year-old Black Elk's Great Vision, recounted here in all its colorful and lyrical detail. Whatever the prophetic value, the strength of Black Elk's Vision clearly guided and infused him for the remainder of his life, and provides a powerful potrait of another people's wishes and dreams.

Frankly, I've never put much stock in the metaphysics of visions, whether of the white man's Biblical variety or the Native American's pantheistc kind. But I have to confess that when I compare America's great national vision of Manifest Destiny with Black Elk's, I much prefer the latter. It's certainly more poetic and a lot less threatening to the planet. Something like that, I believe, is where the real value of looking at the world through the eyes of others lies. Perhaps it's the best way for a skeptic like me to expand his own consciousness, and share a vanished time and place as I did for a brief moment on that long ago park bench.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Black Elk Speaks
Every person who lives in the United States should read the words of the Native Americans of this land. These words reflect unspoken spirit.

Published 4 months ago by B. R. Blank

5.0 out of 5 stars Spectacular
A must have for any anthropology student, historian, or light worker. Beautifully translated and easy to read.

Published 14 months ago by Jason Humberstone

5.0 out of 5 stars The Power is in the Understanding
The Power is in the Understanding

The "meaning" of this book is summarized by Black Elk himself when he says, and repeats, toward the end of the book "The power is in... Read more

Published 15 months ago by Ty M. Albright

5.0 out of 5 stars Black Elk Speaks
It's nice to read a book these days that's actually well written.
Easy to read. Love Black Elk's sense of humor!

Published 17 months ago by Dana D. Baldwin

1.0 out of 5 stars New book looks used
I purchased this new, and expected it to be sealed. Not only was it not sealed, but a couple of pages were folded. I would have returned this item. Read more

Published 19 months ago by Lacata Brown

5.0 out of 5 stars A wise and interesting read.
I have to disagree with some people's assessment of this title. I found this book to be very insightful and very intimate in nature. Read more

Published 19 months ago by Nathan Andrews

5.0 out of 5 stars In Depth Wisdom
This book is very different from many others that I have read about Native Americans. It feels as though Black Elk is there having a conversation with you. Read more

Published 22 months ago by M. B. Jackson

2.0 out of 5 stars Not a worthwhile book at all....
I really hoped that this book was some kind of visionary look at what actually happened to the American Indians, but it is not that! Read more

Published 23 months ago by David A. Marks

5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless Classic
Black Elk Speaks is a 1932 autobiography of an Oglala Sioux medicine man as told to John Neihardt.

In the summer of 1930, as part of his research into the Native... Read more

Published on October 5, 2007 by JohnA37

1.0 out of 5 stars horrid
I had to read this once for an anthropology class.

For years it remained the worst book I had ever read. (It was later supplanted by John Fowles's "Daniel Martin. Read more

Published on May 6, 2007 by Caraculiambro

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