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2nd out of 108 books
—
43 voters
Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux
The most famous Native American book ever written, Black Elk Speaks is the acclaimed story of Lakota visionary and healer Nicholas Black Elk (1863–1950) and his people during the momentous, twilight years of the nineteenth century. Black Elk grew up in a time when white settlers were invading the Lakotas’ homeland, decimating buffalo herds and threatening to extinguish the...more
Hardcover, 298 pages
Published
August 1st 1988
by University of Nebraska Press
(first published 1932)
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I read an edition of this book which lists where the contents of Black Elk's telling of this portion of his life was greatly enhanced emotionally and symbolically by Neihardt. Were I not aware of these changes until after reading it, I would feel cheated and as though this book were a fake. Despite these added notes, however, the book is still fantastic, most of the perversion of the text being whiny, emotional additions and romantic lamentations Neihardt adds in his cultural guilt and ethical f...more
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This was my third time reading this book, and every time I come away with something new. I highly recommend this to anyone studying religion. I highly recommend this book to every single American citizen. It should be required reading in public schools. The Lakota people have a vibrant, exciting, living religious tradition, and the fact that Black Elk's story was recorded is a gem and a blessing. Not only is it because of the religious tradition is this book important. It is also important becau...more
"Vous avez remarqué que toute chose faite par un indien est dans un cercle. Nos tipis étaient ronds comme des nids d'oiseaux et toujours disposés en cercle. Il en est ainsi parce que le pouvoir de l'Univers agit selon des cercles et que toute chose tend à être ronde. Dans l'ancien temps, lorsque nous étions un peuple fort et heureux, tout notre pouvoir venait du cercle sacré de la nation, et tant qu'il ne fut pas brisé.
Tout ce que fait le pouvoir de l'Univers se fait dans un cercle. Le ciel est...more
Tout ce que fait le pouvoir de l'Univers se fait dans un cercle. Le ciel est...more
Grandfather, Great Spirit, once more behold me on earth and lean to hear my feeble voice. You lived first, and you are older than all need, older than all prayer. All things belong to you --- the two-leggeds, the four-leggeds, the wings of the air and all green things that live. You have set the powers of the four quarters to cross each other. The good road and the road of difficulties you have made to cross; and where they cross the place is holy. Day in and day out, forever, you are the life o...more
I don't exactly know how to 'star' this book, so I won't.
All of the metaphorical + verbal clichés used relative to the time period this was written in are extremely annoying to read repeatedly & makes this feel even more inauthentic & embellished than I already know it is.
A Native American man who could not speak English would not be speaking in these clichés that were completely foreign to him & his culture. Not only is this annoying to me, it is offensive. Even though Black Elk's...more
When you are passionate about something, there is no obstacle that can hold you back. "If something is important to you, you find a way. If not, you'll find an excuse." John Neihardt's "Black Elk Speaks" is as inspiring as it gets.
A story of a young ambitious Native American man who would go to the end of the earth to see an equal world, "It is the story of all life that is holy and is good to tell, and of us two-leggeds sharing in it with the four-leggeds and the wings of the air and all green...more
A story of a young ambitious Native American man who would go to the end of the earth to see an equal world, "It is the story of all life that is holy and is good to tell, and of us two-leggeds sharing in it with the four-leggeds and the wings of the air and all green...more
There's a danger when the words of a native are arranged and tidied by a non-native that you can end up with a strange and suspicious amalgam. Though Neihardt did not speak Black Elk's Lakota dialect and Black Elk spoke no English, I don't see that here. If Neihardt embellished or skewed, he left no traces. What we are left with are the reminiscences of an aged, dispirited but honest and upright Native American who lived through the worst of our country's almost indifferent genocidal onslaught y...more
This is the story of the life of the Oglala Sioux holy man and the ways, culture and late 19th century history of his and surrounding Native American tribes. This was told by Black Elk himself to the author. Black Elk had a vision as a young boy while very sick that influenced him throughout his life. The book’s descriptions of his unfolding interpretation of this vision and his experience of the difficult events marking the history of the USA’s relationship with native Americans provides insigh...more
This book is quite enlightening on the more romantic concept of Sioux and Native American culture. The problem I have is that Neihardt exaggerates the separation between Black Elk and capitalist society; he prefers to describe in vivid detail the spiritual visions Black Elk has throughout his life rather than spend too much time explaining that Black Elk works a wage labor job or than he fought with guns (evidence of participation in the 'white man's' society). It's unfortunate that Neihardt omi...more
Although this work was produced under conditions that make a modern historian cringe (Black Elk to translator to transcriber to editor - decades after the events), it remains a core work for both modern natives and historians alike. Black Elk was one of the most influential natives of his generation and this story, recorded when it was, helped to bridge the gap of knowledge and declining native spirituality across the 'lost generations' of the reservation and boarding school Indians through to t...more
This expands my knowledge of the Native American culture. Black Elk's vision of the sacred tree and the hoop tend to go along with some of my thoughts. However his vision was from a very masculine perspective and had only little reference to the feminine aspects. Black Elk lived in the time of the battle of The Little Big Horn and the slaughter at Wounded Knee. He went to Europe with Buffalo Bill and met Queen Victoria. His experiences with the Ghost Dance were intriguing. The fact that he ended...more
I read the Premier Edition, which is wonderfully annotated with historical references and clarifications on the interpretations and additions that are Neihardt's and not in the transcripts of Black Elk's words. I have had this on my "to read" list for years — everything in its time. I read this while in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Black Elk's homeland. It seemed especially powerful to read it in the very hills where he lived and walked, had visions, dreams, and went about the work of a holy...more
At first glance, this is an interesting book, though personally not particularly my favorite topic. But if you look further into the book, there are just too many discrepancies between Black Elk's life and the story that is written. In writing a life-history it is very important to take into consideration the producer (Neihardt) and the process, in order to understand the product. Neihardt sought Black Elk because Neihardt was writing an epic poem, and he needed to talk to an old spiritual leade...more
(from 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...more
When Black...more
I enjoyed this book. I found it kind of difficult when I was reading it to figure out what was actually Black Elk, and what was Neihardt, although the editor had thankfully given little footnotes on the side. While I think this was a powerful book, and very interesting to read, the lack of any true authenticity bothered me quite a lot. I didn't really understand why Neihardt couldn't just tell us what Black Elk said. It was obvious to me that good parts of the book were Black Elk's words filtere...more
Black Elk’s was an atypical member of the Sioux Nation, due in large part to his youthful visions and eventual emergence as a Sioux Medicine man with prophetic and healing powers. His remarkable experiences provide a deep insight into the Sioux relationship with nature. By the time John Nehring, author of Black Elk Speaks, interviews Black Elk, he is near the end of his life. Black Elk is risking much in revealing the sacred details of his life story to a white man, but feels it necessary in ord...more
This is the story of the annihilation of the Lakota Sioux of the Oglala Band as told from the perspective of the holy man/priest, Black Elk. The campaigns waged against the Indians were not so much armed conflicts but raids against villages to destroy tipis and provisions. This tactic denied shelter, viable sustenance and horses -- often more than a thousand horses were simply shot on the spot -- to eliminate any capability to replenish resources. With winter approaching the later in the season...more
I read this for my book club and I am glad I did. This book looks at the life of Black Elk from his own words through John Neidhardt and his daughter who transcribed all the conversations. I can't imagine how hard it must have been to do the interview as it was told through an interpreter. Black Elk talks of his vision that he had at age nine and how it influenced him through out his life. He continued to have visions that all related to his original one. He talks about being a warrior, fighting...more
This is purportedly the life story of Black Elk, as written by John Neihardt. This should have been an incredible tale, weaving history with development and rise of a native holy man, all running through the tragedy of the Native American West. However, Neihardt feels compelled to attempt to spin the story to make the settlers and US Army, and western civilization as a whole, look terrible. You can't get through two pages without a note in the margin saying 'This was added by Neihardt,' or 'Thes...more
This was a strangely powerful book for me. Its popularity through the ages indicate that it has been the same for many others, too. I was expecting more information about a form of Native American spirituality and less history. While reading it, though, it felt more like history than spirituality. Also, while reading it, I felt like I couldn't grasp the full value of the visions and the spiritual meaning of them. I didn't understand their meaning or significance. That is obviously some form of i...more
Dec 20, 2012
Barnaby Thieme
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
anthropology,
new-world
John Heihardt's classic is a problematic read to be sure. On the one hand, Neihardt was a sympathetic interlocutor who elicited a fascinating account from an extraordinary man who lived through several major episodes in late-19th-century history. On the other hand, his poetic pretensions led him to rearrange and dress up that testimony, adorning it with his own mediocre neo-Romantic insight, and altogether distorting the historical and cultural record.
Readers of Black Elk Speaks may be surprise...more
Readers of Black Elk Speaks may be surprise...more
Powerful and tragic. The story of a Medicine Man who recieved his first vision at age 9. Native American history is one that we have to still bear with shame for what previous generations of Americans did. The greed for land and gold was stronger than any concern for the value of another human life or civilization. The loss of the Native American culture is one of the truly tragic events in American History. I strongly believe there was so much our American Culture could have benifited from inte...more
A quick read, and pretty interesting from a historical perspective. The most valuable part for me was reading about the different Indians and their roles in the various battles. For instance, I didn't realize the same tribes and warriors were involved in probably the two most famous battles in all of my highschool history book: Little Big Horn and Wounded Knee. I liked hearing it from Black Elk's perspective. Neihardt lends the telling a lyricism that I'm not sure is completely authentic (after...more
The story of an Oglala Souix Shaman, Black Elk, cousin of Crazy Horse. He witnessed the battles of Big Horn and Wounded Knee. He tells his story through a translator, to the poet Neihardt.
I read this in High School and again when I worked as the historian for the Pres. Benjamin Harrison Home. Harrison was the Pres. during the Wounded Knee battle and I needed to refresh the story and started an educational program using some quotes from this, Harrison letters, tlelgrams, news paper reports, ets....more
I read this in High School and again when I worked as the historian for the Pres. Benjamin Harrison Home. Harrison was the Pres. during the Wounded Knee battle and I needed to refresh the story and started an educational program using some quotes from this, Harrison letters, tlelgrams, news paper reports, ets....more
Aug 15, 2010
Greg
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Those interested in Native American culture
I think Black Elk Speaks would be more interesting after learning more of the traditions, rituals, customs, and history of the Native American tribes. I have learned just enough to be dangerous, and while I found Black Elk’s account of his childhood vision and subsequent life interesting, it wasn’t as compelling as I think it would be with a richer and broader contextual understanding. Nonetheless, it was an interesting foray into the mindset of an acknowledged wise man, a shaman and healer of t...more
I picked this up because I know it is required reading in a number of college classes studying native americans and religion. Black Elk was a sioux Indian prohet who saw many of the battles of the plains indians from the 1860's through Wounded Knee in the 1890s. The forward to the book described him as possibly the greatest american american prophet. I found the retelling of his visons interesting but enjoyed his perspective on the history of the last days of the plains indians equally as intere...more
Anyone who knows me at all knows that I am an avid reader of Native American historical non-fiction. Over the years and throughout many of the books I have read I have come across references to Black Elk. He was not a major player in the pivotal events that resulted in the devastation of his people's (the Lakota's) lives and culture, but he was a witness to so much of it. Most importantly, he willingly opened up and shared his story with the author of this book who sought out his story.
Hearing t...more
Hearing t...more
I loved this book and only later learned of the controversy about its accuracy. Given that uncertainty to its accuracy, I will give it a 4 not 5. But even if some literary license was taken, the story is powerful, sad. A bit of my favorite text:
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When I look back now from this high hill of my old age, I can still see the butchered women and children lying heaped and scattered...And I can see that something else died there in the bloody mud...A people's dream died there. It was a beautiful dream...more
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When I look back now from this high hill of my old age, I can still see the butchered women and children lying heaped and scattered...And I can see that something else died there in the bloody mud...A people's dream died there. It was a beautiful dream...more
The life of Black Elk was filled with more tragic events than any one person should have had to endure; when I read, I like to put myself in the scene. I try to smell the wind, taste the food, feel the same fears and excitements as each character. I did not like the way I felt when Black Elk was only 17 years old, wondering if he had gone crazy. Speaking of the battle of Wounded Knee, this is what Black Elk stated: "When I saw this, I wish that I had died, too ..." Imagine being this man - still...more
I thoroughly enjoyed this first hand account of Black Elks life during the turn of the 19th century in American history. It was well written such that you could easily visualize what it must have been like to live life so in tune with the Mother and Father of Creation; allowing life to unfold, without pretense, unveiling new miracles daily. However, the story is true to the dual nature of the universe we live. Where there is peace, there is war; where there is right, there is wrong; where there...more
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| connection of black elk to mother nature | 8 | 5 | 6 hours, 44 min ago |
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“Crazy Horse dreamed and went into the world where there is nothing but the spirits of all things. That is the real world that is behind this one, and everything we see here is something like a shadow from that one.”
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49 people liked it
“You have noticed that the truth comes into this world with two faces. One is sad with suffering, and the other laughs; but it is the same face, laughing or weeping. When people are already in despair, maybe the laughing face is better for them; and when they feel too good and are too sure of being safe, maybe the weeping face is better for them to see.”
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19 people liked it
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