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

[b:Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux|35476|Black Elk Speaks Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux|John G. Neihardt|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328819916l/35476._SX50_.jpg|3813941] is a fascinating piece of history. It is the life story of a Native American holy man named Black Elk, as told in 1931 to a Nebraskan poet. Black Elk recounts his youth during the mid-19th century, when battles and massacres drove the Sioux and other tribes into smaller and smaller areas of land. Treaties made with the American government were repeatedly broken by settlers so that land could be exploited for gold or other resources. It is thus a sad story of how show more the Native American way of life was brutally repressed, while also providing insight into religious and social activities before and during this repression. Black Elk explains in detail the visions he had of his people's recovery. It is this aspect that the edition I read focuses on in the blurb and introduction. It did not surprise me to learn that the book was popular in the 1960s, when indigenous spirituality was of particular interest. As a rather prosaic reader, I was most interested in it as history, in particular of how Black Elk and his people interacted with their environment. I hadn't read an account of the mid-19th century told from a Native American perspective before, and it makes a striking contrast to the narrative of economic growth and technological change that dominates histories of this period. A striking and readable autobiographical narrative. show less

I did not know then how much was ending. When I look back now from this high hill of my old age I can still see the butchered women and children heaped and scattered all along the crooked mulch as plain as when I saw them with eyes still young. And I can see that something else died there in the bloody mud and was buried in the blizzard.

My second reading after decades have passed, and I appreciate the plainness and simplicity of Black Elk's voice. I also appreciate the painstaking notes in this edition that indicate where Neihardt introduced his own words and ideas, so that I can see more of the spiritual leader's authentic voice. To hear his stories is to be transported to a series of deeply consequential events. I bought the book at the Little Bighorn National Monument after hearing about the battle from a descendant of one of the Crow guides that marched with Custer.

Interwoven with Black Elk's many spiritual and healing visions
is the pure horror of the white man's attempt to exterminate all the Indian people..

A spiritually powerful book that is as much a testament to Nebraskan John Neihardt's skill as a writer as it is Black Elk's virtuous execution of the oral storytelling tradition. Relating the story of his life, Black Elk takes the reader inside his faith and opens a window to the belief system of his people. On a broader scale, we see the clash of two civilizations in its last stages and it's plain to see the winner wasn't necessarily the better. A sad story, beautifully told and a must read for every American.

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 filtered through a European-American consciousness in such a way that they would be understandable to European-Americans. And this bugged me, some places more than others.

Still, looking at the time when it was written, I think the interesting thing of show more the book is not what it tells you of Black Elk (of which most words were to me suspect because of Neihardt's 'filter'), but of what it tells you of Neihardt and the mainstream society of the time.

This is not a book to read if you want an accurate, authentic autobiography of Native Americans, but it is an interesting book of Native American/European-American fusion for the time period. show less

I grew up in the rez and I really wish I could go back and talk to those old timers. But I was a kid and didn't care about such things. I really like this book. I could hear Black Elk talking. It was written how the old timers talked. I had a hard time keeping up with the chapters where he described his visions but I think part of it is that I wanted to get to the next chapter to see what other adventures he was going to have.

I was so angry and sad reading it. I was taught Native history throughout elementary school and Jr. High but it's just different when you read this and other books (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee-Dee Brown, The Earth is Weeping-Peter Cozzens, and others).

Anyway, really good book with a totally different perspective show more on Native history. show less