Black Elk and John Neihardt
John Neihardt was completing his fifth epic poem on the west when he sought out the elder Black Elk. Although anxious for knowledge of Black Elk’s experience as a participant during the Wounded Knee massacre, they agreed to collaborate on a book about Black Elk’s vision. The two men began to forge a relationship, and Black Elk eventually came to consider Neihardt “an adopted son” (DeMallie). Although from two different cultural backgrounds, they developed a deep respect for one another. Black Elk bestowed the name Flaming Rainbow upon Neihardt, a representative power symbol from Black Elk’s vision. Through this naming, Black Elk incorporated Neihardt into his vision. Their respective children functioned as interpreter and stenographer, making the event familial and communal. The elders of the tribe also participated by recounting their own recollections.
Despite his respect for Neihardt as a writer, traditional Lakota storytelling had always fallen within an oral framework, handing down living history from one generation to the next. An important medium in conveying information about everything from daily life, to the visions of their ancestors, the art of storytelling served as an inextricable part of the culture, lending it vibrancy and history. “The “story” holds an important place in native cultures, and it has multiple purposes for learning and sharing traditional knowledge” (Fixico).
The experience that the storyteller recreates is more important than the linear time chronology of history. “In the full release of its power and its effects on the audience, the story is enlivened such that the past becomes a part of the present, and the past and present is projected into the future. All three parts of linear time – past, present, and future – are a part of the American Indian circular understanding of a time continuum” (Fixico). The recreation of the story recreates the event into the present, effectively collapsing time and space. Time takes on less relevance as the story progresses. The story has its own energy that is released upon the telling, and has its own “spirituality in the form of released power or energy” (Fixico). Black Elk’s need to pass along his vision bridged a historical mistrust of outsiders, risking misinterpretation of what was considered sacred. Yet with most of his life behind him, he felt that Neihardt represented an opportunity not to be missed. Black Elk was anxious to “teach the spiritual knowledge of his people” before passing into the next world (DeMaille). The old ways were dying, and Black Elk had the foresight to preserve them for following generations.
For more information, please see the following website:
http://www.umsystem.edu/whmc/neihardt/blackelk.html
Read more:
Black Elk, Lakota Visionary
Black Elk and John Neihardt
Black Elk's Vision
Mediator between realities
Spiritual Rituals
The Life of Black Elk
Influence of Black Elk
Recommended Reading and Photo Credits
About the Author