Black Elk, Lakota Visionary


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By the time poet laureate John G. Neihardt came to the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1930, Black Elk was already a tribal elder. The two men discovered they shared a similar outlook on spiritual matters. Although Black Elk had never completely relayed his vision in its entirety to any one person, the opportunity to share it with a wider audience presented itself through Neihardt. Though many years had transpired, Black Elk felt that his vision was still incomplete. The resulting book, Black Elk Speaks, underscores the importance of visions in Lakota culture.

For the traditional Lakota, there was no real distinction between a dream and a vision. The source meant nothing without manifestation for the community. Dreams were considered an integral part of everyday life, not a distinct entity relegated to the realm of sleep. This mode of thinking reflects the Lakota world-view that all things are part of the whole, including the metaphysical. These sacred visions of Black Elk were not considered a phenomenon separate from reality.

The distinction between dreams and visions was not considered significant; the primary criteria for evaluating the sacred power of a dream or vision depended upon the degree to which the subject could reproduce a visible, positive result ... only those dreams or visions that resulted in a direct manifestation of power were considered sacred (Hoxie).

Through communal support, Black Elk enacted the cultural rituals necessary to utilize the powers bestowed upon him in his vision. The unique trajectory of his life facilitated his role as a healer, giving expression to the deep love he had for his people and their sufferings. Although Black Elk may have felt unable to complete his vision, by passing his knowledge to others he transferred its power. This was done in order to “save that entire system of knowledge that his vision represented” to others (DeMallie). By releasing his sacred vision to the entire world, Black Elk did close the sacred circle, thus completing his vision.


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