Influence of Black Elk
Black Elk Speaks has spawned many books and writings since its publication in 1932. When originally published, it was not met with great success. The book was re-released by Nebraska Press to coincide with the revitalization of interest in Native American culture during the 1960’s.
The Six Grandfather by Raymond DeMallie is a translation of the conversations between Black Elk and Neihardt from the transcripts taken by Neihardt’s daughter. An associate professor of anthropology at Indian University, DeMallie imbues Black Elk with a more balanced view than Neihardt’s more romanticized version, and offers a wider historical context. DeMallie’s book provides insight into the relationship that developed between the two men. It also covers Black Elk’s conversion into Catholicism, a fact that Neihardt may not have been aware of upon their meeting.
The numerous books and articles that have been spawned by Black Elk Speaks generally fall into two camps: the Lakota point of view, and the scholarly westernized point of view. But most of them acknowledge the importance of this book as a source of preservation of the Lakota traditional way of life. Notably, the source of writings about their culture have become a source of debate for the native intellectual community as they seek validation for their own works.
Black Elk Speaks has become a lightning rod for varied subjects as anthropology, ethnography and spiritual biography, along with dream and vision study. But the dreams and visions of the healer Black Elk, while representative of a cultural time and place, require understanding of the Lakota world view. Despite western dream theory that appears to corroborate Lakota visions, there is still a cultural mindset that is rightfully being closely guarded by Native Americans (Fixico).
For further information, please see the following website:
http://blackelkspeaks.unl.edu/
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