tag:blogs.qc.cuny.edu,2007:/blogs/dreams/kbain/225 2007-05-08T23:06:08Z Movable Type Enterprise 1.02 tag:blogs.qc.cuny.edu,2007:/blogs/dreams/kbain//225.2268 2007-04-23T20:44:17Z 2007-05-08T23:06:08Z

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...

Sonomas 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. ]]> tag:blogs.qc.cuny.edu,2007:/blogs/dreams/kbain//225.2269 2007-04-22T21:03:47Z 2007-05-07T22:19:22Z

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...

Sonomas 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 ]]> tag:blogs.qc.cuny.edu,2007:/blogs/dreams/kbain//225.2368 2007-04-21T22:28:30Z 2007-05-07T23:33:51Z

At the tender age of nine, Black Elk experienced the vision that would change his life. Unconscious for twelve days, a beckoning from the sacred spirits appeared as two men carrying arrows. They told the young boy that the...

Sonomas At the tender age of nine, Black Elk experienced the vision that would change his life. Unconscious for twelve days, a beckoning from the sacred spirits appeared as two men carrying arrows. They told the young boy that the “Grandfathers are calling you,” (Neihardt). Thus began his long and intricate vision, full of animals and symbols. When the six grandfathers invited him to speak, to Black Elk they seemed “old like hills, like stars” (Neihardt). They represented the “Powers of the World” – the four directions, above and below. After the first five grandfathers imparted their wisdom, he watched as the sixth grandfather changed into himself. This Grandfather told him to “have courage, for my power shall be yours, and you shall need it, for your nation on the earth will have great troubles” (Neihardt). The placement of Black Elk as the sixth grandfather “identified [him] as the spirit of all mankind . . . foreshadow[ing] his life as a holy man” (DeMallie). This was a daunting responsibility, especially for a young boy. Although confused about its meaning for years, an avenue did exist within his culture for Black Elk to act upon this compelling vision. The six directions of Black Elks’ vision are not arbitrary, but represent an organizing principle of space and time. Author and Professor Lee Irwin observes that “each direction enfolds a variable complex of qualities and power emphasizing color, particular beings (plant or animal), and geographical landmarks.” Black Elk’s vision was rich in important cultural symbols. For the Lakota, these could be varied for each seeker. The dimension of time is also flexible and not measurable in linear fashion. Mimicking the qualities of a dream, everyday boundaries between time and space become fluid. Irwin asserts that “the dream space is centered on the perceptions of the dreamer as actor,” thus giving it a flexible venue. These organizing principles provide a framework for a seemingly abstract process. In her book Carl Jung: Wounded Healer of the Soul by Claire Dunne, Jung states that more significant dreams are distinguishable by their “plastic form, which often has a poetic force and beauty.” This is certainly the case regarding the vision of Black Elk. Jung asserts that these type of dreams tend to occur “during the critical phases of life, in early youth, puberty, at the onset of middle age, and within sight of death.” Black Elk’s dreams came to him during youth, and he was anxious to share them in old age. Jung also states that the individual does not have enough knowledge to contribute to the interpretation of such a large dream. These dreams transcend the personal and are concerned with “general ideas.” While Black Elk was unable to enact his vision without the assistance of his community, his vision did transcend the personal. The symbolism used reflected images from the Lakota world, acting as a guide and source of inspiration for Black Elk throughout his life. To read his entire vision: http://www.welcomehome.org/rainbow/prophecy/BlackElk.html]]> tag:blogs.qc.cuny.edu,2007:/blogs/dreams/kbain//225.2271 2007-04-21T21:17:23Z 2007-05-08T15:53:32Z

Black Elk was only five years old when he began to hear voices. This special ability to see past reality was considered special within the Lakota community. Professor Donald Fixico, an American Indian Professor, cites Black Elks’ “gifted powers...

Sonomas Black Elk was only five years old when he began to hear voices. This special ability to see past reality was considered special within the Lakota community. Professor Donald Fixico, an American Indian Professor, cites Black Elks’ “gifted powers to see things connected with the metaphysical world made him valuable to his people as a mediator between the two realities of the physical and metaphysical.” From a cultural worldview that encompasses everything within the realm of possibility, healers were expected to traverse this divide and were singled out to perform this service for the community. This ability to “see” encompasses the “acceptance of fact that a relationship exists between a tangible item like a mountain and a dream.” Part of the traditional way of this ability to see according to the nonlinear, circular way is to view “things from a perspective emphasizing that circles and cycles are central to the world and that all things are related within the universe. This point of view is a different perspective from that of the American mainstream, based on the Western mind believing in empirical evidence.” In order to comprehend the vision of Black Elk and other visionaries, one must adjust to another way of thinking and looking at the world. The ability to perceive past the basic world of human contact into the metaphysical world is indigenous to Lakota culture. Fixico asserts that “it is a perspective that involves human beings, animals, plants, the natural environment, and the metaphysical world of visions and dreams.” This all-encompassing view considers everything from a holistic viewpoint. The ability to see visions and dreams is a reflection of this way of thinking, and “for Indian people who are close to their traditional way of life, “thinking” is seeing visions and dreams in a visual reality, unlike seeing things in a linear manner.” But this ability could not operate in a vacuum. It relied upon community support. ]]> tag:blogs.qc.cuny.edu,2007:/blogs/dreams/kbain//225.2272 2007-04-20T21:21:07Z 2007-05-07T21:42:02Z

Enlisting the aid of a medicine man to facilitate a vision was imperative. After witnessing his distress, the parents of Black Elk called upon the aid of Black Road. According to DeMallie and Parks, “these holy men and women...

Sonomas Enlisting the aid of a medicine man to facilitate a vision was imperative. After witnessing his distress, the parents of Black Elk called upon the aid of Black Road. According to DeMallie and Parks, “these holy men and women were religious specialists who gained their knowledge through direct contact with the wakan beings in dreams or visions, and they became themselves conduits through which this wakan power flowed.” Wakan power represented the unknowable. The holy men functioned as the conduit for the unknowable facets of the universe, and provided much needed guidance. In her book on the vision quest, Kathleen Dugan asserts that “it was only when he submitted it to the elders of the tribe that he became aware of its implications.” Black Road told the youth it was time to perform the “vision for your people upon earth” (Neihardt). This action facilitated the movement from the personal to the public realm. The vision was supported by communal organizing principles. Black Elk was encouraged by the holy man to perform the ceremonial horse dance (Neihardt). It was believed that the power of the vision could inflict harm if not dealt with through the proper rituals. He must first perform the vision quest, an imperative part of Lakota life where anyone was free to seek a vision. The holy man enlisted reminds the seeker that “he stands powerless and small before the Great Mystery” which shows humility, a very important characteristic for the dreamer (Dugan). Then the “lamenter” must undergo inipi – a purification ritual performed at the sweat lodge (Dugan). Black Elk’s participation in a vision quest served to clarify his unsolicited vision. Recovering a vision from the Great Spirit “bore with it the assurance of support and power” (Dugan). These rituals provided an essential framework, giving his vision a mode of expression. These rituals ensured that the seeker would be open to the voice of the sacred. Black Elk prepared himself in the ritual way, not eating and purifying himself in the sweat lodge, “which both cleansed a person’s body and spirit and prepared him to participate in other rituals” (DeMallie & Parks). He taught the medicine men the songs of his visions while outside, there was “low thunder rumbling." They “knew the thunder beings were glad and had come to help us” (Neihardt). The successful completion of a ritual dance fostered the healing of the sick. The dance infused the lagging spirits of the people, a visible and positive result of his vision. Black Elk felt that “everything seemed good and beautiful now, and kind” after this release (Neihardt). The participation of medicine men, elders and the community all vindicated his vision, relieving Black Elk of his worrisome indecision. He became a person of stature in the ways of knowledge, while ever remaining humble. ]]> tag:blogs.qc.cuny.edu,2007:/blogs/dreams/kbain//225.2274 2007-04-19T21:37:17Z 2007-05-08T23:04:08Z

Black Elk (left) and Yellow Hand with the Buffalo Bill Show. Black Elk was born in December 1863 during a tumultuous period of history for the American Indian. As a child, the traditional way of life still existed, but...

Sonomas

Black Elk (left) and Yellow Hand with the Buffalo Bill Show. Black Elk was born in December 1863 during a tumultuous period of history for the American Indian. As a child, the traditional way of life still existed, but encroaching soldiers and settlers were changing the landscape. Born during the assimilation period (after the Civil War until 1934), the sacred Black Hills had begun being mined for gold. Present during the Battle of the Little Big Horn, Black Elk also traveled from 1886 to 1889 with the Buffalo Bill show. He traveled across America and Europe where he met the Queen of England. Upon his return home, he began to practice the medicine given to him through his vision. The Jesuits soon prohibited the old dances, calling them the devil’s work. He soon converted to Catholicism, taking the name Nicholas. Pressed into service as a missionary, he traveled to other tribes for conversion. There is much speculation about why he decided to share his vision, which was seen as a return to the old ways, and whether or not he had renounced them. The Jesuits were deeply offended by Black Elk Speaks and The Sacred Pipe in which Black Elk relayed more of the traditional Lakota ways to John Epes Brown. When Neihardt asked why he had put aside the traditional ways, Black Elk replied that “my children had to live in this world” (DeMallie). It is important to remember that Black Elk was also a “warrior as well, his role as a healer and director of ceremonies being inseparable in the old Lakota culture from his role as a warrior” (Rice). As a man, he was expected to fulfill certain communal roles. The protection of his people and family was paramount. Rice argues that even if Black Elk made the complete conversion to Catholicism, it was for survival purposes. He cites the text of The Sixth Grandfather as imbuing Black Elk with his proper status as a man with a sense of humor and dignity. ]]> tag:blogs.qc.cuny.edu,2007:/blogs/dreams/kbain//225.2277 2007-04-18T21:55:53Z 2007-05-07T22:21:50Z

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...

Sonomas 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/ ]]> tag:blogs.qc.cuny.edu,2007:/blogs/dreams/kbain//225.2278 2007-04-17T22:06:19Z 2007-05-07T23:46:35Z

Recommended Reading Brown, Joseph Epes. The Sacred Pipe. DeMallie, Raymond. The Sixth Grandfather. DeMallie & Parks. Sioux Indian Religion “Dreams.” Encyclopedia of North American Indians Dugan, Kathleen Margaret. The Vision Quest of the Plains Indians Dunne, Claire. Carl Jung: Wounded...

Sonomas Recommended Reading Brown, Joseph Epes. The Sacred Pipe. DeMallie, Raymond. The Sixth Grandfather. DeMallie & Parks. Sioux Indian Religion “Dreams.” Encyclopedia of North American Indians Dugan, Kathleen Margaret. The Vision Quest of the Plains Indians Dunne, Claire. Carl Jung: Wounded Healer of the Soul Fixico, Donald L. The American Indian Mind in a Linear World Hartmann, Ernest. Dreams and Nightmares Irwin, Lee. The Dream Seekers Jung, Carl. Dreams Kehoe, Alice. The Ghost Dance Martinez, David. “The Soul of the Indian.” Wicazo Sa Review Neihardt, John G. Black Elk Speaks Rice, Julian. Black Elk’s Story Photo Credits Black Elk: Photo by John Epes Brown at Manderson, South Dakota, 1947. Black Elk and John Neihardt: http://www.umsystem.edu/whmc/neihardt/blackelk.html Black Elk in prayer: Photo by John G. Neihardt. Eagle: www.fws.gov/endangered/i/i/Bald-Eagle.gif Black Elk and Elk during Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, part of photo collection of James Mooney. Eagle bonnet Photo Credit : Werner Forman / Art Resource, NY ]]> tag:blogs.qc.cuny.edu,2007:/blogs/dreams/kbain//225.2500 2007-03-07T22:29:10Z 2007-05-08T15:59:03Z

I am a proud member of both the Honors English graduating class of 2007, and of the ACE program. A "non-traditional" student, I have been attending Queens College for the past seven years in pursuit of my degree. After...

Sonomas I am a proud member of both the Honors English graduating class of 2007, and of the ACE program. A "non-traditional" student, I have been attending Queens College for the past seven years in pursuit of my degree. After graduation, I have no intention of doing much of anything (besides working unfortunately), and taking many trips to the beach over the summer. During the fall, I will begin to consider the pursuit of a graduate degree. ]]>