Summary

"Black Elk Speaks" is the profound life story of Nicholas Black Elk, an Oglala Lakota holy man, as told through John G. Neihardt. Born in 1863, Black Elk's early years coincided with the height of the Sioux Wars, a period of immense upheaval and conflict between Native Americans and the encroaching United States government. The narrative begins with Black Elk's childhood, steeped in traditional Lakota culture, highlighting the close-knit community, reverence for nature, and the spiritual significance of their way of life. These foundational years were abruptly disrupted by the ever-present threat of the Wasichus, the white men, and their relentless push westward, forever altering the Lakota's world.

At the tender age of nine, Black Elk experienced a powerful, life-altering vision that set the course for his destiny. This Great Vision, a tapestry of vivid imagery and profound spiritual insight, revealed the interconnectedness of all life and the impending challenges facing the Lakota people. It bestowed upon him a sacred duty to protect and heal his nation, a responsibility he would grapple with throughout his life. The vision painted a stark contrast between the harmony of the Lakota way of life and the destructive forces threatening to shatter it, imbuing him with a sense of urgency and purpose.

As Black Elk matured, he witnessed the tragic erosion of Lakota society, the relentless slaughter of the bison, the broken treaties, and the confinement of his people to reservations. The narrative vividly portrays the despair and suffering that gripped the Lakota, as their traditional way of life was systematically dismantled. Black Elk's journey took him across the ocean with Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, exposing him to the vast and alien world of the Wasichus. Though he sought to understand their ways, he found their values of greed and competition deeply troubling, reinforcing his commitment to preserving his people's heritage.

The Ghost Dance movement, a spiritual revival promising the return of the old ways and the disappearance of the white man, ignited a spark of hope among the Lakota. Black Elk embraced the Ghost Dance, seeing it as a potential fulfillment of his great vision, but the dream was brutally extinguished at the Massacre of Wounded Knee in 1890. The massacre, a horrific act of violence against unarmed Lakota men, women, and children, shattered Black Elk's faith and left him grappling with a profound sense of failure. The book culminates with Black Elk's poignant lament for his broken nation, a testament to the enduring spirit of the Lakota people and the tragic consequences of cultural destruction.

Despite the despair, "Black Elk Speaks" remains a message to the reader of the importance of understanding, respect, and the preservation of cultural heritage, even and especially during the times of conflict. As Raymond J. DeMallie presents in his annotated edition, Neihardt used Black Elk's narrative as a story of the Lakotas as a people, with Black Elk as their representative and spokesman, and he took on himself the burden of speaking for and as Black Elk creating a literary Black Elk that he characterized as “a work of art with two collaborators.”

With its rich symbolism, spiritual insights, and historical context, Black Elk Speaks transcends the boundaries of a personal memoir to become a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring legacy of the Lakota people. Today it is regarded as a spiritual masterpiece of the 20th century.