Black Elk Speaks

Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux, The Premier Edition

De: John G. Neihardt

Narrado por: Robin Neihardt

The famous life story of the Lakota healer and visionary, Nicholas Black Elk.

Widely hailed as a spiritual classic, this inspirational and unfailingly powerful story reveals the life and visions of the Lakota healer Nicholas Black Elk (1863–1950) and the tragic history of his Sioux people during the epic closing decades of the Old West. In 1930, the aging Black Elk met a kindred spirit, the famed poet, writer, and critic John G. Neihardt (1881–1973) on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. The Lakota elder chose Neihardt to share his visions and life with the world. Neihardt understood and today Black Elk is known to all.

Black Elk’s remarkable great vision came to him during a time of decimation and loss, when outsiders were stealing the Lakotas’ land, slaughtering buffalo, and threatening their age-old way of life. As Black Elk remembers all too well, the Lakotas, led by such legendary men as Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, fought unceasingly for their freedom, winning a world-renowned victory at the Little Bighorn and suffering unspeakable losses at Wounded Knee.

Black Elk Speaks however is more than the epic history of a valiant Native nation. It is beloved as a spiritual classic because of John Neihardt’s sensitivity to Black Elk’s resounding vision of the wholeness of earth, her creatures, and all of humanity. Black Elk Speaks is a once-in-a-lifetime read: the moving story of a young Lakota boy before the reservation years, the unforgettable history of an American Indian nation, and an enduring spiritual message for us all.

The premier edition features the first-ever annotated edition of Black Elk’s story, done by renowned Lakota scholar Raymond J. DeMallie, the original Standing Bear illustrations and new commentary on them, new maps of the world of Black Elk Speaks, and a revised index.

©2008 The John G. Neihardt Trust (P)2014 Skyyrim Studios

Black Elk Melancholy

After listening to a history podcast about Crazy Horse. I wanted a deeper understanding of the Lakota.

Black Elk Speaks is a rich story of pain and sorrow. Through Black Elk's eyes you see the misery the Lakota's suffer. Much of the story is Black Elk's spiritual journey. Black Elk shares his spiritual visions with his audience. He talks of the good he does as result of his vision. He speaks modestly and honestly about losing his way, how hard it is to follow a single vision an entire lifetime. It seems losing his way troubled him a lot.

Black Elk thought his vision was about bringing his people together in happiness. Perhaps this book is a part of fulfilling his vision.

A haunting story

To hear the words of Black Elk is so moving and sad indeed! May his vision yet be realized...for all.

Fascinating and very important.

This book was amazing to listen to. Learning how the native people lived and their customs and history and also their way of understanding the world was very much a wonderful thing to be able to learn about.

Amazing story

what an amazing story, what this man endured, what he had lived through and what he had seen.

A moving book showing the Lakota perspective.

A sad but wonderful book. If you want to know how things were in the eyes of the Lakota this is a must read. The audio performance made it even more enjoyable.