Black Elk Speaks: Vision, Catalyst, and Source of Controversy

1
Black Elk Speaks Vision, Catalyst, and Source of
Controversy

• Arts One First Nations
• Lecture
• October, 2007

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Key Elements of Black Elks vision

• Two men call to Black Elk that his grandfathers
  would like to see him
• Bay horse introduces the horses of the 4
  directions 12 black (west) 12 white (north) 12
  sorrel (east) 12 buckskin (south)
• Sacred objects
• The wooden cup of water (power to make live)
• The bow arrow (power to destroy)
• Four rayed herb peace pipe
• Sacred stick nations hoop the wing of the
  white giant
• Horse Dance later enacts this vision he sees
  again

3
Prophetic/Psychic Powers

• At Soldiers Town (p. 39,41)
• At Rapid Creek (p. 59)
• At Greasy Grass (p. 81,84)
• At All-Gone-Tree Creek (p. 119)

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Crazy Horse

• The concrete world is a shadow for the spirit
  world (p. 65)
• Everything we see experience is a shadow of the
  invisible realm (Atleo, 2004)
• Crazy Horse could travel between the two worlds
  at will owing to his spiritual powers
• A complex portrait through historical detail and
  personal remembrance

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The 3 Controversies

• Authorship Is this Black Elk or Neihardt
  speaking?
• Catholic Influence How Lakota is Black Elks
  vision?
• Modern Popularity New Age Philosophy text or a
  spark to Native Revitalization?

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Authorship and Representation

• Neihardt a romantic poet not an ethnographer
• Left out elements told by Black Elk/added others
• Changes portions to suit his artistic purpose
  e.g. ending
• Cultural illiteracy and misinterpretation
• Romanticized/Stereotypical portrayal
• Myth of Progress reinforced

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Active Editing at work

• When speaking of his time in England, Black Elk
  says I felt that my people were just all
  together lost, because I was a long way from
  home
• BecomesI was like a man who had never had a
  vision. I felt dead and my people seemed lost and
  I thought I might never find them again.
• At the end, Black Elk said At the time I could
  see that the hoop was broken and all scattered
  out and I thought I am going to try my best to
  get my people back into the hoop againit was up
  to me to scheme a certain way for myself to
  prosper for the people. If I prosper, my people
  would also prosper.
• Becomesyou see me now a pitiful old man who has
  done nothing, for the nations hoop is scattered.
  There is no center any longer, and the sacred
  tree is dead.

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Was there Collaboration in that house?

• Black Elks desire and goal for telling his story
  and vision
• Krupat s (1981) idea of autobiography as a
  frontier where 2 cultures meet
• Length of time they worked together
• Black Elk later collaborates with Eppes Brown

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Catholic Influence

• Black Elks conversion lengthy service for the
  Jesuits
• Catholic images often cited in his visions
• Syncretistic movements and adaptation common for
  Lakota
• Jesuit Fulfillment Theology stressed continuity
  with tradition
• Two Roads similar to Lacombes Ladder
• Parallels with Book of Revelation

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Or Medicine Man faithful to His Vision

• Conversion only one of 4 possibilities
• Traditional but converted for advantage
• Rejected tradition full conversion
• Accepted both as separate
• Integrated both
• Continued service to his people
• Maintaining Agency and transformed Christianity
• Details of the book revealing Lakota worldview
  and spirituality

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New Age or Red Road?

• Soaring readership since republished in 1970s
  (1932 edition sold few copies, producing no
  royalties)
• 1 bestseller concerning aboriginal people
• Often on university reading lists for courses in
  a myriad of disciplines
• Cited as giving spiritual support to the
  ecological/environmental movements
• Basis for self-actualization workshops
  spiritual journeys
• Deloria (1979) notion as great theological text
  and religious classic

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Role in Revitalization

• Resurgence of the Sun Dance Sweat Lodge since
  its publication
• Role as catalyst for Red Power movements in the
  1970s
• Image of the Red Road now common for those
  embracing tradition
• Often a step toward examination of own traditions
• Spark to aboriginal writers after 1960s
  (Warrior, 1997)
• Documented Lakota history and personalities

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A Complex Story of a Great Book

• May never know the truth as not even Black Elks
  relatives agree
• Highly politicized
• Perhaps both mens goals were fulfilled (in
  different times?)
• You will have to make up your mind
• Remember identity is fashioned in a public sphere