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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
Black Elk had a lot of visions and spoke in an old-timey Indian way. He was around when the whites were grabbing up the black hills. It's of course kind of sad. There were some interesting bits about his buddy trying to kidnap or force-kiss his future wife and boiling and eating dogs. Also some scalping and chopping up of dudes. I thought the bit about he and his buds going to England and getting lost would make for a good movie. And interesting bunch of tangents from an interesting old-timey Indian dude. That's about it.
I love this book, but if you are going to read it for goodness' sake please read an annotated version so you know which bits are actually Black Elk speaking and which are Neihardt's surely well-meaning but occasionally utterly made-up embellishments.
Hard to rate this, honestly.
To be sure, it's an invaluable piece of oral Native and American history--part disjointed memoir, part eye-witness testimony. But it only covers events up into Black Elk's late 20's... and leaves off with him sounding like a despairing, beaten old man. (Which gives a very inadequate picture of the fascinating man he became.)
The other hesitation I have with this work only occurred after I learned of the controversy behind the author (Neihardt's) approach. There's reason to believe he may have embellished parts of this--particularly aspects of the hallucinatory dream/vision Black Elk had as a child that set him on his path as a healer. (I understand accuracy sometimes succumbed to style in that era, but it doesn't sit well with me.)
To be sure, it's an invaluable piece of oral Native and American history--part disjointed memoir, part eye-witness testimony. But it only covers events up into Black Elk's late 20's... and leaves off with him sounding like a despairing, beaten old man. (Which gives a very inadequate picture of the fascinating man he became.)
The other hesitation I have with this work only occurred after I learned of the controversy behind the author (Neihardt's) approach. There's reason to believe he may have embellished parts of this--particularly aspects of the hallucinatory dream/vision Black Elk had as a child that set him on his path as a healer. (I understand accuracy sometimes succumbed to style in that era, but it doesn't sit well with me.)
This is a very powerful story, one that will linger in my thoughts for some time.
Sad, but true. I can only imagine a world where the Ghost Dance succeeded.
This is one of the most hauntingly beautiful things I have ever read.
This book is an interesting look into the spiritual world of Black Elk, as well as a look at the history that occurred for the Lakota people during the latter half of the 19th Century. While this may offer a spiritual look, it's more one man's spiritual experiences which can give us some insight into the world of Lakota traditional Spirituality.
A great book!
A great book!
Heartbreaking story. "In sorrow I am sending a feeble voice, O Six Powers of the World. Hear me in my sorrow, for I may never call again. O make my people live!"
A beautiful and lyric capture of oral history, and a heroic and tragic "other" perspective on the impact of American expansion.
I got this book when I was a teen and it sat on my bookshelves and has moved from house to house with me over the years. I got it as birthday gift from my father. He told me to read it as it would give great insight to him. I'm not sure if that is true, but I do think I decided to read this at the right time in my life. It is a very well written recording of a time that is often glorified or not really known about.
The melding of two spirits into one and relaying a wonderful first hand account of the late 1800s. It is a very strong and emotional piece that explains a lot about the natives of North America. Providing a rich insight into the inner communities, religion, and society of the native people. I wish we had to read this in history class, then again, I may not have gotten the full message.
I highly recommend that if you haven't not read this book that you do and really ponder it. It is an age old tale and is applicable to just about anytime in history.
The melding of two spirits into one and relaying a wonderful first hand account of the late 1800s. It is a very strong and emotional piece that explains a lot about the natives of North America. Providing a rich insight into the inner communities, religion, and society of the native people. I wish we had to read this in history class, then again, I may not have gotten the full message.
I highly recommend that if you haven't not read this book that you do and really ponder it. It is an age old tale and is applicable to just about anytime in history.