Black Elk Speaks: The Definitive Edition - The Complete Narrative of the Life of Oglala Sioux Warrior Black Elk

AsaRuth: A rare perspective, well written/dictated. I first read this book on recommendation of a high school teacher. 20 years later I decided it was a necessary addition to my library.

United States on Feb 18, 2024

Amazon Customer: I find it beautiful in telling

United States on Dec 25, 2023

Br. Bill: We live in days that most spirituality has been lost by our busyiness and American, western ways of life or oppression. God or "The Great Spirit" raised up Black Elk to help his people in a very trying time in their history and those times really are still here for the Natives and all peoples of the world. This book is for both Natives and westerners because it shows the reality of the supernatural and the kingdom of God that Jesus demonstrated in the bible, its the same thing that Black Elk is talking about here but with different symbolism and a different culture. The old Native way was about honoring, praying to, following, believing and living out life in the spirit to a higher being (God or the Great Spirit). If westerners and the Natives worked together they both would find what they are looking for. If westerners would drop their traditions and seek Jesus in the fashion that the old Native way knew (some still do) which this book displays all could find life around the tree of life (The Great Spirit or God) and all would be united and at peace, this was Black Elk's goal and should everyones goal. Black Elk shows that to be in touch with the creator and to make a difference...

United States on Nov 02, 2022

Chewbdu: The book centers around instances in Black Elks life that refer back to his vision he had when he was 9 years old. It is from his point of view of the events that transpired between the government and the Indians when they were being robbed of their land. It tells of the Indian tragedy of constant relocation, starvation, murder, lies and more lies. Many of the stories tie back to stories of events I’ve read about in other books, only in greater detail. The narrative is as it was told by Black Elk to the author, with the author adding pieces of his own narrative.

United States on Sep 22, 2021

L. G. Cullens: <i>Black Elk Speaks: The Complete Edition</i> by John G. Neihardt

<i>Black Elk Speaks</i> is arguably the single most widely read book in the literature relating to North American Native history. To better understand ourselves, it is a book that everyone with a modicum of conscience should read. It is also a treasure trove for research.

I'm at the point in life where there is little else to linger for save yesterday. This book took me there in spades.

"It is the story of all life that is holy and is good to tell, and of us two-leggeds sharing in it with the four-leggeds and the wings of the air and all green things; for these are children of one mother and their father is one Spirit." ~ Black Elk

This is a story from the perspective of indigenous beliefs, born of how they perceived the natural world they had an intimate relationship with. A people with deep respect for the unknowable, that knew well the brightness and darkness inherent in the psyche of all life forms, and that understood the connectedness of all life. That in sharp contrast to so-called civilized peoples that plunder our little blue canoe, blindly driving nails...

United States on Oct 25, 2020

little owl: good service, accurate information, happy me

Australia on Aug 22, 2020

maya: on en apprend a toutes les pages, fabuleux

France on Nov 23, 2019

Maria de Lourdes Martino de Azevedo: Ha muitos anos queria ler esse livro e minha expectativa foi correspondida.
Excelente para quem gosta de histórias sobre os povos nativos americanos

Brazil on Jan 09, 2018

Evelyn: I read it 20 years ago. I read it again today.
Interesting that in my older (wiser?) days, this book continues to resonate - and each time it manifests wisdom in new and fresh ways.
To All My Ancestors - All Of Us . . .

Canada on Mar 26, 2016

Ralph: Yes I enjoyed this read, one has to remember when reading that this is the experience of on particular brave man's great vision and how he lived his life in the pursuit of the vision given to him. Always attempting to follow this for the benefit of his people, the Lakota, giving himself over to the vision when the time came, no matter the outcome for him personally. People on the outside reading this book should take into account that the Americas are vast continents and the Spirit ways of the Lakota are not necessarily the ways of other people in these lands. One thing that is held in common is a deep reverence for the elders and a core understanding of humanities inseparable part of life.
The ways of our modern 'civilised' society where incomprehensible, even mad, to young Black Elk, just as they were/are to Native peoples the world over. What we can take firstly from this book is respect for Black Elk, sympathy or empathy for the first nations, an elder people who have been and in many ways still are abused. What we can do also is to reflect upon these writings and say, is there any way in which I can restore some of the innocence lost, how is this relevant to my...

United Kingdom on Mar 23, 2016