Black Elk Speaks Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux

Named one of the ten best spiritual books of the twentieth century by Philip Zaleski of HarperSanFrancisco,Black Elk Speaksis the acclaimed story of Lakota visionary and healer Nicholas Black Elk (18631950) and his people during the momentous, twilight years of the nineteenth century. Black Elk grew up in a time when white settlers were invading the Lakotas' homeland, decimating buffalo herds and threatening to extinguish the Lakotas' way of life. Black Elk and other Lakotas fought back, a dogged resistance that resulted in a remarkable victory at the Little Bighorn and an unspeakable tragedy at Wounded Knee. Beautifully told by the celebrated poet and writer John G. Neihardt,Black Elk Speaksoffers much more than a life story. Black Elk's profound and arresting religious visions of the unity of humanity and the world around him have transformed his account into a venerated spiritual classic. Whether appreciated as a collaborative autobiography, a history of a Native American nation, or an enduring spiritual testament for all humankind,Black Elk Speaksis unforgettable. This special edition features all three prefaces toBlack Elk Speaksthat John G. Neihardt wrote at different points in his life, a map of Black Elk's world, a reset text, a listing of Lakota words newly translated and reproduced using the latest orthographic standards, and color paintings by Lakota artist Standing Bear that have not been widely available for decades.Neihardt, John G. is the author of 'Black Elk Speaks Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux', published 2000 under ISBN 9780803213098 and ISBN 0803213093.