Black Elk, Lakota Visionary The Oglala Holy Man and Sioux Tradition [Paperback]

Historian Oldmeadow (The Betrayal of Tradition) skillfully considers the legacy of Black Elk (18631950), a Lakota holy man who is best known through poet John Neihardts 1932 biography Black Elk Speaks. Oldmeadow balances contemporary research with presentations of the debate about the facts of Black Elks life and legacy, including his working relationships with non-Native collaborators who documented his words. . . . Readers interested in Black Elk will find this book an effective synthesis of the scholarship on the mystics life.Anyone familiar with Native American history and culture knows Black Elk Speaks, a key piece central to understanding American Indians; but Black Elk, Lakota Visionary takes a different approach in re-assessing Black Elks life and work, exploring his mystical visions, encounters with Catholicism, and his testament to spiritual realities as they relate to ancestral Sioux belief systems. From interpretations of Black Elk Speaks to how to study his spiritual perspective, Black Elk, Lakota Visionary would best be used as a companion to the classic, offering many viewpoints and insights key to appreciating Black Elks philosophy and spiritual wisdom.Black Elk stands out in bold relief. The dazzling clarity of his visions has incited the spiritually minded everywhere. Thank you Harry Oldmeadow for bringing us closer to the heart of Black Elk and his universal vision.There have been many books written about the Lakota holy man known to the world as Black Elk. However, none have done a more thorough job of assessing the entirety of his lifeincluding his far from na?ve engagement with Catholicismthan this extremely readable volume by Harry Oldmeadow. I recommend it to anyone interested not only in Black Elk himself but in the stubbornly enduring nature of Native American spiritual life.This is an extraordinary book. Oldmeadows groundbreaking interpretation takes Black Elk studies to a profound new level. His nuanced analysis weaves tlÓ0