Black Elk Lives: Conversations with the Black Elk Family - Softcover

Black Elk DeSersa, Esther

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0803262078 ISBN 13: 9780803262072

Publisher: Bison Books, 2003

Synopsis

The story and teachings of Nicholas Black Elk (1863–1950), first recorded by John G. Neihardt in Black Elk Speaks, have played a critical role in shaping the way in which Native Americans and others view the past, present, and future of Native America. These conversations with the descendents of Black Elk offer an intimate look at life on the Pine Ridge Reservation and fresh perspectives on the religious, economic, and political opportunities and challenges facing the Lakota people today. In addition to revealing more about Black Elk the healer, the family also provides glimpses of Black Elk as a family man, teacher, and influential ancestor.

About this title

About the Author:

Esther Black Elk DeSersa and Olivia Black Elk Pourier are the granddaughters of Nicholas Black Elk. Aaron DeSersa Jr. and Clifton DeSersa are the great-grandsons of Black Elk. Hilda Neihardt is the daughter of John G. Neihardt and chairman of the board of the John G. Neihardt Foundation. She is the author of Black Elk and Flaming Rainbow (Nebraska 1995). Lori Utecht is a former executive director of the John G. Neihardt State Historic Site. Charles Trimble is the current executive director of the site and president of the John G. Neihardt Foundation.

From Booklist:

This book serves two purposes, both reflected in the ambiguous title. It is an eloquent description of the lives of the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the Lakota holy man responsible for Black Elk Speaks, a classic of anthropology and religious studies. We learn how these descendants live and how their famous ancestor still shapes their worldviews. The title also reminds us that their famous forebear still lives, in the legacy of his book and through his descendants. Compelling interviews of the Black Elk family, edited by Hilda Neihardt, daughter of Black Elk's editor, make up the book's contents and demonstrate Black Elk's continuing relevance. The tension between Christianity and the Lakota religion remains intense for some in the family, while others seek to reconcile the two traditions. Black Elk struggled 70 years ago with the same questions his descendants ponder, trying to inhabit the white man's world and religion without abandoning Lakota tradition. Although not the peer of its famous predecessor, this fascinating and powerful document offers myriad insights into Lakota religion and life. John Green
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About this edition

• Publisher: Bison Books
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0803262078
• ISBN 13: 9780803262072
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 174
• Editor: Nieihardt Hilda