Black Elk Summary

677 Words3 Pages
Black Elk’s was a member of the Sioux Nation, due in large part to his youthful visions and eventual emergence as a Sioux Medicine man with prophetic and healing powers. His remarkable experiences provide a deep insight into the Sioux connection of nature. When John Nehring, the author of Black Elk Speaks, interviews Black Elk, he is reaching the end of his life. Black Elk a lot, when he revealed the sacred details of his life story. Especially, to a white man but felt it as essential in order to protect his sacred visions and message for posterity. His visions consist of detailed symbolism and orders he received from his Six Grandfathers: North, South, East, West, Sky and Earth. These orders compose Black Elk’s life mission, a mission that he has…show more content…
Black Elk later learns he is a member of the third generation. The second generation loses their bison and suffers war, drought, disease and famine. The vision then focuses on Black Elk learning what he can do to ensure the survival of his people. Discovering the meaning of the vision and applying his knowledge to the salvation and eventual prosperity of his people becomes his lifetime. During his vision, he is given ritualistic objects and these objects used at times during the vision to defeat drought, heal the sick, and to restore his people to harmony and happiness after violent conflicts with enemies and nature. The objects were a bow, cup of water, four-colored blossoming herb, and a red blossoming stick representing the tree of life at the center of the nation hoop. These objects are used by Black Elk at times during the vision to defeat drought, heal the sick and afflicted, and to restore his people to harmony and happiness after violent conflicts with enemies and nature. Black Elk finds himself unable to put into words the meaning of much of his vision and is content to relate only portions of it to John
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