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Black Elk: Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux, 1863-1950

"Sometimes dreams are wiser than waking."

"I cured with the power that came through me. Of course, it was not I who cured, it was the power from the Outer World, the visions and the ceremonies had only made me like a hole through which the power could come to the two-leggeds."

"If I thought that I was doing it myself, the hole would close up and no power could come through. Then everything I could do would be foolish."

Earth Prayer

"Grandfather, Great Spirit, once more behold me on earth and lean to hear my feeble voice. You lived first, and you are older than all need, older than all prayer. All things belong to you -- the two-legged, the four-legged, the wings of the air,
and all green things that live.

"You have set the powers of the four quarters of the earth to cross each other. You have made me cross the good road and road of difficulties, and where they cross, the place is holy. Day in, day out, forevermore, you are the life of things."

Hey! Lean to hear my feeble voice.
At the center of the sacred hoop
You have said that I should make the tree to bloom.

With tears running, O Great Spirit, my Grandfather,
With running eyes I must say
The tree has never bloomed

Here I stand, and the tree is withered.
Again, I recall the great vision you gave me.

It may be that some little root of the sacred tree still lives.
Nourish it then
That it may leaf
And bloom
And fill with singing birds!

Hear me, that the people may once again
Find the good road
And the shielding tree.

The Sunset

Then I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and round about beneath me was the whole hoop of the world. And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being.

And I say the sacred hoop of my people was one of the many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father. And I saw that it was holy...

But anywhere is the center of the world.

A long time ago my father told me what his father had told him, that there was once a Lakota holy man, called "Drinks Water", who dreamed what was to be... He dreamed that the four-leggeds were going back to the Earth, and that a strange race would weave a web all around the Lakotas. He said, "You shall live in square gray houses, in a barren land..." Sometimes dreams are wiser than waking. (1932)

References:

Black Elk : A Man with a Vision/Carol Greene. Chicago: Children's Press, 1990.

Neihardt, John G.; Black Elk Speaks; 1989; the life story of a beloved Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux.

Turtle, Eagle Walking, story and paintings; Keepers of the Fire, Journey to the Tree of Life; 1987; based on Black Elks Vision.

Books:

Black Elk Speaks

Sacred Pipe

Black Elk: Holy Man of the Oglala

Black Elk's Story

"Hopefully, we can all quickly begin the task of mending The Sacred Hoop of Life in Black Elk's vision and begin working together to save the Earth Mother, ourselves and all things. Let us stop killing each other and the world around us.... Instead, let us become Spiritual warriors fighting our greatest enemy - ourselves...."

The American Indian is of the soil, whether it be the region of forests, plains, pueblos, or mesas. He fits into the landscape, for the hand that fashioned the continent also fashioned the man for his surroundings. He once grew as naturally as the wild sunflowers, he belongs just as the buffalo belonged....

Out of the Indian approach to life there came a great freedom, an intense and absorbing respect for life, enriching faith in a Supreme Power, and principles of truth, honesty, generosity, equity, and brotherhood as a guide to mundane relations.

You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round..... The Sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nest in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours....

Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves.

-Black Elk (Oglala) 1863-1950

I love that man!

"Great Spirit, my Grandfather, all over the earth the faces of living things are all alike... Look upon these faces of they children without number and with children in their arms, that may face the winds and walk the good road to the day of quiet."

Black Elk
Ogalala Sioux

Well, I read again Black Elk's writings and they spoke to me.

And what you added, Jody, did speak to me too.

And this time I'm going to use those text for my next visit to the pyramid at the time of the Solar eclipse as it is a pyramid is dedicated to the Sun.

Things are happening, at heart level where they need to happen.

So, this time we'll pray using words from the wisemen of native nations of this continent. I think it's proper.

THE TRUE PEACE

The first peace, which is the most important,

is that which comes within the souls of people

when they realize their relationship,

their oneness, with the universe and all its powers,

and when they realize that at the center

of the universe dwells Wakan-Taka (the Great Spirit),

and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us.

This is the real peace, and the others are but reflections of this.

The second peace is that which is made between two individuals,

and the third is that which is made between two nations.

But above all you should understand that there can never

be peace between nations until there is known that true peace,

which, as I have often said, is within the souls of men.

~ Black Elk

Jody, Jody, all I can say is that I read these words, and I am full.

Behold, a sacred voice is calling you;
All over the sky a sacred voice is calling . . .

Black Elk

Goodness. I read Black Elks books in my late twenties/early thirties, and reading your posts have brought his wisdom back into my consciousness, as well as that feeling of all those years ago of wonder and deepness. I am going to dig those books out and re-read them. What a wonderful man !!!!

The willows are set up in such a way that they mark the four
quarters of the universe.... The whole lodge is the universe in an
image, and the two-legged, four-legged and winged peoples, and all
things of the world are contained within it.... Its door is to the
east, for from this direction Wisdom comes. ~Black Elk

I can understand the two-legged and winged peoples. But the four-legged peoples ???

Good Moring Howie :)

Black Elk called animals the four legged's :)

ie: all beings equal. Two legged's (us) winged (the birds) four legged's (animals)

I am blind and do not see the things of this world;

but when the light comes from above,

it enlightens my heart and I can see,

for the Eye of my heart sees everything;

and through this vision I can help my people.

The heart is a sanctuary at the center of which there is little space,

wherein the Great Spirit dwells, and this is the Eye.

This is the Eye of the Great Spirit by which He sees all things,

and through which we see Him.

If the heart is not pure, the Great Spirit cannot be seen.

~ Black Elk

mees thinks mees gonna learn more and find dees books you spoke about...wow...huh...and I get the words "Black Elk returns" uhhh...

there's dat voice again...White Buffalo Calf Woman...

Kayyyyy...hmmm is...rather was this one of the ancients as well? I'm gonna see what I can find and hit dah net mees thinks. wow.

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