PRESENTATION
Nicholas William Black Elk
Medicine Man
Missionary
Mystic
Wanderer between two worlds
Presented by Thomas Brack
C O N T E N T S
Goal
Chronology
Little Big Horn
With Buffalo Bill in Europe
Ghost Dance/ Wounded Knee
Conversion: Catholic Catechist among Indian People
Encounter with John G. Neihardt :«Black Elk speaks»
Personal conclusions/ Questions
GOALS
Question:
What could an Indian Holy
Man bring to convert to
Christianity, especially the
catholic belief?
SIOUX SPIRITUALITY
«The 6 grandfathers»
«Sacred Pipe»
«Wakan Tanka»
Map of two roads:
Black: (Trouble)
From East to West
Red: (Salvation)
From North to South
«Sprouting Stick»
CHRONOLOGY
ca. 1865 Born as an Oglala Sioux in the Great Plains /1st vision
1876 Little Big Horn
1886 Tours with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show in Europe/ 2nd vision
1890 Wounded Knee
1904 December 6: Baptized «Nicholas William Black Elk»/3rd vision
1931 John G. Neihardt’s visit with Black Elk: «Black Elk speaks»
1950 Death of Nicholas Black Elk, August 17
LITTLE BIG HORN
1876 «Greasy Grass»
Little Bighorn
Famous Indian chieftains:
Crazy Horse, Red Cloud,
Sitting Bull
«Wasichus»: «Pahuska»
«Long Hair» General Custer,
Former Gettysburgh Hero:
«Custers Last Stand»
IN EUROPE
Colonel
William F. Cody
better known as
«Buffalo Bill»
Black Elk’s
journey to Europe
2nd vision
WOUNDED KNEE
Sioux at the Pine Ridge Reservation
«Ghost Dance»
1890 Butchering at «Wounded Knee»
«Why did it come to it?»
Consequences?
CONVERSION
«Black Robes»:
Jesuits’ Holy Rosary Mission
among the Sioux people
Encounter with Father Joseph Lindebner
Conversion, 3rd vision
Working as a Catechist
among his people for nearly
half a century
JOHN G. NEIHARDT
German Descendant
Poet from Nebraska
«Homer» of the Great Plains
Encounter with Black Elk 1931
Author of «Black Elk speaks»
PERSONAL CONCLUSIONS
Why could this personality mesmermize me?
Was it the fact, that Indian and Catholic Spirituality met
each other in this outstanding person?
How come, that the Indian God «Wokan Tonka» (Manitou)
and the Christian God could live in the same heart?
How can one explain the credibility of such a man in his
either Indian or Christian surrounding?
SAVE MOTHER EARTH
ANY QUESTIONS
?
THE END
Thanks a lot
for your attention