John G. Neihardt and Fred Contreras - Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux

This is the autobiography of Black Elk, a Lakota Indian fighting for freedom at the end of the 19th century, as told to author John G. Neihardt. While his tale glows with eyewitness accounts of historic events and Lakota Sioux customs, the heart of the book is Black Elk's soulful visions of a better future for his people and, by extension, for all humanity. He urges us to follow the "good red road" of interconnectedness and respect for all life, to honor the past without becoming mired in it, and to regard the earth as sacred. It is this emphasis on earth-centered spirituality that has made BLACK ELK SPEAKS a classic of Native American literature and the environmental movement. Minimize