Black Elk Speaks is by John G. Neihardt. The classic biography of an Oglala Lakota holy man, who was related to Crazy Horse and survived the massacre at Wounded Knee. Neihardt, a poet, was seeking an interview with Native Americans who remembered the Messianic Movement of the late 1800s in order to complete his epic poem about the settling of the West. When he is introduced to Black Elk, the elderly man offers to tell him of a vision he had when he was nine that changed his life. The result is a beautifully written story of one man's vision, and a nation's destruction of its indigenous tribes. The text is lyrical and poignant. This is a must read classic for anyone interested in Native American history.
Ratings: 10th grade - 9 out of 10.
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