Native American Biographies: Black Elk: Sioux Prophet

Black Elk L and Elk

Black Elk, daughter Lucy Black Elk and wife Anna Briggs White

Black Elk when he was nine, had a vision of two people coming to Earth.  From that time on he could hear voices others could not hear.  He also had a premonition he was to do something for his people.  He spent his life trying to determine what this might be.  He continued to have visions through his life.  He traveled with Buffalo Bill's Wild West show visiting London.  He was also a witness of the events at Wounded Knee, coming late to the massacre, and charging soldiers with his horse, and rescuing the wounded.  He was grazed by a bullet during the affair.  He felt he had been given the opportunity to save his people, but had none been strong enough to do so.  In 1904 we was baptized to Catholicism.  He took the name Nicholas, and was known as Nicholas Black Elk.  In his later years he encouraged all people to be spiritual.  He didn't care if it was a Native spirituality or Christian.  He felt all people needed to have a better side.  He was a leader in the revival of the Sun Dance.  He passed away in 1950.  He had said you would know when he died because there would be events in the heavens.  And so it was.  When he died there were lights in the heavens, not just scattered but everywhere.