
Black Elk Speaks

The scouts smoked, meaning that they would tell the truth.
John G. Neihardt • Black Elk Speaks
It is the story of all life that is holy and is good to tell, and of us two-leggeds sharing in it with the four-leggeds and the wings of the air and all green things; for these are children of one mother and their father is one Spirit.
John G. Neihardt • Black Elk Speaks
Reflection is the most difficult of all our activities because we are no longer able to establish relative priorities from the multitude of sensations that engulf us.
John G. Neihardt • Black Elk Speaks
I could see that the Wasichus did not care for each other the way our people did before the nation’s hoop was broken. They would take everything from each other if they could, and so there were some who had more of everything than they could use, while crowds of people had nothing at all and maybe were starving. They had forgotten that the earth
... See moreJohn G. Neihardt • Black Elk Speaks
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.
John G. Neihardt • Black Elk Speaks
Crazy Horse dreamed and went into the world where there is nothing but the spirits of all things. That is the real world that is behind this one, and everything we see here is something like a shadow from that world.