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The Redemption of Black Elk
An Ancient Path to Inner Strength Following the Footprints of the Lakota Holy Man
by Linda L. Stampoulos
CCB Publishing British Columbia, Canada
The Redemption of Black Elk: An Ancient Path to Inner Strength
Following the Footprints of the Lakota Holy Man
Copyright ©2010 by Linda L. Stampoulos
ISBN-13 978-1-926585-92-5
Second Edition
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Stampoulos, Linda L., 1946-
The redemption of Black Elk [electronic resource] :
an ancient path to inner strength following the footprints of the Lakota holy man /
written by Linda L. Stampoulos – 2nd ed.
Electronic monograph in PDF format.
ISBN 978-1-926585-92-5
Also available in print format.
1. Black Elk, 1863-1950. 2. Oglala Indians--Religion. 3. Spiritual life.
I. Title.
E98.R3S75 2010 299.7 C2010-904662-5
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The cover: Pictured is Hehaka Sapa, Black Elk, a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux. Photograph courtesy of the National Park Service, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. Catalog number 17198.
Extreme care has been taken to ensure that all information presented in this book is accurate and up to date at the time of publishing. Neither the author nor the publisher can be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Additionally, neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America and the United Kingdom.
| Publisher: | CCB Publishing |
| British Columbia, Canada | |
| www.ccbpublishing.com |
Dedication
To look ahead and see what we may become, we must first look back to see how our past has enriched us. I dedicate this work to two men who lived during the same winters although several thousand miles apart. The first man is my Great-Grandfather Otto Wolf, a humble cobbler who lived in the village of Gommla in Thuringia, Germany. He dedicated his life to the care and comfort of sixteen children, the oldest of whom was my grandmother Ella. The second man is Black Elk, a Lakota holy man who shared this humility and dedicated his life to his family and his belief. The strength and conviction of these two men serve as markers of courage for me to look ahead and see what I may become.
Contents
Name your Heroes and your Demons
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I would like to thank the John G. Neihardt Trust for allowing me access to the body of work of Mr. Neihardt which was so vital for my research. I am also grateful for their permission to publish sections of the original transcriptions of Mr. Neihardt’s 1931 Interviews with Black Elk on the Pine Ridge Reservation, and the set of stenographic notes and transcriptions completed by his daughters Enid and Hilda Neihardt.
Most special acknowledgment to the teachings of Mr. Joseph Campbell, whose lifetime of dedication to the study of mythology proved invaluable to this work. As one of the world’s foremost authorities on mythology, Joseph Campbell devoted himself to bringing the mythical sense of the world and its eternal figures back into our everyday consciousness.
My sincere appreciation is given to John C. Knozal, Manuscript Specialist, of the Western Historical Manuscript Collection, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri for promptly sending me the rolls of microfilm from the John G. Neihardt Special Collection necessary for my research.
My thanks is given to Coi Drummond-Gehrig, Photo Consultant, Western History’s Collection, Denver Public Library for her prompt and excellent service.
Thanks to the National Park Service, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument for providing the cover photograph of Black Elk.
Special thanks to Kenneth Shields Jr., a Dakota Sioux from the Bad Temper Bear Band, currently living on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. He spent several years as Director of the Tribal Archives, and is a contributing author for the tribal newspaper, Wotanin Wowapi. Kenny has been a long-time friend and in addition to his assistance with cultural interpretations, has always offered needed encouragement.
I also express my appreciation to Donovin A. Sprague,
