Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

Black Elk's Vision

A Lakota Story

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
Black Elk's Vision is a stunning picture book biography of the celebrated Lakota-Oglala medicine man from award-winning author and illustrator S. D. Nelson.

Black Elk (1863–1950) was a Lakota-Oglala medicine man and a cousin of Crazy Horse. This biographical account follows him from childhood through adulthood, recounting the visions he had as a young boy and describing his involvement in the battles of Little Big Horn and Wounded Knee, as well as his journeys to New York City and Europe with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.

Award-winning author and member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe S. D. Nelson tells the story of Black Elk through the voice of the medicine man, bringing to life what it was like to be Native American from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century. The Native people found their land overrun by the wasichus (White Man), the buffalo slaughtered for sport, and their people gathered onto reservations.

Interspersing archival images with his own artwork, inspired by the ledger-art drawings of the 19th-century Lakota, Nelson conveys how Black Elk clung to his childhood vision, which planted the seeds to help his people—and all people—understand their place in the Circle of Life. Backmatter includes a Lakota description of the Circle of Life, a brief history of the Lakota and a timeline.
  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

    Kindle restrictions
  • Languages

  • Levels

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      February 15, 2010
      Nelson (Coyote Christmas
      ) returns with his highly stylized paintings and trademark primary-colored horses in this tale about Black Elk, a Sioux medicine man at the turn of the 19th century. The author, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, imagines Black Elk's first-person account of Native American life as the Wha-shi-choos (white people) bring trains and forts to the Great Plains and slaughter buffalo by the thousands (“They made lines on our land with their wagon roads and their iron rails”). Anchoring the story are spreads detailing Black Elk's vision when he was nine. In it, “the Powers of the World” teach that each person “must choose to walk with the water of life or the weapon of destruction.” The illustrations' naïve, flat style mutes some of the more graphic events (speared and bloodied fighters and horses are seen at the Battle of the Little Bighorn). Archival photos round out this poignant history lesson, and author notes contextualize the meaning of Black Elk's vision within Native philosophy. A time line of European exploration and western settlement and select Indian War conflicts is included. Ages 8–12.

    • School Library Journal

      Starred review from April 1, 2010
      Gr 3-6-Born in 1863, Black Elk, an Oglala-Lakota medicine man, was warned from an early age to beware the "Wha-shi-choo," or white people, and for good reason. By the time he was 16, his people had been attacked on their lands, fought at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, and been confined to grim reservations, their way of life forever changed. Told in a first-person narrative, this handsome biography is adorned with vibrant acrylic paintings that depict the mystical images (spirit voices and visions) that Black Elk first experienced as a child. A fever vision at age nine, in which he met with the six grandfathers, the ancestral beings, proved to be a pivotal experience for him. As a teenager, he ultimately led a Horse Dance ceremony in which he brought a message of hope and instruction to his people. In addition to his respected tribal status, his involvement in many landmark events, from his travels with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show to being injured at the Wounded Knee massacre, makes him a unique historical figure. Aptly chosen photographs (some of which are graphic images of buffalo carcasses and a scene of a mass grave at Wounded Knee) provide accurate historical perspective. An author's note on understanding his Great Vision and background information on the book are included. This is an important contribution to Native biography."Madeline J. Bryant, Los Angeles Public Library"

      Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Booklist

      Starred review from March 15, 2010
      Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* This handsomely designed, large-format book tells the story of Black Elk (18631950), a Lakota man who saw many changes come to his people. In this first-person, present-tense account, Black Elk says that as a nine-year-old boy, he is blessed with a Great Vision. At 12, he fights in the Battle of Little Bighorn. After traveling in Europe with Buffalo Bills Wild West show and, later, experiencing the massacre at Wounded Knee, he retreats to a reservation, where he holds his vision in his heart and offers it to others. Often quoting from Black Elk Speaks (1932), Nelson makes vivid the painful ways life changed for the Lakota in the 1800s, and throughout he questions how Black Elks vision, which explains that humans must realize they are living in a circle of supportive life, juxtaposes against harsh reality. It is a question readers will ponder as well. Colorful, imaginative artwork, created using pencils and acrylic paints, is interspersed with nineteenth-century photos, underscoring that this dramatic account reflects the experiences of a man who witnessed history. Back matter includes an extensive authors note, a detailed time line, source notes, and a source bibliography. A helpful, attractive map on the endpapers frames this unusual presentation.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)

    • The Horn Book

      July 1, 2010
      Lakota Black Elk fought in the 1876 Battle of the Little Big Horn at twelve years old, was shot at Wounded Knee, and performed in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Using archival material, Sioux author-artist Nelson offers a first-person account of Black Elk's life. Captioned black-and-white photographs and extensive notes provide historical context and critique the exploitation of Native American tribes. Timeline. Bib., ind.

      (Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • PDF ebook
Kindle restrictions

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:5
  • Lexile® Measure:770
  • Interest Level:4-8(MG)
  • Text Difficulty:3-4

Loading