Black Elk: Holy Man of the Oglala

by Michael F. Steltenkamp

Book Overview

Alpha Sigma Nu Book Award, Association of Jesuit Colleges and UniversitiesThis biography of Black Elk is based on extensive interviews with Lucy Looks Twice, the holy man's last surviving child, as... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0806125411
• ISBN13: 9780806125411
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
• Length: 211 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

A Warrior Holyman and Leader

This book is the best book on Black Elk. It goes into the most detail about Black Elk including his religious background and his travels. It is wonderfully written and easy to read. If you want to know about Black Elk this is the book to read.

"Nicholas" Black Elk An American Saint

"Black Elk - Holy Man of The Oglala" by Michael F. Steltenkamp is a most fascinating little treasure. You may "think" that you know something about Black Elk (perhaps from "Black Elk Speaks" and other books about him, but Steltenkamp presents "Nicholas Black Elk" as he lived more than two thirds of his life: as a Catholic catechist and Christian community leader. It is so inspiring to see how this "holy man" (and I believe "Saint" , though not canonized by the Church) interpreted the religion of the native Americans into a proleptic vision of the arrival of Jesus Christ and the christian faith. and even more inspiring is to read of how this man truly lived that faith day to day himself. i know how impressed i was by one simple photgrpah of Nicholas Black Elk standing with a group and holdong his rosary beads . . .proud but devout. Some "pseudo-scholars" may try to down-play the true religious piety of this Sioux "holy man" by claiming it was a mere ruse to adapt to the "power" of the occupying white invaders . . . but read the book and see that those who actually knew him knew better. He walked miles praying his rosary to go and lead funeral services (though only a catechist he served almost in the role of "deacon"). . . He even had the experience of a miracle attributed to the intercession of Saint Therese of Lisieux healing his little "Nicholas" and saving the boys life when he asked that a prayer be said to saint Therese. And as he predicted there were even signs in the night sky the night he passed away into eternity. I recommend that you get a copy of this book and read it and then re-read it again and again. You will gain a new spiritual friend and companion on your own pilgrimage journey through this world and through your life. And it sure is nice to have a "holy man' and a kindly man like Nicholas Black Elk praying for you and with you in heaven . . . and to inspire you by his own life story. Whether the Church he loved ever gets around to enrolling him with the "official saints" or not, he will always be on my own scroll of saints when i pray. And i suspect if you read this book, he will be on yours as well. :)

Indispensable companion to Black Elk Speaks

Steltenkamp does a superb job of describing Black Elk's years as a devout Catholic -- Black Elk converted in 1904 and remained a praying Christian until his death in 1950 -- and demonstrating that the Lakota holy man's Christianity was an organic continuation of his earlier years as a Lakota traditionalist. This book thus provides a necessary complement to Black Elk Speaks, which avoids discussing the second half of Black Elk's life. Not to be missed by anyone who wants to learn about the real Black Elk -- and thus give a great saint and prophet his due.

A realistic, non-commercial, likely unpopular,portrayal!

I was required to read an excerpt of Neihardt's work on Black Elk. Choosing, as usual, to go beyond the scope of my text, I searched carefully for a meaningful book about Black Elk, and this was certainly it! I was so fascinated by the fact that the two most popular books written about Black Elk "conveniently" didn't address the last 60 years of his life, and failed to mention that he had totally rejected his "Holy Man" status in favor of embracing Catholicism. How fortunate we are that the author, Michael Steltenkamp, connected with Black Elk's only surviving daughter and was able, at her insistence, to set the record straight. Had this not occurred, we would likely still buy into the fallacies of other, earlier publications touted as the authorotative sources not only about Black Elk's life, but holding his life as they portrayed it as the standard for Native Americans! We learn that Black Elk was NOT a teary eyed, old Indian, pining away for pre-reservation days, awaiting death at any moment, but that he lived, and lived FULLY, embracing the new world around him. While this portrayal is probably not when Indian Movement Advocates want to acknowledge, it is a fair, balanced, accurate portrayal, carefully researched and corroborated. My appreciation to Mr. Steltenkamp for his diligence in undertaking this project. This word was extremely stimulating and thought provoking.

A wonderful 1st book recommended for reading on Lakota.

This book relays the last "untold" years of Black Elk's life as a Holy Man, as told to the author by Lucy Looks Twice, Black Elk's daughter. Although Black Elk's headstone states his birth as 1850, he considers his birthdate to be December 6, 1904, feast of St. Nicholas, which was the day he was baptized and his name became Nicholas Black Elk. A wonderful first hand account by Michael Steltenkamp of Black Elk. A must to read.