Black Elk Quotes

Leader December 1, 1863 - August 19, 1950

Grandfather, Great Spirit, once more behold me on earth and lean to hear my feeble voice.

Black Elk

Sometimes dreams are wiser than waking.

Black Elk

And as he spoke of understanding, I looked up and saw the rainbow leap with flames of many colors over me.

Black Elk

And I say the sacred hoop of my people was one of the many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father.

Black Elk

Grown men can learn from very little children for the hearts of little children are pure. Therefore, the Great Spirit may show to them many things which older people miss.

Black Elk

And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being.

Black Elk

The soldiers did go away and their towns were torn down; and in the Moon of Falling Leaves (November), they made a treaty with Red Cloud that said our country would be ours as long as grass should grow and water flow.

Black Elk

But I think I have done right to save the vision in this way, even though I may die sooner because I did it; for I know the meaning of the vision is wise and beautiful and good; and you can see that I am only a pitiful old man after all.

Black Elk

Now suddenly there was nothing but a world of cloud, and we three were there alone in the middle of a great white plain with snowy hills and mountains staring at us; and it was very still; but there were whispers.

Black Elk

So I took the bright red stick and at the center of the nation's hoop I thrust it in the earth.

Black Elk

http://plainshumanities.unl.edu/encyclopedia/doc/egp.rel.005 BLACK ELK, NICHOLAS (1866-1950)