Readings for Christmas Eve Isaiah 9:2-7 Titus 2:11-14 Luke 2:1-14(15-20) Psalm 96 This sermon was preached at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer on Saturday December 24, 2016.   Merry Christmas! This evening we celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ, which we just heard recounted to us in a wonderful way. This evening we have […]

Chapters 21 and 22: The Messiah and Visions of the Other World In these chapters, Black Elk describes the Messiah or Wanekia whom he heard about among the Paiute. The Paiute are indigenous peoples of California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Arizona. The Wanekia in Black Elk Speaks was named Wovoka or Jack Wilson and […]

Chapters 23, 24 and 25: Bad Trouble Coming, the Butchering at Wounded Knee and the End of the Dream In these final chapters, Black Elk describes the Battle at Wounded Knee, which was really more of a massacre and “butchering” than it was a battle. Armed US troops shot and killed about 150 men, women […]

Chapters 19 and 20: Across the Big Water and the Spirit Journey In these two chapters, Black Elk talks about his experience travelling to Chicago, New York and London with Buffalo’s Wild West show. My reflections on this confluence of a Lakota medicine man with major cities of Western culture will take the form of […]

Chapter 18: The Powers of the Bison and the Elk “I think I have told you, but if I have not, you must have understood, that a man who has a vision is not able to use the power of it until after he has performed the vision on earth for the people to see […]

Chapter 17 and 18: The First Cure and the Powers of the Bison and the Elk “You have noticed,” Black Elk says, “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 […] The sky is round, and […]

Chapter 16: Heyoka Ceremony In this chapter, Black Elk describes the role of the heyoka (the sacred fool) in more detail. He says, “Only those who have had visions of the thunder beings of the west can act as heyokas” (117). In the Heyoka ceremony, they would have thirty heyokas (one for each day of […]

Chapter 15: The Dog Vision In this chapter, Black Elk mentions the town of Fort Yates. Upon my first reading of this chapter, I wrote in the margins: “was just there yesterday – 11/4/16.” While at Fort Yates, I visited the burial site of Sitting Bull, whom Black Elk also mentions in this chapter: “Sitting […]

Chapter 14: The Horse Dance In the Gospel of John, the author recounts a “voice from heaven” which is interpreted by some listeners as thunder and by others as an angel (12:28-29). Previously, I have discussed this heavenly voice as the divine voice that defends and protects society’s victims. For those who enjoy political and […]

Chapters 12 and 13: “Grandmother’s Land” and “The Compelling Fear” “While I was lying there in a bison robe, a coyote began to howl not far off, and suddenly I knew it was saying something. It was not making words, but it said something plainer than words…” (94) “…Father, I have heard a coyote say […]