Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World Nicholas Black Elk (Lakota Medicine Man, Catholic Saint?)
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Jul 14, 2023 AI Snips
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Selective Portrait In Black Elk Speaks
- Black Elk Speaks covers only his life up to age 25 and omits decades of his later life, producing a skewed image.
- Scholars argue John G. Neihardt shaped the narrative to suit 1930s white audiences, affecting accuracy.
Marriage And Jesuit Influence
- In 1892 Black Elk married Katie Warbonnet, a Catholic, and they had three sons baptized Catholic.
- Jesuit missionaries at Pine Ridge, invited by Chief Red Cloud, provided schooling and respected Lakota culture, aiding conversion.
Jesuit Inculturation Built Trust
- Jesuits accepted many compatible Lakota customs and avoided labeling all indigenous practices as demonic.
- This respect and cultural sensitivity helped them win trust and convert Lakota like Black Elk's wife and later Black Elk himself.
Two popular books held Lakota medicine man Black Elk as an icon of native American spirituality. Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli explore the truths those books suppressed about Nicholas Black Elk, especially his conversion and devout Catholic faith.