Search - Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux

While this is an interesting look into Nicholas Black Elk's life, the Ghost Dance religion, and the Lakota struggle against white encroachment during the 19th century, readers should know that this is not really an autobiography. John Neihardt significantly cut, edited, and interpreted his interviews with Black Elk to an extent which Black Elk himself did not approve of. Interested readers can find the Black Elk's actual words (as related in the transcripts of Black Elk and Neihardt's conversations) in "The Sixth Grandfather: Black Elk's Teachings Given to John G. Neihardt."