Black Elk

Nicholas Black Elk was born on in December of 1863. He was Sioux Indian. Also a great Medicine man and later on became a Shamanic healer. Most of his family lived in Canada. He had four sons and one daughter. He was also married twice, but both of his wives died. One of his second cousin was Warrior Crazy Horse. The most significant historical event in Black Elks life was "The Great Vision". His vision was the calling to make the sun dance. In this vision Black Elk was presented to the six grandfathers which symbolized The Great Mysterious expressed in powers of four directions plus the Earth and the sky. Eventually Black Elk converted to Roman Catholicism. He then traveled as a catechist for Roman Catholicism on his travels he would tell his vision. Black Elk did not completely leave behind his Indian faith. As Nicholas Black Elk got older he developed poor eyesight. He also had tuberculosis at one point but was treated. Nicholas Black Elk died August 19, 1950. As the founder of the Sun dance, Black Elk was a great theologian spiritual leader and religious thinker. I support this by simply saying he had a vision and taught and healed from that. He also created one of the most important Native American ceremonies.