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The Great Dream of Black Elk

AMERICAN INDIAN NEWS TICKER!!!

The Great Dream of Black Elk

Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux

And to whom so great a vision was given in my youth -- you see me now
a pitiful old man who has done nothing, for the nations hoop is broken
and scattered. There is no center any longer, and the sacred tree is 
dead.

These are the words of Black Elk, the last of the great Sioux holy men,
not long before he died. They are words that remind us of the Indians
standing and lying, a broken people, on the hills of the 3Strange Dream 
of the Oglala Sioux Pipe Bag. But remember how the white dove came and 
the Indians sprang up and marched into the sky, filled with glory and 
joy. If Black Elk could have fully understood his dream, he would not 
have been so sad.

That the Sioux also had forewarning of the coming of the white men in 
their dreams is told by Black Elk when he says that a very long time 
before the white men came there was a holy man called Drinks Water who 
dreamed that the animals were going back into the earth(meaning most 
would be killed) and that the Sioux would be ruled by a strange race 
who would make the Indians live in square gray houses in a barren land 
and that beside these square gray houses they would starve. This is 
exactly what happened to the Sioux during the bad years, particularly 
during the 1890's.

Black Elk was nine years old and camped near the Little Bighorn River 
in what is now Montana in the summer of 1872 when he appeared to become
very sick and his strange vision came to him. He saw two spirit warriors 
with long spears tipped with lightning who came down from the sky like 
arrows and then carried him on a cloud behind them up into the sky.

Soon he saw the horses of the four directions, twelve black horses in 
the west, twelve white horses in the north, twelve sorrel horses in the
east, and twelve buckskin horses in the south. Then he saw the whole 
sky filled with horses dancing and happy. He walked toward a white 
cloud and it changed into a tepee in which were seated six old men. 
These were the six grandfathers and the oldest called him to come 
inside and speak with them. He knew they were not truly old men, but 
the powers of the world, and he was filled with fear.

The grandfathers promised Black Elk several things. First they promised
that he would make a nation, his nation, live, and second that he would
have the power of healing. One grandfather showed him a bright red stick, 
from which bright green leaves sprouted , and told him that with this 
stick he would save any of his people. he was promised that he would 
have the power to destroy his people's foes. But he was also told that 
his people would walk the road of war and that they would have great 
troubles. However, in spite of these bad times, he was promised that 
he would help set the sacred stick in the center of the nation's hoop 
and make the people strong again. It was this part of the dream that 
later made Black Elk feel so sad, for he felt he had failed his people 
and that the nation's hoop was broken. But we believe that his vision 
and his help were vital to his people.

When Black Elk, in his dream, rode away from the six grandfathers on the 
bay horse the grandfathers gave him, he came along the black road that 
runs from east to west, the road of trouble and war. There he saw a blue 
man who was turning the grass and the animals sick. The horses of the 
four directions attacked the blue man, but were driven back. Then Black
Elk rode to attack the man and speared him through the heart. There was
a great cry of 3Un-hee!2 meaning he had killed, and suddenly the grass 
was green again and the animals well and happy once more.

He believed he had been riding in the storm clouds and that the earth 
below was suffering with drouth. he came down from the sky as rain and 
killed the drouth (the blue man).

After this Black Elk came to a village of his people where all were 
sick and moaning. But, as he rode through the village, the people rose 
well and happy behind him, all singing. He gathered them together, 
and, following the command of a voice, stuck the sacred red stick into 
the center of the nation's hoop, and the people shouted and sang with 
delight. The wind blew gently, spreading deep peace.

Now Black Elk saw the daybreak star rising in the east, and a voice 
said ; 3It shall be a relative to them, and who shall see it, shall 
see much more, for from there comes Wisdom; and those who do not see 
it shall be dark.2 The people looked to the east, as the light of the 
star fell on them, and all the animals of the camp called loudly.

These words, we believe, are among the most important of Black Elk's 
dream, for they signify that a Message would come to the Indian peoples
from a great Prophet in the East, bringing wisdom and good to those who
would listen. But all who would not listen would remain in darkness. 
The great importance of these words is shown by the fact that after 
they were said Black Elk saw the people take the road of goodness and 
peace, the red road that runs from north to south. They were told that 
the grandfathers would now walk with them, and the great voice said:

Behold a good nation walking in a sacred manner in a good land.

But Black Elk was warned that before this happened his nation would 
walk through many difficulties on the black road of trouble and war. 
He saw his nation scattering, each person following his own little 
vision while the winds of war sounded. This is the time in which the 
Indians are now, with the many little religious denominations, each 
narrowly saying it alone is right, and the many selfishnesses. After 
this Black Elk saw the nation's hoop broken and the people starving 
and in despair. But soon he saw a sacred man, painted red all over and 
then he turned himself into a fat buffalo(symbol of food and happiness 
and plenty). The spear turned into a beautiful sacred herb and the 
people began immediately to become better.

Black Elk understood then that the people would lose their contact with
the Good spirit of the world and fall into a bad time, but they would 
get their strength and joy back again when once more they found that 
Good Spirit (symbolised by the bright red colored man and the sacred herb).

In another part of the dream Black Elk saw the people going through a 
great storm, a time of peril, but he was told he would be able to help 
his people through this time. He dreamed that he rode a sick and weak 
horse that turned into a great black stallion and a large number of 
horses danced around him. The big black stallion sang a beautiful song 
of a horse nation that shall be. Then Black Elk looked down from the 
sky and saw his people being blessed with friendly rain and a rainbow 
flaming in the east. This rainbow, we believe, symbolizes the Warriors 
of the Rainbow, the true brothers, who shall unite all the colors of 
the races into one harmonious whole.

Black Elk was carried to the top of a high mountain, and saw below him 
the hoop of the whole world and all the animals and people gathered 
together in love and harmony. He saw that the hoop of his own nation, 
the Sioux, was one of many hoops (of other nations)that made one great 
circle. In the center of the circle was a beautiful flowering tree put 
there to shelter all the people of the world, and he saw that it was holy.

At the very last of Black Elk's dream two spirit men came to him and 
gave him the day-break star herb, the herb of understanding. He dropped
it on the earth and it flowered beautifully, spreading its light over 
the whole world.

Finally Black Elk rose back through the sky to the tipi of the Six 
Grandfathers and there he was told once more that he would help to 
make his people free. Hundreds of his people, he was promised, would 
become as flames, spreading peace over the world. After this Black Elk 
dropped down from the sky and came awake in his parents tipi.

Comment on Black Elk's first Vision
--------------------------------------

The central meaning of Black Elk's dream is very clear, for it is 
repeated over and over in different ways. The people of the world shall
go through a very bad time, a time of war and troubles, a black road 
time. Then they shall be awakened; their hearts will be enlightened 
and they will work to bring a good time to the whole earth, a time 
when all men learn to gather power and goodness from God. Here indeed 
is a wonderful vision of the future in which all the people will be 
gathered into one fold and one shepherd's flock, when all the many 
religions will become one big religion, with nothing narrow about it, 
big enough for all, and there will be no war any more.

Black Elk was told in his dream that the Message that would awaken and 
help his people would come from the east, and that it would come from 
a Man painted bright red (or clothed in red?). This man Black Elk met 
again later in another vision when he saw that He had long, flowing 
hair, but was like neither a white man nor and Indian in appearance. 
Black Elk saw that when the people received this new message, when 
they understood it, they would become like flames of fire, spreading 
it to other people. But those who did not see the new Message would 
be filled with darkness.

The meaning here is very clear. The Indians should watch for this 
great message of world unity with open minds, absolute faith and 
abiding will.

(pgs. 56-60; Warriors of the Rainbow, Willoya & Brown)

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