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Black Elk: Colonialism And Lakota Catholicism
Damian Costello has taken post-colonial studies to new and exciting heights with his book, Black Colonialism and Lakota Catholicism. Costello's work examines the life and thought of Black Elk situating this great American Indian figure within his complex cultural, religious, and historical context. Many previous studies on Black Elk see him simply as a paradigmatic American Indian religious leader. Unlike these one-sided studies, Costello takes a more nuanced look at Black Elk's life, employing a much broader view based on cutting edge historical and sociological research. Costello demonstrates that Catholicism was essential to Black Elk, permeating every aspect of his life. When scholars ignore or dismiss Black Elk's Catholicism, they are ignoring or dismissing what Black Elk considered to be most important in his life. Costello further shows how the Lakota people embraced Catholicism both as in continuity with their past traditions, as well as using their Catholic Christian faith as a means of resisting the colonial project of the United States. Costello provides a very detailed look into the life of Black Elk and the Lakota, as well as at the point where Christianity meets American Indian cultures. This book has far-reaching implications for understanding the role of Christianity in colonized regions of the world. Costello lucidly demonstrates how colonized peoples have appropriated Christianity, living their new-found Christian faith as a way of life, and thereby utilizing the tools with which Christianity has provided them to resist economically and politically driven colonial projects.
193 pages, Paperback
First published April 30, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 21, 2008
Detailed look into the life and faith of Nicholas Black Elk. Not all will agree with Costello's take on Black Elk's faith, but it is worthy of consideration in the large body of work concerning the topic.
December 18, 2020
This text explored Black Elk as indigenous theologian while placing the scholarly work within the greater context of Black Elk scholarship.
May 25, 2021
Black Elk, Heȟáka Sápa in his own language (1863-1950) was an Oglala Indian visionary and holy man. As a child he was present at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Later he joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, and as a member danced for Queen Victoria at a command performance in 1887. The following year, as a member of another Wild West show he toured Europe to learn what he could of the white man’s culture and decided that only the religion was worth keeping. Back in America he helped rescue some of the victims of the massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890. In 1904 he was baptized a Catholic. New christened as Nicholas Black Elk he worked for many years as a catechist. He is currently under consideration for beatification by the Vatican.
During the great depression, he was interviewed by poet John Neihardt. Black Elk recounted his experiences, and especially a vision that he had as a nine-year old child. In 1932 Neihardt published his version of his interviews as Black Elk Speaks . A commercial failure when first published, it was nonetheless reprinted in 1961, and since has grown in influence. Several more editions have been published since then, as well as numerous books interpreting it, and a dozen others about Black Elk and his religious visions and teaching.
Costello’s book takes on a controversy that has arisen about the sincerity of Black Elk’s conversion to the “white man’s religion.” Was his Christianity sincere, or was he just trying to avoid being another casualty of settler colonialism.? Costello argues that he was sincere. He begins with a brief biography of Black Elk followed by a history of the Catholic mission to the Lakota people, including the Oglala, emphasizing the fact that the Jesuit missionaries spent the time learning the Lakota language, translating the Bible into Lakota, and even compiling a dictionary of the language.
Costello then cites the authors who doubt the sincerity of Black Elk’s conversion and continues with the different points of view between those whom he terms “Traditionals,” Lakota people living in reservations and “Urban Indians,” who are living with whites and other ethnic groups in a more urban environment. He details the similarities and differences between traditional Lakota beliefs and Christianity, noting how Black Elk syncretized the two. In a particularly convincing chapter “Black Elk’s Vision: the incarnation of the Lakota Christ,” he details the similarity with Black Elk’s original vision with parallel verses in the Bible including a table, “Black Elk’s Vision: Lakota Catholic Salvation History.”
Neihardt’s Black Elk Speaks ends without reference to Black Elk’s Catholicism. There is only a passing reference towards the end of a “Black Robe,” that is, a Jesuit priest. Black Elk notes that he is a “good man,” unlike most of the other Caucasians that he had encountered. After its first publication Black Elk was disappointed in the book. He felt it only told half if his story, the pre-Christian part of his life. Because of this, and before concluding the book Costello details where and why he thinks Neihardt misinterpreted Black Elk due to their differing cultural assumptions and languages.
During the great depression, he was interviewed by poet John Neihardt. Black Elk recounted his experiences, and especially a vision that he had as a nine-year old child. In 1932 Neihardt published his version of his interviews as Black Elk Speaks . A commercial failure when first published, it was nonetheless reprinted in 1961, and since has grown in influence. Several more editions have been published since then, as well as numerous books interpreting it, and a dozen others about Black Elk and his religious visions and teaching.
Costello’s book takes on a controversy that has arisen about the sincerity of Black Elk’s conversion to the “white man’s religion.” Was his Christianity sincere, or was he just trying to avoid being another casualty of settler colonialism.? Costello argues that he was sincere. He begins with a brief biography of Black Elk followed by a history of the Catholic mission to the Lakota people, including the Oglala, emphasizing the fact that the Jesuit missionaries spent the time learning the Lakota language, translating the Bible into Lakota, and even compiling a dictionary of the language.
Costello then cites the authors who doubt the sincerity of Black Elk’s conversion and continues with the different points of view between those whom he terms “Traditionals,” Lakota people living in reservations and “Urban Indians,” who are living with whites and other ethnic groups in a more urban environment. He details the similarities and differences between traditional Lakota beliefs and Christianity, noting how Black Elk syncretized the two. In a particularly convincing chapter “Black Elk’s Vision: the incarnation of the Lakota Christ,” he details the similarity with Black Elk’s original vision with parallel verses in the Bible including a table, “Black Elk’s Vision: Lakota Catholic Salvation History.”
Neihardt’s Black Elk Speaks ends without reference to Black Elk’s Catholicism. There is only a passing reference towards the end of a “Black Robe,” that is, a Jesuit priest. Black Elk notes that he is a “good man,” unlike most of the other Caucasians that he had encountered. After its first publication Black Elk was disappointed in the book. He felt it only told half if his story, the pre-Christian part of his life. Because of this, and before concluding the book Costello details where and why he thinks Neihardt misinterpreted Black Elk due to their differing cultural assumptions and languages.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews