Black Elk's Universal Mission

Black Elk preserved all the best elements of his cultural heritage in his testament of The Sacred Pipe. He also continued to bring to his people and other tribes the teachings of the historical Jesus. Truly, the elder Lakota found himself at home in both cultures and worlds, becoming a representative of a new humanity beyond races and creeds. In struggling toward a personal understanding of spiritual reality, he integrated a tradition of spiritual revelation with knowledge of the historical role of Jesus Christ. The controversy that has endured about Black Elk’s spiritual allegiances can be put to rest through the content of Black Elk’s own words and biography. His life is the enactment of his Great Vision.