**2.1 An Oglala holy man called** *Black Elk*

Black Elk is one of the most studied Native Americans. He was an Oglala Lakota holy man, who had a vision about his society and people. The author John Neihardt teamed up with Black Elk to publish the story of this Lakota native from his childhood to the 1890s. The result is the excellent work *Black Elk Speaks* published in 1932. The reader may consider reading this book-length poem for more background about this Holy Man of the Oglala. The focus of this chapter is ecological themes about the Lakota presented by Black Elk.
