photo #9237444

Black Elk... . Lakota Medicine Man Black Elk was likely born in December 1863 along the Little Powder River in what later became Wyoming. He had five sisters and one brother and was a second cousin to respected war leader Crazy Horse. He was the fourth man in his family to go by the name Black Elk.Throughout his childhood, he witnessed a changing landscape in his homeland. He began having visions at only five years old but became very sick during the summer of his ninth year and saw the vision that would set him on his path to becoming a holy man. In this vision, he met with a council of the Six Grand-fathers representing the four cardinal directions as well as the earth and sky. They each offered him gifts that bestowed power, including a pipestone pipe. Through a series of events, Black Elk believed he gained not only power, but also the ability to heal. At the end of the vision he returned to his body and recovered. He kept his vision secret for several years, allowing its meaning to reveal itself as he matured into a young man.