Black Elk Quotes

Any man who is attached to things of this world is one who lives in ignorance and is being consumed by the snakes of his own passions

Behold this day. It is yours to make.

Crazy Horse dreamed and went into the world where there is nothing but the spirits of things. That is the real world that is behind this one, and everything we see here is something like a shadow from that world….

You remember that my great vision came to me when I was only nine years old, and you have seen that I was not much good for anything until after I had performed the horse dance near the mouth of the Tongue River during my eighteenth summer.

It is in the darkness of their eyes that men lose their way.

But I think I have done right to save the vision in this way, even though I may die sooner because I did it; for I know the meaning of the vision is wise and beautiful and good; and you can see that I am only a pitiful old man after all.

And when I breathed, my breath was lightning.

A good nation I will make live.This the nation above has said.They have given me the power to make over.

Grown men may learn from very little children, for the hearts of little children are pure, and, therefore, the Great Spirit may show to them many things which older people miss.

So I took the bright red stick and at the center of the nation’s hoop I thrust it in the earth.