Sioux

Symbolism of Black Elk’s Vision

At the age of nine, Nicholas Black Elk, a holy man of the Oglala Sioux, had a great vision. This vision was the primary subject of his interview with writer John Neihardt and Neihardt's subsequent 1932 novel, Black Elk Speaks. As the title suggests, Neihardt's novel is the medium through which Black Elk shares his life narrative. Through the novel, in addition to the recounting of his great vision and other significant events in his personal history, Black Elk voices significant events and figures in Sioux history. 

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Kiowa Apache White Buffalo Woman Legend

The story and teachings of White Buffalo Woman. Legends, like most history, are often corrupted and embellished by the conquerors. Whatever the means of conquest may have been, the stories about the victories are usually cleaned up for later generations to make them more palatable. Those who “remember” are very confused by what is being circulated today about the story and teachings of White Buffalo Woman. The truth will shock many, infuriate some, and yet, those with pure hearts who…

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Stopping the Alcohol Epedemic

AUTHOR: Thomas Ivan Dahlheimer I believe that by drawing attention to the Rum River name-change issue “white guilt” will increase, because of a heightened awareness of the catastrophic consequences caused by white settlers introducing and selling alcohol to Native Americans; and that this increase of “white guilt” will, in a lot of ways, cause white Euro-Americans (or, generally speaking, the dominate culture) to offer all Native Americans their long over due restitution justice, especially when it comes to making amends…

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Rum River Name Change Initiative

According to historical documents found in, “Minnesota Geographic Names”, a book written by Warren Upham, and published by the Minnesota Historical Society… in the late 1700s, white men gave the Rum River its current name by way of a “punning translation” that “perverted the ancient Sioux name Wakan”. In Minnesota, “the land of ten thousand lakes”, there is a large and beautiful lake named Mille Lacs. Its outlet river is named Rum. The Sioux name for the Rum River is…

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