Super Short Summary

Black Elk: The Life of an American Visionary by Joe Jackson is a biography of the Lakota holy man Black Elk, tracing his life from a profound spiritual vision in childhood to his roles in historical events like the Battle of Little Bighorn and the Wounded Knee Massacre. The book extends his story beyond Black Elk Speaks, detailing his late life, including his conversion to Catholicism and efforts to preserve Native spirituality. The narrative contains depictions of historical violence and cultural oppression.