A Note on Chapters 10-12 in *Black Elk Speaks*

   After reading these three chapters, I realized that they reflect a common
phrase I have heard, “no good deed goes unpunished.” In chapters ten
through twelve, Black Elk describes how his tribe yearns to be back on
their land to live peacefully. Yet, they are constantly driven away,
while fighting between the tribe and soldiers continues to ensue. Black
Elk states, “Wherever we went, the soldiers came to kill us, and it was
all our own country. It was ours already when the Wasichus made the
treaty with Red Cloud, that said it would be ours as long as grass should
grow and water flow. That was only eight winters before, and they were
chasing us now because we remembered and they forgot.” They fled their
land to save their people, but no matter what they did they were met with
death. In “The Rubbing Out of Long Hair,” Black Elk describes how
soldiers came and starting shooting the tepees while the tribe was
sleeping. The tribe could be in the most peaceful state, and yet they are
met with harm. He then later describes a story about the man called Brave
Wolf “who did a very great deed,” in the chapter “Grandmother’s Land.”
Brave Wolf saved a young girl’s life and died saving her and while
defending soldiers from two elders that were stuck in the mud, “he stood
there by the two old people and fought until all three were killed.”
Black Elk also describes a brave deed made by his cousin, Hard-to-Hit,
who also died.
      I find that Black Elk has a reason for writing this theme “no good deed
goes unpunished,” into his autobiography due to the audience of the time.
I believe that he wants people to understand that they faced injustice,
and while they were trying to live in peace, the Wasichus were causing
pain and suffering to innocent people. Black Elk’s tribe was not always
so “innocent” when it came to wars, but I believe working in this theme,
is his way to make the reader forget about the tribes faults. Black Elk’s
tribe had made advancements on other tribes and the Wasichus, but a way
of using these descriptions, Black Elk attempts to justify that they had
reason to harm others because “we were all alone there in that country
that was ours and had been stolen from us.”
      As he describes good deeds tribal members had made, I believe it is
done to convey that these the tribal men only fought for the innocent. I
understand that what happened to the tribe was unjust, but I feel that
Black Elk makes a point to include these deeds, to make the audience of
the time feel sympathetic. During this period, many still looked down
upon the Native tribes, so Black Elk used his voice to attempt to change
this. Black Elk’s tribe, and all Native tribes, dealt with many
injustices, but Black Elk’s way of intertwining this theme into his
narrative, is an attempt to gain pity.