A Note on Death in *Black Elk Speaks*

One of the more striking commonalities that I found after reading
chapters 10-12 was the theme of death and the impact it had on Black
Elk’s life. Following the Battle of Little Big Horn, the Lakota’s were
increasingly being pushed and driven away from their land. Death was
frequently the only alternative to not abiding to the process of
assimilation and following the orders of the Waishus (whites). Also,
this theme of death was foreshadowed from Black Elk’s vision when his
fourth Grandfather showed him a black road leading from west to east and
how it explained great trouble. I saw this black road as path of the
Lakota and how the road resembles the troubles forced upon by whites and
the ultimate result of death.

In chapter 11, the iconic leader Crazy Horse is killed and has a
profound effect on Black Elk and his father. Crazy Horse was a legendary
warrior and refused to surrender to the whites and the federal program
for managing Indians. He refused to live on a reservation and was
eventually killed while captive as he tried to escape. The death of this
legendary leader is a great example of the theme of death seen in this
segment of Black Elk’s life.

In the chapter “Grandmother’s Land”, Black Elk and his people leave for
Canada to meet up with Sitting Bull so they would not have to live upon
a reservation. There is more death recorded during this chapter after
the Lakota have a few fights with the Crow Indians. The deaths of Brave
Wolf and Hard-to-hit portray the Lakota’s reputation of being brave and
courageous, as Brave Wolf sacrificed his life for a beautiful girl and
Hard-to-Hit was killed defending a fellow Lakota. Although these deaths
were acts of heroism, the overall tone of these chapters surrounded
death and was rather morbid for Black Elk and his fellow tribesmen. At
the end of the chapter, Black Elk and his people feel homesick and are
battling a brutal winter searching for food. It seems that Black Elk and
the Lakota’s are doing what they can to survive and avoid the increasing
alternative of death that was foreshadowed by the fourth grandfather in
his vision.