Epic America Course

The Song of the Indian Wars deals with the last great fight for the bison pastures of the Plains between the westering white men and the prairie tribes—the struggle for the right of way between the Missouri River and the Pacific Ocean. Since the period was of of crucial importance in the process of our […]

        In this lecture, the Fort Laramie Conference dealing with the rights to the Bozeman Trail with the US Army and the Plains Tribes continues.    

      Red Cloud call for a Council on the Powder River.  

      This lecture takes place near Ft Phil Kearney in 1866, while white men are cutting trees to build the fort.  

        This Lecture covers the Wagon Boxes Fight that occurred near Ft Phil Kearney on August 2, 1867.  

  Events leading up to the Beecher Island Fight and the beginnings of the battle; which was September 17, 1868. The Beecher Island fight was about a year after the Wagon Boxes Fight.  

      This lecture deals with The Beecher Island fight that occurred September 17, 1868 in northeastern Colorado and Death of Roman Nose in that battle.  

      The Yellow God – The discovery of gold in the Black Hills, causing the breaking of the treaty by the whites.  

        This Lecture is about June 1876, when the Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapahoe begin gathering to protect themselves from the whites and the Union Soldiers.  

        This lesson visits the Custer Fight and events surrounding it.  

      The Song of the Indian Wars ends in this lecture with the death of Crazy Horse.    

      “The Song of the Messiah” is the final Song of A Cycle of the West, by John G. Neihardt. This Song deals with the ghost dance movement of the Native Americans in the late 1800s. This lecture covers Part 1: The Voice In The Wilderness.  

      This Lecture covers Part 2: The Coming Of The Word.  

      This Lecture covers Part 3: The Dance.  

      This Lecture covers Part 4: The Soldiers.  

      This Lecture covers Part 5: Sitting Bull.  

      This Lecture covers Part 6: The Way.  

      This Lecture covers Part 7: Wounded Knee.

      His meeting with the Sioux holy man Black Elk, John G. Neihardt once said, was the most memorable experience of his life. In 1930, while working on the concluding poem of his Cycle Of The West, Neihardt had gone to the Pine Ridge Reservation hoping to find “some old medicine man who […]

      In this Lecture, John Neihardt faithfully retells the story of Eagle Voice’s participation in the Sun Dance. The information presented comes directly from Eagle Voice, who told it to Neihardt in great detail in 1944 when Eagle Voice was 93. Much attention is paid to each detail of the great event of […]

      In this Lecture, John Neihardt faithfully retells the story of Eagle Voice’s Vision Quest he experienced in his youth. The information presented comes directly from Eagle Voice, who told it to Neihardt in great detail in 1944 when Eagle Voice was 93. Much attention is paid to each detail of the Vision […]

      In this Lecture, John Neihardt gives a traditional account of the origin of the Sioux and a fascinating view into the time-honored way of the Hoop of the People as told to him by his spiritual father, Black Elk. Drawing heavily on Black Elk’s teachings, Neihardt goes into detail about the Origin […]

Of his meeting with the Sioux holy man Black Elk, John G. Neihardt once said, was the most memorable experience of his life. In 1930, while working on the concluding poem of his Cycle Of The West, Neihardt had gone to the Pine Ridge Reservation hoping to find “some old medicine man who had been […]

      In Lecture Two of Tales of Native American Life Neihardt discusses In The Old Days, Wandering To Mourn and recites Black Elk’s Prayer  

      In Lecture Three of Tales of Native American Life Neihardt discusses Battle In The Blizzard and The Cleansing Of A Kills Home.  

      In Lecture Four of Tales Of Native American Life Neihardt discusses Sharp Nose Heritage, Thanking The Food and High Horse’s Courting.