Description

Eagle Voice Remembers is John Neihardt’s mature and reflective interpretation of the old Sioux way of life. He served as a translator of the Sioux past, whose audience has proved not to be limited by space or time. Through his writings, Black Elk, Eagle Elk, and other old men who were of that last generation of Sioux to have participated in the old buffalo-hunting life and the disorienting period of strife with the U.S. Army found a literary voice. What they said chronicles a dramatic transition in the life of the Plains Indians; the record of their thoughts, interpreted by Neihardt, is a legacy preserved for the future. It transcends the specifics of this one tragic case of cultural misunderstanding and conflict and speaks to universal human concerns. It is a story worth contemplating both for itself and for the lessons it teaches all humanity.”—Raymond J. DeMallie

In her foreword to Eagle Voice Remembers, Coralie Hughes discusses Neihardt’s intention that this book, formerly titled When the Tree Flowered, be understood as a prequel to his classic Black Elk Speaks.

John G. Neihardt (1881–1973) is known internationally for Black Elk Speaks and is a noted author in several genres. He is the author of A Cycle of the West and Knowledge and Opinion, both available from the University of Nebraska Press. Coralie Hughes is the granddaughter of John G. Neihardt and the head of the Neihardt Trust. Raymond J. DeMallie is the author or editor of numerous books, including The Sixth Grandfather: Black Elk’s Teachings Given to John G. Neihardt, available in a Bison Books edition.

“A warm and often moving piece of literature which can be appreciated for its literary value and for its insights into Sioux culture.”—Rocky Mountain Social Science Journal