#28 Stories From The Earth Podcast - A Book Chat - Black Elk Speaks

<p>⭐In honor of Indigenous People’s Day on October 11th, Ellen and Jennifer are going to be delving into the book<strong> “Black Elk Speaks”</strong> by John G. Niehardt &nbsp;</p> <p><br></p> <p><strong>Why this book?</strong>&nbsp;</p> <p>Ellen: &nbsp;I think this book would have aptly made it into our review of an episode sooner or later, because I think it very much fits our theme of talking about and exploring various ways mankind is connected to nature and the earth. In the particular context of this book it could be said, and seen to be, as coming from a particularly spiritually influenced angle. But then I’d like to pose the question ‘where does spirituality and science of reality meet, if not but in nature, and the human drive to reconcile ourselves within it?’ It seems that Indigenous peoples the world over, or anyone embracing a more animistic purview, are more adept at understanding and balancing along this line; and that a book like Black Elk Speaks, if it is even a fraction true to Black Elk’s own word and vision, thus becomes an insightful gift or gentle guide to appeal to the connection of all life.</p> <p>Jennifer: Simply because I have never read anything like this book before and I was extremely interested in hearing Black Elk’s story. I feel that many Indigenous people have a way of looking at the world that we have lost. Maybe by learning about indigenous people we can re- learn some of what we as non native people have lost and this will help us change the way in which we have been living. &nbsp;At the very least we need to find a less destructive way to live on this planet so that we can survive. Black Elk is a man who has essentially been through the end of the world and I think there is a lot we can learn from him in this time of change.&nbsp;</p> <p><br></p> <p><strong>💚Why Stories From the Earth?</strong> &nbsp;Mankind’s relationship to the natural world is as diverse and dynamic as each individual plant, animal, mineral, and piece of geography. There are many ways that we can engage wi