By having a look at the history of how the book came to be, and by comparing the original transcriptions to the text that was published, I want to show how much of the facts that are being presented to us can actually be perceived as authentic. That to examine shall be the main topic of this paper. But how authentic is the story, how much of what Neihardt wrote down was fact, and what was actually his own interpretation or even literary freedom that he took to serve certain stereotypes and make the story more appealing for the audience which it was aimed at? (As a matter of fact, the book is listed in the chapter “Indianerliteratur” (Native American Literature) in Hubert Zapf’s “Amerikanische Literaturgeschichte”.) Even though it was written down and published by a person of Euro- American background, the story itself is considered to be uniquely Native American in content. Even today, the book is still considered to be one of the first works of Native American literature.
The story, and its categorization as autobiographical, claims authenticity, and was widely regarded to be an accurate report of Native American life among the tribe of the Oglala Lakota and their culture. Neihardt who transcribed it and wrote it down. Following the tradition of so- called ‘as-told-to’ stories (Georgi-Findlay 1997, 385), it is the story of the Lakota holy man Black Elk, who told it to the author John G. Largely considered to be an autobiographical narration, it has become one of the most famous books dealing with the story of individuals of Native American origin. These introductory words, printed in the appendix of the novel itself, give a very clear and critical insight into the topic of Black Elk Speaks by author John G. (…) Indeed, Neihardt was so successful in blending his own voice with Black Elk’s that they became a single voice, a literary device so convincing that Neihardt faded into the background, allowing readers the sensation that Black Elk was speaking to them directly, without an intermediary.” (DeMallie 2008, 289) Neihardt’s poetic rendering of the life story of an Oglala Lakota holy man captivates the imagination of readers, drawing them into a meaning-charged world of symbols and otherness.
“ Black Elk Speaks is arguably the single most widely read book in the vast literature relating to North American Indians. Lost in Transcription: The Different Layers of Black Elk Speaks 3.
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