The sacred hoop of any nation is but one of many that together make the great circle of creation. In the center grows a mighty flowering tree of life sheltering all the children of one mother and one father. All life is holy.
Black Elk [Heȟáka Sápa]
The Sacred Hoop
Topic: The Natural World
The sacred hoop of any nation is but one of many that together make the great circle of creation. In the center grows a mighty flowering tree of life sheltering all the children of one mother and one father. All life is holy. People native to this land have long lived by the wisdom of the circle, aware that we are part of the Earth and it is part of us. To harm this Earth, precious to God—is to upset the balance of the circle—is to heap contempt upon its Creator. Therefore, with all our heart and mind, we must restore the balance of the Earth for our grandchildren to the seventh generation.
Heȟáka Sápa, commonly known as Black Elk, was born in December 1863 along the Little Powder River in what is now Wyoming. He was a member of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) and a second cousin to the renowned war leader Crazy Horse. From a young age, Black Elk experienced profound spiritual visions that would shape his life and destiny. At the age of nine, during a severe illness, he had a vision in which he encountered the Six Grandfathers, spiritual beings who bestowed upon him gifts and powers, including the ability to heal. This vision set him on the path to becoming a wičháša wakȟáŋ, or holy man, a role he embraced throughout his life.
Black Elk's life was marked by significant historical events and personal transformations. He participated in the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876 and witnessed the tragic Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890. In the late 1880s, he traveled to Europe with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, where he sought to understand the ways of the white people. Upon returning to the United States, he became involved in the Ghost Dance movement, which aimed to restore the Native American way of life. Despite the suppression of this movement, Black Elk continued to serve his people as a healer and spiritual leader, blending traditional Lakota practices with his later conversion to Catholicism in 1904. He became a catechist, teaching Christianity while maintaining his Lakota spiritual beliefs.
Black Elk's legacy extends beyond his lifetime through his contributions to literature and spiritual teachings. His autobiographical accounts, shared with poet John G. Neihardt and anthropologist Joseph Epes Brown, were published in the influential works "Black Elk Speaks" and "The Sacred Pipe." These books have inspired generations and contributed to the revival of Native American culture and spirituality. Black Elk's ability to integrate his Lakota heritage with his Christian faith exemplifies his resilience and adaptability. His life and teachings continue to resonate, symbolizing a bridge between cultures and a testament to the enduring spirit of the Lakota people.
Wilson, Andrew, editor. World Scripture II. Universal Peace Federation, 2011, p. 155 [Black Elk (Heȟáka Sápa)].
Black Elk [Heȟáka Sápa]
Theme: Natural World
About This Black Elk Quotation [Commentary]
In his great childhood vision, Black Elk (Heȟáka Sápa), the Oglala Lakota holy man, saw that “the sacred hoop of my people was one of many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight.” From the highest mountain, Black Elk saw “the shapes of all things in the spirit” and understood how they must “live together like one being.” Each nation’s sacred hoop belonged to a greater whole, honoring both the distinct place of every people and their shared belonging within creation. His vision revealed the sacred relationships among all living beings, showing that no part of life exists apart from the rest.
At the center of this great circle, Black Elk saw “one mighty flowering tree” sheltering “all the children of one mother and one father.” The flowering tree expressed the unity of creation, where people, animals, and the natural world belong to one sacred family. Black Elk witnessed the creatures of the Earth rejoicing together, revealing a world united in kinship. His words, “And I saw that it was holy,” express the spiritual understanding at the heart of his vision. The Earth is part of the sacred whole to which all beings belong. To honor life is to recognize this shared holiness and the relationships that sustain it.
Black Elk’s vision also carries a responsibility to care for the sacred circle for generations to come. Among the beings he encountered were “the people yet to be,” whose lives were already included in the greater circle of creation. The flowering tree, sheltering all, represents the harmony of life and the need to protect what allows it to flourish. To harm the Earth or its living communities is to disturb the relationships that sustain this harmony. Black Elk’s vision calls us to remember our place within creation, honor the holiness of all life, and care for the Earth so that future generations may also find shelter beneath the flowering tree.
Black Elk’s childhood vision [Black Elk (Heháka Sápa) was a wičháša wakháŋ (“medicine man, holy man”), heyoka of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) people.]
What My Vision Showed Me
Black Elk’s Lament
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