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]

One Mother and One Father

Theme: Divine Father and Mother

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.

Black Elk [Heȟáka Sápa]

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.

(1863-1950) Native American Religions
Black Elk Speaks

Wilson, Andrew, editor. World Scripture II. Universal Peace Federation, 2011, p. 155 [Black Elk (Heȟáka Sápa)].

Black Elk [Heȟáka Sápa]

Theme: Divine Father and Mother

About Black Elk’s Quote [Commentary]

Black Elk’s vision of the “mighty flowering tree of life sheltering all the children of one mother and one father” calls us to recognize the sacred unity within creation. The tree, standing at the center of the “great circle of creation,” symbolizes the interconnectedness of all life. It serves as a source of shelter and a spiritual anchor, embodying a divine force that nurtures and sustains all beings. This image reminds us that life, in all its forms, is holy and deserving of reverence.

The mention of “one mother and one father” elevates familial bonds to a universal and divine level. Black Elk’s words suggest the harmonious balance of the masculine and feminine aspects of the Divine in creation. These archetypal roles transcend human distinctions, offering a framework for understanding the Divine’s love and care for all life. Recognizing this sacred lineage, we are invited to live in harmony with one another and the Earth, as members of one interconnected family.

Black Elk’s call to “restore the balance of the Earth” highlights the responsibility we hold for future generations. His vision urges us to act in ways that honor creation and uphold its equilibrium. To live by this wisdom is to embrace a love that safeguards the Earth for “the seventh generation.” By fulfilling this duty, we affirm our place within the circle of creation and align with the divine principles of care and reciprocity Black Elk so beautifully conveys.

Black Elk’s childhood vision

“Then a Voice said: “Behold this day, for it is yours to make. Now you shall stand upon the center of the earth to see, for there they are taking you.” [Excerpt describing a childhood vision he had while very ill and near death.]

“Then I was standing on the highest mountain of them all , and round about beneath me was the whole hoop of the world. And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being. And I saw that the sacred hoop of my people was one of many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father. And I saw that it was holy.
I saw ahead the rainbow flaming above the tepee of the Six Grandfathers, built and roofed with cloud and sewed with thongs of lightning; and underneath it were all the wings of the air and under them the animals and men. All these were rejoicing, and thunder was like happy laughter.
As I rode in through the rainbow door, there were cheering voices from all over the universe, and I saw the Six Grandfathers sitting in a row, with their arms held toward me and their hands, palms out; and behind them in the cloud were faces thronging, without number, of the people yet to be. A good nation I will make live. This the nation above has said. They have given me the power to make over. Song of power he sang towards the end of a childhood vision.”

—Black Elk Speaks, by John G. Neihardt (New York: Washington Square Press, 1972), originally published in 1932.

Black Elk’s Commentary

“It was the pictures I remembered and the words that went with them; for nothing I have ever seen with my eyes was so clear and bright as what my vision showed me; and no words that I have ever heard with my ears were like the words I heard. I did not have to remember these things; they have remembered themselves all these years. It was as I grew older that the meanings came clearer and clearer out of the pictures and the words, and even now I know that more was shown to me than I can tell.”

—Black Elk Speaks, by John G. Neihardt (New York: Washington Square Press, 1972), originally published in 1932.

One Mother and One Father

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