Posted on 10/24/2017 8:51:16 AM PDT by GreyFriar
Okay. The headline is a little premature. But it could happen. Nicholas Black Elk (c.1863-1950) was an Oglala Lakota medicine man, mystic, and Catholic catechist (a member of the laity who assists priests and nuns by teaching the faith to children and to adult potential converts). It has been estimated that Black Elk was responsible for bringing approximately 400 Lakota into the Catholic Church. His commitment to his newfound faith (he converted in middle age), his exemplary life, and his attachment to those aspects of traditional Lakota spirituality that did conflict with Catholic doctrine or practice make him an interesting candidate for sainthood. Besides, at this moment there is only one Native American on the Catholic list of saints — St. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680), a young Mohawk woman whose village stood in what is now Auriesville, New York, in the lovely Mohawk Valley.
So, in 2016, some of Black Elk’s relatives — including his oldest surviving grandson, George Looks Twice — presented the bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota, with a petition asking him to open the investigation into Black Elk’s life with eye to his possible canonization.
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
Conversion from Native American spirituality to Christianity.
An interesting article about a Native American, aka Sioux Indian, who was at the Battle of the Little Big Horn and later converted to Catholic Christianity.
Love it! Hope it goes through.
Thanks for posting this article. I had heard of Black Elk, but not this much detail, and I didn’t know he is being considered for sainthood.
Another native American who led expeditions like Lewis and Clark to the northwest regions of Oregon is Marie Dorion, who married a French man. She is buried under the St. Louis Church in St. Louis, Oregon.
Our Young Ladies Institute in name in memory of her. YLI is a Catholic Women’s Group.
Most people just read his first book, which was before his conversion.
A considerable number of the Sioux converted within a few years of the Little Big Horn.
I’ll recommend, “Black Elk Speaks” and “The Sacred Pipe.”Excellent.”
Having read a bunch in native Catholic history, I can say there are *dozens* of stories like these and a whole bunch of names we’ve generally never even heard of who are great candidates for canonization.
There is Joseph Chihouatenhoua, the Huron catechist. The Iroquois martyrs: Etienne Tegananokoa, Francoise Gonnatenha, Marguerite Garangouas, and Etienne Haonhouentsiotaouet. There’s Catherine Gandeaktena (my personal favorite) who founded St. Kateri’s mission and who died in the odor of sanctity in 1673. There’s Louise Sighouin of the Coeur d’Alene, who also died in the odor of sanctity.
We need to spread their stories far and wide. Here are some of them:
http://lettersfromhoquessing.blogspot.com/search/label/Tales%20from%20the%20Catholic%20Frontier
I had to look up “died in the odor [odour] of sanctity.’
According to Sr. Joan L. Roccasalvo, C.S.J., posted at —
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/column/the-odor-of-sanctity-2075
In ascetical theology, “the odor of sanctity” has come to mean that fragrance proceeding from the person, clothing, or domicile of a saint during life or after death. The phrase also refers to a reputation for extraordinary holiness of life.
In examining causes for sainthood, postulators have found that saintly men and women have emitted agreeable fragrances such as orange-blossom, cinnamon, musk, and benjamin, or that of the violet and rose. (A. Poulain, The Graces of Interior Prayer, 375).
One of the truly wise and learned Catholic apologists on FR when I first got here was Black Elk. Haven’t seen or heard from him in ages. Are you still around, Black Elk? Is this who you honor with your name?
Isn’t the article missing a “not” between “did” and “conflict”?
I do not know, but understand why you are asking.
I'm so sorry to tell you, but Black Elk passed away Sunday, January 22, 2017 .
There is a monument to Black Elk in Blair, Nebraska.
Tower of the Four Winds.
Reading “Black Elk Speaks” in college, they tried to say he was a new age spiritualist. He was not.
I did not know that! One of my all-time favorite FReepers.
RIP Black Elk.
Yep! In the cases I mentioned it was metaphorical and not an actual odor.
Although my mom had a experience of that....she was taken to see Padre Pio when she was a girl and the only thing she remembers was that when he stepped out, the smell of roses was everywhere.
I had not known of Black Elk’s passing. A great man. Thank you, BlessedBeGod.
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