Eagle Voice Remembers

Book excerpt: "[Eagle Voice Remembers] is John Neihardt's mature and reflective interpretation of the old Sioux way of life. He served as a translator of the Sioux past, whose audience has proved not to be limited by space or time. Through Neihardt's writings Black Elk, Eagle Elk, and other old men who were of that last generation of Sioux to have participated in the old buffalo-hunting life and the disorienting period of strife with the U.S. Army found a literary voice. What they say chronicles a dramatic transition in the life of the Plains Indians; the record of their thoughts, interpreted by Neihardt, is a legacy preserved for the future. It transcends the specifics of this one tragic case of cultural misunderstanding and conflict and speaks to universal human concerns. It is a story worth contemplating both for itself and for the lessons it teaches all humanity."--from the introduction by Raymond J. DeMallie In her foreword Coralie Hughes discusses John G. Neihardt's intention that this book, formerly titled When the Tree Flowered, be understood as a prequel to his classic Black Elk Speaks. In this new edition David C. Posthumus adds clarity through his annotations, introducing Eagle Voice Remembers to a new generation of readers and presenting a fresh understanding for fans of the original.