A new edition of “Black Elk Speaks,” the internationally acclaimed best seller by John G. Neihardt, is available from the University of Nebraska Press.

Black Elk Speaks: The Complete Edition features a new introduction by historian Philip J. Deloria and preserves the annotations of Black Elk’s story by renowned Lakota scholar Raymond J. DeMallie. Three essays by John G. Neihardt provide background on this landmark work, along with pieces by Vine Deloria Jr., Alexis Petri and Lori Utecht. Maps, original illustrations by Standing Bear, and a set of appendixes are included.

“We are extremely pleased that Black Elk Speaks: The Complete Edition is available from the University of Nebraska Press. This book is part of the foundation of what we do, and it represents our proud heritage as one of the leading publishers of works of enduring significance in the fields of Native Studies and the American West,” said Donna Shear, UNP director.

In 1930, Neihardt met Lakota holy man Black Elk, who told Neihardt of his life. These conversations led Neihardt to write Black Elk Speaks. First published in 1932, it quickly became the world’s most influential book about Native American culture and religion.

Neihardt authored several classics, including “A Cycle of the West” and “Eagle Voice Remembers,” both available in Bison Books editions. He was named Nebraska’s first poet laureate and foremost poet of the nation by the National Poetry Center in 1936.

See a complete listing of books in UNP’s John G. Neihardt Library online.