Ethics of Polyphony: The Example of Black Elk Speaks

Black Elk p rays to th e six gr an d fath er s, r e en act in g a scen e fro m h is G r e a t V isio n . H e w ears red lo n g u n d erw ear to r ep r esen t th e red b od y p ain t h e w ore in h is v isio n . Black an d w h ite p h o to gr ap h by Jo h n N e ih ar d t. Jo h n G . N e ih a r d t P a p e r s, c . 1 8 5 8 - 1 9 7 4 . R e p r in t e d w ith p e r m issio n fr o m H ild a N e ih a r d t w it h t h e a ssist a n c e o f t h e W e st e r n H ist o r ic a l M a n u sc r ip t C o lle c t io n - C o lu m b ia , U n iv e r sit y o f M isso u r i/ St a t e H ist o r ic a l So c ie t y o f M isso u r i. E t h ic s o f P o ly p h o n y : T h e E x a m p le o f B l a c k E l k S p e a k s A n d r e a s K r ie f a l l P o l y p h o n y a s a n E t h i c s o f M u l t i c u l t u r a l i s m In 1 9 3 0 , a se lf- st y le d sin g e r o f t h e g r a n d d r a m a o f w e st e r n e x p a n ­ sio n , a p o e t sp u r r e d b o t h b y a n a r c h iv ist ’s p a ssio n fo r g a t h e r in g o r a l a u t h e n t ic a t io n o f h is e p ic v e r se a n d a t r a d it io n a list ’s flig h t fr o m m o d ­ e r n a lie n a t io n , v isit e d t h e P in e R id g e L a k o t a r e se r v a t io n lo o k in g fo r a “g e n u in e ” I n d ia n p e r sp e c t iv e . In c o n n e c t io n w it h h is r e se a r c h fo r a n a r r a t iv e p o e m o n t h e G h o st D a n c e a n d t h e W o u n d e d K n e e M a ssa c r e , so m e o n e h a d g iv e n h im t h e n a m e o f a n o b sc u r e e x - sh a m a n sa id t o h a v e figu r e d p r o m in e n t ly in t h o se fa t e fu l e p iso d e s o f Sio u x h ist o r y . In se e k in g t...