Black Elk Speaks Characters

Iron Hawk is a Hunkpapa Lakota and Black Elk’s childhood friend. Iron Hawk is present for Black Elk’s conversations with Neihardt and contributes information pertaining to his involvement in the Battle of the Rosebud and the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Fire Thunder is Black Elk’s childhood friend. Fire Thunder is present during Black Elk’s conversations with Neihardt and adds clarifying details to Black Elk’s narrative.

Ben Black Elk is Black Elk’s son. He is present during Black Elk’s conversations with Neihardt and serves as translator.

Whirlwind Chaser is Standing Bear’s uncle and the medicine man who cures Black Elk when he falls ill and has his first vision. Whirlwind Chaser tells Black Elk’s mother and Black Elk’s father that there is something special about their son.

Buffalo Bill, also known as William Cody, was a U.S. soldier and showman. Black Elk joins Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and travels throughout Europe with the production from 1886-1889. Black Elk also refers to Buffalo Bill as Pahuska, the Lakota word for “Long Hair.”

Watanye is an older Lakota man who teaches Black Elk to fish and tells him the story of High Horse.

Refuse-to-Go is Black Elk’s maternal grandfather. Refuse-to-Go doesn’t appear much in the story, but Black Elk says that he is very close to him.

Plenty Eagle feathers is Black Elk’s grandmother and White Cow Sees’s mother.

Red Eagle woman is Black Elk’s grandmother and Black Elk’s father’s mother.

Drinks Water is a Lakota holy man who has a premonition about the Lakota people’s dire future.

High Horse is the subject of Watanye’s tale, “High Horse’s Courting,” a story about High Horse’s attempts to win over a girl he likes.

Red Deer is High Horse’s friend. Red Deer assists High Horse in winning over his love interest.

Crow Nose is a Lakota horse guard who murders a Crow trying to steal a horse.

Three Stars is U.S. Cavalry General George Crook. Crazy Horse’s warriors defeat Three Stars’s troops at the Battle of the Rosebud in 1876. Three Stars was also involved in the treaty of 1889, which took away much of what remained of the Black Hills for the Sioux people.

Rattling Hawk is a Lakota warrior wounded in the Battle of the Rosebud. Black Elk helps Hairy Chin, an old medicine man, heal Rattling Hawk.

Hairy Chin is an old Lakota medicine man who heals Rattling Hawk. Black Elk helps Hairy Chin with Rattling Hawk’s healing ceremony.

Black Wasichu is Black Elk’s cousin who dies in the Battle of Little Big Horn.

Gall is a Hunkpapa chief. Gall fought in the Battle of Little Bighorn. He and Sitting Bull flee with their people to Canada to avoid living on agencies.

Dull Knife is a chief whose Shyela tribe was attacked by Colonel Mackenzie in November 1876.

Spotted Tail is Crazy Horse’s uncle; he’s a Lakota chief. Black Elk is critical of Spotted Tail, who he thinks is too cooperative with the U.S. government.

Running Horse is Black Elk’s uncle. Black Elk is hunting bison with Running Horse when he hears a voice that alerts him to a band of nearby Crows, who are enemies to the Lakota.

Hard-to-Hit is Black Elk’s cousin who dies while Black Elk’s people are in Canada.

Bear Sings is a medicine man who helps Black Elk perform the horse dance.

Black Road is a medicine man who helps Black Elk perform the horse dance. He also tells Black Elk that performing his vision publicly will allow him to access the powers it imbues him with and be accepted by his people.

Few Tails is a medicine man who helps Black Elk perform the lamenting ceremony that leads to his dog vision.

Wachpanne is a man with heyoka experience who helps Black Elk perform the heyoka ceremony.

One Side is Black Elk’s friend who helps him perform the heyoka ceremony and is present when Black Elk finds the sacred four-rayed herb. One Side also helps Black Elk perform the bison ceremony.

Cuts-to-Pieces is a man whose son is cured by Black Elk in his first healing experience.

Fox Belly is a medicine man who helps Black Elk perform the bison ceremony.

Running Elk is Standing Bear’s uncle who helps Black Elk with the elk ceremony.

Good Thunder is a Lakota man with whom Black Elk dances the Ghost Dance, and one of the men Black Elk’s people send to report back on Wovoka’s legitimacy.

Kicking Bear is a Lakota man heavily involved in the Ghost Dance movement. Black Elk dances with Kicking Bear and Good Thunder.

Big Foot is a Minneconjou Lakota chief. He and his people are killed at the Wounded Knee Massacre.

Dog Chief is Black Elk’s friend who was present at the beginning of the Wounded Knee Massacre and tells him how the battle began.