Nomadic peoples and the mark of Cain -- The world of the Lakota -- A sacred voice is calling: the life of Black Elk -- The sacred hoop and the flowering tree: Black Elk's great vision -- Preserving Black Elk's legacy: John G. Neihardt, Joseph Epes Brown, and their critics -- Lakota traditionalist and/or Catholic catechist? -- The holy man from the east -- Conclusion: the legacy.