# Neihardt-Black Elk Hike marks 10th anniversary on sacred peak  
**Published:** 2026-05-21T10:30:03.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/neihardt-black-elk-hike-to-celebrate-10th-anniversary/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/neihardt-black-elk-hike-marks-10th-anniversary-on-sacred-peak

One of the nation's most notable literary hikes will celebrate its 10th anniversary this month as participants ascend [Black Elk Peak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Elk_Peak), the 7,244-foot summit in South Dakota's Black Hills.

The [John Neihardt-Black Elk Hike](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/neihardt-black-elk-hike-to-celebrate-10th-anniversary/) is scheduled for Saturday, May 30, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Sylvan Lake Trailhead. The four- to five-hour trek commemorates a historic May 30 ascent decades ago by poet John Neihardt and Lakota medicine man Black Elk, whose collaboration produced the million-selling book "Black Elk Speaks."

The hike, led by members of the [John Neihardt Foundation](https://www.neihardtcenter.org/) and Black Elk's descendants, also honors the 2016 renaming of the mountain from Harney Peak to Black Elk Peak. [The U.S. Board on Geographic Names officially changed the name on August 11, 2016](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Elk_Peak), recognizing the peak's sacred significance to Native Americans and the offensive history associated with its former name.

"The importance of this hike is to reflect on a foundation of brotherhood that culminated in the greatest story ever," said Myron Pourier, a great-great grandson of Black Elk. Pourier will help lead the hike, alongside Walt Duda, a longtime leader of the Neihardt Foundation. A short program will precede the trek.

[John Neihardt](https://www.neihardtcenter.org/), the "poet laureate in perpetuity" of Nebraska, conducted interviews with Black Elk on the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1930-1931. ["Black Elk Speaks," published in 1932, relates the life of Black Elk and his people during the twilight years of the 19th century](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Elk_Speaks), including his accounts of the Battle of the Little Bighorn and the Wounded Knee Massacre.

The mountain holds particular spiritual significance. Black Elk received his transformative "great vision" atop the peak as a young man, describing it in the book: "I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and round about beneath me was the whole hoop of the world." A state historical site dedicated to Neihardt's works is located in Bancroft, Nebraska, featuring a bronze statue depicting Neihardt interviewing Black Elk.

Black Elk's family recently launched an effort to have him declared a saint by the Catholic Church. Black Elk converted to Catholicism later in life and was instrumental in converting dozens of other Native Americans to the faith.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/neihardt-black-elk-hike-to-celebrate-10th-anniversary/)
- [Wikipedia - Black Elk Peak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Elk_Peak)
- [Wikipedia - Black Elk Speaks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Elk_Speaks)
- [Neihardt Center](https://www.neihardtcenter.org/)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/neihardt-black-elk-hike-to-celebrate-10th-anniversary/.