Digressing from his story to refer to the present (that is, as he is talking to Neihardt), Black Elk expresses distaste for living in square houses that lack the power and sacredness of the circular tepee. He calls his people prisoners of war and fixes his thoughts on the world of the spirit. He notes that boys don’t come into manhood now as early as they used to, which he sees as a further sign of the degeneration of Indian culture. He then returns to his story.
Black Elk thinks about the four-rayed blossoming herb he saw in his first great vision and in the dog vision. He and One Side go out to find it and, after singing a sacred song, Black Elk sees it growing in a gulch. He digs it up and brings it home. Cuts-to-Pieces comes and asks him to attend to his little boy, who is seriously ill. Black Elk performs his first healing, using the herb and a cup, a pipe, and an eagle bone whistle, representing the sacred objects of his early vision. Singing, he calls on every power he knows to heal the sick boy. He feels great grief passing through him, and he sees that the boy has recovered. Cuts-to-Pieces gives him a horse in return for curing his son, although Black Elk says he would have done it for nothing. Black Elk is nineteen; his reputation as a healer begins.
