Elk Power

 

"Spotted Tail was a great chief.  He did not drink or use the white man's tobacco.  But he loved women.  He could not resist them, and they could not resist him.  One of his nicknames was Speaking With Women . . . Altogether he had four wives, each with a fine tipi for herself and her children.  He was a good husband, a good provider, and a loving father.  But he had the elk power, which charms women.  There was nothing wrong with this from the Indian point of view at that time.  We do not think about such matters as white missionaries do."

Leonard Crow Dog

Lakota Medicine Man

Photo: Bull elk seeking more females for his herd; Long's Peak in the background; Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, October 10, 2011