Elsie Flood was Mary’s grandmother’s niece. Elsie was one of the Lakota traditionalists who had an enormous influence on Mary, who sought her out to learn more about Lakota culture. Elsie was a “turtle woman,” or a resilient and independent person. She was also a medicine woman and a talented artist. In 1976, her naked and beaten body was found in her home. Her violent death, and the fact that the state never investigated her murder, speaks to the U.S. government and white society’s. misogyny and racism. Mary still mourns the loss of the Elsie, with whom so much traditional wisdom died.
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Elsie Flood Character Timeline in Lakota Woman
The timeline below shows where the character Elsie Flood appears in Lakota Woman. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2: Invisible Fathers
...Dick Fool Bull, who took her to her first peyote meeting, and her grandmother’s niece, Elsie Flood . Elsie was a “turtle woman,” which means that she was a resilient and independent...
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Chapter 11: Birth Giving
...to ensure longevity for the baby—particularly as the woman who could do this, her aunt Elsie Flood , was dead. But Mary still wanted to incorporate Lakota traditions where she could, like...
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