Fools Crow: Difference between revisions

{{For|the traditional Lakota leader|Frank Fools Crow}}{{Short description|1986 novel written by James Welch}}

{{Italic title}}{{Infobox book| <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books -->

| country = [[United States]]

| language = [[English language|English]]

| release_date = [[1986 in literature|1986]]

| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]]hardback & [[Paperback]]paperback)

| isbn = ISBN 0-14-008937-3
| isbn_note = (Paperback edition)

'''''Fools Crow''''' is a 1986 novel written by Native American author [[James Welch (writer)|James Welch]]. Set in [[Montana]] shortly after the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], this novel tells of White Man's Dog (later known as Fools Crow), a young Blackfeet Indian on the verge of manhood, and his tribeband, known as the Lone Eaters. The invasion of white society threatens to change their traditional way of life, and they must choose to fight or assimilate. The story is a powerful portrait of a fadingculture wayunder ofpressure lifefrom colonization. The story culminates with the historic [[Marias Massacre]] of 1870, in which the [[U.S. Cavalry]] mistakenly killed a friendly band of Blackfeet, consisting mostly of non-combatants.

{{long plot|date=May 2013}}

Set in 1870, the novel is about the lives of the southern [[Blackfoot Confederacy|Blackfeet]] people. The main character, White Man's Dog, joins his friend Fast Horse in a night-time raid against the [[Crow Nation|Crow]]. White Man's Dog is portrayed as weak and powerless. Because of that, he visits the [[medicine man]]. Yellow Kidney appoints White Man's Dog to lead the young warriors in stealing a herd of horses. White Man's Dog is first wary, but he sings his warrior songs to gain courage. As they drive the horses away from the village, a scout appears. White Man's Dog rushes in and kills the scout. Fast Horse shouts, by mistake awakening the village, and the Crow respond. Yellow Kidney hides in a lodge where he sees people sleeping. He hides beneath the robes (sleeping bag) of a young girl. He becomes aroused and has sex withrapes her before realizing she is dying of a disease they call White Scabs (smallpox). Trying to escape, Yellow Kidney is shot and captured by the Crow. They cut off his fingers, tie him to a horse, and send him out into a driving snowstorm.

White Man's Dog returns to his tribe and gains respect for the raid. Feeling responsible for the loss of Yellow Kidney, he begins to provide the youth's family with food and supplies. Yellow Kidney finally returns to camp and tells the story of Fast Horse's error. Shamed, Fast Horse leaves the tribe, joining Owl Child and his renegade band in killing the encroaching ''Napikwans'' (white people).

After a raid on the Crow, White Man's Dog earnscame thehome nameand ofwas Foolsgiven Crow,a afternaming returningceremony. toHe thewas Crowin tribea drunken state however, whereand had told everyone that he tookhad thepretended scalpto ofbe theirdead chiefand then killed and scalped Bull Shield. In reality however, byhe pretendinghad passed out for only a few seconds which led Bull Shield to bebelieve he was dead, but White Man's Dog reached for his gun and shot the Crow chief three times before he could be killed himself. His stories were greatly exaggerated and that led to Rumorspeople spreadthinking that he had used his "good medicine" to confuse the Crow, hence the name that he was given, "Fools Crow."

After his return, Fools Crow has a second dream, in which the Raven, a powerful figure, orders him to kill a mountain man who had been hunting animals for fun and leaving their bodies to rot. The Pikunis consider this to be heinous, as their culture works to keep balance and take no more than they need. Fools Crow finds the Napikwan and attacks him; after a tough fight, Fools Crow kills his foe and suffers a spear wound. He takes a wolf's scalp from the Napikwan. He is recruited to take over the Dry Bones and learn the Beaver medicine.

Yellow Kidney decides to leave the tribe, feeling isolated by losing his fingers. While out alone, he decides to go back and name Red Paint's child as Yellow Calf. He accepts his mutilation and realizes that he can live well even without the use of his fingers. Before his return to the band, he is shot by a Napikwan. He was avenging terrorism by Owl Child's gang.

Red Paint's younger brother contracts rabies after being bitten by a rabid wolf. Fools Crow is called to cure him, as his teacher Mik-api is away, healing another tribe. Fools Crow has changed from a warrior to a healer.

The book ends with Fools Crow visiting the mythic Feather Woman, the wife of Morning Star and mother of Star Boy. Fools Crow watches a "yellow hide" and notices that images are forming within the hide. The yellow hide reveals fourfive different visions.

*OneThe first is the destructionspread of Heavysmallpox Runner'swithin his camp, bywith thenumerous dead bodies stacked seizerson (whitea soldiers)platform.

*The second is Indianthe childrendestruction attendingof aHeavy boardingRunner's schoolcamp withby theirthe hairseizers cut(white offsoldiers).

*The third is thelifeless spreadland ofall smallpoxaround within his camp, withthe numerousregion; deadnot bodiesone stackedanimal oncan abe platformseen.

*The lastfourth is lifelessIndian landchildren allattending arounda theboarding region;school notwith onetheir animalhair cancut be seenoff.

Feather Woman tells Fools Crow to prepare the Pikuni for what is to come and to pass on their traditions. She tells him that he can do much good for the Pikuni and that he will pass on the stories. Fools Crow returns to his tribe, but he is unable to prevent the disasters he has foreseen.

He meets Native Americans being forced to migrate north and accepts that the Napikwan are swarming over the land. His people must change their way of life, shifting from bison and game to fish. At the conclusion, Welch tells about the Pikuni through the animals, showing that although their practices changed, their culture lives on indefinitely.

*'''WhiteThree Man's Dog/Fools CrowBears'''&nbsp;– Protagonist.Chief of WillLone eventuallyEaters. leadWell-respected. his tribe.

*'''Rides-at-the-Door'''&nbsp;– Fools Crow's father. Becomes chief after Three Bears dies.

*'''Kills Close to the Lake'''- Third wife of Rides-at-the-Door. She is 17 years old.

*'''Running Fisher'''&nbsp;– Fools Crow's brother.

*'''Yellow Kidney'''&nbsp;– Leader of the horse raid, where he rapes a dying young woman and is captured. Father of Red Paint and father-in-law of Fools Crow. Eventually killed by the Napikwan.

*'''Heavy Shield Woman'''&nbsp;– Wife onlyof Yellow Kidney.

*'''Mik-Api'''&nbsp;– Medicine man of the Blackfeet. Teaches Fools Crow the traditional songs and medicines.

*'''Mountain Chief Mountain'''&nbsp;– Pikuni chief who aligns with armed struggle rather than compromise. (Not historically accurate. [[Mountain Chief]] was the final leader of the Blackfeet tribe, not Rides-at-the-door, a fictional character.)

''Fools Crow'' was praisedwell-received by critics. It alsowas receivedawarded the [[List of Los Angel'sAngeles Times Book Prize winners|Los Angeles Times Book Prize]],<ref>{{cite news|last=The Los Angeles Times|title=The Los Angeles Times Book Prize, 1987 : FICTION PRIZE|url=httphttps://articleswww.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-10-04/books/-bk-32946_1_book32946-prizesstory.html|accessdateaccess-date=1 May 2013|date=4 October 1987}}</ref> [[American Book Award]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Cool Montana Stories- James Welch|url=http://montanakids.com/cool_stories/famous_montanans/welch.htm|accessdateaccess-date=1 May 2013}}</ref> and the [[Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award|url=http://seattle.bibliocommons.com/explore/print_list/award/221453_pacific_northwest_booksellers_association_award_%28pnba%29?display_quantity=50&entire_list=true&page=4|accessdateaccess-date=1 May 2013}}</ref>

*Little Eagle, Lionel, ''Greengrass Pipe Dancers - Crazy Horse's Pipe Bag and a Search for Healing'' (Naturegraph Publishers, 2000, {{ISBN |0-87961-250-9}})

*Lowie, Robert H.: "Ceremonialism in North America", ''American Anthropologist'' 16:4 (1914), 602-31. httphttps://www.jstor.org/stable/660776, accessed 11/04/2008 17:34

[[Category:1986 American novels]]