Fools Crow (Contemporary American Fiction)

In 1967, bored with a steady diet of History classes, I enrolled in a Creative Writing class taught by Dick Hugo (University of Montana). There I became acquainted with a young Native American student/poet by the name of Jim Welch. He was a charming and gentle,shy soul. His poetry dwarfed the clumsy efforts of most of his classmates. Of course when he began to publish, I read each of his works as soon as I could get my hands on them. His voice is as authentic as you can find, to the point that it allows a "Napikwan" to live the life of a 19th century plains Indian. Having grown up among those same landscapes as are the settings for his novels, I can attest that he captures both the mood and the power of Blackfeet country, but in a way that we of the European descent simply do not normally see or feel. Fools crow somehow helped me see my world with the eyes of an American Indian and I believe that having experienced that I began life anew. Fools Crow is Jim Welch's masterpiece - and it should be mandatory reading. Follow up with his last novel - The Heartsong of Charging Elk. These two books should lead you to reexamine the way you view the world. We have lost James Welch, the person now - far too soon, but I believe that his work will continue to teach, and to affect, untold generations to come.

We're all familiar with the story of the American Indians, especially the buffalo-hunting Plains Indians. Yet Welch succeeds in covering this topic in a style and perspective that is still remarkably fresh. Even though previous works have tried in recent years to pull us into the lifestyle of the Native Americans, no writer has succeeded to the degree of Welch.

Through his use of Blackfeet Indian terminology, his concise writing style, his depiction of the tribe's mythology through dream sequences, and countless other elements, the reader is truly pulled into the lives of the Pikunis as they struggle to survive against disease and the encroachment of white settlers from the east. When I read of the local chiefs meeting with officers of the U.S. military, the white Americans truly felt like outsiders to me even as they were portrayed accurately. I felt that I understood the motivations of the majority of the Pikunis who simply wanted peace with dignity, as well as the minority that cried vehemently for war. Welch's perspective allows us for a moment to transcend politics.

Through this remarkably immersive portrait of Native American life, Welch tells one of the most tragic stories the world has yet witnessed, perhaps made more tragic by our knowing that it is indeed a true story. Present throughout the book is the overriding tone of inevitability that causes us to ask, "Why bother?" Much like Hamlet pondering the death of Yorick and the nature of death itself, so too we find ourselves contemplating the nature of an Indian society we know to be doomed from the start. Nonetheless, even as we recognize the onset of the defeat we know so well, we learn of how the traditions can still be protected, and we gain a greater appreciation for a culture most of us know little about.

In my opinion, Welch succeeded thoroughly in his work. When he experimented with dream sequences that were at times bizarre, he still accomplished his purpose and carried his message effectively. My only real qualm about this work is that it depicts an Indian group most people already have a good deal of familiarity with--the Plains Indians. It might have been more interesting for such a thoughtful depiction to consider a less well-known group. On the other hand, Fools Crow might very well be the definitive work on this semi-legendary segment of American history. In any case, any informed American is obliged to read this work.

James Welch's Fools Crow does an excellent job of bringing the reader into a Native American way of life. From the very start, this novel takes things that we see every day (like animals, people, dreams, and places) and looks at them from a new point of view. A major part of this new point of view is the vocabulary which Welch utilizes in describing everything in the Native American world. He does not refer to people, animals, and other things in the traditional, white American way, but instead, uses a Native American dialect and vocabulary. Fools Crow is not only a five star book because of its language, but also because it is an outstanding bildungsroman. It does a fascinating job of telling the story of a young man growing up in an ever-changing (and ever-diminishing) society where the decisions of himself and his peers will determine the future of his people. Another strong aspect of this novel is its use of dreams and visions to aid in foreshadowing and understanding of the Native American way of life. The novel helps to bring the reader into a world where the events which occur in someone's dreams contain deep meaning and play an important role in that persons life. Overall, Fools Crow is a great book to read for pleasure, for fun, and especially for a greater understanding and respect of Native American life. This is a book from which the reader walks away having learned and felt something that he or she has never experienced before.

I read this book for a summer class, and was therefore under a strict time constraint. Had I read it more leisurely, I may well have dropped the book as too much work for a casual read.

I'm very, very glad I stuck with it.

At first, the book's use of Pikuni concepts to describe common objects like the sun, moon, and animals is a bit disconcerting: the extra layer of decoding can be daunting, and I'm still not sure what a couple of the animals were supposed to be (I'm from New York, and plead ignorance regarding Western wildlife). However, a third of the way into the book I found myself hooked, and found that language decision to have been an effective means of drawing me into the characters and situations.

Other reviews address the historical context of the book. Look at [the internet] to get an idea of the events this book will cover, with more or less detailed attention to historical accuracy.

I came at it from a perspective of empathy and entertainment. The title character is very human, and rife with embarassing little secrets that allow us to identify with his struggles. Other characters are particularly human, and demonstrate the negative effects of bottling up secrets versus the positive side of sharing them and facing one's failings.

I suppose this review doesn't make sense without having read the book, which makes it a failure as a review. Well, here are some positive aspects of the book: Visceral confrontations will make your heart pound; Conflicting perspectives of 19th-century Euro-American western expansion will make your head pound; The cruelty of individuals among both the Pikuni and the Napikwan (whites) will make your heart ache.

If you find Native American culture at all fascinating, read this book. If you don't know a whit about Native American culture, read this book. If you've been turned off to Native American culture due to your school system's inadeqate handling of their perspective, read this book.

When I signed up for Native American Literature, I must confess that I had a preconceived notion that the assigned literature might be drab and depressing. The only Indian lit I had read previously was Leslie Marmon Silko, and while I can appreciate talent, I simply didn't like it. But "Fools Crow" by James Welch? PHENOMENAL!!!
Once you get the hang of the language he uses, you are absolutely transported to the plains where this coming-of-age story takes place.
What's unique about Welch is that he doesn't sentimentalize the plight of the Indians. He just tells a story, and a damn good one at that.
I don't want to give away the title and where it comes from, but I can sincerely say that this great story will give the reader a sense of the turmoil that was going on with Indian/white relations and perhaps give way to a new way of thinking.