Fools Crow Themes

Fools Crow chronicles the coming of age of White Man’s Dog, later Fools Crow, a member of the Blackfeet tribe of Indians during the 1860s. As they live and hunt along the western plains of the Montana Territory, the Pikuni people face harsh conditions and daily challenges, and each individual decision must be weighed against the good of the tribe. The communal nature of Pikuni life leaves little room for self-interest or greed, and…

As White Man’s Dog and the other Pikuni Indians live, hunt, and war on the western plains of the Montana Territory, they are surrounded by signs of encroaching white settlers. The white man, or Napikwan, first appeared on Pikuni lands years earlier—even Rides-at-the-door, White Man’s Dog’s father, “picked up [English] from a missionary” as a child—but by White Man’s Dog’s eighteenth winter, the white presence has increased considerably and presents new dangers. The…

Throughout protagonist White Man’s Dog’s transformation into Fools Crow, he and the other warriors of the Lone Eaters band of the Pikuni Indians frequently war with enemy tribes. Warring holds great significance within Pikuni culture, and it provides warriors with wealth in the form of horses and power; Pikuni society is patriarchal, and authority over other men—and women—is obtained through warring. Only successful warriors have many horses and wives, which leads to higher social…

Throughout Fools Crow, protagonist White Man’s Dog, later Fools Crow, is guided both literally and metaphorically by the natural world. The sky and the stars take center stage, and against the familiar backdrop of the constellations, Fools Crow and the other Pikuni Indians search for meaning on the vast western plains of the Montana Territory. As hunters and gatherers, the Pikuni people have a deep appreciation for nature, and the rich history of…