The Individual vs. the Collective Good Theme Analysis

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 when members of the tribe behave selfishly or ignore the needs of others, it often means trouble for the Pikunis as a whole. Through this representation of tribal life, author James Welch argues the importance of native community and the need to always balance personal desires with the greater needs of the group.  

Throughout Fools Crow, the Pikuni people often forego their personal desires or needs for the sake of the tribe. After Yellow Kidney, a Pikuni warrior, disappears during a horse raid against the Crow, White Man’s Dog begins to hunt for Yellow Kidney’s family. Without Yellow Kidney, his family has no way to feed themselves, and White Man’s Dog takes on this responsibility in addition to his own hunting to ensure their survival. When Heavy Shield Woman, Yellow Kidney’s wife, fulfills the role of Sacred Vow Woman, a spiritual ritual which brings good luck and prosperity to the Pikuni people, she does so at great personal risk. In addition to fasting for several days and embarking on an arduous journey across the plains, Heavy Shield Woman must sell all her possessions to obtain the supplies needed for the vow and her success is not guaranteed; if the spiritual world deems her not powerful or virtuous enough, great harm will come to the Pikuni people, and she will be cast out despite her efforts.

Once Fast Horse, another young Pikuni warrior, is found to be at fault for Yellow Kidney’s capture and torture, the tribal elders must convince Boss Ribs, a respected member of the tribe and Fast Horse’s father, to banish his own son. Three Bears, the chief of the Lone Eaters, claims Fast Horse must be banished “for the good of his people,” as well as for the young man’s own safety. He fears retaliation by other tribal members for Fast Horse’s actions, and his presence in camp causes widespread unrest. To calm this conflict, Boss Ribs must turn away his son for the good of the people.

Lastly, as white settlers continue to encroach on Pikuni land, several tribal members wish to fight. Rides-at-the-door, White Man’s Dog’s father and a respected war chief, insists they stand down, fearing the violence of the United States military. Rides-at-the-door knows that his people won’t survive an attack by the seizers, stating, “If we treat wisely with them, we will be able to save enough for ourselves and our children. It is not an agreeable way, but it is the only way.” Rides-at-the-door too wishes to fight for their land, but for the good of the tribe, he must quell his desire and instead encourage peace with the white settlers. Each of these instances underscores the value of working towards the collective good.

Conversely, when members of the tribe act in self-interest, there are often dire consequences for all. Owl Child, a young Pikuni warrior, ignores his elders’ warnings to avoid the advancing settlers and begins to kill Napikwans (white settlers) and steal their horses. His behavior is an act of resistance, but it also serves to increase his own wealth, and Three Bears fears that if “these foolish young men continue their raiding and killing of the Napikwans, we will all suffer. The seizers will kill us, and the Pikuni people will be as the shadows of the land.” Owl Child’s greed and vengeance thus endangers them all.

Similarly, it is Fast Horse’s boastful behavior that directly leads to Yellow Kidney’s capture and mutilation. When the Pikunis enter the Crow camp during a horse raid, Fast Horse loudly scoffs at the Crow and gives away the Pikunis’ location. Subsequently, Yellow Kidney is captured, and his fingers are savagely chopped off as a warning to future Pikuni who wish to rob the Crow. Fast Horse’s excessive pride effects not only Yellow Kidney, but the future of the tribe as well: without his fingers, Yellow Kidney can’t pull a bow or a trigger, and he won’t be able to hunt game or war enemies.

After Yellow Kidney returns to the Lone Eaters’ camp, White Man’s Dog is ordered by the chief to alert the outlying bands. As he approaches the camp of the Black Patched Moccasins, White Man’s Dog learns that the band’s chief, Little Dog, has been murdered by his own people. Little Dog had befriended the Napikwans and “put the interests of the Napikwans before those of the Pikunis.” Little Dog’s lone actions threatened the tribe’s way of life, and while the men who killed him certainly betrayed him in death, “it was [Little Dog] who betrayed the people.” The Black Patched Moccasins killed their chief for the good of the tribe and their sacred way of life.

Ultimately, it is Owl Child’s selfish actions that lead to the senseless massacre of nearly two hundred Pikuni. After Malcolm Clark, a local rancher, catches Owl Child stealing his horses and slaps him, humiliating him in front of his people, Owl Child kills Clark to save face. Owl Child’s violent revenge further strains the already tense relationship between the Blackfeet and the United States government, and the military responds by opening fire on the camp of Heavy Runner, a Pikuni chief who had previously been promised protection by the government. It is not long after the massacre, known historically as the Marias Massacre, that the Lone Eaters are forced to move north and abandon their ancestral lands. While Owl Child’s self-interest is surely not to blame for westward expansion, Welch implies that had Owl Child not sought revenge on Malcolm Clark, perhaps Heavy Runner’s camp would have been spared. Owl Child fails to act in the best interest of his people, and it is in this way that Welch argues the importance of the tribe over the importance of individual desire.