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amarj33t_5ingh 's review for:
Fools Crow
by James Welch
An amazing coming of age tale set against the backdrop of a civilizational clash. "Fools Crow" follows the tale of White Man's dog (later Fools Crow after blooding himself in a raid), a young Blackfeet Indian charged with great mystic powers and his struggle to preserve his people in the face of manifest destiny.
Welch creates a surreal world in which the past and the present, myth and reality amalgamate to weave a mystical tapestry in which humanity confronts itself. Fools Crow and his tribe of Lone Eaters are the Earth's children, humble in sophistication but intelligent in their living. The juxtaposed whites meanwhile are afflicted by hubris and possessed of the belief that the end of the Indian is neigh.
The distinctiveness of Welch's work can be gauged from the fact that his Indians are not the stereotypic monochromatic naturists of the Occidental purview. They are progressive in their own right, have property rights and are astute statesmen among themselves. They are able to discern the true intent behind the settler's design for them, but are not possessed of a keen insight into the white psyche to adjudge their next course of action.
While their fellow Indians take to their weapons to confront the whites, Fools Crow and the Lone Eaters emphasize co-existence. The novel ends with two poignant events. The 1870 massacre of unarmed friendly Blackfeet by the US 2nd Cavalry, and Fools Crow's resolve that the Blackfeet will preserve their culture while living in the White Man's world.
"Fools Crow" is a warrior's story, a tale of necessary sacrifices for a better future and the pursuit of justice in a changing world.
Welch creates a surreal world in which the past and the present, myth and reality amalgamate to weave a mystical tapestry in which humanity confronts itself. Fools Crow and his tribe of Lone Eaters are the Earth's children, humble in sophistication but intelligent in their living. The juxtaposed whites meanwhile are afflicted by hubris and possessed of the belief that the end of the Indian is neigh.
The distinctiveness of Welch's work can be gauged from the fact that his Indians are not the stereotypic monochromatic naturists of the Occidental purview. They are progressive in their own right, have property rights and are astute statesmen among themselves. They are able to discern the true intent behind the settler's design for them, but are not possessed of a keen insight into the white psyche to adjudge their next course of action.
While their fellow Indians take to their weapons to confront the whites, Fools Crow and the Lone Eaters emphasize co-existence. The novel ends with two poignant events. The 1870 massacre of unarmed friendly Blackfeet by the US 2nd Cavalry, and Fools Crow's resolve that the Blackfeet will preserve their culture while living in the White Man's world.
"Fools Crow" is a warrior's story, a tale of necessary sacrifices for a better future and the pursuit of justice in a changing world.