Week 7: Fools Crow by James Welch (Penguin, 1986, paperback)
In teaching American literature from the colonial period to the Civil War, I wanted to bring in my work with American Indian literature. I was disappointed to find, though that the survey reader that we are using starts American literature with a diary entry from Columbus. When I asked a book representative why, the response was that American Indian scholars they’ve consulted argued that few definitive texts, written by American Indians, exist to be included. Some readers do include American Indian myths. Because most of these were written down by white researchers, they’re questionable as American Indian “literature”. Most of the material available are either autobiographies—Black Hawk, Black Elk—or speeches—written by American Indians come after the arrival of the Europeans. While important texts, what’s missing is the literary component of this experience.
The closest we currently come to a literary experience of the time just after the arrival of the Europeans may be through the novel Fools Crow by James Welch, published in 1986. I’d known of Welch’s novel in my search for texts for my Multicultural American Literature course. My requirements for texts for that course are that the focus of the text as well as the author representative their respective cultural groups—I don’t want my students reading a novel written by a non-American Indian about American Indians. I wasn’t able, at least in my mind, to clarify Welch’s ethnic background. Most bios on him indicated that he went to school on reservations, but didn’t fully identify his tribal affiliation. Recently, though I was able to talk with other scholars in the field that satisfied my requirements. (It also helped that Debra Magpie Earling, whose Flathead Indian novel I just read, was a student of Welch’s and credits his work in finishing her novel.)
Now that I’ve taken the time to read Welch’s novel, I’m very appreciative that I got past my initial reservations. Welch narrates the tragic yet resilient story of Fools Crow and his Blackfeet Indian band, as they face the inevitable changes that the whites bring to their land. Welch’s depiction is balanced, presenting Indians (and the whites) as victims and aggressors as these two groups struggle for the same land and resources. Welch’s skill is to draw us into the reality of these Indians—they are not just mystic innocents connected to the land, but they are real individuals trying to follow cultural morays while meeting their daily needs. Some succeed in this balance; others do not. Either way, these are real characters and not caricatures.
Welch does delve into the spiritual, using dreams and spiritual journeys to allow us to see the characters looking for meaning in their lives. He even allows the possibility of these worlds interacting, particularly in the section where Fools Crow goes on an extended spiritual journey as his tribe faces a difficult time. Through this vision, Fools Crow is able to see the tragedies facing his people as more and more whites come, yet he leaves with hope that he can guide his people. When he returns and smallpox has devastated his tribe and others, the reader fully understands the mixture of lost and pride that drives these characters.
At points, I did wonder how closely Welch may be moving towards the style of historical novels like The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel, which I’ll admit I view as more popular reading that literary. (I’ll readily admit I have not read this novel). However, I think Welch avoids this through the nature of his story—Fools Crow, while clearly our narrative hero, is as realist a character as the others. He struggles and does not necessarily save his tribe; yet we are engaged and hopeful by his choice. This novel succeeds because it provides us historical integrity through an engaging narrative. I feel I better understand this cultural and people sacrificed for American expansion; and I’m already picking up other Welch novels to continue my appreciation of his writing.
Next week . . . Fun House by Alison Bechdel.