Fools Crow Characters
Rides-at-the-door
White Man's Dog's father, one of the leaders of the lone eaters
Double Strike Woman
White Man's Dog and Running Fisher's real mother, Rides-at-the-door's first wife and sits beside him wife
Striped Face
Rides-at-the-door's second wife, Double Strike Woman's younger sister
Kills-close-to-the-lake
Rides-at-the-door's third wife ("trophy wife"), has crush on White Man's Dog but has an affair with Running Fisher and gets banished for it
White Man's Dog/Fools Crow
Main character of book (2 names)
Running Fisher
Fools Crow's younger brother, becomes like Fast Horse after eclipse on raid, has affair with Kills-close-to-the-lake and is banished
Yellow Kidney
Red Paint's father and was important war chief until horse raid when he is captured, gets his fingers cut off, and gets white scabs. Comes back and goes into depression. Later killed in war lodge by white man.
Heavy Shield Women
Red Paint's mother, Yellow Kidney's wife. Becomes sacred vow women, hard life.
Butterfly/Sleepbringer
Fools Crow and Red Paint's child (2 names)
Good Young Man
Red Paints younger brother, Yellow Kidney and Heavy Shield Women's son, middle child, dies of white scabs
One Spot
Red Paint's youngest brother, Yellow Kidney and Heavy Shield Women's youngest son, attacked by wolf and gets rabies but Fools Crow heals him
Boss Ribs
Fast Horse's father, keeper of Beaver Medicine Bundle, one of the tribes leaders
Fast Horse
White Man's Dog's old best friend, Boss Ribs' son, used to be cocky and confident but after horse raid became depressed/angry, left tribe to stay and go with Owl Child
Mik-api
Tribal medicine man, teaches Fools Crow healing methods
Red Paint
Fools Crow's wife, daughter of Yellow Kidney and Heavy Shield women
Three Bears
Head Chief of lone eaters, dies in the end from white scabs
Young Bird Chief
Supposed to be next in line for head chief, represents young leader point of view, ends up dying from white scabs
White Grass Women
Tribe gossip, fat, used as entertainment
Mountain Chief
Leader of Many Chiefs tribe (tribe where Owl Child originated), would go to war with Napikwans if given the chance
Owl Child
Raider of Napikwans, violent, leader of bad gang, does what he likes and doesn't consider the consequences
Heavy Runner
Pikuni leader, wants to make peace and cooperate with whites, gets them to sign treaty, but it is useless. Is killed by seizers.
Pretty-On-top
Indian, comes with Sturgis to Lone-eaters tribe to bring news that white scabs has come to Pikuni tribes, warns lone eaters
Fox Eyes
War chief, killed by Bull Shield in Crow raid when taking revenge for Yellow Kidney, wanted to die because of eclipse?
Black Patched Moccasins
Tribe which White Man's Dog travels to to inform them of Heavy Shield Women desire to become sacred vow women at sun dance. The tribe is a mess, fallen from earlier glory.
Little Dog
Was head chief of all Pikunis and Black Patch Mocassins, followed whites ways, then betrayed his own people and gave up on Pikuni ways, became a leader without a band, and his own people killed him
Mad Plume
Current leader of black patched moccasins
Joe Kipp
Half Pikuni/half white, scout, works with white men, translates, brings Snelling around to tribes. Lone Eaters think of him as a traitor?
Malcom Clark/Four Bears
Killed by Owl Child, white trader
Sturgis
White man who has adopted Indian ways because he married Indian women. She died because of white scabs. Now he travels with pretty-on-top to inform lone eaters of the white scabs is in the Pikuni tribes now and how to stay healthy.
Napikwans
Indian word for whites
Seizers
Whites who attack/take over Indian tribes and land, violent/destructive
General Sully
White man in charge of Indian policy in Pikuni area, works at Four Horns Agency, meets with a couple of Pikuni leaders to discuss treaty
Bull Shield
Leader of the Crow tribe, cuts of Yellow Kidney's fingers and humiliates him, Fools Crow kills him for revenge
Crow
Tribe which Lone-eaters take horses from and take revenge on, enemies
Spotted Horse Camp
Where Yellow Kidney is healed of white scabs
So-at-sa-ki/Feather Woman
Mythological/spiritual person. She is married to Morning Star, she is a pikuni. Her son is Star boy. She digs up forbidden turnip, sees world with her family and misses them. Sun kicks her out of this "heaven" and is now on earth, crying every day for her old life and husband and son.
NItsokan
Dream bringer
Seco-mo-muck-on
Mythological/spiritual person. Keeper of fire, goes to sleep on journey, kills fire, makes up major lie to the rest of the trip how fire burnt out, blames Awnna, eventually gets struck by lightning and dies
Raven
Mik-api's power animal, leads Fools Crow a lot also
Beaver Medicine Bundle
Healing bag that Boss Ribs is in charge of, story of Akaiyan and Nopatis
Sand Hills
Blackfeet form of heaven
Wolverine
Fools Crow's power animal
Backbone of the world
Rocky Mountains
Medicine Line
North, Canada/US dividing line
White Scabs disease
Yellow fever/smallpox
James Welch
Author, born 1940 died 2003. Part Blackfoot Indian, part GrosVentre. Wrote about past and contemporary Native Americans. Other books include The Indian Lawyer, The Heartsong of Charging Elk, Winter in Blood, etc. Prizes include LA times book prize, American book award, and Pacific Northwest Bookseller's award.