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Father's Roles And Society In Fools Crow By James Welch

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Not all Boys Grow up to be like their Father As the United States expands westward in the late 1800’s, Native American tribes that live on these frontier lands, are often feared ,misunderstood, and despised by white settlers who want to move onto the new lands. In “Fools Crow” by James Welch, the story of the Blackfoot Indians of Montana shares the growth and experiences of the Pikunis tribe and its people as they confront new white settlers and its impact on their society and culture. Blackfoot society in the late 1800’s is a patriarchal society that is led by chiefs, braves, and warriors. The relationships between fathers and sons in this patriarchal society affects the Pikuni people as they struggle with their relationships and interactions …show more content…

His first wife, Double Strike Woman, is the mother of his two sons, called White Man’s Dog/Fools Crow and Running Fisher. Rides-at-the-door also is married to Striped Face and Kills-Close-to-the-Lake, and each wife lives in a separate lodge or home. The children are primarily raised by their mother at a young age, learn about waging war and hunting as they get older. The oldest son, called White Man’s Dog or Fools Crow, is not viewed very favorably as a child, he is teased, considered weak, and not a future leader. Rides-at-the-door heard these comments about White Man’s Dog and did not take his oldest son seriously and considered him weak, until he becomes a man and his father’s opinion begins to change. Rides-at-the-door feared that his oldest son might be morose, even timid, and he had heard talk that he might be a coward. The following quote represents the first time Rides-at-the-door recognizes his son has potential to be a brave hunter, warrior, and leader of the Pikuni. “Rides-at-the-door pulled a burning stick from the fire and lit his pipe, his eyes shifted back to White Man’s Dog, who was telling a story about Napi, Old Man. As he watched his son act out the story, he felt a small seed of optimism grow in his chest” (9; ch. 2). Through the first eighteen years of his life, White Man’s Dog is given little respect from his family or people, and …show more content…

Traditional Pikuni society of handing down leadership roles and traditions from father to son affects this struggle. The relationship between fathers and sons affect the Pikuni people, as they struggle with the relationships and interactions with the white settlers. The relationship that Rides-at-the-door has with his sons, White Man’s Dog/Fools Crow and Running Fisher takes an unexpected turn as White Man’s Dog grows up and matures into a Pikuni chief, even though he is ridiculed as unworthy until he becomes a man. White Man’s Dog learns and respects the Pikuni ways and tries to keep his people together on their land during very difficult times. The relationship that Boss Ribs has with his son, Fast Horse, leads him to attack and kill white settlers. Fast Horse wants nothing to do with the Pikuni culture or society and lashes out against his people by attacking the white settlers. The actions of these father and son’s change the relationship between the Pikuni people and the white settlers. The lesson of this story is the not all boys grow up to be like their fathers, or what their father’s hope them to

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