Fools Crow: Chapter 10 Summary & Analysis

Meanwhile, the Lone Eaters camp near Riplinger’s trading house, keeping their distance from the other bands trading there. The women trade for cloth, pots, and white man’s cooking powder, and the children enjoy candy and dolls. The men trade hides for tobacco, half axes, and the coveted many-shots gun, of which there are only a few.

Only the important men can get a many-shots gun. Riplinger has only eighteen repeating rifles, and he presents them to the chiefs in hopes that it will strengthen their trading relationship. As Rides-at-the-door arrives, Riplinger greets him first in Blackfeet, then in Napikwans’ language. Riplinger respects Rides-at-the-door as a smart man; he is one of the few Indians known to speak the English language as well. Still, Rides-at-the-door does not like the Napikwans, and his responses to Riplinger are short and curt.

Riplinger makes small talk and offers Rides-at-the-door a drink. He declines, and Riplinger presents him with a many-shots gun. As he leaves, Rides-at-the-door notices Riplinger’s wife standing in the doorway. She wears a calico dress and is young, near Striped Face’s age, and even though she smiles at him, there is fear in her eyes.

Back at the Lone Eaters’ camp, White Man’s Dog returns as Sun Chief ends his journey. He has taken longer than expected, but his horse stepped on a rock on the way back and had become lame. As the villagers gather to hear of White Man’s Dog’s travels, he is seated in the place of honor next to Three Bears. He tells them that he visited all the bands, except that of the Many Chiefs. Seizers had chased Owl Child and his gang, and Mountain Chief had led them to Canada.

White Man’s Dog sees Heavy Shield Woman and Red Paint in the crowd, and he notices Red Paint watching him. White Man’s Dog says the bands have expressed approval of Heavy Shield Woman’s vow, and that they each believe her to be a virtuous woman. Three Bears officially invites Heavy Shield Woman to begin her preparation for the ceremony, and he reminds her of her arduous task. “I am strong and glad in my heart to be the Sacred Vow Woman,” Heavy Shield Woman says. They all pray for her success. 

Later, Mik-api tells White Man’s Dog that he has recently been to Yellow Kidney’s lodge and that he has expressed his gratefulness over White Man’s Dog kindness to his family. Mik-api goes on to tell White Man’s Dog that Yellow Kidney is afraid because he is a burden on his family, no man will want to marry Red Paint. White Man’s Dog grows excited at the idea of marrying Red Paint and runs home to get his family’s blessing.

Back at White Man’s Dog’s lodge, Double Strike Woman is upset that her son does not want to marry Little Bird Woman. Her father is powerful, and it will be a strong match. Plus, if White Man’s Dog marries Red Paint, he must take care of Yellow Kidney as well. Rides-at-the-door gives his son permission to marry Red Paint. Kills-close-to-the-lake sits nearby, never looking up from her quillwork.

Four days later White Man’s Dog’s family and Red Paint’s family gather to exchange gifts. Rides-at-the-door presents his son with his many-shots gun. Red Paint moves her things into a small tipi near Rides-at-the-door’s lodge, and the entire camp gathers to celebrate.

During the celebration, White Man’s Dog takes a walk outside and looks up for Seven Persons, but he can’t see it. Suddenly, he hears a voice and looks up to see Kills-close-to-the-lake. “I am happy for you,” she says. “I wish you to have this.” She gives him a soft-tanned scabbard, decorated with a thunderbird design, for his new rifle. He looks at it with tears in his eyes.

Later, as the summer wears on, the Pikuni people pack camp and begin the journey to Four Persons Butte for the summer ceremony. During the ceremony, the Sacred Vow Woman and her helpers construct a lodge for Sun Chief, and the people honor him with prayer, song, and dance.

On the first day, after Heavy Shield Woman purchases the sacred medicine bundle from the previous Sacred Vow Woman, the bull blackhorn tongues are obtained. All the Pukuni bands arrive and form a great circle, and Heavy Shield Woman’s lodge is constructed in the center. The women helpers hold the tongues up to the sky and ask Sun Chief to affirm that they are all virtuous women. The tongues are then boiled and cut up. Heavy Shield Woman begins to fast.

The next day they proceed to a second camp, carrying the sacred bundle and tongues on a sled. They camp in four different places during the next four days, finally arriving on Four Persons Butte. On the fifth day, a young Pikuni warrior rides out into the valley and selects the perfect tree. They chop it down and begin to hack off its limbs “as though they were the arms and legs of their enemies.” 

In her lodge, Heavy Shield Woman prays to the Above Ones, the Below Ones, and to the four directions. As she prays, her mind drifts, and she thinks of Yellow Kidney. Since his return, she feels only pity for him, and he no longer shows her any feelings of love. She is distracted when the previous Sacred Vow Woman begins to transfer her power. 

The husband of the previous Sacred Vow Woman begins to empty the contents of the sacred bundle as he prays and sings. First, he holds up an elkskin dress, followed by an elkskin robe, both of which are placed on Heavy Shield Woman. He then removes the remaining objects: a medicine bonnet made of weasel skins, feather plumes, and a doll stuffed with tobacco seeds and human hair; and the sacred digging stick that So-at-sa-ki used to dig turnips as Morning Star’s wife.

 Morning Star had married So-at-sa-ki, a mortal Pikuni woman, and moved her to the sky. But she missed her family, and she dug up the sacred turnip and made a hole in the sky so that she could see them. Night Red Light became angry—she had already told her daughter-in-law not to dig up the turnip. Sun Chief was also angry, and he banished So-at-sa-ki and her son, Star Boy, back to earth to live with her people. She was glad to see them, but she also missed her husband and died of a broken heart. 

As Star Boy grew into a man, a scar appeared on his face. His people ridiculed and shunned him, and a many-faces man told him the way to Sun Chief to seek his help. When Star Boy arrived, Sun Chief wanted to kill him, but Morning Star stopped him. Not knowing he was his son, Morning Star taught Star Boy the ways of the sun and the moon. One day, Star Boy saved Morning Star from a group of deadly birds, and Sun Chief rewarded him by removing his scar. He sent Star Boy back to earth with instructions to honor him each summer in return for blessings.

The ceremony continues, and a procession distributes the sacred tongue to the sick and poor. By nightfall, the warriors begin to stand the center pole of the Medicine Lodge; if the pole does not stand straight, Heavy Shield Woman will be accused of not being virtuous. The pole stands straight, meaning Heavy Shield Woman has accomplished her vow. She breaks her fast and the Pikunis sing and dance.

The next day, White Man’s Dog wakes at dawn with a terrible dread. In the distance he can hear a single drum. He looks to Red Paint and is amazed by the love he feels for her. He walks outside and looks around the camp, the mountains, and the sky. He feels the strength of the Pikunis and is ready for the task ahead. 

Later that day, Mik-api and two other men paint White Man’s Dog’s skin white with double rows of black dots going down his arms and legs. They place a wreath of sage around his head and wrap his wrists and ankles with sage grass. They then pierce his breasts with a bear claw and push sarvisberry sticks under his skin. The sticks in his breasts are attached to two rawhide lines that hang from the top of the Medicine Pole at the center of the Medicine Lodge.

At the pole, White Man’s Dog thanks Sun Chief for assisting him during his raid on the Crows. He asks for forgiveness for his thoughts of Kills-close-to-the-lake, the he backs away from the pole and dances. He dances harder and harder, pulling the rawhide. The pain grows as he dances, and he breaks one of the berry sticks, but the other holds firm. He is in searing pain, and Raven flies into the lodge and caws to him, “think of Skunk Bear, your power—.” The stick breaks free. 

That night, White Man’s Dog sleeps by himself beneath the stars. He watches Seven Persons in the night sky and Night Red Light is full. He sleeps and dreams of a river he has never seen before. The water flows white over white stones, and the ground is covered with white frost.

Skunk Bear is near the river, again caught in a Napikwan trap. White Man’s Dog asks the animal why it is so white. “That’s the way it is now,” he answers. White Man’s Dog frees him from the trap and Skunk Bear gifts him a battle song. He tells White Man’s Dog that if he sings the song, he will have power. He then tells him to always leave a chunk of liver behind from every kill for Raven.

As White Man’s Dog turns to leave, he sees a figure in white fur by the river. It is Kills-close-to-the-lake. She asks if he desires her, and when he says that it is not right, she reminds him that they are in the dream place. White Man’s Dog tries to feel guilt, but there is none, and they lay down in the white grass together.

The next morning, White Man’s Dog wakes in the grass. As he stands and adjusts his robes, a small white stone falls to the ground. He picks it up before joining Red Paint and the rest of his family.

Later, as Mountain Chief stands to make an announcement, White Man’s Dog sees Owl Child and Fast Horse in the distance. Mountain Chief tells the bands that while he doesn’t like the Napikwans, he will respect the decision of the other chiefs and stand down. The white chiefs come more frequently now, but Mountain Chief will agree to a treaty if they do not want too much. He says that while his heart is not in it, he will “accede to the wishes of my people.” Owl Child and Fast Horse ride off angrily. 

As White Man’s Dog’s family prepares to move camp, he sees Kills-close-to-the-lake. He has not seen her at all during the ceremonies and now notices that her hand is bandaged and that she is missing a finger. “You sacrificed a finger,” White Man’s Dog says. “It is not uncommon,” Kills-close-to-the-lake says. “It is done at the Sun Dance honoring ceremony.”

Kills-close-to-the-lake tells White Man’s Dog that she had a dream about him. She describes the white river and tells him how he watched her in the water. She said her skin began to burn and crawl, and when she turned to White Man’s Dog, he was gone. In his place was Skunk Bear. He promised to show Kills-close-to-the-lake his magic but then “ravished her” and bit her finger off. As Skunk Bear threw her finger, it turned into a white stone. “Let this always remind you of your wickedness, sister,” Skunk Bear said. “You’re lucky I didn’t bite off your nose.”

Kills-close-to-the-lake wept uncontrollably, and then she felt “lighter.” She found the white stone that had been her finger and placed it where White Man’s Dog slept. As Kills-close-to-the-lake leaves White Man’s Dog, he takes out the stone and rubs it, singing the battle song. Although he doesn’t know why, White Man’s Dog believes that Skunk Bear cleansed him and Kills-close-to-the-lake and also had given him more power, in both the song and the stone.