Owl Child Character Analysis in Fools Crow

A Pikuni warrior and member of the Many Chiefs band. A violent outcast, Owl Child is rejected by many in his own band and by the Pikunis as a whole. He forms a gang of fellow isolated outcasts, including Fast Horse, and vows to “make the Napikwans cry” for invading their lands and way of life. When Owl Child is caught stealing horses from Malcolm Clark, an important rancher among the Napikwans, Clark slaps Owl Child in front of his gang, humiliating him. Owl Child exacts revenge and kills Malcolm Clark, and act for which the United States government intends to make Owl Child’s chief, Mountain Chief, pay. Owl Child’s killing of the Napikwans—and his repeated stealing of their horses—worsens the already strained relationship between the Pikunis and the United States government. While Owl Child claims that he doesn’t intend any harm to come to the Pikunis, his actions lead directly to the massacre at Heavy Runner’s camp by the blue-coat seizers. Owl Child becomes ill during the white-scabs outbreak and presumably dies of the virus.

Owl Child Quotes in Fools Crow

The Fools Crow quotes below are all either spoken by Owl Child or refer to Owl Child. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

The Individual vs. the Collective Good Theme Icon

Yellow Kidney watched the young men as they chopped down some small spear-leaf trees. These are good human beings, he thought, not like Owl Child and his bunch. His face grew dark as he thought this. He had been hearing around the Pikunis that Owl Child and his gang had been causing trouble with the Napikwans, driving away horses and cattle, and had recently killed a party of woodcutters near Many Houses fort. It would be only a matter of time before the Napikwans sent their seizers to make war on the Pikunis. The people would suffer greatly.

Related Characters: Yellow Kidney, Owl Child

Page Number and Citation: 16

Explanation and Analysis:

Here, Yellow Kidney is leading a party of young Pikuni warriors on a horse raid of the Crows’ camp. Raiding another tribe’s camp for horses is common practice among the tribes. Wealth is gained in the value of the horses, and honor is also gained in the form of courage. Casualties are common, yet usually minimal, and to be killed during wars or raids is considered an honorable and desirable way to enter the afterlife. Owl Child’s attacks on the white settlers, on the other hand, are not considered honorable. He steals from them every chance that he gets and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Veli

Three Bears turned to Fast Horse. “We do not want trouble with the whites. Now that the great war in that place where Sun Chief rises is over, the blue-coat seizers come out to our country. Their chiefs have warned us more than once that if we make life tough for their people, they will ride against us.” He pointed his pipe in the direction of Owl Child. “If these foolish young men continue their raiding and killing of the Napikwans, we will all suffer. The seizers will kill us, and the Pikuni people will be as the shadows on the land. This must not happen.”

Related Characters: Three Bears (speaker), Owl Child, Heavy Runner

Page Number and Citation: 61-2

Explanation and Analysis:

This quote occurs as Owl Child rides into the Lone Eaters’ camp astride a stolen Napikwan horse, and it foreshadows the devastation of the massacre at Heavy Runner’s camp. Owl Child raids and kills the Napikwans with complete disregard for the safety of the Pikuni people. With each new attack on the Napikwans, Owl Child adds to the strain on the relationship between the Pikuni people and the United States government, and Three Bears knows that it will not be long before the seizers attack the people. Owl Child’s only concerns are increasing his wealth through stolen Napikwan horses and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Un

The thought came into [Fools Crow’s] mind without warning, the sudden understanding of what Fast Horse found so attractive in running with Owl Child. It was this freedom from responsibility, from accountability to the group, that was so alluring. As long as one thought himself as part of the group, he would be responsible to and for that group. If one cut ties, he had the freedom to roam, to think only of himself and not worry about the consequences of his actions. So it was for Owl Child and Fast Horse to roam. And so it was for the Pikunis to suffer.

Related Characters: Owl Child, Fast Horse, White Man’s Dog/Fools Crow

Page Number and Citation: 213

Explanation and Analysis:

Here, Fools Crow has been ordered by Boss Ribs to find Fast Horse and return him to the tribe. This passage is significant becomes it clearly establishes Fools Crow’s own internal fight over the duality of his own desires and the responsibility of tribal life. Fools Crow is empathetic to Fast Horse’s feelings, and he too appreciates the allure of living only for one’s self. If anyone understands, it is Fools Crow. After all, he is the one who assumed the responsibility of caring for Yellow Kidney’s family, even before he committed to marrying Red Paint. Fools Crow also assumed Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Elig

Owl Child Character Timeline in Fools Crow

The timeline below shows where the character Owl Child appears in Fools Crow. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Colonialism and Western Expansion Theme Icon

...large horses, like the kind the Napikwans use to pull their wagons. Fast Horse recognizes Owl Child , a member of the Many Chiefs band. Owl Child has a many-shots gun in... (full context)

Three Bears comes out of his lodge, and Owl Child asks to feast with them. Three Bears questions the ownership of the horses and suspects... (full context)

Three Bears gives Owl Child a package of boiled meat. As the young men ride away, Owl Child invites Fast... (full context)

Spirituality and the Natural World Theme Icon

...happened. Fast Horse feels a growing hate for his people, and he believes that only Owl Child has true power and courage. Suddenly, Fast Horse is distracted by commotion outside. (full context)

...that Fast Horse has banished himself and has left camp during the night to join Owl Child and his gang. (full context)

Rides-at-the-door fears that Fast Horse will be an even bigger problem riding with Owl Child than he would be in camp. They are sure to kill and rob more Napikwans,... (full context)

...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. (full context)

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... (full context)

...tell Three Bears and the Lone Eaters that Malcolm Clark was recently killed, and that Owl Child has been identified as the murderer. He must be held accountable, and the men are... (full context)

...Crow is upset by this news and wonders if Fast Horse is still riding with Owl Child ’s gang. Less than a year ago Fools Crow and Fast Horse had raided the... (full context)

...says that Malcolm Clark was a bad man and he won’t cry for him, but Owl Child is bad as well. Clark had slapped Owl Child in front of this people when... (full context)

...Eaters’ camp for a while. The seizers are determined to make Mountain Chief pay for Owl Child ’s crime, and the camp has become a stressful place. (full context)

...“There are easier ways of gaining wealth,” Fast Horse thinks. He will catch up with Owl Child and take revenge on the rancher who had shot him while he tried to steal... (full context)

As Fast Horse rides the plains, he comes across Owl Child and his gang. He tells Owl Child that he must take revenge on the rancher... (full context)

Later, Fast Horse approaches the rancher’s land with Owl Child and his gang. The rancher is working in his corral while his wife and children... (full context)

...camp. He had ridden through, feasted and rested, but he has gone on to find Owl Child . (full context)

...screams as Fast Horse empties his rifle into the rancher’s body and takes his scalp. Owl Child ’s gang grabs the woman and, slapping her, rip her clothes from her body. They... (full context)

...Fools Crow mentions that some Napikwan hunters have been killed near camp and, once again, Owl Child and his gang are the suspected culprits. Red Paint begins to feel uneasy—because Owl Child... (full context)

...with the Pikuni chiefs for a discussion. Three Bears knows that it must be about Owl Child , but he doesn’t know what the seizers expect him to do—he can’t control Owl... (full context)

...they also must give something to the seizers to placate them, even that means finding Owl Child and killing him. Both agree that if pressed, they will align themselves with Mountain Chief... (full context)

...are not present, and General Sully informs them that he has an arrest warrant for Owl Child . The Blackfeet people are expected to aid in his apprehension. (full context)

Heavy Runner agrees to find Owl Child but says it will be too difficult to bring him to the agency. It will... (full context)

Fast Horse watches a team of oxen from a distance with Owl Child and his gang. The men quickly open fire on the whiskey runners, killing them all.... (full context)

Owl Child agrees that they have struck too close to camp. The seizers will surely know that... (full context)

Meanwhile, Fast Horse approaches the war lodge on Bad Horse Butte with Owl Child and his gang. Fast Horse goes to the lodge alone to scout, and as he... (full context)

...himself to go back. He doesn’t belong with the Pikunis, but he doesn’t belong with Owl Child either. He looks to the north—the whisky traders in Canada are sure to accept him.... (full context)

...is told that they headed toward the Many Chiefs camp. Fools Crow remembers hearing that Owl Child had been inflicted by the white-scabs disease and he too is sure to be dead... (full context)

Owl Child Character Analysis

Owl Child Quotes in Fools Crow

Chapter 3 Quotes

Chapter 7 Quotes

Chapter 18 Quotes

Owl Child Character Timeline in Fools Crow