Thanks for the beautiful photograph, Bookpossum. I was amused that it was listed under "youth books" in the Berlin public library. It seems unlikely that anyone read Fools Crow before categorizing it.
I also checked Wikipedia for Blackfoot history. The Piegan warrior Owl Child, the trader Malcolm Clarke, and the scout Joe Kipp were historical persons and the events concerning them in the book really happened.
The book also describes well the warrior culture, the importance of counting coup, the giving of a silly or derogatory name at a boy's first war party (White Man's Dog) and the giving of an honorable name when the young man had stolen his first horse or killed his first enemy (Fools Crow).
I appreciate the book more as I realize that it is an excellent depiction of historical events and more than just a good story.
Edit: I misunderstood how Fools Crow had first acquired the name White Man's Dog. Here is the quote ('she' refers to his mother):
Quote:
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She still couldn’t get used to the name Fools Crow, just as many years ago she couldn’t feel comfortable with the name White Man’s Dog. She had to smile when she thought how he had acquired that name. He was nine winters, and he had taken to following an old storyteller around— Victory Robe White Man. One day one of the men saw the storyteller alone and said, “Where is White Man’s dog?” and the name stuck.
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