From Alienation to Acceptance in Fools Crow and a Yellow Raft in Blue Water

R. F. Gish suggests in his article "Word Medicine: Storytelling and Magic Realism in James Welch's Fools Crow" that "contemporary Native American literature is puzzlingly redundant" (Gish). Gish's assertion is supported by the frequent tendency of contemporary Native American writers to portray protagonists who are "antiheroic" and "alienated" (Gish). An obvious trend in contemporary Native American literature involves the depiction of initially alienated characters that eventually earn the respect and acceptance of others in their community. Two novels that explore this idea are James Welch's Fools Crow and Michael Dorris's A Yellow Raft in Blue Water. Both novels depict the evolution of characters from insignificance and alienation to respect and acceptance. In the novel A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, the character Rayona epitomizes this transition from alienation to acceptance. In the novel Fools Crow, the character Fools Crow is initially thought of as being insignificant but eventually gains respect from his tribe for his heroic deeds and leadership abilities.

At the beginning of A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, Rayona is portrayed as being alienated from everyone. She is of mixed blood. Rayona's Native American mother Christine has deserted her, and she is estranged from Elgin, her African American father. Her Native American grandmother resents her presence and barely acknowledges her existence. Her Native American cousins, Annabelle and Foxy Cree, shun her. She is not accepted on the reservation because she is not a full-blooded Native American. The fact that her father is an African-American compounds the stigma attached to her by those on the reservation. It is interesting to note that Native Americans, who have suffered extensively at the hands of white Americans, fail to recognize that African Americans have endured similar treatment. Rayona is further alienated when she becomes the focus of a young, awkward white Catholic priest's efforts to integrate himself into Native American culture. His perverse actions and his desperate attempt to cover up his heinous deed rob Rayona of the last vestige of her innocence. When Rayona is confronted with the reality of having to exist solely on her own resources, she manages to survive, but she is alienated from those she encounters because of her mixed heritage and her dysfunctional upbringing. She does not understand, nor has she ever experienced, the lifestyle that girls such as Ellen DeMarco are accustomed to. Her dark skin sets her apart and excludes her from being accepted by her co-workers.

It is only in the home of Sky and Evelyn that Rayona finds unconditional acceptance. They disregard the fact that Rayona is of mixed blood and welcome her into their lives. Because they are unaware of Rayona's origins, they form their opinions of her based solely on the behavior she exhibits while in their household. Rayona proves to be a model employee of Bearpaw Lake State Park, and her supervisor, Mr. McCutcheon, commends her performance. He tells Rayona, "You are a credit to this park...you have surpassed the trust I placed in you" (Dorris 98). His praise endows Rayona with another kind of acceptance. Rayona gains an unconventional family in Sky and Evelyn. However, when Evelyn discovers Rayona's origins, she insists that Rayona return to the reservation. Her insistence prompts Rayona to seek out Christine and attempt reconciliation. When Rayona asks Evelyn "Why are you doing this?" Evelyn's response is "Because somebody should have done it for me" (106). At the rodeo where Sky and Evelyn take Rayona in hopes of locating Christine, Rayona has a unique experience that leads to her being accepted by the Native Americans on the reservation. Her rather intoxicated cousin Foxy asks her to ride in his place in the rodeo. Rayona agrees, and dons Foxy's blue jean jacket and hat in an attempt to make herself appear more masculine. She falls from the horse many times but perseveres and continues to try and stay on the horse. The announcer, believing her to be a boy, tells the rodeo audience "...give the kid a hand, folks. He may not be much of a rider but he ain't no quitter" (119). Rayona tells the reader that "there's real clapping this time, a few whistles" and she is clearly exhilarated by the experience. She emerges from the ring victorious in her own right, and basks in the adoration of Evelyn, Sky, Annabelle, and the other spectators at the rodeo. Rayona earns the respect of those on the reservation because of her brave and bold actions. Rayona asserts herself as being a vital and valuable member of the community.

Rayona finds Dayton, the man with whom Christine is living, at the rodeo, and he takes her home with him. Christine is initially displeased with Rayona, but the two reach a truce of sorts. Christine's illness strengthens the bond between mother and daughter, and they both realize Christine has only a short time left to live. Rayona and Christine are also ultimately reconciled with Aunt Ida, who demonstrates her love for the two in her narrative.

In the novel Fools Crow, the character White Man's Dog/Fools Crow is initially described as being of little consequence. Welch refers to White Man's Dog as having "little to show for his eighteen winters"(Welch 3). White Man's Dog's has only three horses, which are puny creatures, and no wives. He "owned a musket and no powder and his animal helper was weak" (3). White Man's Dog's lack of wives is attributed to the fact that he did not "own a fine gun and a strong horse" (4). White Man's Dog seems almost resigned to his position of inferiority in the tribe, and although "many times he had prayed to the Above Ones for stronger medicine...he knew that wasn't the way" (4). White Man's Dog is viewed by others in the tribe as having "much heart" but it is generally believed that he is "unlucky" (7). Yellow Kidney, who leads the Crow horse raid, is hesitant to allow White Man's Dog to join their raiding party because he fears the consequences of travelling with an unlucky man. He only consents because he has great respect for White Man's Dog's father, Rides-at-the-door, and to have refused to allow White Man's Dog to accompany them would have been an insult to Rides-at-the-door.

White Man's Dog proves to be an asset to the horse raiding party, however. His diligence in carrying out the task he is assigned results in him gaining many horses for the Lone Eaters. When White Man's Dog returns to the tribe, his success is celebrated. Welch tells the reader that on the night of White Man's Dog's return, "there was a feast in the lodge of Rides-at-the-door" (41). White Man's Dog was "excited at the prospect...of having his own lodge and his own woman" now that he had proved himself to be a man (41). Because of his brave deeds, White Man's Dog is entrusted with visiting other tribes on behalf of the Lone Eaters. White Man's Dog's mother, Double Strike Woman, encourages her son to pay special attention to the daughter of a neighboring tribe's chief, Little Bird Woman. Double Strike Woman wishes her son to take Little Bird Woman as his bride. White Man's Dog has other intentions, however, and takes as his bride Yellow Kidney's daughter, Red Paint. Yellow Kidney gives his blessing to their union.

When Yellow Kidney returns from the Crow camp, mutilated and disease ridden, the young men of the tribe vow to avenge his pitiful condition. White Man's Dog is selected to join a war party against the Crows. White Man's Dog has little faith in his ability to be an effective member of the war party. He tells Red Paint that "making war against the Crows is uppermost in his mind" but ponders whether or not he is "stronger than all the Crows" (135). Red Paint assures him, "You are the strongest man I know" (135). The war party is successful, and White Man's Dog further distinguishes himself by killing the Crow chief, Bull Shield. When White Man's Dog explains to his tribe how he tricked Bull Shield into thinking that he was dead and then rose up and slaughtered him, they reward him by giving him a special name, Fools Crow. Fools Crow is recognized for his abilities as a warrior, and gains a position of respect in the tribe.

As the novel progresses, Fools Crow finds that he has other talents. Mikapi, the many-faces man, recognizes Fools Crow's potential, and begins to teach him the ways of a medicine man. Fools Crow is entrusted with the mission of finding Fast Horse and returning him to the tribe when Fast Horse abandons the tribe and embarks on a murderous rampage against the Napikwan, or white, settlers. When Fools Crow visits Feather Woman, he experiences a vision of what the future holds for the Lone Eaters. The fact that he is selected to experience this vision indicates his status in the Lone Eaters tribe, and cements his position as a spiritual leader of his people.

In the novels Fools Crow and A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, the protagonists of the respective works experience a transition from alienation to acceptance. This transition is a common theme in contemporary Native American literature. The appearance of this transition in both novels is indicative of the fact that contemporary Native American literature possesses certain similarities, and supports Gish's assertion that contemporary Native American writers employ a "noticeable repetition of antiheroic, alienated, and benumbed protagonists" (Gish).