Crow Mary

“No one is without fear. There will be times in your life when you will be very afraid, maybe as afraid as you were with your grandmother. But the brave take action in spite of that fear.”

The above quotation reflects the Crow concept of bravery through Red Fox’s teachings. Red Fox challenges stereotypical notions of the Indigenous “brave” and “warrior,” suggesting that bravery is a spiritual principle that defies gender categories. Crow Mary embodies his teachings, manifesting bravery against colonial violence and erasure throughout the story.

“You already know that the white wolf is my medicine—my protector and spirit animal. With his fur as part of my medicine bundle, I will never hunt him again. When you become my wife, I will ask the same of you.”

Wolves and dogs function as a motif throughout the novel, symbolizing tribal belonging, harmony with nature, and hope for a better future. The idea of the “spirit animal” is a spiritual symbol integral to the Crow culture. In this quotation, Big Cloud describes his spiritual connection to the wolf, foreshadowing the ominous presence of the wolfers later in the novel. As the wolfers kill wolves to profit from their furs, they pose a threat against Indigenous lives.

“The Crow had always been friendly to the white men because chiefs, like my father, saw the power in their weapons. A few years before I was born, many of our tribe died of smallpox, and because of our diminished numbers, we now needed allies to fight our many enemies.”

The text illuminates the relationship between white fur traders and Indigenous tribes. Indigenous people were a crucial part of the trade, as they provided valuable pelts and furs. They also took advantage of white traders’ material tools to empower their nations against land pressures. However, the trade also had devastating consequences, with diseases that devastated Indigenous populations and the opening of the West to settlement.

“I thought of the Indian women I had seen in town, and I pointed to the nearby stream. ‘Tell him that I have fresh water here and that it is customary for me to bathe myself. I’ll wash my own hair, and Mother will gloss it with cactus pith and then will braid it in the way of Crow women. And tomorrow I will wear my white elk dress that Mother has taken so much time to prepare for me.’”

Throughout the story, Crow Mary affirms her Crow identity and remains rooted in Indigenous culture despite her separation from her family. From the start of her relationship with Farwell, Crow Mary experiences pressure to abandon her culture and follow white social standards. The quotation indicates her resistance against colonial efforts to erase Indigenous identity.

“When we finished, my mother hung from my shoulder the small turtle-shaped bag that held my umbilicus. ‘Remember why you wear this, Goes First,’ Mother said. ‘It is to remind you that you are never alone. You have three mothers. You have me, you have your tipi, and you have Mother Earth.’”

Crow Mary’s time with her mother before her wedding establishes their powerful bond, which is central to Crow Mary’s identity. The umbilicus, as a cultural symbol in the quotation, represents Crow Mary’s perpetual connection to her homeland. Her mother’s words indicate that Crow Mary carries her cultural tradition within her and will always know who she is. The metaphor of the “three mothers” describes values of motherhood, home, and land as central to Crow womanhood and signifies The Resilience of Indigenous Women.

“I understood why Farwell called Father a Métis, though I knew he didn’t consider himself as such. Yes, his father had been a Yellow Eyes, but he had been raised as Crow and he considered himself Crow, as had I.”

This quotation conveys the complexities of biracial identities and cultural traditions. The Métis people are a postcolonial nation of mixed Indigenous and European ancestry that emerged from cross-cultural exchange. However, appropriation of the word as an overarching term for biracial people undermines cultural identities. While “métis” is accepted as a characterization of mixed Indigenous ancestry, the text indicates that cultural identity is complex. Crow Mary’s father was raised as a Crow despite having a white father, suggesting that cultural identity can resist racial categorization.

“‘Bonjour, Crow Mary,’ they called in greeting, and Jeannie explained they had decided on that name to set me apart from one of their own, also named Mary. ‘Good,’ I said, and nodded my agreement. This was a name I liked. It left no doubt who my people were.”

The quotation describes the name “Crow Mary” as a reclamation of the woman’s identity. The name “Mary” was used as a derogatory characterization to erase Indigenous women’s identities. Crow Mary sees her new name, given by Jeannie, as an act of resistance and an attempt to reaffirm her cultural identity in postcolonial society.

“Farwell ate like a hungry man and shook his head at me when he handed over his empty plate. ‘We’ll make a white woman out of you yet,’ he said. I shot him a look. ‘I am Crow,’ I said, suddenly wary.”

Despite the loving relationship between Crow Mary and Farwell, the quotation indicates that Farwell expects Crow Mary to conform to white culture and society. His persistence in the colonial mindset intensifies the couple’s cultural conflict. Despite her alienation within white society, Crow Mary remains true to herself, affirming her identity. This creates a rift between the two characters, foreshadowing their clash.

“We Crow used every part of the buffalo: the tongue, a delicacy that was boiled and eaten as a treat; the tail that we used as a fly swatter or a whip; the hooves that we boiled for glue; the sinews to sew our clothes; the horn cups from which we drank; the shoulder blades we used as scraping tools—everything—everything we needed came from the buffalo.”

Grissom highlights the historical and cultural significance of the buffalo for the Crow. The animal was an integral part of the tribe’s sustenance, and the buffalo hunt was an important duty in Crow society. The elimination of the buffalo population by white settlers was instrumental in the erosion of Crow culture and society, as it severely impacted their ability to sustain themselves. The destruction of the natural world had a genocidal impact on Indigenous people.

“From this rise I could see our fort, standing large and strong across the river from Solomon’s crooked-looking stockade, and a terrible dread washed over me. […] Since our arrival, I had been having dreams—violent dreams. Every morning before my prayers, I would spit the dreams out over my left hand, rejecting them, but they’d return the next night.”

The metaphor of the “violent dreams” indicates Crow Mary’s inner distress after witnessing the wasted buffalo carcasses and foreshadows the Cypress Hills massacre. Crow Mary’s spiritual connection to nature helps her realize the destructive impact of the wolfers as settlers, and her “violent” nightmares suggest the threat of colonial violence. Seeing Solomon’s fort exacerbates Crow Mary’s terror, establishing the wolfers as antagonistic forces in the text.

“That night I dreamt of a bear—a huge grizzly—it might have been the one I killed. He came at me through a forest of dark pines, and when he rose in front of me, his mighty paws slashed the air. ‘Why are you afraid?’ he roared. ‘You carry my heart, and my strength is with you.’ I woke up as he crashed away into the forest.”

The quotation underscores the balanced relationship between Indigenous people and nature. Crow Mary also kills a grizzly bear but praises it for its offering with a ritual, suggesting her reverence and respect for animals. The bear also becomes Crow Mary’s spirit animal, indicating the spiritual power of being connected to nature. This worldview contrasts with the colonial mindset of the white settlers, who act in opposition to nature.

“I felt a deep kinship with these suffering people and in the days that followed I returned with food and to help with the sick. Little Soldier’s wife, The Woman Who Eats Grizzly Bear, always greeted me with a smile, but whenever I met the chief, he looked tired and sad—as though he still carried the burden of leaving behind the sick and the dead.”

Grissom describes the Nakoda as a suffering people when they arrive at Farwell’s post. Their struggles are described as a repercussion of colonialism, as starvation and disease pushed them away from their homeland. The emphasis on the tribe’s suffering underscores the injustice of the massacre as an event of colonial violence. Crow Mary’s feelings of “kinship” also indicate Indigenous people’s solidarity against colonial trauma.

“For a terrible moment, I saw my grandmother’s death again, and I struggled to keep my wail from joining those of the terrified women. Little Soldier’s wife threw herself across her husband’s body, and when the man turned his gun on her, One Wing began to scream while Song Woman and Paw tried to hide Little Hawk between them.”

The imagery in the description of the massacre underscores the suffering of Indigenous women and children. Grissom emphasizes that innocent women, children, and the elderly were primary targets of colonial violence. The novel conveys that massacres on an organized or a disorganized level were attempts of genocide against Indigenous people.

“Recalling how our warriors prepared for battle, I gave a low fierce growl as I called on the ferocious animal for his strength. I thought of Grandmother, and her friend Sees Much, at the battle of Arrow Creek, and the courage of my people who had fought there for their lives against all odds.”

Crow Mary exemplifies Red Fox’s teachings on Crow bravery. The onomatopoeia of “growl,” the sound of which mimics the voice of the grizzly bear, reiterates Crow Mary’s connection to the animal and suggests her spiritual power. Crow Mary defies her terror to confront the wolfers and save the Nakoda women from sexual assault. The text suggests again that bravery is also a spiritual principle as Crow Mary carries the spirit of her ancestors within.

“Look, this mess has to be dealt with through the courts. It’ll take time, but I think you’ll come to see that the white man’s way of doing things is a lot less violent than the way your people live.”

Farwell believes in the ability of the white justice system to ensure justice for the Nakoda, ignoring governmental policies that attempt to marginalize Indigenous people. This passage highlights the contradictions of the colonial mindset that views Indigenous people as “violent” and “uncivilized,” justifying colonial violence. Farwell demonstrates a “white savior” attitude, thinking that he can save the Nakoda singlehandedly, but his efforts prove fruitless.

“The noise and chaos in Winnipeg was disturbing to me. When the Crow joined up in the summers, we had hundreds of people gathered together, and there was always noise—celebrations or sorrow when the warriors came back from a hunt or a raid, children racing about, adults enjoying games and competitions, and always dances and much singing. But here was the sound of people who had not come together for a celebration. Their faces held little joy, and I heard only occasional laughter.”

Crow Mary experiences alienation in white people’s cities, suggesting her feelings of displacement. The passage underscores the contrast between individualism and community. Crow Mary finds Western societies “disturbing” because people are isolated and manifest individualistic rather than communal attitudes. Crow Mary’s perspective suggests that individualism instigates loneliness, contrasting the communal joy of Indigenous societies.

“Soon, when you are old enough, it will be the two of us setting up our tipi. Crow women don’t rely on a man to help unless there are no other Crow women around. Crow women are strong, and their home belongs to them.”

Despite Farwell’s attempts to impede the children’s connection to their Crow identity, Crow Mary passes on traditional values of womanhood to her daughter. The passage, in which Crow Mary talks to her daughter, suggests that independence, resilience, and self-sufficiency are integral to Crow women’s identities. Those values are formative for her daughter, who never forgets her Crow identity.

“Now, about your problem. I hope you don’t mind that I talked this over with René. He thinks that Abe still feels bad about the trial and that drinking helps him forget.”

The passage is an excerpt from Jeannie’s letter to Crow Mary. Jeannie suggests that Farwell abuses alcohol to “forget” his guilt about the Nakota massacre. The text indicates Farwell’s relapse to alcohol addiction as part of his “white guilt” over failing to achieve justice for the Nakota. This attitude proves destructive for the character, being a direct repercussion of the “white savior” attitude and the settler mentality. The text counters such tropes, suggesting that white guilt does not lead to justice or change.

“He told us stories, those evenings, stories of the Old Woman’s Grandchild or Old Man Coyote—the same stories my grandmother had once told me. Each night he began with, ‘Aikeeh!’ ‘Attention!’ ‘Éeh!’ we all answered with great enthusiasm, and then the stories began.”

This passage represents Red Fox as the Indigenous elder who preserves the tradition for future generations. Red Fox teaches Crow Mary’s children Crow stories, offering spiritual sustenance. The text indicates the formative influence of storytelling, as the children do not forget their Crow identity while in residential school.

“His face was drawn, his blue eyes were dull, and he looked tired and mean. We had three healthy children, one as dear as the next, and yet he kept choosing whiskey over his family.”

The passage establishes Farwell’s negative character arc and his downfall due to alcohol addiction. He is described as “mean,” contrasting his initially kind character, a trait that signifies his transformation. The text suggests that his drinking is a “choice,” indicating his inability to resist the colonial mindset. Ultimately, the colonial mentality is depicted as a destructive ideology.

“And there, on the second-highest shelf, were two tiny blue bottles of strychnine. My hand shook when I reached for one. How much did I need to kill a man? […] I was no match for this man! I was as good as dead. But then I remembered what he had done to Song Woman and what would happen to Ella, and I forced myself to straighten. I took some deep breaths as I gave the whiskey bottle a last shake.”

This scene returns to the moment depicted in the novel’s Prologue to suggest the culmination of conflict with the antagonist. After Stiller threatens her, Crow Mary decides to kill him by putting strychnine in his whiskey. The text conveys Crow Mary’s determination as an act of resistance against colonial violence, as she decides to kill him with the colonial tools he used to “kill” Indigenous people. However, it is Red Fox’s intervention that counters Stiller, representing the healing possibilities of the Indigenous tradition.

“Though I knew Farwell’s death was coming, I hadn’t expected the wash of grief that took me to my knees. There I sobbed, mourning the loss of what might have been.”

The passage highlights the theme of Cultural Conflict and Cross-Cultural Understanding, as Crow Mary mourns Farwell’s death. The idea of “what might have been” suggests the possibility of understanding between the two characters that was thwarted by Farwell’s colonial mentality. Their union was defined by love but also by cultural conflict.

“It was true that we were now restricted to this reservation, but just as Susie suggested, we carried our history and our ancestors within us.”

The novel suggests the possibilities of decolonization at the end of the story. While the reservations were designed to facilitate land theft and the oppression of Indigenous people, they are also places of community and culture in the postcolonial condition. Crow Mary reconnects with her tribe, and the memories of her history and culture help her reclaim her identity.