James Welch (writer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Welch
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Welch in 2000 after being knighted and awarded an honorary medal by France
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| Born | November 18, 1940 Browning, Montana, U.S. |
| Died | August 4, 2003 (aged 62) Missoula, Montana, U.S. |
| Occupation | Author, educator |
| Nationality | American (Blackfeet, A'aninin) |
| Alma mater | University of Montana |
| Literary movement | Native American Renaissance |
| Notable works | Winter in the Blood (1974) Fools Crow (1986) |
| Spouse | Lois Monk (m. 1968) |
James Phillip Welch Jr. (November 18, 1940 – August 4, 2003) was an important Native American writer. He wrote both novels and poems. James Welch grew up learning about the Blackfeet and A'aninin cultures from his parents. He is known as one of the first authors of the Native American Renaissance. This was a time when many Native American writers became famous. His book Fools Crow (1986) won several big awards. His first novel, Winter in the Blood (1974), was even made into a movie in 2013. In 1997, he received a special award for his lifetime of writing.
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Early Life and Heritage
James Welch was born in Browning, Montana on November 18, 1940. His father, James Phillip Welch Sr., was a member of the Blackfeet tribe. He worked as a welder and rancher. His mother, Rosella Marie Welch, was a member of the Gros Ventre (A'aninin) tribe. She worked as a stenographer for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Both of Welch's parents also had Irish family roots.
James Welch grew up on Native American reservations. He attended schools on the Blackfeet and Fort Belknap reservations. Because he was raised in this setting, the traditions and beliefs of the Blackfoot people greatly influenced his writing.
Education and Early Career
In 1958, James Welch finished high school in Minneapolis. Before becoming a writer, he worked different jobs. He was a firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service. He also worked as a laborer and a counselor.
Later, Welch went to the University of Montana. He studied writing there and learned from a poet named Richard Hugo. Hugo told him to write about what he knew best. He encouraged Welch to write about Native American culture and his home. Welch earned his bachelor's degree in 1965. His first poem was published in 1967. He also briefly attended Northern Montana College.
Writing Career and Impact
James Welch started his career by writing poetry and fiction. His novels helped define the Native American Renaissance literary movement. This movement brought Native American voices to the forefront of literature. Welch also taught at the university. He received special honorary degrees from two colleges.
Welch became a well-known writer around the world. He had many fans, especially in Europe. In 1995, France honored him with a special award called the "Knight of the Order of the Arts and Letters." His books were translated into nine different languages.
Welch's work was included in important collections of Native American literature. He wanted to show what Native American life was truly like. He explored both the good and challenging parts as people lived in modern America.
He often used the beautiful landscapes of Montana in his stories. The land itself felt like a character in his books. Welch had a unique writing style. He could describe Native American experiences from an "outside observer" view, but with an "insider's understanding." Even though he grew up on a reservation, he lived most of his adult life away from it. He felt he didn't have a very close connection to the tribal community.
In 1968, James Welch married Lois Monk. She was a professor at the University of Montana. They traveled to many countries, like France, Greece, Italy, and Mexico. Welch often used these trips to focus on finishing his novels. The quiet time helped him write.
The couple also supported the Piegan Institute's language program. This program helps bring back the use of the native Blackfeet language.
Fellow writer Louise Erdrich said that Welch's first novel, Winter in the Blood, was very important. She called it an "inspiring text" for many writers like herself.
Besides his novels, Welch also helped write a screenplay. It was for a documentary called Last Stand at Little Bighorn. This film won an Emmy Award.
His Poetry and Novels
When James Welch began writing, Native American authors were not well-known in mainstream literature. He explained that he learned a lot about the Blackfeet and Gros Ventre ways of life by growing up on the reservations. He kept his "eyes open and his ears open" and listened to many stories. He realized how much he had learned only after he started writing about it.
Welch's only poetry collection is Riding the Earthboy 40 (1971). His poems are thoughtful and connected to the Montana landscape. They are short but powerful, describing seasons, animals, and stories from reservation life.
After writing poetry for several years, Welch started writing novels. His first novel was Winter in the Blood (1974). It is a serious story about a young man living on a reservation in northern Montana. The book quickly gained attention from critics.
In Winter in the Blood, the main character feels lost. He is caught between two worlds. He feels like a stranger to both white people and other Native Americans. This character, like Welch, is part Blackfoot and part Gros Ventre. He feels sad because his father, brother, and grandmother have all passed away. Similarly, in The Death of Jim Loney (1979), Welch writes about a character who is also mixed-blood and struggles to find his place.
Welch's third novel, Fools Crow (1986), is a historical novel. It takes place in the 1870s. The story follows a character named Fools Crow. He tries to live a traditional Blackfoot life. This happens while white settlers arrive and the U.S. government fights against Plains Indians. Welch included parts of his own family's history in this book.
Critics often discuss how to describe James Welch's writing. Some see him as a Native American storyteller, while others see him as an American author. His work combines Native American traditions with Western writing styles. This creates powerful stories. Much of his fiction explores how Native Americans and white Americans interact.
Book and Film Adaptations
His novel Winter in the Blood (1974) was made into a movie. The film, also called Winter in the Blood, was released in 2012. Filmmakers Alex and Andrew Smith, who knew Welch from growing up in Montana, directed it. Native American writer Sherman Alexie helped produce the film.
Awards and Honors
- American Book Award, Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Pacific Northwest Book Award for Fools Crow (1986)
- Emmy Award for the documentary Last Stand at Little Bighorn
- 3rd Annual Native American Literature Prize (1991)
- Spur Award from Western Writers of America for Best Television Documentary Script (1992)
- John Dos Passos Prize for Literature (1994)
- Western Literature Association's Distinguished Achievement Award (1994)
- Chevalier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of the Arts and Letters) from the French Cultural Ministry (1995)
- Native Writers' Circle of the Americas Lifetime Achievement Award (1997)
- Montana Governor's Humanities Award
Later Life and Legacy
James Welch passed away from lung cancer in Missoula, Montana, on August 4, 2003. He was sixty-two years old.
On November 18, 2016, Google honored his 76th birthday with a special Google Doodle.
See also
- List of writers from peoples indigenous to the Americas
- Native American Studies
