Napi: The Trickster

Napi, the Old Man of the Blackfoot Nation, is a central figure in oral narrative, sometimes appearing as a quasi-Creator, sometimes a fool, and sometimes a brutal murderer, for thousands of years, people have gathered around the campfire to listen to stories of how Napi blundered and schemed his way through Blackfoot country. They laugh at how Napi was outwitted by a lame fox, how he tried to fly with the geese only to look down when he was told not to and fell to the earth. Napi makes a perfect subject for telling, listening, enjoying and teaching.

Written by: Hugh Dempsey