![]() ![]() ![]() After it is completed, and Earth Maker has created the people, Coyote vows to spoil the world and introduce evil to it. In some stories he combines both roles.Īn example is a Maidu myth that says that at the beginning of time, a primal being called Earth Maker is floating on the infinite waters, when Coyote calls out to him. In many of these stories he is a major sacred character with divine creative powers in others he is a malevolent and often comical trickster. The ceremony is intended to restore the patient's harmonious relationship with Coyote and the world, and to bring about a return to good health.īy culture The coyote (Canis latrans), the animal on which the myths are basedĬoyote is featured in the mythology of a number of Indigenous cultures of the Americas, including:Ĭoyote is featured in the mythology of numerous peoples from the area covered by the modern state of California, including the Achomawi and Atsugewi, the Diegueños, the Gallinoméro the Juaneño, the Karok, the Luiseño, the Maidu, the Miwok, the Pomo the Rumsen, the Shasta, the Sinkyone, the Wappo, the Yana and the Yokuts. He tries to be good but gets caught in trouble due to his curious nature.Īustin Balfany is a naturalist at Walking Mountains Science Center in Colorado and when not teaching the public about local ecology, he is out enjoying the snow, whatever condition it may be in.Coyote is the tutelary spirit of "Coyoteway", one of the Navajo curing ceremonies. But much like human morality, which coyote often represents, he cannot be pinned as a solely good or bad being, which is exactly why the coyote is such an interesting character. Stories explaining mistakes made by coyote are normally the justification for bad things, such as the creation of warring tribes. Origin stories like these give explanations of how different things came to be. From this time on, you are doomed to wander this earth on all fours forever as a night crawler.” Sinawav then cursed Coyote: “You are an irresponsible meddler. “The Utes, even though they are few in number, will be the mightiest and most valiant of heart.” They will be the tribes which will always be a thorn in the sides of the Utes,” Sinawav said. “Those you let escape will forever war with the chosen ones. They spoke in strange tongues that I could not understand.” ![]() “You foolish thing, you do not know what a fearful thing you have done.”Ĭoyote confessed. But those few ones were the Utes, the real Utes from around here.Ĭoyote then returned and told Sinawav that he had completed the task. There were a small number of these people. He went to the sacred valley and dumped them out there. But they ran away in all different directions.įrom how full the bag was after he had gotten it closed he could tell there was only a fraction of what he had started out with. He tried to catch them and get them back into the bag. These people yelled and hollered in strange languages of all kinds. Just as he untied the bag and opened a small slit they rushed for the opening. “What is this I carry?” he kept asking himself.Īs soon as he was over the first hill and out of sight, he stopped. Now be about your task,” Sinawav answered.Ĭoyote was young and foolish, consumed with curiosity. Sinawav gave a bag of sticks to Coyote and said, “Carry these over the far hills to the valleys beyond.” ![]() The Earth was young, and the time had come to increase the people. They had come out of the light so long ago, but no one remembered when or how. In the ancient times only Sinawav, the Creator, and Coyote lived on the Earth. The following is the Ute Creation Story told by Alden Naranjo, a Southern Ute Elder and member of the Mouache and Caputa bands. In this way, trickster stories reinforce cultural traditions and values. Their humor often stems from foolish actions that break social norms or traditions. Smart and adaptable, the coyote is often depicted as a trickster. The coyote plays an important role in Native American creation stories. But coyotes have worn many faces across time in different cultures. Coyotes are the most abundant livestock predators in Western North America, causing the majority of sheep, goat and cattle losses. A local coyote stalks through the snow as a lone magpie watches, perhaps hoping for some scraps.Ī predator of livestock, pets and even children on rare occasions, the modern coyote has been vilified in Anglo-American culture. ![]()
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