Coyote (cunning trickster)

 

Not to be trusted. Be careful. He is a coyote. Coyote is always out there; always looking, always hungry. 

Sign: little wolf. There are many stories about coyote and the mischief he causes. Coyote in stories represents man and his foolish mistakes. These stories are lessons and are called Coyote Medicine.

Coyote Medicine 

Such tales are spoken of as Coyote tales, for, as the Skidi say, “Coyote is a wonderful fellow ( waruxti ). He knows all things, and is virtually indestructible. Moreover, he is full of wild conceits and is very tricky and is overcome only with the greatest difficulty, and rarely ever finally vanquished. Such tales are not told during the summer months, or rather during those months when the snakes are visible ; for it is supposed that the tutelary god or star of the snakes is in direct communication with the star of Coyote.

The reason the Indians tell about Coyote is that he is lucky. Coyote wanders over the prairies, not knowing where to get anything to eat ; but all at once he comes to a dead buffalo or some other carcass and finds something to eat. Sometimes he is attacked by many buffalo and gets away from them. He wanders over the prairie and waits for birds and other small animals to take them by stealth. For the above reasons the Indians believe that by talking about the doings of the Coyote, the tribe as a whole may be given the same luck that Coyote had in wandering over the prairie. For this reason they talk about the CoyoteMan ; that if they shall happen to meet the enemy they may have the same good luck; or if they are surrounded by the enemy they may have the same good luck in getting away. Coyote seems to be favored by the gods, and once in a while we find a story where the coyote is sitting on his haunches, howling toward the heavens, and the Indians believe that the coyote is sending his prayer to Tirawa. In times when the people were starving, for want of the buffalo, and the Indians had their ceremonies to call the buffalo, when the buffalo did come and were killed, Coyote was always the first to be seen. Then there were many coyotes through the country, and the Indians believed that the coyotes helped the gods to drive the buffalo to the people. In olden times, the Indian warriors wore coyote hide to help to conceal themselves from the enemy, and also for finding out where the enemies were. Putting on the coyote skin, the men would climb upon the high hills and look over the country. It is believed that the Coyote-Man is under the protection of the gods in the heavens, and for this reason stories are told about Coyote which are really untrue. Coyote-Man is looked upon as a wonderful being, and, although he is the Coyote-Man and can be a coyote at any time, he is frequently given the power by other animals, such as the turtle, buffalo, and all other animals, except the buzzard, who, having the same manner of getting his living, does not associate with him. There are two species of this Coyote-Man, the real Coyote, who is known as Red-Leggings, and the Wolf. When spoken of as the Wolf-Man, the Indians know at once that he is the won¬ derful man. Coyote is more tricky and cunning, but many times over¬ powers all his enemies, and this is the Coyote-Man.

TRADITIONS OF THE S K I D I PAWN EE

COLLECTED AND ANNOTATED BY

GEORGE A. DORSEY, Ph. D.

Coyotes are also called “prairie wolfs,” and “song dogs.”