• Coyote the Sacred Dog
• Trickster, Hero, Fool - Great One
• Coyote Moon
• Family
• Walking between the Opposites
• Creator, lover, destroyer, magician
• Jake the Philosopher
• from ShaTonga's Desk
• Wind Wolf Woman

Sexual encounters only happen during breeding time which begins in January through March. At that time the sexual act may continue for two or three days or until the female's fertile period is over. This is a very vulnerable time for both coyotes, as they remain connected up to about twenty minutes.

The gestation period is approximately 63 days, and it is the male that tends to the needs of the female during her pregnancy. An average litter will consists of 6-10 pups. If she gives birth to more than expected, the mother will sometimes split them into two separate dens which she keeps fastidiously clean. If the pups do not respond well to this change, or the mother cannot give them proper discipline, she will return them to their former burrow. If the mother should die, during the pups' defenseless growth period, the father will continue protecting, feeding and raising the pups alone. In my younger years, I spent most of my time in the mountains with my father, an avid hunter who people referred to as Dogman. He once told me, "A coyotes resilience is developed through their curiosity and observation skills. Hunger is their motivation. They have the ability to regroup as a pack by using their mental resources. A smart coyote hunts at sunrise and sundown, while many hunt at night to avoid becoming prey to another human ploy.

Coyotes have an established ritual trail on higher ground to keep a better view of their surroundings. They will only leave it when they see a prey, then return to the trail to continue their search for food. Moving in silence, they stalk somewhat like a cat, keeping close to the ground."

It was my father who let me experience the birthing of coyote pups. When first born, they were helpless and fragile, having closed eyes and a hungry appetite, constantly begging to be fed. I waited for over a month until they finally emerged from their underground den. For the next few months, I spent my time watching them grow from tiny furry balls into young teens. I was surprised to learn from the very beginning the pups were taught the power of family cooperation and unity. This particular coyote couple moved their family three times before the pups were four months old. The last move was near a sink hole, close to water. I saw the parents discipline the pups. I watched coyote father hunt for food and bring it back to the den, always feeding the mother coyote first, then the pups. A fascinating thing about the coyote family, they have built in babysitters. Aunties and Uncles help in the beginning, but it is the Grandmothers and the Grandfathers that are the full time baby sitters. These extended families are watchful during this earlier training, teaching them the ability to fight. This establishes their dominance which determines their hierarchy in the pack. As the pups mature, the parents take them on communal hunting trips to teach them hunting techniques. The pups continue on these trips until they learn to fend for themselves.

Once the pack made a kill close to the den, they celebrated this gift with a massive chorus of excited howls and yelps. Although the pups are predators, it was entertaining to watch them fight and squabble over the leftover scraps. Eventually they lost their privileges in the pack, and were forced to learn to defend themselves, if they were to survive.

I have listened to numerous stories of Coyote, both real-life and legend. How about Mr. Wile E. Coyote, the unsuccessful bane of Roadrunner? In folklore, there are many similarities between Human and Coyote. Coyote's magic and trickery is extremely clever, but it doesn't always work as desired. How many times have your well laid plans been frustrated by some unforeseen event? We can see in coyote our own ability to display cleverness and stupidity, occasionally at the same time. He can show us that we can work with others to get what we want out of life, or we can work to get others to do what we should be doing in life. Or, like Wile E. Coyote, we can run face-first into a boulder, caught up in the fantasy of there being a shortcut through the mountain. Coyote will make you look at yourself time and time again, until you see through the illusions you have created for yourself and those around you.

Human and Coyote have the innate ability to complicate simple tasks, spending more time figuring out how to avoid them than it would actually take to complete them. If you find coyote in your life, he may be telling you to come to grips with something you've been avoiding for far too long.

Art by Susan Seddon Boulet

Coyote will help you find your way out of a trapped situation, or force you to see if you have created another world of illusion for yourself. Stop being judgmental. This can be especially helpful when examining a relationship, since that is where most of us can be fooling ourselves...Big-Time.

Much of coyote's teaching can be perceived as good humor. His self- absorbed antics are legendary. Perhaps one of the best lessons he shares with us is to never take life too seriously. Joking and playfulness are a essential part of a full rich life. Only when we can see through our own antics, can we truly learn from ourselves. Perhaps, unlike Wylie E. Coyote, we will no longer need to run into a the base of a mountain, to find out there are no shortcuts in life.

Through the years, coyote has uprooted many situations. A renowned naturalist once wrote: "... the coyote compels a certain degree of admiration, viewing his irrepressible character and his versatile nature. If this genius has nothing essentially noble or lofty about him, it is undeniable one of the few animals that possess so many various attributes with such dogged perseverance. The main objective of his life seems to be satisfying his hunger and this goal he directs with all of his cunning, impudence and audacity."

Coyote is the chief animal of the pre-human animal age in mythology and folklore throughout history. Here we see him exploited as creator, cultural hero, anti- hero, lover, magician, and charlatan celebrated in a vast cycle of oral legends. Among all tribes he is predominately an independent creative force of fatal decision makers. However, he believes he secured fire and light for the human. As we journey through coyotes life, we find the positive and negative traits which often appear in many humorous tales exploiting his greed and cunning against himself. Many times he has died, always relying on his ability of resurrection. He is referred to in countless legends as one of the spirit beings who is up to no good. Coyote's lessons are extreme and always two- sided. He teaches by example. He is the way of the fool or the genius, all the while forcing you to recognize that life is in no way permanent. This accomplished sly animal never misses an opportunity to make some poor soul look like a bigger fool than he already is. However, he is easily tricked and most times his best laid plans usually go wrong. On the other hand, he makes his greatest achievements and wisest decisions, when he is doing nothing more than going on his happy-go-lucky way of life.

Coyotes communicate in many ways just as the human. He uses his body language and facial expressions to teach marvelous lessons in silence awareness. When we look at the long body structure of the coyote, we notice they have a narrow muzzle, erect triangle ears, long legs and a bushy tail with a black tip at the end. Most times the tail will droop low behind the back legs, whereas the lower foreleg is distinguished by a dark vertical line. By studying all aspects of coyote's posture, we can quickly recognize a his moods, intentions and attitudes. There is also a code involving their ears, the curl of their lips, the gape of the mouth, the position of the tail, even their walk, whether it be stiffed legged, relaxed, or slouched.

Their voice is highly developed in communication skills. They, as well as the wolf pack, greet each family member daily with verbal sound, even if it has only been a few minutes of separation. They have an enormous repertoire of sounds from whines to growls, yips, barks and howls that modulate in combinations to express the depth of their many complex messages. At dusk and dawn, you can not only hear, but feel their emotions entice you with vocal songs and yips of expression. Once you have seen one throw back their head howling to the sky, you will recognize it is an offering of the moment, a prayer or a ploy of youthful teasing. All the while letting flickers of mischief fill the hidden eyes of coyote.

This unpredictable animal will forever keep you at the crossroads of life. He is full of chaotic pranks, yet somehow always lands on his feet. He can be selfish, a show off, all the while singing his own praises. This lovable yet obnoxious character is the Master of Illusion and a walking contradiction. Coyote cannot see the obvious but does try to examine both side of the coin, urging us to look at the facts before we take any position or express our opinion. Often coyote teaches us what NOT to do. He may ask us to help others, but if we change our minds, it is just another prank with a promise to boomerang. Surely you know that coyote is another example of saying Murphy's law.

Coyote says, "Prepare your mind to never become prey to a people, place or thing. Gather courage and stop the behavior habits that are destroying you, otherwise I will create enough pain to force you to see your own limitations." Coyote yells! "Stop being the victim of your thoughts. Recognize your fears and flaws and break those destructive habits. Take what you need from life without taking advantage of another. Be gentle with yourself. Why steal? Why lie? Be like me, survive under all conditions where others shall fail.

Before you speak, consider your hateful words or actions to yourself as well as others. Have the courage to embrace the freedom within. Bad or good, whatever you create for another know, it will return to you. You can stop your pain and suffering if you will overcome all of your addictions. When you understand coyote medicine, you will have a different perception of who you are. If you learn to value all life, then you will be coming from the heart of all that is. Life feeds on life when we walk in balance with Mother Earth and Father Sky.

Let the great trickster teach you to recognize and apply his spiritual growth into your everyday life. Coyote demands you know that you can survive on this duality ruled planet. You are worthy of that trust.

His very nature teaches us duality, light and dark, foolish and wise, positive and negative, yin and yang, hot and cold, wet and dry, up and down, sharp and dull, happy and sad, evil and kind, beauty and ugly. As coyote, we too are shape-shifters, cunning, humor, intelligent, silly and serious, but sometimes our laughter is hidden behind a mask of tears. It seems we will do anything to make people laugh, even if we must act as a fool to keep another from discovering our deepest of pains. Appreciate this paradox of life. Learn to laugh at your mistakes. After all, it does lend to understanding yourselves.

There are many words you may ponder when seeking principles of Coyote: fidelity, parenting, caution, flexibility, survival, false labeling, interdependence. Do you sit and wonder why another person did or said something? Does your mind trick you or do you allow another to trick your mind? Do you let another convince you to buy ocean front beach property in Arizona? Do you believe life is fair? Is someone trying to trick you into making an unwise choice? Is Coyote helping you play the helpless victim in your life? Do you have a sense of humor? Are you getting the feeling that you too, may have Coyote blood? Do you take yourself a little too seriously? Can you come back in the face of defeat? Coyote is there to remind you that life is not necessarily fair, but nothing lives forever.

Is Coyote Running Wild in Your Life?
So what does this mean to you when you find coyote running wild in your life? Find the source from whence it came. What does he want? Why did he bring you another problem to solve? Maybe it's time to identify what your R.E.A.L problem is: Are you being set up by a friend or foe,? Making a bad business deal? Letting a freeloader live off of you? Being a caretaker to someone that is incarcerated or too lazy to work? Why are you staying in an abusive relationship? Why are you tolerating an unfaithful lover? Whatever the motive, you can be sure that others will use every means at their disposal to get what they want from you. Maybe it is time to use logic when solving a problem. If Coyote is emanating from within, take a moment and step outside of yourself. Take a good look at everything that surrounds you. This will help you make a decision to your benefit. Why stay trapped in a situation when you have the power within to break free? Every experience in life whether bad or good, makes us wise or stupid, keeps us strong or weak, all the while telling us we deserve a good life, hopefully with a great sense of humor. When dealing with coyote remember he is the master of self-sabotage. Don't be surprised if you become the butt of your own joke

Coyote's medicine can become a definite attribute. Another of his abilities is to always regroup and endure life's tribulations. His cunning and trickery can help you remove yourself from an undesired situation. This same cunning and trickery can also bring about a favorable means to a desired goal. But one cannot use this cunning and trickery without the proper amount of audacity. When all else fails, escape! Learn from your mistakes, and don't overlook the obvious. Coyote may lose many battles, but he is never beaten. He is merely a force of wild primal power, acting on every whim, using many guises and roles but always remaining the master of hope. This pompous character teaches us to develop a sense of humor and to never take ourselves to seriously.

You, just like coyote, fill your life with foolish acts, maybe not intentionally, but humor is always there. Never be afraid to laugh at yourself. When something backfires on you, maybe the foolishness was your end reward.

More often, however, Coyote is portrayed as a trickster or fool, a carefree wanderer, who traipses from place to place, as his fancy dictates. He is personable and playful but also vain and deceitful. He acts on impulse, without concern for anyone's needs except his own. Other animals respect his power, but do not really like him. His appetites for food and women are insatiable, and he satisfies these cravings by cheating or stealing, rather than by honest means.

We soon learn that unless we are careful with our life, we can easily become confused. In the end, Coyote can act stupid or foolish but it is he who makes himself the victim of his own deeds. Surprisingly, however, the result of his foolishness and foiled plots is often a benefit to humankind. And no matter how often coyote is maimed or mortally wounded, he manages to return to life again---the ultimate survivor

From escapade to escapade, Coyote teaches us many lessons about life and about ourselves. One of his greatest values as a teacher is his humanness. There is something of coyote in all of us. We read a coyote tale and we recognize ourselves, our friends and our enemies. Through coyote's adventures we can examine our parallel experiences with a sense of detachment, and get through the lesson without the pain and our emotions that often cripples us.

Coyote says, "Don't take life too seriously. Learn to laugh at your mistakes. Proceed through life without a care in the world, yet somehow get the job done. Enjoy your life, and at the same time learn to apply the lesson that is needed."'

As we know, many of Coyote's plans result in catastrophe but he always comes back to life, and what seems like disaster has its unexpected rewards. We can survive from our misfortunes if we look for the hidden rewards in those painful experiences. Coyotes as well as human beings, will often take short cuts to reach their goal. Many of us and our coworkers do the same and most times it makes the problems worse. They overstep our boundaries, turn our lives into chaos, then move on to their next victim, leaving us the task of returning chaos back into order. Take this opportunity to study your habits and develop more effective ways of dealing with the coyote people you have allowed to come into your life.

As my gambling father once told me, "Sissy, learn to see deep into coyote's adventures. This will teach you to respect all life forces and to find the balance between yourself, Mother Earth, her children and Father Sky. For me I love the old Coyote, and you know this joker is wild. I want you to reach for the sky if you want it, but it's up to you to paint the damn thing blue."

 

Wylie Coyote
Looney Tunes, Warner Brothers

Coyote painting by Judy Fairley

It is no wonder Coyote tales are so abundant in the folklore of western Native America. Coyote entertains us and teaches us at the same time. He is the traditional Good Guy and Bad Guy rolled into one. He will shock and entertain us, but best of all, we learn from him a great deal about what not to do in life.

EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK, Wind Wolf Woman

"I thought wolves and coyotes ran together," said Meeko, still not understanding the vast difference between the two.

"Well, Grandson, thinking does not always make it so. I said Coyote is Wolf's helper, not his companion. You must stop speaking on a subject that you no nothing about, or old Coyote will surely make you the village idiot. Meeko, the crafty Coyote lives a shameless life and has the nerve to openly demonstrate his deceit in all of his ever clever, cunning ways. It's his nature to fall victim to his own tricks and he never seems to learn from the error of his ways, even though he continues to give himself many painful and funny experiences. They are sly, gullible and indestructible characters. They can get banged up, bruised, burned, smashed, drowned, and almost killedbut they still come back none the wiser from their many misfortunes in life. I'm telling you, no one is more bewildered than old Coyote when he falls into his own traps.

"Aaah, Grandson, can't you see the humor in this clever one's teachings? He goes through life as a trickster, yet his experiences build him a strong endurance as he continues to suffer from his own follies. You must be very careful when this shortsighted clown touches your life. Coyote thrives on his thieving, cowardice and mischievous ways. He loves to play tricks on others and will only fight when the stakes are in his favor. I've seen this scavenger become so confused by what he was doing that he ended up becoming the prey of his own hunt.

Coyotes will fake being hurt, just to lure prey into their hungry pack. I once saw a coyote suck up his stomach to where he looked so skinny that I thought I was looking at a pile of bones covered with a pitiful piece of flesh," chuckled Granbear.

"Aaah, yes, as a young boy I loved following a coyote pack. They taught me much with their funny ways keeping me entertained for hours. I admire Coyote's curiosity and his ability to elude anyone. This troublemaker is the master when it comes to a wild imagination but it is coyote who gives life a great sense of humor. It was Coyote who gave me my sense of humor and taught me to never take myself too seriously. That's why he's called the trickster. This animal works very hard to outwit himself as well as others. Why Grandson, he can transform himself into anything. He could be that stone sitting over there by the fire, listening to my story.

"Aaah, Grandson, when Coyote enters your life, know he's up to no good and you better get ready for a world of turmoil and pain. You can always recognize his power in a human, chuckled Granbear, as he remembered all the coyote people that had come and gone from his life.

"Granbear, are coyotes just dumb? Why would anyone want to make the same mistakes over and over again if it keeps hurting them?"

"Meeko, Coyote isn't dumb, he's a brilliant, but twisted critter disguised to trick the world. All humans should know that Coyote thrives on deception but never thinks of himself as a troublemaker. He goes through life blaming others for his problems, but most times it's his own doing that brings suffering, failure and terrible consequences into his life. Sometimes it makes me wonder why he can't see how smart he is and use that power to help others, rather than destroy everything around him. Aaah, yes, Meeko, when you find yourself in a bad situation, know there's an old Coyote hidden in your personality someplace," cautioned Granbear.

"Granbear, do you think I have Coyote power?" "Absolutely! Look at your life. Coyote teaches us the duality of life. He's a survivor and can adapt to any situation. Why, sometimes he actually acts superior to others and throws his power around, while other times he will act unassuming and very humble. This way he keeps you off balance and confused and before you know it, you have outwitted yourself. I know Coyote is walking proof that we all have the potential to become good or bad. Personally, I like the cleverness of Coyote power.

"The old people consider him the Sacred Medicine Dog with many magical powers. Yep, I think it will be a toss-up between Coyote and the cockroach to see who will be the last survivor on Mother Earth. Just remember, when you hear Coyote's voice riding on the winds, get ready for trouble, because that crazy joker is loose and running wild again. Now let me get some sleep. We'll talk more tomorrow about these two animals," said Granbear as he crawled into his bedroll. Disappointed, Meeko waited until Granbear drifted off to sleep before leaving to meet his friends at the corral for a late night escapade on horseback. Sneaking back to camp near daybreak, Meeko fell on top of his bedroll and was asleep instantly. Granbear awakened earlier than usual and insisted that Meeko join him in the Medicine Wheel. Tired and sleepy, Meeko got up in a somewhat of a crabby mood.

"Stop dawdling, Meeko," chided Granbear, over breakfast. "There's a price to pay when you take your time to play rather than get a good nights sleep. So Coyote, it's time we go to the Medicine Wheel. I know you have a great imagination when you're on the back of a horse and today I want you to use that imagination, he said with a twinkle in his eye, matching his all knowing smile. Meeko understood that Granbear wasn't joking and meant business. He quickly pulled his hair back from his face, thrilled that Granbear was pouring himself another cup of coffee so he could grab a quick breakfast. When they finally arrived at the Medicine Wheel, Meeko entered the sacred circle in the proper manner and went directly to sit in the North Door with head bowed. Granbear began to speak as Meeko fought sleep and nodded his head in silence. "Grandson, very soon you will be studying with Winterhawk, and he will expect you to know certain things. I'm going to prepare you for those trips in the wilderness with him. Now listen closely, Coyote uses his mind, not brute force. But if you ever see a hurt or trapped coyote or wolf while you're with Winterhawk, don't go near, because it will tear the flesh from your bones. If you ever see a coyote alone, don't trust that he is. Always look around with great caution because they usually hunt in pairs. Coyotes eat rabbits, ground squirrels, rodents and whatever remains they find at another animal's kill. "Coyote has a good hunting relationship with many of the flying ones and some four legs. Once I saw him working a kill with a badger. Now, Badger is a no nonsense kinda guy. He fears nothing and is extremely confident. I watched these two meet and stand very still for a long time, staring eyeball to eyeball at each other. Suddenly, as if they had reached some kind of agreement, they turned quickly and traveled in opposite directions. Suddenly without a word, they stopped then turned around and cautiously moved back toward each other flushing a bevy of quail from the bushes. A rabbit also ran out and zigzagged across an open field. Well, Grandson that old Badger grabbed that rabbit and one unlucky quail became old Coyote's meal. Meeko, as I told you, Old Coyote will eat anything, unless it eats him first," chuckled Granbear. Meeko's eyes widened in amazement. He understood but still wondered if he had some Coyote blood in him as a result of his life with Renna. As if reading his thoughts, Granbear said, "Aaah, Grandson, sometimes I worry about your life with Renna. You have traveled great distances from home and have learned how to survive in the streets. Aaah, yes, this makes me wonder if you're not related to Coyote." "Oh, Granbear! I've thought the same thing! Do you think my living with Renna has something to do with who I am?" questioned Meeko, genuinely interested in the answer. "Hmmm, if you've accepted some of her negative thinking as your way of life, you could be infected and have some future heartaches. But, Meeko, I do agree that you have gotten Coyote's attention," said Granbear, emphasizing his point by making soft yipping sounds near his grandsons ear. "This is how Coyote tells you he is through talking." Then without a word, Granbear got up and headed for the arbor to visit with Flying Feather, who had just arrived.

American Indian LEGENDS

Here I share with you a some traditional Native America legends. The First Coyote tales were told by American Indian tribes over a wide geographical area ranging from British Columbia to Guatemala, and from the Pacific Ocean to the Great Plains. Coyote is portrayed somewhat differently from tribe to tribe. In many tales, he will give you the impression that he assisted Creator in forming all life forces and established the rules for Mother Earth's inhabitants. He even takes credit for the constellations in the sky. In story after story, Coyote is the tragic clown. He has been burned alive, drowned, starved, smothered, crushed, dashed to death from great heights, but all the while he goes on his way to even greater error, forgetting to learn from his mistakes. Coyote will scratch under his arm then do a crazy dance. He catches his tail on fire yet still plays with matches. He then jumps in the pond to save himself and nearly drowns. He thinks he has found a bone and it is really a rattlesnake.

Coyote trickery is really you and me, filling our minds with booby traps, fearing to fly in airplanes, toilets that don't work, cars that run out of oil or gas, lost credit cards, drivers licenses, billfolds, money, checkbooks, etc. Life explodes in our faces every day, but we refuse to recognize we are being played with by coyote power.

Coyote, Eagle and Spider Woman

Long ago in the beginning the world was void of the sun, moon and stars. Without the sun there was no light. Without the moon there were no colorful changes in the seasons nor was there a ripple in the ocean. Now old coyote did not like hunting in the dark. He had tremendous powers and could shape-shift from one form to another with superhuman powers, yet most times he remained stupid, cowardly and foolish. Coyote knew the mighty eagle could fly to the sky and asked if they could establish an agreement to steal the sun. The eagle was well aware of coyote's tricks and expressed amusement with his request. Eagle knew the spirits came down to earth bringing with them a woven basket container that held this glowing ball that coyote was talking about. Eagle moved close to coyote and whispered, "They come here to perform their sacred dances and if they see you ,you will surely die." Coyote shook in terror with this new information as eagle flew away, chuckling with glee.

It took many meetings between the eagle and the coyote before Eagle agreed to help him capture the shining ball of light from the sky. Eagle had a plan and went to Spider Woman to talk. After much thought and time elapsed, she wove a strong web for Eagle to take on his journey to capture the sun, also insisting all animals must weave a very strong basket with a sturdy top and well-built latches to keep the sun from escaping.

Once this was accomplished, Eagle took the powerful web from Grandmother Spider. Holding it tightly in his beak he flew for days trying to find the light in the sky. Once found, Eagle silently soared around the sun, carefully engulfing it with grandmother spider's web. Giving one hard jerk on the spider web, he flew with all his might back to Mother Earth.

Coyote was waiting. When he saw Eagle bringing down the sun he ran to tell everyone to meet him at the massive basket. When Eagle landed, everyone helped place the sun in the container. Once it was lashed down, Eagle asked coyote to stand guard, making him promise he would not open the basket. Eagle then returned to Grandmother Spider to discuss how she would anchor it to the Mother Earth.

While waiting for Eagle to return Coyote grew restless. His curiosity began to grow stronger and stronger. Finally he could not stand the anticipation and he had to see the shining ball. Knowing he could outwit this light, coyote decided it was okay to take one small peek. His nimble paws worked quickly, and as he opened the lid the sun raced out, shooting him in the eyes with a yellow ray and then hurrying up into the sky.

When Eagle and Grandmother Spider saw this, they knew what had happened. Grandmother Spider quickly climbed onto Eagle's back as they chased the big round light rising in the sky. Eagle flew higher and higher and it grew hotter and hotter as he neared the sun. Grandmother Spider quickly wove her best magic web into the perfect design. At last they encircled the sun and anchored it into a mysterious pathway in Mother Earth's solar system. And that is why the sun crosses the sky, rising in the East and setting in the West, serving all the people on Mother Earth.

When they finally arrived back on Mother Earth, Coyote saw that Eagle had scorched his feathers and they had turned to a golden brown. Poor Grandmother Spider who was once golden, had now turned pitch black. Coyote nonchalantly greeted the both with great pleasure, excited over his newly found treasure. He immediately named Eagle, the golden eagle, the highest flying bird in the world. Then he touched Grandmother Spider with his paw making a round circle appear on her little black body. Coyote called her The Wisdom of Darkness, bragging openly about his ingenious abilities to capture the sun. With a wave of his paw, he walked throughout the world telling everyone about the wonderful gift of light he had brought to the people.

Reader, aren't you curious to know what color was the dot? Could it be red, yellow, black or white? If you know the color of Grandmother Spider, then you will know her name and powers. BE AWARE! Curiosity creates coyote power.

How Coyote received his yellow eyes.
It seems a woman called Coyote Woman lived near Skeleton Man, and often passed by his lodge in her daily search for food. It was on just such a scavenging trip that Coyote Woman happened upon Skeleton Man sitting on a large outcropping of stones, acting very strangely. His behavior was so bizarre that she was forced to stop and watch him in utter amazement. As she observed Skeleton Man, he sang a song. After he finished the song, his eyes flew right out of his head and headed south until they disappeared. After a bit Skeleton Man's eyes returned, flying right back into his head!

Skeleton Man spoke to himself, saying, "I have seen so many wonderful things!"

Coyote Woman's curiosity got the better of her and she walked up to Skeleton Man saying, "I like the song you were just singing."

Skeleton man replied, "Yes, it is indeed a very good song. When I sing I can see things that I have never seen before. Why just now I saw a canyon filled with many game animals. There were many deer rabbits and many other fine animals."

Coyote Woman's mouth watered as she thought about finding such a place where game was so plentiful, and asked, "Will you teach me to sing that song?"

"It is easy to learn," Skeleton Man responded. "Just face the south and sing my song." And as she did so, his eyes flew to the south. Before long, they returned and popped right back into his head.

"That was easy," Coyote Woman said. "Anyone can do that." "Just be sure to face to the South and do not move," Skeleton Man said, disappearing. "I will find that canyon, and I will never go hungry again," Coyote Woman cried as she sat down and faced the South, singing loudly and clear.

As the last note faded, her eyes left her head and flew to the south. Coyote Woman yelled. "This canyon is a good place and has many game animals. I would never be hungry here." She danced around and around in her excitement, not realizing that she ended up facing North.

Desiring to go to the canyon as soon as possible, she called out to her eyes, saying, "Come back to me, eyes!" But alas, they did not return like Skeleton Man's. She called to them again, four times but nothing happened. By this time she could see nothing and cried out, "What am I going to do? I can see nothing! Where are my eyes? I called them back to me. Why won't they come?"

Coyote Woman had no idea that she was no longer facing South and that was the reason her eyes could not return to her. She thought and thought, and finally decided that her eyes had actually come back to her, but had accidentally missed her head and must be lying on the ground nearby.

She searched the ground until she found an object on the end of a stalk that was just the shape of one of her eyes. "Here is one of them!" she cried. Searching a little further, she found a similar object and said, "And here is the other one." Popping both of them into her eye sockets, she found she could see, but everything looked yellow.

Gazing around in frustration, she said, "My eyes are not working so well. They must have been outside of my head too long. I will find my children and see if they can help me understand what has happened to them." As Coyote Woman was trotting home, her children saw her and were frightened. Her eyes were very big and yellow and this scared them so much they ran in all directions to escape from her. Chasing her children, Coyote Women called out, "Come Back! Why do you run from your mother?" Terrified of her, they continued to run. Without realizing what she had done, Coyote Woman had put two large gourds in her head for eyes and they made her look fearsome. And so it has been ever since. All coyotes have yellow eyes and live scattered across the land.

Coyote scatters his people
This legend relates to how Coyote brought his people here from the original island and became the yellow corn people. Coyote received his power from the rainbow and became a medicine dog. It was the rainbow that always guided the people in their travels. Eons of time passed. A young boy knew of this power and visited the original coyote people's lodge. When he returned he brought back the Navajo people and the corn ceremonies. The young boy taught them when to plant their seeds and how to harvest them. After giving them these gifts, he returned to live with the Coyote people.

From then on, he would come to visit his people in a dream state. Once he stole the children of the water monsters and taught them to help humankind to advance in our world. It is he who represents the human potential for good and evil. But as long as he is associated with the medicine people, he applies his cunning in a good way. He suffers no retribution for his trickery, but when he uses his power wrong to outwit or satisfy his greed, lust or idleness, he then outwits himself.

How Coyote Placed the Stars in the Heavens
How can we possibly speak of the stars without remembering another Coyote story? It seems Coyote was given a big jar to carry when the people came to this world. He was told to not remove the lid. The jar was very heavy, but Coyote was curious. One day he sat down the jar and peeked inside. All the stars rushed out and burned his nose black as coal as they flew by him. Poor coyote could only catch a few and these are now called constellations. The others are just strewn about, some of them being insecurely fastened to the sky continuously fall back to earth. Some are called shooting stars because they are trying to find where they belong in the sky.

Modern day Coyote
Here is a modern day coyote tale about a seventeen year old bushy- headed streetwise client who I will call Wino. Although his parents were wealthy, he had served most of his life in juvenile hall for bad behavior. He was a gang member and loved living on the dark side of life. Even as a young child, Wino believed the world owed him a living. He hated school, and God forbid he had to working for a living. He became an artist of stealing, and felt it was okay.

Wino looked good in his stolen black leather-studded pants and jacket as he cruised the malls, the highways, supermarkets and schools on his stolen motorcycle contaminating his friends with his attitude while dealing drugs.

When he turned eighteen, Wino was following a different Coyote dance. He was sitting handcuffed in court waiting for the kindly judge to give him a new direction. Before Wino could think straight, he was on his way to an army boot camp.

Uncle Sam shaped him a new destiny. He learned the laws of the land, the responsibility of self, respecting others, social structures and physical discipline at the end of a pick, digging a latrine; yet still Wino found a way to get his drugs and booze, all the while dreaming of the good old days. Ah yes, Coyote may travel from one disaster to another but, it is coyote who refines the art of self-sabotage to sheer perfection.

We're having another birthday party. Ah, what great memories. The house will be filled with many nice people. As wolf you can be sure I know all the rules. Oh, but the smells coming from the table will make my mouth water! But living with my human, I have been forced to learn a few human demands. I am not allowed to beg or come near humans when they are eating. I have many human friends and most understood my dilemma. Whenever, I gave them sad eyes or a gentle nudge, they immediately sneak food under the table where I receive many free delicious morsels. In my opinion, I am not begging, but merely sampling the food to make sure it is good enough for the humans to eat. I also taught Jake Coyote power and within minutes we both lay quietly under the table working together on sneaking a few tidbits without getting caught. Jake, being a wise dog, laughed at coyotes insights when I told him stories about coyote being a hero and a fool, always practicing his powers of trickery. Jake was soon deceitful and cunning, and often spoke in depth about our shameless attitude. Before long: Jake was beginning to think some of his friends could be manipulated into giving him anything he wanted. Jake giggled a bark, when I told him that all coyotes have a scent gland in their tail and that's how coyotes find each other. He sniffed at my tail and I swatted him, reminding him I was his teacher.

Once we went camping and I heard a coyote. Knowing this was merely a social call, I answered and invited him into camp. It was around two o'clock in the morning when he began to tear into the trash. I wanted to go visit but my human made me stay in the motor home while she went out and moved the garbage, leaving coyote bowl of my food. Now I know a coyote will eat anything if it doesn't eat him first. I thought it was unfair to give away my food, but since he is the wolf's helper, I decided not to complain, and that's when I learned he loved watermelon. Another time, we were visiting relatives on reservation. A Coyote chased a rabbit under the front porch. I didn't know there was another coyote under the house, but when it ran out with a half eaten rabbit and gave it to the waiting coyote, I tried to take it from him but was stopped by a hard yank on my leash. I know coyotes are vicious fighters, but I also know they won't fight a female.

My human has told me: Most Dog soldiers' war parties take a name that usually reflects dog, wolf or coyote. The warrior usually contacts these animals through a dream or vision. Dog sometimes relates to wolf, or a coyote can mean little wolf. If they choose a new power name they will have a victory dance. The warriors will appeal to their power animal to enable them to intensify their ability. They paint graphics on their bodies, decorate their clothing and paint a wide red mark across their eyes and cheeks symbolically saying: "Coyote eats with a bloody mouth." A dog soldier would wear four coyote skins and paint his face blue, then make four lines with his fingers to say, "I carry strong Coyote Medicine. I make storms. I make fog. I hide from any enemy." I once heard a story about a badger and a Coyote hunting together. It seems they had a rabbit cornered in a log. Well, the badger and the coyote stood eyeball to eyeball in what humans would see as silence. But I know they were talking. Without a word they each walked in different directions and stood guard at the end of the hollow tree.

Coyote was listening to the scurrying of a prairie hen in the bushes, all the while being on guard for the rabbit in case it came out from his end of the hollow tree. It wasn't long before the rabbit ran out toward the badger. The badger grabbed it and told the Coyote, "I got mine now, go get yours."

Coyote knew not to fight with a badger. He remembered the shuffle in the bushes and caught the prairie chicken for his dinner. Everyone was happy, both knowing they would hunt together again, always abiding by the rules of the badger.

I've tried to teach Jake to hunt, but he doesn't like the kill. I know he is part coyote because I saw him get his toe nail caught on a blanket and damaged his nail. He cried for days. Our human doctored his toe. She gave him room service because his foot hurt when he walked. This went on for weeks. Well, one day while we were playing, Jake forgot to limp. Our human saw this. Jake still ran to her with a limp, hoping to be picked up. She looked at him, smiled as she walked away. Well that was the end of her pampering the little black dog.
 

"Wind Wolf Woman", an autobiographical account, chronicles the life history of a fourth-generation American Indian medicine woman who learns to balance on the razor's edge between two cultures - the Red world and the White world - with vastly different belief systems. In this epic journey of her search for identity and spirituality, she struggles determinedly to find a place for herself in both cultures while battling rejection. After traveling around the world and learning from many spiritual teachers, she returns full circle to her traditional Indian roots.

Born an illegitimate breed and deposited days later on her father's doorstep she knew nothing of her birth mother until later in life. Named Sunbeam by her paternal grandmother and raised under her strong hand of discipline, Sunbeam learns the sacredness of all life and how it relates to the medicine ways.

In crafting her life story, Mahinto - lecturer, teacher, and medicine woman - reveals the twentieth-century plight of the Indian people, who until recently were portrayed as a nomadic race riding free as the wind over the land they called home. At the same time, she offers promise that all cultures can, by honoring the preciousness of life, walk together in harmony on our sacred Mother Earth.

 

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