Ortiz 1

Kate Ortiz

Tina Katsanos

LBST 2102, Mini Paper

November 5, 2017

Mini Paper

For this assignment we were asked to choose a tribe from an indigenous group and

choose one of the several given categories to conduct research on. The following paragraphs will

discuss about the Navajo tribes popularly used character in myths, the Coyote, in the Native

American indigenous group as well as the purpose of trickster myths.

The Coyote is a popular character used in Navajo mythology, typically in trickster myths.

The Coyotes stories are typically containing tricking/outwitting others, trying to be like them, or

breaking rules which in the end comes back around and bites the Coyote in the butt. The

Coyotes characteristics are those of a tricksters, mischievous, greedy, vain, foolish, etc. Often

times the story of a trickster contains funny contents, but the story is not meant to be just funny

in the end. The trickster myth about the Coyote is created to be amusing in order for it to be

memorable, but most importantly the Coyotes story is meant to convey a moral message, to

demonstrate possibilities and limitations in the world. The Coyotes punishments and journey

are told to children as far up as adult to teach them responsibility and lessons so actions like the

Coyote are not repeated (Cooper).

An example of the trickster story of the Coyote is the Coyote and Lizard. In this story the

Coyote sees a group of lizards playing on a big rock with one side of the rock being a flat slope.

The lizards took turns sliding down the rock with a small, flat rock and the Coyote watched from

afar wishing he too could slide on the rock. The Coyote approaches one of the lizards and ask
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him if he could ride down the rock too. At first the lizards were cold to him. The oldest lizard

warned him about the dangers of playing a lizard game because the Coyote is not a lizard. The

Coyote did not believe the lizards because none of them had been hurt when he watched them

slide. After lots of begging from the Coyote, the oldest lizards gave in, but only allowed him to

slide with a small, flat rock. The lizards told the Coyote that he was not allowed to ride down the

slide with the big rock because he could die along the way. Even after the warning from the

lizard the Coyote still wanted to ride down with the big rock, but agreed to ride with the small

one first to show the lizards that he can do it. The Coyote took the small, flat rock and zipped

down the rock that the lizards played on. The Coyote took the small, flat rock that he slid on

back to the lizards and said, See! I can do it. Let me ride down the big rock! The oldest lizard

reminded the Coyote of his warning, but allowed him to ride with the big rock because his life

was his own to risk. The Coyote grabbed the big rock and began to slide. During the Coyotes

ride down, the big rock had caught on a smaller rock down the slide and made the big rock fly up

in the air while the Coyote fell off. The Coyote did not feel as fearless as he did during his first

ride down, but now panics as he realizes the lizard were right and regrets his decision. Just as the

lizards said, the Coyote was crushed by the big rock and die. The lizards look at the Coyotes

crushed body and decides to bring the Coyote back to life, so he could learn his lesson and get

off the sliding rock. The lizards worked their magic and brought the Coyote back to life. The

Coyote was so glad to be back alive and thanked the lizards, but the lizards reminded of his

mistake. The Coyote runs off to never play with lizard games again. The lesson to be learned

from the Coyote was that you must not break the rules when you are warned and to not be

somewhere where you supposed to be (Coyote and Lizard Navajo Animal Stories Legend).
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Tricksters myth are seen throughout many indigenous tribes. Other popular trickster

characters in the Navajo group are the Spider, Raccoon, and the Raven. Popular African

tricksters are the Spider, Hare, and Jackal. Popular African-American tricksters are the Brer

Rabbit and Eshu. These are just a few examples of other popular tricksters in other indigenous

groups. Tricksters may be mistaken as evil because they often commit very bad actions, but the

end consequences of that act are quite positive. [Tricksters] embody the human struggle to

move beyond confinement and break the boundaries of order and rules. Tricksters may be

motivated by anything that may benefit them and some have the capability of shapeshifting to

deceive others. Just like the Coyote in the Navajo trickster myth, trickster stories are meant to

teach moral lessons, typically to teach others to not act like them (LBST_2102_Myths).

Trickster myths are told from generation to generation, most commonly in a comedic way

to make the stories and lessons memorable. Trickster myths are seen in various indigenous group

with popular characters of their own, the Coyote for the Navajo group was just one of the many

examples of such. Captain Jack Sparrow from The Pirates of the Caribbean, Maui from Moana,

and Tom from Tom and Jerry are a few examples of trickster myths today revealing the value of

the myth, to teach a lasting moral lesson.

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Work Cited

Cooper, Guy. Coyote in Navajo Religion and Cosmology. The Canadian Journal of Native

Studies, VII, 1987, pp. 181-193, http://www3.brandonu.ca/cjns/7.2/cooper.pdf.

Coyote and Lizard Navajo Animal Stories Legend. Twin Rocks Trading Post,

www.twinrocks.com/legends/179-coyote-and-lizard-navajo-animal-stories.html.

LBST_2102_Myths. Canvas.
https://uncc.instructure.com/courses/51940/files/2210140?module_item_id=993297