Wily Coyotes In Native American Folklore

By | December 14, 2018

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Coyote howling. (Photo by Sylvain CORDIER/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

In many folk tales of Native American tribes, the coyote symbolizes wisdom and death. Just like cartoon caricatures of the animal, coyotes are said to be clever, cunning, and deceitful. Some myths have the coyote emerge as the hero, but others cast him in the role of the villain. Let’s look at the wily coyote through the eyes of ancient Native Americans. 

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Source: fractalenlightenment.com

Coyote as the Helper to Humans

Among the Pueblo, Zuni, and Hopi tribes of the southwest, the coyote was a benevolent animal. Coyotes helped to ensure a successful hunt, and hunting parties that saw a coyote believed it was a sign that their hunt would be successful. The Zuni people even made stone statues of coyotes to bring them luck on the hunt.