Totem Talk

Working With The Animal Totems

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How Coyote Got His Name
(A story told by plateau tribes)

In the days of old, The Great Spirit announced that on a certain day he would give names to all the animals. He who came first should have the choice name, and so on down to the last comer, who should get the least desirable name. Sin-ke-lip, or Imitator, was gleeful. He planned to stay awake all night and thus be the first to appear next morning. He decided on Grizzly Bear, the name of the ruler of all four-footed people, as his first choice, on Eagle, ruler of birds, for second choice, and on Salmon, the good swimmer, for third. Half the night passed and he became sleepy. So he braced his eyes apart with two little sticks. "Now I can stay awake," he said. But before long he was fast asleep, although his eyes were wide open. The sun was high when his wife called him. Only half awake and thinking it was just dawn, he ran fast to the lodge of The Great Spirit. Seeing none of the animals there and smiling broadly at his cunning in being first, he asked for the name Grizzly Bear. The Great Spirit said, "That name was taken very early today." Sin-ke-lip could hardly believe anyone could have come earlier than he. Then he asked for the name Eagle, then for the name Salmon. At last it dawned on him that something was amiss. His joyfulness dropped when he found out all the names but Coyote had been taken. No one had wanted that name. The Great Spirit at last said, "That is the only name left. You must take it. It is good for you. But to compensate you for the unpopular name, I shall give you special magic power, which will make you wiser than any other animal. I have important work for you to do: to conquer the People-Devouring Monsters. For doing that, for all the good things you do, you will be honored and praised; but for the foolish and mean things you do, you will be laughed at and despised. That you cannot help; it is your way. You shall be the Father of Song so you can sing humans into beings."


Coyote was humbled but The Great Spirit wasn't finished, "You Coyote will be the last animal on earth. After the buffalo are gone, after man disappeared, all that will be left is darkness, and in that darkness will echo your final song for Mother Earth to replenish." 


So Coyote he is and wise he is today, being sometimes praised and often blamed and despised. And ever after that night his eyes were different. They grew slant from being propped open while he sat by the fire waiting for daylight. 


~ Luis Wicho Aguilar

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