3 Coyote Tales: Stories from the Sioux, Karok, and Zuni People

By Gini Graham Scott

The following three tales are adapted from stories told by the American Indians.   They are:

- The Story of Coyote, Buffalo, and the Rock, told by the Sioux, a tribe from the Northwest, where they once formed the Great Sioux Nation, in the area that later became the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Montana, and Wyoming.

- How Coyote Became Clever, told by the Karok, a tribe from Northwestern California, located along the Klamath River.

- How Coyote Brought Winter into the World, told by the Zuni Indians, one of the pueblo peoples, who have lived in villages in the area of New Mexico.

            While these Native American tribes come from very different areas, their coyote stories are similar in the way Coyote has friends with other animals, participates with them on adventures, and screws things up no matter what he does.

 

GINI GRAHAM SCOTT, Ph.D., J.D., CEO of Changemakers Publishing and Writing, is an internationally known known writer, speaker, and workshop leader.  She has published over 50 books with major publishers on various topics and has written over 3 dozen children's books. She is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She does workshops on self-publishing and creativity, and she helps clients write books and self-publish them or find publishers and agents.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Changemakers Kids
• Release date: Apr 24, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201066390

Gini Graham Scott

Gini Graham Scott, Ph.D., CEO of Changemakers Publishing and Writing, is an internationally known writer, speaker, and workshop leader. She has published over 50 books with major publishers on various topics and has written over 3 dozen children's books. Her published children's books include Katy's Bow, Scratches, The Crazy Critters First Visit, and Where's the Avocado? published by Black Rose Writing. She has published 8 children's books through her company Changemakers Kids and is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She does workshops on self-publishing and creativity. She also helps clients write books as a ghostwriter and self-publish or find publishers and agents. Her websites are www.changemakerspublishgandwriting.com and www.ginigrahamscott.com.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION...................................................5

THE STORY OF COYOTE, BUFFALO, AND THE ROCK.......................7

HOW COYOTE BECAME CLEVER.....................................31

HOW COYOTE BROUGHT WINTER INTO THE WORLD......................53

ABOUT THE AUTHOR..............................................77

INTRODUCTION

The following three tales are adapted from stories told by the Native Americans. They are drawn from some books I had long ago when I took classes on American Indian culture at San Francisco City College, and then I rewrote them.

I was intrigued by the stories of Coyote, the trickster figure in much of American Indian storytelling. He is always trying to fool people or get away with something; but his tricks catch up to him and his plans backfire. Yet he always returns to attempt more tricks. As such he is wily and clever, but not very wise.

So he makes many mistakes – he is too smart for his own good.

The following Coyote stories come from the Sioux, Karok, and Zuni Indians.

The Sioux are a tribe from the Northwest, where they once formed the Great Sioux Nation. They have lived in the area that later became the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Montana, and Wyoming.

The Karok are a tribe from Northwestern California, located along the Klamath River.

The Zuni are one of the Pueblo peoples, who have lived in villages in the area of New Mexico.

While these Indian tribes come from very different areas, their coyote stories are similar in the way Coyote has friends with other animals, participates with them on adventures, and screws things up no matter what he does.

Here are three of my favorite Coyote stories.

THE STORY OF COYOTE, BUFFALO, AND THE ROCK

An Adaptation of a Traditional  Native American Folktale

(Told by the Sioux People)

THE STORY OF COYOTE, BUFFALO, AND THE ROCK

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Coyote is one of the most popular characters in Native American folktales. Sometimes