Coyote and Raven Trick Changing Woman

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In the days before there were any human beings, and the animals could talk, there were two old tricksters, Coyote and Raven.  In all of her wisdom, Changing Woman had asked help from these two in the ultimate act of creation; to make a people who would remember the ways of the Old Ones and teach it to their children.  Since neither Coyote nor Raven could resist practical jokes, they each took this as an opportunity to play pranks on each other and on Changing Woman.

As Changing Woman was gathering together the materials she needed to create the first human beings, she asked all the animals to give the First Ones special gifts.  Raven said that he would gather together the Winds from the four Sacred Directions; North, South, East and West.

“Gather together these Cousins to breathe life and be the Soul of the First Ones she ordered.”  Coyote said that he would give them the skill to find all manner of foods that the First Ones would need to live on.

“These First Ones will need to eat, Coyote, so go out and collect rabbits and deer, pinions and sagebrush, and show the First Ones where sweet water may be found.”  No sooner had Changing Woman said this than Coyote and Raven started to make plans for their tricks.

Raven told Coyote that Changing Woman had wanted to put the Spirit of the North and South Winds into the males, and the East and West Winds into the females.  As sure as North and South cover great distances, the man would need this amount of area to provide game for his family.  And as surely as the East and the West Winds birth and rest the Great Spirit, so would woman need these skills in taking care of her children.

Coyote told the raven that he was to search for different kinds of game for the men to hunt, and where sweet water could be found so the women could bring it to their families.

“I have an idea for a great game” said Raven.  “When Changing Woman makes First Man, I will give him the East and West Winds.”

“And when she makes First Woman” said Coyote, “I will give her the knowledge of where to find game.”

Each went their own way, laughing to themselves all the way to their appointed tasks.  They hadn’t realized that listening to them were Wren and Squirrel.  Since Crow was always stealing Wren’s food, and Coyote was always chasing Squirrel into the burrows (not to mention that Coyote always destroyed Squirrel’s front door with his digging!), they took this chance to get both Raven and Coyote into trouble.

“Changing Woman” said Wren, “we have heard Raven making plans to mix up his gifts to the First Ones.”

“And Coyote is going to do the same thing” said Squirrel.

When Coyote returned, he found the First Ones standing still, as Raven had not yet returned with the Sacred Winds.  Placing his gifts at the feet of First Man and First Woman, Coyote told them of all the benefits these gifts would bring to their families.  These included the bow and arrow and snares to First Man, baskets and pottery to First Woman.

Seeing Coyote’s gift at the feet of the First Ones, Raven approached them both and placed at the feet of First Woman a ray of the dawn from the East, and a glimmer of dusk from the West.  To First Man, a snowflake from North, and the short shadow of the South.

Changing Woman became very angry at Coyote and Raven, as their bundles were identical, and it could not be told which bundle was for First Man or for First Woman.  Taking Coyote by the scruff of his neck, Changing Woman took the two bundles from Raven, and pushed Coyote’s head into them.

Coyote became so scared by the sounds of the Winds that he ran away as fast as he could.  Raven was about to fly off when Changing Woman grabbed him by his tail feathers and pushed his head into the bundles Coyote had placed before the First Ones.  So sharp were the flints and so hard was the pottery that Raven flew away as fast as he could.

Still, Changing Woman did not know which bundle held which gift, as both Raven and Coyote are slippery fellows, and got away from her before they could say which gift was for whom.

Taking some clay from the Earth, Changing Woman made two pots large enough to hold First Man, and poured out half of the gifts in the bundles given by Raven and Coyote.  In the other pot, she placed First Woman, and put the other half of each bundle left by the two Trouble Makers.

Stirring them together with a Cedar Tree, Life entered into the First Ones.  As the Winds entered First Man, he breathed for the first time, and looking around him, he saw the different tools necessary to care for his family.  The Winds entered into First Woman too, and as she looked around, she saw the different tools necessary to care for her family.

Speaking to Changing Woman, the First Ones said “I do not understand this mess at our feet.”  Changing Woman told them all that had happened, and said “I do not know how to use these tools, Coyote and Raven knew, but I do not.  Since I know that these tools are important, I have placed a little bit of each of their Spirit into each of you. 

“First Man, you will find that some of your sons choose to make baskets and pottery, and provide sweet water for their families.

“And First Woman, you may find that some of your daughters will want to hunt and provide game for their families.

“Do not look at these sons and daughters out of the corner of your eyes and say behind their back how odd they are, but rather look at them, and remember all the Gifts given to them by Coyote and Raven.  Regardless of who received which Gift, it is nonetheless a Gift.”

To this day, everytime darkness falls on the coyote, he howls for fear!  And Raven is always looking in the dump to make sure that the broken flints and broken pots stay there. 

(C) David Bingell