One of the most constant symbols of North American Indian mythology is coyote, a figure that has not only persisted but successfully crossed cultural barriers. Coyote survives both as an animal and a myth in literature and art. These stories illustrate the many roles and adventures of coyote. The Western Writers of America selected this book as a Spur Award winner for cover art. Readers will also want to read “Kachina Tales,” also published by Sunstone press.

This collection of American Indian legends was gathered by Gene Meany Hodge from authentic sources in the 1930s and centers around the sacred supernatural personages of the American Pueblo Indians called Kachinas (pronounced Kah-chee-nahs). Mrs. Hodge wrote: “All in all the Kachinas are lovable and kindly supernaturals who bring rain and other blessings to the people.” The legends of the Kachinas are a unifying and cohesive force in the continuance of Native American social history. In these stories, you discover why Kachinas wear feathers, how Tihkuyi created the game animals, why the war chiefs abandoned latiku, how the rattlesnakes came to be what they are and other events from the past. This book makes an ideal companion to “Coyote Tales from the Indian Pueblos,” also published by Sunstone Press.

After several attempts to retrieve salt from the Salt Lake for his wife's baking, a very lazy coyote is tricked by mischievous butterflies.

Shelby Jane Cooper is seventeen, pretty and quiet. It's just Shelby and her mom, Shaylene, a court stenographer who wears pyjama jeans, stitches tapestry, eats ice-cream for dinner and likes to keep Shelby safe. So safe she barely goes out. So safe she doesn't go to school. Because anything could happen, to a girl like Shelby. Anything. When Shelby gets knocked down by a car, it's not just her leg that's broken: Shelby's world is shattered. Her mom turns up to collect her and drives off into the night, like it's the beginning of a road trip, like two criminals on the run, like Thelma and Louise or Bonnie and Clyde. And somehow, everywhere she looks, there's a coyote watching her, talking to her, telling her not to believe. Who is Shelby Jane Cooper? If the person who keeps you safe also tells you lies, who can you trust?

A retelling of a traditional Pueblo Indian tale in which Quail outwits a persistent Coyote.

Coyote insists the crows teach him how to fly, but the experience ends in diaster.

Tells the Indian creation myth of how the Animal People created the sun, moon, and stars.

My Life in San Juan Pueblo is a rich, rewarding, and uplifting collection of personal and cultural stories from a master of her craft. Esther Martinez's tales brim with entertaining characters that embody her Native American Tewa culture and its wisdom about respect, kindness, and positive attitudes.