The Singing Scoutmaster: Coyote and the Creation of the Tribes

Long, long ago, the Creator, the Great Chief Above, made the world. Then he made the animals and birds, giving each a name: Coyote, Grizzly Bear, Deer, Fox, Eagle, the four Wolf Brothers, Magpie, Bluejay, Hummingbird, and many more. When he finished, the Creator called all the animal people together.

"I am going to leave you for a while," he said. "But I will return. When I come back, I will create human beings. They will be in charge of you." With those words, the Great Chief returned to his home in the sky, and the animal people scattered across the Earth.

After twelve moons, the animal people gathered as the Creator had directed. But some were unhappy. Bluejay, Meadowlark, and Coyote didn't like their names and asked to be called something else.

"No," said the Creator firmly. "I gave you these names. There will be no changes. My word is law. Because you have tried to change it, I will not make human beings at this time. You have disobeyed me and tainted what I brought with me." He paused, taking something from his right side, and placed it in the river. It began to swim, and he named it Beaver.

"The one of you who remains strong and good will take Beaver from the water someday and make it into a human being," said the Great Chief. "Divide Beaver into twelve parts. Each part will become a tribe. Give it your breath and tell it what to do. Today, I am giving my power to one of you. He will hold it as long as he remains good."

When the Creator finished speaking, the animal people started back to their homes—all except Coyote. The Great Chief had a special word for him.

"You, Coyote, are to be the leader of all the creatures. You now have power like mine, and I will help you in your work. Soon, the creatures will become bad, and it will be your duty to keep the peace. When your work is done, we will meet again in the land toward the east. If you have been good, if you have told the truth and obeyed me, you will be the one to make human beings from Beaver. If you have not, someone else will do it."

As the Creator foretold, the Earth soon fell into chaos. Mountains swallowed creatures, and winds blew them away. Coyote fought to keep the peace. One winter, after North Wind killed many people, Coyote made a law: "Hereafter, you can kill only those who mock you."

Coyote went everywhere, making the world better for the animal people and for the humans yet to be created. When he finished, he believed he had done well and was ready to meet the Creator again. But Coyote made a mistake—he thought he had as much power as the Creator. He tried once more to change the laws of the Great Chief Above.

"Some other creature will make the human being," said the Creator. "I shall take you to a place in the ocean, where you will stay for all time."

Coyote walked far out into the sea to an island. There, the Creator waited beside a house he had built. Inside, on the west side, stood a black suit of clothes. On the other side hung a white suit. "Coyote," said the Creator, "you will wear the black suit for six months. Then, the world will be cold and dreary. When you take it off and wear the white suit, there will be warmth, and everything will grow. I will give you my power so you will not grow old. You will live here forever."

From that day on, Coyote stayed on his island in the ocean. The four Wolf Brothers took his place as leaders of the animal people. Youngest Wolf Brother was strong, good, and clever. But Oldest Wolf Brother was weak and untrustworthy.

One day, Oldest Brother said to Youngest, "I want you to kill Beaver. I want his tooth for a knife."

"No," said Second and Third Brothers. "Beaver is too strong for Youngest Brother."

"I will try my best," said Youngest Brother. "Make four spears: one with four forks for Oldest Brother, one with three forks for Third Brother, one with two forks for Second Brother, and one with a single fork for me."

At dusk, the Wolf Brothers tore down Beaver's dam. First, the small beavers ran out. Then, the larger ones followed. They made so much noise that it sounded like thunder! Finally, Big Beaver—the one the Creator had placed in the water—charged out.

"Let's quit!" shouted Oldest Brother. "He's too big for us."

"No," said Youngest Brother. "I will not stop."

Lightning flashed, and the brothers fell back, one by one, until only Youngest Brother remained. He took the four-forked spear and struck Big Beaver, but it broke. The same happened with the three-forked and the two-forked spears. At last, he grabbed his single-forked spear and drove it deep into Big Beaver's side. The spear held.

Big Beaver swam away, dragging Youngest Brother through the river and down into the rapids. "If I do not return with Beaver in three days, you will know that I am gone," Youngest Brother called to his family.

Three days later, all the animal people gathered at the foot of the mountain. Soon, they saw Youngest Brother returning. He had killed Big Beaver and carried it on his shoulders. "Remember, the Creator told us to cut it into twelve pieces," Youngest Brother said. But he found he could only divide Beaver into eleven parts.

"There must be twelve tribes," he said thoughtfully. "Perhaps the Creator means for us to use the blood." He took the blood and sent it across the Shining Mountains, where it became the Blackfeet tribe. "They will always look for blood," he said.

The other parts became the Nez Perce, Methow, Spokane, Flathead, and many other tribes, each created from a piece of Beaver's flesh. And so, with Coyote on his island and the tribes created from Beaver, the world was set into balance, just as the Great Chief Above intended.