Cultural Background

• For many Native American nations and cultures, the coyote represented a key mythological figure. It could take on many different roles or levels of significance, ranging from the creator to the messenger to the ultimate trickster. Coyotes are subsequently found throughout Native-American oral traditions and in many forms of object culture, both art and functional materials. Crafts pertaining to the coyote represent a deep respect for and cultural linkage with the coyote and its presence in the natural environment.
  
  

Types of Crafts

• Some of the most common coyote crafts you will find preserved and available for sale or auction are fashioned out of the coyotes' pelt or fur. This includes arrow quivers, which were vital objects for war and hunting. Often the pelt is modestly wound around the quiver. The Navajo have a custom where the tail of the pelt is attached to a war bonnet. The Support Native American Art website cites these collector's items as particularly valuable. Additionally, portions of coyote fur may be attached to many decorative items such as rattles and other forms of headdresses.
  
  

The Dancer

• Some of the western Native American tribes practiced dances honoring the spirit of the coyote. In the Yaqui tribe, this was performed by a group of three men. It represented the warrior-character of their society. The steps of the dance imitated the movements of the animal it was named for. Modern designers create traditional craft figurines of the Coyote Dancer to sell, depicting the dancer in the formal garb that would have accompanied the ceremony.
  
  

Considerations

• If you don't want to buy an authentic coyote craft and instead choose to make your own, purchase coyote pelts or claws, used in ornamental jewelry, in some states such as Montana. However, be aware that hunting coyotes is illegal in some areas and in certain conditions, so research state laws if this aspect is of interest to you. Buy a book on Native American crafts and design before investing in Native-American materials if you are not already fully acquainted with them.