The Coyote Stole Fire: The Native American Folklore

As I was reading and learning about the Native American folklore, I began to see how their culture developed. Each folklore in Native American history plays a role in how we know the native americans to be today.

Folklore is a group of stories that have been told from generation to generation, and include Legends, Myths, and Fairy Tales. Legends are a traditional story or a extremely famous person sometimes regarded as historical but unauthenticated. Myths are a traditional story, certainly one that involves the history of the people and describes a natural or social phenomenon. Fairy Tales are stories about magic and imaginary creatures and lands. Native American folklore is the beliefs of the Native American tribes in the past and still

to this day. A myth is the most common folklore used in Native American tribes. This is because Native Americans believe in gods and creatures to protect over them and provide for them.When you read the folklores you can tell that reflected in Native American folklore is the values of universal dreams. As people grow up in this life style they claim that their gods and spirits will come to them and talk to them for guidance. As a cheif your dreams help you oversee your tribe and protect everyone in it.
Not only in Native American culture oral tradition played a huge role but in everyone lives. Without the development of oral tradition to this day we wouldn’t be able to communicate.
Development of oral tradition of folklore in the Native American help show the people and the children to believe in mother nature. The entire culture were taught to be great full for their resources and all they are provided with. As oral tradition grows in a community so do the bond of the people and the strength of the stories they share with others. Without oral tradition people wouldn’t be able to communicate. This would then blocking them from learning new stories or even from spreading their ways with others. Without folklore in a culture you will lose the ability to share the many stories that a culture has to offer. If you are unable to share a stories, you won’t be able teaching children a lesson. Many folklore stories are a way for adults to teach the children the way of their beliefs and what’s wrong and right. Everyday young teens and adults use oral tradition in their busy and hectic lives. When teens or adults post a picture or tweet on social media, they are putting oral tradition to use.
The Native American cultures have many strong beliefs that they live by their whole lives.

When reading over the many beliefs of Native American cultures people can see the way they live is based on theirs legends and beliefs. The way Native Americans live is a reflection of how the legends in their culture is told and learned. After reading through the mainly legends there was two that stood out more than any of the others. When reading “ How The Coyote Stole Fire” the reader can see the lesson of how you never want to be selfish to the others around you. The coyote knew that the humans were in need of fire, so himself on the life to help them. While in “ How The Buffalo Hunt Started” people see that the human started out being being hunted by the buffalo and trying to survive them. Then one day the humans took charge and because a race that is now the buffalo hunt. In both of the folklores the lessons behind them helped the Native Americans grow as tribes and help raise their kids in their beliefs. When hearing the Coyote’s story you learn not to be selfish and always think about the well-being of other people. While in “ How The Buffalo Hunt Started” the reader learns to not be afraid and stand up to your fears. These legends have a unique meaning behind both of them. The Coyote helped the Native Americans respect the land and the animals on it. Also it help show how to always think of others before you think of yourself. While The Buffalo’s story give the readers courage to stand up to their fears. This folklore helped the Native American’s , because if they didn’t hunt and kill the buuffalo they wouldn’t have the supplies or materials needed to survive. In both folklores the Native Americans get a bigger understanding and respect for natural and all it can offer them. Such as in “How the Fox Stole Fire” the humans learn that fire will help them survive, but also it lets them gain more respect for the animals around them. Therefore in “How the Buffalo Hunt

Started” the Native Americans realize the importance that all creatures have in their life. In “ How The Coyote Stole Fire” the coyote feels sorry for the humans and wants to help them. For example “ Coyote, overhearing this, felt sorry for the men and women. He also felt that there was something he could do to help them”. Without the oral tradition of these folklores than other tribes wouldn’t know about the courage of the humans or the selflessness of the coyote.
When reading through both of the myths in Native American folklore the reader can begin to understand some of the beliefs they have. In “Native American Dream Beliefs” it tells that each Native American tribe develops their own beliefs. Not all the tribes are raised to one specific belief over everyone. Also in “The attack of the Mammoth” a giant creature terrorizes a family hunting for beavers for their livelihood. In “The Attack of the Mammoth” a family struggling to survive is trying to different areas in search of beaver. Only to be startled and run off by a giant creature known as The Mammoth. After that day people have had tribes bless them and lead them to safety so mammoths with terrorize them again. As for in “Native American Dreams and Beliefs” it tells of how tribes gain the beliefs and trust if the gods. Then after a major event in their time they then learn and teach their young and other tribes to be wiser and smarter. As read in “Native American Dreams and Beliefs” the ready can tell that the myth was a way to teach others to respect and learn more about their “ Mighty Gods”. However in “ The attack of the Mammoth” it tries teach young children and even adults to be aware of their surroundings as there might be a threat among them.
In the culture these myths can affect the way children venture off and to be causes when playing. Also it teaches everyone that they need to respect and give praise to the “beliefs of many gods”. In the two myths I have read there is many values but the two that have impacted Native Americans today. The belief in respect for nature still excised in the modern Native Americans living in society today. Also the ability to stay tough minded and have courage in an situation you are placed in. In the Native American religion visions played a major role in the madness and doubts in some gods and beliefs. Such as “Visions experienced were known as a illness” found in “ Native American Dreams and Beliefs”. This shows the reader that the dreams experienced by the native Americans affect them in many ways. It is hard to verify if all the myths shared in the different tribes are true and historically correct. You can't verify them because do to the fact that there isn't any physical evidence that any of the events happened. After the Myths were being shares orally from tribe to tribe as the story was told more and more the gods and creates grew bigger and more into powerful beings. This then made everyone who had heard the story have a better respect and belief for the gods and creatures.
The two Fairy Tales I have chosen are “The great Wizard” and , “The fighting Hare”.
In “ The Great Wizard” the powerful and scary wizard fills his life with many poor decisions and deeds. Until one day he finally realized he needed to change his way and start doing good in his life. Finally the wizard moved all the way to the ends of the earth to build a lodge and isolate himself from everyone and start making good deeds. Also in “ The Fighting Hare” A magic hare stills crop from the Native American warriors without them knowing. Once the warriors find out they proceed to hunt the hare and try to kill him for stealing. After the hare killed the warriors he begins asking for guidance and the importance of others, only to be announced guilty for the absolute on humanity and stealing. In both of the fairy tales the main character in each story make bad decisions that later come back and haunt them. Both the wizard and the hare get punished in some way by making the wrong decision.
These stories both teach people to respect everything and everyone in nature. Also it shows to respect the loyalty in the culture they are raised in. In both of my fairy tales the readers learns the values of respect for yourself and the the others around them. Values play a major role in Native American culture and the many stories shared through the tribes. In the culture of Native Americans oral tradition was the only way to spread the fairy tales that help teach the Native Americans. The oral tradition throughout the culture have developed the ability to respect the land and culture they are raised in and taught them to be loyal to everyone.
A archetype is a typical example of a person or a thing in a folklore. Also it can be easier explained as a original that had been imitated. The Hero’s Journey is the sequence whenever the hero is introduced throughout the story. The hero then goes through many stages of when they are introduced in the story is various situations. The significant of the hero’s journey is what helps the hero grow and develop as a person. If the hero didn’t experience the journey then the character wouldn’t learn and get the knowledge that they develope. In Native American folklore the archetypal hero’s journey plays a huge role in the development of determining if it’s a myth, legend, or fairy tale. In “ How the Coyote Stole Fire” when the hero is introduced it shows how the coyote isn’t selfish. This helps him grow even more throughout the the entire legend folklore. Also in “ How the Coyote Stole Fire” without the hero’s journey coyote wouldn’t have developed into an even better person. By helping the humans the coyote grew wiser, while learning what helping others can do. As the reader reads and watches the development of the characters journey it helps them understand the whole folklore.
As I read through all my folklores I saw has each story was telling a life lesson. All the characters and plots in my folklores teach a message to the reader but also the Native Americans learning and telling the story. When reading the stories the values of leadership and the dreams of gods helps the Native Americans learn and the develop the way if their lives. The universal values in in my folklores teach the livelihood of their cultures. Without universal values what we know about the Native Americans wouldn't be same. In the future generation of the culture they will realize how to give and earn respect in their lives. When the folklore is told in the future the children and even adults can learn what their past was like and how they lived. Every person needs to know about their past and the history they were brought up in, to grow as a person.