English Translation
17. Coyote Dances With the Prairie Dogs
Sam Kenoi
Coyote was walking [along] a road.
He picked up [some] old worn-out soldiers' coats where the soldiers had passed.
He was going to the Prairie Dogs' town.
He picked up a stick.
He hung the old worn-out soldiers' coats onto it.
He was carrying it like a flag.
It was sunset.
He shouted to the Prairie Dogs.
"All of you, come over here!"he said to them.
They ran toward him from all directions.
"Everyone! No one is to stay at home; all of you come here!"he said to them.
Then all of them, none staying at home, came to him.
Then he talked to them.
"Over there, on yonder mountain, there was a big battle until sunset. I killed all of those who were your enemies for you. I have brought back these coats from there."he said and held them up.
"So, build your fires right now! The ceremony in honor of [the victory] will last all night. The celebration will last all night."Coyote said.
Then:
"All right! Hurry, build your fires! There is to be a ceremony right now. It is said that he has killed for us all of those who were our enemies."the Prairie Dogs said.
Then they built the fires.
Then the ceremony began.
They were dancing.
Coyote spoke thus to them:
"Sing about me! In this way:he said to the Prairie Dogs.
'From the mountain that lies over there,
He has brought them back,
He has brought them back'
You say as you sing about me."
Then the Prairie Dogs sang about Coyote:1
"From the big mountain that lies over there,they said.
He has brought them back,
He has brought them back."
Then it was late at night.
Then Coyote spoke thus:
"Those of you who are fat line up on one side, and those Prairie Dogs who are thin also line up on the other side as you dance. Have a good time!"Coyote said to them.
Then the Prairie Dogs who were fat lined up on one side.
The Prairie Dogs who were thin also lined up on the other side.
Then Coyote spoke thus again:
"I am very tired. The fighting lasted all day. Now I'm going to sleep a little while. Soon I'll come back to you. Have a good time!"he said to the Prairie Dogs.
Then the Prairie Dogs had a very [good] ceremony.
Coyote went off somewhere.
He went in to their town.
He filled up all of their holes.
Then he went to a large mulberry tree that was standing there.
He broke off a piece of it.
He carried it back to where they were dancing.
Just as he was returning to that vicinity, he was shouting.
"That's the way to have a good time!"he said as he shouted.
He was dancing around and around among them.
He pretended to hit them with the club again and again.
Then some of the Prairie Dogs spoke thus among them[selves]:
"Look out! He nearly hit him!"they said among them[selves].
Then Coyote spoke thus:
"No! Don't be foolish! I did so, I say, when I fought with your enemies for you!"2
Just then, while dancing around and around, he nearly hit someone again.
Then some of them again spoke thus among them[selves]:
"He almost hit him!"they said again.
Then Coyote spoke thus:
"No! I did so, I say! I did so, I say, when I killed your enemies for you!"he said to the Prairie Dogs.
Then he danced around and around among them pretending to strike them again and again with the club.
Suddenly, he struck at them.
He killed them.
They started to run away to their houses.
He went among them even there.
Striking at them, he killed them all.
Then, after a while, he carried them back to the fire.
He piled them all in a heap.
He spread the fire apart.
He put all of them in there.
Then he covered the fire up again.
"They will cook well for me."he said.
Then he lay down in the shade under a tree that was standing there.
He fell asleep.
He was still sleeping when [the sun] had nearly set.
At that time, while he was asleep, a Puma dug them out [and stole them] from him.
He ate all the Prairie Dogs which were fat.
He put back only two of the worst Prairie Dogs.
Then the Puma went away from him.
When it was almost sunset, Coyote woke up.
He got up and spoke thus:
"They're tender [now]."he said.
He returned to where he had put the Prairie Dogs in the fire.
He poked about in the fire with a stick.
He poked out only those two worst ones that [Puma] had put back there for him.
"These are no good."he said, throwing them backward.
He searched in vain for all of the others.
Then, though he did not like them, he picked up and ate those he had thrown over his shoulder without seeing where [they fell]
Ethnological Notes
Morris Opler
17.1
In the songs of the war dance held after a battle the names of conspicuously brave men were mentioned. These men then danced to songs which had reference to their war deeds.
17.2
The Chiricahua war dance was essentially a dramatization of the battle by those who had participated in it.