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staging areas for transport. The work is ○ ○ when they were about five months old
○
The Coyote, continued from page 1.
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hard and slow. Volunteers from the ○ ○ it was time to return them to the wil-
○ ○
Vegas Valley Off-Roaders truck the ○ ○ present, coyotes seek greener pastures. ○ ○ derness. It was hard to say goodbye
plants to their final destination. ○ This may happen in Yellowstone ○ . . . “Mr. Coyote Man touched our
○
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Sometimes helicopters are called in to ○ as wolves return. ○ hearts like no other.”
○ ○
move big loads. When the mine ○ Coyotes have a special place in the ○ Coyotes abound in our language.
○
○
property was approved for a hydro- ○ lore of Native Americans. He got his ○ Sports teams are named after them, a
○ name from the Nahuatl tribe of Central ○ “coyote shaft” is a small shaft dug into
electric plant last spring, the volunteers ○ ○
worked quickly to remove plants before ○ ○ Mexico. They called him “coyotl.” We ○ ○ a hillside, Indians from the Southwest
the excavation began. They will ○ ○ usually refer to him as a “kiy-YOH- ○ and Mexico called ceremonial tobacco
○
continue the work for as long as ○ ○ tee,” but, it is more correct to simply “coyote tobacco,” a desert water hole
possible before a planned housing ○ ○ call him a “KlY-yoht.” Crow Indians is sometimes
called
a
development begins on the Hill. ○ say the coyote created the “coyote
○
The organization develops and ○ earth, and Paiute claim well,” a
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supports numerous outreach projects ○ they are responsible Southwest-
○
including Healing Gardens at area ○ for the tribe’s ern gourd is
hospitals, environmental gardens and origin. Nava- called “coy-
○
instruction at local senior centers and ○ jos call the ote thistle” . . .
schools, and at the New Vista Ranch ○ ○ coyote the list simply
for the Disabled; they’ve launched the ○ ○ “God’ s goes on and on.
Shade Tree Shelter Project—a ○ ○ Dog,” but He is featured in
transitional program for families to gain ○ he is books, too. The
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self esteem and learn how to plant and ○ viewed as coyote is in the first
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tend a garden—as well as the Flowers ○ a mischief novel by a Native
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for Seniors program for shut-ins. ○ maker. In American. Humishuma,
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Master Gardeners tap the power of ○ Navajo an Okanogan from the
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plants to enrich the life of the ○ lore, the Pacific Northwest,
○
community. Their tradition of service ○ coyote wrote Cogowea, the
to the public has grown far beyond its ○ ○ caused turmoil Half-Blood, in 1927
roots. Anyone with a “green thumb” ○ ○ in the world by and then followed it with
may enroll in their 16 week intensive ○ ○ stealing Water Coyote Stories in 1933, a col-
training program. These missionaries of ○ ○ Monster’s child. Seeking revenge, Wa- ○ ○ lection of tales about the sly trickster
gardening bring plants and people ○ ter Monster brought on a great flood. ○ who opened the land to Indians by
○ slaying monsters. With all the dam-
○
together for the good of both and for ○ However, First Man planted a female ○
○ nation hurled at him, our little “crit-
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the love of living things. reed that grew so tall flood waters could ○
○
not reach that level. The waters receded, ○ ter,” “varmint”—call him what you
living things prospered in a “Glittering ○ will—has earned affection, too. It
RRCIA to Sponsor Concert ○
World”—and that is where the Nava- ○ ○ shows up in Texan J. Frank Dobie’s
jos now live. ○ The Voice of the Coyote, and in Max
The Red Rock Canyon Interpretive As- Coyotes seem to have a natural wari- ○ ○ Evans’ novel, One-Eyed Sky.
sociation will sponsor a concert by Mary ○
ness of humans, but like so many wild ○ Finally, is any sound so con-
Youngblood, winner of the Native ○
creatures they will respond to kindness ○ nected with the American West as the
American Music Awards 2000 for “Best and can become dependent on their hu- ○ ○
Native American Flutist of the Year.” man friends. That was clearly a consid- ○ ○ coyote’s howl? Can you see him
The concert, benefitting Red Rock Can- eration at an animal center when, in the ○ now, outlined against the Western
○ sky, his head raised to the moon? J.
yon environmental education programs, spring of 1994, a male coyote pup weigh- ○
○ Frank Dobie put it well when he said
will be held at Spring Mountain Ranch ing only two pounds was rescued. The ○
State Park on Friday evening, May 17. people at the center were taken with his ○ ○ it seemed to “. . . express remem-
Tickets are $20 and are available at the intelligence and personality and dubbed ○ ○ brance of something lost before time
Red Rock Canyon Gift Store or charge him “Mr. Coyote Man.” A few weeks ○ ○ began.” For the cowboy of yes-
by phone (702-363-7592). later another male pup was brought in and ○ terday and today, it is a haunting
the two became playful friends. But serenade.
○
FORRC/April, 2002 Page 7