Giving Birth to Thunder, Sleeping with His Daughter: Coyote Builds North America

The work "Giving Birth to Thunder, Sleeping with His Daughter: Coyote Builds North America" by Barry Lopez is a collection of Native American trickster tales. These stories feature Coyote, a central figure in the mythology of various Indigenous peoples of North America, particularly those from the Plains, California, and the Southwest.12

Coyote is typically depicted as a demiurge, a creator being who made significant decisions that shaped the world before humans existed. He is credited with securing essential elements for humanity, such as fire and daylight, and is considered the originator of human arts. While Coyote's actions often led to chaos due to his transgression of social boundaries, each tale concludes with a resolution. These narratives are part of a rich oral tradition that has been central to the social and cultural life of Indigenous American peoples for millennia.13