l figure of Coyote on the very first page. Coyote is a figure from Native American mythology who is defined as a kind of mischievous god or trickster to be treated with wariness and circumspection. Coyote's role in Native American storytelling is often described as a kind of "teacher by counter-example as he employs base human traits including lying, cheating, and sexual misconduct." In many of these tales, Coyote also interacts behind the scenes with the humans in an effort to tempt them into straying from the safe and defined order of the community. The novel's characters are mindful of being "under Coyote's eye"(Watson, p.1), and feel the constant influence of "the meddler Coyote" (p.29) behind so many of the community's evil goings-on. When Kip feels tempted to reach for the glory, he remembers how "Coyote got the old lady" (p.48) and holds back out of fear. When he is lat
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