List of Native American cultures
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List of Native American cultures
What's new on our site today!
This is our collection of links to Esselen folktales and traditional stories that can be read online. We have indexed our Native American mythology section by tribe to make them easier to locate; however, variants on the same story are often told by American Indians from different tribes, especially if those tribes are kinfolk or neighbors to each other. In particular, though these legends come from the Esselens, the traditional stories of neighboring tribes like the Ohlone and Yokuts tribes are very similar.
Coyote (Machkas, in
the Esselen language): The culture hero of Esselen myths. In some tales, Coyote
plays the mischievous trickter role common in California Indian folklore, but in others, he is a more
serious protagonist who fathers the Costanoan tribes and teaches them the arts of civilization.
Children of Coyote:
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