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Native American Antelope Mythology

Antelopes often play the role of messengers in Plains Indian mythology. In some tribes, the appearance of an antelope in a human settlement had the meaning of a message from the spirit world.

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Antelopes are used as clan animals in some Native American cultures. Tribes with an Antelope Clan include the Pueblo tribes of New Mexico, whose antelope clans are known as Kurts or Kuts-hano in the Keres Pueblo languages. The Hopi also have an Antelope Society, one of only a few Hopi religious orders to include women as well as men. Some Pueblo tribes also have an Antelope Dance among their tribal dance traditions.

Native American Antelope Gods and Spirits

Chop Kachina (Hopi)

Native American Legends About Antelopes

The Race of the Antelope and Deer:
    Yokut Indian legend telling why the antelope lives in the plains.
The Mistakes of Old-Man:
    Blackfoot myth about how Napi made bighorn sheep and antelopes.
*Why the Deer Has No Gall:
    Blackfoot story about the difference between deer and antelopes.

Recommended Books of Antelope Stories from Native American Myth and Legend
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Antelope Woman:
    A delightful children's book telling an Apache folktale about a woman who married an antelope.
Spirits of the Earth: A Guide to Native American Nature Symbols, Stories, and Ceremonies:
    Book by a Karuk elder about the meanings of Indian animal spirits, including a chapter on antelopes.
Native American Animal Stories:
    A large collection of American Indian tales about animals, told by Abenaki storyteller Joseph Bruchac.



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