Little Coyote

In grade 9, I had to do an english project...
Tell a story in different way other than a book. I racked my brain for a truly unique idea though I'd settle for something slightly out of the ordinary. I just didn't want to do what everyone in my class did and do a posterboard. I wanted to be different and stand out from my peers.

I finally decided that I would tell an old native american tale. I would feature photos and do a audio tape to tell the story. My mom suggested that my brother and I should dress up as the two characters, while she took our pictures in various poses for the story. Nick and I wore cut out native american masks and native blankets over our shoulders. I played an old spirit and he a mischievous little coyote who tries to goat me into proving my powers. We made props and were photographed outside in our garden. I wrote out a script, and was taped to much laughter and ever so many retakes. We also recorded sounds to help illustrate the story; a great rumbling for a mountain that moved and a rushing river that disappeared and then reappeared. Native drums and musics played in the background as we gave our lines. I remember the tears rolling down my face, trying not to laugh out loud. Everyone trying not to snicker and lots of shushes and oops! It was, I think, a small miracle that the recording was ever finished.

I ended up with a 96% and the highest mark in the class. My teacher was impressed and wanted to have it shown at the end of the year excellence fair, but a teacher's strike put the kybosh on that.

My mom so liked a picture she took of Nick as the mischievous little coyote that she made a linograph plate of it and did an edition of it. Little Coyote was so popular and sold out so quickly that people wanted to know when the next printing would be out. But, my mom always said that she would not do 2nd printings of any of her artwork. That meant that those customers were out of luck as it were.

In the end, I think the reason that this little print was so popular was that it evoked an image of everybody's little brother and son. And, that is how I like to remember my little brother, Nick. Mischievous, at any moment ready to laugh and as a new soul, capable of anything.