Context — This story was told by an elderly Navajo woman in Arizona. She knew many Coyote stories, but told me two of her favorites, including Coyote and Changing Bear–

“There’s this beautiful maiden. She has twelve brothers. Takes care of all of them by herself. She feeds them and cooks for them and cleans for them, all the while they hunt and fight monsters. Her beauty was so great, holy men would come from all over the world in hopes of marrying her. She ignored all of them. Why would she give them any attention? But Coyote, he asks her – what can I do to marry you? And she says he must slay a giant! Incredibly so, he does. All of her brothers tell her not to marry Coyote, they say it will bring a great evil to this world, but she does it anyway. After all, Coyote did what she asked.

“And it’s not so bad. Coyote even teachers her how to turn into a bear! The brothers are right. Coyote manages to turn this woman evil! He turns her into the Woman who Became a Bear or Changing Bear. And so she returns to her family and offers to comb their hair. One by one, the brothers all let her. But as soon as they turn their back on her, she eats them!”

Analysis — This is another trickster tale layering many elements together– heroic quests, gender, and moral imperatives through a subversive taleŁ Coyote slays the giant, but instead of resulting in a happy ending, his actions end in tragedy. By reversing the traditional structure of the myth, the tale reemphasizes Coyote’s role as a trickster and disruptor. His marriage to Changing Bear disrupts the social and familial order. By offering the maiden a supernatural power, he ultimately leads her to killing her own family. The transformation reflects Navajo values about balance, harmony, and beauty – Changing Bear is a physical and profound disruption of the peace that’s caused by the maiden stepping out of expected responsibilities and roles. Coyote and Changing Bear’s marriage ultimately highlight the importance of community and illustrates how personal choice can put the entire familial unit at risk.