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UNCLE SMOKE STORIES: Nehawka Tales of Coyote the Trickster by Roger Welsch

UNCLE SMOKE STORIES: Nehawka Tales of Coyote the Trickster

By

Pub Date: Nov. 1st, 1994
Publisher: Knopf

When you enter the Big Belly Lodge you are entering the world of Uncle Smoke and the imaginary Nehawka Indian tribe. Nobody, according to Uncle Smoke, is too old to be reminded of the ways of Coyote. Through his storytelling, the animal, the idea, and the spirit of Coyote are brought to life. Coyote is multifaceted. Sometimes he makes grievous mistakes, at other times he is all knowing and powerful. Each story is told at a different fire, and each night Uncle Smoke, like Coyote, acts differently. It is through the whole ceremony surrounding the storytelling that Native-American folklore and customs are revealed. Welsch (Touching the Fire, 1992) is familiar with the society he describes, and he presents it in a real, sympathetic, and comprehensible manner.