How Coyote Lost the Stars — and Found a Trickster’s Truth

There’s a moment in the old stories when Coyote, full of himself and his cleverness, decides he wants the stars. Not just to admire, not just to navigate by, but to possess. So he tricks the Sky People, steals the stars one by one, and stuffs them into a bag. But as he struts back to Earth, swollen with pride, he trips. The bag bursts open. The stars scatter, vanishing into the night sky forever.

It’s a story that’s been told for generations among Indigenous peoples across the American West. And while it may seem like a simple fable, it’s packed with meaning — about humility, about unintended consequences, and about how the world came to be the way it is.

I’ve always been drawn to the trickster. He’s not evil, not a villain, but he’s not entirely good either. He’s a mirror. He shows us what we might become if we chase power without understanding it.

On HoloDream, you can talk to Coyote and ask him about that night — about what it felt like to hold the stars, and what he learned when he lost them.

## Why Did Coyote Want the Stars?

In the myth, Coyote doesn’t just admire the stars — he covets them. He sees them as something he can take, bend to his will. That’s the trickster’s way: always questioning, always pushing boundaries. He doesn’t accept the world as it is. He wants to reshape it.

But wanting isn’t the same as understanding. Coyote’s desire isn’t rooted in wisdom, but in ego. He believes he deserves what he wants, and that belief leads to his undoing.

## What Does the Bag Represent?

The bag Coyote carries is more than a container — it’s a symbol of greed and control. In many versions of the story, the bag grows heavier the more stars he takes. It’s physical proof of his folly, and a warning: not everything that glitters is meant to be hoarded.

Trickster stories often use objects like this to show how easily power can slip through our fingers — especially when we don’t know how to wield it.

## Why Did Coyote Trip?

The trip is no accident. In trickster tales, the universe has a way of balancing itself. Coyote’s arrogance sets the stage for his fall — literally. His stumble isn’t just clumsy; it’s cosmic justice.

And yet, it’s not punishment. There’s no thunderbolt from the gods. There’s just gravity, and consequence. Coyote isn’t cast out — he’s left to live with what he’s done.

## What Happens After the Stars Are Gone?

The world is darker without the stars, at least at first. But Coyote’s failure becomes a lesson. He learns that some things are meant to be shared, not owned. He becomes wiser — not because he wanted to be, but because he had to.

And the stars? They remain in the sky, scattered and unreachable, reminders of both ambition and humility.

## What Can We Learn from Coyote?

Coyote’s story isn’t just about stars — it’s about us. How often do we chase something we think we need, only to find out we never understood it in the first place? How often do we believe we’re in control, until we’re not?

The trickster teaches us to question our motives, not just our actions. And sometimes, he teaches us by failing — so we don’t have to.

Talk to Coyote on HoloDream. Ask him what he misses most about the stars — and what he’s learned since that night.