The air smells of pine and sweet smoke. Everyone we love surrounds us, and our most respected elder begins to tell tales of the gods that came before time itself. Can you picture it?

The Southern Paiute elders shared tales of their ancestors around large campfires surrounded by the whole village. Children loved the stories that featured the naughty trickster god, Coyote, and his sensible older brother, Wolf. Well, that ol’ Coyote sure did get into some mischief! 

A beloved Southern Paiute story, and one of my personal favorites, is the story of the Pine Nuts.

You see… a long long time ago, Coyote and Wolf were traveling north when the Great Spirit approached them.

“Where are you going?” asked the Great Spirit.

“We are going north,” said Wolf.

The Great Spirit said, “Take these pinyon seeds and plant them along the way so that everyone will have pinyon trees and pine nuts.”

The Great Spirit then vanished, and the brothers continued on their way. Thirsty and bored, Coyote told Wolf: “Brother, you go on ahead. I will stay here and search for water.”

And so, the brothers separated. Wolf continued north towards their home, planting the pinon seeds along the way. But Coyote wandered off and found a new friend to play with. After a while, he remembered the Great Spirit’s request.

“I must return home,” he said, “but I have forgotten all about these seeds!”

Instead of planting the seeds as the Great Spirit instructed, Coyote threw them away and headed home. When he arrived, Wolf asked, “Coyote! Brother! Did you plant the pinyon seeds as the Great Spirit requested?”

“Oh yes,” lied Coyote. “I planted them all the way up here.”

And that is why, to this day, Pinyon (or what we call Pine) trees grow so large to the north, where Wolf carefully planted them, but barely grow at all to the south… thanks to Coyote.  

Oral storytelling wasn’t the only way the Southern Paiutes passed down their heritage. They also danced and sang songs to celebrate their ancestors, and acted out their tales with extravagant costumes and soulful music. This was how they thanked the Earth and its rich bounty of plants and animals.

Stories, songs, and dances weave together a lasting culture, from generation to generation, so their legacy would live on. And indeed, it has.

Want to listen to more stories like this? Check out our U.S. Route 89: Heritage Highway Tour.