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Denise Palluck - Bag of Stars
Category: Sculpture.
Three variations of peyote stitch were used. The picture is in flat single peyote, the lid is done in circular flat peyote, and the bag is done in varying numbers of drop peyote
A Shoshone Folk tale
Great Mystery had been placing stars in the heavens when he realized he was very lonely. He decided to create a companion. He should be intelligent and witty. He should be a good listener. He should have keen sight and be swift of foot. And last but not least, he should not be above playing a good joke and be a little tricky. So he created Little Brother Coyote. For a long time Great Mystery and Coyote were content with the job of putting stars into the heavens. One day as they were placing a giant water dipper in the sky, Great Mystery found he had left a particularly bright star at home.
"0 Coyote, I have left Polaris at home and must go get it.”
“You could travel faster if you were to leave your bag of stars here, I will watch them,” said Coyote.
After a short time, Coyote was becoming bored. He decided he would loosen the strings on the star bag so when Great Mystery came back, he might spill some of the stars and they could have a good laugh together. Soon he found himself fooling with the bag, dragging it around until it got a small hole in it and little stars began to spill out. By the time Great Mystery returned, Little Coyote was romping about spilling a multitude of stars. Great Mystery cried out,“Coyote, what are you doing?” Coyote realized his situation and was so frightened he began to race across the sky spilling thousands of stars and creating the Milky Way. Coyote understood he had failed at his job and Great Mystery forgave him, but he forced Coyote to live with the consequences of his mistake. Coyote was sent to live on earth, no longer able to walk in the sky. This is why Little Brother Coyote's spirit and all his ancestors often look up to the night sky and howl their sorrow.