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#5 A Coyote Columbus Story by: Thomas King: - Coggle Diagram
#5
A Coyote Columbus Story
by: Thomas King:
Indigenous Relation
Interconnectedness
"All my Relations"
Mindset adopted by people who are aware that everything in the universe is connected. Everyone and everything has a purpose in life, and they are deserving of respect and care.
While Old Coyote didn't necessarily uphold every part of this mindset, this passage still demonstrates Indigenous relation and how much they value the connections they have with one another. Old Coyote's final question almost seems like a final desperate question that even she knows won't be answered.
Their people and families are all strongly connected to the community they are a part of.
Despite how Old Coyote treated her friends they are all still part of one community making them strongly connected to one another. When Christopher Columbus takes them all away from her and their land, it is like splitting apart a family. Old Coyote's regret demonstrates this excruciatingly well.
Theme
History is Written by the Winners
People normally learn about Christopher Columbus and how he discovered America when there were people already there. The history books usually leave out all of the wrongs he committed and just paints him as a hero. This passage shows one of the wrongs he committed, demonstrating the truth that the main message holds.
This passage shows how the indigenous peoples lost a lot when Christopher Columbus came to America while he gained a lot. Currently, it is more well known that Christopher Columbus was the one who discoered America when that isn't true. However since he was the "winner" of this interaction what he did was glossed over further proving how history is written by the winners.
Characterization
Old Coyote
Treated her friends unfairly because she wanted to win. So she made up and changed the rules to make it so that she always won.
Still values her friends because without them she wouldn't be able to play ball since it is a team game requiring multiple players.
Christopher Columbus
This passage demonstrates Christopher Columbus's greed and how all he really wanted were riches and fame.
Context
The Coyote in indigenous culture is represented as stealthy, intelligent, crafty and a trickster.
Due to Old Coyote's nature, she manipulated the rules which pushed all of her friends away from her leaving her bored and causing her mind to wander. During this she thought up of three ships with Christopher Columbus on one which led to her friends being taken away. All of this basically started because of her very nature..
"Once you think things like that, you can't take them back" (King 126)
Insight into Old Coyote's ability to think up something and have it become real. Mainly demonstrates the limitations that it has.
This story is painfully honest about the true events of Christopher Columbus and his "discovery" of America. This passage shows how in reality he wasn't really a hero and all he did was obtain riches and fame through exploitation of the people who were already there.
Plot
Significant Event in the Story
An important event in the plot is result of Christopher Columbus' interaction with the Indigenous peoples. It shows one of the major losses the Indigenous people suffered through this interaction.
