In Native American folklore, the coyote is a "trickster" and “shape-shifter” character who participated in the creation of the world and gave names to many of the other creatures and things of the earth. Sometimes the Coyote character was so mischievous and involved in his own trickery that he would trick himself. According to Trickster myths, this is why there are so many mistakes in the way things are in the world. In the Native American way of thinking, Coyote medicine is in the world to teach us to laugh at ourselves and not take things too seriously. He reminds us that no matter how many difficult situations we may find ourselves in, as we "shape-shift" our personality and evolve, we can always see another side. That may sound contradictory, but that's the crazy-coyote way. There are thousands of stories about Coyote, the Trickster.