Enememe's Friends

This little gem of a book presents one of the most fascinating legends in California Indian tradition. In one of the opening scenes of this wonderful folk tale, Coyote finds himself the referee in a race between Hawk and Turtle. Coyote flees in panic when the excited crowd demands a decision from him, concerning a seeming infraction of the rules by Hawk. Coyote did not want to rule against Hawk, who was from a powerful Chumash family on the Lulapin (Ventureno) coast. So Coyote fled, and eventually met up with Lizard. When Lizard heard of Coyote troubles, he advised Coyote to bring Hawk's new bride a poppy flower, as a gesture of reconciliation.