Once upon a time, the great chief called the animals together. "There are new ones coming" he explained 'and we must be sure you all have names for them to call you by. Tomorrow come to my lodge, and ask for a name. It will then be yours, unless someone else has already claimed it.

Now Coyote was extremely excited on hearing this, the other animals called him "sink-ka-lip" which means "the imitator', and it was not a name he liked. "I shall be the first to claim a name", he thought " And I will choose the most powerful, so that when it is heard everybody will know I am the one in charge"

He travelled to his lodge, and told his wife of the news, and of his intention to claim a new powerful name. "But sink-ka-lip," his wife asked "are you not happy with who you are ? ". But coyote did not answer, he was too busy bragging and dreaming of his new name. Finally, late in the night he said to her, "I must sleep now, but you must stay awake, and watch for the first light of the day, and then wake me so I will be first. 

Coyote's Wife sat by the fire and thought " If he has a new, more powerful name, he will want a better lodge, and more possesions. He will even want a younger prettier wife! I must not wake him, or I will be abandoned !" And so when the sun rose she allowed him to sleep the entire day! Just as the last of the twilight was fading into night, she roused him from his blankets.....

"Good" said Coyote mistaking the faint glow for the first sign of a dawning day "I must run wife, and be the first!". Coyote ran as fast as he could towards the Great Chiefs Lodge gloating all the way "These lazy ones are still asleep !, "he thought to himself "Is it not obvious that I should be in charge ?"

And so, he came to the Great chiefs lodge, the Great Chief was standing outside with a staff that had a ring on it. Earlier in the day there had been many rings on it, each with a name engraved on it, but now only one remained.

"I will claim the name Eagle!" Coyote cried boldly. "That name is taken" the Great Chief replied. " I knew that!" Coyote said, although he was very surprised " I meant to say Grizzly Bear ..I will be known as Grizzly Bear!". "That too, has been taken" stated the Great Chief. Coyote replied frantically "Salmon I will take that name!"

"Coyote, all the names have been taken, you are the last" the Great Chief explained "All except one.. your name.. no one else wanted it.." Coyote was so upset by this he sat down by the fire and wept.

The Great Chief sat down next to him and putting an arm around him in comfort said gently " Coyote, there is great honour in being the last, for the last has the responsibility of doing all that has not been done. The new ones who are coming are the human beings and there are many monsters who wish to destroy them. It will be your job to fight these monsters, and that is very dangerous, so I will give you a very special power. Should you ever be killed, and so much as a hair remains of your body, you will be brought to life by brother fox jumping over it four times."

Coyote was very excited to hear this and was planning ways that he might get himself killed, so he could use his special power. The Great Chief told him " Sometimes you will be frightened and confused, and then you must look inside yourself for guidance". The Great Chief of course, meant his heart, but Coyote was so busy dreaming of using his power, he thought he meant his stomach, which is why, to this day, Coyote often follows his stomach.

Finally the Great Chief said "There is one more name, to be granted it is "Quil-sten", "the one that warms" and it is mine alone, Once I take it I will no longer have arms and legs, for I will be the sweat lodge. Any one who needs health and guidance will be able to come to me and find it"

And so that is the story of how the animals got their names, Coyote got his special power and the sweat lodge came into being.....