Story Origin:
Acoma Pueblo (Keres) aka Sky City.
This Pueblo is located 60 miles west of Albuquerque.
Acoma translates to “people of the white rock”.
 
Story Summary:
One day Insect Man went out to tend his squash patch to
discover that someone had been eating them. Bewildered, he
hatched a plan to catch the culprit. He found the sweetest
squash and hid himself inside of it holding a sharp stick. Soon
Coyoté came trotting along and began tasting all the squashes.
After finding the sweetest one, he ate it up, with Insect Man
and all. Once inside, Insect Man began hunting around until he
found Coyoté’s heart. He stabbed the stick straight through it.
Coyoté fell over dead. When Coyoté came to life again he never
stole another squash, but this is how it came to be that coyotes
have false hearts.
 
Jewelry, concept, and stories told by
Leah Prada Harrison of Yoté Jewelry
Photographed by Brandon Soder