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Sierra Nevada Red Fox

Vulpes vulpes necator

Status: Critically Endangered. Fox fur has been sought by trappers since the mid 19th century. This subspecies resides in the subalpine regions of the Serra Nevada mountains, and with very few individuals left, they are highly at risk of extinction.

In Miwok lore, animal spirits are the ancestors of humans. Coyote is one of the earliest culture heroes, also seen as a trickster god, and creator. In one of the creation stories, Silver Fox moved through the darkness of existence. At that time, there was only water. There was no earth yet, nor other creatures and life. She was lonely, and so she lifted her voice and wove her solitude in a song. Coyote heard her, and together they decided to sing the world. Through the vehicle of song and dance, they brought the multitudinous beauty of the world into being.

 

References:
Native Languages, "Silver Fox (Kwahn)" http://www.native-languages.org/silver-fox.htm

Luthin, Herbert W. "Surviving through the Days: Translations of Native California Stories and Songs", University of CA Press, A California Indian Reader, 2022.

Bruchac III, J. (2020). Native American Animal Stories. United Kingdom: Fulcrum Publishing.