From up the hill, Alligator could see up and down the river and scare the other animals away” (126-127, Dembicki). He always claimed every bit of the river as his. For example, in the story “How the alligator got his brown, scaly, skin” by Joyce Bear and Megan Baehr, the alligator, “was very selfish and stingy with his water. The idea of archetypes is important in trickster tales and it is usually reflects a human trait. An archetype is a terminology coined by Carl Jung that states that there is a instinctive need or desire to have things happen in a certain way (Boeree). In a graphic interpretation and illustration of trickster tales, Trickster by Matt Dembicki shows the interconnectedness in nature of different beings through anthropomorphism and transcending the boarders that separate different speciesĪnthropomorphism is a common occurrence in trickster tales, and many of these animals and humans have certain characteristic that parallels a archetype. The interwoven connection transgresses beyond physical boarders to the point that animals are able to adopt humanistic characteristics. The bond within the cycle of life is so strong in trickster tales, that not only do different animals interact with each other, but there is actually a fusion between animals and humans present in the form of shapes shifters and half humans. This close relationship with nature is shown through their stories, especially the trickster tales, as many types of interactions between different species in the web of life occur. All things connect.” Chief Seattle's words ring true as Native American culture embraces the interconnectedness in nature between animals and humans alike.

Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.All things are bound together.

“ Human kind has not woven the web of life. shares her thoughts on Matt Dembicki's Trickster: Native American Tales a Graphic Collection.