"And so, in the land of the setting sun, the story was told.  Again and again, having been passed along from one generation of our people to the next, and eventually to my family, tales of a mischievous trickster, a humpbacked flute player they called Kokopelli, often considered by many of the elders in our tribe to be the creator of Spring."

Kokopelli, the humpbacked flute player, has been a sacred figure to Native Americans of the Southwestern United States for thousands of years.  Found painted and carved on rock walls and boulders throughout that region, Kokopelli is one of the most intriguing and widespread images to have survived from ancient Anasazi Indian mythology, and is still a prominent figure in both Hopi and Zuni tribal legends.

Kokopelli is often referred to as God of the Harvest and is considered a symbol of fertility who brought well-being to the people, assuring success in the planting and growing of crops.  His "hump" was often considered a bag of gifts, or rather a sack, full of the seeds of all the plants of the Earth, which he would scatter every Spring.  Warming the earth by playing his flute and singing songs, Kokopelli would melt the Winter snow and create clouds and rain, thus ensuring a bountiful harvest.

Regardless of the details of any specific legend or tale, Kokopelli is always portrayed as an inspiring figure with a both a passion for life and the ability to bring the good out in everyone.  His whimsical nature, charitable deeds, and vital spirit, indeed, have secured him a prominent position in Native American mysticism.