Rabbit Symbolism

There are many stories about Gah (Rabbit) and Ma’ii (Coyote) in which Rabbit taunts Coyote, gets trapped, and then devises a clever escape. Rabbit also appears in the night sky, in the form of the constellation Gah Heeht’e’ii (Rabbit Tracks). Look for the tracks of a leaping rabbit in the curved tail of Scorpius. This constellation’s placement in the sky on the southwestern horizon in autumn signals the beginning of deer hunting season. Three species of rabbit live in Dinétah (the Navajo homeland): gah (desert cottontail and mountain cottontail) and gahtsoh (jackrabbits). Cottontails are an important small game species. In the past, the Diné (Navajo) hunted and raised rabbits for food and pelts to make gloves, hats, bags, and soft padding for cradleboards. People who raised wild rabbits said the rabbits served as guards to alert them when something or someone approached the camp.