The Blessing Way (1970)

More commonly spelled "crazy quilt." A crazy quilt is a patchwork quilt made with swatches fabric of varying sizes, shapes, and colors. Crazy quilts may be "crazy" colorful, but they are also an effective way to re-purpose clothing or other textiles that can no longer be usefully mended.

In his Navajo detective novels, Tony Hillerman refers to both the regular dog-like wild animal found throughout the contiguous American continents and to Coyote, the trickster figure in Navajo cosmologies, for which the animal and its anthropomorphized character is the inspiration.

In Navajo mythology, Coyote (or First Coyote) is a trickster or troublemaker. He is often referred to as First Angry or First Scolder and is said to have brought witchcraft into the world. He appears in many stories both as a trickster who cannot be trusted and as a sexual being who tricks others in order to get his way. He is a main character of the Navajo creation story.

Corpse powder, also known as corpse poison, is reputedly derived from the remains of a dead human body and used by Navajo witches to produce sickness in intended victims. According to some versions of traditional Navajo beliefs, people who come into contact with a human corpse are likely to become ill physically, mentally, or both, which is why even today there remains a reticence toward dealing with or even speaking about the dead. Witches who intend to cause harm to another person can secretly feed corpse powder to their enemies or blow it in their faces. By infecting victims with this powder, the witch effectively contaminates them by literally exposing them to death.

Corn Beetle, also known as Anlt'áni in Navajo, appears in the sandpaintings of some Navajo ceremonials. Early researchers incorrectly translated the Navajo word anlt'áni, which means "ripener," into English as "cornbeetle." In Navajo mythology, ripener insects refer to pollinating insects, specifially lacewing flies and tree crickets, that play a role in ripening corn. Corn Beetle is therefore also associated with fertility and the ripening of corn.

Corn Beetle Girl is often characterized as the female companion to Corn Pollen Boy, both of whom are personifications of the corn pollen required for most Navajo ceremonials, including the Blessingway. Because the Navajo believe the Holy People are present in all the things around them, Corn Beetle Girl is believed to be found in a variety of "ripener" insects.

Corn is a cereal plant, found throughout the Americas, that yields large grains, or kernels, set in rows on a cob. What we call corn today, however, has traditionally been referred to as maize. For many indigenous cultures in the Americas, corn is symbolic of life itself, and everything from its pollen, to its silky tassels, to its husks has symbolic significance. Thus, it becomes possible for a small boy to take scraps of corn husk and create an imaginary insect that turns into a messenger to the gods, which occurs in a Zuni myth retold by Hillerman as "The Boy Who Made Dragonfly." Even the smallest piece of this special plant is powerful enough to not only sustain but also to generate life.

Several of the other ceremonials described in Hillerman's fiction also use corn, its husks and pollen, in order to complete the rituals as per the Navajo Way as the Holy People prescribed.

Mostly found in wooded areas throughout the United States, Cooper's hawks are mid-sized predatory birds. They eat other smaller birds and have been known to forage for food in suburban areas at backyard bird feeders. Male Cooper's hawks are smaller than, and submissive to, the females.

The opposite of harmony, balance, equilibrium, and the Navajo Way, or hózhǫ́. Hózhǫ́ is the state in which all living things are ordered and in balance, walking in beauty. This term encompasses the Navajo world view, one in which all become peaceful and harmonious. The opposite of hózhǫ́ is hóchxǫ́ǫ́, which refers to a disorder and chaos in one’s life. In Hillerman's work, chaos and imbalance manifest as an illness or sickness, an infection obtained from contact with modern, predominantly White culture of the manistream U.S..

Also referred to as "TB," tuberculosis is a highly infectious bacterial disease that affects the lungs by forming nodules and breaking down blood vessels. As the disease progresses and lung capacity, or the ability to breath, worsens, a patient with TB essentially begins to drown in the fluids building up in his or her lungs. Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a bacterium that is resistant to mild antibiotics. Tuberculosis is spread from person to person through the air. In areas with poor hygiene and limited healthcare, this disease can proliferate to epidemic proportions.

An alcoholic beverage, distilled from fermented grains and aged in wooden containers. Whiskey is made in many countries such as Ireland, the United States, Scotland, and Canada. Whiskey from Scotland is known as Scotch.

A concussion can result from a blow to the head which jars or otherwise impacts the brain. Brain function may be impaired temporarily, although a concussion does not always cause unconsciousness. Some of the symptoms and effects of a concussion are nausea, vision or equilibrium disturbances, confusion, and temporary amnesia.