Browse by Title: P
Pa'-u-ti-waIn Zuni ceremonial tradition, human dancers wear sacred outfits and masks to impersonate katchinas (spirit beings) that preside over Zuni life and their natural... |
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Padilla Mesa, ArizonaA 10-mile-long mesa located within the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation in northeastern Arizona. This mesa is an extension of Hopi Third Mesa. In Navajo, it is called... |
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Page, ArizonaOriginally, Page was a temporary housing site for the Glen Canyon Dam construction workers and their families and was called the Page Government Camp after the Bureau... |
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Painted Desert, ArizonaThis region, known as "Halchíítah" or "Among the Red Areas" in Navajo, is a vast expanse of badlands and desert landscape in Arizona. The exposed colorful layers of... |
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Paiute people and cultureThere are two groups of Paiute people, Northern and Southern, and although there are some similarities between them, the Northern and Souther Paiutes are each made up... |
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Paleo-IndianThe earliest settlers of the Americas. Entering the American continents via the Bering land bridge, an exposed shelf of land between Russia and Alaska, Paleo-indians... |
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pallorA pale and unhealthy demeanor, especially of the face. Writing of winter's pallor, Hillerman suggests that the atmosphere was gray and gloomy until the onset of spring... |
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Palo Duro Canyon, TexasMeaning "hard stick" in Spanish and also known as the Grand Canyon of Texas, this 120-mile-long, 20-mile-wide canyon is located in the Texas Panhandle near Amarillo.... |
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panel truckA small, fully enclosed truck, similar to a pickup truck with a shell, except that the "shell" is part of the vehicle's body. |
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panicAn overwhelming feeling of anxiety, often accompanied by feelings of fear, nervousness, and even dread. When one feels panic, two primary survival impulses manifest... |
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pantomimeA variety of live performance where the story is conveyed with body language and facial movements, not spoken words. While the Romans had a form of pantomime similar to... |
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parallel flakedA process in which stone flakes are removed from a sstone tool so that the flake "scars" are parallel. Parallel flaking is used for both finish and detail work on stone... |
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parapetIn architecture, a low, protective wall that encircles a roof, tower, or that runs along an entrenchment to offer concealment. Parapets are also found in natural... |
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paraphernaliaAn array of objects or accessories that are utilized for a particular purpose or a specific activity. |
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paratrooperA soldier in the army who is part of a special unit that is trained to jump out of airplanes using prarachutes. |
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Pasadena Airport, CaliforniaOriginally called the United Airport, this airport has undergone five name changes since it was built in 1930. This airport is located in Burbank, California and was... |
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patrolThe act of surveillance, with the potential for taking disciplinary actions, as well as offering other peace-keeping services, throughout a particular area. In small... |
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pawnTo obtain a cash loan by providing a material object as collateral. The act of pawning, also known as "hocking," usually via a pawnbroker at a pawn shop, has been in... |
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Peach Tree clanIn his Tony Hillerman 1980 Navajo detective novel PEOPLE OF DARKNESS, he mentions the Hopi Peach Tree clan, a kinship group associated with the area around Moenkopi,... |
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PekwinIn traditional Zuni society, a council of select priests governs over each village, with specific duties assigned to each council member. A pekwin is a secular... |
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pellet gunAlso known as an air gun. A weapon that uses compressed gas to fire a projectile, as opposed to a firearm which uses a propellant, such as gunpowder, in order to fire... |
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Pennsylvania State UniversityAlso known as Penn State. A state-supported four-year higher education institution located in the city of State College, Pennsylvania. The university was first... |
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PentateuchThis is the written Torah, the sacred text of the Hebrews, and signifies the first five chapters of the Old Testament written by Moses. Often written and preserved on... |
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People of DarknessHillerman uses the term as an informal reference to a Navajo cult within the peyote religion, a pan-Indian, semi-Christian religious movement. The rituals of the peyote... |
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percolatorA coffee maker that allows boiling water to rise up through a narrow tube and then drip down through a perforated basket filled with ground coffee. While coffee... |