Geographic Reference

Agua Sal Wash, Arizona

A wash within a valley located in Apache County, Arizona. This wash flows northwest into the larger Lukachukai Wash and was named “Salt Water Wash” in Spanish by 20th-century hydrologist Herbert Gregory from the United States Geological Survey. The Navajo name for Agua Sal Wash is Tó Dík’ ǫ́ǫ́zh (Saline Water).

Ceniza Ridge, Arizona

A ridge, also referred to as Ceniza Saddle, that forms part of the geologic formation known as Ceniza Mesa, also referred as To Chin Lini, meaning “Water Flowing Out,” in Navajo. This ridge is part of the western slopes of the Carrizo Mountains in northeastern Arizona.

A ridge is a continuous elevation of land that extends in a line between higher mountain peaks. Sometimes ridges descend from a higher peak toward lower elevations, giving a mountain a vertically-grooved appearance. Occasionally, ridges occur as singular components of the landscapes. A saddle ridge is a geographic term that refers to the outline of a mountain in which a gentle concave depression lies between two peaks. As the name suggests, the shape would then resemble a saddle used for horse riding, where the seat slopes down into a low curve between the slightly higher parts of the front and the back.

Carolinas

A reference to two separate states, North Carolina and South Carolina. The Carolinas are located on the east coast of the United States just below Virginia. During the U.S.'s colonial period, both were part of the large Province of Carolina, which encompassed much of the southeastern U.S. However, in 1729, the Province divided into two entities, each informed by a distinct form of agriculture, one belonging to the original British settlers of the Colony of Virginia, of which the Province of Carolina was part, and one influenced by the British slavery plantations in the Caribbean.

The Carolinas were both involved in the American Revolutionary war as Anglo settlers struggled to assert their economic and political autonomy from Britain. South Carolina became a state in in 1788 and North Carolina a year later in 1789. Later, during the American Civil War, both Carolinas seceded from the Union to fight on the side of the Confederacy. The legacy of slavery-based economies and nostalgia for old-world traditions associated with the Confederacy find expression today especially in South Carolina with its ongoing debate regarding flying the Confederate flag on its state buildings.

Talking Rock Canyon, Arizona

A fictional canyon near Kam Bimghi Valley in northeastern Arizona, on the Navajo Nation Reservation. In Tony Hillerman's 1970 Navajo detective novel THE BLESSING WAY, one of the characters walks down a wash in Talking Rock Canyon and thinks that the wash drains into Many Ruins Canyon, also known as Chinle Wash, near Canyon de Chelly.

Seoul, South Korea

The capital city of South Korea located along the Han River in the north of the country near the North Korean border. During the Korean War, the city was controlled at different times by both the North Korean military and the South Korean military. By the end of the war, Seoul was in the hands of South Korea, but a majority of the city had to be rebuilt because of the damage the war had wrought.

Korean Peninsula

A geographic region encompassing both North and South Korea. The Korean Peninsula is bounded by the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait to the south, and the Sea of Japan or East Sea to the east. China makes up the northern boundary of the peninsula. Because of its proximity to China and Japan, as well as relatively easy access to the North Pacific, the Korean Peninsula is an ideal and coveted area in terms of modern strategic warfare, which is why the Korean Peninsula became such a site of political struggle, contention, and brutal violence during the Cold War (roughly 1947-1991).

Texas

The name Texas originates from the Caddo word “thecas,” which means “allies or friends.” Texas became a state in 1845 and is the second largest state in the United States. First inhabited by numerous indigenous groups, Texas has a rich and complicated history comprised of distinct waves of colonization, settlement, slavery, and rebellion. Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America, and the U.S have all ruled over the Texas territory.

The state's growth has been driven by the cattle, agricultural, and petroleum industries. Texas is often associated with frontier culture and mythology and has a strong tourism industry with popular sights including the Alamo, Fort Worth, the Space Center, Padre Island, and others. Texas is also known for its beautiful landscapes, including the rugged beauty of the Chihuahuan desert, the swampy wetlands of the Piney Woods ecosystem of East Texas, and its long coastline along the Gulf of Mexico. Texas is also recognized for its racial and ethnic diversity, cultural hotspots, and dense urbanity in cities including Austin, Dallas, and Houston.

Talking Rock Mesa, Arizona

A fictional mesa near Kam Bimghi Valley in northeastern Arizona. In Tony Hillerman's 1970 Navajo detective novel THE BLESSING WAY, a character can see from Talking Rock Mesa into the wash in Kam Bimghi Valley, suggesting that the mesa is located above the valley. Kam Bimghi Valley is located in Apache County, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation Reservation, and is also known as Red Rock Valley because of its sandstone buttes, spires, and arches.

Chinle Valley, Arizona

A north-south trending valley located in northeast Arizona on the Navajo Nation Reservation. The Chinle Valley is 65 miles long and is delineated by Chinle Wash. Located on the northwest portion of the Defiance Plateau, Canyon de Chelly National Monument comprises the heart of Chinle Valley and, some would argue, the Navajo Nation itself.

Lukachukai Plateau, Arizona

A plateau located near Round Rock, Arizona along the western face of the Lukachukai Mountains. A plateau is a topographic feature that abruptly rises from the surrounding landscape on one or more sides. The tops of plateaus are flat, meaning that it would be an ideal place to graze sheep.

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