The Blessing Way (1970)

The colloquial name for a genus (Bouteloua) of perennial or annual grasses that grows in clumps or tufts throughout North America and includes such range grasses as: black grama, hairy grama, blue grama, and sideoats grama. The genus Bouteloua was named after Spanish botanists, Claudio and Esteban Boutelou.

The horse was introduced to the Americas in the 1500s by the Spaniards. While the Spaniards prized the horse for the role it played in travel, exploration, and war, they at times left herds of horses in various locales, hoping that the animal would find ways to establish itself on the continents the Spanish were busily conquering. The horse proved very adaptable and found habitats to thrive in, especially in the Great Basin and Plains of North America. Native Americans, particularly along Spain's northern colonial frontier, emulated the Spaniards' use of the horse for transportation, hunting, labor, and sport, and soon out-mastered the Spanish horsemen in riding, training, and cultivating the beasts the Spanish so prized. The horse took on great significance to many indigenous communities, and in some cases was incorporated into origin stories as a gift from the gods. The horse also occupies a central role in many mythologized frontier narratives about the Western and Southwestern regions of the United States.

The Navajo creation story describes the emergence of the Navajos people into this world. The Holy Wind (Niłchʼi Diyin) arose through the darkness to animate and bring purpose to the Holy People (Diyin Dineʼé) in the different three lower worlds. The Holy People began journeying through the different worlds, learning important lessons in each one before moving on to the next.

In the final world, which is the world we live in now, a virgin gave birth to the Horned Monster (Déélgééd in Navajo). The baby was born without a head, and therefore the mother was counseled to abandon it. Instead of dying where she left it, the baby survived and became known as the Horned Monster, as the mother had used animal horns to pleasure herself when she was alone in the previous world.

In Navajo, Déélgééd also refers to the rhinocerus.

The Hopi are a Native American tribal people, who comprise a sovereign nation located in northeastern Arizona. They are also known as one of the Pueblo peoples, as named by the Spanish colonizers in the 1500s because of their clusters of modular dwellings, which reminded the Spanish adventurers of their own small towns, or pueblos, back on the Iberian peninsula. Hopi is a shortened version of Hopituh, meaning "Peaceful ones," and in earlier periods were also called the Moqui, most likely named as such by another tribe. As a Puebloan group, the Hopi are considered traditional agriculturalists and farm a mixture of maize, squash, beans, chili peppers, and onions. Hopi life is situated around ceremonials, of which each village has its own variations, that consist of the veneration of some 300 kachinas.

Many Hopi people live on the Hopi reservation, which is encompassed by the Navajo Reservation. The Hopi reservation consists of twelve villages located on three mesas: First Mesa, Second Mesa, and Third Mesa, all of which are located upon the even larger Black Mesa. The Hopi consider this land sacred and part of their tribal history and origin.

In many tradtional cultures, the Holy People are immortal beings who can take the form of ancestor spirits, universal guides, landscape elements, animals, plants, and celestial bodies. When things become imbalanced and sickness or discord manifests, the Holy People can be summoned through ceremonies with rituals and prayers. If the ceremony is performed in the correct way and the Holy People are pleased, then they, through the concept of reciprocity, feel obliged to right the wrong that is disrupting the harmony the Navajo seek in their daily lives, restoring order, health, and hózhó.

Bark is the colloquial term for the protective outer layer of tissue on woody plants such as trees and shrubs. The technical name for bark is vascular cambium. Depending upon the species of plant it belongs to, bark can be very specialized. It can be thick, thin, smooth, scaly, or adapted to withstand fire. Some bark, like that of palo verde trees, is infused with chlorophyll and is able to produce food directly from the sun, just like leaves.

On the Hopi Reservation in north-central Arizona, which is completely surrounded by the Navajo Reservation, there are twelve Hopi villages. These villages are not in the exact same places as they were in the 1500s, but the people there still live in tune with the traditional ways. The Hopi are a Pueblo people, named as such by the Spanish colonizers because of their traditional building style, which reminded the Spaniards of their own small towns, or pueblos, on the Iberian Peninsula. The cluster of Hopi villages are located on three peninsular mesas, First Mesa, Second Mesa, and Third Mesa, that form the southern edge of Black Mesa. Although the customs, language, and rituals of the tribe across the villages and mesa are intertwined and similar, the villages do have their own unique variations and specific customs. First Mesa includes the villages of Walpi, Sichomovi, and Tewa (Hano). Walpi is the oldest village and has had inhabitants since 900 AD. Second Mesa is the home of the villages of Shungopavi, Mishongovi, and Sipaulovi. Third Mesa includes Kykotsmovi (New Oraibi), Old Oraibi, Hotevilla, and Bacavi.

The Hero Twins, Born of Water and Monster Slayer, are the twin sons of Changing Woman and were born to rid the earth of the monsters who were killing the Diné, or the Navajo people. Monster Slayer is the elder twin, known as Nayénzgan in Diné, and Born of Water is the younger twin, known as Tobadzîschíni in Diné.

They begin by visiting their father the Sun and, after passing through many trials, are given weapons. The younger twin, Born of Water, is given prayer sticks and told to watch them as the older twin Monster Slayer goes out to fight the monsters. If the prayer sticks begin to burn, he will know that Monster Slayer is in danger and needs help. Monster Slayer goes alone to kill some of the monsters and Born of Water accompanies him while killing others.

Sometimes Monster Slayer is referred to as The Hero Twin (singular), probably because he does most of the fighting. However, because of their perseverance, both twins become warriors and so serve as a model for young Navajo men today.

A decorative or ceremonial head covering that can be made of leather, wood, cloth, and other materials including gold. Headdresses are often decorated by feathers, beading, and sometimes jewels. Headdresses are found in many cultures in many regions throughout the world and include bridal veils, the Pope's hat, crowns, and warbonnets. In some cases, headdresses are a sign of power, potency, and virility; in others, they are a sign of modesty, decorum, and maturity.

A two-person strategy game invented by Colin Vout. Two or more cars per player are placed on a 3 x 3 or larger gridded board. Each player takes turns moving one car one space either veritcally or horizontally, with the rule that two cars cannot occupy one space. The player whose cars leave the board on a forward move, or who efefctively block the opponent's cars, wins.