The Boy Who Made Dragonfly (1972)

Pith is the continuous rope-like strand of spongy core tissue comprising the stem structure of many vascular plants.

Butterflies are flying insects with vertically folding brightly colored wings. They are members of the insect order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths and are a part of the superfamily Papilionoidea. Their body structure includes three body parts: four wings, six jointed legs, and antennae. They develop in three stages of their lifecycle: egg, caterpillar (larva), chrysalis (pupa), and finally, adult. Some butterflies can live for weeks and some years. They are very like moths, with a light dust covering their body; however, unlike moths, they hold their wings vertically on their backs and are active during the day. Their main diet consists of plant matter. Of the 14,000 species of butterflies in the world, 417 species live in the southwest. This is 40% of all species of butterflies that live in the U.S.

Butterflies for the Zuni can symbolize the coming of an everlasting summer and all the goodness that comes with it. The Zuni define the concept of beauty with the word “tso’ya” and the butterfly with its bright wings and varying flight path is an exemplification of this beauty.

This is the term ethnologist Frank Cushing gave to Zuni processed seeds and grains. All kinds of batter cakes, bread and crackers were made by placing the batter in corn husks and covering with a scaffolding of stones for baking in the fire. Sweet mush is a kind of breadstuff, as are the delicate salt tortillas. The fire-baked crackers were known to be quite thin and flaky, in all the hues of corn: red, yellow and blue. Cushing reports that as the men filed in from work in the fields, the women would lay out a feast along the roof of steaming bowls of red chile stew and breadstuff crackers, inviting the workers to sit and eat.

Another word for the practice of witchcraft, magic, or the manipulation of supernatural powers, especially with the intent of influencing the behavior of others. Sorcery tends to have a negative connotation when used in the context of Native American traditions, as does witchcraft, although neither is necessarily always associated with dark, hurtful, or negative work.

In Tony Hillerman's 1973 Navajo detective novel DANCE HALL OF THE DEAD, he references a Zuni "Sorcery Fraternity," but it seems that this may be an oblique reference to the Zuni Bow Chiefs, who don't really comprise a "fraternity," but who became responsible for policing the alleged use of sorcery after their war duties evaporated as a result of European settlement.

Snow birds are medium-sized sparrows with rounded head, short, stout bill and a fairly long, conspicuous tail. They are also dark-eyed, neat, and flashy little sparrows that flit about forest floors of the western mountains and Canada, then flood the rest of North America for winter. They are easy to recognize by their crisp (though extremely variable) markings and the bright white tail feathers they habitually flash in flight.

Sparrow is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. A small bird, it has a typical length of 16 cm (6.3 in) and a weight of 24–39.5 g (0.85–1.39 oz). Females and young birds are coloured pale brown and grey, and males have brighter black, white, and brown markings. One of about 25 species in the genus Passer, the house sparrow is native to most of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and much of Asia. Its intentional or accidental introductions to many regions, including parts of Australia, Africa, and the Americas, make it the most widely distributed wild bird.

The house sparrow is strongly associated with human habitations, and can live in urban or rural settings. Though found in widely varied habitats and climates, it typically avoids extensive woodlands, grasslands, and deserts away from human development. It feeds mostly on the seeds of grains and weeds, but it is an opportunistic eater and commonly eats insects and many other foods. Its predators include domestic cats, hawks, owls, and many other predatory birds and mammals.

A wren is a small and compact bird, with a flat head and fairly long, curved beak. It is also short-winged, often keeping its longish tail either cocked above the line of the body or slightly drooped. Wrens are primarily insect eaters, but they will also eat some fruits and seeds. House Wrens build nests of twigs and grass. They lay approximately 6 to 7 white eggs. The incubation time is 12 to 15 days. Wrens will lay 2 broods in the nesting season (typically April to July). The male House Wren builds several nests and the female chooses which nest she prefers. The other nests may be used by the male to raise a second brood with another female and will remain in place to discourage other male wrens from nesting in the same territory.

Revenge is a way of getting back at someone and inflicting pain as retribution for insult or injury. The group Anonymous has done this on a global scale by crashing web sites associated with ISIS and by releasing the personal information of police officers accused of excessive force.

A giant creature from Zuni mythology that ate people, dead souls and thunderclouds beckoning rain. In the mythology, this monster devoured all the clouds that passed by and caused a drought. As the Zuni were farmers, this lack of rain was detrimental. In order to defeat Cloud-Swallower, the hero twins, Ahayuta and Matsilema, joined forces with Grandmother Spider. Grandmother Spider wove a web around the Cloud-Swallower’s eyes, which blinded the monster. This allowed the hero twins to sneak up and slay the monster.

In The Boy Who Made Dragonfly, the people of the Zuni village feared and despised Cloud-Swallower because whenever he saw a cloud pass overhead, he reached up and caught it and squeezed all the moisture into his mouth.

As deputy to Sayatasha, the Rain God of the North, and one of the members of the Zuni Council of the Gods, Hututu is often associated with the gentle, misting rains of the south. The Council of the Gods is a group of spiritual figures, personified by carefully trained Zuni dancers during the Shalako winter ceremonies. The council’s figures wear large and colorful masks that can appear intimidating, but in fact are perceived as sacred spiritual guides and protectors. If the man personifying Hututu serves in tribal government, it is expected that he will refrain from all arguments, controversy and disputes.