The Dark Wind (1982)

Also known as a sweat lodge, a sweat house is a small structure used for ceremonial rituals that involve sweating as a way of purifying the self and connecting with the spiritual realm. Heat inside the sweat house is generated by large stones that are heated in a fire outside and carried into the house, where they are usually doused with water and herbs to produce aromatic, steaming vapors. Sweat houses are small, often partially sunk underground, do not have a ceiling hole, and instead of a door have an opening over which thick blankets, animal hides, or even brush are placed in order to keep the heat and steam inside.

In many Native American cultures, a sweat lodge is a built structure that is used for rituals that involve intentional perspiring as a way of purifying the self and connecting with the spiritual realm. The shape and building materials of sweat lodges differ among the various cultures, depending on the climate and surrounding natural environment. In the Navajo tradition, for example, the sweat lodge is a small structure made of logs and clay, which is often partially sunk underground. Heat in the sweat lodge is generated by large stones that are heated in a fire outside and then carried inside, where they are usually doused with water and herbs to produce aromatic, steaming vapors. Instead of a door, sweat lodges have a small opening over which thick blankets, animal hides, or even brush are placed in order to prevent the heat and steam inside from escaping.

Also known as an anvil cloud, a thunderhead is the towering head of a cumulus cloud that is moving in the direction of high winds aloft. A thunderhead usually signals the imminent potential of downbursts of heavy rain accompanied by violent winds.

A word used by Hillerman to refer to the work of people known in some Native American traditions as witches. In the Navajo tradition, about which Hillerman wrote most often, Navajo witches are also known as Navajo wolves or skinwalkers. In general, it is believed that witches cause physical infections that stem from spiritual imbalances associated with death. Because witches are connected with death (to become a witch in the Navajo tradition, one must murder a family member), all dealings with witches are always already tainted with death and uncleanliness. If one becomes infected with illness because of contact with a witch, or because one is the target of a witch's hex, healing ceremonials need to take place to cure the sickness and help the invalid regain balance, also known as hózhǫ́ . Hillerman used the same term of witchcraft to refer to other evil goings on and unproper behavior for other tribes, like the Hopi.

Also known as Talking God to Be One, Soft Talker, or Dawn Bearer (hastseyalti, yeibeichai), Talking God is a main Navajo deity. One of the four Holy People who live in the mountains, Talking God is associated with the color white, acts as a mentor, guides human life, helps Changing Woman give birth to and prepare the Monster Slayer Twins for their fateful battles, and can travel on rainbows. He plays a very large role in the Navajo creation story, helping create First Man and First Woman among other things .

Talking God is also known for his compassion, being one of the few deities in the Navajo cosmology who is a constant advocate on behalf of The People, which is how the Navajo, or Diné, refer to themselves.

The Navajo Ye-i, also often spelled yeii or yei, are something along the lines of spirit, god, demon, or monster. According to what is known of the Navajo origin story, these spiritual beings emerged from the lower worlds before the creation of the human race. At times they are referred to as Holy People. These Holy People are immortal beings that can take the form of animals, plants, landscape elements, or celestial bodies, but are viewed as supernatural beings and not deities. They are called holy because of their power and mystery and the fact that they live in the sacred realm.

Because the Navajo believe that the land, the immortal beings, and they themselves on earth are all connected, they strive to live life according to hozho, which translates roughly to harmony, balance, and beauty. The Ye-i can be called down to earth through ceremonies, rituals, and prayers and asked to help restore hozho when things fall out of balance. Ye-i are often drawn in sandpaintings during certain healing ceremonials, and depending on the ritual, Ye-i masks may be worn by participants to represent the supernatural beings. If the ceremony is performed in the correct way, and the Ye-i are pleased, then according to the belief they feel obliged to right the wrong that is disrupting the harmony or cure the sick patient.

The piñón or pinyon, is a type of pine tree that is native to the American Southwest and is common in the woodlands of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and California. The pinyon pine is a relatively short tree that does not usually grow over 20-50 feet. It is characterized by its rounded form and branches that extend outward. The tree grows very slowly, reaching maturity around 100 years, and on average lives to be 350-450 years old. Pinyon pines produce edible pine nuts that have been a major food source for Native American peoples for centuries, and the tree's timber was used in early pueblo and cliff dwelling structures. The pinyon pine is known as the official state tree of New Mexico..

The ancestor of modern dogs, a wolf is a carnivorous mammal that walks on all fours and hunts in groups known as packs. There are three species of wolves: Canis lupus (gray/timber wolf), Canis rufus (red wolf), and Canis simensis (Abyssinian wolf). Wolves are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere and are members of the family Canid.

In the Southwest there used to be a subspecies of the gray wolf, the Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi). They were hunted out of existence in the wild in the 1970s, and the only surviving wolves were in zoos. In 1998, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service introduced eleven Mexican gray wolves back into the wild and now the subspecies is slowly growing in number.

A site of ancient Hopi village ruins, located in the southern portion of First Mesa on the Hopi Reservation in Northern Arizona. The site is probably more well-known than some of the other ancient ruins in the area, because it was the location of a large excavation (mainly in cemeteries) by Jesse Walter Fewkes of the Smithsonian Institution in 1895. The result of this excavation was the discovery of large numbers of pottery pieces all made in the unique “Sikyatki-style.”

According to Hopi oral tradition, as it is recounted in Tony Hillerman's work, the settlement was abandoned after conflict with the neighboring village of Walpi, which is still inhabited today. While historians are uncertain as to why Sikyatki was abandoned, there is some consensus that the people left the village as such conflicts escalated. It is estimated that the village was first settled in the 1400s and abandoned between 1500 and 1600, before the arrival of the Spanish colonizers.

In his novel 1980 Navajo detective novel THE DARK WIND, Hillerman portrays the village as still being a settled community, while in actuality Sikyatki has not been occupied for centuries, although it remains a significant, sacred site to the Hopi.

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.