Browse by Title: D

In the context of Hillerman's 1980 novel People of Darkness, this Navajo word means "moles," or, more literally, "people of darkness." However, there is no indication…

More often spelled "Diné," Dinee can be translated from the Navajo language as "the People." Diné is also how the Navajo refer to themselves. The Diné are the largest…

The traditional Navajo (Diné) homeland, located in the canyon country of the San Juan River, and marked by the mountains located at each of the four sacred directions…

A small community on the Navajo Reservation, located on Highway 160 in the northeastern corner of Arizona. In Navajo, the name Dennihotso means "A Yellow Meadow…

An individual who dispatches, or facilitates, the exchange of information, typically via radio transmission. Dispatchers usually work at a central hub of an…

To skip, avoid, leave, or refuse to participate in an event or activity. One can ditch school or one's acquaintances by leaving them behind or by never showing up to…

The great blue heron is a large water bird native to North America. It can be found in saltwater as well as freshwater habitats, and is quite common in the Southwest,…

An academic status also known as "all but dissertation," or ABD. The doctoral candidate has completed all coursework, comprehensive examinations, and oral defenses…

More commonly known as snakeweed in English, it is also known as “big dodge weed” in Navajo (Ch’il diilyesiitoh). This grass is a woody perennial plant that grows in…

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…

A doe is a female deer or goat. Prized for its soft comfort and warmth, doeskin is the rendered hide of the adult female deer worn for dress, stockings or moccasins.…

In this context, dog skin refers to a Navajo Wolf, a witch that dresses in the skin of a wolf. The Navajo Wolf can also read others' minds, control minds, bring forth…

An often strict, conservative set of rules, beliefs, or even cultural practices that are intended to be disseminated and accepted as truth. In many cases, a sense of…

An anachronisitic reference to an individual who uses mind-altering substances recreationally.

"Dope" itself is slang for…

Because of their beauty and mobility, dragonflies have earned a special place in various cultures around the world. Although European cultures have tended to…

Removing the blood and internal organs of an animal in order to best preserve its meat until it can be further processed.

A tool used for making holes in hard materials. A drill has a narrow, protruding, spirally-groove end, or bit, which revolves while penetrating through solid…

A prolonged period of atypical dry weather conditions with little or no rain that finds fuel moistures, water tables, aquifers, and surface waterways low to dry.…

The temporary state of a person's physical and mental functions being impaired by the over-consumption of alcoholic beverages.

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A dry camp is a camp where there is not a nearby source of water, often in remote areas. Dry camping requires that campers carry their own potable water and that they…

Dung beetles feed almost exclusively on manure and navigate using the stars of the Milky Way. Some dung beetles burrow or tunnel and some simply live in dung. The…

In the Hopi tradition, Dung Carrier, or Kwiranonoa, is one of many runner kachinas (Wawarus) that challenge men to races. If the men are caught, Dung Carrier smears his…

A sinuous, vertical column of air that twists from the ground into the atmosphere, a dust devil is a small version of a tornado. Developing during hot, dry conditions…

A nitroglycerin-based explosive material often used for construction, mining, and demolition. Dynamite was patented in 1867 by Alfred Nobel, a Swedish chemist, and…

Part of the large Black Mesa mountainous area of the Navajo Indian Reservation in northeastern Arizona, the Dzilidushzhinih Peaks appear to be the same as Little Black…