Browse by Title: L
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labyrinth A building or maze with passageways that intersect and dead-end and that are often intentionally difficult to navigate. This term comes from the Greek word λαβύρινθος… |
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ladder In Puebloan tradition, a kiva is a sacred space to observe religious rituals. Kivas symbolize Puebloan emergence, or birth, into this world and their architecture… |
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Laguna people and culture The Laguna people of central New Mexico consist of a pueblo group that occupies six major villages, of which the political center is Old Laguna (Kawaika) on a knoll… |
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Laguna Pueblo, New Mexico The Laguna Pueblo of central New Mexico consists of six major villages, of which the political center is Old Laguna (Kawaika) on a knoll above the San Jose River about… |
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Lake of the Dead According to the Zuni migration story, as the Zuni migrated in search of the Middle Place, conceptually understood to be the center of the world and what today is… |
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Lake Powell Lake Powell is a reservoir that was formed in 1963 with the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam and the flooding of the Colorado River. While located mainly in Utah… |
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lamb A sheep that is less than one year old. Sheep (and lambs) were introduced into the Americas by Spanish explorers in the sixteenth century, along with horses and… |
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lance point A lance is a long-shafted throwing or thrusting device used for hunting. It is similar to a javelin, and is sometimes referred to as a spear. The lance point can be… |
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Land of Everlasting Summer According to the Zuni, the Corn Maidens dwell in a grand forest in the Land of Everlasting Summer. It is their breath that brings spring to the north, with its sweet… |
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Land of the People, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah Land of the People, also known as Dinétah, refers to the ancestral and traditional homeland of the Navajo. Dinétah extends beyond the political boundaries of the… |
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Land Rover A four-wheel-drive vehicle originally made by the British automobile manufacturer Jaguar-Land Rover. These sturdy vehicles were inspired by the use of the American Jeep… |
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Las Cruces, New Mexico The second-largest city in the state of New Mexico (after Albuquerque), Las Cruces is located at the southernmost part of the state, on the border with Mexico. The area… |
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Las Vegas, Nevada Located in southeastern Nevada, the city of Las Vegas is a major American tourist destination famous for its flashy casinos, themed hotels, shopping, and large… |
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latch A way of fastening a door. Rather than a door knob, a piece of wood or metal slips over a catch or through a lock to hold the door in place. This can be a simple,… |
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lathe A machine that holds a round object in place and enables working on it symmetrically it by spinning or rotating the object while a fixed sharp tool shapes, cuts, or… |
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lava Magma, or molten rock, rising in liquid form onto the earth's surface, usually by volcanic eruption. The term also applies to the solidified rock that is formed once… |
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lava butte Also known as volcanic plugs or necks, lava buttes form when magma hardens within a vent of an active volcano. Erosion can remove the surrounding rock, leaving the… |
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law A general reference to the societal construction of and belief in "the law" as a body of order, surveillance, and discipline. The "law" can also be practiced by… |
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Law and Order Tony Hillerman’s use of “Division of Law and Order” as part of the Navajo Nation's tribal authority is an intentional “mistake,” as there is no Division of Law and… |
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leap-frog retreat Also known as "island hopping," leapfrogging as a strategy occurs when two or more units support each other as they advance or retreat. While one unit changes… |
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lethal A term that means deadly. Literally. If something is lethal, it will kill you. If some one has a lethal intention, his or her intention is to kill. … |
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levee A low embankment, usually artificially constructed, that runs along the edges of a river or stream designed to protect inhabited river valleys against flooding. Ancient… |
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lichen An organism that forms as a thin layer of fungal and algal substance on soil, rocks, and trees. A lichen is a symbiotic life form in which algae lives inside the… |
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Lieutenant In military or paramilitary organizations, such as police departments, a hierarchical organization of personnel exists, often called the chain of command. |
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limestone A sedimentary rock composed primarily of calcium carbonate, colloquially known as calcite. Limestone can form in two ways: the first occurs when organic remains,… |