Browse by Title: S
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singer Also known as hatałii in Navajo, singers, like medicine men, perform traditional ceremonial healing cures targeted at body, mind, and spirit, and call on the patient,… |
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sinkhole Sinkholes, also known as cenotes in Spanish, occur naturally when water slowly dissolves bedrock (usually limestone or gypsum, which erode easily) until the ground… |
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Sky According to what is known of Navajo mythology, Father Sky and Mother Earth are considered to be the parents of everything. Father Sky is sacred, as are his… |
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slacks Along with the word "trousers," slacks is a somewhat old-fashioned synonym for the word pants, which is commonly used in the U.S. (but not in Britain) to refer to a two… |
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slate Slate occurs when tectonic plates collide, creating heat and pressure that metamorphize the elements of which the plates are composed. Slate is the metmorphic form of… |
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sleet A mixture of rain and snow. The term also refers to small hailstones that occur when raindrops freeze in the air, as well as to the accumulation of clear ice on objects… |
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Slow Talking Diné The Navajo (Diné) tribe is comprised of more than forty family lineages, or clans, that claim common ancestry. While various other clan names Hillerman mentions in his… |
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slug Slug is a vernacular expression often used to describe bullets. Slug is also a specific reference to a bullet without its cartridge. The cartridge of a piece of… |
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smoke hole In the traditional construction of a hogan, the Diné dwelling house, a hole is cut in the roof in order to let smoke from the hearth fire below out of the room. The… |
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snake Snakes are limbless reptiles. Some snakes are venomous, meaning they are able to inject their prey with poison, while most snakes are not. Found on almost every… |
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snakeweed A flowering shrub (Gutierrezia sarothrae) found in the western half of the United States, often growing in arid grasslands or on mountain sides. This flowing plant is… |
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snowbirds 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… |
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soapstone A type of rock also known as steatite, which has a high content of talc and a texture that is relatively soft and therefore conducive to stone carving. With prolonged… |
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social studies Educational curricula at the elementary and sometimes high school levels in the United States that seek to promote civic competence by integrating the social sciences… |
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social worker A professional with an advanced degree in social work who is assigned, usually by a government or medical agency, to help people and families who struggle with… |
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sorcerer A sorcerer, or sorceress, is a person who practices magic or witchcraft by connecting with spirits, ancestors, and the supernatural world. The term is usually used with… |
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sorcery Another word for the practice of witchcraft, magic, or the manipulation of supernatural powers, especially with the intent of influencing the behavior of others.… |
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soul The essential but non-physical aspect of a living being, that which leaves the body after death. Depending on the context, "soul" can refer to the spirit, personality… |
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Southwest A region defined in different ways by different sources. Narrowly defined, the core Southwest is centered on the states comprising the Four Corners (Utah, Colorado, New… |
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Spanish priests Spanish priests, a colloquial reference to the presence of the Catholic church in the Americas during their colonization by Spain, were responsible for the conversion… |
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spark plug In an internal combustion engine, the spark plug is a small device that produces electric sparks when the ignition key is turned. The electric sparks ignite the air/… |
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sparrow 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… |
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Sparta Built on the banks of the Eurotas River, Sparta was an ancient city-state run by a stalwart military oligarchy that rose to dominance in 650 BCE. In order to develop… |
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Special Services The entertainment and recreational branch of the U.S. military. The unit was created in 1940 by the War Department with the purpose of enhancing morale, specifically of… |
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spider An eight-legged air-breathing anthropod that can inject venom or weave silk webs for ensnaring their prey. Spiders spin webs from glands on their abdomens. Female… |