Browse by Title: S
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Spider Woman Also known as Grandmother Spider, Spider Woman is a powerful figure in various Native American mythologies. In many creation and migration stories she appears as a… |
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spring Springs are areas on the landscape where groundwater is pushed by gravity or pressure to the surface through unconsolidated sediment or fractures in the bedrock.… |
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spruce A large evergreen tree, native to New Mexico and other mountainous areas of the Southwest, common at elevations between 7,000-12,000 feet. Spruce tends to grow in dense… |
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staccato A term used in music to describe abrupt sounds that are set apart as opposed to smoothly integrated or sustained sounds, thereby creating a style of singing or playing… |
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stainless steel A steel alloy containing between 10-30 percent chromium, which has unusual heat and corrosion resistance qualities. Nickel, titanium, copper, or other elements may be… |
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stalactite A rock formation commonly found suspended from the ceilings of caves. The mixture of water and calcium carbonate (found in limestone) forms stalactites, which when they… |
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stalagmite A rock formation that commonly ascends from cave floors. Stalagmites form when sandstone has been stripped away, exposing limestone. The mixture of water and calcium… |
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Stan Newman Stanley (Stan) Newman was a professor of Linguistic Anthropology at the University of New Mexico from 1949 until 1971. In 1960 he became a co-editor of the Southwestern… |
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Standing Rock Clan The Navajo (Diné) tribe is comprised of more than forty family lineages--or clans--that claim common ancestry. There is no indication that there is an actual Navajo… |
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Standing Rock, New Mexico A small community located in northwestern New Mexico, on the eastern side of the Navajo Reservation. Standing Rock is one of the many chapters of the Navajo Nation,… |
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star gazer In some versions of Navajo healing traditions, a star gazer completes a ceremony to diagnose the type of illness a patient has. The star gazer first creates a… |
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state police A police force maintained by a U.S. state and responsible for the territoriality of that particular state. The state police force has a higher jurisdiction than the… |
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station wagon Unlike the typical four-door sedan design, a station wagon has five doors, because it does not have a rear trunk that is separate from the passenger compartment.… |
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Stetson A wide-brimmed and high-crowned hat generally made of felt that was originally made by John B. Stetson Company, founded in 1865. Known as “Boss of the Plains,” this hat… |
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stick receiver According to some versions of Navajo traditional healing ceremonies, stick receivers are roles performed by a member of another clan during the Enemyway ceremonial. The… |
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still An apparatus used to distill alcohol from a fermented grain-based mixture, often known as mash or wash. Folk traditions locate these devices in a variety of… |
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Stone Age A long period during which stones were utilized as the primary tool, making stone the definitive maker and marker of the era. Although humans were not the only beings… |
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stratosphere A layer of the earth’s atmosphere above the troposphere and just below the mesosphere. This layer is stratified, with the upper layers being much warmer than the lower… |
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Strong-Thorne Mortuary, New Mexico A mortuary is a funeral service agency that specializes in planning memorial services, cremation options, and burial services. This includes preparing the body of the… |
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stucco A mixture of lime or gypsum, sand, and water that is applied to the walls of structures as a sealant. In the Southwest, many pueblos are made of adobe, which comes from… |
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summer herding camp There is a long standing tradition of sheep and cattle herding among the Navajo and Hopi, as well as other Native peoples in the New Mexico and Arizona area. In warm… |
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summer hogan Also known as a brush hogan, a summer hogan is a temporary shelter typically made of three forked poles and covered with the boughs of cedar or piñon pine. These… |
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Sun God The sun retains a significant position in most cosmologies, often taking on anthropomorphic features. From Ra, Apollo, Buddha, and the Christ figure, to indigenous… |
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Sun-Father Sun-Father or Father Sun is one of the first five beings of Zuni origin stories living above a layer of fog, and created by A'wonawilona, or the living sky that… |
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Sun-i-a-shi'wa-ni The frosty cold from the breath of this winter god is eased by the return of the Corn Maidens in spring, who bear the scents of flowers and warm mists. … |