Browse by Title: W
W. W. HillA noted anthropologist who worked with Clyde Kluckhohn on an ethnographic study of the Navajo and subsequently assisted in writing the seminal text NAVAJO MATERIAL... |
|
Waco, TexasA city located along the Brazos River in central Texas. A group of Wichita Native Americans known as the Huaco resided in the area for thousands of years before the... |
|
wagonA four-wheeled wooden vehicle that is pulled by draft animals such as oxen and horses. They generally have metal wheels and a suspension system to help navigate. These... |
|
wagon trackA two-track path created by four-wheeled wagons drawn by draft animals such as oxen or horses. The wheels created two ruts, marking routes that other travelers could... |
|
wall safeA secure box installed into a wall, used for locking away and safeguarding valuable objects against theft or damage. |
|
Walpi, ArizonaWalpi is one of three villages located on First Mesa within the larger network and community of the Hopi people spread out across the three mesas within Black Mesa,... |
|
wandA stick, rod, or baton, sometime imbued with symbolic significance. Can be used as a weapon for striking or even throwing. Wand can... |
|
warWar is significant in Hillerman's lexicon, as it is often an expression, if not the cause, of imbalance and physical and psychological illness. However, when it is used... |
|
war nameIn the Navajo tradition, a war name is a one of several secret names given to children at birth by their parents. The war name is used only in ceremonial situations and... |
|
warheadThe portion of a missile, torpedo, or similar weapon that contains the material, explosive, biological, or nuclear, that hits the target first, detonating upon impact... |
|
warriorA person who engages in warfare. In stratified armies, warrior can refer to a specific rank, or it can merely refer to one who fights with no predefined role. ... |
|
Warrior-PriestThere are six esoteric cults within the Zuni religion, each having their own priesthood, rituals, religious paraphernalia, and special times and places for worship and... |
|
washAlso known as an arroyo seco, gulch, or gully, a wash is a dry stream or river bed that does not hold water most of the time, but that is subject to seasonal flooding.... |
|
washboard roadA long stretch of unmaintained dirt road that is corrugated by closely-spaced ripples. The rippling occurs on some old unpaved roads over time as a result of dry... |
|
water blessingWater resources flowing in abundance such as rain, sleet, snow melt, and rushing rivers. As her husband readies for planting by sharpening his planting stick and... |
|
water buffaloA very large bovine found in Asia's tropical and subtropical habitats. Water buffalo spend much of their time submerged in muddy waters of wetlands and creeks. The... |
|
water striderA mythic being who helped the Zunis in their search for the Middle Place, or what is now understood as Zuni Pueblo. Water striders are graceful-looking insects that,... |
|
water tableThe water table is the line between groundwater and unsaturated ground. Beneath the water table the soil, rock, and sediment are saturated with water, whereas above it... |
|
Weatherby TrophyNamed after the gun manufacturer Roy Weatherby, the Weatherby Hunting and Conservation Award was established in 1956 and is presented annually to an individual hunter... |
|
weaverNavajo weavers are considered masters in the art of weaving, the art and craft of twining fibers together to create a variety of textiles. ... |
|
Wepo Wash, ArizonaDesignated as a stream by the U.S. geological survey, this wash is a tributary of the larger Polacca Wash. It is located near First Mesa on the Hopi Reservation within... |
|
werewolfThe werewolf is a mythological creature in common in folklore traditions around the world, and the term generally refers to a man who can change form at night and turn... |
|
whip-or-willAlso spelled whip-poor-will, which is a colloquialization of a bird species commonly referred to as the nightjar. The whip-poor-will is a bird from North and Central... |
|
whiskeyAn alcoholic beverage, distilled from fermented grains and aged in wooden containers. Whiskey is made in many countries such as Ireland, the United States, Scotland,... |
|
whiteA social, cultural, and political category that refers to the "dominant" culture of the U.S., a category primarily understood as a racial construction that expresses... |