People of Darkness (1980)

A large bird of prey common throughout North America. In many Native American traditions, the eagle is a prominent mythological animal representing hunting or fighting power and skills, and associated with the sky spirits of rain, thunder, and lightning. Eagle dances are common among various tribes, and are performed as blessings for successful hunting, in preparation for war, or to honor peace agreements between tribes. In Navajo lore, the eagle has a central role in the Beadway and Eagleway healing ceremonials.

In the U.S., the bald eagle was adopted as the national bird and is featured on the Great Seal of the United States, as well as on the presidential flag and the seals of many federal agencies.

Also referred to as a talisman, an amulet is a small object that, according to specific beliefs, has the power to provide protection or bring good luck. In many Native American traditions, personal amulets were carried in a medicine pouch around the neck or attached to one's clothing. While virtually all tribes across North America used amulets as part of their spiritual belief system, types of amulets and their purposes differed according to geographic areas, climates, or livelihood. Some amulets were made of natural materials such as animal horns, teeth, or feathers, as well as special stones or crystals, while others were hand-crafted out of bone, stone, or wood, and were often carved in the shape of animal or human figures. Amulets carved in the shape of an animal or made out of animal parts were believed to channel the power and characteristics of the particular animal, for example a bear’s strength or an eagle’s speed and endurance.

The informal term for the Native American Church, which was established in 1918 as a Pan-Indian movement and in response to government abuses and relocations. The Native American (peyote) Church synthesized Christian beliefs with the sacramental use of peyote, a small, spineless cactus that grows primarily in Texas and Mexico. Although using peyote, a known hallucinogen, for ceremonial purposes occurred in many tribes prior to the organization of the Church, the Native American Church is the first, large ceremonial organization to transcend tribal differences. The Church still exists today despite U.S. legal objection to the use of peyote, which is classified as an illegal drug.

Peyote ceremonies, intended for healing and blessing, usually take place on weekends, but there is no set schedule. Some groups hold meetings monthly while others are more spontaneous. Because peyote is psychoactive, service participants often have visions, but it is the community experience of these effects that gives the ceremony spiritual power.

A main component of a larger system of long-distance transportation, such as a railroad or a highway. The term also commonly refers to a long pipeline used to transport oil or natural gas. Spurlines branch off the trunkline, connecting smaller depots, towns, or sites of natural resource extraction to the main trunkline, similar to tributaries running into a river.

An American railroad company that operated, in the second half of the 19th century, two disjointed sections, one in the Midwest and one in the Southwest. The goal of the A&P was to eventually construct railroads connecting the Atlantic coast with the Pacific, but financial problems interfered with the accomplishment of that vision. In the late 1890s the A&P was dissolved and its railroad sections were integrated into the Santa Fe Pacific Railroad. Before its dissolution, however, the A&P instigated the land grabs today associated with the checkerboard reservation, obtaining sections of acreage along proposed railway routes, with or without indigenous ascent. As the archive reveals, Pueblo resistance to railroad appropriations of their lands was bitterly litigated in territorial courts, with the railroad company "vindicating" its claims to "unearned" land grants. Despite the dissolution of the A&P and its subsumption into what would become the AT & SF railroad, the railroad companies were the harbingers of the great final thrust of Manifest Destiny and its associated rapid modernization, romantic commodification, and settler colonial domination of the Southwest.

A peace officer who holds the authority to maintain order and safety and arrest suspect criminals. A constable usually functions as an officer of the law in a rural community. When questions or conflicts arise regarding jurisdiction, a constable must yield to the higher authority of sheriff or a county's chief executive.

In the U.S., a felony is a crime punishable by a term of at least one year in a state or federal prison. A felony can also be punishable by death. Also referred to as "high crime," a felony is significantly different from a misdemeanor, which is punishable by short-term imprisonment in a local or county jail or by the imposition of a fine.

There are different degrees of felonies, each corresponding to the seriousness of the crime committed. First degree corresponds to the most serious and egregious crimes including murder, aggravated robbery and assault, and drug cases where a large amount of money is involved. The punishments for these crimes range between 5 and 99 years, up to life in prison.

Second degree felonies are the next step down in intensity of crime including less aggravated robbery, assault, and sexual crimes and result in 2-to-20 years in prison depending on the case. Third degree felony convictions can result in sentences ranging from between 2 and 20 years of prison time, with these sentences being assigned for multiple-offenses of driving while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, family violence, and lower level drug charges.

Additionally, each of these rankings can be intensified in degree based on prior convictions and arrests. For instance, if a current charge for a crime committed is third degree, but the sentenced individual has a record of prior convictions, the charge can be augmented from third to a second degree felony at the discretion of the judge hearing the case.

The power to rule on legal issues within a certain geographic area. Different courts (for example municipal, district, or federal) will be assigned authority over particular areas or particular cases, depending on state and federal divisions and regulations.

The chief law enforcement agency, also known as APD, responsible for policing the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The APD's mission statement is as follows: "We, the members of the Albuquerque Police Department, believe in the shared responsibility of police personnel, government leaders and citizens to improve Albuquerque's quality of life and to defend our community. We vow to uphold the U.S. Constitution, to fairly enforce the laws of New Mexico and the City of Albuquerque in order to protect life, property and rights. In partnership with the community, we will engage in policing to maintain order, reduce crime and the fear of crime through education, prevention and enforcement."

In April 2014, the U.S Department of Justice found that the APD "has engaged in a pattern or practice of excessive force that violates the Constitution and federal law," mandating reforms that constitute a complete overhaul of APD's protocols, specifically the department's "use-of-force" policies, training on the use of verbal warnings instead of stun guns, enhanced awareness of and training to humanely deal with people with mental illness, and psychological assessments of prospective officers prior to employment.

A small object believed to have supernatural powers and to bring luck or avert misfortune. Personal talismans are common in Native American traditions and are usually worn or carried close to the body. There are also specific talismans designated for specific protective purposes to be used in times of need or in special ceremonies.