People of Darkness (1980)

The common raven is a large, heavy-billed black bird. Ravens are larger than crows and have more rugged plumage. Ravens are also the largest perching bird, and can have a wingspan of more than 4 feet. Ravens are very intelligent birds and are known to collect shiny objects. Ravens are scavengers, unlike crows, and are drawn to carrion. As a result, various cultures have associated them with death. Ravens are found in deserts, forests and mountainous areas around the world.

In Navajo teaching, a "two-faced" creature was responsible for both the creation of the world and for bringing death into that same world. Along with coyote, rattlesnake, and spider, raven is considered a "two-faced" creature.

A person who owns, manages, or is in charge of a ranch.Throughout much of the rural Southwestern U.S., which remains predominantly rural, there are many traditional, family-owned cattle and horse ranches, but some wealthy investors from outside the state have built large ranches on newly-acquired land.

The Prostitution Way is a Navajo ceremonial that protects people against frenzy witchcraft, which is a form of witchcraft believed to cause people to lose their minds. Women and children are not supposed to listen to or talk about this ceremonial, unless they have previously been cured by the Prostitution Way or the Mountain Smoke portion of the Blessingway ceremonial. The Prostitution Way lasts five nights and includes the use of datura, which has been gathered by the ceremonial healer, known as a singer, or hatáli in Navajo. The Prostitution Way ceremonial also involves the use of prayer sticks and sandpaintings and often ends with the Blessingway ceremony.

The former name of what is now Historic Route 66, the main street in Gallup, which runs parallel to the railroad and crosses the town from east to west.

In physics, radioactivity refers to the spontaneous emission of electromagnetic energy and subatomic particles in certain substances. Radioactive release of energy happens when an unstable atomic nucleus transforms (decays) into a more stable configuration. This process can occur naturally in some types of matter, or can be induced artificially. Handling radioactive matter requires caution, as electromagnetic energy can potentially cause damaging mutations when it comes into contact with living cells.

A long-eared mammal known for its prominent front teeth and powerful hindlegs, with which it hops and leaps rather than runs. The most common rabbits in the Southwest are desert cottontails and mountain cottontails. The mountain cottontail often is associated with thickets, sagebrush and cliffs, while the desert cottontail prefers open plains, foothills and low valleys of the arid Southwest.

Although jackrabbits are also common throughout the Southwest, they are not really rabbits. Instead they are considered hares and prefer semi-open, grassy plains and deserts as opposed to higher, rougher country.

A badge of honor awarded by the U.S. military to soldiers who were wounded or killed while serving their military duty. The medal was the first U.S. army decoration, established in 1782 by George Washington. The current design depicts Washington's profile at the center of a purple heart with bronze borders.

Also known as cougar or mountain lion, the puma is a large wild cat native to the Western Hemisphere. Pumas can be found in a variety of habitats across North and South America, including forests, mountains, swamps, or deserts. Adult pumas are brown in color and reach a length of about 4 feet (1.2 meters), not including their long tail, and their weight averages 136 pounds (62 kg).

A clothing garment, usually a winter sweater, that is put on by being pulled over the head rather than buttoned or zipped up.

The term Pueblo refers to a diverse range of Native Americans living in pueblos in New Mexico and Arizona. These groups share similar world views and historically have participated in intensive agriculture, growing corn, beans, chile, and squash, yet each group is distinct and autonomous from the others. Generally, the Pueblos are divided into two groups: Western Pueblos, who live in canyon and mesa country along the Colorada Plateau, and the Eastern Pueblos, who live along the Rio Grande, a river running north-south through almost the entire length of New Mexico. There are four distinct linguistic stocks in the Pueblo community, including Tanoan, Keresan, Uto-Aztecan, and Zuni, which is a language isolate. These differences suggest that these groups have different origins.