Browse by Title: J

J. Edgar Hoover

A U.S. government official who was instrumental in founding the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and who served as its director from its official initiation in…

Jacaranda Avenue, Burbank, California

A major thoroughfare in Burbank, California running between Camarillo Street and North Pass Avenue. The street is named for the stunning blue luminescence of the…

jack

A mechanical device used to elevate the axle of vehicle so that one tire is raised off the ground, enabling one to access and change the tire. Most cars have a…

jack handle

A jack is a mechanical device used to elevate the axle of a vehicle so that one wheel is raised off the ground, enabling one to access and change the tire. In simple…

James N. Spuhler

James Norman Spuhler (1971-1992) was a physical anthropologist who studied physical anthropology at Harvard before the beginning of World War II. After Spuhler…

Jason's fleece

In Classical mythology, Jason and his Argonauts are sent by King Pelias to retrieve the Golden Fleece. If Jason successfully obtains the fleece, then he demonstrates…

jawbone

A pair of fused bones that make up the lower portion of the heads of creatures. Also known as the mandible, the lower jawbone hinges just under the cheekbone and is…

jeans

Pants made from durable twilled cotton, also known as denim.

jeep

A vehicle that was originally built for World War II as a lightweight off-road vehicle, the Jeep is a four-wheel drive utility vehicle. It is known as "jeep" because…

jerked venison

Jerking venison is a method of treating deer meat by drying it on racks. Salt and other flavorings can be applied to assist in drying and preserving the meat and to…

Jesus Road

A vernacular reference to the adoption of Christianity by Native Americans. In many, but not all, cases, the "road to Jesus" was long, heartbreaking, and ultimately…

jeweler's glass

Also known as a loupe, a jeweler's glass is a small, portable magnification device often containing a double lense.

Jicarilla Apache

One of seven Native American tribes that share the Apachean, or Southern Athabascan, language. The Jicarilla Apache originated in Canada's Mackenzie Basin.…

Jicarilla Apache Reservation, New Mexico

The Jicarilla Apache are one of nine Apachean speaking tribes, and their name means “Little Basket.” The Jicarilla Apache Reservation is located in northern New…

Jim Chee

A fictional main character in Toni Hillerman's Navajo mystery novel series. Jim Chee is one of two protagonists, both Navajo Tribal Police officers, invented by…

jimmy blade

A colloquial reference to a Bowie knife, a fixed blade, as opposed to a switch blade, knife named after the infamous knifefighter Jim Bowie, who was killed at the…

jimsonweed

Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium), also known as datura, Devil's snare, and thorn apple, is a hallucinogenic plant often used to facilitate vision and spirit quests as…

Joe Leaphorn

Joe Leaphorn, a fictional character created by Tony Hillerman, a Navajo detective for the Navajo Tribal Police and is typically stationed in Window Rock, Arizona.…

John M. Campbell

John M. Campbell was a professor of archaeology and a former director for the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico. He graduated with his…

joint

The anatomical place in the body where two bones meet. A joint can either move or be fused. There are three types of joints. A fibrous joint occurs when two bones…

journalism

Newsmaking. Originally associated with reporting on current events via the printed page, currently journalism is understood as a richly complex negotiation of…

juniper

These evergreen conifers feature leaves that are like scales rather than the needles associated with pine trees. Junipers are well-adapted to hot, arid environments…

junker

The term usually refers to a car (or another vehicle) that is old, broken and damaged, sometimes to the point of being completely out of use and ready to go to the junk…

jurisdiction

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…

Justin boots

Justin Boots is a footwear brand founded in 1879 by H. J. Justin when he moved from Indiana to Texas. The company has expanded since then and is now owned by Warren…