Piutki, Arizona

In Tony Hillerman’s novel, The Dark Wind, Piutki appears to be a small community located on the Hopi Indian Reservation in northeastern Arizona. There is, however, no indication that such a place actually exists. It seems that Hillerman used the name of an ancient Hopi village to create a fictional place that would serve the novel's plot without directly referencing a real location, as to avoid infringing on the Hopi people's privacy and traditions.

Photo Credit

 
"Ancient Hopi Village, First Mesa, AZ, c. 1970" by Environmental Protection Agency is licensed under Public Domain.

Published Works
References

 
Linford, Laurance D.
     2001   Tony Hillerman's Navajoland: Hideouts, Haunts, and Havens in the Joe Leaphorn
          and Jim Chee Mysteries. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press.