I hate naming!

March 14, 2008 10:29 AM

I am involved in branding a "company" that has a casino, theater and hotel as part of its assets. Part of the brand development is naming. The company is located in Northern New Mexico (Espanola – which, I've been informed is a leading provide of Black tar heroin!). Anyway, I'm looking for recommendations for reference books or even novels that focus on that area/culture and might spark some inspiration for names. The "company" is actually a Native American tribe or Pubelo that is known for its Black pottery.
posted by pmaxwell to writing & language (7 comments total)

Along the High Road: A Guide to the Scenic Route Between Espanola and Taos, New Mexico
posted by Alison at 10:58 AM on March 14, 2008

This site lists a few books about the Pueblo (and has pages of folklore, placenames, etc).
posted by JaredSeth at 11:09 AM on March 14, 2008

Black Mesa (the real-life one, not the Half-Life one) is in that area, isn't it? Seems like you could do something with that.
posted by wanderingmind at 11:24 AM on March 14, 2008

You could tie in with Camel Rock (a natural rock outcropping that kind of looks like a camel that is in between Santa Fe and Espanola) and go with the direct spanish translation of dark camel, "Oscuro de Camellos". This already sounds a lot classier than the Ohkay Casino and the Buffalo Thunder Casino that are in the area.
If nothing else read up on the Santa Clara and San Idelfonso Pueblos and see if any particular name or phrase jumps out at you.
posted by gravity at 11:33 AM on March 14, 2008

Message sent via mefi mail.
posted by hal_c_on at 12:07 PM on March 14, 2008

Isn't that where they have the lowriders?
posted by gimonca at 1:33 PM on March 14, 2008

Fire in the Mind: Science, Faith, and the Search for Order, by George Johnson, is a really interesting book that juxtaposes the lives and rituals of the San Ildefonso Americans with the scientific work at Los Alamos National Lab. He’s a former editor of The New York Times.

D.H. Lawrence lived around Taos in the early- to mid-1920s and some of his stories reflect the northern New Mexico landscape.
posted by cocoagirl at 2:04 PM on March 14, 2008