Sacred Clowns by Tony Hillerman

The sources primarily contain excerpts from the novel Sacred Clowns by Tony Hillerman, focusing on Navajo Tribal Police Officers Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn as they investigate two seemingly unconnected homicides: the murder of a teacher, Eric Dorsey, and the killing of a koshare (sacred clown), Francis Sayesva. The narrative tracks Chee's unsuccessful search for the runaway boy, Delmar Kanitewa, and Leaphorn's discovery of a forged Lincoln Cane connecting the two victims, suggesting a motive tied to an environmental lobbying effort against a toxic waste dump. Additionally, the sources include annotations and essays by Tony Hillerman detailing the origins and context of his novels, particularly his creation of Chee and Leaphorn, alongside a demographic and geographical profile of the Navajo Nation, highlighting its sovereignty and the complex federal trust relationship.