Customer Reviews

Wisdom Sits in Places: Landscape and Language Among the Western Apache

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The writer makes some very interesting observations, and introduces a very interesting culture unknown to me with some success. The book is remarkably void of any recognition of the writer's own perceptive limitations based on the same concept of situated knowledge he uses to critique other scientists. Each chapter begins with a quote from a famous philosopher or one of the writer's teachers as a way to enter the presumably Western reader into the world of the Western Apache. These transitions are clumsy at best, and arguably totally ineffective. Typically, the writer's interpretation of these quotes is dubious.

The writer claims to intend the book for lay people, but then proceeds to use so many difficult words, sometimes inaccurately, that the reader is left feeling isolated and pushed away. I know several people who experienced this difficulty. Worst, many of the "complicated" ideas about self, and being, etc. are really much better and clearly articulated in a straightforward and simple manner rather than the verbose and affected writing style of a pseudo intellectual. Perhaps Mr. Basso is a very accomplished man, I do not know, but I found his writing style pretentious and unnecessarily complicated.

That said, Mr. Basso does makes some very powerful observations about the tribe he studies. It is a shame that these observations are cluttered by the studied and overly intellectualized writing style, and his strange penchant to insert himself into his narrative including telling the reader that a particular Indian woman was "proud" or "handsome", and a particular man "was a good friend." What do we care? What does it add to the story? In fact, the writer's insertion into the narrative is distracting and opens Mr. Basso up to obvious personal criticism. In short, this book should have been merely an extraordinary essay without the verbosity and lofty words, without the trite philosophy lessons, and without the personal observations. Finally, there are too many occasions that the Mr. Basso looks at the culture without a critical eye, or even an objective eye, and he falls into romanticizing and over-identification which are both off-putting and lead me to believe he is more of an advocate rather than a scientist. Further calling his objectivity, or as he might suggest, his subjective objectivity into question, Mr. Basso reveals that he provided analysis for the tribe in a legal dispute on behalf of the tribe.

Basso's writing is extraordinary. This great book consists of engaging articles that merge linguistics with cultural anthropology in an approach called the "ethnography of speaking." Placing this jargon aside, the approach is to demonstrate how Apaches use names, stories, and other ways of speaking to create and maintain their culture. Basso's work provides deep insight into Apache life, and it also serves as a model for ways to understand how language plays an important role in everyday life.

Basso explores and explains how the land is an intergral part of the Native American Apache existence. How the Apache views geography very differently from our western ideas of maps because not only do places have functions they also have morals. These morals comes of the situation that happenned at the specific location.

It is a fascinating look at a part of Anthropolgy that is seldom explored. Easy to read, with wonderful personal stories of how the people interact with their land. Although the concepts tackled maybe unfamiliar the way it is written makes is so simple to understand.

Outside it being great book acedemically, the lessons and morals in the book touches one's soul. You learn about life as you learn about these people. Yet it never falls into the trap of new ageness. It stands strongly as a study I must stress.

This is the most enjoyable ethnograpy I have ever read for my BA. Unlike many other books, I kept this one for myself to dip into on a rainly day. Which is a testment on how good writing encourages learning. Should be on the reading list of every anthrpology student, as well as people interested in Native American people and alternative way of seeing the world.

Keith Basso has written a wonderful book about the Western Apache people and their use of place names to tell stories, convey history and enforce cultural norms and taboos. The book is a cross between an anthropoligical study and humorous ancedoteds and the outcome is wonderfully entertaining and educational

a wonderful book about a topic which most people would never grasp due to curtural differences. A must read if you care about the native culture.

Keith Basso weaves together a work of anthropology that thoroughly explores the importance of place-naming in Western Apache culture. He provides the reader with vignettes of his informants that serves his greater thesis quite well. The reader has the sense of the integration of place-naming in the culture through these vignettes. Superb!!!