Cultural anthropologist Keith H. Basso (1940–2013) was noted for his long-term research of the Western Apaches, specifically those from the modern community of Cibecue, Arizona, the site of his ethnographic and linguistic research for fifty-four years.
One of his earliest works, The Cibecue Apache, has now been read by generations of students. It captures the true character of Apache culture not only because of its objective analyses and descriptions but also because of the author's belief in allowing the people to speak for themselves. Basso learned their language, became a trusted friend and intimate, and returned to the field often to gather data, participate, and observe.
Basso's goal in this now-classic work is to describe Cibecue Apache perceptions, experiences, conflicts, and indecision. A primary aim is to depict portions of the Western Apache belief system, especially those dealing with the supernatural. Emphasis is also given to the girls' puberty ceremony, its meaning and functions, as well as modern Apache economic and political life.
Brief Table of Contents:
Pronunciation Guide 1. Pre-Reservation Western Apache Society 2. Post-Reservation Western Apache Society 3. The Realm of Power 4. Curing Ceremonials 5. The Girls' Puberty Ceremony 6. Witchcraft 7. Missionaries Glossary
Titles of related interest also from Waveland Press: Farrer, Thunder Rides a Black Horse: Mescalero Apaches and the Mythic Present, Third Edition (ISBN 9781577666998) and Hultkrantz, Native Religions of North America: The Power of Visions and Fertility (ISBN 9780881339857).
