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Wisdom Sits in Places: Landscape and Language Among the Western Apache Paperback – August 1, 1996

by Keith H. Basso (Author)

4.5 306 ratings

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This remarkable book introduces us to four unforgettable Apache people, each of whom offers a different take on the significance of places in their culture. Apache conceptions of wisdom, manners and morals, and of their own history are inextricably intertwined with place, and by allowing us to overhear his conversations with Apaches on these subjects Basso expands our awareness of what place can mean to people.

Most of us use the term sense of place often and rather carelessly when we think of nature or home or literature. Our senses of place, however, come not only from our individual experiences but also from our cultures. Wisdom Sits in Places, the first sustained study of places and place-names by an anthropologist, explores place, places, and what they mean to a particular group of people, the Western Apache in Arizona. For more than thirty years, Keith Basso has been doing fieldwork among the Western Apache, and now he shares with us what he has learned of Apache place-names--where they come from and what they mean to Apaches.

"This is indeed a brilliant exposition of landscape and language in the world of the Western Apache. But it is more than that. Keith Basso gives us to understand something about the sacred and indivisible nature of words and place. And this is a universal equation, a balance in the universe. Place may be the first of all concepts; it may be the oldest of all words."--N. Scott Momaday

"In Wisdom Sits in Places Keith Basso lifts a veil on the most elemental poetry of human experience, which is the naming of the world. In so doing he invests his scholarship with that rarest of scholarly qualities: a sense of spiritual exploration. Through his clear eyes we glimpse the spirit of a remarkable people and their land, and when we look away, we see our own world afresh."--William deBuys

"A very exciting book--authoritative, fully informed, extremely thoughtful, and also engagingly written and a joy to read. Guiding us vividly among the landscapes and related story-tellings of the Western Apache, Basso explores in a highly readable way the role of language in the complex but compelling theme of a people's attachment to place. An important book by an eminent scholar."--Alvin M. Josephy, Jr.

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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Basso, an anthropologist who has done fieldwork among the Western Apache of Arizona for over 30 years, provides a fascinating scholarly study of the meaning and significance of the Apache place names found in the area surrounding the community of Cibecue, Arizona. Some Apache place names describe features of the landscape or climate, while others derive from historical or mythological events. All, however, are rich in descriptive imagery and depth of meaning for the Apache people of the area. With the help of several Apache informants, Basso explores the place worlds underlying the names of localities and through them lets the Apache express their own understanding of their history, identity, values, and morality. This work, which won the Western States Book Award for creative nonfiction, is a valuable contribution to anthropological studies of place and location. At the same time, it provides a sensitive perspective on the Apaches' understanding of themselves. A useful addition to anthropology and linguistics collections in academic libraries.?Elizabeth Salt, Otterbein Coll. Lib., Westerville, Ohio
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"This brilliant book on linguistic awareness of local landscapes is a gem."

[Basso] is a superb storyteller who can make the highly charged but esoteric worlds of the Cibecue Apaches come alive. . . . coolly erudite, witty, free of cant and jargon, delightfully entertaining, and so well informed . . . he can turn linguistic anthropology into literary art. . . . nobody on earth outside of their culture has written about [the Apaches] as well as Basso does here.

ÝBasso¨ is a superb storyteller who can make the highly charged but esoteric worlds of the Cibecue Apaches come alive. . . . coolly erudite, witty, free of cant and jargon, delightfully entertaining, and so well informed . . . he can turn linguistic anthropology into literary art. . . . nobody on earth outside of their culture has written about Ýthe Apaches¨ as well as Basso does here.

"[Basso] is a superb storyteller who can make the highly charged but esoteric worlds of the Cibecue Apaches come alive. . . . coolly erudite, witty, free of cant and jargon, delightfully entertaining, and so well informed . . . he can turn linguistic anthropology into literary art. . . . nobody on earth outside of their culture has written about [the Apaches] as well as Basso does here."

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of New Mexico Press; First Edition (August 1, 1996)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0826317243
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0826317247
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1360L
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 0.5 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #63,162 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #44 in Native American Demographic Studies
- #498 in U.S. State & Local History

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4.5 306 ratings

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ikmay ikmays

Amazing insight into something we all do but do not recognize or appreciate fully!

Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2023

Verified Purchase

Although a bit wordy this novel is filled with amazing information regarding the Western Apache people of Arizona. The information contained within is filled with imagery explanations behind the why, the where, and the who of relating places to people, history, and generational knowledge, as well as wisdom, life lessons, and how to avoid the pitfalls of not living in sync with the earth. There is so much wisdom to be gained from reading this book, one can learn to appreciate the places we associate to home, family, love, and any other association to place you could think of.

Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2019

Verified Purchase

I have zero interest in ethnology as a matter of study. I love history. I love reading. I read anything I can get my hands on. Amazon suggested this book when I was purchasing something else. It looked interesting so I added it to my cart. I was surprised and impressed by the quality and value contained in this book. Saying this is a priceless story filled with unique information undervalues this work. I feel privileged to have been allowed a glimpse into this world. I have come away from this reading experience with a better understanding of myself, oddly enough. (I’m of Celtic background which is completely unrelated to any of the subject matter.) You can tell how much love and respect the author had while putting this together. I am grateful for the opportunity to have read something so personal and so special. I wish I could thank the ‘characters’ for allowing us a glimpse into their culture and a moment with their ancestors. Truly amazing.

10 people found this helpful

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Lore G.

It happened...

Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2014

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It happened in Indiana. A girl downloaded this book onto her Kindle, curled up on a porch swing on a fine summer evening, and read stories of people in another place and time. These people, called the Western Apache, saw places in a completely different way than she ever had. Stunned, she began to think about places and events in her own life, and felt the deep sadness of being someone who had moved a lot and lost attachment to some of the places in her family story. The level of philosophical background needed to digest the book sometimes led to her skimming over chunks of the book. The stories delighted and inspired her. As she ended the reading, another summer evening later, she longed for more Western Apache stories and determined to be more attentive to the world around her and the places she had been.

25 people found this helpful

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A. L. Hanks

Useful and brilliant insight into the sense of place

Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2017

Verified Purchase

I very much enjoyed this book. It's certainly not for everyone but anyone who has an interest in ethnography, culture and anthropology would benefit. Even though this is somewhat of a micro view of a specific culture and it's unique customs, I find the book to be an extremely value extension of other works I have read on the concept of place. It's brilliantly written and illustrates the author's competency and insight into the material.

5 people found this helpful

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book purchase

Good service and they had a copy of an important book.

Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2023

Verified Purchase

I am very pleased with all aspects of this purchase,

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Nitzah Santiago-Horseman

The book is great. The kindle version doesn't give page numbers from ...

Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2017

Verified Purchase

The book is great. The kindle version doesn't give page numbers from the original book, which makes it impossible for me to cite in writing.

4 people found this helpful

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Lauren M.

I Raved About this Ethnography

Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2019

Verified Purchase

If you're interested in the subject, this is a fabulous book to add to the library. I even disussed it with family and friends who have no idea about linguistics.

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Marthelma C. Gaman

It is a wonderful exploration of the Western Apache concepts of time

Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2015

Verified Purchase

I bought the book for a class but when I started reading it before the class started I couldn't stop. It is a wonderful exploration of the Western Apache concepts of time, place and place names. I was fascinated by how they traditionally named places descriptively as a means of social interaction and a way of inducing social compliance with Apache ethics. It also functions as history of them as a people in a new land, exploring it, and finding ways of fitting into the new environment.It's a vital connection to their past and their customs.

3 people found this helpful

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