Wisdom Sits in Places

Basso begins Chapter 2 by outlining a series of statements from members of the community in Cibecue in which they convey their perspectives on themselves, language, and the land. While these statements may be inscrutable to the reader, they only appear so because of a lack of understanding of the Western Apache worldview, Basso notes. Interpreting these claims, therefore, requires understanding how Western Apache talk about the land.

For help with this project, Basso turns to Nick Thompson, a man whose appearance belies his stature in the community. The first time we encounter Thompson, an accomplished medicine man and singer, he’s dressed in bright Nike sneakers and a T-shirt with “Disneyland” printed on the front. When Basso asks for his help interpreting statements made by Apache about the land, Thompson suggests Basso learn the place-names and agrees to help him do so.

At the outset of their project, Thompson says that rather than talking about names, they’ll focus on stories. Stories, Basso tells us, are one of the categories of Western Apache speech, along with ordinary talk and prayer. Stories (or narratives) are further divided by their length, temporal setting, and purpose into myths, historical tales, sagas, and stories arising from gossip.