North America Books

What Northrup has to say is as interesting as the way he says it. I really loved his style of writing: chatty, wry, ironic, funny, serious--often at the same time.

I am so happy that he won the 1999 native american journalism award for his editorials, which appear in indian country today , news from inidan country and the circle. this book is wonderful and very funny! the poem he writes about John Wayne visitng Vietnam is a masterpiece and shows " the Duke" for what he really is a wimp and a wuz! get this book it's truly a gem!

This book is brutal without being harsh, funny without being lightweight. In a society where everyone (and I do mean everyone) is made to feel guilty for everone else's suffering, this is a breath of fresh air. The problems Northrup faces every day are aired alongside with the joys. For every pain, he offers a happiness.

And he never says you can't understand. He just offers another way to see his life.

Don't buy Ian Frazier's book if you want any kind of accurate picture of today's Indians. Buy this one instead - this is the book to get if you want to begin to understand the complexities of being an Indian. The author speaks to both the initiated and the ignorant. It's both a moving and a fun read.

I picked this book up at random while browsing the "Native American studies" shelf at my local book megastore, and I was quickly drawn in, reading it cover-to-cover in a day. Jim Northrop is an Anishinaabe who lives on the Fond du Lac Reservation in Northern Minnesota, and in this book he writes about reservation life, about Native American political issues, and about his own travels and experiences. One of the great strengths of this book is his honesty as a memoirist. While sticking largely to a humorous matter-of-fact tone, he does not shy away from his grief at his son's suicide attempt or his difficulties returning from war in Vietnam. Another strength is the conversational quality of the writing itself. At first it bugged me, short sentences put together into these meandering run-on paragraphs, but after some reading I began to think more of Italian vocal technique, where the tone continues, rising and falling, with words just dotted on the surface. Eventually it felt like I was just hanging out with the guy, listening to his interesting stories. There are times when the writing falls down, for example during an extended series of sports metaphors during a dicussion of racism, or in the rather forced series of kangaroo references when describing a tribal "kangaroo court". But despite these problems I found the writing compelling and accessible. I'm not qualified to analyze the political arguments he sometimes makes, but his perspective on treaty rights, sports mascots, and gambling will certainly stay with me, informing and broadening my thinking when I next encounter these issues in daily life.

Salmon Without Rivers is a great book of historical facts. It includes many issues like; original salmon locations/populations, "Economy over Environment" issues, and the ineffectiveness of large decision making commissions/agencies. However, with all his good background information the book does not propose any solutions nor investigates today's coastal human communities as they relate to the salmon and/or habitat.

This is a must read book for anyone interested in salmon, rivers and the ecology and history of the Pacific Northwest. Excellent information and a good read.

This is an excellent book that documents the history of salmon, how native Americans viewed them and how modern Americans view them. It focuses on why the pacific northwest is facing a salmon crisis, and our failed attempts to replace what we have lost. Great read for anyone who is concerned about environmental issues.

A thoroughly researched and impassioned presentation including the history of salmon, their decline, why billions of tax dollars in restoration efforts have had paltry returns, and insights into the where we should go from here. A complex issue is examined from many perspectives in an easy to read and compelling book. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in salmon.

As a freelance author writing a piece about salmon for a California-based magazine, this book was indispensible and eye-opening. It is unfailingly sensitive and intelligent about salmon, discussing the fish as fellow creatures in the "natural economy" in which we all live, rather than as mere commodities in the "industrial economy" that has transformed the West in the last 150 years. It is fascinating about the geology that shaped the salmon's environment, the evolutionary history of the fish, the relationship between Native Americans and salmon in the Northwest, and it provides a detailed history of the many factors that have led to the salmon's decline, including habitat destruction, misbegotten hatchery programs, overfishing, dams, mining, grazing, irrigation. If you like to read books about ecology, the creatures of the earth, fish, or the Northwest--you can't go wrong. This is a wonderful book.

A nice murder mystery series with echoes of the Tony Hillerman Jim Chee/Joe Leaphorn Navajo tales. If you liked those you'll warm to Trooper Nathan Active solving mysteries in the snowscape of Alaska's wilderness. I enjoyed Shaman Pass even more than his first installment - White Sky, Black Ice. The hardback editions are easy-to-read paperback-sized volumes.

If you like mysteries set in the Alaska bush, you'll love this book. Jones' use of the local Inuit language and culture puts you right in the plane and "snow-go" with him. The plot stays convoluted and keeps you guessing "who-done-it" up until the end. This book will especially appeal to men, I think, since it doesn't have much of that "mushy" stuff! Excellent read.

Stan Jones has created a story that combines great story telling and a rather deep look at the culture of the Inupiats, a Native American tribe in Northwest Alaska. His plot is rich, dialogue is compelling and the characterization is exceptional. He manages to capture nuances of a culture that is quite alien to most of us. This includes subtleties of language as well as social differences among the inhabitants of that part of our country. I recommend the book highly.

This second Northwestern Alaska Inupiat mystery featuring state trooper Nathan Active thoroughly lives up to the promise of the first, `White Sky, Black Ice." Active, an Inupiat adopted by whites and raised in Anchorage, still takes a lot of ribbing for his city ways and bush ignorance, and he's still waiting for his transfer to Anchorage while carrying on an uncommitted relationship with a local woman.

Following the murder of a tribal leader at his ice-fishing camp, much of Active's dogged investigating takes place in remote, snow and ice-bound areas, reached on his bargain-priced, purple ("the Ladies' Model") snowmobile, or by harrowing airplane flights. The victim was killed with an antique harpoon, recently acquired by the tribe from the Smithsonian, along with the mummy it belonged to. The mummy was immediately "liberated" from the local museum, where it had been put on display, but the obvious suspects have good alibis.

As Active digs deeper, tribal legends and old traditions come into play. Understanding how the pieces fit into a modern murder requires the help of various villagers, including Active's birth mother and grandfather. The spectacular setting takes a central and active role too as Active asserts himself in places he may not be ready for. Early spring is a stormy, unsettled time and the climax builds during a raging blizzard in a remote mountain pass.

Atmospheric and involving, with bright flashes of humor and an enigmatic and increasingly surefooted hero, this series from an Alaskan native and bush pilot feels like the real thing.

In this sequel to "White Sky, Black Ice," Alaska State Trooper, Nathan Active, an Inupiat Eskimo who was raised by white parents in Anchorage, makes the mistake of buying himself a purple snow machine, which as everyone in Chukchi knows, is the ladies' model. It's just one more indication that Nathan is the village naluaqmiiyaaq--the Inupiat word for an Eskimo who tries to pass as a white man.

Nathan wonders if he can endure the teasing long enough to get his transfer back to Anchorage. His relationship with his roommate, Lucy Generous is cooling because of his refusal to talk to her about his recurrent nightmare. Ditto with his birth mother. Instead, Nathan confides in the Inupiat herbalist-cum-psychiatrist, Nelda Qivit, who offers him advice on his sex life and sourdock tea.

And that's about it for the touchy-feely part of "Shaman Pass." So bundle up in your Refrigiwear overalls, your parka with the wolf-fur ruff, and your Sorel boots, because you're going to be spending the rest of the book on the tundra, the sea ice, and the arctic slopes of Shaman Pass.

The adventure begins when the Smithsonian Institute returns an Inupiat mummy nicknamed Uncle Frosty to Chukchi, in accordance with the Indian Burial Act. Museum owner, Victor Solomon (a full-blood Inupiat) wants to put Uncle Frosty on display to draw in more tourist dollars. Young Calvin Maiyumerak wants to secrete the mummy out on the tundra, which is what the pre-Christian Inupiat used to do with their dead.

The Law is on Victor's side, so Uncle Frosty is incarcerated in the museum and his proud new owner goes ice fishing.

The next morning, Victor is found with his parka frozen to the ice next to his fishing hole. Uncle Frosty's ivory harpoon is imbedded in his chest.

Uncle Frosty has vanished.

Naturally Calvin Maiyumerak is the main suspect, but this mystery is much too subtle for a quick arrest. Nathan must first learn who Uncle Frosty was in life, and why Victor was found with a shaman's amulet in his frozen mouth.

This is an unvarnished portrayal of the life and history of the native Alaskans. We are taken on a thrilling ride (even if it is on the purple ladies' model) through some of the harshest landscapes and seascapes on Earth.

Author Stan Jones was born in Anchorage, and has worked as an award-winning journalist there for most of his career. He is also a bush pilot, and readers will be imbibing lots of authentic and hair-raising detail about Alaska and Alaskans, along with the bones of this well-plotted mystery.

THE SPIRIT HORSE is a terriffic book about horses. In the story, Running Crane is the only member in the tribe that has not ridden a horse nearly since birth. HE is teased by nearly all the other boys. Though he cannot ride like a pro (yet), the leader of the tribe still picks him out of all the other boys to be one of the children that will acompany the seven warriors on the horse raid. But not only do others laugh at him at camp, his long time enemy is comming as the third boy. Despite all the obsitcals, Running Crane keeps to his dream, to capture the spirit horse no matter what tries to stop him. I love the determination and spirit of RUNNNING CRANE. i have only had this book about a month and i have already read it at least 3 times THIS IS A MUST READ!!!!!!!! ENJOY!!!!

I've read Spirit Horse, and I've given it as a gift more than once. It's one of those stories that creates empathy for the protagonist with each chapter. At the end of each chapter, I could hardly wait to get into the next one to see how our young hero would handle the challenging situations. Ta daa! There's a rewarding--feel good conclusion, but I don't want to give away the end of the story.

Thanks Ned Ackerman!

Barbara Murray Klopp, Children's Author

Ned Ackerman has succeeded in telling a credible tale. The young reader (and adult ones like myself) are pulled in quickly to the challenge ahead of our young protagonist. Spririt Horse is less a horse story and one of how a boy finds courage and grows; the charcters are beliveable, the adventure compelling. It made me want to be a kid again.

This is my second time reading *Spirit Horse* and I have to say I was so not disappointed. The first time I read it, I skimmed over it because I wanted to read the action and adventure and didn't really care much for the details. But this time when I read it, I read everything and it gave me such a clear picture. This is a must read for everyone because it's soo good.

Running Crane was chosen to go along with Wolf Eagle's war party and it is a great honor to be chosen. But the bad thing is that Weasel Rider was also chosen to go along with the party. Running Crane doesn't like Weasel Rider because Weasel Rider always taunt Running Crane about how he wasn't able to ride a horse. (Everytime Running Crane rides a horse, the horse throws him off) Running Crane doesn't like the taunts and he dreams about this great spirit horse which runs very fast and is magnificent.

So Wolf Eagle and the party goes to steal horses and during their journey to travel to the Snake People's land (their enemy), Running Crane has to endure Weasel Rider's taunts. When they arrive, they hear how there's this great horse and if fits the description of Running Crane's great horse. They go to steal horses but something goes wrong and Running Crane is separated from the party. Now it is up to Running Crane to survive the wilderness and to tame that great horse, that was let loose during their mission.

This book is a must read because it holds a lot of knowledge and sense. I think everyone would enjoy this book!!! I know I have enjoyed it.

^_^ ~ Izzy

Spirit Horse captured and held both my interest and my imagination. I found myself (a 62-year-old white woman living in a large metropolitan area in Michigan in 1999) identifying completely with Running Crane (a young Blackfoot boy living on the plains of what is now Alberta, Canada, or Montana in 1770). Ned Ackerman succeeded brilliantly in telling his story through Running Crane and weaving into his story much of what makes us all human. Spirit Horse is very well-written and moves right along. I read the book straight through, and I know that I will read it again and again. Congratulations to Ned Ackerman on his excellent book. I believe that teachers will consider Spirit Horse a welcome addition to units on multiculturalism and diversity. I believe that the book's appeal extends well beyond the target age group.

This is a really wondeful collection of stories. Two-Rivers takes us from Sapawe, Ontario to the streets of Chicago with stories that are immediate and from the heart. He is a terrific writer who takes us on a great journey of distance, time, and emotion.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this book that brings back fond memories of my own Ojibwe upbringing. Two Rivers writes with a style that is raw and true to his Anishinaabe people. Gchi Migwetch Eddie!

I have known of E. Donald Two-Rivers' work since he started the "Red Path Theatre Company" of Chicago, and am glad he found the time in his busy schedule/career to write a book on short stories based upon the Native American experience(s).

Good Luck E. Donald; and may the you always stay in the Gods' favor for Poety & Muse.

David Andrew Shawanokasic, Menominee

I knew Harold Ball. I wasn't his friend because, as this book explains, for most of his life he drove people away. I wasn't at the party that changed his life, but I know some who were. In fact, I know everybody in this book. Set in the city, on the rez or on the road, these stories read as real to me as the last time I stepped out the door or walked into a truck stop. Each person has his or her own fully realized voice. But what recommends this book most to me are the narrator's voices.

Many writers talk about cultural conflict, the Relocation Act or going back to the reservation, but few express it in more than one voice. Eddie Two-Rivers has the classic short story writer's gift for implication: "It was mid-afternoon-the time of day for sighing. That second when everything is just right and silence slices through time. A slight wind rustled the leaves of a nearby tree and the moment was lost to the past." (p. 54) He evokes nostalgia: "Timber supported the town and everyone in it. I remember it as a green, blue, and brown place: forest, sky, water, and sawdust everywhere. A great place for a kid." (p 221)

Yet he also has that educated awareness that summarizes whole decades in short, sociological parapgraphs: "Bill and Glenda thought of themselves as second-generation urban Indians. Their parents had moved to Chicago's South Side during the 1950s in accordance with the Relocation Act. They met at Red's, a blues bar on Thirty-fifth and Archer Avenue. It was love at first sight. They dated a couple of weeks then decided to live together. Their families disapproved so they moved to the more liberal North Side. Both had been raised in working-class homes. Both regarded their families as being provincial, not with the times." (p. 144)

But Eddie Two-Rivers also understands deeply the power of writing to heal communities and make each of us whole: "Everybody got something they do to make themselves feel better. Writing is my medicine." (p. 83)

You may see it in other writers; you can hear it here.

Ed Two-River's book Survivor's Medicine is an important contribution to the literary world both for Indians and non-Indians. The stories unfold to present a fresh perspective on the human condition in general, and the reality of American Indians specifically. As an educator, the collection of stories explores a spectrum of issues and themes that makes it a dynamic book for teaching in the classroom. Each story broadens the reader's perspective about the reality of American Indians' experience today and challenges the reader to consider and question his or her own perceptions. It grapples with history, politics, and culture in a way that is accessible and poignant to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Survivor's Medicine can be used with students of all academic abilities. The story "Slow Walker: Hero of the Mud Flats Battle" which tells the story of childhood lessons and lifelong memories fought out in the bush in Canada, can be read to a third grade classroom or in a college literature class. I highly recommend this book for educators at all levels and encourage Native educators across the country to use this book with their students. Mr. Two-Rivers is a wonderful and rare role model for young Indians today. I anxiously await his next book.

The discussion of geologic events by Dr. Behnke, which explain how certain fish species became dispersed is most interesting as well as fascinating.
The paintings of the various fishes by Joseph Tomellari are worth the price of the book alone. All presented on high quality print and paper.

Awesome book. The CSU professor is the best authority on trout & salmon. Period! Also best illustrations you will ever see by Joe Tomelleri. A must have book for any trout & salmon lover!

Wasn't sure this book was still in print and as usual, Amazon came through and I had my copy in 5 days. You can't beat the Amazon Customer Service, delivery, and follow-up, Regards, D.K.Madison

This book is a wonderful piece of work, with great illustrations of the various species of coldwater species found in North American waters. Behnke writes in great detail on the various species of trout, salmon, char, grayling, and a few other coldwater species, and includes much detail on sub-species distribution in a current and historical context, often down to the watershed. He also includes sub-species that have gone extinct in historical times. An excellent introduction discusses such topics as the origins and evolution of Salmonids, as well as their classification, taxonomy, biology, morphology, and anatomy.

The only mild criticism I have is that more could have been written on the distribution of brook trout sub-species in the Midwest and East, along with lake trout of the inland lakes of the Upper Midwest.

The book should be in the library of every serious trout or salmon angler.

Behnke's reputation is international, and this book lives up to his reputation. Not only are the paintings by Joseph Tomelleri magnificent, but Behnke's scholarly descriptions are without equal. Maps showing ranges of trout are accompanied by information about the habits of trout, their characteristics, and historical information that sometimes goes back to the ice age. Put this alongside James Prosek's collections of trout paintings from across the U.S. and around the world and you've got three gorgeous books filled with information every trout aficionado needs. Russell Hill, author, the Search for Sheepheaven Trout and Robbie's Wife.

This was the first Tom Brown Jr. book I read. Than I read, The Journey and than, The Quest. I have also read several other Tom Brown Jr. books but these 3 are my favorites. I have read each of these books at least 3 times and learn more each time I read them. They will keep you grounded in reality and your spirituality.
I could not recommend it higher and would encourage everyone to pass on this vital information to family and friends before our ignorance and greed destroys us.

This book it truely incredible. It will make your re-evaluate your life and the way you live it. I think everyone should read this book at least once, if not once every year, just to get grounded again. A definate must buy!

I am thrilled with how fast the book arrived and the excellent condition it is in. Will definitely buy from this seller again.

In 1988 I happened upon the earlier edition of this book by Tom Brown, Jr. It was one of those books that seemed to "jump off" of the book-store shelf and right into my hands. In this book Tom describes his childhood adventures of meeting and learning from an old Native American medicine man named Stalking Wolf who was also called "Grandfather." It is still today one of my favorite books, worn and dog-eared. Tom's explorations and the instructions he received from Grandfather helped me return to that core connection with my Native American relations and to renew my pilgrimage into Native American spirituality.

After reading Tom's book I telephoned him to ask about his survival training program. He described a program that sounded far too rigorous for me at that time in my life, so Tom recommended I contact the Sun Bear Tribe that offered a softer and easier program started by the late Sun Bear, a Native American medicine man.

That began a pilgrimage to a wilderness program and then to a life changing vision quest, all of which has deepened and enriched my personal spiritual life.

This book holds a honored and holy place on my bookshelf. I am sorry it is out of print.

The Rev. Dr. Prentice Kinser III, author of LIMITLESS LIVING, A Guide to Unconventional Spiritual Exploration and Growth

As a long time Tom Brown fan, The Vision: The Dramatic True Story of One Man's Search for Enlightenment, keeps with the spirit of the previous works I have read. It is my feeling the author has a true message he wishes to impart on our society, one that leads to a better understanding of our relationship with nature and life itself.

This book delves into the author's message of a return to a intimate relation with nature and putting our lives on a natural path of harmony with the planet on which we live and must share with all living entities.

You will not be disappointed in the message, and the paths opened leading one to a better understanding of the way to achieve these goals. I highly recommend this work to anyone seeking these truths.

There is nothing I can say that would do any justice as to how great this book is. It was everything you could possibly hope for in an ethnographic text. You learn a lot about a culture very different from ours and it is truly just fascinating!

What do people make of places? Basso's opening sentence is a good example of what the Apache call `letting one's mind have room'. As we read through the chapters of the book Basso continues to add layers to the meaning of this opening question. It allows us to reflect on various uses of the word `make'. We make sense of places by interpreting them. We make places intelligible by foregrounding them. We make use of places; as sign posts or land-marks through the use of descriptive naming. We make places or constitute them as sites or repositories of learning; we invest them as placeholders for morality tales or homilies. We make places vital; we invest them with agency, we enchant them, animate them, in the spirit of golems; we take a piece of earth and through magic or metaphysics we bring it alive, giving it a mission and a life of its own.

Wisdom sits in places. The Apache are a good example of virtue ethics. This is a theory of ethics, usually based on Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, which argues against an ethical universalism and in favor of a particularism. It foregoes the quest for nomothetic foundations and looks instead to the development of certain skills or character traits. Aristotle created a catalogue of areas of behavior or traits with a continuum of possible dispositions. The virtuous behavior was the means between the two extremes of each continuum. Thus the virtue of bravery was somewhere in the range between cowardice and foolhardiness or irrational voluntarism in the face of impossible odds or a meaningless risk.
Aristotle's concept of phronesis finds an interesting parallel in the Apache moral imagination. Phronesis is a meta-virtue; it is the ability to choose the right action for each particular event; the ability to find the virtuous means between vicious poles. It is the essential skill for particularism which is the theory that the right action, the correct moral choice is particular to each unique event. It is opposed to the universalist proposition that there are sets of moral propositions or codes that we can apply in a covering law model. Universalism holds that when two of our moral codes clash we resolve the dilemma by applying a meta-rule, most commonly a deontological (Kantian) or utilitarian proposition.
The Apache's sense of wisdom is a good example of a pragmatic ethics informed by a set of virtues that are learned and continually developed throughout their life's journey. In the first chapter we note how each speaker brings the homily (the moral lesson associated with a place name) forward, making it their own, fleshing it out. One imagines that each speaker and hearer of place names is expected to silently immerse themselves in each homily; making it real by seeing it happen. The act of giving vision to the oral narrative is a process of developing layers upon layers of particular exemplars of the lesson. It is thus internalized and carried forward for the next use. As one gains wisdom one becomes more proficient at seeing when and where to apply these lessons.
This is similar to the thought of the American pragmatist and logician, C. S. Peirce, who proposed a fallibilism about knowledge, truth, and scientific results. He felt that we were always discovering more and that a full statement of any putative universal law was always deferred. Peirce's original pragmatism differed from what James and Dewey later made of it. For Peirce we expanded our sense of a truth through a process of discovering layers upon layers of particular applications and gradually gaining more of an understanding of the wider truth. But his sense of fallibilism posited rich moral concepts such as justice or duty as essentially contested concepts.

We have maps in our heads. There are other interesting parallels with the ancient Greeks besides virtue ethics. There is a significant body of study regarding Plato's thought on the spoken and written word. Plato argued that reality resides in absolute and eternal forms. Thus the impressions available to our senses are imitations that is but a shadow of these eternal truths; they confuse us and should not be trusted. Worse still are the imitations of imitations; thus his polemics against poetry, art, and the written word. It would be interesting to combine this with the study of texts in the 20th century to look at the Apache's preference for maps in the head. Barthes, Derrida and others all expanded our notion of what can serve as texts and it might be interesting to look at Apache use of places through some of those lenses.
In addition there are interesting parallels with the sophists. Although Plato and Socrates succeeded in creating our contemporary disdain for sophism, recent work in the study of Isocrates and others brings a new appreciation of certain tenets of sophism. The sophists exhibited some similarities to the Apache notions of epistemology. They both saw the elders and ancestors as the source of wisdom and warrants for knowledge to be used for current problems. They both argued that the knowledge of the past resided less in universal laws than in practices of the ancestors; actual responses to past dilemmas that are best accessed through interpretation rather than a rote use of the covering law model or a slavish rehearsal of rigid and dogmatic rituals.
They both thought that knowledge (as justified true belief) was discovered and ultimately ratified and warranted by the voice of the majority; the interpretation that found the most general favor. The sophists proposed that vigorous debate in an open forum of citizens is the most epistemologically sound form of inquiry. Their best speakers would take both sides on various propositions of what the ancestors would have done in the current crisis. The goal was to make the best possible argument for all options and let the citizenry decide.
Both the ancient Greeks and the Apache continued to observe religious rituals but it would also be interesting to compare characteristics of their religious cosmology, the role of the gods, and their associations with natural entities and nature in general.

This book was mediocre at best. Although Keith Basso did provide some insight into why the Apache people cherish their land, I felt that Basso kept on saying the exact same thing in every sentence. I had the point of the entire book by the time I was ten pages into it, and it kept on going, therefore making me lose my concentration on what I was reading.

Anthropologists, language students, and Native American culture afficionados will find this book, and any by Keith Basso, written links into a cultural past which struggles to exist today. As the Western Apache tribes become more modern, the information found in this and other Keith Basso writings, become necessities in the preservation of traditional Apache culture; with the exception of the knowledge of a few hundred very traditional Apaches still living in Arizona.

What do people make of places? This is the central question examined by Keith Basso in his ethno-linguistic study of the relationship between language and landscape among the Apaches of Cibecue, on the Fort Apache Reservation in central Arizona. Basso, a professor of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico, has spent over 30 years conducting field work among the Western Apaches. His publications concerning this group include articles on language, patterns of silence in social interaction, witchcraft beliefs, and ceremonial symbolism, among others. The idea for Wisdom Sits in Places stemmed from a study conducted between 1979 and 1984, in which Basso, with the help of a grant from the National Science Foundation and the guidance of the Apaches, conducted a study of Apache places and place-names; how the Apache refer to their land, the stories behind the place-names, and how these place-names are used in daily conversation by Apache men and women. The result is a stunningly informative account of the use of landscape and language in the social interactions of the Western Apaches.
Basso divides his book into four sections: Quoting the Ancestors, Stalking with Stories, Speaking with Names, and Wisdom Sits in Places. Each chapter's focus is to examine how landscape and language serve distinct purposes in Western Apache society. Basso incorporates the oral history of, and discussions with, local Apaches, as well as his formal training as an ethnographer-linguist, to explain the underlying themes of this book.
First, Basso introduces the reader to the idea of place-names and in the Western Apache construction of history. As conceived by the Apaches, the past is a "well-worn `path' or `trail' which was traveled first by the people's founding ancestors and which subsequent generations of Apaches have traveled ever since" (31). The ancestors gave names to places, based on events that occurred there. Regardless of the physical changes in the landscape that occurred over time, the story of what took place, as well as the place-name, was passed down through generations and serves as a connection between the people and their ancestors.
Second, Basso examines how the language and the land are "manipulated by Apaches to promote compliance with standards for acceptable social behavior and the moral values which support them" (41). The historical tales of place-names are without exception morality tales, intended to influence patterns of social action. Their purpose is to serve as warnings, criticisms, and enlightenment for those who are behaving improperly; not in accordance with the Apache way of life. The telling of a historical tale is "intended as a critical and remedial response" to an individual's having committed one or more social offenses. Apaches contend that if the message is taken to heart, a lasting bond will have been created between that individual and the site at which the events in the tale took place. In short, the land, accompanied with its historical tale, "makes the people live right" (61).
Third, through the act of "speaking with names", place-names can be condensed "into compact form their essential moral truths" (101). "Speaking with names" is considered appropriate only under certain circumstances, generally to enable those who engage in it "to acknowledge a regrettable circumstance without explicitly judging it, to exhibit solicitude without openly proclaiming it, and to offer advice without appearing to do so" (91). Evoking images of a particular place and narrative thus replaces a more direct form of advice or criticism, with "a minimum of linguistic means" (103).
Finally, with the guidance of his Apache friend, Dudley Patterson, Basso examines the path of wisdom in Western Apache society. Patterson explains there are two mental conditions, "steadiness of mind", and "resilience of mind", which lead to a third and most desirable condition, smoothness of mind. These three conditions are not innate; therefore, one must work on one's mind in order to gain wisdom. To work on one's mind, "one must observe different places, learn their Apache place-names, and reflect on traditional narratives that underscore the virtues of wisdom" (134). A resilient mind, according to Patterson, does not "give in to panic or fall prey to spasms of anxiety or succumb to spells of crippling worry" (132). A steady mind is "unhampered by feelings of arrogance or pride, anger or vindictiveness, jealously or lust" (133). Steadiness and resilience give way to a sense of "cleared space" or "area free of obstruction", conditions necessary for smoothness of mind. Only those who continue on the trail of wisdom their whole lives come closest to having a smooth mind, and are "able to foresee disaster, fend off misfortune, and avoid explosive conflicts with other persons" (131). Thus, wisdom is intertwined with the idea of survival through the consistent and thoughtful evocation of landscape and language.
Keith Basso and the Western Apaches of Cibecue have provided readers with an insightful and provocative account of the connection between language, land, and a people's cultural history. Wisdom Sits in Places opens the door for future research on place-names by shedding light on a previously overshadowed topic in anthropological studies. Basso's dissection of certain stories and social interactions can be overwhelming and a bit dry, but his purpose is made clear when his examinations are added together with the Apache narratives. What results is a clear picture of what language and landscape mean to the Western Apaches, the functional versatility of place-names, and the importance of being aware of one's sense of place.

I bought it as a gift for my husband who is into photography. He's really enjoying it. It arrived before Christmas too even though I got an email that said it would be late. I've had good experience w/ amazon on book orders.

This is a beautiful book of photography done by one of the most outstanding nature photographers America has ever known. The photos from all over N. America are outstanding. A wonderful coffee table book. Also an inspirational book for photographers or anyone desiring to be amongst the glories of nature. Galan Rowell knew what to look for in a great photograph.

I love this book! I'm in to landscape photography and this book is some of the best examples out there.

This book is packed full of breath-taking scenery with every page, from front cover to back, presenting exquisite photos of North American treasures. It is a picture book filled with eye candy for the nature lover, world traveler, and science enthusiast. I highly recommend this book to inspire your soul, renew your mind, and lift your spirits.

I have been a fan of Galen Rowell's work for years, and I had been anticipating getting a compendium of his North American work for a while. If you want to see some of Rowell's best from a technical standpoint, then by all means grab a copy, but be warned that this is some of the worse image quality I've seen in a photography book published in the last 10 years. Most pictures are overly grainy, there are some major pixel problems where colors blend (particularly in colorful sky shots), and color casts often don't match his originals. With the technology as good as it presently is, this is inexcusable for such an expensive book. Rowell deserved better.

This is an excellent translation of an amazing account. Favata and Fernandez give an accurate and interesting rendition of Cabeza de Vaca's words. Their notes aid in understanding and appreciation of the story. I highly recommend this translation to anyone interested in Cabeza de Vaca himself, the time period, or just a good read.

This is a startling yet interesting tale of Cabeza de Vaca's journey through the southern U.S. These men suffered greatly through their journey and yet accomplished what they set out to do in the end.

Truly a remarkable story of survival of the fittest.

Highly recommended.

Although this is a short narrative, the book presents the best description of early North American life I have read so far. The book is Cabeza de Vaca's autobiographical account of his participation in a failed Spanish expedition to colonize Florida in the early 1500's. Through a series of events, the members of the expedition end up traveling along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico into Texas and then overland into Sonora, Mexico. Only four members of the expedition returned to Spanish civilization, but they had earned the respect of many of the Indian tribes.

The Account not only presents details of the journey but also presents general historical aspects of North American Indians and Spanish colonization in the 1500's. Cabeza de Vaca has performed a great service in documenting the practices of food-gathering, agriculture, slavery, trade, and spirituality among the Southwestern Indians. His narrative also highlights the the perils of 1500's exploration and the harsh attitudes of Spanish colonists towards Indians.

The translators also deserve credit for their work. Using clear modern English, they have made The Account easy to read. They have also supplemented their translation with translation notes and histroical notes that are very useful, particularly in identifying locations in the text. Moreover, they have also included an introduction that places The Account and Cabeza de Vaca into a historical context.

In summary, The Account is not only a great narrative of the personal history of Cabeza de Vaca's travels across North America but also an important document about early Spanish colonization and Native American culture. I strongly recommend this book for all readers.

Texas history begins n 1528, when a hurricane sank a Spanish ship off the coast of Galveston Island. Four survivors washed up naked on the shore, including Governor Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca and the black man, Estebano, who had been the slave of one of the drowned men. Thus begins one of the most remarkable adventures in history. This book is Cabeza de Vaca's first person account of his experience. He and his men first became the slaves of hostile coastal Indians who tortured them, but ultimately, after several years in captivity, escaped to go with other more sympathetic inland Indians. He describes the many Native American tribes he encountered, as well as their customs and how they lived. Most of them starved when not eking out subsistence on cactus fruit and nuts. The Indians had never seen a bearded face before and most were in awe of the Spaniards. They believed he had healing powers and demanded that he heal their sick. Cabeza de Vaca was a very pious man and called upon his god to help him. He prayed for patients, made the sign of the cross on their bodies, and extorted the promise that they would henceforth follow the true God. The sick Indians swore that they had been cured and Cabeza de Vaca became recognized as a powerful shaman, eagerly greeted by the Western Tribes who begged for his blessing. Cabeza de Vaca was North America's first lay missionary. Nine years after the shipwreck, he encountered quite by accident another group of Spaniards exploring New Mexico (and capturing Indians to enslave). Because Cabeza de Vaca insisted upon humane treatment toward the Indians, the cruel Spaniards imprisoned the crazy (and perhaps dangerous) naked man and took him to Mexico City. After living among the Indians for nine years, Cabeza de Vaca felt uncomfortable wearing clothes and could not sleep on a bed.

This is an extraordinary story, full of wonder, horror and faith. It is a work of literature. Those with an interest in Texas history, Native Americans, or the Spanish conquest of America will find this easy-flowing translation extremely compelling reading.

If you thought that the only thing that the Spanish explorers did was pick up gold and enslave the natives, this book is for you. Alvar Nunez Cabeza De Vaca was truly a modern man in the way he thought about people and things. Given only his wits having lost his clothes & food, he survives in a strange land for 10 years and walks out a reviered man among the natives. I had no idea anyone had done this. Our only regret is that he did not write more of his adventures and the socialogy & language of the people he lived with. Alvar Nunez Cabeza De Vaca had more than the usual dose of Duty, Honor and Country about him, and he kept all three when adversity struck.