The Cibecue Apache

Based on long-term research, this book is about the Western Apache, not as they lived in the past, but as they survive today in Cibecue, a small settlement on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in Arizona. The study captures the true character of Apache culture not only because of the objective analyses and descriptions but also because the author believes in allowing the people to speak for themselves. One never loses sight of the fact that the people of Cibecue are alive now, and that Basso's goal is to describe their perceptions, experiences, conflicts, and indecision. A primary aim is to describe 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.