Portraits of "the Whiteman": Linguistic Play and Cultural Symbols among the Western Apache

131 Pages·1979·4.64 MB·English

by  Keith H. Basso

Portraoift"st hWeh iteman"
Linguisptliaacyn dc ultusryamlb ols
amongt heW esterAnp ache
KeitHh. Basso
Departmofe Anntt hropology
UniverosfAi rtiyz ona
IllustrbaytV iionncse nt Craig
Th�r tgoltftt ile
UniNrsoitfCy ambT idf�
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'Tiw UniNr�luJuty p rilfttd
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CambridgUen iversiPtrye ss
Cambridge
New York PorCth ester
MelbourneS ydney
Publishbeytd heP resSsy ndicaotfte h eU niversoiftC ya mbridge
TheP itBtu ildiTnrgu,m pingtSotnr eeCta,m bridCgBe2 IRP
40W est2 otSht reeNte,w YorkN,Y IOOII,U SA
10S tamfoRroda dO, akleigMhe,l bour3n1e6 6A,u stralia
© CambridgUen iversPirteys 1s97 9
Firsptu blish1e9d7 9
Reprint1e9d8 01,9 83( twic1e9)8,5 1,9 861,9 87( twice),
19881,9 891,9 90( twice)
Printiendt heU niteSdt atoefsA merica
LibraorfyC ongress CatianPl uobgliincga tion Data
BassoK,e itHh. 1 94D-
Portraoift" st hWe hiteman"
Bibliograpp.h y:
1.A pachIen dia-nJsoking.
2.A pachwei ta ndh umo-r Histoarnyd c riticism.
3.I ndiaonfsN orthA meric-aA rizo-nJao king.
4·A merica-nAsn ecdotfeasc,e tisaaet,i ertec,. I .T itle.
E99.A6829.52 9270'.004'97 78-31535
ISBN o 5212 26460 h ardback
ISBN o 521 295993 p aperback
Fort hreAep achenso,w g onaew ayw,h o
encuoragemde tol augahtm yself:
LeonB eatty
Percy Peaches
TeddyP eaches
Andf ort eno thewrhso s howemde h ow:
NedA nderson
DelmaBro ni
MorelCyr omwell
FrancDiesh ose
ErneMsutr phy
DudlePya tterson
AlviQnu ay
RoyQ uay
Calvert Tessay
NashlTeeys say
Contents
ForebwyoD reHdly lm eisx
Prefxaicxe
1
Indimaond elosf" thWeh iteman1"
2
Cibecauned w hiteme1n9
3
Jokinigm itatoiofAn nsg lo-Americans:
interprfeutnicvtei 3o5n s
4
Jokinigm itatioofAn nsgl o-Americans:
socifauln ctio65n s
5
Changipnogr traoif"t tsh Weh iteman7"7
Appen83d ix
1\'ot9e5 s
Refer1e13n ces
VII
Foreword
WhenK eitBha sssoe nmte hism anuscriitpc ta,m ea sa g ift,
a gifotf l aughtTehre.f ourtpho rtreasipte cidailslsyo lved
me ind eligahntd,d elighottehde wrsi twhh om I shareidt .
Whenh ei nvitmeed t ow ritteh iFso reworIfd ,o unmdy self
"gifteadg"a i1 nT.h ercea mea feathtehraa t C ibecue friend
hadb lesseTdh.a tu nexpectseydm boolf r eciprowcaist y
dissoltvoionm,ga kinogn ef oram omentl igahstb reatSho.
iti st wicaep rivilaengdre e,s ponsibtiosl hiatryie,np resent­
ingt hespeo rtraoif't tsh Weh iteman'.
Thep ortrasiptesa fko rt hemselvanedsV ,i nceCnrta ig's
cartoomnask em eaninigmsm ediaatswe e lTlh.e s ignificance
oft hep ortratiott sh eu nderstanodfiI nngd iAamne riacns
andt ot heg eneruanld erstanodfci unlgt uirsle u cidsltya ted
int het extL.i kea nys easonsecdh olaorfc, o ursIe c,a n
mentiorne ferentcheastt hea uthodri dn otc hoosteo
includaen,dw ill. WIh caatnb esdto ,I t hiniks,t ot ryt o
highliignhw to rdosf m y own tfhaectt h at ptohret raits
do speafko rt hemselwvheisl,ee n larguipnognt hec ontext
andi mportaonfct eh ef act.
TheA pachpeo rtraoift' st hWeh itemahna'v aen alogues
21
elsewheirnIe n diacno untr(cy f .n . oft hibso ok)b,u t
thaits n oto fterne cogniTzheedg .r eacta paciotfIy n dian
peoplfeo rc reatwiivteh asb eeno bscurbeydt hei magoef
theI ndiaanss ilesntto ic. ElsBeawshsehora esh elpeuds
recogntihzaets ilenicsae functioofnd efinitoifs oint u­
(1970), (1972,
ation ash ash isc olleagSuues,a Pnh ilips
lX
Foreword
X
1975)T.h eg enerpaoli nwta sn oteldo nagg ob yW ashing­
tonI rvinwgr,i tiinngt hec onteoxfta touorn t hep rairies
in1 832a mongt heO sageb,u th ash adt ob er ediscovered
andg ivesnu bstatnocdea y.
Heries I rvinrge'pso (r1t8 655:1 -2):
[Theyo]c casionianldluyli gnae v eionf c omihcu mor
andd rys atitroew ,h icthh eI ndiaanpsp eatrom e
muchm orep ronteh ains g enerailmlayg ined.
Inf actth,e I ndiatnhsa Ith avhea da no pportunity
ofs eeiinngr ealli faer eq uitdei fferfernotmt hose
descriibnep do etrTyh.e ya reb yn om eantsh es toics
thatth eayr ree presenttaecdi;t uurnnb,e ndiwnigt,h out
at eaorr a s milTea.c itutrhne ayr ei,ti st ruew,h eni n
companwyi th whitew hmoesnge,o od-wtihleldy i.s ­
trusatn,dw hoslea nguatghee dyo n otu nderstand;
butt hew hitmea ni se qualtlayc ituurnnd elri ke
circumstaWnhc.eetsnh. e Indairaaenm so ng themselves,
howevetrh,e rcea nnobte g reatgeors siHpasl.tf h eir
timies t akeunp i nt alkionvget rh eaidrv entuirnwe asr
andh untinangd,i nt ellwihnigm sisctaolr iTehse.ya re
greamti micasn db uffooanlss,ao n,d e ntertain them­
selveexsc essiavtet lhye expoefnt sheew hitewsi th
whom thheayv aes sociaatnedwd h,o h avseu pposed
themi mpressweidt hp rofounrde spefcotr t heir
grandeaunrd d igniTthye.y a rec uriooubss ervers,
notinegv erythiinsn igl enbcuetw, i tah keen and
watchfeuyle o;c casioneaxlclhya ngai gnlga nocrea
grunwti the acho thewrh,e na nythipnagr ticularly
striktehse mb;u tr eservailnclgo mmentusn titlh ey
arca lonTeh.e ni ti st hatth egyi vfeu lslc opteo
criticsiastmi,mr iem,i crayn,dm irth.
Moret hana centulrayt eirtc, a ns tiblela secroerta
surpriesvee,nt o t hosweh ol ivael ongsIinddei aannsdt each
theicrh ildrtehna,tt h eriest hifsl owof w ita mongt hem.
Foreword xi
Theraer em anyi nt heU niteSdt atwehso s tinlele dt ob e
ignoraonftt her eaIln diapne opllei vinnega trh em, even
whilaed miriInngd iarnesm otien p lacoer t imeO.n ec an
understatnhden eedt o thintkh iwsa yo n thep arotf
peoplweh o could not pcoonmdfeorr tatbhleyf act that
theilra ndo r livelihiosbo odu ndu p withw hatI ndians
livinnega trh emh avleo sBtu.t s cholbaerasar r esponsibility
tooT.o oo ftewne havew rittaebno uItn diaanssa collec­
tivtey pe",t heN avajo",t"h Heo pi,e"t c.r,a thtehra na s
individpuearls onalOinteiw ersi.t aebso utth e" thCel acka­
mas"a nd" Clackammyatsh ologfyo,re" x amplrea,t htehra n
aboutth em ythsi nC lackamoafMs r sV.i ctoHroiwaa rdt,h e
onlyp ersownh osem ythsi nC lackamaarsek nownt ou s.
Itt akeas f ine-graaitnteedn titohnek, i ntdh apto rtraoift s
'whiteman' dteomc aantdct,hh ei ndividvouiaclAe n.d t he
devictehsa tI ndiapne oplues et oc atcihn dividturaali ts,
tom arkp ersonatlyipteyhs a,v en otm uchb eenn oteTd.h e
earlayt tenttioo tnh esteh ingosf E dwarSda pirre mains
ratheexrc eptioannadlS ,a pirre cordoendl yth ed evicoefs
markinngo,t t hee nactmenatssd ,o est hipsa th-breaking
book.2
Ita lsios a questioofnm oret hana singfliee ltdr ip.
KeitBha ssor'esl ationwsihtihWp e sterAnp achep eople
hasb eens ustaifnoerdm anyy earTso. b es urei,tw ast he
lucko f a taper ecordebre'isn lge fotn thatr evealae d
performanacnedt, h eb ookm akesc leatrh apte rformance
isl ikeolnyl ya mongc ertapieno pluen decre rtaciinr cum­
stancseuss,t aifnoerod n lya momentO.n ec anc omef rom
thek itcheans,i tw erea,n dfi nd,a si nW illiCaamr los
Williampso'esm " Thea rtis(t1"1) 544:3 )",B utt hes how
waso ver.E"v enw itht hel ucko ft het apet,o h avet he
persoinn volviends iosnt p rovidai nfgu lalc counotft he
evenitsn otl ucki;ti sc onfidence, trust.
I cana ttetshta tt hep ortradiot cso mmunicaWthee.n
Keithm'asn uscrciapmte I, h adr eachae pdo initnt eaching
xii Foreword
"Thee thnograopfhs yp eakitnogw "h icah p ortroafi' tt he
Whitemawna's m arvelouaspltyW. i ths uchp ronunciation
ofA pachaes p honettirca inpienrgm ittaendd,a sensoef
English tsrtaynlsef efrrroemd WaSrpmr inognse,h ado nly
tod o thel ineSst.u dengtostt hep oindti rectal fyo;u nda­
tioinn s ociolingwuaissa tbiscosr btehdr oulgahu ghter.
Iti sf undamenttaol s ociolingutios itdiecnst iafnyd
understdainfdf ereinncw ehsa tC offmahna sc alle"dt he
naturoefd efereanncded emeano(r1"9 62I)t.o ughtto b e
fundamenttoaa ll uln derstanodfil nagn guatgoae t tend to
enactmeinntc,l udiinntgo nattioonnoe,f v oicaec,c ompany­
ingg estuarletl,h ec ommunicamtoidvael ittiheabste gatno
bea nalyzaes"d p aralinguainsdt" ikcisn"e saig cesn"e ration
agoT.h en eedt ob rintgh estew oc oncertnosg ethleera ds
twop ioneeorfts h ef ielJdo,h nG umperazn dJ ennCyo ok­
Gumpertzo,s ingoluett hel inukn detrh et ermco ntextuali­
;:atioonfd iscourTsheet. w oc onceranrset ogethaelrr eady
inA pachpeo rtraoift' st hWeh itemaNno'r.i st hissi mply
becausael li nstancoefs v erbailn teractnieocne ssarily
involsvuec hm eaninagnsd s uchm eansT.h et woc oncerns
aret ogethneorto, n lya sb ehavibourt,a lsaosa nalyTshies .
portraairteas ne xpresgseinvrete h aetm bodiaensa nalysis.
Ther elevatnocs eo citahle oroyf t hek indo fe nacted
analyspirse seinntt hespeo rtraciatnsn obte overstated.
Event odawye tentdo m istsh ep resenocfae n alyutnidce r­
standiinnng o n-Westceurlnt uwrheesn evietrd oenso tt ake
thef ormo fa vocbaularEyv.e ns os timulaatnidns gh rewd
a theoraissP ti erre Bou(1 r9d7i7ea)up peatrost hinokft he
Algerian peasants haeml oinvge adnw,dhb oyme xtension,
oft hep ractilciafolefm ostp eoplkenso wnt oa nthropology,
asi np ri11ciipnla e s tatoefd oxao,f u nquestioancicnegp ­
tancoef t hes ocioarld ears a no rdeorf n atur(ei cno ntrast
toa statoefa wareniensw sh ichhe terdooxya ndo rthodoxy
defienaec oht hearn dc onflicYte)t.i maginaatniavley sis of
worldasl ternattoi tvhe ea cceptiesdu niversal among
Foreword X111
NativAem ericaNnosr.i st hea nalypsriosm ptbeydw ish
fulfillmae dnets,i rteo c ompensaftoerh ardshoifpa s
technologisciamlplleyex istenAcne e.a rlisetra goef t he
worlidsp ortraiynem dy tha sr ifwei tdha ngearnsdd umb­
nesfsr omw hicthh ep resenptr,o pewro rlhda se merged.
Agaian c,a refruela dionfgm ythcsa nnomti sasn i ngrerl.ient
of parodoyf p retenswieoanl,t ahn,d e vent hec entral
public manifeosfts autpieornn atpuorwaelr t,h ew inter
guardian-dsapnicreTi.ht e m indo fm ans eemesv erywhere
toa nalyzaen,dr eassemsbolmee,t hionftg h ef abroifca
cultuorradle orf,t einnt hem odeo fm ockerTyh.e n atural­
izatioofnt hec ulturoaf wlh ichB ourdiwerui tseese ms
alwaytsor equiarnea nalyosfit sh en atuorfet hei mproper,
withiann dw ithouats, B asso sugAgneds trse.fl ective
respontsoeh istordiicsaals tdeesrt,r ucotfic ounl tuarned
famisleyc urictaynb, e p erceiavste dh em otivfeo rre calling
ands hapipnagr ticmuyltahrs i np articwualayrsa ,s w ith
them ythsi nC lackamoafsV ictorHioaw ardm,e ntioned
aboveT.h em etalangtuahgapete rmitthse r eflecatnido n
responissne o to neo fv ocabulabruyto, f w ordssh aped
tod ramatpiucr pose.
Chinookaannd,p erhaoptsh eNra tivAem ericmaynt hs,
canb es aitdo b ea bstraccatl cuolfim otive(sb orrowai ng
bitf romK ennetBhu rkeu'sse o ft het ermi nt wom ajor
works[ 19451,9 50]T)h.e ries n otm ucho fa vocabulary
ofm otivienC hinooksaonm: et ermass cribiinntge lligence
ands tupidiatnydt, h el ikea,n dm ainljyu stth ep olar
contraosftt h ee lemen-tt' u"-g,o odb,e autivfaullu,a ble,
paradigmeaxtaimcp lea,n"d t hee lemen-tm la-",b ad."
Yetm ytha ctoarrse " gootdo t hink("t oad aptth ep hrase
ofL evi-Straanudis nst )h em yths exthhiebc iotn sequences
ofa ctiinnga thoroughgwoaiyno gnt heb asiosfp articular
motiveTsh.eo utcomoef a mythw ilble f aiirn r elation
toa definiancgt oarc,c ordtiona gn i mplimcaittr iwxh ose
definidnigm ensiaornesm aintenaonfcn eo rmsa nda t-
XlV Foreword
tentiventeos rse ali(twyh atM orriFsr eilihcahsd ubbed
propera nds martI)m.p liicnitt h em ythsa sw elalr ec ertain
valuaensd p ervaseixvieg enclioeysa:l ttoyk inp,r eservation
ofc ommunitfyo,o da,n ds urvivTahle. i mplicatfioorn s
communitgyi vde iffereenndti ndgisf ferneunatn ceass,i f
a chord had beenn ostto rnluyca k n,o tea ssociawtietdh
thed efiniancgt orV.a riatiionne sn dingasr ev ariations
int hem oralt ow hicht hen arrathoarss hapetdh ep lot
andp oetic-rheftoorrmi3 .c al
Thet ersenoefsm sy thst,h ee conomoyf m eanisn p ortraits
of' Whitemamna'k,e m e thinokf a commenbty B ertrand
Russetlol t hee ffectth att heg reavti rtuoef ordinary
languawgaes t haitt c oulsda yf,o re xamplweh,a lec,o m­
municatisnogm uchs oe fficiewnittlhty h ea ccurarcey­
gu irefdo rt heo ccasiTohne. d ramatizaotfie oxnp ressive
formsB,a sssoh owuss , eifsf iciientn hta wta y.I ti ntegrates
cognitainvdee xpresseifvfei cieAnncayl.y soins a paget o
thosweh o don ots harteh ec ontextual asshuamspt toi ons
bel onga,n dp arotf t hibso oki sf ort haptu rposYee.tw hen
we knowa portraiint te rmosf a nalyosnia s p agew,e do
notf ullkyno wi tT.h ec asiesl ikteh aotf l itertarrayn slation.
A translamtuisotbn e o fa similsacra laem,p litutdoeh ,a ve
ane ffelcitk teh eo riginBaelt.t leors osf a n uancteh atnw o
pagetso g ett hen uancrei ghlto,s ianlghl o peo fc onveying
theo rigifnoarlc Teh.e o rigifnoarlc wea ss omehobwo und
up witht heo riginsaulc cinctnIetis sse .v enm orew hen
formi sa nalogotuosf orcMey. persontaall ismfaonrt his
ist hen ext-to-wloarsdit n a linfer omK eats'''sL Bae lle
DameS ansM erci"':' Hsee th ero nh isp acinsgt eedS.h"e
isa lmosgto neh,e withh erb,e forteh el inree achtehse
steed.
Its eemsl ikewiwsiet ht hep ortraoift s' Whiteman'.
Thed imensioofnt sh ep ortraariest i mulnteaousalnya lyzed
andp resenWth.a tc oulbde m oree ffectiSvuec?hi ntegra-