g process of the Apache people comes from what they reaped from the environment and by naming it and remembering that name it shows respect for it. Upon revisiting the ‘Juniper Tree Stands Alone’ area, Charles told Basso, “Now they see their corn fields, there is so mush corn…they are excited and happy… ‘Juniper Tree Stands Alone’ has looked after us again.” (20) This narrative backs up Bassos theory of a strong bond between the environment and the Apache culture. ‘Juniper Tree Stands Alone’ played a significant role in their history and although it was never on a conventional map, it remained extremely important to the Apache heritage. In Apache culture, Basso theorizes that there is a connection between oral narratives and the environment. He argues that story telling is a very powerful tool used by the Apache people and it is used to “establish bonds between human beings and features of the landscape.” (Cruikshank 1990: 54) I am particularly interested in the place-name ‘Shades of Shit’, because it taught an important lesson on ‘sharing’. Charles tells the story of how his ancestors once lived in a place called ‘Shades of Shit’ and it was called this because the people who lived there had a lot of corn. Instead of sharing their corn with their starving relatives, they were greedy and kept it all to themselves. Until one day the starving relatives locked their greedy family members into their own houses and they were not allowed to leave, not even to defecate. (22-26) ‘Shades of Shit’ place-name outlines the simple moral of sharing, especially sharing with the less fortunate.The story behind the place-name ‘Course-Textured Rocks Lie Above In a Compact Cluster’ is interesting from both a historical and moralistic perspective. It is about a man who becomes sexually attracted to his stepdaug...
