Thunder Rides a Black Horse: Mescalero Apaches and the Mythic Present

The compelling four-day and four-night Mescalero Apache girls puberty ceremonial remains the backdrop of Farrer s interpretive, introductory discussion of time and the mythic present. The oral traditions and instructions given to Farrer by the late Bernard Second, her longtime Apache teacher, provide insight into the importance of narrative not just in ceremonials but also in daily life.

Farrer neither romanticizes nor patronizes the Apachean people, who are presented as people with foibles as well as possessing much worthy of admiration. The Third Edition incorporates a fully developed concluding chapter Returning and furnishes thoughtful, end-of-chapter questions to prompt readers to explore their own reactions to the text.

Title of related interest from Waveland Press: Basso, The Cibecue Apache (ISBN 9780881332148).

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