The Media's Influence On The Apache Indian Culture

Piran Talkington, 16188071
ANT152 Final Paper
‘The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses.’ (Malcolm X). Media shapes the way we see everything in life. From informing us about school/work closings (giving us the day off), to telling us how to dress appropriately by giving us the weather, to breaking the news of a tragedy that happened. The media has, and always will play a significant role in the world we live in. Every culture and every subculture use the media in diverse ways, well some see a more critical role for up to date information, some cultures do not need that as part of their everyday
These people had to learn how to live and survive off the land they were given. The southwestern United States isn't exactly the easiest place to survive. This land mainly consists of towering mountains, deep canyons, hot deserts and the barren Great Plains. This type of land made the Apache people more hunter gatherers rather than farmers. Because of this, the Apache people traveled all over the place, looking for resources. In their travels, they decided it would be easiest if they could refer to a location and have everybody understand where that was. So, the Apache people come up with idea of place names. This means they would give a specific place a name, normally a first impression or unable to historical significance to their ancestors. By using these place names, they could revolutionize their language and way of life. These names also gave us a better understanding into the Apache culture. In fact, these place names are some of the only historical references we have of the Apache people. Most of their communication was verbal, meaning stores were pass from word of mouth, not by paper or any other physical documentation. The first real documentation that came from the Apache people, was the documentation from the European explorers the first found them. With this being the case, much of the Apache culture is lost to time with only small fragments of names
The first account of recorded history is from 1754 BC in ancient Mesopotamia according to Prince Dyneley’s "Review: The Code of Hammurabi" showing that humans have used media for thousands of years. Whether the media is widely broadcast, like the type that Anonymous uses, or spread via word of mouth and eventually recorded, like the Apache Indians, it is still used to accomplish a cultural need. In the case of Anonymous, the media is used to personify the group and to spread its message. The media can show the world that Anonymous is a force to recon with. When Anonymous announced its slogan, “We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us.” (yalelawtech.org), the world eye turned to them to see what they would do. In doing so, that gave Anonymous the power and attention it needed to bring social injustices to light with their cyber-attack and hacktivism. The form of media that the Apache Indians used was much different than the form Anonymous uses. The Apache Indians used the media to teach their children and to recognize the significance of a place. By giving a place a name, it personified the place, making the other Apache Indians respect its history instead of thinking of it as just land. The land was then used as a place of reference and a place of learning for future generations. The Apache Indians would be able to say the name of a place and the tribe would already know the