Rites of Passage for Both Male and Female Indigenous
This article will be dedicated to “The Seeds Of Our Very Existence” to all children and grandchildren everywhere.
There have been several requests asking for information, of how the Native Americans give honour to their youth that pass from childhood into young adults.
What rites of passage do we give for them, and what are the family members responsibilities to them?
The coming of age ceremony is also called the right of passage ceremony. If compared to other cultures, we would have many similar beliefs and ways of conducting these. There is “Four Cycles” of Life in every Human Being... Infant, Youth, Adult and Elder.
When a young boy or girl becomes of age, around 12-13 years of age, a very special ceremony within the Nation or tribe is conducted.
First and foremost, the young girl is taken aside with the elder women, and the young boy with the elder men.
The young girl is advised of what her “passage” from childhood into adulthood will consist of and undertake in her life.
She will be instructed by her Mother, Grandparents, Aunts, and all of her Elder women relations of the Nation and Tribe. Along with, if at all possible,
the Head Nation or Tribes’ Medicine Woman/Holy Woman.
Some of these subjects taught, consist of the (young woman now) “Moon-Cycles” or said in the English term “Periods.” She will be instructed on how she needs to keep up her personal hygiene, how to prepare certain “Herbal Medicines” to ease her pains during her monthly times. Also what she needs to combat the “Emotional and Chemical” imbalance that can happen during this time. They were taught what to look for incase of irregularity or possible signs that could mean there was a medical problem the young girl would defiantly need to tell her Mother about or the Medicine Woman/Holy Woman of her Nation or Tribe.
It is an older tradition, not used in modern times as we know today, the reason most young and older women kept to themselves during this time, was not because they were considered unclean, it was just the opposite, they were consider to be in a “Holy Time” of renewal of the spiritual and physical time of a woman (Re-Birth) so-to-speak. Women being in tune with the “Cycle” of the Earth, but most of all because they are the “Life-Givers”.
Note: This time “being apart from” other people and the everyday hectic cycles gave the woman a “personal time” to reflect and to balance herself again physically and spiritually between herself and the Creator, and all around her on a day to day basis. If the older married women had children, the Grandmothers or Aunts would take care of the infants or younger children, when this time was in effect.
The next step was to instruct the young woman, of her responsibilities as a young “adult” woman, and what is expected of her. No longer from that point on, was she to be looked on as a child. "Elder” women would then pledge their responsibilities to her as her Elders, to teach her the “Ways of Women”. The Holy Woman/Head Medicine Woman, would instruct the young Adult woman in teachings and give “Spiritual” advice along the way from that day on, so she would stay on the “Red-Road” all her life for her sake, her family and children and people.
The young “Adult” woman, would then be told that during the ceremony , she would be purified by her first “Sweat Lodge Ceremony” and afterwards be “presented to all the Nation/Tribe of people”
and be given her new “Adult Name” to be known and called by her people from that day on.
This name is usually given by the Grandmother or Head Matriarch at that time. If not, the Medicine/Holy Person gives it.
Lastly, the young Adult Woman is instructed of the added responsibilities that will come along with “Maturity”, and with this knowledge, the people call this the “Wisdom of the Ages”.
As the same with the young Adult man, he would be take aside by the Father, Grandfathers, Uncles, and Elder men. Also, if possible, the Main Medicine man/Holy Man of the Nation or Tribe. The young Adult is also told of his new responsibilities and what is expected of him as a young Adult male among his people and peers.
He would be instructed in the ways of being a provider and protector of his immediate family and of all his people. The Elder men would pledge to teach him of the “Ways” of his Ancestors and Fathers that walked before him.
Then, he also would be taken through his first sweat lodge ceremony, and presented to the people. Given a “New Name” by which all would know him as and call him by from that day forward.
The Holy Man/Medicine Man, would work with the young Adult man throughout his entire life, instructing and giving “Spiritual” advice as how to stay on the Red-Road for his sake, his family and his people.
Both Young Adult Woman and Young Adult Man, will be given presents at this ceremony to show Love and Support for them on their new journey in the “Second Cycle of Life”.
