Inside an Apache Rite of Passage Into Womanhood

00:11:14
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1Cx_9YDQEc

Summary

TLDRThe video showcases a traditional Apache ceremony that celebrates the transition of girls into womanhood, emphasizing the importance of cultural heritage, community support, and the strength derived from these traditions. The ceremony lasts four days and involves various rituals, including dancing and receiving an Apache name. Participants, like the granddaughter featured, experience a deep connection to their roots and a sense of pride in representing their tribe. The narrative also addresses the challenges faced by the Apache people, such as environmental threats and historical oppression, while highlighting the resilience and strength gained through their cultural practices. The role of women as healers and caretakers is emphasized, showcasing their vital contributions to the tribe's well-being and continuity of traditions.

Takeaways

  • 🌄 The ceremony marks the transition into womanhood.
  • 👩‍👧‍👧 Community support is vital during the ceremony.
  • 🌱 Women are revered as healers in Apache culture.
  • ⚔️ The tribe faces environmental challenges.
  • 💪 Traditions provide strength and resilience.
  • 🎉 The ceremony lasts for four days with various rituals.
  • 🌿 Traditional healing practices are essential.
  • 🏔️ The four sacred mountains hold cultural significance.
  • 👗 Participants receive an Apache name during the ceremony.
  • 🤝 Families work together to support the rite of passage.

Timeline

  • 00:00:00 - 00:05:00

    The ceremony reflects the creation story from the Christian book of Genesis, emphasizing the importance of culture and tradition in guiding individuals and the tribe. The speaker shares their granddaughter's journey through a rite of passage that marks the transition from girlhood to womanhood, highlighting the significance of respect and pride in representing their tribe. The four-day ceremony involves hardships, traditional practices, and culminates in receiving an Apache name, reinforcing the connection to heritage and the community's strength.

  • 00:05:00 - 00:11:14

    The speaker discusses the importance of passing down traditional healing practices and cultural knowledge to future generations, particularly to their granddaughter. They clarify misconceptions about gender roles within the tribe, emphasizing the sacred status of women. The community faces challenges, such as environmental threats, but the rites of passage provide strength and resilience. The speaker expresses gratitude for the support of family and the importance of continuing traditions to honor their ancestors.

Mind Map

Video Q&A

  • What is the purpose of the ceremony?

    The ceremony marks the transition of girls into womanhood and strengthens their connection to their culture and tribe.

  • How long does the ceremony last?

    The ceremony lasts for four days, with additional preparation and celebration before and after.

  • What is the role of women in Apache culture?

    Women are considered sacred and are the primary healers, responsible for caring for the family and passing down traditions.

  • What challenges does the tribe face?

    The tribe faces challenges such as environmental issues, including threats from nuclear waste and mining.

  • How does the ceremony impact the participants?

    Participants feel a sense of strength, pride, and connection to their heritage, which helps them face life's challenges.

  • What is the significance of the Apache name given during the ceremony?

    The Apache name symbolizes the individual's identity and connection to their culture.

  • How do families support the ceremony?

    Families come together to prepare, participate, and support the girl undergoing the rite of passage.

  • What is the importance of traditional healing practices?

    Traditional healing practices are vital for maintaining health and well-being within the community.

  • How do the ceremonies help preserve culture?

    They reinforce cultural identity and values, ensuring that traditions are passed down through generations.

  • What is the significance of the four sacred mountains?

    The four sacred mountains represent important aspects of Apache spirituality and culture.

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Subtitles
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  • 00:00:04
    the ceremony tells the story just like
  • 00:00:08
    in the Christian book of Genesis from
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    the beginning of time tells about how
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    the universe was created how the world
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    was created that we came about and our
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    culture and tradition is extremely
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    important because it helps guide us
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    my granddaughter that's heaven and
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    ceremony she really into our tribe
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    always keep her strong the rest of her
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    life and not only that but to keep the
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    tribe strong
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    [Music]
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    when I hit puberty we have this ceremony
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    for the girls that are becoming into
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    womanhood to become young ladies
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    after the ceremony will give me a lot of
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    respect as you know maybe makes me very
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    proud that I'm representing my tribe
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    there's four days we do everything in
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    four for the four sacred mountains you
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    go through a baby to a child to a
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    teenager and then to a woman she's
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    tested kind of through hardships four
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    days of hard work it tried to keep as
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    traditional as you can and you live in a
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    tepee for the 12 days the four days
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    before the for many days and the four
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    days after every night you dance and the
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    fourth night you dance all night and
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    then while they're dancing outside you
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    dance in your big Tippi in your home
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    your medicine man after he's done eating
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    with you he gives you an Apache name
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    mine was Esau and 70 and it's the lady
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    who you first see this tradition they
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    amazed me a lot like I learned new
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    things from my grandpa and the ladies
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    around here they like it when the old
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    women have their feast it took me about
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    three years to prepare for the ceremony
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    and I'm still preparing you think you
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    have all of it but you know it's a lot
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    to do get into Indian food buying gifts
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    to pay the people that held the material
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    so if I spent like $10,000 but I would
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    do it again to keep the tradition going
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    [Music]
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    now that I've had my feast I feel like I
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    can become stronger now you just felt
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    different while you were doing it like
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    it felt like you were living a long time
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    ago and you didn't have to worry about
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    all this stuff that's happening in the
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    world
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    when you run on the first day they bring
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    it in and showing that you're like come
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    like the kids coming in and on the last
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    day you run out and you try to run as
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    far as you can lot more families are
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    going through the rites of passage and
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    then before there's a renewed interest
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    in it and they finally get to know that
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    is a strength of our people and lies
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    with that they're able to do things that
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    before they were not able to the US
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    government prohibited a lot of this
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    stuff the families just to have a dinner
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    and buy a new dress or something and
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    then don't take part in these ceremonies
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    [Music]
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    they're taught to hate themselves and
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    the schools they would not allow you to
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    speak an Apache and deal with these
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    things in the pantry and the churches -
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    they turn us against one another our own
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    tribal members they say that our ways
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    are wicked and it's worship in the devil
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    and they don't realize what's happening
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    to them
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    [Music]
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    my granddaughter that's heaven her
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    ceremony no matter what
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    she'll never set aside her call for a
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    tradition or lounge for anybody she's a
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    direct descendant of my grandpa Geronimo
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    some spiritual powers and he was able to
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    deal with on hardships not only is he an
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    icon for the entire native tribes but
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    also for us Apache I rely on these
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    traditional healing practices from my
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    grandma she's been teaching me a lot
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    about these she's been teaching me how
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    to use the plants where they come from
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    how they were all the woman's are known
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    as this healers because the men they
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    used to go off to war and once they come
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    back someone won't be sick so the woman
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    would have to gather these buttons for
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    them to help feel them so they'll be
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    ready for the next one and then the
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    dancers danced around me and they
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    blessed me
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    Julie's my great-granddaughter I'm
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    showing her things like traditional
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    foods and traditional ways how to grow
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    up and be a good lady later on an apache
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    woman should know how to care for her
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    family and just pass things down that
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    their grandmother's taught them and
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    their mothers
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    [Music]
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    a lot of people don't understand some of
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    the things that we do like when our
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    tribe gets together to eat the man folks
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    eat first because they have to be
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    prepared at all times they have to
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    protect the tribe so they eat first and
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    then some people don't understand that
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    then they think that the woman has a
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    lower status and lower position now what
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    could not be further from the truth most
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    sacred ones in our tribe are the woman
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    so we have to protect them take care of
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    them
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    we have a few hardships within our tribe
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    with the nuclear waste issues before
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    they try to dump the nuclear waste on
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    our land have we fought against it and
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    we fought against the mining of some of
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    the rare minerals on our land and now
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    we're facing that the refining companies
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    that want to come in and pollute and
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    destroy the atmosphere so we face
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    challenges every day but with this rite
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    of passage that my granddaughter's going
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    through it gives us the strength when we
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    sing and pray it revives us in renews
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    our strength
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    you can face any challenges and they
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    don't feel threatened
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    [Laughter]
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    [Music]
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    [Laughter]
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    some girls have breaks in the middle of
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    the night they sleep for an hour and
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    they get back up and keep doing it
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    but I kind of don't want to break like I
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    want to keep doing it because the longer
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    you do it the stronger you get there's
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    no words to describe how I feel to see
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    who's going through it and I see the
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    whole family pitching in and they're
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    working hard
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    there's no way to repay them for
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    everything that they do except to take
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    part continue to take part and all the
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    things that was given to me throughout
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    the years the only way I can paid back
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    just pass it on down to my people
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    [Music]
  • 00:10:06
    [Music]
  • 00:10:17
    [Applause]
  • 00:10:18
    [Music]
  • 00:10:26
    [Music]
  • 00:10:42
    [Applause]
  • 00:10:58
    [Music]
Tags
  • Apache
  • ceremony
  • womanhood
  • tradition
  • cultural heritage
  • rites of passage
  • community
  • healing
  • environmental issues
  • strength