Rites of Passage

 

• Birth

  • Girls are taken to door and placed on the ground so that they can keep their teepee well.

  • Boys were taken to a game trail so that they can be good hunters.

  • First wrapping in a Mossbag ceremony

  • A strip of beaver fur was attached to their wrist so that they can be diligent.

  • Their umbilical cord, when it fell off, was put into an amulet and attached to the mossbag until the baby crawled out of the mossbag then it was buried or kept in a safe place.

 

• First eating

  • About 5-6 months the baby is given her/his first solid food by a respected Elder. Sometimes a piece of traditional food is used such as a smoked moose rib to suck on for the ceremony and then followed by something soft like mashed up potatoes.

Names

• Names were given at various times and various places by various people depending on the clan.

• Some came in dreams, some were handed down, some were bought and some were things that happened to you.

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First contribution

• Girls between 3-6 years are taken on berry picking or medicine picking trips and shown how to pick berries or medicine and then a feast is put on with family to acknowledge the girls first contribution to the clan.

• Boys 3-7 years old were shown fishing, rabbit snaring, grouse hunting…etc. When he got his first food a feast was arranged with an Elder to smudge the boy and say a prayer to acknowledge his first contribution to the clan.

• Girls at first signs of menstruation are sent to their aunts and they perform the rites that are needed to be done.

• Boys at the first indications of their voice changing are sent to their uncles on their mother’s side to perform the rites associated with the changing of boy into manhood. Today they can be sent to an Elder who is familiar with the rites of passage as well, at the consent of the parent or guardian.

  • Usually at this time the boys are taken to an Inibi and afterwards isolated and fasted for period of a day to four days. Immediately afterwards they are put to hard work for four days. During this time they are told stories and given lessons of responsibilities as a young man.

 

Major contribution acknowledgement

• After their initial womanhood rite of passage a women’s next contribution is acknowledged. This would be on a grander scale such as making a buckskin jacket from scratch or outlining a teepee and sewing it together. Today it can be done for other accomplishments.

• For the men the next setting for a feast would for a major contribution such as harvesting a buffalo, deer, moose, elk…etc.

• other considerations are for acts of bravery and scholastic achievements.

 

Initiation ceremonies

• To become a leader

• To start singing

• To be a pipe holder

• To join a society

• To start dancing

• To be a medicine keeper

 

Heirloom ritual.

• Memorial amulet for deceased.