Kinaalda: A Girl's Puberty Ceremony

Chapter one focuses on the biological changes that have occurred over time regarding female maturation; most notably, the earlier onset of menarche, or a female’s first menstruation. Earlier ages of menarche have resulted from the higher living conditions that most American girls enjoy today. The chapter also covers the differing generational ways of talking, or not, about menstruation and the consequences of that. Chapter two continues

Most common cultures have rituals, celebrations, or traditional ceremonies to acknowledge the coming of age of boys and/or girls. The Hispanic culture have a traditional “Quinceañera” for young teenage girls turning age 15 to recognize her coming of age as a woman. Jews have “Bar Mitzvah” for men or “Bat Mitzvah” for women to celebrate coming of age. Although in some cultures, celebrating coming age is nothing less than actually celebrating; but in other cultures, such as Aborigine culture, rather than having a huge celebration, young teenage boys, age thirteen, are enduring an essential evaluation. In this stage of their life, their elders test them to see if they are “man” enough to survive by themselves.

The young girl originally wears flat shoes on her feet. At some point in the reception, she is given heels to wear. This transition from flats to heels symbolizes the young girl’s transformation from a young girl to a woman. Also at some point in the reception, the girl sits in a chair where everyone can see her and she is given a doll. This doll symbolizes the young girls’ childhood. In some families, the young girl then gives the doll to a younger family member, almost to say that she is moving past her childhood and onto her adulthood. Also she is given a crown, which symbolizes her transition to a

Chapter three of Ancestral Lines begins with Barker being taught how to paint a Tapa (a personally designed cloth) by two elder women, as the process is explained Barker compares the Tapa cloth to society “composed of basic elements that fit together to produce a whole.” (Barker 2017:75) Barker also breaks down the “three key facets of contemporary social organization: The socialization of children into gendered adults, the formation of kin- based groups and categories, and the formation of alliance between groups through marriage exchanges and life crisis ceremonies.” (Barker 2017:75-76) Things to note about children in general and as socialized gendered adults: when a child is born, they are not considered ‘socially human’ and are believed to be vulnerable to attacks from spirits because their souls are not yet attached to their bodies. Mothers are the main source of care. Girls are often put to work first, assisting their mothers with cooking, cleaning, and caring for infants. Boys contrastingly help their fathers with hunting, building, and protecting. While inequality is prevalent, women are not without power and enjoy high levels of security and influence. They also believe that men

Puberty in essence is a life changing event for males and females, typically following a time of significant physical growth. Puberty is the stage in life when secondary sex characteristics are developing, sexual organs mature due to production of sex hormones. This naturally occurs during adolescence, the stage in life between childhood and adulthood. Nonetheless, Feldman (2014) points out the fact that physical changes begin earlier for girls typically at the age of 10, with sexual organ development generally around the ages of 11-12. On the other hand, physical changes for boys, frequently occurs later, around the age of 12, with development of sexual organs around the age of 13-14. Nevertheless there has been a trend towards early maturation of both male and females, this can bring about advantages and disadvantages for both sexes (Feldman, 2014). This author will discuss the pros and cons of early versus late maturation in boys versus girls in 21st century U.S. society as well as how media reinforces maturation for pre-teens and teens.

There are a lot of important people who play major roles during the ceremonial times. The main actors in the ceremony are obviously the girls who are being transformed into women. Then the godmothers are a big part of the ceremony. They are mostly there to bring the girls from place to place and help them out. Also they are there to praise and give them certain blessings. The women before the ceremony usually are responsible for preparing the ritual foods.

Rituals around the world all teach valuable lessons that help initiates see the value and importance of life. Each culture has different rituals that provide experiences for their youth to learn these valuable lessons of life. Many coming of age rituals are intense procedures. The Amazon's Satere Mawé youth enter adulthood through the bullet-ant glove initiation, teaching courage and endurance, and the crocodile scaring ritual that the men from the Sepik River in Papua New Guinea participate in teaches them pain and accomplishment.

At the ceremony, the girl whose having the quinceanera wears flat shoes- representing her childhood- and her father later helps her into a pair of heels as a sign that she is now a lady and ready to dance gracefully into the

Most of the time, becoming an adult is planned. There are religious ceremonies, the gaining of a driver’s license, and other forms of new responsibility to signify the coming of age. Sometimes though maturity comes at you like a freight train. It comes at you in the blink of an eye and there is no stopping it once it hits you. You are forced to grow up and take on new responsibilities that you thought you wouldn’t have to take on until many years later. It's up to you though to decide what to do from there. You can either try and run away from the problems you have come to face or you can take the train head on and conquer what has been presented to you. I decided to face the train.

The main tradition is to put altars in some homes including the cross, picture or sculpture of Virgin Mary, and photos of the deceased person(s). Members of family gather around the altar and they pray. In some newer traditions children put masks, wear costumes and go from house to house while people give them some candies or money. Some of the

In my culture, the unique symbols, reconcile, and celebration was an important aspect of a life changing transition. The Kinaalda is a identity ceremony and shaping into your habitat and cultural heritage. It marked the beginning of Navajo womanhood and honored the scared fertility of

In various cultures, heavy importance is placed on the transition from child to adult. A young person’s coming of age and the ceremonies which may follow can embody a highly important, enlightening, and maybe even confusing period of time for the person undertaking these rites of passage. This type of coming of age ceremony holds a very high importance to the followers of Judaism as it signifies the transition of a young boy into a young man, or a young girl into a young woman, it is known as a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, which means “son of commandment” or “daughter of commandment”, and thus the person undergoing the ceremony is known as the Bar/Bat Mitzvah. As is hebrew custom, the age of

During the lectures and readings that we have done on coming of age, I have learned that coming of age is a lot like a milestone in life. It happens when we mature or become more knowledgeable and it can happen no matter what age we are. The story, “Boys and Girls”, by Alice Munro, shows us the perfect example of coming of age and is also a story that left a lasting impression on me because of it feminist aspect of a girl’s life.

Margaret Mead’s book “Coming of Age in Samoa” is an anthropological study of a “primitive” group of people under completely different cultural conditions than people of western society, namely America. She chose to study a group of adolescents in the South Sea Island of Samoa, a place where one might study a people: “Whose society has never attained the complexity of our own.” Mead attempts to determine whether or not the experience of turbulence and difficulty during the time of puberty and adolescence was universal, based mostly on biological changes, or were those experiences mostly influenced by environment and culture.

night if necessary. Once the cord is cut by the midwife the feast begins. If the baby is a girl,