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| Young Girls |
A young woman entering puberty lived away from the rest of the village, usually in the mountains, for one year. Her older female relatives visited and cared for her. They were responsible for teaching her her future duties.
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An Early Lesson: One oral story tells of the late Granny Selina Jules tying leaves to the soles of a young girl's feet. She instructed the girl to walk lightly upon the ground and not to drag her feet. When the girl was successful in walking a great distances with no wear and tear on the leaves. Granny explained that from that day forth the girl would keep and wear her shoes for a long time. |
When a girl experienced her first menstruation she had to put into practice what she had already learned about the duties required to survive in her society. She had to learn to dress and tan hides. She learned to use all parts of the animal. She learned to make all types of clothing and utensils needed for cooking, sewing and cleaning.
A story explained that girls were expected to collect new fir boughs from male and female trees daily. They were told to talk and pray to the boughs so that all people would respect her, just as she was to respect them. She had to learn to use the fir boughs in the sweat lodge, to lay them upon the ground to sit upon, and to use them in the medicine for bathing and drinking. She also cleansed herself by gently brushing the boughs over her body.
She was given a special task with the fir boughs. She was required to pick off the needles one by one, very quickly and precisely. This was supposed to help her learn to work with determination and finish jobs quickly.
Girls sometimes wore special dress, ornaments or decoration during their training period. Sometimes a young woman wore a large robe, painted red, and her hair was tied up in a knot at each ear. In another village, the young woman would be instructed to paint her face.
These and other practices were done to ensure that a young woman would be prepared to live a decent life in which she could love and care for herself. In turn, she would be able to cope in life and help raise her own family.
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Menstruation: When a woman was menstruating she was to move into a woman's lodge away from the main village. She would also not be involved in any community gatherings or prepare food. It is believed that while menstruating, a woman should be very careful and not step across people's legs, especially males. A menstruating woman was required to stay away from ceremonies not out of disrespect for being a woman, but because during menstruation a woman is considered to be very powerful. It has been stated that a woman during this particular time of the month can cause men to lose their voices. It is believed that a menstruating woman's presence may affect people at a place where singing or praying is taking place. |
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