“The Apache dawn ceremony has always been an important ritual in Apaches tribes, and it still is today in the Apaches reserves. It serves as a celebration for the change of a girl toPacho a woman after her first menstruation. Since it is one of the most important days of a woman’s life in that tribe, the Apache dawn ceremony has survived the test of time.
Its history
The Apache dawn ceremony was produced by the myth of the white woman painted, which is transmitted in narrations from generation to Apaches generation. After the United States assumed control of the American continent, the Native Americans discouraged the practice of rituals such as the dawn ceremony. In early 1900, the United States prohibited any ritual of Native Americans from being carried out and did not raise this prohibition until the American Indigenous Religious Freedom Law was approved in 1978.
Function
The Apache dawn ceremony takes place to celebrate the passage of an Apache girl to puberty. It is a four -day ceremony with four days of preparation in advance and four days of rest later. It takes place shortly after the first menstruation of Apache women. After the ceremony, the girl has since considered a woman by the rest of the tribe and she begins to gain a dominance over her own spiritual power, develops the power to cure and obtains an impulse in self -esteem and trust.
ID
The Apache dawn ceremony is easily identifiable, since the majority of the tribe focuses on (or possibly several) girl (s) who are completing the ritual. The girl who becomes a woman gives many blessings, healing and food to other members of the community and change her bless her and at the same time they want a long and prosperous life. There is almost constant song, prayer and dance and the girl from time to time runs in four different directions.
Characteristics
Some of the special characteristics surrounding the dance of Apache dawn involve the functions of the other members of the Apache tribe, in addition to the girl who is experiencing the ritual of girl to woman. The godmother plays a very important role and must be someone who has provided a positive model for the girl throughout her life. She must also be energetic enough to support the girl throughout the ceremony by providing food, dancing with her and providing a great dinner for everyone at the ceremony. Another key participant is the healer of the tribe, who directs most of the songs and dances and often instructs people about where and when to dance and sing.
Evolution
Although the Apache dawn ceremony began as a four -day ceremony, today it is very uncommon to see a dawn ceremony in an Apache reserve that lasts so long. In general, the ceremonies of the sunrise are grouped to try to include the greatest number of girls as possible not to have to do several ceremonies at the same time. In addition, ceremonies usually only include one or two days of dance and song and the preparation and rest parts of the ceremony are only observed by the people who have the main papers of the ceremony, in any case.
Text: David Boston | Translated by Juan Ignacio Ceviño
Images: http://www.pinterest.com/Valekenneth/apache-sunrise-dance/