What are the Navajo rituals?

Navajo Holyway chants are two, five, or nine nights in length (a “night” being counted from one sunset to the next). They consist of component ceremonies strung together in a specified order. Many chants include a bath, a sandpainting ritual, a sweat and emetic ceremony, and an all-‐night sing on the last night.

What is a manhood ceremony?

What’s a manhood ceremony? It’s a unique celebration, something like a rite of passage that guides a young adult toward becoming a man.

What is a Kinaaldá ceremony?

The ceremony celebrates a girl’s transition into womanhood and her ability to bear children, but today it is mostly seen as a way of honoring Navajo culture and preserving its traditions and beliefs. It is also a way to bring together a family, a community, to support someone young and in need of guidance.

What is the coming of age ritual?

A coming-of-age ceremony marks the introduction of young people into the world of adults. After young people complete the ceremony, they are seen as adults. Coming-of-age ceremonies are found in many different cultures. They are more common in traditional rural cultures than in modern urban cultures.

What is the most important Navajo ceremony?

Blessingway, central ceremony of a complex system of Navajo healing ceremonies known as sings, or chants, that are designed to restore equilibrium to the cosmos.

What is male initiation?

The cultural practice of male initiation involves circumcision. Male initiation prepares young men to be responsible men in society. The draft Customary Initiation Bill was published on 14 August 2017 and approved for submission to Parliament in March 2018.

What happens during a Kinaalda?

A Navajo young woman places wet cornhusks in a circular and clockwise manner on top of the cornmeal cake to be baked. A kinaaldá is said to become a well-developed, giving person after going through the ritual. She will be protected and strong for adversities later in life.

What is Navajo Enemy Way?

The Enemy Way ceremony involves song, sandpainting, dance, and the powerful mythical figure Monster Slayer. The ceremony lasts for several days and includes the enacting of a battle. Associated with the Enemy Way is a Girl’s Dance, to which young men are invited by marriageable young women.