Na'ii'ees, The Apache Woman's Puberty Ceremony
The
Apache Woman’s Puberty Ceremony, Na'ii'ees, also known as the Sunrise Dance is a ceremony that an Apache girl is to
take part in following her first menstruation. The event takes place over a
period of four days. The first of four events that happens before the Na'ii'ees
is a sweat bath attended by male relatives while a medicine man and two other
men make “ritual paraphernalia” that consists of a scratching stick, shell
pendant, an eagle feather, a fringed buckskin scrape, and a large buckskin. The
second is niláá'ikaa, the gift of food by the
young girl’s female sponsor to her family. The third is a ceremony known as bikee'ilzéé where the medicine man gives the
girl items for the ritual. Later in the day the girl dances in her Na'ii'ees costume to a ceremony called bidiltii. These four
events were the preparations and the actual event which is the Na'ii'ees The ceremony is arduous and requires staying power from the young girl. The
first thing the girl does is “dance on the buckskin with her
companion”(Harvard). The girl takes a kneeling position and sways side to side
while singing. She then lies down and her sponsor begins massaging her legs to
sort of “mold” her into what a young Apache woman should be. She then runs in
the directions of North, South, East and West that represent different the
different life stages of “childhood, girlhood, womanhood, and old age.” The
medicine man pours a content of “candy, corn kernels, acorns, and coins” over
her head. He then blesses her with
pollen, which is a symbol of fertility. The ceremony ends with the girl
throwing a blanket in each of the directions of the different life stages.
The similarities between the quinceanera
and the Na'ii'ees ceremony is that they are both ceremonies for young
girls. The ceremony is a lot more serious than the quinceanera where it takes
physicial and mental strength to truly “become a woman.” The difference is that
the Na'ii'ees ceremony is a lot more grueling than the Quinceanera. It requires stamina and a lot of running
everyday to build it. I would say this
ceremony tells me that they value the need for hard work and patience. During the ceremony, the girl must be patient
and control her character in a way. What she does in the ceremony could be an
indicator of what she will be like in her adult life. The ceremony also tends
to have a more spiritual aspect instead of religious. 
Quinceañera coming of age ceremony
The
Quinceañera coming of age ceremony is an important celebration in the Mexican
culture and marks the transition to womanhood on a girl’s fifteenth birthday.
There are usually “3 key elements” in the quinceañera: a dress, a mass, and a
party. Usually the young lady will wear a pink or white dress but nowadays a
variety of dresses are being used. The
quinceañera begins with mass known as the Misa de accion de gracias. At mass the young girl is accompanied by 7
young women and 7 young men, her damas and chambelanes. The young woman sits at the foot of the alter
while the priest performs a ceremony “similar to baptism welcoming her to her
new life and challenges ahead as an adult.” Usually the young girl has attended classes to
learn about the sacraments before her quinceañera if the church requires it.
The mass concludes with a prayer of dedication while the priests blesses the
girl. After the mass is the big party! At the party, the girl dances with her
father while observers look on. Later, her escorts cut in and dance until the
first song stops. The party goes on with choreographed dances between the girl
and her damas and escorts. There is plenty of food and drinks and at the end of
the night the young girl goes home with her parents.
The quinceañera is lighter hearted than
the sunrise ceremony with a big party.
What this ceremony tells me is that they value the aspect of religion a
lot because the ceremony represents a commitment to God and validates the young
girls beliefs before she becomes a woman and integrates into society. The Latino community tends to be Catholic or
Christian which can explain the emphasis of religion in this ceremony.
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