Southwest Navajo Coming of Age Ceremony Illustration

Daily Life in Olden Times
for Kids

Southwest Navajo
Coming of Age

Coming of Age Ceremony (Women): A woman's coming of age was the day the tribe officially recognized that she was no longer a girl - she was a woman.

As part of the ceremony, the medicine man conducted a "sing".

Once the sing was concluded, the girl ran to the east. She was escorted by a group of young men who made a terrible racket to keep evil spirits away.

Everyone gathered for a feast presented by her family. The main dish at the feast was a huge corncake.

Coming of Age Ceremony (Men): The authors of this article have no knowledge of this ceremony other than the fact that there was a ceremony. If you know and are willing to share your knowledge, we would love to hear from you.

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