Broader Perspectives on Coming-of-Age

• Published in: Empowerment of North American Indian Girls p. 339
• Main Author: Markstrom, Carol A
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: United States UNP - Nebraska 01.03.2008; University of Nebraska Press
• Subjects: Adolescents; American minorities; American studies; Anthropology; Applied anthropology; Asian studies; Behavioral sciences; Biological sciences; Biology; Ceremonies; Children; Coming of age; Cultural anthropology; Cultural customs; Developmental biology; Ethnic groups; Ethnography; Ethnology; Gender identity; Gender roles; Gender studies; Human populations; India studies; Indian culture; Indigenous peoples; Life cycle; Native American dance; Native American studies; Native Americans; Persons; Population studies; Puberty; Puberty rites; Rites of passage; Rituals; Social sciences; South Asian studies; White people; Women's studies
• ISBN: 9780803232570; 0803232578
• DOI: 10.2307/j.ctt1dfnv6w.15

In the attempt to understand the historical and contemporary significance of girls’ coming-of-age ceremonies among North American Indians, it was necessary to engage in detailed examination of these rituals and their meanings. It is useful at this point to depart from this form of inquiry and consider the broader meanings and implications of the multitude of expressions of coming-of-age described in this book. Considering the prohibitive influences of colonization, it is remarkable that these events still occur in some North American Indian cultures. Clearly, many tribes continue to value these ritual-filled for events and believe that they are applicable for