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When did they become adults?
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The ceremonies for becoming an adult member of the tribe were different for
the boys and the girls. Both took place shortly after puberty. A boy was considered
an adult at around 16 or so, a girl at around 13 or so. In either case, they took
on adult responsibilities much earlier than we do in our society.
Boys -
At puberty the boy was sent out to spend some days fasting on a mountain top
and probably to receive a blessing vision from some spirit. Upon returning to
the community, he took his place among the adult men.
Girls -
A girl who had her first menstruation was secluded in a menstrual lodge
some distance from the village. Her hair was bound up in rolls, and she was
only allowed to touch it with a small comb. Her face was painted red or yellow,
and she wore undecorated clothing. She was not allowed to drink directly from a
well but had to use a drinking tube, and she cleansed herself after the
flow in a sweathouse.
After a long time - one or several months - she finished her seclusion with prayers
in the evening on a hill. Then she returned to the village, a full-grown woman.
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