grrlstories: Educational Activities

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Educational activities by
Janet Salmons.
Salmons and Associates

Photographs by
Joanna B. Pinneo

Activity Guide: Apache Rites of Passage

Discuss these questions and share your thoughts with others, or record your thoughts and responses in a personal journal.

1. What are your initial reactions to reading about the Apache Sunrise ceremony?

2. Name four aspects of the ceremony that excite you?

a. First, _________________________

b. Second, ______________________

c. Third, ________________________

d. Fourth, _______________________

Why did you select these four?

3. What ceremonies or festivals are celebrated in your community? What holidays, change of seasons, or individual achievements do they celebrate?

4. Does your religion or community celebrate a girl’s change into a young woman? If so, how is the celebration similar or different from the Apache Sunrise Ceremony?

5. Identify two Apache values that you learned from reading the story?

6. What is important to you in your life? If someone asked you to describe your values, how would you answer them?

Where to Learn More...About the Apache Sunrise Ceremony

Learning links: Surfing the Net is a great way to gather information about Native Americans, Apache Tribal Customs and the Sunrise Ceremony. Start exploring the Web with the following Web sites:

Becoming Woman Apache Female Puberty Sunrise Ceremony: http://www.geocities.com/tmartiac//yupanqui/apachesunrise.htm

Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology, The Children of Changing Woman: http://www.peabody.harvard.edu/maria/Cwoman.html

Apache Puberty Rite:

http://www.geocities.com/coqrico/apachedance.html

This site describes a video made by Native American Public Telecommunications. You can watch clips online, and find out how to order the video. Kinaalda: A Navajo Rite of Passage: http://www.nativetelecom.org/realmedia/video/kinaalda/

Kinaalda: Navaho Rite of Passage (56 min., VHS or Beta) Documentary. Produced and directed by Lena Carr

Coming of Age in the Navajo Nation, and Around the World: http://www.mjoe.org/cultures/navajo1.html

Books:

Shannon : An Ojibway Dancer (We Are Still Here Native Americans Today)
by Sandra King, Catherine Whipple (Photographer), Michael Dorris

Reading level: Ages 9-12
(September 1993) First Avenue Editions; ISBN: 0822596431

Nesuya's Basket (The Council for Indian Education Series)
by Carol Purdy, Paulette Livers Lambert (Illustrator) (California Maidu Indians)

Reading level: Ages 9-12
(June 1997) Roberts Rinehart Pub; ISBN: 157098087X

Lakota Woman
by Mary Brave Bird, Richard Erdoes (Contributor), Mary Crow Dog