The ceremonial celebration of the arrival of the period of puberty in
girls is more rigidly adhered to than any ancient religious rite or social
custom in vogue among the Apache. By this ceremony the social position of
the girl is established, and she is given assurance, on the eve of her
womanhood, of a long, happy, active life. At this critical period, if the
favor of the gods were not thus invoked in behalf of the girl, it might
augur ill for her in after life.
This Nalin Bagudzitash, or Girl Dance, is held always at dawn and is
brought to a close when the sun shines full upon the participants. The
ceremony is conducted by a woman selected from among the friends of the
girl's parents for her comeliness, activity, and good character. So far as
the performance of the successive parts of the ceremony is concerned, no
special knowledge on the part of the leader is required, as a medicine-man
is engaged to give the necessary directions and to sing the songs. The
girl lies on a blanket upon the ground, and her sponsor, so to speak,
straightens her arms and legs, rubs her joints, and otherwise simulates
remoulding and beautifying her body. The girl then sits up, and those
assembled dance and sing in a circle about her. An eagle feather and a
white-shell bead are tied in her hair, and sacred pollen is rubbed on her
face, in deference respectively to the bird of war and the god and goddess
of health and fructification--Hadintin Skhin and Hadintin Nalin.
When the dancing is finished the sponsor takes a basket of corn prepared
for ceremonial use and deposits it fifty yards or more to the east of the
circle. The girl arises and runs around the basket, then back to the
blanket on the ground, followed by little boys and girls. The godmother
then moves the basket farther away, and the girl runs around it again,
followed by children as before. This performance is repeated four times at
the east of the circle, after which the basket is carried around to the
south and the girl runs around it four times again, then to the west, and
lastly to the north. When she returns from her fourth run at the north the
girl stops on the blanket as usual, where the basket of corn is emptied on
her head. A lively scramble for the corn follows on the part of all
present, for it is deemed good fortune to bear away a handful of the
consecrated kernels, which, if planted, are certain to be very prolific.
The act of running out and back, followed by children, symbolically
attests that the young woman will be strong and active throughout life,
beloved by her offspring, who will always follow and obey her. That of
pouring corn upon her head is an invocation to the gods that she may be
blessed with fruitfulness.
The girl wears her ceremonial raiment of whitened deerskin or new white
muslin, with a white feather, a stone bead, and a piece of shell in her
hair, for four days after the performance, abstaining during that time
from flesh and from food containing salt, being careful, too, not to
scratch herself with her fingers. At the end of this period she bathes,
dons her usual clothing, and partakes of the customary food.