Apache medicine man at a Sunrise Dance

An Apache medicine man, surrounded by his assistans, sings and beats his drum at a Sunrise Dance, a first menstruation rite, on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation in Arizona, USA. The Sunrise Dance is held during the summer, within one year after the girl has had her first menstruation, and lasts for four days. The ceremony is an enactment of the Apache creation myth and during the rites the girl ’becomes‘ Changing Woman, a mythical female figure, and comes into possession of her healing powers. The rites are supposed to prepare the girl for adulthood and to give her a long and healthy life without material wants.

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Copyright: Copyright © 2004 Anders Ryman. All rights reserved.
Image Size: 5545x3678 / 10.0MB; America American Indian American Indians American Southwest Apache Arizona Changing Woman Horizontal Native Americans Native North Americans North America Religion Rite of Passage San Carlos Indian Reservation Singing Sunrise Dance USA United States of America ceremony ethnic group ethnic minority fashion first menstruation glasses group of people hats indigenous people life cycle ceremony maturity medicine man medicine-man minority native-americans puberty rite religious small group of people sun glasses sunglasses
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An Apache medicine man, surrounded by his assistans, sings and beats his drum at a Sunrise Dance, a first menstruation rite, on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation in Arizona, USA. The Sunrise Dance is held during the summer, within one year after the girl has had her first menstruation, and lasts for four days. The ceremony is an enactment of the Apache creation myth and during the rites the girl ’becomes‘ Changing Woman, a mythical female figure, and comes into possession of her healing powers. The rites are supposed to prepare the girl for adulthood and to give her a long and healthy life without material wants.