D GOAL 4  DESCRIBE AN IMPORTANT TRANSITION IN YOUR LIFE

C. Number the parts of the Sunrise Dance.

Southwestern United States The ceremony started on Friday evening.
1 The family chooses a godfather and godmother.

Coming of Age
Godmother dressed me and put an eagle feather
on my head and a shell pendant on my forehead.
The dress is very special. It is made of soft leather,
___
___ The girl dances early in the morning.
___ Her mother and aunt make a dress for the girl.

the Apache Way

with 200 tiny bells. My mother and my aunt made it
for me. For the rest of my life, I will wear this dress
for special days. The most important thing that
Godmother did in the ceremony was to massage my
___ The girl runs.
___ The girl visits with her family and friends.
___ Her godmother puts the dress on the girl.

eagle feather whole body, to give me all her knowledge. Then I ___ Her godmother massages the girl.
pendant danced around the fire for many hours.
___ Her family gives people food.
On Saturday, I danced again, facing the sun at
dawn. The medicine man sang to me in our Apache ___ Her godfather paints the girl.
medicine language. Even though it’s my first language, I didn’t
man
understand all his words. After that, I ran for a
long time so that bad people will never catch me. It
started raining and my dress got very heavy, but I Writing
didn’t feel tired.
The next day, Godfather painted my dress and Write a paragraph about a life transition. Be sure
my skin with paint made from corn and four colors to include all of the following.
Reading of ground-up stones. After the painting, my father your age
A. Discuss these questions with a partner. poured corn and small candies over me, so that I will
what happened
never be hungry in my life. Then he passed out many
1. At what age do people become how you felt before
kinds of food to all the people to wish that they will
adults?
always have lots of food. On Monday, the last day, how you felt after
2. How do you know when someone ground-up
massage stones there were more blessings and visiting with our family why this transition was important in your life
is an adult?
and friends. We gave
B. Read the article and answer the
everyone presents.
questions.
I’m really glad
1. Where is the home of I had a Sunrise
The Apache Indians live in the southwestern region of the
the Apache people? Dance. It makes me
United States, and many of them still keep their traditional customs.
____________________________ understand how
A young Apache woman named Nita Quintero described one
2. What transition is the Apache much my parents
important custom:
Sunrise Dance about? care about me and
____________________________ The Sunrise Dance lasts for four days. It’s the want me to grow
3. How long does the Sunrise Dance last? biggest ceremony of the Apache people—when a girl up right. Now
____________________________ passes from childhood to womanhood. When my my childhood is Goal 4 Describe an
4. How old was Nita when time came at 14, I didn’t want to do it, because I felt finished, and people important
she had her Sunrise Dance? shy. But my parents wanted it. My mother explained, know that I am a transition
____________________________ “Then you will live strong to an old age.” Older woman. If I have a in your life
5. Who helped her in the Sunrise Dance? relatives and a medicine man helped us choose my daughter some day,
____________________________ sponsors, an older couple not related to us. I call I want her to have a N
 ita Quintero dances for hours Talk to a partner about the important
6. What did she wear? them Godmother and Godfather. Sunrise Dance, too. during the Sunrise Dance transition in your life that you wrote
____________________________ about above.
7. How did she feel after the Sunrise Dance?
____________________________
70  Transitions Lesson D  71