THE ALGONQUIN TRIBES:RITES OF PASSAGE

Patricia Pavel

Hi! My name is Wad-chu (“The Eagle”) and I live in a tribe of american indians called Algonquin, here near Quebec,Canada.

I invite you to listen about how my family members create from the child I was, a real and honourable warior,as I’m proud to say it now.

The initiation rite has more parts. The first one is the departure: the boys between 15 and 16 must live for about 24 weeks,faraway by parents and natal places,in the mountains. There they will learn how to improve their hunting skills,how to work their lands and how to protect themselves and their future families.

A night before,the men who are going to chaperon the youngs, flock together and establish the program and the rules,meant to be srictly respected.

The “ceremonial” is short and quiet and takes end with orisons and solemn invocations.

My people use the canoes to travel until the mountains,so this “voyage” becomes a great oportunity for the boys to learn how to maneuver the boat and how to fish.

All you learn in these 6 months,living in an unsecure camp,is amazing and you must do your best in order become a respectable,wise and strong member of the Algonquin tribe.

Next I’ll present some of the lessons and the rituals we must go through until reaching the “title” of honorable warrior.

The huntingIn order to be a

good hunter,you must have proffessional tools,so this is the first thing we learn to do.

After everyone has his own

weapons,the hunting can begin.

All the hunters must get a reward:food,if

they catch something and terrible flogging,if

they don’t.

“The oblivious chamber”

One of the most important thing about initiation is the forgetfulness: the childhood is the period of weakness in life,so the boys must leave any feeling and memory on that.

The shamans prepare strong drugs and dope the youngs. It’s very unpleasant and you might forget everything you’d have learned before.

The last orisons and ceremonials

In the back end there are some rituals we must respect.

“The dance of the eagle”

“The song of the wolf”

“The Ultimate Prayer”

Home again

Here we are back home,with our friends and families. Last thing the

young new heroes must get is a name and a representative weapon.

In honour of the boys,the whole tribe prepares an extraordinary

feast.