Rite of Passage Handout PDF

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What is a Rite of Passage, etc....

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Rite of Passage: Mentawai Teeth Sharpening Rite of Passage: a ceremony or event marking an important stage in someone's life, especially birth, puberty, marriage, and death. Mentawaians? The Mentawai tribes resides on Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra province, Indonesia. The tribe lives a nomadic lifestyle and are known for their spirituality, tattoos, and sharpened teeth. Teeth Sharpening is a Mentawai rite of passage that occurs when females reach adulthood and are seeking a husband. Ritual Significance This ritual of sharpening a women's teeth until they're narrow with a pointed shape is an ideal beauty standard to Mentawai people. It helps to maintain the balance between body and soul. When Mentawai women reach adulthood, and are ready to seek a husband, the teeth sharpening ritual occurs to help bring positivity to their life and prolong death. Status When the Teeth Sharpening ritual is completed, a female is seen as physically and spiritually beautiful and officially a woman. This ritual is also completed to uphold the status of families and spouses. Function The purpose of this ritual is to hold society together while upholding social status, beauty, and values. This ritual also helps to teach future generations of the Mentawai culture that beauty isn’t only on the outside but within the soul. Liminality Postliminal rites (rites of incorporation): During this stage, the initiate is re-incorporated into society with a new identity, as a “new” being. The female initiate is reintroduced to the Mentawai society as an adult and as beautiful. Before the soul becomes dissatisfied with the appearance of it’s body and dies, this liminal state will occur to help a woman and her soul become one. Ritual Structure     

Once a female decides she wants her teeth sharpened, the village will hold a feast before the ritual occurs. The tribe will call the village elder to prepare the tools (chisel, rock, and wood) Upon the ritual, the women is taken to a medical hut where the sharpening will occur. The ritual begins as soon as the elder arrives to the medical hut. Once the ritual is completed without any medication, a green banana is to be bitten on by the women to numb the pain and she is then told to show her new teeth to those around her....