Native American Birth Rituals

Works Cited

Words Cited

1.Bragdon, Kathleen Joan. The Columbia guide to American Indians of the Northeast. New York : Columbia University Press, c2001.

Danbury, CT : World Music Press, c1993.

2. Camus, William. My People a History of the Native Americans. New York: Smithmark Publishers, 1997.

3. Foster, Susan Leigh. "Mobilizing the Archive: Santee Smith's Kaha:wi." In Worlding Dance. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire [England: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009

4.Merriam-Webster.com, s.v. “aboriginal,” accessed Oct5th, 2014, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aboriginal

5. Murphy, Jacqueline. The People Have Never Stopped Dancing: Native American Modern Dance Histories. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2007.

6. Reynolds, Nancy, and Malcom McCormick. "New Dance: Americas Pioneers." In No Fixed Points Dance in the Twentieth Century. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003

7.The modern dance : seven statements of belief. Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press, [1969]

Bulows, E. (n.d.). Traditional Navajo Taboos. Retrieved September 20, 2013, from navajocentral.org: http://www.navajocentral.org/navajotaboos/taboos_nature.html

Carrese, J. A., & Rhodes, L. A. (2000, February). Bridging Cultural Differences in Medical Practice. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 15(2), 92-96. doi:10.1046/j.1525-1497.2000.03399.x

Culture-Sensitive Health Care: American Indian. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2015, from http://www.diversityresources.com/health/indian.html

Freestone innerprizes. (2002). Retrieved from http://www.freestone.org/articles/BlessingwayCeremony.html

Guide to the code of ethics for nurses. In M. D. Fowler (Ed.), Silver Spring, MD: Nursebooks.org. (2010).

Harold Jr., C. (1994, 2013). Navajo people. Retrieved from http://navajopeople.org

Native american languages. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cogsci.indiana.edu/farg/rehling/nativeAm/ling.html

(n.d.). Retrieved from http://nwindian.evergreen.edu/curriculum/ValuesBehaviors.pdf

Smith, M. (2015, March). Personal Interview

Tribal connections. (2003). Retrieved from http://www.tribalconnections.org

Questions

Nursing Considerations

What is the number that the Native American's

hold in high value?

a. two

b. seven

c. four

d. one

Nursing staff considerations:

Asking about treatment done before Hospitalization.

Looking up herbal treatment used by culture.

Look at how cultural medicine and western medicine intertwine.

What can the father not do when the woman

is pregnant?

a. Back Massage

b. Wash dishes

c. Go fishing

d. Play footsies

It is important to assess the patient to see if he or she is willing to deal with it, or if they don’t want to talk about it. If it is something they don’t wish to deal with then it must be left at that.

It is critical to make sure the stage is set. This will allow the patient to understand what is coming so that he or she will not get angry and withdrawn. To set the stage a rapport and relationship needs to be built.

By getting to know the patient one will be able to gain their trust and confidence. This is hard for a traditional doctor or outsider to get.

Family is important to the Navajo people. Sometimes the patient may know bad news is coming and requests that the information be given to family member before the patient is given the information.

One of the most important is to warn the patient about the nature of the discussion the health provider wishes to have and that no harm is intended toward the patient or their relatives from the discussion.

Providers can inform patients about things by focusing more on the positive side then the negative aspect.

Dietary considerations:

Song of the Horse

Nursing Considerations

Throughout the years Navajo’s relied solely on corn, which they viewed as a gift from the holy people.

• Mutton (adult sheep) was introduced as a food source
• Navajo’s relied on other food sources that grew naturally, like:
• acorns
• beans
• corn
• potatoes
• cedar berries
• juniper berries
• pinon nuts
• pumpkins
• squash
• yucca fruit

The infant death rate is high, a fact attributed to a high incidence of diarrhea and a harsh physical environment. Moreover, because pregnancy and birth are considered normal processes, and health care facilities are associated with illness and disease, women may choose not to seek prenatal care. In fact, pregnancy and disease are starkly separated: pregnant Navajo women are forbidden to attend traditional healing ceremonies to avoid contact with illness or disease. For this reason, it is advised to hold maternal and child care clinics in a location separate from other clinical services.

My feet are made of mirage, My bridle of strings of the sun. My mane is like the white lightning. My tail is like long black rain. My eyes are big, spreading stars. My teeth are of the white shell. My belly is white as dawnlight. My heart is of everlasting garnet. -- Blessing Way Chant

Native American

Languages

Native American Languages/Communication Practices

Birth Rituals

Approximately 1000 languages spoken at time of arrival of the Europeans – about 250 in the United States (the territory of the United States in that present day).

• Language was neither primitive nor simple

• No ‘written’ system until the arrival of Europeans

• Even within various territories, tribes often could not communicate by speech

• They used a sign language to communicate among tribes with different dialects.

• Only 8 indigenous languages exist today (in the US) - Navajo’s make up the largest Native American population.
• • Native American’s are more apt to listen rather than talk
• • Talking for them, must have a purpose – they do not talk just to talk
• • Misunderstanding of quietness – This Indian interpersonal etiquette has purpose
• • Being friendly and caring with sincerity are key for open communication

Rituals & Traditions

(Natve American Languages.)

They have to have a ceremony before they deliver, you have to stay up all night and they kinda like bless you...it just ensures that you have a safe delivery and everything goes smooth, like they don"t suffer from too much pain or nothing goes horribly wrong. called Blessing Way.

(Smith, M. 2015, March)

(Native American Languages.)

Highly valued is the number 4 by the Navajo Nation

The four directions, The four seasons, The four sacred mountains and colors

Apache Girls’ Puberty Ritual

Na ih es, are detailed in the myth of the female deity, Changing Woman.

The young girl actually becomes Changing Woman for four days, during which time the girl gives the aging Changing Woman her youth and Changing Woman gives the girl her womanhood.

Amanda Bibb

David Hunte

Elvira Sanchez

Nichole Lopez

Jacob Pfetsch

Lorriane Price

Beliefs

• If your pregnant you can't go certain places such as cemeteries because they say that the baby will be touched my dead spirits or something. So if someone close on your family dies you cant attend the funeral you have to stay away
• When pregnant cannot Allow bad thoughts to occupy mind for long periods of time
• Cannot: Attend funerals or look at deceased person • Be with sick people or go to crowded places (hospitals) • Attend chant way rites for sick people • Look at dead animals (taxidermy trophies)
• Father of child cannot hunt or fish while woman is pregnant
• After baby is born Wrap sash belt around waist for four days after delivery
• Bury umbilical cord in sheep corral, near rug loom or special place, thought to bring many sleep (sign of wealth)
• Make cradle board; mark the direction of growth of tree
• Cant cut hair until baby talks

Rituals & Traditions

• Kinaalda ceremony

• It lasts for four days
• • She wears her nicest clothes and turquoise jewelry
• • Someone brushes her hair
• • Prayers are sung to her
• • She is required to run several times in the four days as Far East as she can and then back
• • On the last day of the ceremony she does a final run and then the eating of a corncake takes place.

The Blessingway Ceremony chant:

From the heart of Earth, by means of yellow pollen

Blessing is extended.

Blessing is extended.

On top of a pollen floor may I there in blessing give birth!

With long life-happiness surrounding me

May I in blessing give birth!

May I quickly give birth!

In blessing may I arise again, in blessing may I recover,

As one who is long life-happiness may I live on!