Almost every culture have some type of rites of passage that boys must go through to become a man. Each of the different Native tribes in the United States had their own rite of passage for their men. However, several factors contributed toward the loss of Native tribal men’s rites of passage. Factors such as Christians wanting to convert the Native tribes, the taking of land from the Native tribes by Euro-Americans, and the misunderstanding of Native rituals by the Euro-Americans led to the loss of Native tribal men’s rites of passage. Many Native tribes fought hard to retain their culture but were unable to do so because they were overpowered by the Euro-American forces.
Each Native tribe in the Americas had their own particular rites of passage for their men. However, the Native tribes faced hostilities from the Euro-Americans who seen the Native way of life as a threat. While some Euro-Americans wanted to convert the Native tribes to Christianity, others wanted to control the Native land. According to the Encyclopedia of American Indian History, “Conflict was inevitable as Euro-Americans recognized Native rituals not as the religious ritual that they were but as elements in a power struggle for a continent” (Johansen and Pritzker 362). Many of the conflicts led to the mass killing of Native Americans and a loss of tribal land. Laws were passed that would either limit or ban many rituals of the Native tribes which included various rites of passage taken by Native tribal men. The Lakota men’s rite of passage is one example of Native rituals that is currently illegal in today’s society.
The Lakota men’s rite of passage known as a vision quest is currently illegal in today’s society. While sources seem to vary about the age, young take part in their first vision quest before the age of purity to learn about their path in life. An adult supervises the boys in their tribe. The Lakota’s rite of passage along with other Native tribal rituals was banned by the government because it was viewed as a hindrance to assimilating the Native tribes. Even though many of their rituals were banned in the past, some Native tribes were able to retain their rite of passage.
Today, some Native tribes still practice their rite of passage. Vision quests are still conducted by some Native Americans. Some Native tribes use sweat lodges or hallucinogens to perform their rite of passage while others send their young out into the wilderness. Some of the rites of passage are done in secret due to tribal tradition and to avoid persecution by the government. Rites of passage for men are critical in many societies such as the Native tribes in the Americas.
Boys are taking part in a rite of passage to become men take place in many societies. For Native tribes in the Americas, the rite of passage is a large part of their culture. Despite the attempt to convert and assimilate the Natives in the past, many Natives had died in the effort to preserve their traditions. While some of their traditions have been lost over time due massive casualties and the outlawing of rituals by the government, some Native tribes were able to continue to conduct their rite of passages into manhood. Today, there are a few rites of passages rituals that are still performed by Native tribes in secrecy.
Works Cited
Johansen, Bruce E, and Barry Pritzker. Encyclopedia of American Indian History. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2008. Print.
