rites and ceremonies

A twelve-year-old Ojibwa Indian living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, learns about her tribe's traditional costumes from her grandmother and gets ready to dance at a powwow.

Contains a translation of "The Book of the Dead," a collection of ancient Egyptian religious and magical texts, from the papyrus found in the tomb of the Egyptian scribe Ani, and looks into the history, motifs, and themes found in the afterlife companions.

"Native American celebrations are packed with symbolic gestures and intriguing details. A kind of party called a potlatch, staged by native peoples of the Pacific Northwest, was marked by guests receiving gifts, not giving them, and were sometimes put on to get back at an enemy. This [book] highlights several celebrations and ceremonies important to Native Americans across North America"--Amazon.com.

This book contains descriptions of many of the Chinese Festivals including: Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Spring Dragon Festival, Pure Brightness Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Heavenly Gift Festival, Seventh Festival, Hungry Ghost Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Double Ninth Festival, Laba Festival, Kitchen Festival and major festivals celebrated by China's ethnic groups.

"Despite their many differences, all Native Americans share a profound appreciation of the cycles of nature and a belief in the cosmic interconnectedness of all things. Professor Larry J. Zimmerman tells the tragic tale of their conquest and dispossession, followed by their survival against the odds and the renewal of pride in a distinctive cultural heritage. Learn about American Indian traditions and the history behind them that create a unique Native American identity. Their crafts and their reverence for the land are also both described in detail - inspiring us to turn our thoughts to the natural world and our own place in it"--Amazon.com.

Celinda McKelvey, a Navajo girl, participates in the Kinaalda, the traditional coming-of-age ceremony of her people.

Describes some of the ceremonies and festivals that Native American peoples use to celebrate special occasions, give thanks, remember their dead, and communicate with spirits. Includes color photographs, a glossary, and further reading sources.

Explores a Latina girl's coming of age ceremony, discussing the origins and cultural importance of a quinceanera and providing insight into the financial and social implications of a quince party.

A personal story of female genital mutilation. Mire reveals what it means to grow up in a traditional Somali family, where girls' and women's basic human rights are violated on a daily basis. She describes FGM is the ultimate child abuse, a ritual of mutilation handed down from mother to daughter and protected by the word "culture.".