Ceremony

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Ceremony

• Written by Leslie Marmon Silko

Presentation by Valerie Baehl and Laura Rowe
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The only cure I knowis a good
ceremony,thats what she said. (3)
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Ceremony

• A formal act or set acts performed as
• prescribed by ritual or custom

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A Call to Ceremony

• Upon returning from war, Tayo, a Native American,
  is sent to Betonie, a medicine man.
• After hearing Tayos stories of war, Betonie
  appoints Tayo to complete his ceremony.
• One stipulation is that the ceremony must change,
  as ceremonies must change throughout time to fit
  the ever-changing world.
• Betonie reintroduces Tayo to his Native American
  traditions, which allows Tayo to once again
  relate and understand his culture.

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The Scalp Ceremony in Ceremony

• Purpose To Rid Tayo of haunting war memories,
  separating him from his life in war.
• Procedure
• Tayo sits while Shush and Betonie chant prayers
  of Tayo.
• Shush and Betonie cut his scalp and sing about
  his journey away and their hopes for his return.
• Tayo is then taken into the hogan for rest and
  Indian tea.

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The Ultimate Call to Ceremony in Ceremony

• While the Scalp Ceremony rids Tayo of many
  haunting memories of war, he does not forget
  everything.
• In following Betonies advice, Tayo decides to
  find a way back to his Native American roots.
• Betonie has calls Tayo to embrace his Native
  American roots in an effort to stop the
  destruction of animals and earth by the whites.

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The Aftermath

• On his ceremonial quest, Tayo acquires a
  willingness to accept help from others,
  particularly animals, as the mountain lion came
  to his rescue.
• Tayo soon discovers an abandoned uranium mine,
  which he believes to be the final station in his
  ceremony, as it symbolically connects whites to
  the earth.
• As called to do, Tayo completes his night in the
  mine, completing the ceremony and repossessing
  all of the land the whites have taken from the
  Native Americans.

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The Aftermath (Con.)

• Though Tayos ceremony does not save all Native
  Americans, it affects those who fought in the
  war, those who were affected by different
  cultures, and those affected by drought.
• To complete the ceremonial journey, Tayo learns
  (as a result of his quest) to accept the
  inevitable concept of loss in his life, for he
  has come to realize that the natural elements of
  the world will always be with him.

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Other Ceremonies
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The Pipe Ceremony
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The Pipe Ceremony

• The pipe ceremony is a sacred ritual for
  connecting
• physical and spiritual worlds
• Tobacco is used to connect the worlds
• -the plants roots go deep into the earth,
• -its smoke rises high into the heavens.
• It is unthinkable for a Native American to break
  their word
• after smoking the pipe

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The Pipe Ceremony

• Beseeching the West power, while thinking about
  the life giving rains and the ever present spirit
  world.
• Beseeching the north power, the source of
  endurance, strength, truthfulness, and honesty,
  which are qualities needed to walk down a good
  path in life.
• Looking to the east power. The east is where the
  sun rises, and the sun brings us knowledge, the
  essence of spirituality.
• Beseeching the south power, which brings us
  bounty, medicine, and growth.

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The Pipe Ceremony (Con.)

• Next to be acknowledged is the earth spirit. The
  pipe touches the ground and they say, "Mother
  Earth, I seek to protect you."
• Since Mother Earth depends on the suns life
  giving energy, the pipe is then held up towards
  the sky.
• Lastly, the pipe is held straight up to the Great
  Spirit, the Great Mystery, the unexplainable
  source of all life. These words are then spoken
  "Oh Great Spirit, I thank you for the six powers
  of the universe."

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A Familiar Ceremony
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High School GraduationCeremony

• Long robes and flat hats
• Procession of principle, teachers, and students
  to the tones of Pomp and Circumstance
• Speeches by Guest Speaker, Principle,
  Valedictorian and Salutatorian
• Individually handing each graduate their diploma
  and shaking their hand

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Comparisons (For Further Discussion)

• How do all of these ceremonies differ in their
  content?
• How do they differ in purpose?
• In which ways are they the same?

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Works Cited

• http//journals.aol.com/cheyfire/DreamCatchers/ent
  ries/606