The Yup’ik Tradition

The Yup’ik tradition made me change a lot throughout the years. Back when I wasn’t born the Yup’ik tradition of becoming a woman was a lot different then it is now. In the Yup’ik tradition becoming a woman means that she is ready to get married, and raise her own family. As I was growing up I didn’t know much about the tradition of becoming a woman. Until one day I found out that I had to act my age and not be a child anymore.
I was between the age of 11 and 12 when my mom told me that if I see blood I had to tell her. It was beginning of June when I first saw blood. I had just come back inside from playing out with my close friends. I was thinking the next day would be fun until I saw blood on the tissue. My mom, Eliza, was lying on the couch just watching some movies. I just got out of the bathroom, went to wash my hands, thinking what she was going to say or do if I told her I seen blood. After I was done wiping my hands I went to sit close to my mom’s head and I nervously but excitedly whispered, “Mom, I started.”
She was just lying there trying to watch the movie but when I said those three words she opened her eyes really wide and she called Marie Jacob. I was smiling when she had that face of like “Really you did start”.
After my mom hung the phone up she told me all the things I could and could not do. I had already known some of the things I could not do but some other things really surprised and bummed me out.
Marie told my mom that since it summer I had 5 more days until sitting down. Those meant I had 5 days to run, jump, play out and climb trees with my friends. After those 5 days was up I had to wait a year to do the things again. That made me feel so mad that I had to wait that long.
Finally, the day arrived when I would have to begin sitting down. Marie Jacob had told my mom I had to sit down for 10 days. The very first thing I did was take a bath and wash myself from head to toes. I put some old clothes on and French braided my hair. I had to French braid my hair because the elders say that if we did not keep our hair braided we would not have a long life. It is also believed that, even though we do not see it, if our hair is not braided, we are letting our blood drip down to the ground
My mom and my uncle got my room ready. My uncle covered my window with a blanket. The elders say that if we look out of the window we would get sick in the older age. My mom got all the stuff I would need during my 10 days. She brought in the mat, sheet, and put them in the corner. Also my mom got a cup, a bowl, and a spoon for me to eat with. While they were getting my room ready I was in the living room just watching movies, my mom came over to tell me it was time.
When I went in the dark room I saw where I would be sitting and sleep for 10 days. I was bummed out because I was going to miss out on all the fun stuff my friends were going to be doing outside. I walked over to the not so thick mat and sat down.
After the first day I got used to my new surroundings and the days flew by fast. I kept myself busy making bracelets to give away at my feast. I could only eat ptarmigan, grebes and chicken soup because these birds do not molt. During the morning I could eat crackers with butter or peanut better. I could only drink 1-2 glass a day. If I needed to use the bathroom I had to wait until everyone was not around or if they were sleeping. When I was heading to the bathroom I could not look out of any windows.
After the 10 days were done my mom came in and told me it was time to stand up. My mom brought a basin filed with warm water, a towel, and a rag to wash myself from head to toe before I could leave the room. After I was done washing my hair it felt clean but I had to braid my hair. I braided my hair once folding it twice at the ends once again. After I finished braiding my hair, I got some clean clothes to change into and left the room. I went in the living room to watch movies from those 10 days. My mom then went to gather the bracelets I made to give them away at my feast. She also gathered the cup, the bowl, and the spoon to give away at my feast. My dad burned the mat, the sheet, and the clothes I had worn because if someone claimed these idioms they would have bad luck on subsisting hunting.
During the year there were many things I couldn’t do. Other girls who had already started had told me they had to wear a hat, gloves and a jacket to cover their skin before they went outside. Since it was summer my mom had to look for a hat and once we found one she took me outside to teach my how to work the weather. If we show our head and hands outside the elders believed that we would get skin sickness.
I could not travel to the coast, ocean, or the mountains. The reason I could not go to those places is because the animals would disappear. Also the elders believe that the little people would take me and bring me to their world or kill me. I was eventually able to travel but not to those places. When I was allowed to travel I had to put oil in my mouth and a bag of ash in my hands. While I was going somewhere, such as to a another village, I had to spill the ashes, and spit out the oil in my mouth.
I also could not tease or bother the boys because they would have back luck when they went hunting. I could not jump or run because the weather may get bad. I felt like I was missing out on the things that I could not do and it was hard to not do them. However, I felt it was important to follow the rules and keep the Yup’ik culture alive.
After my year was done I was super happy that I didn’t have to wear a hat, gloves, and a jacket anymore but it felt really uncomfortable not wearing them. I was also happy that I could stop braiding my hair. I then decided to go walking with my friends and it felt really weird not having a hat on my head. I felt really uncomfortable when I was playing basketball with my friends.
I now realize how much I have grown up and am realizing how much I have changed from a girl to a young lady. A year of not doing things made me realize how badly it is important to keep this tradition alive. If I have a girl of my own I am going to let her follow these rules no matter what they say about it.