 | Empowerment of North American Indian Girls: Ritual Expressions at Puberty Subjects: Indians of North America -- Social life and customs; Indian girls -- United States -- Social life and customs; Puberty rites -- United States; United States -- Social life and customs; Empowerment of North American Indian Girls is an examination of coming-of-age-ceremonies for American Indian girls past and present, featuring an in-depth look at Native ideas about human development and puberty. Many North American Indian cultures regard the transition from childhood to adulthood as a pivotal and potentially vulnerable phase of life and have accordingly devised coming-of-age rituals to affirm traditional values and community support for its members. Such rituals are a positive and enabling social force in many modern Native communities whose younger generations are wrestling with substance abuse, mental health problems, suicide, and school dropout. Carol A. Markstrom is a professor in the Department of Technology, Learning, and Culture in the College of Human Resources and Education at West Virginia University. She is the coauthor of The Adolescent Experience , fourth edition, and Adolescent Life Experiences , third edition, and has authored numerous scholarly works on adolescents and American Indians. |
