Maniilaq: Prophet From The Edge Of Nowhere by Terry Steven B. & Anderson Jill K

Author:Terry, Steven B. & Anderson, Jill K. [Terry, Steven B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Onjinjinkta Publishing
Published: 2001-10-10T16:00:00+00:00

Maniilaq continued to journey throughout the land. He often journeyed with his family, but other times he spent many days alone.

Late one fall after traveling alone, Maniilaq desired to return to his family. During the journey home he was invited to stop in the camp of another family. The man who asked Maniilaq to join them had with him his wife and three children. They had selected this spot for the winter season, and were preparing their huts for the snow and the cold. Two other families camped nearby, and were making their preparations as well.

The day after Maniilaq arrived in this place, he observed that the eldest daughter of the family with whom he stayed had moved a far distance from her parents' home. She wore the parka of the deep hood, which hid her face so that no one could look upon her. Maniilaq understood this to mean that she had begun the process of womanhood.

The shamans taught that when a young woman first begins the flow that marks womanhood, she must put on the parka of the deep hood, hiding her face so that she can neither see nor be seen by anyone. Then she must move away from the family home and live in solitude for one full cycle of the seasons, seeing and talking to no one. She must live in a hut that is made for her by her family. The family is allowed to leave food outside the hut for her to retrieve, but they must not see her. After these seasons have passed, she is allowed to return to the family home once she has cleansed herself in the river.

When Maniilaq saw that the young woman lived in the hut away from the family home, he set out to gather the berries and roots that he knew she would enjoy. He took them to her, and went into the hut to speak with her. As he left her hut, he saw her family watching from the distance.

"Maniilaq, what is this you are doing?" called the girl's father. "She has begun the flow of womanhood, and can be seen by no one, especially a man."

"I hope I have not angered you, nor brought you shame," Maniilaq replied. "I do not believe it is right to send off a young woman to solitude for something she has not done. You have heard me talk of changes in the shamans' teachings that will one day come. I have said the taboos of the shamans will be forgotten. This is one of those.

"It saddens our Grandfather that we do treat our women in this manner. Women, who are able to give birth to such wonderful innocent beings, should not be treated badly. Our Grandfather desires that our women be treated with great respect.

"In the times ahead there will be many things that will change about how our people treat women. Young women will not be forced to be away from the settlement when it is time for their first flow of womanhood.

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