Jicarilla Apache Womanhood Ceremony

The purpose of this project is to help cover costs for the traditional Jicariila Apache four-day, coming-of-age ceremony for  my daughter, Miss Lena Eloisa Sanchez. This ceremony, called a Kéesda, (also called a Feast) is given for young women, after they have begun their menses, and before they have married or have children, and a young male partner chosen by the family of the young maiden, called the Brave. These ceremonies, which have been a common practice for generations, take place on our beautiful Jicarilla Apache Reservation in north-central New Mexico, up in the mountains and traditionally, on the homeland of the young maiden's mother. During this four-day ceremony, the family of the young maiden invites the ENTIRE TRIBE to come and share a meal, consisting of traditional beef and vegetable stew, fry bread, some variety of fruit and coffee, water or flavored drink, with the family (hence the name "Feast"). Friends and family may share either breakfast, lunch or dinner on any of the four days of the ceremony and the young maiden's family must serve each and every guest. Durning the Feast, it is common to consume three steers, and one to one and a half tons EACH of flour, potatoes, carrots, and hundreds of gallons of coffee. In addition to the cost of the food, there is the cost of the costume of the young maiden, which consists of a beaded buskskin dress, a beaded buckskin cape with fringes, a buckskin cape and her mocassins. Finally, there is the cost of any equipment, cooking and serving utensils.

My daughter's Feast is being hosted and funded by myself and my mother, who is retired and on a limited income. In additon, we are relying upon donations of food, equipment, manpower and money, WHICH IS WHERE YOUR DONATION COMES IN AND IS MOST APPRECIATED. What makes this even more important is that we appear to be losing our traditions and ceremonies. The man who will be conducting the spiritual services -- the Medicine Man -- is getting on in years, and it is a very real possibility that he may not provide his services for these ceremonies for much longer. Though there is another individual who knows who to conduct these ceremonies, both of these individuals are getting older and may not be able to continue conducting these ceremonies, which can be both mentally and physically exhausting, for very much longer. We are asking our friends and family to help fund what may very well be one of the last of these traditional Jicarilla coming-of-age ceremonies.