KINAALD: A Navajo Girl Grows Up

by Monty Roessel ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 15, 1993

By ""a Navajo photographer and writer who specializes in contemporary Native Americans,"" a clear, strikingly photographed account of 13-year-old Celinda McKelvey's coming-of-age ceremony, set in its historical context (such traditions, nearly lost in the 1950s and -60s, are coming back along with renewed Navajo pride). Described are specific details of costume, the making of a corn cake that's cooked overnight in the ground, the gathering of the extended family to help and share the celebration, and the ceremony's symbolic meaning. In glowing color photos, the reservation's natural beauty is represented by such sacred sites as Shiprock, while Navajos are depicted using a mix of new (store-bought clothing) and traditional items (Celinda's hand-woven dress). Unusually authentic and attractive; an interesting comparison to Seymour's The Gift of the Changing Woman, which depicts the similar Apache ceremony. Also just published in the ""We Are Still Here"" series: Sandra King's Shannon: An Ojibway Dancer (ISBN: 0-8225-2652-2). Bibliography.

Pub Date: Dec. 15, 1993

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Lerner

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1994

Categories: CHILDREN'S