In a full marriage, two kinsmen represented the future bridegroom. After agreeing on a price, in accordance with the family's wealth and social standing, the bridegroom - usually with his father's help - would pay the bride's family. The future social status of the family and the children depended on the price, therefore the bridegroom was willing to pay as much as he could possibly afford.

In half-marriage, the man would pay about half the usual price for his bride. The man would live in his wife's home under her father's jurisdiction. A man might have to half-marry because of a lack of wealth or social standing, or if his father did not approve of his bride. A woman's family might allow her to half marry because they had no sons and needed another man in the family, or if there were Shaman powers in the family. About one in four marriages were half-marriages.

The bride's dress may be woven in symbolic colors: white for the east, blue for the south, yellow (orange) for the west; and black for the north. Turquoise and silver jewelry are worn by both the bride and the groom in addition to a silver concho belt. Jewelry is considered a shield against evils including hunger, poverty and bad luck.

*The tribes of northern California include the Klamath, the Modoc and the Yurok.

 

Delaware Traditions

A Delaware Native American girl who reached puberty may have had her union prearranged by her parents. Often a couple just lived together as man and wife. To mark the occasion, there was a simple exchange of jewelry, blankets or a belt of wampum to the girl's parents. If the parents accepted the gifts the union was sanctioned.

The young bride would wear a knee-length skirt of deerskin and a band of wampum beads around her forehead. Except for fine beads or shell necklaces, the body would be bare from the waist up. If it were a winter wedding, she would wear deerskin leggings and moccasins and a robe of turkey feathers. Her face would be painted with white, red and yellow clay.

 

Pubelo Traditions

The Pueblo bride wore a cotton garment tied above the right shoulder, secured with a belt around the waist.


 

Navajo Traditions

White corn meal symbolizes the male and yellow the female. The Navajo combine the two meals into a corn mush and put it into a wedding basket before the traditional ceremony.

The Navajo bride was an equal partner to her husband. The couple would share the maize pudding during the ceremony to symbolize the marriage bond.

 

Hopi Traditions

The Hopi Native girl, after undergoing important rites of adolescence, (usually between the age of 16 and 20) is ready to receive suitors. In former days it was customary to give an informal picnic on the day following an important ritual.

If a girl had decided on a youth as a future mate, she would extend to him an invitation to accompany her and would present him with a loaf of qomi, a bread made of sweet cornmeal in lieu of somiviki (maiden's cake). Since this invitation was tantamount to being engaged, boys would only accept the invitation from girls they were willing to marry.

If the prospective Hopi bride and groom expected the marriage to be sanctioned by society, there were several restrictions which must be followed. No marriage was allowed within the nuclear family or to someone who was previously married.

Once the decision to marry is made by the young couple, the boy goes, after supper, to the girl's home and states his intentions to the girls parents. If approved, he is instructed to return to his home and inform his parents. The girl will grind cornmeal or make bread and take it to the home of her prospective groom. If the mother accepts it, the wedding plans move forward.

The bride returns home to grind more cornmeal, and the groom fetches water and chops wood for his mother. On the evening when these chores are completed, the bride dresses in her manta beads and her wedding blanket. She, with the boy, walk barefoot to his house. She presents the cornmeal to his mother and prepares for a three day stay at his home.

For three days prior to the wedding, the bride will rise and grind cornmeal for her mother-in-law. During this period, the groom's paternal aunts visit and "attack" the bride with mud. Her future mother-in-law steps in to protect her.

On the morning of the fourth day, the marriage is consummated. The girl's relatives wash the boy's hair and bath him, while the boy's relatives do the same for the girl. If possible, their hair is twined together as a symbol for their union. As soon as their hair is dry, the couple follows a path of cornmeal, which has been sprinkled by the boy's mother, to the eastern edge of the mesa, where prayers are made to the sun. The couple may now sleep together as man and wife.

They remain at the girl's home until her wedding garment is complete. The garments are woven by the groom and any men in the village who wish to participate. The garments consist of a large belt, two all-white wedding robes, a white wedding robe with red stripes at top and bottom, white buckskin leggings and moccasins, a string for tying the hair, and a reed mat in which to wrap the outfit. (This outfit also will serve as a shroud, since these garments will be necessary for the trip through the underworld.)

In about two weeks, she will dress in her wedding garments and return to her home where she is received by her mother and relatives. The groom's relatives accompany her and an exchange of gifts are made. During that evening, the groom comes and spends the night at his mother-in-law's. The next day he fetches wood for her, and from then on is a permanent resident in her house.

 

Algonquin Traditions

Algonquin speaking people include the Cree, the Ojibwa or Chippewa, the Ottawa, the Montagnais, the Naskapi and others.

When a young man chooses a mate in the old way, he went with her family (matriarch society). The custom was usually determined by the growing season. In warmer climates, where women would raise crops to support the families, they were considered the providers. In cooler climates where families subsisted on hunting performed by the men, the communities were considered patriarchal.

The couple may be required to perform certain responsibilities in preparation for their wedding. These responsibilities are determined by the officiant. In addition, the bride and groom must choose sponsors.

The bridal couple has four sponsors. Sponsors are older, well respected persons chosen by the bride and groom. The sponsors are to give spiritual and marital guidance to the couple throughout their lifetime. At the ceremony, the sponsors make a commitment to help the couple.

Ceremonies are preferably outside, or in a ceremonial lodge or under an arbor.

Their commitment is to the Creator, to God. There is no breaking that commitment, and no divorce.

The Pipe Carrier, the officiant, makes sure they are well aware of this commitment. If the couple separates and goes their separate ways, in the eyes of the Creator, they are still husband and wife. The Pipe Carrier will not perform the ceremony unless the couple is very serious.

Each person makes a declaration that they choose to be known as husband and wife. Then they smoke from the pipe. Tobacco is offered and accepted by the officiant.

At the ceremony, the sponsors make a commitment to help the couple.

Brides, grooms and sponsors dress in regalia - traditional clothing, usually made by hand. The bride will wash herself in a body of water (lake, river, ocean, pond) the morning of her union in order to be blessed by the spirit of the Earth.

A wedding is a time of celebration. Everyone is invited by word of mouth unless they live outside the community. There is no formal invitation. There is feasting, visiting and a giveaway.

Food items for the feast include fry bread, venison (deer meat), squash, beans, corn, corn soup, potato soup and many desserts. Fresh fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, and the 'heart' berry, strawberries, are served if available. There may also be a wedding cake. In a traditional wedding, the food is placed on a blanket, served buffet style.

The food is blessed. The Elders and the officiant will eat first, then the bride, groom, sponsors and other guests. None of the food is wasted. All of the food is either eaten or given away to the Elders.

In preparation for the Giveaway, the future bride and groom make (or buy) hundreds of gifts. A gift will be given to each person attending the celebration. The type of gifts is dependant upon the talent and financial ability of the couple.


 

Apache wedding Prayer