Native American Wedding Customs

Article Written By: NetaE.Talmor

Native American culture is rich in tradition and custom. Their wedding ceremonies are no different. Many of the Native American wedding ceremonies are very beautiful. Adding one of these traditions to your upcoming wedding ceremony may add an extra element of spirituality to your nuptials.

In the Native American tradition, the man always asks permission before marrying into the woman's family. He usually had to ask the priest or shaman. After permission is granted, it is customary for the two families to exchange livestock, food, or other gifts in approval of the upcoming union.

In many Native American tribes, the new couple lives with the bride's family after the wedding. It is up to the new husband to take care of his in-laws and to do what he is told by his new mother-in-law. It is also customary for the couple to be given baskets of corn as gifts, since the corn symbolizes fertility.

In an Algonquin tribe, the engaged couple selects four sponsors. Sponsors are older individuals who can provide advice and wisdom to the new couple. In traditional tribes divorce is not an acceptable option so the more advice available to the couple, the better prepared they will be. The sponsors make a commitment to the couple at the wedding to promise to provide guidance and support to the couple for life.

Native American tribes in Northern California practice two types of marriage, the half marriage and the full marriage. A full marriage takes place if the groom is able to pay the full amount that was requested from the bride's family. If the groom is only able to pay half of the requested amount, then a half marriage takes place. In a half marriage the couple resides with the family of the bride and the groom is under the authority of his bride's father.

One traditional Native American wedding ceremony that is used is the fire ceremony. Stones and seven different kinds of wood are used to form a large circle. The wood is placed in a large pile in the center of the stone circle. On each side of the wood pile two small fires are started. One small fire represents the bride and the other one represents the groom. Following a blessing from the priest as well as friends and family the couple each slides their individual fire into the pile of wood in the center. The resulting fire symbolizes their union.

Another beautiful ceremony is the blanket ceremony. The bride is wrapped in a blue blanket just as the groom is. These blue blankets symbolize the sorrows that the couple has endured on their own. After the marriage has been blessed the blue blankets are removed and the couple is wrapped together in one white blanket. This symbolizes the act of the couple becoming one.

One more Native American wedding ceremony is the seven steps ceremony. The wedding ceremony starts with lighting a sacred fire. The bride and groom proceed to take exactly seven steps around this fire. The groom takes the first step and then stops to say a vow. The bride follows with a step and recites a vow of her own. The groom will then take another step and recite another vow. This continues until seven steps and seven vows have been completed. It is not uncommon for the couple to exchange corn or stones to show their commitment.

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