Today it is my brothers birthday!
To celebrate his birthday, my family and I will perform a ritual in honour of his new age and the earths spirits around him. First we will pray to the great spirit where we thank him for the blessings my brother has experienced during this year. My brothers chest will then be pierced with a skewer and a rope which connects the skewer to a pole this represents the tree of life. He will then move back and forth to try and break free from the skewer which is in his skin. Whilst this takes several hours, the family and I will chant encouragements and birthday songs. This is a beautiful, overwhelming experience we all wish to endure as each year comes and we all celebrate our birthdays, being appreciative of living.
Birthdays are an extremely special occasion for us Native Americans as it is vital we perform these rituals as it is part of our belief and soul purpose of being in a tribe.
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