Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Joshua Leo.
Voice 2
And I'm Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of Broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
When did you become an adult? How old were you? Were you twelve or ten - or younger? Maybe you were older when you became an adult. How did you know that you were no longer a child? Were you recognized by your community? Was there a ceremony for you? Or did the law state that you were now an adult?
Voice 2
Coming of age is an important time in any person's life. Coming of age is when the law or a community recognizes a child as an adult. All cultures celebrate the coming of age in different ways. Today's Spotlight is on these ceremonies.
Voice 1
Ted Beltrau is a young man in the Amazonian Satere Mawe tribe. He rides in a small boat with four other men. They are all around the same age. They are preparing for a special ceremony. They have painted their bodies. And now, they are travelling to the ceremonial area.
When the young men arrive at the ceremony area they cover their hands with black charcoal made from burned wood. The tribe leaders then prepare gloves made of grass. These hand coverings hold bullet ants, a kind of insect. The young men put the gloves on their hands. Inside the gloves, the bullet ants start to wake from sleep. The ants start to sting and inject liquid venom into the young men's hands. The sting from a bullet ant is thirty times more painful than other stinging insects.
The young men must hold their hands in these coverings for over ten minutes. Their faces must show no pain. The young men's hands start to fill with blood. They can not move their hands. The venom from the ants is very strong and painful. The tribe leaders lead the young men in a dance to keep them from thinking about the pain. After ten minutes is finished, the ceremony is over. But in the Satere Mawe tribe, a young man must do this twenty times before he is considered to be a man. This is their coming of age ceremony.
Voice 2
People celebrate the change from child to adult differently in different parts of the world. Some cultures hold special ceremonies for children who reach adult age. Other cultures do not have ceremonies. The law simply recognizes that person as an adult. They may enjoy adult freedoms, like driving a car or voting in elections.
Voice 1
In Northern Canada a twelve year old boy named Apak is on his first hunting trip. He travels with his father and his father's brother. This is the first time that Apak will use his hunting skills. Once he kills a large bearded seal, he will be a man. He has shown that he can provide food for the community.
Voice 2
In a village in Eastern Uganda, boys become men in a very different kind of ceremony. At around the age of sixteen the boys in the village are covered in millet, a grain mixed with water. The people believe that the millet keeps evil spirits away. The boys walk through the village streets as their friends and family sing.
The boys hold on to a stick above their head. A tribal leader then circumcises each boy. The boys are not allowed to shout or cry. No medicine is used so the process is very painful. But the boys must show they are men by taking the pain without showing emotion. When the ceremony is over the boys go to a special building where they will stay for days to recover.
Voice 1
Latin American girls celebrate coming of age with a special party. This happens when a girl is fifteen years old. The party is called a quinceanera. Quinceanera means fifteen years in Spanish. The girl wears a special white dress to the party. All her friends and family attend. They will all sing, dance and eat special foods.
After the quinceanera, the girl will be able to do many adult things. She will be able to wear make-up on her face. She will attend social events with her parents. And she will be able to have a boyfriend!
Voice 2
In Japan, all people celebrate coming of age together. The festival of Seijin No Hi happens on the second Monday in January. It celebrates everyone who turned twenty years old in the past year.
In the morning, at local city offices, government officials give speeches. They give small gifts to all the new adults. The young men and women wear traditional Japanese clothes. At the end of the ceremony, the new adults gather together for a party.
Voice 1
The final coming of age ceremony we look at today is very different than most parties. It takes place on the South Pacific island of Pentecost. The ceremony is a way for boys to prove their manhood. Both boys and men join in the ceremony. The ceremony is called Naghol.
Voice 2
Naghol happens between April and June every year. Men from the southern part of the island build large structures out of wood. These towers are twenty to thirty metres high. A trusted village leader cuts vines from trees. These vines are like ropes that grow naturally in the forest. Young men climb to the top of the tower and tie these vines to their ankles.
The men then jump off the tower. They fall to the ground. But at the last moment, the vines pull them back. The freshly cut vines stretch and prevent the men from falling to their death. But the jump is not a success unless the men touch their head to the ground. The vines must be just the right length. If the village leader cuts the vines too long, the jumper may die.
Voice 1
These are just a few of the many different ways people celebrate becoming an adult. Some are dangerous, some are painful, and some are just fun. In each case, children prove that they are ready for the responsibilities of adult life. What ways do people celebrate becoming an adult in your culture? Tell us about becoming an adult where you live. You can write to us and other listeners on our website. You can also share your stories on our facebook page. Look for a link on the script page of this program.
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