04/01/2025
Hau! Ámbá wás’tè nô!
How’s errbody out there on this fine winter day I truly hope all is well todays cultural topic of discussion
Love and Marriage
Back in the buffalo hunting days of our Stoney Nakoda ancestors arranged marriages where a common practice when a young man courted a young woman often times the young brave would have with him two items his snagging blanket and his flute and would closely observe when and where the young woman he had his eye on would leave her Teepe to fetch water or collect firewood he would then go to the spot she was to do her daily chores and wait often times vying with other young men for the chance to converse with the young woman as in those days young Stoney men where kept apart from young women the only other time they where allowed to interact with each other was during the social dances known as the Gáhomanî wacipi aside from this social gathering which was designated as the appropriate time and place for courtship it was considered damn near impossible to talk to any young woman unsupervised and so the young men would as mentioned earlier wait at the spot in the creek where the she fetched water for Teepe or in the wooded area where the young woman was collecting her fire wood and when the young woman arrived the young brave would whip out his flute and begin to play the finest ballad chosen from his plethora of fine melodies stored inside the young man’s mind enticing her to permit him a few minutes to converse if the young lady was interested in the young brave she would intentionally let her chore drag out as she listened to the beautiful melody which was being played for her on these magnificent instruments of courtship and once the tune ended the young brave would step out from his waiting spot and approach the young lady and he would cover both of them with his blanket and they would talk and if they both agreed to have a relationship then rhe young brave would follow all necessary protocols and tribal customs and present 4 sometimes as many as 10 of his finest ponies hand selected from his personal herd to be given to the father of his future bride to be and if the parents of the young lady were pleased they would then make it official by having the camp crier announc it for all the people to hear and know that these two are now together and that details of there wedding ceremony will soon be shared however at times this was not always the case sometimes a young lady’s parents would have arranged a marriage in advance ahead of time often times without the girls knowledge and when the time was at hand the young girl would be given away to those they had previously made arrangements with and so at times young woman back in those days did not marry for love ❤️ but rather to maintain integrity to one’s word and so often times these types of marriages where done to unify clans or bands and sometimes tribes however as time wore on the woman would grow found of her husband and eventually have deep connection with their pre-arranged spouse
Hau! Thanks for taking the time to read and remember all you men out there if you ain’t handsome then you might as well be handy
Hau! Itôs’akâ igi’ma’cas
Till next time take care and u hope you all enjoyed a a bit of my Stoney Nakoda peoples pre-Rez custo