The birth of a Hopi child writing prompt #5

      When a Hopi woman has a child there are many preparations which are made at the beginning of that child's life. Unlike the preparations made when a child is to join the family most people start preparing from the beginning and continue for nine months. The Hopi on the other hand do not purchase anything for the child until it is brought into the world because they believe within that nine month period of time there may arise complications and having a room full of baby things when you do not bring home a child is more pain that the couple would have to go through. After a twenty day period there is a huge celebration of the birth of the child and at that time there are numerous things bought for the child. Like a modern day baby shower.
      The first day after that baby is brought home from the hospital the paternal grandmother comes to the home and in a sense makes a home for the child marking the four directions, north, east, south,west, of the walls of the home, thus creating this protective boundary for the new born child. Where the baby is to remain for the next twenty days, all the windows are closed so that no sunlight is to enter the room. Only women are allowed to enter the room of the baby, and the baby is not allowed to leave the room for any reason. During the next nineteen days the paternal grandmother returns to take care of the child and the mother. Giving the baby a bath, then being rubbed with ashes, which is the purpose of rubbing off all the dry skin left from the birth as well as to remove hair on the child so the child will not be hairy. After this is completed the baby is then clothed and swaddled and usually falls asleep. The grandmother then feeds the mother to give her nourishment to make the milk that will feed the child. She also helps with the rubbing of the stomach and gives sweat baths and other such things so that the mother is able to heal properly.
      On the nineteenth day the grandmother returns to make the stew which will be used to feed the baby and the people as in celebration of the announcement of the new addition to the whole family. All the while the mother and her family are baking, bread and pastries, making piki, and preparing the blue cornmeal which will be the repayment of what is to come the following morning.
      On the twentieth day the grandmother returns with her clan relatives before the suns rays are showing in the sky. Bringing with them the hand made quilts, baby clothes, diapers and all things a child would need. Each one of these family members will wash the babies hair four times and they will then give the baby a name pertaining to their clan. For example my father being from the Sioux tribe asked my grandparents to be his parents so that they will take care of me the way a Hopi child should be taken care of. He gave himself to members of the bear clan so my name is Honmana which means bear girl. All this has to be completed before the sun rises. As the sun begins to rise the paternal grandmother and the mother than take the baby out to meet the sun for the first time. It is at this time that the names just given to the child are told to the world and the baby is then a part of the people.