ABSTRACT
Identity formation of North American Indian adolescents is multifaceted, encompassing layers of influence from local, broader societal, and global levels. The local level is of primary interest in this chapter relative to the proximal sociocultural environment in which the adolescent is socialized according to the traditions, history, language, ceremonies, customs, and values associated with his/her particular culture. Identity is regarded as an attribute of the person; it is subjective in that one's self-perception is a uniquely personal experience. Nonetheless, as a personal experience, many social factors are influential as the adolescent comes to define and understand the self in a much more complex manner. One set of socio-cultural influences is those originating in rituals as demonstrated in coming-of-age ceremonies. Menarche is an experience onto which pubertal ceremonies are attached in many traditional cultures; indeed, menarche and subsequent menstrual cycles in numerous North American Indian cultures hold particular cultural significance. More specifically, the time frame in and around menarche is regarded as an especially critical or sensitive time of the life span in which the applications of poignant rituals are regarded as mechanisms of impact that yield desired outcomes, one being the ascription or assignment of a socially valued and endorsed identity (Markstrom 2008).
