We gather to recreate and reclaim those cultural and communal practices that serve to lift our families and strengthen our communities. In traditional societies marriages are between families not between people. And children are the responsibility of the community not just the parents. This is reflected in the wisdom saying "it takes a village to raise a child." We hold ceremonies and rituals like this one today to create the village.
In traditional societies naming is a meaning making process. A person's name is more than a label. It is their legacy. When we name our children it creates expectation from those who hear the name. It sets expectations for the child when they know the meaning of their name or the legacy of those they are named after, it can motivate.
Today, we are living in a land and in a social system that is not designed for our benefit. It is our responsibility to make a way out of no way for our children. We are announcing the name of each child and the significance of the name so that the community can share in the responsibility of guiding these children. The parent will whisper the name of the child into the grandmother's ear. She will whisper the name into the ear of the child and then announce the name of the child to the community.
In this way, we connect the child and the community through a way of knowing and being together.
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