The Strawberry Ceremony: Rites of Passage

by Jillian Kerr

Traditionally, the strawberry ceremony is for girls after their first menstrual cycle. However, today it is offered to folks who identify as two spirit and to those who didn’t have the opportunity to participate as young people, like me. I didn’t have the chance to go through this ceremony decades ago as an adolescent, and I am eagerly looking forward to my own strawberry ceremony experience this year. In anticipation, I researched the strawberry ceremony and talked to those who had already experienced it to learn more.

Strawberries are highly significant to the Wabanaki and other Native tribes; as part of the traditional Wabanaki diet before colonization, strawberries are indigenous. Natives used them for general health and to treat various ailments. Because of their shape, many Natives refer to  strawberries as the “heart berry.” The central plant and berry symbolize the mother, and the vines and future plants represent the connection between the Mother, her children, and her grandchildren. Strawberries could not grow without a vast, sprawling root system that connects the plants, like the veins that connect the heart to the rest of the body and sustain life.

Many teachings about the strawberry help us understand the connection between the mind, body, spirit, and emotions, as well as how to maintain healthy relationships. Many tribes believe strawberries represent the heart, love, connection, renewal, and womanhood and consider the strawberry a woman’s medicine. During the year of the ceremony, life slows down, and girls spend a lot of time with their mothers, aunts, grandmothers, and other role models to learn about womanhood and childbirth. 

Each tribe has its way of performing the strawberry ceremony, but they are all similar. Traditionally, it was a coming-of-age ceremony for girls after their first menstruation. The ceremony is a rite of passage that marks the change of roles and responsibilities. Natives believe that menstruation is the time when girls and women are spiritually powerful. The girls are encouraged to slow down during their menstrual cycle while they go through their strawberry ceremony. They have fewer responsibilities during this time, so they go easy on themselves and their bodies and have more time to learn from elders and role models.  

I first learned of the strawberry ceremony when my younger cousin and her peers participated as adolescents. Their ceremony was the first one held in Penobscot territory in quite some time. A Micmac elder from Burnt Church led their strawberry ceremony and its activities. I was curious about how the ceremony helped shape these women’s lives; this is what they had shared.

One woman told me that she learned about the rite of passage ceremony as a child, growing up in a household that practiced ceremonies and held strong cultural values. Her parents encouraged her to go through the ceremony and deeply believed that the ceremony was an honorable celebration for girls. She felt that the ceremony empowered her and taught her that menstrual cycles are nothing to be ashamed of and are sacred times for a woman.

Another woman shared that the ceremony was a wonderful way for her and her peers to connect with culture together as a group. She told me that the strawberry ceremony helped her reflect on what womanhood means to her. It helped her think about the kind of woman she wanted to become and didn’t want to become, and she felt that it connected her more with her culture and community in a way she hadn’t felt before. The shared experience of the ceremony fostered a sense of unity and belonging among the participants.

To learn more, I asked Lynn Mitchell, Passamaquoddy, who guides a group of young women in Sipayik who participate in the ceremony, to share what activities the girls participate in throughout the year. She said the girls were initiated last June (2024) when they each received their spirit name and color. The girls are learning traditional activities through monthly teachings during the year of the ceremony. They also fast from all berries and do various community-focused activities. These activities include raking blueberries at the Passamaquoddy blueberry barrens to share with the elders, making ribbon skirts, learning about traditional medicines and customs, learning beadwork, and making jams to enjoy at the end of the ceremony. Some are guided not to cut their hair or pick up a baby who is not yet walking during the year of the ceremony. The girls learn different teachings every month and participate in full moon and water ceremonies, as well as other activities.  

One of these teachings involves writing and translating a prayer they wrote themselves, which represents a large portion of what the girls learn. The ability to say a prayer in our language allows the girls to open gatherings and meetings, which is an honor. At the end of the year, following their strawberry ceremony, the community gathers for a feast to celebrate these young women, who share the berries they collected throughout the year.

I am deeply grateful to these women who generously shared their experiences with me. Their insights have deepened my understanding of the ceremony's significance in our culture and community. I eagerly await my strawberry ceremony this June. My mother and I have the unique opportunity to participate in the ceremony together, and I look forward to sharing this special experience with her.

References

https://wabano.com/product/strawberry-teachings/

https://kweksociety.org/traditional-teachings-2/

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/berry-fast-native-american-ritual-making-comeback-121896

https://www.thestandardnewspaper.ca/post/strawberry-teachings

https://lisedwards.wixsite.com/lishistory/post/ode-imin-the-strawberry-teaching

Interview with Juisen Bartibogue on March 24, 2025

Interview with Lynn Mitchell on February 11, 2025

Interview with Leigh Neptune on March 27, 2025