On Becoming a Yanesha’ Woman: The Ponapnora Puberty Ritual and Cultural Transmission

Yanesha' women completing the ponapnora ritual (Source: Anna Luisa Daigneault)

 

Previously on the blog the topic of rites of passage were discussed.  Rites of passage are rituals that enable individuals to move from one socially defined state into another, and they exist in various cultures across the globe.  Today’s blog post will discuss a specific rite of passage specific the to Yanesha’ culture of central Peru: the ponapnora puberty ritual.  This rite of passage serves as a means of redefining a female from being a juvenile girl but now an adult woman acts, as well as acts as an important vehicle of cultural transmission that allows for the passage of cultural knowledge, heritage, and language to women in the society.

 

The ponapnora is a puberty ritual practiced by the Yanesha’ indigenous group who resides in the Amazonian rainforests (east of the Andes) in central Peru.  The ponapnora has undergone various changes over the generations, the most rapid of which have occurred in the last few decades (a result of both forced and voluntarily cultural assimilation among the Yanesha’).  The practice begins when a girl informs her mother or other female relative that she has started her first period.  She is immediately whisked away and isolated to a leaf-walled hut.  Traditionally, the girl, who is considered in transition (or existing in her liminal state), would remain isolated from anywhere from two to six months, but more recently girls opt to remain sequestered for a couple of weeks to a month.  This is in large part due to external pressures from local schools who fear girls falling behind due to missing so much schooling, as well as girls not wanting to be away from their friends and leisure activities. 

 

During the time the girls are separated from their everyday lives they are attended to by various older female relatives and important members of the group.  The girls undergo specific rituals associated with their transformative process.  They have strict dietary restrictions, fasting for extended periods wherein they can only consume water, herbal teas, and unsalted manioc root.  These fasting rituals are actually very similar to the fasting diets and cleanses that various Americans undertake, and the purposes are actually very similar between Americans and the Yanesha’: both groups believe the rituals improve health and wellness.  One of the big differences with the Yanesha’ traditions is that the girls eat specific medicinal plants in order to encourage both physical strength and vitality.  There also exists a belief that the consumption of certain plants will encourage specific physical transformations that girls wish to have upon becoming mature adult women.  The girls will request specific physical features, and their mothers and female attendants will procure and serve the appropriate medicinal plants to promote such features. 

 

Sequestered Yanesha’ girls also undergo various other rituals, including ritual bathing and receive education specific to their new adult, feminine roles.  Their education includes some sex education, but it is more focused on teaching the girls about ritual roles they will now be responsible for.  These are often specific to the girls’ lineage, meaning they may concentrate on learning ritual weaving and sewing methods or the lyrics to ritual songs and how to sing them (the latter of which is important in preserving their language).  They also learn about the local flora (plants) of the forest and how they can be used for specific medicinal or nutritional purposes, which are fiercely protected secrets among the Yanesha’.  Consistent across the curriculum, however, is the transmission of cultural knowledge, history, and language.  In this way the ponapnora puberty ritual is an important part of passing along culture to Yanesha’ girls and women.

 

Upon the completion of the ritual transformation, which is viewed as a necessary purification of the girl as she transitions to womanhood, she emerges from the hut by literally tearing down the walls.  She is assisted in this by her female attendants, who collectively emerge from the destroyed hut wearing ritual clothing.  Their bodies are also painted with intricate patterns and designs, which are meant to demonstrate the spiritual importance of the process.  The ponapnora woman, as she is now referred to, also dons a face veil/covering.  This is to protect her from making eye contact with anyone upon leaving the hut and completing the transition ceremony.  It is believed that all the knowledge and strength that was given to her and that she earned over her period of isolation will be lost upon making eye contact with others. 

 

The women then begin some of their feminine roles by serving members of their village a large feast, which includes various delicacies and manioc beer.  The women will also be responsible for acquiring more food as the festivities continue.  To deter anyone from going to sleep after the long transition period of fasting and heavy consumption of food mock fighting, dancing, singing, and the playing of musical instruments will also commence.  The Yanesha’ believe that anyone who rests during the closing portion of the ritual risks being possessed by malicious spirits that will inflict a lifetime of laziness on them. 

 

Ultimately, the purpose of the ponapnora ritual is to act as a rite of passage to celebrate a girl’s transition to womanhood, while also providing her the necessary time and space to learn the cultural knowledge required to be a successful Yanesha’ woman.  Life in the Amazon is hard and learning how to withstand hardship is key to survival for the individual and the Yanesha’ as a whole.  She also learns about her family history and heritage, which encourages the passing on of important cultural knowledge and history that is not written down but only orally communicated throughout the generations.  Without the ponapnora puberty ritual Yanesha’ culture is at risk of being lost, which is a tragedy not only for the Yansha’ but people around the globe.  The knowledge they have concerning the Amazon rainforest could be integral to its preservation, and ultimately the loss of cultural diversity is a misfortune as diverse ideas and ways of doing things supports creativity in understanding the world and solving problems common among all societies.

 

Works Cited

Daigneault, Anna Luisa. An Ethnolinguistic Study of the Yanesha’ (Amuesha) Language and Speech Community in. Montreal: Université de Montréal, 2009. Print.

—. "Witnessing an Endangered Puberty Ritual." 2 July 2019. Sapiens. Electronic. 4 January 2023.

Pacheo, Nadesca, et al. "Yánesha Women and Their Roles in Forest Management." Foundation, Tebtebba. Indigenous Women, Climate Change and Forests. Baguio City: Tebtebba Foundation, 2011. 207-246. Print.