$$$$

Hey, girls. Getting back to you all about splitting the cost of materials.

We are standing at $15 per person. I've gotten payment from most of you, but if you haven't given me a check or cash, please bring them Tuesday to the Harn or tackle me when you see me (I have change).

If you spent money on supplies you'll get the difference back.

Those who gave me checks, expect them to be deposited within the next 3 weeks.

As for the books. Aliana will get the final cost of that separately and take care of that later. It won't be a bad idea to bring some small cash with you to the Harn on Tuesday ($5 in $1-bills is recommended).

Txt me if you have any questions (918) 639 2414.

-Giang Pham

Body Arts (everyday)

Body Arts (everyday)

Bodily adornment is the most prominent type of art within [name] culture. While it is most intricate within ritual settings, the Elumi spare no expense in body art even in everyday settings. Elumi dress references lights, and it is the Elumi’s belief that the more one dresses to emulate the light, the more they can become like light.  Ritualistically, body art is used to emulate the light that is so venerated by Elumi. The clothing, make-up, and other adornment worn during rituals emphasizes the beauty and importance of the Sun. Three major areas of body art within the Elumi society include: fashion, accessories, and makeup.

Fashion

Clothing is relatively unisex. Due to the subtropical nature of the Zunamir, the Elumi wear light, breathable fabrics.

Production of Fabric: The Elumi have a particular plant, called the malvaceae, which is indigenous to its land. Because it grows so well in Zunamir, the Elumi only uses the malvaceae’s fibers to weave fabrics. This plant can grow quickly; it produces seedlings as quickly as a few days after planting. The seedling then matures in the course of seven days and produces a pod that contains malvaceae fibers. It is possible to harvest the malvaceae within two weeks after initial planting. In harvesting the malvaceae, the Elumi remove the part of the plant that can be woven into fabrics and take the remaining part of the plant to be composted into fertilizer. The malvaceae has unique properties and can grow best if it is grown in a fertilizer composed of malvaceae parts.

After the malvaceae is harvested, it is cleaned of excess dirt. Then, it is matted, and the fibers are used to weave into fabric. Because the parts of the plants that are harvested are naturally fibrous, it facilitates the weaving of the materials into fabric. The process of weaving the fabric is uniform within the Elumi society. Fabrics are woven through a loom, and each family is responsible for the production of enough fabric for its family. Within the family, usually the women are responsible for the weaving of the fabric, as the men are responsible for harvesting within the society and bring home to the family the harvested malvaceae.

Clothes-pieces

The Elumi clothing consists of two types of garments for both men and women—flowing pants and a fitted shirt. The garments are meant to be simple and reflect the maximum amount of light. Shirts are individually wrapped based on the wearer's preference. Often, shirts are further adorned with extra metallic ribbons and metallic rings. Ornamentation is based on the wearer's preference, so long as the ornamentation can reflect more light.  There is less emphasis on clothing, because clothing is not as helpful in reflecting light compared to shiny accessories. It is possible to adorn clothes with reflective stones within the fabric, but there is more emphasis on the production of jewelry as opposed to the production of clothes.

Accessories

• Women and men have separate main accessories. Men wear necklaces, while women wear headdresses. The quantity of accessories is significant because a person with a large collection is considered very rich, both monetarily and spiritually. Bracelets are also woven based on individual preference. However, bracelets are secondary to the headresses in Elumi women and necklaces in Elumi men in terms of accessories.
• The most important and valuable accessory is the mirror. Mirrors are highly valued because they are optimal in reflecting light. Mirrors are primarily adorned in headdresses for women and necklaces for men. As an individual ages, he or she gains more mirrors, either through trade or heirlooms, thus building up his or her wealth. Mirrors are acquired through time and sometimes inherited by children from grandparents. In this way, they become family heirlooms and therefore even more precious. For women, their headdress grow in length, while for men, their amount of necklaces they may wear grows outward as men can wear each mirror he receives individually. Mirrors are typically spherical to represent the spherical shape of the light source.
• Additionally, metals can be used within accessories. Metals are typically obtained through trade. The most common metals are gold and silver. Copper is also used, although it is not considered as valuable as gold or silver as it does not reflect as much light. These metals are often shaped into circles but can be molded into interesting woven designs that can be implemented in the headdresses or necklaces. Metals are also signs of wealth, but it is not as important as the quantity of mirrors a person may have.

Makeup

• For everyday use, the Elumi produce golden body paint made from finely ground substances. Many of the materials needed to produce the golden body paint are indigenous to the island. To produce the golden body paint, the Elumi utilize a ground base foundation paint and mix the paint with luminous minerals, such as gold or silver, to give the paint a shiny glow. Other less precious minerals, such as copper or iron, can be utilized in the production of the paint. The Elumi like to use neutral or metallic colors for pigments in their makeup; bright and dark colors are never used because of their inabilities to reflect light well. To make the paint easier to apply on the body, the Elumi add a type of rubbing oil to give the paint a liquid like consistency, easing up the application process.
• The golden paint is sometimes arranged in a five-ray pattern. The Elumi must apply the paint for each other, but the activity of body painting is separated by sex. Young children are all painted by their mothers, but when they reach marriage age, the boys must be join the men in the daily painting while the girls stay with the women. This activity of body painting provides unity within the egalitarian society and close kinship with others in the community.

Whoever did the first part of the ethnography needs to do the Identification part as well. I think that's all I'm missing, since we didn't have a name when we started putting together the ethnography. Some basic notes:

Planet - Zunamir

People - Elumi

and for the identification, you should just describe the planet and the people in general.

Thanks,

Olivia

This Performance

This ceremony is the Elumi’s way of honoring a person from the society who has died or is close to death while simultaneously drawing attention to the coming of the spring and growing season. The heart of the ceremony though is based on the concept that the deceased is not actually dead, she is simply transforming into an alternate form of energy. Her spirit is going from being contained within her human form, to growing with the plants, and eventually it becomes a light source. The community does not view the death of one of their members as a loss, or even really as a death. They view it as a total rebirthing; the spirit of the woman transforming from its humanly form, into a more earthly form, before finally becoming its most natural state (light).

In the ceremony, women of all ages process out to an open area accompanied by the person who is being honored. All of the women are wearing similar costumes: flowing cream pants and tops (each tied by the individual in any of several different styles) with golden accents. The women also each wear a headdress made up of a sparking headband with white ribbon, golden beads, and mirrors hanging down. The length of the strand of ribbons, beads, and mirrors corresponds to each woman’s age with the youngest women wearing the shortest and the eldest wearing the longest. The only woman not dressed in this fashion is the woman being honored. This woman also wears loose pants and a light top however she also has a white fabric covering on her head and wears no headdress.

Each age group has a specific role to play in the performance of the ritual. The youngest take charge of handing **seed bombs** to the observers while the middle aged women lay out strips of fabric, which will later be used to wrap the honoree, onto the ground in a star-like pattern. The elders then enter the area holding a long strip of golden fabric over the eldest woman. The woman who is being honored stops in the center of the large star and the older aged women begin to form a sort of cocoon around her with the fabric strips. As the wrapping is in occurring, the middle aged women take turns sprinkling glitter and seeds into the air and around the honoree. Through all of this, the youngest girls are handing **seed bombs** out, ringing their bells, and inviting people in to join the celebration of life. When the honoree is fully cocooned, she is laid down onto the ground and the women begin circling around and taking turns pouring a little dirt onto her using their bells. After each woman has a turn, the youngest pour the remaining dirt over the cocooned woman and the middle-aged women plant seedlings into the dirt pile. All of the women then take a step back and process out of the area, leaving the honoree to transform into the plant life around her.

final ethnography

Hey guys,

Great job today! make sure to post all your finalized sections for the ethnography by Sunday and that the pictures get sent to Aliana.

Performance Rehearsal!!!!

Hi all!!! We need to meet up ASAP to rehearse the performance and have a fitting of everyone's outfit... What time works for all?? I wanted to email however wasn't sure our email addresses.. I'll look again and try and find it.. However Tuesday at noon? or at least by 12:45 we know we're free, we can meet up in the Digital Media Room and I'll have all our outfits and layout of how the performance is going!

IN SHORT (more or less) the performance will be an entrance with the younger woman who will be bell ringers in the front, older woman who will be carrying an 8 yard piece of shimmering fabric, Rhonda (the eldest) will be in the middle of the fabric, and middle aged woman in the back with the fabric and seeds to prepare the ceremony that will take place in the square courtyard by FAD.

Once we're there we will set up and according (like above) to our "age" have a specific duty as part of the performance... our movements will be intentional and with purpose as we PREPARE and CELEBRATE our "sister's" (rhonda) transformation aka shape shifting aka flesh leaving expansion to the everything/plants/lights ...you all can word it however...

The movement's will be a series of wrapping Rhonda (who will be covered in the shimmering cloth carried) however in a very performative way where the eldest woman are paired and wrapping themselves, spiraling inward toward Rhonda, and then wrapping her and spiraling out the opposing way (kind of like a maypole dance however a little more physical and we'll be part of the wrap, unwrap process where only the eldest is left wrapped (almost like a cocoon.. as we wrap out we'll be given seeds/which will have a golden element to them, by a younger member and pouring them over Rhonda..

So oldest will be wrapping, middle aged will be partial wrapping/seed givers and youngest will be constant bell ringers and will prepare the seeds for the middle aged woman...

this will end as we're all circled around rhonda ringing the bells, her fully covered..

It'll make more sense when we meet up and demonstrate!!!

THANKS FOR EVERYONES WORK and I look forward to a fun performance!!! SEE YOU SOON!!

"This Performance"

· Who is honored? It is a way for us to honor the person from the society who has died while simultaneously drawing attention to the coming of the spring and growing season. The heart of the ceremony though is based on the concept that the deceased is not actually dead, she is simply transforming into an alternate form of energy.

· Who are the players? Women of all ages.

· How are they dressed? To be determined (?) … gold/earth tone outfits with gold/metallic/mirror accessories. Each woman wears a headdress made of mirrors with the length and amount of mirrors corresponding to the woman’s age

· What is the intent of this performance? to honor the deceased member of the society and show her becoming one again with the elements. It also provides an opportunity for the younger members of the culture to learn how to make the seed bombs that are used in the ceremony. In the eyes of the society, the woman being honored has not died; she is simply going through a process of transformation. Her spirit is going from being contained within her human form, to growing with the plants, and eventually it becomes a light source. The community does not view the death of one of their members as a loss, or even really as a death. They view it as a total rebirthing; the spirit of the woman transforming from its humanly form, into a more earthly form, before finally becoming its most natural state (light).

Name and ritual time

Hey, so lets give ourselves a name! We can decide if we want a short/long/latin-based name to start if we're having a hard time coming up with suggestions.

we can even start here (basic stuff): http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_say_light_in_different_languages

And are we meeting on Tuesday for the ritual practice?

Body Arts (everyday)-- revision

I've elaborated a lot more on my section and even included a section on how we make fabrics (I got that + the name wiki-ing up the process of cotton making.) If we want it in the book, we can add it in! 

If there are any comments, please post below. If I don't get anything by Tuesday around class time, I'll assume this is ok, and I guess Aliana, you can add it to the formatting of the book. Thanks!

Body Arts (everyday)

Bodily adornment is the most prominent type of art within [name] culture. While it is most intricate within ritual settings, the [name]+ians spare no expense in body art even in everyday settings. [Name] dress references lights, and it is the [name]’s belief that the more one dresses to emulate the light, the more they can become like light.  Ritualistically, body art is used to emulate the light that is so venerated by [name]. The clothing, make-up, and other adornment worn during rituals emphasizes the beauty and importance of the Sun. Three major areas of body art within the [name] society include: fashion, accessories, and makeup.

Fashion

Clothing is relatively unisex. Due to the subtropical nature of the [name of land], the [name] wear light, breathable fabrics.

Production of Fabric: The [name] have a particular plant, called the malvaceae, which is indigenous to its land. Because it grows so well in [land], the [name] only uses the malvaceae’s fibers to weave fabrics. This plant can grow quickly; it produces seedlings as quickly as a few days after planting. The seedling then matures in the course of seven days and produces a pod that contains malvaceae fibers. It is possible to harvest the malvaceae within two weeks after initial planting. In harvesting the malvaceae, the [name] remove the part of the plant that can be woven into fabrics and take the remaining part of the plant to be composted into fertilizer. The malvaceae has unique properties and can grow best if it is grown in a fertilizer composed of malvaceae parts.

After the malvaceae is harvested, it is cleaned of excess dirt. Then, it is matted, and the fibers are used to weave into fabric. Because the parts of the plants that are harvested are naturally fibrous, it facilitates the weaving of the materials into fabric. The process of weaving the fabric is uniform within the [name] society. Fabrics are woven through a loom, and each family is responsible for the production of enough fabric for its family.

Clothes-pieces

The [name] clothing consists of two types of garments for both men and women—flowing pants and a fitted shirt. The garments are meant to be simple and reflect the maximum amount of light. There is less emphasis on clothing, because clothing is not as helpful in reflecting light compared to shiny accessories. It is possible to adorn clothes with reflective stones within the fabric, but there is more emphasis on the production of jewelry as opposed to the production of clothes.

Accessories

            Women and men have separate main accessories. Men wear necklaces, while women wear headdresses. The quantity of accessories is significant because a person with a large collection is considered very rich, both monetarily and spiritually. Mirrors are acquired through time and sometimes inherited by children from grandparents. In this way, they become family heirlooms and therefore even more precious.

            The most important and valuable accessory is the mirror. Mirrors are highly valued because they are optimal in reflecting light. Mirrors are primarily adorned in headdresses for women and necklaces for men. As an individual ages, he or she gains more mirrors, either through trade or heirlooms, thus building up his or her wealth. For women, their headdress grow in length, while for men, their amount of necklaces they may wear grows outward as men can wear each mirror he receives individually. Mirrors are typically spherical to represent the spherical shape of the light source.

            Additionally, metals can be used within accessories. Metals are typically obtained through trade. The most common metals are gold and silver. Copper is also used, although it is not considered as valuable as gold or silver as it does not reflect as much light. These metals are often shaped into circles but can be molded into interesting woven designs that can be implemented in the headdresses or necklaces. Metals are also signs of wealth, but it is not as important as the quantity of mirrors a person may have.

Makeup

            For everyday use, the [name of society] produce golden body paint made from finely ground substances. Many of the materials needed to produce the golden body paint are indigenous to the island. To produce the golden body paint, the [name of society] utilize a ground base foundation paint and mix the paint with luminous minerals, such as gold or silver, to give the paint a shiny glow. Other less precious minerals, such as copper or iron, can be utilized in the production of the paint. The [name of society] like to use neutral or metallic colors for pigments in their makeup; bright and dark colors are never used because of their inabilities to reflect light well. To make the paint easier to apply on the body, the [name of society] add a type of rubbing oil to give the paint a liquid like consistency, easing up the application process.

            The golden paint is arranged in a five-ray pattern. The [name] must apply the paint for each other, but the activity of body painting is separated by sex. Young children are all painted by their mothers, but when they reach marriage age, the boys must be join the men in the daily painting while the girls stay with the women. This activity of body painting provides unity within the egalitarian society and close kinship with others in the communit.

Seedbombs

I found this on stumbleupon. At the very end of the site, you can see a type of packaging for the seedbombs. Thought it was pretty cool. Maybe we can do something similar?

thecommonstudio.com/index.php%253F/project/greenaid/

Also, are the people who are making the costumes/headdresses making any progress? I am still not sure if we're each making our own headbands, etc?

Art and Performance

I beefed up my portion a bit, and mixed the two categories (art and performance, and meaning and symbolism) together to make it easier to read.

For the [INSERT NAME HERE], art is either functional or wearable as body art. Because the society is based on agriculture, everything must have a purpose and therefore not much purely decorative art exists aside from the body arts. The art that does exist is highly spiritual in nature, with all aspects of art and performance relating back to the veneration of the Sun and Light. The Sun’s far-reaching creative power is of the utmost importance to this society, due to their dependence on agriculture. Additionally, the [INSERT NAME HERE] put great emphasis on the idea of “oneness” with nature, other people, the Light, etc. and through their rituals aim at reaching out to others by distributing the seeds they ritually plant.

Basketry

Basketry is an important craft, and baskets are used in the fields when collecting certain crops as well as during rituals. Ritual baskets and baskets used for the more mundane tasks are both woven in a simple, handle-less bowl shape with a flat bottom. The two types are distinct however, in that ritual baskets are made with a finer quality straw, and it is strictly forbidden to use a ritual basket outside of the ceremony. Within the Planting Festival, a basket plays a central role as the container for the unwrapped seed bombs (a mixture of clay, soil, and seeds).

Ceramics

Ceramic arts are equally important. Clay vessels are vital to the transportation of water and the storage of food. These utilitarian forms are often treated with slips or glazes, which serve to seal the clay body from the elements and for aesthetic purposes. Ceramics also become important for the creation of musical bells, which are used exclusively in a ritual context. These types of ceremonial bells are occasionally made from metal, but ceramics are much more common due to the perceived powers of the soil from which the clay was derived. The ringing of bells is said to make the light of the sun audible, and when employed in the Planting Festival it purifies the atmosphere and allows sunlight to flow more freely, increasing its creative powers. Because the seeds must be buried within the soil away from the light of the sun, infant plants require the music of bells sun call the seedlings to the surface.

Metalwork and Mirrors

Metals are used widely for jewelry, which is worn daily but elaborated for performances. Percussive musical instruments and adornments used during ritual performances are made from copper, gold, or silver and greatly valued for their shiny qualities.

Even more valuable in [INSERT NAME HERE] culture are mirrors. Mirrors are prized for their ability to reflect the sunlight, and are said to harness a great deal of the creative and spiritual powers of the sun. Mirrors are worn on headdresses by women and sewn into men’s clothing or worn around the neck. It is important to always have some mirrors on one’s person for their sacred uses and as a way to prominently display one’s spiritual wealth.

Mirrors play an important role in the Spring, when the women perform the planting festival (this celebration will be further detailed in later sections). In the Fall, however, the men perform a harvesting festival. This festival includes a competition amongst the young men for an elaborate mirror pendant. This ancient charm has been passed on for generations, and is said to have accumulated massive amounts of spiritual power for the entire community. The winner of the competition is entrusted with the high honor of protecting it for the year until the next Fall, when a new competition will yield a new winner.

ritual choreography

Hey, I was just wondering when we're going to get together to put together the choreography and sequence of events for the ritual...We already know who's in each group, but do we have choreographers for both? (I know that the inner group isn't really dancing, but at one point we were talking about you guys ritually preparing the seed bombs, and that's kind of choreography.)

Can we all post times that we can meet? I would suggest a Doodle, but don't know how to set one up.

If we can't all meet at the same time, we could probably find times when the two groups can get together, and as long as the choreographers communicate so the two groups' movements go together. Then we can try and find a time when most people can meet up and put the two halves together, and mark through it before the performance next thursday.

Table of Contents

(page numbers not set yet)

Ethnography

Identification

Setting

Society

Gender roles

Politics

Culture and Religion

Music

Art

Economy

Context of Body Art

Art and Performance

Planting Ritual

I. Identification – will probably take maybe 1-2 pages but since we haven’t thought of our name or anything like that, I will put [name] which we will replace once we get this section done.

i. Setting

In the subtropical valleys of [planet name] live the [name]. Their livelihood is largely dependent on the seasonal changes in day length and weather. Festivals celebrating these changes are a large part of [name] culture, which focuses on longer sowing and shorter harvesting days. Agriculturally, the [name] depend on the abundance of water supplied by the rivers and streams around which their villages are located. The elimination of an intricate irrigation system allows for easy and plentiful harvesting methods.

ii. Society

Social Ties

The [name] live in largely egalitarian societies, keeping the number of families in any given village small to prevent social complication. Villages maintain ties to neighboring peoples through marriage and ritual hosting. In the [ritual name we’re performing], for example, neighboring villages are invited to view the annual sowing rituals of the women, who bundle up seeds in a ceremonial context to represent both their village’s hospitality and openness to alliance as well as its material and cultural wealth.

Gender Roles

Men and women generally share the tasks and responsibilities associated with everyday life and receive wealth and prestige equally. The only time the two sexes are separated is during certain agricultural rituals. The women perform the sowing ritual at the beginning of the planting season and the men perform harvest rituals at the end. Marriages are exogamous from lineage, so adults may marry individuals from other villages, so long as they marry outside their own kinship group. Newly married couples are expected to begin a new household independently of other family, assuring a stable flow of houses and families. Elders are taken care of by their children and to some extent by the entire village and family decisions are discussed with all adult members.

Politics

There is no formal leadership within [name] villages. The political structure is somewhat based on familial procedures. Important decisions are made by the adults in the community in meetings presided over by the elder members. All opinions are heard and decisions are made when all present are in agreement. Major conflicts can also be resolved in the above matter. If an agreement cannot be reached and a minor group is dissatisfied, dissenters are free to leave and join another village or form a new one, though they are expected to maintain friendly relations with their original village.

Culture and Religion

The [name] follow an animistic belief system with an emphasis on Sun and Light[1] reverence. They believe the world is filled with spirits working in harmony to maintain order in the world. Light is of central importance because of its role in agriculture. Shiny objects that reflect sunlight are considered most precious and are incorporated into everyday dress as well as ritual practices. It is believed that with age, an individual becomes closer to uniting with the Light. Older people wear more shiny objects to represent their increased knowledge of the Light. The dead are buried with seeds as a way to maintain the life cycle. When the seeds grow into plants, it is the symbolic emergence of life from death. Ancestral spirits are reincarnated in newborn children and continue on the path to enLightenment.

Music

The [name] enjoy and partake and musical performance during ritual practices and often in everyday life. Bells and chimes are considered sacred instruments because they reflect Light using sound and are used exclusively in ritual performance to emphasize actions in a ceremonial context. Other instruments and voice are used as entertainment during work and leisure. Dance is used for ritual and entertainment purposes, often in an educational context. Specific dances are reserved for ritual activities and are used to educate younger members on the ways of the performance. Villagers enjoy dancing to music at celebratory gatherings.

Art

The art of the [name] often incorporates abstract designs, a reflection of the complex ideology they follow in their religion and cultural practices. Art forms include body adornment, ceramics, metalwork, and basketry. Most of these are associated with the major rituals the [name] partake in and will be discussed in more detail later on.

iii. Economy

Agriculture and Trade

Agriculture is the primary means of production for the [name]. Crops are grown in communal fields and are ritually planted by women and harvested by men. Children and young adults tend them on a day – to – day basis. Young adults leave the fields after the birth of their first child. After marriage, they begin to split their time between fieldwork and training under an adult who is a craftsman. The [name] trade surplus crops, ceramics and metal crafts for crops (if needed), regional styles of ceramics, raw metals, and mirrors.

After the birth of an adult’s first grandchild, that person officially becomes and elder and can retire from craftsmanship to perform other duties. Elders watch small children and supervise work in the fields, organizing efforts to make sure the whole field is taken care of. They also oversee the collection of crops and trade goods as well as redistribution. Food and trade goods are distributed evenly among villagers. The only reason older people have more material wealth, such as mirrors and metal ornaments, is because they have accumulated it throughout their lifetimes.

II. Body Art

Bodily adornment is the most prominent and important type of art within [name] culture. It is present in all aspects of life, though most prevalent in ritual contexts. Everyday dress references light in more subtle ways – light clothing, mirrored or metallic accents. Ritualistically, body art is used to emulate the Light that is so venerated by the [name]. The costumes, make-up, and other adornment worn during rituals is meant to emphasize the beauty and importance of the Sun. Since the [name] largely depend on the sun and its light, their shimmering body paint, light linen costumes, and metallic or mirrored accessories are all references to its importance. The goal of body ornamentation in ritual is to make the wearer as ephemeral as the sunlight she imitates. Mirrors reflect the sunlight, and are thus believed to harness the spiritual power of the sun. They are extremely sacred and valuable, and a person with a large collection is considered very rich, both monetarily and spiritually. Mirrors are acquired through time and sometimes inherited by children from grandparents. In this way, they become family heirlooms and therefore even more precious. During rituals, the body is made a vehicle for the spirit of the Light. Golden paint is rubbed on the shoulders in a five-ray pattern and metallic rings or ornaments are worn on the wrists and ankles.

III. Art and Performance

For the [name], art is either functional or wearable. In an agricultural society such as theirs, everything must have a purpose and therefore not much purely decorative art exists. Basketry is an important craft. They are used in the fields when collecting certain crops and are used in rituals to carry seed bombs symbolic of the planting season. Ceramic arts are equally important. Bells used in ceremonial music are made out of ceramics. In a ritual context, bells can be made from clay or metals but the most venerated are the ceramics because they are made from the earth. Ceramic vessels are used for utilitarian purposes as storage and for drinking and eating. Metalwork is used widely for jewelry, which is worn daily but elaborated for performances. Musical instruments and adornments used during ritual performances are made from copper, gold, or silver and greatly valued for their shiny qualities. Mirrors are worn on headdresses by women and sewn into men’s clothing or worn around the neck. It is important to always have some mirrors on one’s person for their spiritual uses and to display sociability and wealth.

Meaning and Symbolism

All aspects of art and performance relate back to the veneration of the Sun and Light. The Sun is valued for its creative power and its ability to reach out to the entire world. The [name] put great emphasis on the idea of “oneness” with nature, other people, the Light, etc. and through their rituals aim at reaching out to others by distributing the seeds they ritually plant. The ringing of bells during ceremonies is said to purify the atmosphere and allow sunlight to flow more freely, increasing its creativity. Bells are rung at planting to allow the sunlight to reach growing seeds. In the Spring, the women perform the planting festival that will be outlined in the following sections. In the Fall, however, the men perform a harvesting festival. This festival includes a competition amongst the young men for an elaborate mirror pendant said to hold a great deal of spiritual power. The winner of the competition is entrusted with its care for the year until the next Fall, when a new competition will yield a new winner.

IV. The Planting Festival

At the beginning of Spring, the women of the [name] villages perform a very sacred ritual honoring the Light and celebrating the beginning of the season. The ceremonies are individual to each village but occur around the same time. They are open to neighboring villages and in fact, are a way of advertising the crops they will later trade for goods. Allowing potential trade partners to see the ritual shows them that the planting was done correctly and the necessary rituals performed to secure good crops. All the women in the village will be involved. The older women will be preoccupied in the center bundling and distributing packages of seeds to the younger women, who will in turn give them to onlookers. The younger women perform dances and sacred songs with bells and chimes. All the women are dressed in light earth tone linen and ornately adorned with mirrors, metallic ornaments, and body paint. The only differentiating aspect of their costume will be their headdresses, made according to their respective ages. An older woman will wear a longer headdress and all the mirrors she has accumulated throughout her life while a younger woman will wear her headdress short and with less mirrors.

On the day of the ritual, women will adorn themselves appropriately and gather seeds in a basket, which will eventually become the centerpiece to the ritual. The women will enter the space, designated for the planting ritual at an earlier date, in order from youngest to oldest. The younger women will be more carefree and light in their movements, seemingly dancing with every breath. Older women will be more subdued and subtle in their movements. They will settle themselves in a circle surrounding the basket while the young women begin their dance. There will be a moment at the beginning of the ceremony where the youngest women will be learning the dances and songs through observation. This ritual is somewhat a learning experience for these younger girls, who will eventually be part of the group of seated women in the center. The women around the basket will begin making small bundles of seeds while rhythmically sounding bells or chimes, which will slowly create a natural beat with the bells and chimes the dancers wear on their bodies. The ceremony is light and calm, creating a nurturing atmosphere for the planting season. Once made, the bundles will be handed off to the surrounding dancers, who will then distribute them among the crowd that has gathered for the occasion. The viewers will be encouraged to plant the seeds contained in the bundles, an act symbolic of the ideas of “oneness” that the [name] so admire.

---

[1] Sun and Light are both capitalized because the [name] treat these as spirit beings. The [name] believe that one day, they will be reunited with these spirits, becoming one with the light.

So above is the ethnography. I just edited everyone's submissions and changed some things to make sure everything agreed with the other sections. Some notes :

1 - We still need a name and a planet (i think we should stick to earth but maybe pick a country or make up an island or something?).

2 - We should also think about how to end the ritual. I included how we enter, what we're going to be doing, how we differ from each other, etc. but when I got the end, I feel like we need some sort of climax to the event. Any ideas? I'd love to add it.

3 - I'm not sure if this will be long enough. It's about 5 pages single spaced. I guess Aliana will let us know when she does some preliminary stuff.

4- Aliana, would you prefer I e-mail you an attached word document? I'm not sure if this will show up nicely formatted.

Question from the Graphic Designer

Hey! The ethnography looks wonderful, guys :)

I know the writers just finished posting up the basic details but I just wanna ask when the edited version would be done? I'm aware that there is one person as the editor. I just want to keep up to date since I need to start designing the book soon.