Cutting your hair

[Star Wolf Medicine Woman]

3 years ago my Northern Cheyenne buddy came to the uk for the first time.. The Elders told him to cut his hair short, saying he would blend in and not suffer discrimination etc.. When he arrived everyone said... Why did you cut your hair? He was sent home and told to grow it back... In a light hearted manner of course.. his wife who had a Hair salon on the Rez cut it for him, but unknown to him, she shaved the letters Uk 2 inches high in the back of his head... It was a whole week before anyone told him what she had done.. They both have a wonderful sense of humour.... He took to wearing a bandana with a baseball cap over it after that..

My Cherokee friend had not cut her hair since childhood until last month.. Then she had it cut and donated the hair to be made into wigs for children with Cancer, who lost their hair thru Chemotherapy... It was a good reason and a kind thing to do....

yes, an excellent reason. good for her!

Very interesting conversation. I've been growing my hair too - and people have said I should cut it - they think it makes me look older. But the thing is ... I AM older! ha ha. In fact, some day soon I am going to give up on this hair dye business and let the grey come, and braid my hair so I look like my beautiful brown, round Ojibwe grannies! I already see their faces when I look in the mirror.

I recently listened to an Elder talk about his granddaughter putting her hair in braids. She says that when she braids her hair, she does better in school, feels more at ease and confident, and she thinks more clearly. Another Elder says braids represent body, mind, and spirit.

So it would seem our hair is an extension of our ourselves; and by keeping it tidy and wrapped in braids, it's as if doing so unites body, mind, and spirit, and we become more focussed and grounded.

I've also heard about the "hair as antennae" thing ... that makes sense. As far as the theory about others getting ahold of our hair and clippings to do
"black medicine", I am not so sure about that - I like to think my helpers and guardians have a better watch over me than that! But really, what do I know about the vast mysteries of this universe? Not so much at all ...

That's what I understand at this time in my earth walk.

raven poet

i too wear my hair in braids. mainly because it's very long and i do it to keep it cool and from getting tangled. (it's pretty think)

alot of my friend have short hair. they call me 'the hippie' of the group. i don't care. i like it this way.

Hey, elisi! Right on - way to go for knowing who you are and what you like! All these tired old ideas about women and appearance get on my nerves - ever since I recently turned 50, I've noticed there is a wonderful power that comes with this age (as well as more aches and pains, but hey - that's the way life goes! You take the good with the not so good.)

Hair is such a personal thing; it says so much about our identity, doesn't it? Mine isn't long enough for "real" braids yet - it tends to grow thick instead of length. But I will get there.

power does come with age.

did you see the movie 'fried green tomatoes'?

i live the scene when kathy bates rams her car into a carload of young women.

priceless.

as i age, i could care less what others think of me, i don't worry about the small stuff, i do and say whatever i want.

loving being me!

[Faith33]

This is an interesting topic.
Though I'm not Native American, the women in my village (and especially the older generations) have always worn their hair long, in braids and wrapped in black bandanas.

Women like my grandmothers have never had a blade to their hair, nor color.

For them, the braids symbolized maturity, wisdom and "ethics" .

A woman who cut her hair in those days was considered "tainted". :O

I LOVED that scene! Kathy Bates killed it! She's so good.

Hollywood is finally starting to wake up that we all don't have to be young twenty-something hot bodies to exist - and dare I say thrive? - in NA society. I am seeing more movies (one of my fave hobbies) depict older woman as sexual, sassy, and powerful.

Just caught a newer movie on the tv last night: "RED" (2010). Helen Mirren played a retired assassin - and she was sassy and beautiful, with her own love story in the film! Loved that part. Of course, Bruce Willis was with the much younger Mary-Louise Parker, so that was still status quo (older guy younger woman). But still, it was lovely to see Helen Mirren play such an empowered role!

I am so glad that you love being you!

could be ancestral memory also. i'm twister clan. they were known for their elaborate hairstyles and braids. i had a vision of my grandmother (who died before i could meet her). she had her back to me. she had her hair in 3 braids pulled together at the bottom and tied off with raven feathers.

i've worn that style to many a ceremony. made me feel connected to her.

Originally Posted by Hope33

This is an interesting topic.
Though I'm not Native American, the women in my village (and especially the older generations) have always worn their hair long, in braids and wrapped in black bandanas.

Women like my grandmothers have never had a blade to their hair, nor color.

For them, the braids symbolized maturity, wisdom and "ethics" .

A woman who cut her hair in those days was considered "tainted". :O

Ooooh, Hope33 - I like your culture's ideas about braids!

And "tainted"? Wow - I wonder how that connection got conceived???