Kinaalda, the ceremony associated with the onset of a girl's puberty, is an important Navajo rite within the Blessingway complex. Derived from the experiences of Changing Woman, the puberty ceremony has been passed through generations and continues to be observed throughout Navajoland.

An acknowledged classic, Kinaalda remains the most complete -outsider- account of this important ceremony. Charlotte Frisbie's lucid description takes the reader through the four-day ritual, describing sequence, daily activities, restrictions, observances that include the girl's race toward the east,...