COMING OF AGE: MESCALERO APACHE MAIDENS

This moving coming-of-age visual story introduces viewers to the rituals and families of two Mescalero maidens, Ashlee Belin and Malia Enjady, through a sacred tribal tradition where the girls are inducted into the community as women.

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Malia Enjady, silhouetted by the campfire

Malia Enjady, silhouetted by the campfire, dances during her Coming of Age Ceremony. © Jan Butchofsky

Crown Dancers.

Crown Dancer Blessings before the dance, Coming of Age Ceremony, Mescalero Apache Reservation, New Mexico © Jan Butchofsky

Crown Dancers circle campfire

Crown Dancers circle campfire, Coming of Age Ceremony, Mescalero Apache. The women also dance in support of the maiden. © Jan Butchofsky

Portrait of Malia Enjady,

Melia Enjady with ceremonial teepee, Coming of Age Ceremony, Mescalero Apache Reservation, New Mexico © Jan Butchofsky

Meet the Maiden.

Melia Enjady, Coming of Age Ceremony, Mescalero Apache Reservation, New Mexico ©Jan Butchofsky

Meet the Maiden, Ashlee Belin

Meet the Maiden, Ashlee Belin, Coming of Age Ceremony, Mescalero Apache Reservation, New Mexico ©Jan Butchofsky

Portrait of Ashlee Belin.

Ashlee Belin with ceremonial basket, Coming of Age Ceremony, Mescalero Apache Reservation, New Mexico © Jan Butchofsky

Community Blessings.

The maiden is blessed by her Medicine Man with her elders and Medicine Woman in support, Coming of Age Ceremony, Mescalero Apache Reservation, New Mexico © Jan Butchofsky

All Night Dance.

The maiden dances all night on the final night, Coming of Age Ceremony, Mescalero Apache Reservation, New Mexico © Jan Butchofsky

Mescalero Apache maiden, Malia Enjady

Mescalero Apache maiden, Malia Enjady runs four times each day of her puberty rites ceremony as a show of strength and endurance. © Jan Butchofsky.

The final day

On the final day at dawn, the maiden runs with her attendants after dancing all night. This is her final run of strength and endurance. © Jan Butchofsky.

Love of Community.

The women dance in support of the maiden, Coming Age Ceremony, Mescalero Apache Reservation, New Mexico © Jan Butchofsky

Maiden Dances.

Maiden Dances with Crown Dancers, Coming of Age Ceremony, Mescalero Apache Reservation, New Mexico ©Jan Butchofsky

Tribal Dance.

Coming of Age Ceremony, Mescalero Apache Reservation, New Mexico © Jan Butchofsky

Camp

Ceremonial tipi (teepee), Coming of Age Ceremony, Mescalero Apache Reservation, New Mexico. @Jan Butchofsky.

Midnight Camp

On the final night of the ceremony, the bonfire is ablaze. The maiden will dance all night beneath the starlight sky and emerge a strong woman. ©Jan Butchofsky

CEREMONY by Jan Butchofsky: A Mark Berndt film. from Jan Butchofsky on Vimeo.

A JAN BUTCHOFSKY/MARK BERNDT FILM

Discover the story behind CEREMONY in this Mark Berndt film.

“A powerful collection created with the technical confidence of a photojournalist and the heart of a storyteller.”

Events

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Visual Storytelling: A Conversation with Blurb Books

If you’ve thought about starting a long-term creative project or wondered how to translate images into a cohesive narrative, check out my online conversation on Visual Storytelling with Dan Milnor, Creative Evangelist at Blurb. WATCH NOW and learn how to create pictures that tell a story.

View CEREMONY as a virtual tour at Edition ONE Gallery.

CEREMONY IN THE NEWS:

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Ceremony Wins 2022 SATW Western Chapter Gold Award for best photo-illustrated article

I am honored to have received the 2022 Gold Award for best Photo-Illustrated Article by the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) western chapter for the article CEREMONY: COMING OF AGE | MESCALERO APACHE MAIDENS (AG23, Issue 02).

IN THE PRESS: Ceremony is featured in the second issue of AG23 Magazine

CEREMONY is featured in the second issue of AG23, a magazine promoting understanding through dialogue and art, with an article and video that examines what it means for a young Native American girl to come of age. Read the article and watch the video at AG23mag.com