The Kinaalda ceremony is an intricate four-day event performed to guide young girls' ascent to womanhood. In this documentary, Navajo filmmaker Lena Carr journeys back to her own childhood by chronicling her 13-year old niece's initiation into womanhood. "Kinaalda is a multi-layered film that elegantly weaves Carr's complex personal story, family, and community history against the backdrop of the U.S. government policy toward the Navajo. Tanya Sheperd's ceremony merges the importance of community, continuity, the power of women, and the significance of establishing a place in the universe. A compelling work from beginning to end." - Elaine Charnov, Margaret Mead Film Fest.

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For more information on the Kinaalda rite, click here.

Kinaalda is part of the First Peoples' TV series made possible by DreamCatchers, a non-profit organization working to bring Native films to a wider audience.

To purchase this film, visit Women Make Movies.