Washoe bless new member

The Bennett family held a traditional Washoe Indian blessing for two-month-old Lily Bennett.

The ceremony began just before dawn on Dec. 21 when the baby's father, David Bennett, immersed himself in the Carson River. His cousin, Nicholas, joined him in the river. Other family members witnessed the event from the snow covered banks. Dinah Pete, an aunty trained in tribal traditions, explained that, "the father gets in the water to purify him for raising his daughter. It also gives strength to his daughter."

Pete gathered sage from the banks of the river after David Bennett was safely ashore. She brought the sage into a nearby home where women were waiting with the new-born baby. At precisely dawn, Dale Bennett, the baby's grandmother, handed the infant to Dinah. The next part of the ceremony was symbolic of initiating the baby to the important elements of the Washoe: plant life, represented by the sage, red dirt, represented by ash, and fresh water, represented by a basin filled with cold water. Dinah feathered Lily with the sage, then with sage dipped gently in ash, then dipped Lily into the cold water. Dale watched close-by, ready with a warm blanket. Dinah explained that this part of the ceremony is "a women's event because, as you know, women have the biggest part in a new baby's life."

At 2 p.m., the wellness center was bustling with extended family bringing food for the blessing-dinner. The grandparents, Dale and Greg Bennett, brought four different main course dishes prepared with elk that he harvested in Eastern Nevada. The hormone free, fresh food is important for the blessing and for everyday Washoe life.

The room filled with relatives, including Florene Bennett, Philip Bennett, Ike Bennett, Willard Bennett, all of whom live nearby. Cousins, nephews, and nieces greeted each other and waited patiently for the blessing and eating to begin.

Pete began the blessing dinner with a ceremony for Lily's mother, Samantha Wright, a Paiute Indian from Pyramid Lake. Four stems of sage, representing the four seasons of the year, were placed on Wright's tongue. Then Wright rinsed her mouth with cold water, so her body would be ready to accept the meat. Dale prepared a scoop-shaped basket with elk and other meat from the buffet table. Samantha ate from the basket, symbolic of giving strength and health to the mother for her to care for the baby.

Next, Philip Bennett held Lily and the family members gathered to hear his prayer for the child. Philip prayed for health, prosperity and education, and most of all for the parents to make the baby a priority in their lives.

The family was ready for the "give-aways," the generous meal provided by grandparents and relatives. Four neatly wrapped scarves were on a basket in the front of the serving line. The scarves were gifts for anyone who was not a family member. Since I am not a family member, I received one of the gifts. Inside the scarf was a stem of sage, a beaded pen cover made by Nicole Bennett, and a five dollar bill. When my husband Dave tried to give the money to one of the children, Philip explained that no family member could accept the money. It was a gift. The term "give-away" is used for the event, explained Pete, "so the baby will not be stingy like some people."

Lily slept through most of the dinner, near her mother and father. Presents surrounded the couple. One special gift was a "bukas," a traditional basket for carrying the baby. Rema John, a skilled basket maker, handcrafted Lily's basket and another aunty is making a second basket for Lily. Dale explained that the hood design is different for boys than for girls. The basket is a lifelong treasure for the family.

The baby is eligible to be registered in either the Paiute or Washoe community, and dual membership is possible. Her father David is partly Paiute because Dale's father was Washoe and Paiute.