My two youngest are still growing out their hair and it is beautiful. I have always loved my hair I hated getting haircuts. Yes, Jesus and his people from Nazareth wore there hair long VERY long, in fact. Many monks wear very long hair while on dutie. My given name is also Rebecca Jeanne (pronounced Jean) but Ive always been called Jeannie. Both of my Great-Grandmothers were from different tribes. I had them cut off and attached to mine. And then i v read the bit relating to cutting the hair after a death in the family -and then respect the cut bit. These abilities returned after my hair grew back out about 6. You can read about it here https://thegreatcut.us. It always felt like keeping my hair very long ment keeping them very close to me. I didnt know why, exactly She is often depicted wearing a single ostrich feather in her hair. Ive never thought of it that way. And, correlation not being equal to causation, I cannot factually claim that my longer hair is making me more intuitive than before. As a child I was overly controlled by parents. I grow my hair out for a year and then cut it after his death day. I always had hair down to my hips in my late primary early teens. What doses if mean when a woman wears the hair braid on left side of head ? Thanks for sharing this article very helpful; I also appreciate the camaraderie among those who have shared comments. Took me 4 years to grow it. I have worn it long almost all my life. Native American feather symbolism . Do not cut the hair of a very sick or dying family member as this could hasten death. I asked him why and he said he was tired of people mistaking him for a girl . Im excited for my transformation now that the battle is finally over with the guy. To avoid this, they must shave their heads completely. Anyway, a few years of trying to compensate with hair extensions (someone elses actual hair attached 24/7 to my head) made things even worse. Women are also more intuitive during menstruation. Here, we are about to highlight the reasons as to why Hindus shave their head when a family member dies. Be well as we are all connected. Ugh talking about power yet?? I accidentally found this blog because we need information on combing cultures in the world of hair styling books. Cultural beliefs about our hair and how it can affect us go back as far as recorded history. For various reasons, mostly a social experiment and a test of my maturity, I decided in the Fall of 2019 to let it grow out, at least to the point at which it would all be shoulder length, to see what it would look like and observe the reaction from people around me. Its a good idea though, and is much more interesting a story than mere boring coincidence. When it comes to your friends not mentioning your hair, it reminds me of this: People who mind dont matter, and people who matter dont mind. Many tribes cut their hair when there is a death in the immediate family as an outward symbol of the deep sadness and a physical reminder of the loss. Peace be with you. Just to reiterate, it was indeed the French who paid for bounties on Lakota scalps. You could send it via DM on Instagram or to greathair at blog.thelonghairs.us. The hair on our bodies is part of the nervous system, the hair on our heads is believed to be linked directly to the pineal gland. No se sinlla lo hicieron pero hablen de Sanson que tenia la fuerza por su pelo. Your spirit will tell you when, If you dont feel it then you shouldnt do it. That afternoon I was sitting in a chair having 24 inches of hair cutoff. Id like to hear some history and theories on the reason why Japanese samuri grow their hair and wear it. He performed a ceremony and a woman with darker complexion and long black hair was suddenly beside me. Its just hair, but then again, its not. A white girl will flick her long locks when the black girls walk past and then a massive fight will break out. Alternatively within the metal music community I think there are deep roots and connections with those long hairs especially the sense of belonging and being one of us (in-group). I am sorry to hear about your situation. Nlaka'pamux women, my mother taught me, would cut their hair. Thanks for writing in, would love to see that picture. Could it be somehow tied to hair length? I love the unity! Agreed on the wind thank God for hair ties! We held hands. Its like, the room was always inside me but I didnt have the conscious connection to it until than. The notion that a man may be bewitched by means of the clippings of his hair, the parings of his nails, or any other severed portion of his person is almost world-wide, and attested by evidence too ample . I did it. a symbol of my faith with best wishes Tracy, Leave it long as you are able to understand many things others cannot. Already I am feeling more connected with my ancestors and my identity feels more valid. You can contact the Southern Poverty Law Center. I also have no Native blood but I believe in the Native ways. cutting the hair in ancient china. Thanks for sharing this friend, its good to have your comments here. The black girls and white girls fight over their hair ALL the damn time! Ajda, Gosh Im so sad.Nita, Yes, completely normal. Confidence comes from our long manes, and you gotta LET IT RIDE, man! Recently connected with my Creek Indian, Wind Tribe, heritage at 47. This was after a lot of self reflection & meditationPiecing it all together to realise how sacred my long hair was to me. Im simply a part of the greatest people to ever walk this land; and I always remain humble; and Im eager to learn from people like you who are so kind and brave to share the truth. After having my first child I chopped it real short because it felt natural and the right next thing for me to do. As pertaining to long hair, I have always kept my hair very long, even now I am lucky enough to still have thick beautiful hair, It may not be a popular style but I wont change it. My own indigenous backround would be generically called celtic I suppose and unfortunately, it is hard to find very much on any pre-Roman tribes of Europe. I am of Peruvian descent (Inca nation) and have long, thick, beautiful black hair. But we are of the same branch, so when you talk about native Americans you are talking about Aztecs. Funny most of my friends have said little or nothing about it; maybe they dont like it and it makes them uncomfortable? The way to tell the person was dead (living people dont generally like getting scalped) was to remove the scalp, if the hair was long, and generally black, it was easy to identify as (most likely) being the scalp of a Lakota. After growing it for almost 18 months, in May 2015 my father was killed in a tragic accident. Plus, you can try one of our awesome new hair brushes called The Mane Hog and The Continental if you are interested. Something as simple as being able to walk into a room and read and feel peoples energies, what people are thinking/feeling. DEL CITY, Okla. . Both men and women are encouraged to grow their hair. I would like more photos of traditional hairstyles in America. While each culture and belief is distinct, many are strangely similar. I didnt know that I was finally waking up into fully realized spiritual existence, until the following September. Though I may look white, It still breaks my heart because they show no respect by what they do and make a travesty of a very sacred thing. But I knew my hair hair had to go. I believe its $100 initially, and the court MAY AUTOMATICALLY refuse it. After that I had a feeling I am standing between two worlds. I love my long hair and love how it looks but I feel so bad with it. This is fascinatingit made me interested enough to see (on Amazon) if there are any books on the subject (and I didnt find muchtitles about styling and one book of poetry about boys and long hair). Are there any questions in particular you have? I have had long hair for many years. I just did a google search to see if the hair cutting was due to his mothers death. I am longhair Eagle Warrior- They swallowed a spoonful of oil. I look at people through the same eyes with short or long hair on me.they look the same, buy people look me differant with it long. Im glad that I found this site. ones since birth. So taking care primarily of ones individual self, not disregarding and aligning with the bigger self which can be called as nature, life, existence, or God is primary for me. It is a symbol of strength and power. So I deal with quite a lot that are on Long Island and in NYC, I cant remember all of their names, but they are some of the hard hitters over here. Have you seen our latest blog? They believe hair should be cut only once, and this is during the child's first birthday. Whatever credit you give the story, the idea of feeling through your hair has merit. I hurts me badly when white children are encouraged by their parents to jump in the middle of Native Americans who are dancing. This led to a crippling obsession during my teenage years: I would constantly worry about how my hair looked, because I had learned that its the first thing people notice about me. I have kept my hair long, below my shoulders even during my 20+ years in the Army. I have been waiting for you. he said. Honored, That was an amazing reply. Even though I dont have any indigenous blood, I seem to connect with many of their beliefs. While reading the comments of your guest and brothers- I braid my core values into each other to unify them. Thank you so much for writing this article and allowing a space to comment. For Native Americans, long hair equates to POWER, VIRILITY, and PHYSICAL STRENGTH. Beautiful, thank you for sharing the traditions of your family. When a Native American cuts their hair, the hair is often treated with respect. I have a question, would it be considered cultural appropriation for a non-native to grow out their hair for the same reasons as native americans do? And I realised that all the energy from the last hugs and chats spent with my dad are contained in my hair and with me all the time. Awesome to hear BeezyW and great to have you here. My Moms Grandmother was kidnapped from her people; forced to wear white peoples clothing; was forbidden to speak her language; and they cut her hair and called her an orphan. By Spirituality I mean the science of working with the life system from within as we are the self aware form of the code that runs the universe. After death, the heart of each person would be weighed against the weight of the feather of Ma'at. I grew up in the metal scene and had short hair at the time and felt out of place. I dont know the answer but its something we need to learn more about! You file it under a poor persons status~that status is called a PAUPERUS MOTION. Ive always been highly intuitive, but it was a hot mess running on auto pilot. Wow. As natives, we live in 2 worlds. Some girls avoided me because all women with short hair are lesbians right? So ofcourse I wasnt going to cut it for his funeral!! We, too, Japanese, have long hair warriors. As a proud Native American I appreciate this article about our culture and beliefs. Hello Alexandra. It complimented my face shape and it made me confident. Never again. We have the deepest respect for the significance of long hair in Native American culture. It is of great interest to me to read all of your posts! Without even knowing why, Ive always shorn my locks during times of deep grief (like now having just lost my fur baby of many years) & great change. I thought Id reach out to you to find out whether you or your sisters have carried on that tradition as well! It is believed that long hair in Native American culture is a physical manifestation of the growth of the spirit, and some say it allows for extrasensory perception, and connection to all things. Now if you file it into court under that status, your parents may have to prove they CANNOT afford the filing fees. Glad you came across The Longhairs and decided to share. Looks like Ill be doing more research and will continue to let him rock his long hair! Yes!!! Thats pretty freaking. Scalping was not introduced by Native Americans , it was introduced by white men for proof of the the killing of a soldier of their enemy, the scalp was presented to receive payment for that killing. Until this morning when i v realised that grief is me second skin and there has to be a change. 2. 'This is our tradition': Parents outraged after Native American son's long hair is cut in school KFOR Oklahoma's News 4 102K subscribers Subscribe 29K 1M views 10 months ago Andreas. I was mad for a long time but that has passed and I have forgiven him. 6 Reasons Why Native Americans Keep Their Hair Long: Chief Tells How Your Hair is Your Antenna for Intuition. This is where it gets interesting for me since reading your article. So, I the desire to grow my hair back out wasnt a conscious connection with the other process. ( jozefklopacka /Adobe Stock) The report claims that government testing institutes compared the behaviors and tracking performances of Native American trackers with and without long hair, and they found that the long-haired subjects outperformed those whose hair had been cut in the military fashion. I colored it dark once just to change it up from my natural brown hue and since then I could never get it lighter with at home treatments. Honey I am wondering how this all worked out for you and if you ended up cutting your hair or not? I appreciate your guys thoughts on the matter. As a native of Creek Nation, I appreciate your description of what long means to Native Americans. If this is part of your culture, or religious beliefs to keep your hair long? I may not have NorthAm Native genes, but my Indigenous relatives & friends easily see my deep-seated witchy/spiritual connections to Gaia, the Spirits & the animals that roam this planet now & in the past. I have a site on FB: Long Haired Silver Sisters..come join us. Every depiction I have ever seen of Christopher Columbus, he has hair down past his ears and neck. It is cut to show the world we are mourning. Aboriginal blood will never be silenced! Depending on your familys finances, you can also file this for free in court. I definitely agree that doing a post on Vikings or perhaps early Picts/Celts or any pre-Roman European tribe would be excellent. They have several branches throughout the country, they combine state groupings. BUT even when the hair and nails have been safely cut, there remains the difficulty of disposing of them, for their owner believes himself liable to suffer from any harm that may befall them. Do not let the fools stuck in the Eisenhower era take away any part of their culture; instead they should flaunt it proudly and defiantly. So if your family feels that this is part of their culture, or part of your religious beliefs in some way? Unfortunately, his parents had to choose for him between school and his culture. Youre experience is a valuable treasure. 1. I f insulted by people who tell me I should. Fascinating article especially about cultural identity. Thank you man. That my friends death cut the barrier between worlds. It seems simple, but ultimately, the only persons opinion that should matter to you is yours. When Lakota Chief Turning Eagle learned the Bratleys were going to cut his daughter's hair, he burst into the classroom to attack Jesse Bratley. When a character cuts off their hair, it often symbolizes a rite of passage or bout of character growth. It felt very cathartic writing this Thanks for sharing David, glad to have you here. Thank you for your frankness and straight forward answer. I was given a Indian medicine staff but found by some one else in a house they was cleaning and was allowed to take it home so it was given to me as a gift is it bad news I am a native my self from the reservation. Since then I went a few time because I wanted it looking nice but I promised My self I would not cop it of ever again. Thanks mate! This is a small locket, not unlike a photo locket, but it's designed to hold something small. Thats pretty awesome! It just felt right, no other way to explain it. So at 10 I was big enough to resist it and 11 years later when my best friend died I made a pony tail and cut it. when as example a wife or woman did it in general it meant she had a deep loss. My hair is curly. Answer (1 of 2): Thank you for the A2A. It was a messy ball of hair and it wasnt mine. My great grandmothers father was native American and migrated to Australia before she was born. If we are on a plane and it depressurizes and we try to put the mask on our children first, then we blackout and die, how will we take care of the world and our children later? Hey Chayton, thank you for your comment! Thank you for teaching me that. Over the years I grew it out and cut it and and was always content with my hair because I just let it grow organically and rarely applied any chemicals or products to it until I entered a Karmic soulmate relationship that would change my entire existence. Vauuuu, this is great! Long hair power, short hair weakness= BS. Ive had several trims to allow the shorter sections to catch up, and its not quite there yet. After healing from the disease I guess I have not felt the sensation of my hair unless Im outside and the wind is blowing it then I feel my hair. I v always found hair cuts to be heart breaking but right now i feel nothing short from Yey out with the old drama, in with a new more mature ,me . Id really appreciate it if you could to a topic on long hair and its significance for either Nordic or Latin American (preferably aztec or mayan)!! Its a long story, but Im adopted and just recently learned that my birth mother was Native American of the Arapahoe tribe. I am not Native American but from Europe, Slavic origin. In order to prove they had killed, they scalped to show proof. To have someone cut our hair, as they did to my Grandmother, is humiliating, a sign of defeat, and strips away part of us that carries the stories of our life. So then and there I decided to never cut my hair. I agree that how we wear our hair can be tied to how we feel. Were writing it, one blog post at a time. The cut hair represents the time with their loved one, which is over and gone, and the new growth is the life after. I realize that you post is from 2017, Rebecca, but I hope this somehow reaches you. We write this post with respect and appreciation for all cultures. Thanks for sharing! But its blackfeet also known as the pikuni people. The boys should keep rocking their beautiful, beautiful braids for life. I now have a better understanding of something of which I didnt know that I was ignorant. I tell people about you guys and your products every chance I can just to spread the positive vibes. These are just a few of the interesting cultures and beliefs weve come across. I do believe I will feel much more invigorated after my hair appt next week and my gifts of knowing and visions will only get stronger as will my esteem and confidence. So, its been 5 and a half years since I had a haircut. I truly started to feel my connection with Mother Earth and The Creator. Maybe because my genes are of northern/eastern hemisphere. Their beliefs around long hair, as many of their beliefs, are tied to the earth and nature. I may never cut it as I feel so GOOD with it long. (I had not the understanding the doctors has just brought her in from placing a pacemaker. ) If we cease to exist how do we care for the world? Its taught me to be aware, and in some waysto be feral. Genetic memory and spiritual memory is real. My now ex husband is dying of stage 4 colon cancer and is in hospice. I think every culture had one point in history where long hairs would be the way to go. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Mylon McArthur, Cree, age 8, from Alberta, Canada, elected to cut his hair in October 2017 in the face of bullying by classmates. Then, with having such a small amount of hair to maintain, I learned the chemistry of my hair and how to make it healthy, and also how to make my natural waves smooth and beautiful. Long hair being one of them. Many tribes cut their hair while grieving the death of an immediate family member, or to signify a traumatic event or a major life change. their beauty was long thick hair. I grew up military but had no clue how I was and am able to naturally and physically able do and think with the mindset Ive always had. Also in my opinion Japan in the Edo-Period had some interesting hairstyles. Often, they would cover bodies in brush cuttings to protect them from animals. Ive argued saying my decision was in honor of my ancestors and traditions. Im very proud of my ancestors and heritage and I want them to feel pride in that as well. And taking time to care for oneself is a beautiful thing, nurturing and loving our living temple may take time, but what else is as important as life represented as yourself? A local Native American family wants answers after two students chopped off their 7-year-old son's hair at school. The cut hair was and engraved in it so much pain and it feels like i v let go of that pain. When a Native American cuts their hair, the hair is often treated with respect. Whats the significance or meaning behind it?! I asked them to just put my sons hair in a low braid instead of cutting it, hes 3 and his hair is all the way down his back and my 2 year olds is almost shoulder length. Thanks again ,I really appreciated your honesty and truth. Were rooting for your boys and for their long hair. Other death rituals include painting a dead person's face red, the colour of life, or washing the body with yucca before burial. Good quality hair is highly prized, European, Russian, Vietnamese, maylasian, Brazilian, Peruvian ( the only native group from the Americas) Chinese, Indian ( from India), Cambodian, the list goes on, But no native North American hair. I do feel my long hair helps me feel one with Mother Nature, and more connected with this big beautiful Earth and in fact the living animals on it. It takes a physically strong man to wear long hair. All within the past 3 months. Intuition is one of the strongest powers we as humans have, so we have to cherish it! Thank you Jane! This is a tradition that the Navajo people follow. Ive heard stories of how hair symbolizes honor amongst fellow samuri, and whenever the hair is cut it represents a great loss of honor and respect. Its an appeal against their decision and its called an ARTICLE 78. American author Harry Behn smokes a ceremonial pipe, a common ritual within Native American culture. I am proud to have been raised by parents who taught us not to judge others based on anything but the content of their character and the interactions we personally have with them. Aho! Depending on that girls past and current life, remember that maybe she may be trying to disconmect, from her world, for unknown reasons, to you. My Hair Is . Also you can contact the AFSC, American friends Service Committee. Cutting, burying, and burning it all carry a strong significance and meaning. To say goid bye to life they start cutting such long hair. In additional to cutting the hair, I vision changing it to a deep red?! I do feel my hair connects me to the world around me and allows me to be more effective to needs of others. a way to stand out . I thought it was simply implied that scalping was from the French. Ive been wanting to grow it out long but it has changed dramatically since the birth of my child so Im doing my best to care and love it as best I can while I train myself to love and care for myself as best as I can as I rebuild a whole new life and existence for myself and daughter.