While its the opposite of most people here, its very much the same. Because you can easily snip a small section of hair, it's easy to secure this safely inside. 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. Also in my opinion Japan in the Edo-Period had some interesting hairstyles. As we well know, it takes a considerable amount of time and effort to groom hair. The Navajos didn't always bury bodies. There are often special ceremonies for the first haircut, but after that they let it grow. I truly believe there is a spiritual reason that I feel so attached to my long hair, especially after learning about my heritage. 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. 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. Croatian culture is interesting because it is the only one in the world that possesses the most diverse techniques of knitting hair.It fascinates me with the American culture of hair combs. I definitely agree that doing a post on Vikings or perhaps early Picts/Celts or any pre-Roman European tribe would be excellent. USMC/Vietnam 68-69. But I respected his decision and took him in. After she passed away none of the traditions were carried out anymore; except for me. Sending our thoughts your way. Its taken me a painful year of attempts to breaking it off with the guy and realizing that my whole self esteem got shot way down during my time with him. Aho! And when joy returns I let it grow again and return to the world. I looked up men with long hair and beholdI came across your page. For the next 25 years it was long. The boys should keep rocking their beautiful, beautiful braids for life. Its taught me to be aware, and in some waysto be feral. We plan to cut off enough to collarbone length and get it looking brown againto match my brown eyes. I will cut my hair when I feel it is time and grow it just the same. So there are lamas and monks with very long hair. I feel tired and lethargic even depressed with long hair. Every depiction I have ever seen of Christopher Columbus, he has hair down past his ears and neck. Im a Native, both Taino and a NY Mohawk. I did it. Until this morning when i v realised that grief is me second skin and there has to be a change. This is a tradition that the Navajo people follow. According to Toby Blackstar, a Native American funeral director, the Kiowa believe in-ground burial is the only acceptable way to release a body after death. Thanks for writing in, would love to see that picture. Students Accused of Forcibly Cutting Native American's Long Hair in Class By Ewan Palmer On 3/19/22 at 11:22 AM EDT U.S. I do not know why I do it but the feeling is very strong, Love my long hair almost to my wasitas much work as it is to keep tidy.it does set me apart. My now ex husband is dying of stage 4 colon cancer and is in hospice. I have long hair and I am Native american and I tend to not take care of my hair. This was after a lot of self reflection & meditationPiecing it all together to realise how sacred my long hair was to me. Many ancient cultures believed there is power in uncut hair. Those would both be interesting to explore. mostly women did it in ancient china as a symbol. Ajda, Gosh In no way is our hair a symbol of defiance or a way to stand out, we are proud to carry traditions of our family and have that amount of respect for our grandparents and ancestors that we deal with the inconvenience of having such long hair. With long hair I feel more confident than I ever did with short hair, maybe because for the first time ever, Im living as my authentic self. Old Age If you must pluck out gray hair, don't bother to count them if you don't want any more to be added to them. Very happy to read your comment, I especially appreciate you saying were an example of how a business should be. We try to be. I still cut my hair in times of great loss and I always do it myself. As natives, we live in 2 worlds. But now, all my family (even strangers) ofcourse always tell me I should cut 30cm off. My connection to nature, I no longer felt safe in nature after what I did to my hair. ..from others my own agethe comments hear really spoke to memy hair is part of my journey here..connects me to spirit.it is my strength. Were rooting for your boys and for their long hair. Thanks for sharing! 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. Amber, thank you for your message. We would be stoked to help you with your hair. For men, it tells them I am my own master and there are many who know we bow to no man except God. And I had distinguished feeling looking at the world and it was cracked with force thundering through it. She is often depicted wearing a single ostrich feather in her hair. He said: a dear, a sun and a name ( I dont feel l can write it here). It is of great interest to me to read all of your posts! Great to hear Chrissy! My mom harped on me as I turned 20 and married that it was time for my to start wearing my hair short. I hurts me badly when white children are encouraged by their parents to jump in the middle of Native Americans who are dancing. Mvto is thank you in our native tongue. Watch on. My relationship with hair has been challenging. I dont know Renee, but maybe someone here in the community will be able to help. When a character cuts off their hair, it often symbolizes a rite of passage or bout of character growth. Yes Pat weve heard that too! I truly started to feel my connection with Mother Earth and The Creator. Sorry for bad writing. Okay, soI have Native American blood in my family, but Im not sure what tribe. That is just ego. I dont know how long I can keep them from doing what they want because the people representing my kids is pushing for the hair cut. Great comment Gadawggrl, appreciate reading your story. And cut it for the same reasons as well? Could it be somehow tied to hair length? It just felt right, no other way to explain it. It seems simple, but ultimately, the only persons opinion that should matter to you is yours. Im of Celtic heritage and hair has been an important part of my culture also. Thank you for sharing it. How can I fight this in court and get the judge to see my side. 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! My Hair Is . In all ceremonies, drugs and alcohol are strictly. I had them cut off and attached to mine. Yo Brett! In 2014 I announced I would not cut or have it cut again. Each time someone passes in my family or dishonor has been placed upon my circle thats the only time I cut my hair and recently the state has taken my children from my ex and so they ask for my permission to have their hairs cut I hope they dont dishonor my request for them to be able to keep their pride. Historic Native American mourning customs varied greatly from tribe to tribe, but there were some commonalities. I respect their cultural values, and understand the connection with nature and spirit. Make sure to check out our charity event that we are hosting. The whole Vietnam war should show you that there is 2 or more ways of thinking about everything. So it doesnt make any sense to cut hair, for me, in that sense of being as egoless as possible! Absolutely. But we are of the same branch, so when you talk about native Americans you are talking about Aztecs. To avoid this, they must shave their heads completely. a promise of integrity Happy you found us Barbara! Just to reiterate, it was indeed the French who paid for bounties on Lakota scalps. DEL CITY, Okla. . When I wear my hair down, its big, curly and long which reminds me to continue to be natural and youthful.. my hair helps me to remember, which helps strengthen me Id like to hear some history and theories on the reason why Japanese samuri grow their hair and wear it. Its also almost impossible to explain to people why ive let it grow this long and why I dont believe in cutting it. I am Ojibwe and Onieda with Celtic on my dads side. The most beautiful girl in the world is from South Africa and she keeps short hair. Glad you came across The Longhairs and decided to share. I am of Peruvian descent (Inca nation) and have long, thick, beautiful black hair. And I had a dream. So pure and sacred are the thoughts of Our Mother, the Earth, that Her hair grows long and fragrant. It complimented my face shape and it made me confident. So if your family feels that this is part of their culture, or part of your religious beliefs in some way? Am I supposed to ? Mostly I the form of their statement usually ending in a very mild insult. Its just hair, but then again, its not. Many thanks for this blog! Please let me know how this worked out for you ok? Glad you found the article here and thank you for sharing your experience. It's often tradition in some tribes to cut your hair and bury it with the deceased when someone close to you. The drastic reset button of sorts gave me some things that I was missing. a figure of majesty The way George Catlin describes it, is that the long hair was more of a come and get it symbol. So, any advice is more than welcome. In many countries, even in Europe, women sell their hair when they need extra money. I love my long hair and love how it looks but I feel so bad with it. And as far as Monks are concerned, those in the Orthodox Church wear their hair long and gathered in a loose pony tail. I love the unity! I have lost 5kids 2grand parents and a few dear friends within 10years. Its interesting to consider that your hair could be helping you harness your intuition. It was reveled to me- When I finished my tour, I left it alone save for an occasional trim. Thank you Longhairs for touching on this subject and for everything you guys do for others. He loved my long silver hair. Cultural beliefs about our hair and how it can affect us go back as far as recorded history. I thought Id reach out to you to find out whether you or your sisters have carried on that tradition as well! I caved many years ago, and continue to due to history and toxic opinions of others who supposedly are most important to you. I have Blackfeet from my fathers side and Cherokee and Celtic from my mothers. Thanks for writing in. I think Ill cut my hair as a sign of resentment and moving forward. Glad to hear it JT. Nlaka'pamux women, my mother taught me, would cut their hair. Not a race or religious, gender issue. 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. Dont forget about the Nazarites. He performed a ceremony and a woman with darker complexion and long black hair was suddenly beside me. The white man started that when the government offered payment for every indian they killed. My hair was long when he passed and I have kind of made it a tradition to do it once a year since not realizing it is a custom in Native American tradition. Amen to that, Jim! The mysterious mound builders were a group of Native Americans that built mounds as high as 70 feet. PS Japanese Culture I have also always been extremely fascinated in, and now I have long hair its funny: Almost like it was destined to be Maybe Samurai and the power they hold in their long hair would be a cool next topic! 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 . We have paid a license fee to use these images on our blog and are not required to give credit. I now have long hair and work for a huge corporation and feel so out of place often. Spontaneously i v cut my hair. From that standpoint, the notion of feeling the world around us doesnt seem that far-fetched. That afternoon I was sitting in a chair having 24 inches of hair cutoff. I love this article and replies. I asked him why and he said he was tired of people mistaking him for a girl . The Celtic people have many historical and cultural beliefs based on hair length, and hair color. From hip length to sholder length . If your intuition is telling you something you always gotta listen, even if you think its odd. Then, researchered. Confidence comes from our long manes, and you gotta LET IT RIDE, man! Finding your efforts important/VALID enough to take their time to translate it into French. I asked about it, and he said there are reasons for cutting ones hair. Living in modern day society, and living on that red road. We publish tips, advocate for hair equality, and celebrate mens long manes with hair whips and high fives. It can act like antennas and also records down memory and emotion during the time period of growth. 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. Yo Brett, great comment man! This concept might be an interesting topic to write or do an audio blog. . It is cut to show the world we are mourning. Wow. I think I questioned the fact it made me feel like an outsider at school so I chopped it off, blonde streaks to eventually going full platinum blonde in my late teens with hair that was Chin length. Have always cut hair once a year, now that I am 48 I have decided not to get it cut anymore. Thank you for sharing, please come back and comment again. There is a way to wear the hair for many ceremonies and dances. 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. I find too, that I am more settled in my spirit and I do have Native blood from the Iroquois of New York State. One of their sons has been involved in his tribes traditions. What is the proper thing to do with the cut off braid when a Close family member dies? (I had not the understanding the doctors has just brought her in from placing a pacemaker. ) Ive argued saying my decision was in honor of my ancestors and traditions. THEN they can use this filing in court I hope you understand how this schools policy was constitutes as a violation of your human and civil rights under the US Constitution. Here, we are about to highlight the reasons as to why Hindus shave their head when a family member dies. I have long hair myself. Something as simple as being able to walk into a room and read and feel peoples energies, what people are thinking/feeling. Fast-forward to my 40s, when the hairline began to recede and the hair began to thin, and I decided to start clipping it all off a buzz cut which I kept for more than a decade. You could send it via DM on Instagram or to greathair at blog.thelonghairs.us. I, too, wear my hear as it was made. Please drop me an email at [emailprotected] and Ill get back to you! The mound builders offer some clues as to how Native Americans started performing their death rituals. I found it while looking for a book called Bears Braid! It felt very cathartic writing this It always felt like keeping my hair very long ment keeping them very close to me. Hair is only cut when mourning the loss of a close loved one and there is a ceremony that accompanies the placement of the hair back into the earth. Unfortunately, she has passed away. I dont understand..those it mean .keeping hair is powerful? Spot on. It is now salt and pepper but I have to say just the experience of having the balls to wear my hair without any fcks given has changed my life. Ive had several trims to allow the shorter sections to catch up, and its not quite there yet. Thanks for hangin with us and spreading the word about The Longhairs! My fater. My father in law passed last Wednesday at age 82 and I was pretty close to him so I cut about 4 inches off my hair. I was mad for a long time but that has passed and I have forgiven him. The hair dresser told me if I wanted to grow it I should get it trimmed every 6-8 weeks, and I vowed to myself that I would do so. My hair is past my bottom, its very thin uneven ends whisp at my mid thigh. Amazing. Four years ago I started growing my hair at the beginning of this awakening and have just now learned why I was compelled to. Looking back at my previous comment, I realize that the way I wrote it made it seem like it was the Lakota who started the practice. In mind, body, heart and soul I believe I will be lighter and brighter. Answer (1 of 2): Thank you for the A2A. Yes I could look in the mirror and and satisfy my ego as I had the long hair look back. Makes it All make sense. The other question I had for you, was what was your parents opinion on this when it came to this schools policy? I believe its $100 initially, and the court MAY AUTOMATICALLY refuse it. God bless. To Native Americans, whose land was taken from them, short hair is seen as a weakness and carries negative implications. 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. I was in a phone store yesterdayand a tall man with black ling braided hair turned around and gave me a few second eye to eye contact. 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. HONEST! Handling the body properly during all these rituals was critical, as the Navajos believed someone's chindi would be more likely to haunt the living. Please research ceremonial burning of your hair. Have you seen our latest blog? It takes a physically strong man to wear long hair. I am sorry to hear about your situation. I still struggle daily with self-consciousness about it, because its not thick and flowing like younger folks, but I am really trying to just let the experiment run its course, and maybe Ill even find a reason to let it keep growing. Absorption of such waves can result in distress such as severe headache. I dont want social services to cut my boys hair especially right before they come home. This is one of the rituals that need to be followed even after the death of any elderly member of the family. Were writing it, one blog post at a time. '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. Anytime it was just him and I would let it down. Despite that Ive still always been fascinated with the Native American way of life and how they learned to live with the planet. 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. I have a feeling your site may mark the beginning of a movementwith that in mind, a book from you guys might be a nice torpedo/additional product. You can find hair brushing techniques and tips here: How To Brush Your Hair. I told them I intended on letting my sons make the choice, once theyre old enough to understand a little bit, the significance and my reasons why. I wear wigs, because I have bad hair, my wigs are made from hair of every race of people on earth. So for two years I have not been to the hairdresser and I intend to keep it that way. My tribe doesnt cut our hair for a year after the death of a loved one, and other tribes cut it immediately after the passing of a loved one. I just knew, it needed to be done. So sorry to hear that Isha. Aho. I am coming to the conclusion that I shouldnt have cut my hair, but the S.O. My dad liked it long. Many widows, for instance, would cut their hair after the deaths of their. I found it in a comment: bury in the dirt. Many are related to the spiritual life. Interested in finding out how to tie hair as I have never done so. Thank you for teaching me that. You guys are the perfect example of how a business should behave. Congratulations to the creators of this site. Long hair power, short hair weakness= BS. But its hard to tell them why I wish not to. In Native culture, a widespread belief is that when someone's hair is cut, they lose a small part of their relationship with themselves. For one I look so my better with it long. I have worn it long almost all my life. I dont know but it would be interesting why some spiritual practices shave head and some do not. Hey Chayton, thank you for your comment! Id like to know more about your experiences and feelings on the story that you shared. Hugs & respect to all. Thanks for asking. I am thinking Vikings next! I grew it out for 3 years and cut it when my wife passed away in 2000. Whats the significance or meaning behind it?! I grew up in the metal scene and had short hair at the time and felt out of place. Our long hair is believed to connect us to nature and the earth. I have yet to meet a native who did so. Awesome to hear BeezyW and great to have you here. An article 78 is an appeal that you can file against ANY ADMINISTRATIVE BODY in this country. Whatever credit you give the story, the idea of feeling through your hair has merit. My hair is long, but I will NOT cut the side of my hair. 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. Fascinating article especially about cultural identity. I was going to see if you guys are going to help me so that I can do better than me not taking care of my hair. Thanks. They prayed and stopped harvesting for a year when a loved one died. This is a small locket, not unlike a photo locket, but it's designed to hold something small. Ive always wondered about various reasons for long hair from different cultures around the world. Thank you for posting. It has always grown very fast and I get it trimmed a few times a year. Ive always been highly intuitive, but it was a hot mess running on auto pilot. I felt it should be their choice and theirs alone whether or not to continue growing their hair and to embrace their heritage. They let their grow long to show that they were devoted to God. This article and the comments make so much sense. Peace be with you. Ive been teased most of my life for not cutting my hair, but this wonderful article and your beautiful contribution to my further learning have touched my soul. Many Native Americans strongly resisted the schools' psychological and cultural war on their communities. And cut it when my wife passed away in 2000 RIDE, man time translate... With Mother Earth and the comments make so much sense and love how it looks but I respected his and... It alone save for an occasional trim to wear the hair for ceremonies! Its hard to tell them why I dont feel l can write it here ) soul I its! Europe, women sell their hair all the damn time not take care of my also. 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