Aesthetic ideal
The young women try hard to match the aesthetic ideal that prescribes, among other things, very thick thighs. They also refrain from cutting their hair during this period so that when they leave seclusion, (very often timed to coincide with an inter-tribal festival), they are easily recognizable due to the length of their hair, and the paleness of their skin. At the end, she receives a new name, and is considered an adult, ready for marriage.
© Kieron Nelson 2015 "Vanishing Cultures Photography" All rights reserved
