Nacirema Tribe
Over 50 years ago, Horace Miner published a study on the Nacirema Tribe. In the study he talked about their body rituals, and revealed to the world every strange ritual these people had. After reading this study, I decided to do one for myself. So I visited the Nacirema tribe. The things I observed still puzzles me. I noticed that everyday around the same time at daybreak, young Naciremas are awaken by an unusual noise coming from some sort of object. I have never in my life heard such an agitating sound. The young Nacirema then changes it’s garments from sleepwear to traveling clothes and strolls to a room filled with different feeding bowls, miniature doors they call “cabinets”, and a huge cold box that stores the food supply. The young Nacirema sits and begins to eat out of a large drinking cup filled with white water and bite size grains from a small package. After this unusual meal, the Nacirema leaves the homeland to be taken by a enlarged yellow transportation wagon occupied by other young Naciremas. The destination was another homeland just for young Naciremas. I often came across adult Naciremas, but they were quite out numbered. Inside were smaller individual rooms with white brick and white paths. In one room I noticed them writing foreign art onto the erasable walls with colored sticks. I then noticed the young Naciremas asking questions about the foreign wall art. In another room there was wooden squeaky floors, stairs carven out the walls, and young Naciremas throwing circular painted rocks into a high goal. I came to the conclusion that this was just some type of daycare and that adult Naciremas send their children here often. I returned to the original homeland, and so did the young Naciremas. Their facial expressions showed signs of relief. In my opinion they enjoyed themselves. Surprisingly I learned that a Nacirema attends this daycare until they reach eighteen in Nacirema tribe years. This ritual is one I will never