[Jaysh]

Originally Posted by Skinwalker

I'm Native American and worship the Great Spirit.

Age of Marriage amongst Native Americans

The practice of marrying girls at a young age was prevalent amongst Native American populations as well, as we read in an article entitled “Living Arrangements Among Native American Elders”:

Marriage was considered essential among all Navajos with polygamy, divorce, levirate and sorarate being practiced. Marriages were traditionally not based on romance but were arranged with the girls being married soon after puberty.

(Living Arrangements Among Native American Elders, http://www.pop.psu.edu/general/pubs/...pri/wp9605.pdf.)

We read further:

A Delaware Native American girl who reached puberty may have had her [marriage] union prearranged by her parents.

(WeddingDetails.com, Native American Traditions - WeddingDetails.com)

The first menstrual cycle was seen by the Native Americans as the coming of age, and after a ceremony, the young girl was ready for marriage:

This following are accounts for the coming of age rituals of first young women followed by that of the young men. The first occurred when the girl had her first menstrual cycle… When this celebration [i.e. the coming of age] was complete, joy of being accepted as a woman remained with the young girl as well as five vertical red and black stripes painted onto her cheek. These strips would be eventually removed and when the last of them was gone the young girl would be ready for marriage.

(Native Americans, Native American)

The Aztecs married their daughters off “well before the age of puberty”:

“Most [Aztec] girls were married (cohabiting) well before the age of puberty” (McCaa, 2003)[3]. Girls among the ancient Aztec (Nahua) married before age 15, and in many cases before 12 (McCaa, 1997; cf. 1996, 1994)[4]: “Children became adults upon marriage, and most children above the age of 10 years were married (or widowed, separated or abandoned)”. Females married very young, according to the narrative evidence from the Book of Tributes (Cline, 1993:p31-2)[5]. Quantitative analysis of these data places the average for females below the age of thirteen

(Growing Up Sexually: A World Atlas, Ref)

The various South American tribes practiced early marriage, and this practice continued well into the 1500s. It is sometimes referred to as a “rearing marriage”, i.e. the husband raises his wife from childhood. We read:

Sumner (1906:p382) [29] cited reports that of child marriage where “girls of ten are mothers”[30]. Child betrothal is reported among the Guaraní of the Paraná River. “In some cases little girls were given to grown men, who lived with their child wives, probably in the house of their future parents-in-law” (Métraux, 1948)[31]. Child betrothal is also reported among the Cainguá, but the girls were said to remain with their parents, who receive presents from their prospective sons-in-law (ibid.)…

For the Samaraka, “[i]n the past, girls were formally betrothed (kiiá) well before puberty, and “betrothal in the womb” was an accepted practice, while today mean age at betrothal is only a year or two below age at marriage and child betrothal is unknown” (Price, 1975)[33]. Among the Warao, “[t]here were boys who were betrothed to little girls who had not yet reached puberty” (Heinen, [1988])[34]. Among the Brazilian Yanomamo, “[p]arents may also betroth their children while they are still infants” (Early & Peters, 1990)[35]. Among the Cuna, the premarital four-day debut ceremony is even sometimes given before puberty in the parents’ zeal to insure their daughter’s having it (Stout, 1947:p34). As for the Asang, “[a] girl at a very early age, between eight and nine, is betrothed to a young man, who at once takes up residence in the house of her parents, whom he assists until […] [she] is old enough to be married, when, without ceremony, they are recognized as man and wife (Pim and Seeman, 1869:p306-7)[36]…

The Aikaná practiced betrothal in childhood, marriage took place after menarche (Becker-Donner, ?:p280)[38]. The same was formerly so in the Makurap (p290). The Bororo practised rearing marriage (Levak, 1973:p77-8)[39].

(Growing Up Sexually: A World Atlas, Ref)