Isnati Awica Dowanpi - Coming of Age Ceremony for Young Teen Girls

Featured on National Public Radio’s 'Hidden World of Girls", one of the Brave Heart Society’s greatest accomplishments has been the rehabilitation of the once forbidden and nearly lost Isnati Awica Dowanpi, or Coming of Age Ceremony for girls. One of the Seven Sacred Rites given to us by White Buffalo Calf Woman, the all-importance of this ceremony as a “rite of passage” for young women has eroded and been nearly lost in tribal society. Prior to the 1978 American Indian Freedom of Religion Act, cultural practices such as the Isnati Coming of Age Ceremony for girls were forced underground if not completely extinguished.

The purpose of Isnati is to teach young women to respect themselves, their roles and their bodies as developing women through the instruction of elder women. By piecing together knowledge from elders, the Brave Heart women revived the Isnati ceremony in a community camp setting in 1997.

As of 2023, over 174 young women have successfully participated in this powerful reconnection with our identity as strong, sacred women. 

• Promotes Tribal and Self-identity 
• Provides healing for families separated from culture 
• Utilizes knowledge of elders/inter-generational support and respect 
• Connects youth with outdoors/animals