Babá Tíma (Ba-Bah Tee-Mah)
Like most traditions that require participation from two different generations, the level of interest is never equal. The same goes for Babá Tíma. As the third harvest comes to a close, fathers get more and more eager as the sons and daughters who come of age become more and more dispassionate.
When a child reaches fourteen cycles of age, fathers have the privilege of taking them on a journey away from the village for a bonding experience but mostly to impart some wisdom and explain what will be expected of them when they return home. For the child, it represents the end of childhood and spending time with their father in an unknown setting.
At the end of the third harvest, during the celebratory feast, the children who have come of age are identified by name, to the delight of their families. The next day, father and child leave the camp for an unknown destination. The activities of the following days will vary from one family to another, from one region to another. Survival and growth are vital for the Babá Tíma. Hunting, trapping and fishing are important. Building a shelter that can resist the elements will become essential. The most important are the life lessons passed down from father to sons and daughters.
The end result has been constant throughout the cycles. Most apprehensive child that leaves, comes back with a new energy that continues to be apparent over the next few months and cycles as he or she starts taking on more and more responsibilities. Father time may be finished but it is not forgotten.
Over the centuries, with the increase in large cities, the practice of the Babá Tíma has continued in the same manner as their ancestors mostly in the east of Steeghan. In the cities, few families follow any type of Father Time. A celebration and a toast has now replaced the Babá Tíma in many regions of the land.
When a child reaches fourteen cycles of age, fathers have the privilege of taking them on a journey away from the village for a bonding experience but mostly to impart some wisdom and explain what will be expected of them when they return home. For the child, it represents the end of childhood and spending time with their father in an unknown setting.
At the end of the third harvest, during the celebratory feast, the children who have come of age are identified by name, to the delight of their families. The next day, father and child leave the camp for an unknown destination. The activities of the following days will vary from one family to another, from one region to another. Survival and growth are vital for the Babá Tíma. Hunting, trapping and fishing are important. Building a shelter that can resist the elements will become essential. The most important are the life lessons passed down from father to sons and daughters.
The end result has been constant throughout the cycles. Most apprehensive child that leaves, comes back with a new energy that continues to be apparent over the next few months and cycles as he or she starts taking on more and more responsibilities. Father time may be finished but it is not forgotten.
Over the centuries, with the increase in large cities, the practice of the Babá Tíma has continued in the same manner as their ancestors mostly in the east of Steeghan. In the cities, few families follow any type of Father Time. A celebration and a toast has now replaced the Babá Tíma in many regions of the land.
by Karen Arnold
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