Lecture on Cultural Traditions and Body Modification

Subject: Neck Rings of the Cayenne Tribe

The lecture focuses on the cultural tradition of wearing neck rings among the Cayenne tribe, particularly the experiences of 19-year-old Ma Blaine.
Neck rings, often thought to be individual rings, are actually a single brass coil wound around the neck.

The neck rings are typically removed only during childbirth, medical visits, or as punishment for adultery.
If a woman is caught committing adultery, she faces the lifelong punishment of having her neck exposed.

There exists a misconception that removing the neck rings causes the muscles to be too weak to support the head.
- LNA McMillan refutes this, stating that the rings do not tightly grip or restrict neck movement.
- The rings allow for normal neck movement, including the ability to clean and reach the skin.

Ma Blaine is having her neck rings removed for the first time in five years.
The removal process is labor-intensive, taking the village elder, Manang, nearly an hour to loosen the coil by hand.
Her initial reactions after removal:
- Curiosity about the color of her neck: "Is it white or black?"
- Her friend reassures her that her neck looks well.
- She experiences scars on her neck and shoulders from the rings.
- Feels physical lightness and experiences lightheadedness and dizziness, common after ring removal.

Ma Blaine is eager but hesitant to show her bare neck to friends, feeling exposed and eventually covering it with a scarf.
In her cultural context, an exposed female neck is an anomaly.
Her friends are fascinated by the rare sight of her exposed neck.

The practice of wearing neck rings is deeply tied to cultural identity and tradition within the Cayenne tribe.
The physical experience and social implications of the removal of neck rings offer insights into the broader impacts of cultural body modifications.