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Given  By 
Bureau  i)f^  American 


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BUREAU   OF  AMERICAN    ETHNOLOGY 


TWENTY-FOURTH   ANNUAL  REPORT  PL, 


BASKET  SHIELD   FROM   A  CLIFF  DWELLING 


BREUKEFl  ft   KESSLER  CO.  PHI  LAD: 


TWENTY-F(iri!Tn  ANNUAL  IIEIMIIT 


BUREAU  OF  AMEKICAN  ETHNOLOGY 


SECRETARY  OF  THE  SMITHSONIAN  INSTITUTION 


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BY 

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WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT     PRINTING     OFFICE 
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Smithsonian  Institution, 
Bureau  of  American  Ethnology, 
Washington,  D.   C,  Fcbnmry  20,  1905. 
Sir:  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  herewith  the  Twenty - 
fourth  Annual  Report  of  tlie  Bureau  of  American  Eth- 
nology. 

The  preliminary  portion  comprises  an  account  of  the 
operations  of  the  Bureau  dui'ing  the  jSseal  year  ending 
June  30, 1908,  and  this  is  followed  by  an  extended  memoir 
on  American  Indian  Games,  by  Stewart  Culin. 

Permit  me  to  express  my  appreciation  of  your  aid  in 
the  work  under  my  charge. 

Very  respectfully  yours, 

W.  H.  Holmes,  Chipf. 
Mr  S.  P.  Langley, 

Secretary  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution. 


CONTENTS 


REPORT  OF  THE  CHIEF 

»  Page 

Intruiluction ix 

Research  work xi 

Handbook  of  Indian  Tribes - xxiv 

Exposition  work xx vii 

Illustrations xxvii 

Collections xxviii 

Manuscripts xxix 

Publications  .. .'. xxx 

Editorial  work xxxiii 

Library xxxiii 

Property xxxiv 

Accounts XXXV 

Necrology: 

John  Wesley  Powell xxxv 

Jessie  E.  Thomas xxxviii 

Financial  statement '. x x x ix 

Accompanying  paper xxxix 

ACCOMPANYING  PAPER 

Games  of  the  North   American  Indians,   by  Stewart  Culin   (Plates  i-xxi, 

figures  1-1112)  1 

Index 811 

V 


7 


REPORT   OF  THE   CHIEF 


TWENTY-FOniTH  ANNUAL  REPORT 

UK    THE 

BUREAU   OF  AMERK^AN   ETHNOLOGY 


W.  H.  Holmes,  Chief 


INTRODUCTION 

The  operations  of  this  Bureaii  during  the  tiseal  year 
ending  June  30,  1903,  conducted  in  accordance  with  the 
act  of  Congress  making  provision  for  continuing 
researches  relating  to  the  American  Indians,  under  the 
direction  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  have  been  car- 
ried out,  in  the  main,  in  accordance  with  the  i»lan  si;b- 
mitted  by  Director  Powell  on  May  20,  1902,  and  a|)proved 
by  the  Secretary  on  May  23,  1902. 

The  death  of  Major  J.  W.  Powell,  Director  of  the 
Bureau,  occurred  at  Haven,  Me.,  on  September  23,  1902. 
This  event  profoundly  affected  the  interests  of  the 
Bureau,  and  closed  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  the  science 
of  man.  The  wisdom  of  the  foundation  laid  by  Director 
Powell  is  everywhere  recognized,  and  the  impetus  given 
to  anthropological  studies  by  his  work  must  continue 
to  be  felt  long  after  the  present  initial  stage  of  the 
science  has  ripened  into  knowledge  which  shall  help  to 
regulate  and  direct  the  future  development  of  the  human 
race. 

During  the  period  of  Director  Powell's  illness  the  admin  - 
istrative  work  of  the  Bureau  devolved  upon  Mr  W  J  Mc- 
Gee,  ethnologist  in  charge,  who  was  Acting  Directoi'  at 


X  BUREAU    OF    AMERICAN    ETHNOLOGY 

the  time  of  Major  Powell's  death.  On  October  11,  1902, 
Mr  W.  H.  Holmes,  head  curator  in  the  department  of 
anthropology,  United  States  National  Museum,  was 
appointed  Chief  of  the  Bureau,  and  he  assumed  charge 
of  the  office  on  October  18. 

The  research  work  of  the  Bureau  has  been  carried  on 
by  a  permanent  force  of  nine  scientific  employees,  while  a 
number  of  temporary  assistants  have  been  engaged  for 
brief  periods  in  the  office  and  among  the  western  tribes. 
During  the  year  five  members  of  the  stalf  have  spent  a 
part  of  their  time  in  the  field.  The  regions  visited 
include  Georgia,  Alabama,  Kentucky,  Indiana,  Minne- 
sota, Missouri,  Kansas,  Iowa,  Oklahoma,  Indian  Terri- 
tory, New  Mexico,  Arizona,  Wyoming,  Idaho,  California, 
Porto  Rico,  and  Santo  Domingo. 

The  researches,  which  have  been  of  exceptional  impor- 
tance, have  dealt  with  numerous  branches  of  primitive 
culture  and  history,  practical  questions  having  been  kept 
as  much  as  possible  in  view.  The  completion  of  reports 
on  field  exploration  and  the  preparation  of  papers  dealing 
with  special  problems  have  claimed  much  attention,  and 
everj'  effort  has  been  made  to  bring  up  to  date  and  to 
submit  for  publication  researches  that  have  been  matur- 
ing during  previous  years.  The  preparation  of  data  for 
a  Handbook  of  the  Indian  Tribes  has  been  a  principal 
feature  of  the  j^ear's  work,  claiming  the  attention  of  all 
available  members  of  the  Bureau  staff'  and  employing  the 
services  of  a  number  of  special  students. 

The  range  of  the  scientific  work  has  been  wide.  Phi- 
lology, sociology,  sophiology,  technology,  and  esthetics 
have  received  attention  from  those  conducting  investi- 
gations among  the  tribes  in  the  field  and  those  engaged 
in  office  research,  but  only  incidental  attention  has  been 
given  to  somatology  and  psychology. 

In  the  nonscientifi<-  work  of  the  Bureau — library, 
photographic,  editorial,  and  clerical — ten  persons  have 
been  employed,  and  many  changes  made  in  method  and 
roiitine. 


ADMINISTRATIVE    REPORT  XI 

For  the  better  understanding-  of  the  work  of  the  year 
and  the  conditions  affecting  the  present  affairs  of  the 
Bureau,  circumstantial  data  dealing  with  history,  sta- 
tistics, and  routine  have  been  introduced  into  this  report. 


RESEARCH  WORK 

The  Chief  prosecuted  archeologieal  researches  at  a 
number  of  jioints  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  United  States. 
Previous  to  October  1'.^  he  was  engaged,  witli  the  assis- 
tance of  Mr  Grerard  Fowke,  in  making  examinations  of 
the  fossil  bone  beds  at  Kimmswick,  Mo.,  with  the  view 
of  determining  whether  there  was  satisfactory  evidence 
that  man  was  contemijoraneous  with  the  mammoth  and 
the  mastodon  in  that  region ;  but  no  traces  of  man  were 
found  in  direct  association  with  the  fossil  remains. 
Examinations  of  aboriginal  flint  quarries  and  sites  of 
stone -implement  manufacture  were  made  in  southern 
Indiana  and  in  eastern  Kentucky.  In  October  exjdora- 
tions  were  undertaken  at  Lansing,  Kans.,  with  the  view 
of  determining  the  age  of  the  human  remains  found 
embedded  in  loess -like  formations  near  that  place.  The 
formations  were  extensively  trenched  by  Mr  Fowke, 
under  the  direction  of  the  Chief  of  the  Bureau,  and  the 
conclusion  was  reached  that  the  remains  were  of  excep- 
tional antiquity  for  America,  J)ut  could  not  with  cei'tainty 
be  assigned  to  a  definite  geological  horizon,  and  were 
probably  of  post -Glacial  time.  In  April  the  Chief  paid 
a  visit  to  Leslie,  Mo.,  for  the  purpose  of  studying  certain 
traces  of  ancient  operations  reported  to  occur  in  an  iron 
mine  near  that  place.  Very  interesting  phenomena  were 
encountered,  the  ancient  aborigines  having  penetrated 
the  ore  body  in  many  directions  and  to  surprising  depths, 
the  purpose  being,  apparently,  to  o])tain  the  red  and  yel- 
low iron  oxides  for  i)aint.  Many  hundreds  of  mining 
tools  of  stone  were  found  in  the  ancient  tunnels.  Early 
in  May  a  trip  was  made  to  Georgia  and  Alabama  for  the 


XII  BUREAU    OF    AMERICAN    ETHNOLOGY 

purpose  of  examining  quarry  sites  and  caverns  occupied 
in  ancient  times  by  the  aborigines. 

Reports  have  been  prepared  on  the  explorations  at 
Lansing,  Kans.,  and  at  Leslie,  Mo.  The  former  of  these 
researches  deals  with  the  iinportant  and  ever -recurring 
question  of  the  antiquity  of  man  in  America.  It  has 
been  the  aim  of  the  Bureau,  and  especially  of  the  present 
Chief,  to  occupy  conservative  ground  with  respect  to  this 
subject  and  to  scrutinize  the  discoveries  or  reputed  dis- 
coveries reported  from  time  to  time,  so  that  erroneous 
interpretations  shall  not  prevail.  The  purpose  of  the 
excavations  made  at  Lansing  was  to  expose  the  forma- 
tions containing  the  human  remains  so  fully  that  geolo- 
gists of  all  ways  of  thinking  might  study  them  to 
advantage,  thus  preventing  the  adoption  of  conclusions 
based  on  inadequate  observations.  The  Leslie  iron  mine 
study  has  an  interesting  bearing  on  the  technic  and 
industrial  history  of  the  tribes.  It  has  been  a  matter  of 
much  surprise,  as  investigations  of  ancient  mining  and 
quarrying  have  progressed,  that  the  aborigines,  seemingly 
nonprogressive  and  shiftless,  should  have  conceived  and 
carried  out  really  great  enterprises.  The  technical 
knowledge  and  skill  displayed  are  of  a  low  order,  indeed, 
but  the  work  accomplished  indicates  remarkable  enter- 
prise and  persistence. 

Mr  W  J  McGee,  ethnologist  in  charge,  continued  as 
Acting  Director  until  October  13.  During  this  period 
he  prepared  the  annual  report  for  the  preceding  year, 
made  a  hasty  archeological  and  ethnological  reoonnois- 
sance  in  Minnesota,  and  in  September  visited  Baddeck, 
Nova  Scotia,  whence  he  was  called  to  the  deathbed  of 
Major  Powell  in  Haven,  Me.  In  December  he  visited 
Mexico  with  the  view  of  arranging  an  expedition  to 
the  island  of  Tiburon,  but  in  this  he  was  not  suc- 
cessful. He  stopped  for  a  day  in  New  Mexico  to  visit 
some  ancient  ruins  near  the  village  of  Cuchilla.  After 
returning  from  Mexico  Mr  McGee  suffered  from  a  fever^ 


ADMINISTRATIVE    REPORT  XIII 

which  prevented  active  work  for  a  period  of  about  three 
months. 

In  July,  August,  and  September  Dr  J.  Walter  Fewkes 
was  occupied  in  the  preparation  of  the  text  and  illustrations 
of  an  account  of  a  reeonnoissance  made  in  Porto  Rico 
during  May  and  June  of  the  previous  fiscal  year.  This 
report,  which  was  intended  to  be  a  resume  of  what  is 
known  of  the  prehistoric  inhabitants  of  Porto  Rico,  was 
finished  in  October  and  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  Acting 
Director,  who  transmitted  it  to  the  Public  Printer  as 
Bulletin  28.  Considerable  time  in  these  months  was 
further  given  by  Doctor  Fewkes  to  correcting  proofs 
and  arranging  the  plates  of  his  memoir  on  a  series  of 
native  pictures  of  Hopi  katcinas,  or  ancestor  gods,  for 
the  Twenty -first  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau.  Doctor 
Fewkes  left  Washington  for  a  second  expedition  to 
the  West  Indies  in  the  middle  of  November,  remaining 
there  more  than  five  months,  and  visiting  the  islands  of 
Porto  Rico  and  Santo  Domingo.  The  collection  of  pre- 
historic objects  made  on  this  trip  numbers  over  1,000 
specimens,  110  of  which  were  obtained  by  purchase 
in  Santo  Domingo,  the  remainder  by  exploration  and 
jiurchase  in  Porto  Rico.  Not  only  is  this  collection 
numerically  the  largest  which  has  been  brought  to  the 
Smithsonian  Institution  from  Porto  Rico  and  Santo 
Domingo  at  any  one  time,  but  it  is  also  one  of  the  most 
significant  on  account  of  its  wealth  in  typical  forms  pre- 
viously unrepresented  in  the  Museum. 

Doctor  Fewkes  was  able  to  determine  by  excavations 
that  the  inclosures  surrounded  by  aligned  stones  and  called 
by  the  Spaniards  juegos  de  bola  were  made  by  the  aboi'igines 
of  the  island  for  ceremonial  dance  places  and  that  neigh- 
boring mounds  are  prehistoric  cemeteries.  The  deter- 
mination of  the  burial  places  of  the  prehistoric  Porto 
Ricans  and  their  discovery  in  numbers  are  believed  to 
be  the  most  important  results  of  Doctor  Fewkes's  field 
work  in  Porto  Rico.  With  this  information  to  guide 
him,   the  archeologist  will   have  little  difficulty  in   the 


XIV  BUREAU    OF    AMERICAN    ETHNOLOGY 

future  in  adding  to  existing  collections  of  prehistoric 
objects  from  Porto  Rico  and  in  placing  them  in  their 
proper  categories. 

Doctor  Fewkes  made  excavations  in  a  cave  called  Cueva 
de  las  Golondrinas,  situated  near  the  town  of  Manati,  and 
found  large  quantities  of  Indian  pottery  and  a  few  other 
objects  of  aboriginal  manufacture.  All  the  evidence  col- 
lected indicates  that,  while  the  aborigines  had  frequented 
this  cave  for  a  long  time,  the  culture  of  earlier  and  later 
occupants  was  practically  identical.  After  his  return  to 
Washington  in  May,  Doctor  Fewkes  was  occupied  in  cata- 
loguing the  objects  collected  during  the  winter  and  in 
preparing  a  preliminary  report  on  them.  He  was  per- 
mitted to  withdraw  the  account  of  his  previous  year's 
explorations,  Avhich  had  been  transmitted  to  the  Public 
Printer  as  a  bulletin,  with  a  view  of  incorporating  with  it 
the  new  material  ol)tained  during  his  second  visit  to  the 
island.  The  valuable  results  of  the  two  years'  work  will 
thus  appear  in  monographic  form  in  a  forthcoming  annual 
report. 

The  researches  of  Doctor  Fewkes  furnish  much  material 
of  value  bearing  upon  questions  of  science  and  history. 
Of  first  importance  is  the  decided  advance  made  toward 
identifying  and  rehabilitating  the  unfortunate  peoples  of 
the  West  Indies,  swept  almost  without  record  from  the 
islands  during  the  early  years  of  Spanish  colonization. 
Considerable  information  regarding  their  }»hysical  char- 
acters and  manner  of  life  has  been  gained,  and  various 
branches  of  culture  are  illustrated  by  the  collections,  while 
definite  notions  of  the  origin,  burial  customs,  and  arts 
and  industries  of  the  island  peoples  are  for  the  first  time 
conveyed  to  the  world  of  science.  These  researches  have 
thus  shed  much  new  light  on  an  important  chapter  in 
aboriginal  American  history. 

The  months  of  July  to  November,  inclusive,  were  spent 
by  Mrs  M.  C.  Stevenson  in  researches  among  the  Zuni 
Indians,  the  si)ecial   objects  being   a  comparative  study 


ADMINISTRATIVE    REPORT  XV 

of  the  peoples  of  the  Southwest  and  a  collection  of  the 
ethnic  flora  of  Zuhi.  Some  years  before,  Mrs  Stevenson 
had  observed  that  the  prayers  of  one  of  the  Zuui  rain 
priests  v^ere  sung  in  the  Sia  tongue,  and  that  one  of  the 
esoteric  fraternities  sang  in  Piman ;  but  it  was  not  until 
her  last  visit  to  Zufii  that  she  learned  that  all  the  thir- 
teen esoteric  fraternities  used  other  languages  than  theu" 
own  in  their  ceremonies.  It  is  difficult  to  catch  the  words 
of  an  aboriginal  choir  singing  to  the  accompaniment  of 
rattles  and  drums,  especially  when  the  mind  is  absorbed 
in  noting  the  ritual  rather  than  the  woi'ds  employed ;  but 
during  the  last  season,  having  in  view  a  comjiarative 
study  of  the  Pueblo  Indians,  and  knowing  that  at  least 
one  fraternity  employed  a  foreign  tongue,  Mrs  Stevenson 
closely  observed  this  feature  of  the  ceremonies  and  made 
special  inquiries  of  the  ])riests  and  theurgists,  thus  deter- 
mining the  remarkable  fact  that  this  was  true  of  all. 
Several  reasons  can  be  advanced  for  this  use  of  strange 
languages,  but  it  remains  for  future  investigation  to 
acquaint  us  fully  with  the  cause. 

Mrs  Stevenson  makes  the  important  observation  that, 
although  the  ceremonies  which  she  describes  in  her  mon  - 
ograph  were  regularly  practised  during  the  first  fifteen 
years  spent  by  her  in  their  study  and  were  faithfully 
observed  in  every  detail,  they  have  since  been  gradually 
changed  and  in  some  instances  abandoned.  It  thus  ap- 
pears that  these  researches  were  not  undertaken  a  moment 
too  soon. 

The  main  results  of  the  year's  work  in  Zvmi  have  been 
incorporated  in  the  monographic  study  of  the  Zuni  people 
prepared  by  Mrs  Stevenson  during  previous  years.  The 
final  work  is  now  in  the  editor's  hands  and  will  soon  be 
sul>mitted  for  publication.  Mrs  Stevenson's  familiarity 
with  the  language  of  the  Zuni,  the  confidence  with  which 
she  has  inspired  them,  the  deep  insight  into  the  philo- 
sophical and  religious  meaning  of  their  ceremonies  that 
she   has   gained,    and   her   intimate  knowledge  of  their 


XVI  BITREAU    OF    AMERICAN     KTHNOLOfiY 

sociology'  peculiarly  fit  her  for  the  presentation  of  a  mon  - 
ograph  on  this  people. 

The  herbarium  of  edible,  medicinal,  and  fetishistic 
plants  collected  by  Mrs  Stevenson  over  an  area  110 
miles  north  and  south  and  60  miles  east  and  west  from 
Zuni  contains  about  200  specimens.  Among  the  many 
interesting  varieties  are  a  narcotic.  Datura  stramonium;  a 
specific  for  hemorrhage,  Ustilago,  and  a  milkweed  that 
the  Zuni  claim  to  be  their  native  cotton.  The  fiber  of 
the  last  is  made  at  the  present  time  into  a  cord  for  the 
more  sacred  objects  used  by  the  rain  priests,  and  the  Zuni 
assert  that  all  of  their  cotton  fabrics  were  wov^en  of  this 
plant  before  the  advent  of  the  Spaniards.  Acknowledg- 
ments are  due  to  Dr  F.  V.  Coville,  botanist,  Department 
of  Agricultiu-e,  and  Dr  J.  N.  Rose,  assistant  curator, 
United  States  National  Museum,  for  their  courteous  as- 
sistance in  providing  Mrs  Stevenson  with  facilities  for 
preserving  the  collection  and  also  for  classifying  the 
plants. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  fiscal  year  Mr  James  Mooney 
was  in  the  field  in  western  Oklahoma,  engaged  in  the 
prosecution  of  researches  among  the  Kiowa  and  Cheyenne 
tribes  in  the  joint  interest  of  the  Bureau  of  American 
Ethnology  and  the  Field  Columbian  Museum,  under  an 
agreement  made  in  the  preceding  year.  Except  during 
two  brief  visits  to  Washington,  in  September  and  in  No- 
vember, 1902,  Mr  Mooney  devoted  the  entire  year  to 
researches  relating  to  the  social  customs,  religion,  and  art 
of  the  tribes,  especial  attention  being  given  to  investiga- 
tions of  the  heraldry  system  of  the  Kiowa  and  Kiowa 
Apache  tribes  as  exemplified  in  the  old-time  shields  and 
decorated  tipis.  His  VvTtrk  comprised  the  preparation  of 
a  full  series  of  shield  and  tipi  models  on  a  suitable  scale, 
together  with  related  investigations  and  collections.  The 
heraldry  study  and  the  series  of  models  relating  to  the  con- 
federated Kiowa  and  Kiowa  Apache  are  nearly  finished, 
and  the  latter  is  expected  to  constitute  part  of  the  Smith- 
sonian exhibit  at  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition .    The 


ADMINISTRATIVE    REPORT  XVII 

complete  series  of  models  may  be  estimated  to  contain 
150  shields  and  40  tipis  of  the  Kiowa  and  confederated 
Apache  and  a  somewhat  smaller  numlier  from  the  Chej^- 
enne.  In  April  Mr  Mooney  shifted  his  base  of  operations 
about  100  miles  north  from  Mount  Scott,  in  the  Kiowa 
country,  to  a  station  near  Bridgeport,  in  the  Cheyenne 
country,  and  has  since  been  moving  about  among  the 
widely  separated  Cheyenne  camjis.  Some  weeks  were 
devoted  to  a  practical  study  of  the  hide -dressing  process 
in  all  its  stages  in  connection  with  the  making  of  a  full- 
sized  skin  tipi.  This  important  industry  is  thus  for 
the  first  time  placed  fully  on  record.  At  the  close  of  the 
present  year  Mr  Mooney  was  preparing  to  attend  the 
great  annual  sun  dance  of  the  Cheyenne,  to  be  held  about 
the  middle  of  July. 

In  addition  to  the  research  work  referred  to  above, 
Mr  Mooney  has  assisted,  both  in  the  field  and  during 
his  brief  stay  in  the  office,  in  preparing  material  for  the 
Handbook  of  Indian  Tribes  which  is  in  course  of  prepa- 
ration l)y  the  Bureau. 

The  heraldry  studies  of  Mr  Mooney  have  opened  a  new 
field  in  American  ethnology,  and  are  expected  to  con- 
tribute materially  to  our  knowledge  of  many  questions 
heretofore  imperfectly  understood  in  relation  to  the 
social  and  military  organization,  laws  of  succession, 
war  customs,  tabu  system,  and  religious  symbolism  of 
the  Plains  tribes.  The  urgency  of  the  work  may  be 
judged  by  the  fact  that  of  perhaps  300  shields  possessed 
by  the  Kiowa  a  generation  ago  only  8  are  now  known 
to  be  in  existence  (4  of  which  have  been  ol)tained  by 
Mr  Mooney  for  the  National  Museum) ,  while  more  than 
half  the  information  gained  on  the  subject  came  from 
old  men  who  have  passed  away  since  the  investigation 
began . 

During  the  year  Dr  Cyrus  Thomas,  ethnologist,  was 
engaged  mainly  on  the  IIandl)ook  of  Indian  Tribes,  under 
the  supervision  of  Mr  F.  W.  Hodge.  In  the  early  months 
he  made  a  final  examination  of  the  data  relating  to  the 

24    ETH — 05 II 


XVIII  BUREAU    OF    AMERICAN    ETHNOLOGY 

Algonqxiiaii  family,  and  later  took  up  the  Sioiiau,  Musk- 
hogeaii,  Timuquauau,  and  Natehesau  stocks.  Brief 
articles  intended  for  the  handbook  on  various  subjects, 
such  as  agriculture,  mounds,  mound -builders,  govern- 
ment, and  numerous  biographical  sketches  of  prominent 
Indians  have  been  prepared  hj  Doctor  Thomas.  He  has 
thus  contributed  greatly  to  the  interests  of  the  Bureau  in 
a  practical  way,  putting  in  final  and  concise  form  much 
of  the  knowledge  accumulated  during  his  thirty  years 
of  sei'vice  in  his  chosen  field. 

Doctor  Thomas  has  been  employed  largely  during  pre- 
ceding years,  in  direct  association  with  Major  Powell, 
in  the  important  work  of  compiling  a  list  of  linguistic 
families,  languages,  and  dialects  of  the  tribes  of  Mexico 
and  Central  America,  and  the  manuscript  of  this  work, 
comprising  some  200  typewritten  pages,  was  submitted 
by  him  at  the  close  of  the  present  year. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  fiscal  year  Mr  J.  N.  B.  Hewitt 
was  engaged  in  the  work  of  making  an  interlinear  trans- 
lation of  a  version  of  the  Onondaga  (Iroquoian)  cosmo- 
logic  myth,  obtained  in  the  field  in  1900  from  Mr  John 
Arthur  Gibson,  an  intelligent  and  gifted  Seneca  priest. 
This  text  is  by  far  the  longest  and  fullest  of  the  five 
versions  of  this  myth  recorded  by  Mr  Hewitt  during 
several  field  seasons.  Two  of  these  texts  are  Seneca,  two 
are  Onondaga,  and  one  is  Mohawk.  The  Mohawk  text, 
related  by  Mr  Seth  Newhouse,  the  shorter  Onondaga 
text,  told  by  John  Buck,  and  the  longer  Seneca  text,  told 
by  John  Armstrong,  were  sent  to  press  in  the  previous 
fiscal  year.  The  longer  Onondaga  text  contains  more 
than  44,000  words  in  the  Onondaga  dialect,  to  about  one- 
third  of  which  an  interlinear  translation  has  been  added. 
The  first  draft  of  a  free  translation  of  it  was  completed 
in  October  of  the  previous  fiscal  year.  This  manuscript 
will  be  ready  for  the  press  as  soon  as  the  interlinear 
translation  is  completed  and  the  free  translation  revised. 
With  it  will  be  sulnnitted  the  shorter  Seneca  version, 
which  is  practically  ready  for  the  press. 


ADMINISTRATIVE    REPORT  XIX 

Later  iii  tue  year  much  work  was  done  on  portions  of 
the  ritual  of  the  Condoling  Council  of  the  League  of  the 
Iroquois.  A  free  translation  was  made  of  the  Onondaga 
version  of  the  so-called  Fourteen  Matters  and  also  of  the 
Mohawk  version  of  the  Address  of  Welcome  of  the  Brother 
Mourning  Nations.  The  Chant  of  Lamentation,  requir- 
ing more  than  an  hour  to  intone,  was  typewritten,  ready 
for  interlineation.  This  work  has  enabled  Mr  Hewitt  to 
ascertain  approximately  what  is  yet  needful  to  complete 
his  projected  monograph  on  the  Condoling  Council  of  the 
League  of  the  Iroquois. 

In  September  Mr  Hewitt,  assisted  by  the  Reverend 
Jesse  Kirk,  an  educated  and  intelligent  Klamath  quarter - 
blood  Indian,  undertook  the  special  study  of  the  system 
of  blood  relationships  and  affinities  among  the  Klamath, 
of  the  Lutuamian  linguistic  family,  to  ascertain  whether 
or  not  these  peo])le  have  a  clan  system.  This  was  done 
by  means  of  two  charts,  one  for  the  paternal  and  the 
other  for  the  maternal  lines  of  descent.  It  was  shown  by 
this  study  that  the  Klamath  have  no  such  clan  system  as 
that  prevailing  among  the  Iroquois.  An  extensive  vocab- 
ulary of  Klamath  vocables,  covering  57  manuscript  pages, 
was  also  obtained  from  Mr  Kirk.  Mr  Hewitt  also  devoted 
much  time  to  work  connected  with  the  Handbook  of 
Indian  Tribes,  furnishing,  among  other  contributions,  the 
articles  on  Adoption,  Confederacy,  and  the  Attacapan 
family. 

During  the  year  Mr  Hewitt's  regular  research  work 
has  been  interrupted  to  a  considerable  extent  by  duties 
imposed  in  connection  with  the  official  correspondence  of 
the  Bureau.  Many  communications  were  received  calling 
for  information  regarding  the  native  languages,  especially 
as  to  the  significance  of  names  and  the  interpretation  of 
phrases  and  sentences,  and  these  were  mostly  referred  to 
Mr  Hewitt  for  report.  Besides  this,  a  number  of  manu- 
scripts forwarded  for  examination  or  for  purchase  have 
been  placed  in  his  hands  for  expert  consideration. 

In  past  years  Mr  Hewitt  has  taken  part  in  the  care  of 


XX  BUREAU    OF    AMERICAN    ETHNOLOGY 

the  great  collection  of  manuscripts  in  the  Bureau  vaults, 
and  toward  the  close  of  the  present  year  he  was  appointed 
custodian  of  manuscripts.  In  this  capacity  he  has  again 
taken  up  the  work  of  identifying,  classifying,  and  cata- 
loguing these  documents,  one  of  no  little  difficulty, 
requiring  much  time. 

Dr  John  R.  Swanton  was  engaged  for  the  greater  part 
of  the  year  in  copying  and  translating  texts  obtained  by 
him  from  the  Haida  Indians  of  Queen  Charlotte  islands, 
British  Columbia,  during  the  winter  of  1900-1901.  There 
are  two  series  of  these  texts  taken  in  the  dialects  of 
Skidegate  and  Masset,  respectively.  Of  the  Skidegate 
series  there  are  75  texts  (one -third  of  which  are  war 
stories) ,  covering  about  360  typewritten  pages,  and  of  the 
Masset  series  about  90  texts,  covering  about  the  same 
number  of  pages.  These  texts  will  be  ready  for  publica- 
tion early  in  the  next  fiscal  year. 

Doctor  Swanton  has  also  been  engaged  in  the  prepara- 
tion of  a  grammatical  study  of  the  Haida  language,  which, 
while  not  exhaustive,  will  cover  all  essential  points.  He 
has  also  in  hand  a  Haida  dictionary. 

Doctor  Swanton  has  assisted  Mr  Hodge  in  the  coni|)ila- 
tion  of  the  Handbook  of  Indian  Tribes,  for  which  he  has 
revised,  copied,  and  arranged  all  the  descriptive  matter 
relating  to  the  Chimmesyan,  Koluschan,  Salishan,  Skit- 
tagetan,  Takilman,  and  Wakashan  linguistic  families. 

Dr  Albert  S.  Gatschet  has  continued  his  linguistic 
work,  giving  his  principal  attention  to  the  completion 
of  a  work  on  Algonquian  texts,  including  the  Peoi'ia, 
Miami,  and  Wea  dialects.  He  has  also  made  some  prog- 
ress in  the  preparation  of  a  Peoria  dictionary  and  gram- 
mar, and  in  addition  has  rendered  substantial  aid  by 
furnishing  linguistic  data  called  for  by  correspondents  of 
the  Bureau. 

Dr  Frank  Russell,  ethnologist,  spent  most  of  the  pre- 
vious year  among  the  Pima  Indians  of  Arizona,  and  on 
the  return  journey  paid  a  brief  visit  to  the  Fox  ti-ibe  in 
Iowa,  reaching  Washington  in  July.     It  is  expected  that 


ADMINISTRATIVE    REPORT  XXI 

the  re])oi"t  on  Ms  researehes  will  appear  in  the  Twenty - 
fourth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  under  the  title :  The 
Pima  Indians  of  Arizona.  His  active  connection  with 
the  Bureau  ceased  on  October  30,  but  certain  unfinished 
portions  of  the  work  were  completed  subsequently. 

Mr  Stewart  Culin,  of  the  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum, 
has  completed  an  elaborate  monograph  on  native  Ameri- 
can games  which  he  has  had  in  preparation  for  some 
years.  This  monograpn  appears  as  the  accompanying 
paper  of  this  re]iort. 

In  September  Mr  R.  H.  Partridge  was  commissioned 
by  the  Acting  Director  to  visit  New  Mexico  for  the  pur- 
pose of  mapping  certain  ancient  ruins  situated  in  the 
valley  of  the  Rio  Hermoso,  Socorro  county.  A  month 
was  spent  in  the  work,  and  the  map  i)roduced  and  a  brief 
report  descriptive  of  the  exploration  have  been  placed  in 
the  Bureau  archives. 

Dr  Albert  E.  Jenks,  ethnologist,  on  furlough  from  the 
Bureau  and  connected  \vith  the  Ethnological  Survey  for 
the  Philippine  Islands,  has  communicated  some  details 
of  a  successful  expedition  conducted  by  himself  among 
the  Bontoc  Igorrotes  of  northern  Luzon.  About  the 
close  of  the  year  he  became  acting  chief  of  the  Ethno- 
logical Survey,  Doctor  Barrows,  the  chief,  having  been 
appointed  commissioner  of  education  for  the  islands. 

Under  the  immediate  direction  of  Dr  Fi'anz  Boas,  hon- 
orary ])liilologist,  important  linguistic  studies  were  made 
by  Mr  H.  H.  St  Clair,  2d,  among  the  Ute,  Shoshoni,  and 
Comanche  tribes.  Numerous  texts,  grammatical  notes, 
and  vocabularies  were  collected,  and  in  parts  of  this  work 
the  phonograph  was  used  with  success.  That  instrument 
was  employed  for  recording  the  dictation  of  old  men,  and 
then  the  record  was  re])eated  slowly  by  interpreters. 
During  the  winter  months  Mr  St  Clair  assisted  Doctor 
Boas  in  carrying  forward  various  linguistic  studies;  in 
addition,  he  continued  work  on  a  Chinook  dictionary, 
on  which  considerable  progress  had  previously  been 
made,  and  in  June,  1903,  began  work  among  certain  tribal 


XXII  BUREAU    OF    AMERICAN    ETHNOLOGY 

remnants  in  Oregon,  more  particularly  the  Alsea,  Coosa, 
and  Takilma. 

Under  Doctor  Boas's  supervision  Mr  William  Jones  con- 
tinued his  linguistic  work  among  the  Sauk  and  Foxes, 
making  a  large  collection  of  texts,  all  of  which  have  been 
copied,  and  elaborating  a  comprehensive  grammar  of  the 
language  of  these  tribes.  In  these  studies  Mr  Jones  has 
succeeded  in  carrying  out  the  analysis  of  the  Algonquian 
language  in  a  much  more  satisicictory  manner  than  did 
any  of  the  older  authors,  most  of  whom  devoted  their 
attention  chiefly  to  works  designed  for  religious  instnic- 
tion.  It  is  expected  that  the  manuscript  of  his  gram- 
matical studies  will  be  completed  by  the  end  of  the 
present  calendar  year.  In  the  spring  of  1903  Mr  Jones 
made  investigations  of  the  lang-uage  of  the  Kickapoo, 
obtaining  a  considerable  amount  of  linguistic  material 
among  that  tribe. 

Besides  directing  the  work  of  these  assistants,  Doctor 
Boas  has  continued  his  investigation  of  the  grammar  of 
the  Tsimshian  and  Chinook  languages. 

The  ripening  of  linguistic  studies  in  America  initiates 
a  new  era  in  philologic  research.  Powell  gave  great 
impetus  to  the  work,  and  numerous  other  students  have 
devoted  their  energies  assiduously  to  the  important  task 
of  recording  and  classifying  the  American  languages  and 
of  applying  the  results  to  the  elucidation  of  the  history  of 
the  languages  and  peoples.  The  ultimate  object  of  the 
work  conducted  under  the  direction  of  Doctor  Boas  is  a 
morphological  classification  of  the  languages  of  America. 
The  enumeration  of  linguistic  stocks  published  by  Major 
Powell  in  the  Seventh  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  is 
based  entirely  on  vocabularies,  many  of  which  are  very 
brief.  By  means  of  the  study  of  the  morphology  of  lan- 
guages more  remote  relationships  may  be  traced  and  the 
results  of  lexicographic  comparisons  may  be  confirmed. 
The  grammatical  studies  that  are  carried  on  at  present 
will  therefore  serve  to  elucidate  many  of  the  obscure  parts 
of  the  earlier  history  of  our  country  and  the  significance 


ADMINISTRATIVE    REPORT  XXIII 

of  the  multitude  of  liinguages  in  California  and  in  the 
lower  Mississippi  region.  The  work  is  being  done  in 
systematic  cooperation  with  investigators  not  connected 
with  the  Bureau.  Among  these  are  Dr  A.  L.  Kroel)er, 
of  the  University  of  California,  Dr  Roland  B.  Dixon,  of 
Harvard  University,  and  a  feM'  other  students  who  are 
collecting  material  in  California,  partly  for  the  Univer- 
sity of  California,  partly  for  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History.  Up  to  the  present  time  the  Bureau 
has  taken  up,  in  connection  with  this  work,  morpho- 
logical studies  of  the  languages  of  the  Northwest  coast 
and  of  the  Siouan,  Shoshonean,  and  Algonquian  stocks, 
three  of  the  largest  on  our  continent.  The  work  has 
so  far  advanced  that  it  is  proposed  to  prepare  at  once  a 
handbook  of  the  American  languages  as  a  preliminaiy 
publication. 

The  Bureau  has  had  under  way  for  some  years  the 
transcription  of  the  Diccionario  de  Motul,  a  manuscript 
Maya -Spanish  dictionary,  borrowed  from  the  library  of 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania.  The  copy  is  intended 
for  the  use  of  Sehor  Andomaro  Molina,  of  Merida,  Yuca- 
tan, who  is  engaged  in  compiling  a  Maya -English  dic- 
tionary to  be  pulilished  by  the  Bureau.  The  transcription 
was  in  the  hands  of  Miss  Jessie  E.  Thomas,  librarian  of 
the  Bureau,  but  her  untimely  death  in  January  brought 
the  work  to  a  close.  The  dictionary  was  returned  to  the 
university  library  on  March  15,  as  previously  arranged, 
but  permission  has  since  been  granted  to  bring  it  again  to 
Washington  when  a  competent  copyist  is  found. 

An  important  feature  of  the  work  of  the  year  has  been 
the  preparation  of  material  for  a  Handbook  of  the  Indian 
Tribes.  It  was  the  Secretary's  wish  that  this  iindertaking 
should  be  carried  rapidly  to  completion,  and  Mr  F.  W. 
Hodge,  formerly  of  the  Bureau,  Init  now  connected 
directly  with  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  was  detailed 
to  take  charge  of  the  work.  Mr  Hodge  by  arrangement 
has  spent  the  afternoon  of  each  day  at  the  Bureau,  and 
has  thus  been  able  personally  to  direct  the  work,  a  report 
on  which  is  here  presented. 


XXIV  BUREAU    OF    AMERICAN    ETHNOLOGY 


HANDBOOK  OF  INDIAN  TRIBES 

At  the  time  of  the  early  exploration  and  settlement  of 
North  America  there  were  encountered  many  Indian 
tribes,  varying  in  customs  and  speaking  divei'se  langi;ages. 
Lack  of  knowledge  of  the  aborigines  and  ignorance  of 
their  languages  led  to  many  curious  errors  on  the  part  of 
the  early  explorers  and  settlers :  names  were  applied  to 
the  Indians  that  had  no  relation  whatever  to  those  by 
which  they  were  aboriginally  known;  sometimes  nick- 
names were  bestowed,  owing  perhaps  to  some  personal 
characteristic,  fancied  or  real;  sometimes  there  was 
applied  the  name  given  by  another  tribe,  which  was  often 
opprobrious ;  frequently  an  effort  was  made  to  employ  the 
designation  by  which  a  tribal  group  knew  itself,  and,  as 
such  names  are  often  unpronounceable  by  an  alien  tongue 
and  unrepresentable  by  a  civilized  alphabet,  the  result 
was  a  sorry  corruption,  varying  as  the  sounds  were 
impressed  on  English,  Spanish,  French,  Dutch,  Rus- 
sian, or  Swedish  ears,  or  recorded  in  various  languages, 
only  to  be  as  grossly  corrupted  when  the  next  traveler 
appeared. 

Sometimes,  again,  bands  of  a  single  tribe  would  receive 
distinctive  names,  while  clans  or  gentes  would  l)e  regarded 
as  independent  autonomous  groups,  to  which  separate 
tribal  designations  were  likewise  applied.  Consequently, 
in  the  allusions  to  the  American  Indians  which  are  found 
scattered  throughout  the  literature  of  the  first  three 
centuries  of  the  New  World  thousands  of  tribal  names 
are  encountered  only  a  small  proportion  of  which  are 
recognizable  at  a  glance ;  therefore,  one  of  the  most  prac- 
tical and  important  studies  that  was  undertaken  at  the 
inception  of  the  work  of  the  Bureau  was  the  classification 
of  these  names,  with  the  view  of  their  publication  as  an 
Indian  synonymy.  As  time  passed,  however,  the  scope 
of  the  work  was  enlarged;  for,  as  the  studies  of  the 
Bureau  were  prosecuted,  a  large  amount  of  information 


ADMINISTRATIVE    REVORT  XXV 

in  regard  to  the  tribes,  botli  past  and  present,  was  gained, 
so  that  it  was  deemed  desiraljle  to  make  of  the  work  a 
cyclopedia  or  handbook  of  the  Indians  north  of  Mexico, 
containing  tribal  synonyms. 

The  work  was  continued  at  intervals  during  several 
years,  most  of  the  scientifie  corps,  particularly  Mr  James 
Mooney,  being  engaged  in  the  compilation,  under  the 
general  supervision  of  Mr  H.  W.  Henshaw,  until  1891, 
when,  owing  to  failure  of  health,  Mr  Henshaw  was  com- 
pelled to  relinquish  ethnologic  work.  Later,  the  task 
was  assigned  to  Mr  Hodge,  who  continued  it,  so  far  as  his 
other  duties  permitted,  until  early  in  1901,  when  he  was 
transferred  to  the  office  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution. 
The  work  was  continued,  with  many  interru})tions.  until 
November  of  the  present  fiscal  year,  when,  as  has  been 
stated,  Mr  Hodge  was  again  assigned  to  the  task.  In 
accordance  with  the  Secretary's  wish,  the  scope  of  the 
work  was  enlarged  so  as  to  in(dude  not  only  descriptions 
of  the  Indian  stocks,  confederacies,  tribes,  subtribes, 
phratries,/ bauds,  clans,  gentes,  and  settlements,  as  pre- 
viously planned,  but  also  biographies  of  the  most  noted 
Indians,  sketches  of  the  native  manners,  arts,  customs, 
industries,  and  antiquities,  together  with  the  Indian  words 
incorporated  into  the  English  language. 

The  facilities  of  the  Bureau  were  immediately  made 
available,  most  of  the  scientific  corps  devoting  at  least  a 
part  of  their  time  to  the  work,  Avhile  the  services  of  others 
not  officially  connected  with  the  Bureau  were  enlisted  in 
directions  in  which  their  special  knowledge  would  be 
advantageous.  To  this  end  the  Athapascan  stock  was 
assigned  to  Dr  Washington  Matthews,  whose  ill  health 
unfortunately  compelled  him  to  relinquish  it.  The  Atta- 
capan,  Beothukan,  Iroquoian,  and  Uchean  stocks  were 
assigned  to  Mr  J.  N.  B.  Hewitt;  the  Chimakuan,  Chi- 
nookan,  Kalapooian,  Kusan,  Lutv;amian,  Shahaptian, 
Takihnan,  Waiilatpuan,  and  Yakonan,  to  Dr  Livingston 
Farrand;  the  Chimmesyan,  Eskimauan,  Koluschan,  Sali- 
shan,  Skittagetau,  and  Wakashan,  to  Dr  John  R.  Swanton ; 


XXVI  BUREAU    OF    AMERICAN    ETHNOLOGY 

the  Californiaii  stocks,  to  Dr  A.  L.  Kroeber  and  Dr  Roland 
B.  Dixon;  the  Algonquian,  Chitimachau,  Karankawan, 
Muskhogean,  Natchesan,  Siouan,  and  Timuquanan,  to  Dr 
Cyrus  Thomas;  the  Caddoan,  to  Miss  Alice  C.  Fletcher; 
and  the  Kitunahan,  to  Dr  A.  F.  Chamberlain;  while  the 
Piman,  Ynman,  and  Pueblo  stocks  were  undertaken  per- 
sonally by  Mr  Hodge.  At  the  close  of  the  year  the  work 
on  these  stock  and  tribal  descriptions  had  been  well 
advanced,  most  of  the  important  as  well  as  a  number  of 
the  smaller  linguistic  groups  being  entirely  ready  for  final 
editorial  revision.  Owing  to  pressure  of  other  duties,  a 
number  of  the  specialists  not  officially  connected  with  the 
Bureau,  required  more  time  than  was  expected,  so  that 
some  of  the  outstanding  matter  can  not  be  finished  as 
soon  as  was  desired. 

In  accordance  with  the  plan  of  enlargement  of  the 
scope  of  the  handbook  outlined  by  the  Secretary  a 
schedule  of  the  anthro]:)ologic  and  other  topics  of  what- 
ever nature  thought  to  be  necessary,  was  prepared ;  and 
these  were  assigned  to  specialists  for  succinct  treatment. 
Those  who  have  been  engaged  in  this  part  of  the  work  are 
Dr  A.  F.  Chamberlain,  Mr  Stewart  Culin,  Miss  Alice  C. 
Fletcher,  Mr  J.  N.  B.  Hewitt,  Mr  F.  W.  Hodge,  Mr  W.  H. 
Holmes,  Dr  Walter  Hough,  Prof.  O.  T.  Mason,  Dr 
Washington  Matthews,  Mr  Joseph  D.  McGuire,  Mr  James 
Mooney,  Dr  J.  R.  Swanton,  and  Dr  Cyrus  Thomas.  At 
the  close  of  the  fiscal  year  many  of  the  articles  were  com- 
pleted . 

For  several  weeks  Mr  Hodge  has  been  engaged  in  put- 
ting in  final  form  the  first  half  of  the  matter  of  the  first 
of  the  proposed  two  volumes.  The  moiety  of  the  Algon- 
quian descriptions  (A  to  M) ,  recorded  on  about  10,000 
cards,  was  more  than  half  revised  for  the  printer  by  the 
close  of  June,  and  material  for  many  more  linguistic 
families  was  awaiting  similar  editorial  treatment. 


ADMINISTRATIVE    REPORT  XXVII 


EXPOSITION  WORK 

Early  in  the  year  an  allotment  of  $2,000  was  made  by 
the  Smithsonian  Institution,  from  fnnds  placed  at  its 
disposal  by  the  Oovernment  board  of  the  Louisiana  Pur- 
chase Exposition,  to  be  used  by  the  Bureau  in  preparing 
an  exhibit  for  the  exposition.  It  is  arranged  that  this 
exhibit  shall  comprise  ethnological  and  archeologieal  col- 
lections illustrative  of  the  research  work  of  the  Bureau ; 
and  instructions  have  been  given  to  members  of  the  staff 
in  the  field  to  take  up  the  work.  Progress  has  been 
reported  by  Dr  J.  W.  Fewkes,  who  will  illustrate  his 
researches  in  the  West  Indies;  by  Mrs  Matilda  Coxe 
Stevenson,  who  will  collect  specimens  illustrating  Zuni 
arts  and  customs;  and  by  Mr  James  Mooney,  who  has  in 
hand  a  series  of  exhibits  designed  to  represent  the  her- 
aldic systems  of  the  Plains  Indians. 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

The  illustrations  are  a  most  important  feature  of  the 
research  and  publication  work  of  the  Bureau.  They  con- 
sist of  drawings,  photographs,  rubbings,  engravings,  etc., 
derived  from  many  sources,  and  either  used  in  the  illus- 
tration of  papers  or  filed  for  reference.  The  photographic 
work  includes  the  making  of  photographs  of  all  visiting 
Indians,  copying  pictures  and  maps,  and  photographing 
specimens. 

Mr  DeLancey  Gill  has  continued  in  charge  of  illustra- 
tions, the  volume  of  work  being  about  the  same  as  in 
previous  years.  The  preparation  of  illustrations,  the  crit - 
icism  and  revision  of  engravers'  proofs,  and  the  photo- 
graphic work  have  been  carried  on  in  the  usual  manner. 
Illustrations  for  Doctor  Pewkes's  paper  on  his  Porto  Rican 
studies,  consisting  of  25  original  drawings  and  photo- 
graphs, were  prepared  and  sent  with  the  manuscript  to 


XXVIII  BUREAU    OF    AMERICAN    ETHNOLdOY 

the  Public  Pi-iuter.  Eiigraved  proofs  of  330  drawings 
and  photographs,  intended  for  use  in  the  Twenty -second 
Annual  Report,  have  been  received  from  the  Public 
Printer  during  the  year,  and  have  been  criticised  and 
corrected.  The  printed  editions  of  107  colored  plates, 
representing  nearly  1,000,000  impressions,  to  be  used  in 
the  Twenty-first  and  Twenty-second  Annual  Reports, 
have  been  examined  liy  Mr  Gill,  and  the  imperfect  work 
has  been  rejected.  Drawings  to  the  number  of  about 
200,  intended  for  forthcoming  reports  by  Mrs  M.  C.  Stev- 
enson and  Mr  Stewart  Culin,  were  executed  by  contract 
under  the  supervision  of  the  authors.  The  preparation 
of  illustrations  for  reports  following  the  Twenty -third 
was  taken  up  toward  the  close  of  the  year. 

The  photographic  work  has  progressed  satisfactorily; 
646  negatives,  6^  by  8i  inches,  have  been  made,  123  of 
which  were  exposed  in  the  field  by  Dr  Frank  Russell  and 
developed  in  the  office  laboratory.  About  500  4 -by -5 -inch 
films  were  exposed  in  the  field  l)y  Doctor  Fewkes,  and 
also  developed  in  the  office  laboratory;  and  a  large  num- 
ber of  portraits  of  visiting  Indians  were  made  during  the 
year.  In  all,  1;146  negatives  were  added  to  the  collection 
and  1,341  prints  were  made. 

Detailed  plans  by  Mr  Gill  of  three  of  the  great  ruined 
buildings  of  Mexico — the  temple  of  Xochicalco,  the 
Temple  of  the  Columns  at  Mitla,  and  the  House  of  the 
Governor  at  Uxmal — were  prepared  for  use  in  construct- 
ing models  of  the  buildings  for  the  Louisiana  Purchase 
Exposition  exhibit  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution. 


COLLECTIONS 

For  a  number  of  years  previous  to  the  separation  of  the 
work  of  the  Bureau  from  the  Geological  Survey,  and 
also  since  the  separation  took  place,  the  Bureau  has  made 
extensive  collections  of  objects  illustrating  its  researches 
and  foi'ming  the  basis  for  important  studies.  The  col- 
lections have  usually  been  catalogued  on  arrival  at  the 


ADMINISTRATIVE    REPORT  XXIX 

Bureau,  and  after  serving  their  purposes  for  study  and 
illustration  have  been  transferred  to  the  United  States 
National  Museum,  where  they  have  been  recorded  and 
properly  accredited  to  the  Bureau. 

During  the  year  important  collections  have  been  made, 
as  follows :  Archeological  collection  from  Santo  Domingo 
and  Porto  Rico,  by  Dr  J.  W.  Fewkes,  1,210  specimens; 
ai'cheological  collection  from  an  aboriginal  hematite  mine 
in  Missouri,  by  Mr  W.H.  Holmes  and  Mr  Gerard  Fowke, 
160  specimens;  collection  of  flint  implements  from  Indi- 
ana and  Kentucky,  by  Mr  Gerard  Fowke,  many  thou- 
sands of  specimens;  ethnological  collection  from  Zuni 
pueblo,  New  Mexico,  by  Mrs  M.  C.  Stevenson,  220  speci- 
mens. These  have  been  transferred  to  the  National 
Museum,  together  with  numerous  other  collections  found 
in  the  Bureau  offices  and  in  storage.  The  latter  include  a 
large  collection  from  the  Maine  coast  shell -heaps,  made  by 
Mr  F.  H.  Cushing,  8,058  specimens;  an  important  collec- 
tion of  ethnological  material  from  the  Pima  Indians  of 
Arizona,  made  by  Dr  Frank  Russell,  324  specimens;  and 
numerous  small  collections  and  single  specimens.  These 
collections  are  accompanied  with  all  available  data  relating 
to  them,  and  are  so  placed  in  the  Museum  as  to  be  con- 
venient for  study. 

MANUSCRIPTS 

Of  peculiar  value  and  interest  are  the  manuscripts 
brought  together  in  the  archives  of  the  Bureau.  They 
number  upward  of  1,600,  and  relate  (diiefly  to  the  Indian 
languages.  Of  these  documents  332  were  transferred  by 
the  Smithsonian  Institution  to  the  Bureau  on  its  organi- 
zation ;  many  have  been  presented  to  the  Bureau  since 
that  time,  a  large  number  have  been  purchased  from 
their  authors,  while  many  others  have  been  prepared 
by  employees  of  the  Bureau,  and,  being  fragmentary  or 
not  fully  elaborated,  have  been  filed  for  future  comple- 
tion   and  for   reference.     A  valuable  body  of  linguistic 


XXX  BUREAU    OF    AMERICAN    ETHNOLOGY 

data  is  thus  preserved  and  is  available  for  the  use  of 
students.  Besides  the  linguistic  material  many  miscel- 
laneoiis  mani;seripts  and  documents  have  accumulated. 
A  few  of  these  are  historical,  but  the  majority  are  of  an 
ethnologic  character.  These  manuscripts  are  kept  in  two 
fireproof  vaults,  and  recently  have  been  placed  under  the 
custodianship  of  Mr  J.  N.  B.i  Hewitt,  ethnologist. 


PUBLICATIONS 

When  the  United  States  Geogra])hical  and  Geological 
Survey  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Region  was  discontinued 
by  act  of  Congress  approved  March  3,  1879,  it  had  pub- 
lished two  volumes  in  quarto  (1  and  3)  of  a  series  of  Con- 
tributions to  North  American  Ethnology.  The  same  act 
made  an  appropriation  for  completing  and  preparing  for 
publication  other  volumes  of  the  series.  The  work  was 
put  in  charge  of  Major  J.  W.  Powell,  previously  Director 
of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Survey,  and  the  Bureau  of  Eth- 
nology was  organized.  The  new  Bureau  continued  the 
publication  of  the  Contributions,  and  in  1880  the  Di- 
rector began  a  series  of  annual  rex'orts  of  progress  to  the 
Secretary  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  which  were 
published,  with  accompanying  scientific  papers,  in  illus- 
trated royal  octavo  volumes.  The  printing  of  the  volumes 
of  both  series  was  at  first  specially  authorized  by  Con- 
gressional resolution,  but  on  March  2,  1881,  volumes  6  to 
10  of  the  Contributions  were  provided  for  by  a  single 
resolution. 

Under  the  joint  resolution  of  August  5, 188G,  the  Director 
of  the  Bureau  commenced  in  the  following  year  the  pub- 
lication of  a  series  of  bulletins  in  octavo  form,  unbound, 
which  was  continued  by  authority  of  the  concurrent  reso- 
lution of  July  28,  1888.  The  public  printing  act  of  Jan- 
uary 12,  1895,  which  superseded  all  previous  acts  and 
resolutions  relating  to  public  printing  and  binding,  pro- 
vided for  the  continuance  of  the  series  of  annual  reports 


ADMINISTRATIVE    REPORT  XXXI 

only.  At  that  time  there  had  been  published  or  were  in 
course  of  publication  8  volumes  of  Contributions  to  North 
American  Ethnology,  numbered  1  to  7  and  9,  24  bulletins, 
and  13  annual  reports. 

From  1895  to  1900  the  Bureau  issued  the  series  of 
annual  reports  only,  but  on  April  7  of  the  latter  year 
Congress  passed  a  concurrent  resolution  authorizing  the 
commencement  of  a  new  series  of  bulletins  in  royal 
octavo,  uniform  with  the  annual  reports.  Three  num- 
bers of  this  series  (25  to  27)  have  been  issued.  The  pres- 
ent edition  of  both  annual  reports  and  bulletins  is  9,682 
copies,  of  which  the  Senate  receives  1,500,  the  House 
3,000,  and  the  Bureau  3,500  (of  which  500  are  distriluited 
by  the  Smithsonian  Institution) .  From  the  remaining 
1,682  are  drawn  the  ])ersonal  copies  of  the  members  of 
Congress,  those  for  the  Library  of  Congress  and  a  few 
other  Government  libraries,  and  those  sold  by  the  Super- 
intendent of  Documents  and  distvil)uted  by  him  to  various 
designated  libraries  throughout  the  country. 

Besides  the  series  mentioned  there  have  been  issued 
small  editions  of  several  miscellaneous  publications, 
intended  chiefly  or  wholly  for  the  use  of  collaborators 
and  correspondents.  These  comprise  three  introductions 
to  the  study  of  aboriginal  activities  (one  having  been 
published  previously  by  the  Rocky  Mountain  Survey)  ;  a 
collection  of  Indian  gesture  signs;  a  set  of  proof-sheets 
of  a  bibliography  of  North  American  languages;  a  pro- 
visional list  of  the  principal  North  American  tribes,  with 
synonyms ;  and  two  samples  of  style  for  the  Handbook 
of  American  Indians  that  is  now  in  preparation. 

There  have  been  issued  up  to  the  present  time  19  an- 
nual reports,  of  which  4  are  in  2  parts;  27  bulletins,  of 
which  24  are  in  octavo,  unbound,  and  3  in  royal  octavo, 
bound ;  8  volumes  of  Contributions,  of  which  one  is  in  2 
parts ;  4  introductions  to  the  study  of  aboriginal  activities, 
and  6  miscellaneous  pamphlets ;  making  69  volumes  and 
pamphlets  in  all.  The  papers  published  have  covered 
the  entire  range  of  aboriginal  characters,  activities,  and 


XXXII  BUREAU    OF    AMERICAN    ETHNOLOGY 

history.  Seven  deal  largely  (3  of  them  almost  wholly) 
with  the  classification  of  the  tribes;  almost  all  contain 
some  cyclopedic  material,  1  being  devoted  to  it  chiefly, 
while  ]  8  others  have  a  large  amount  of  such  material ;  3 
deal  principally  and  9  largely  with  history  and  tradition ; 
and  3  treat  of  Indian  relations  with  the  whites,  as  shown 
through  land  cessions  and  reservations.  Of  those  ti'eat- 
ing  of  aboriginal  activities,  3  deal  chiefly  and  12  largely 
with  social  organization;  50  are  devoted  to  arts  and 
industries,  and  20  more  contain  considei'able  material  on 
this  svibject;  40  are  devoted  mainly  to  linguistics,  about 
35  to  mythology  and  folklore,  and  a  number  of  others 
contain  material  on  both  these  topics.  The  whole  con- 
stitutes a  record  of  great  practical  value  to  those  dealing 
with  the  interests  of  the  native  tribes  and  is  of  the  utmost 
importance  to  students  of  the  science  of  man. 

The  Nineteenth  Annual  Report,  Bulletins  25  and  27, 
and  a  sample  of  style  of  the  Handbook  of  Indian  Tribes 
(250  copies  printed  by  the  Smithsonian  Institution  for 
the  use  of  collaborators)  have  been  issued  during  the 
year ;  the  Nineteenth  Annual  in  October,  1902 ;  Bulletin 
25  in  June,  1903;  Bulletin  27  in  January,  1903,  and  the 
pamphlet  early  in  the  same  year.  The  Twentieth, 
Twenty -first,  and  Twenty -second  Annual  Reports  are  in 
press,  the  first  being  almost  completed ;  the  Twenty -third 
Report,  containing  Mrs  M.  C.  Stevenson's  memoir  on  the 
Zufii  Indians  and  Dr  Frank  Russell's  paper  on  the  Pima 
Indians,  are  nearly  ready  for  transmission  to  the  Pultlic 
Printer.  A  collection  of  Haida  Texts,  by  Dr  J.  R.  Swan- 
ton,  and  a  series  of  papers  on  Mexican  and  Mayan 
Antiquities,  History,  and  Calendar  Systems,  by  Eduard 
Seler,  E.  Forstemann,  Paul  Sehellhas,  Carl  Sapper,  and 
E.  P.  Dieseldorff,  is  in  preparation,  and  the  following 
unassigned  papers  have  been  submitted:  Algonquian 
Texts  (Peoria,  Miami,  and  Wea) ,  by  A.  S.  Gatschet;  List 
of  Linguistic  Families  of  Mexico  and  Central  America, 
by  Cyrus  Thomas. 

Publications  are  sent  to  two  classes  of  recipients:    (1) 


ADMINISTRATIVE    REPORT  XXXIII 

Eegularly,  without  special  request,  to  working  anthro- 
pologists, public  libraries,  scientific  societies,  institu- 
tions of  learning,  and  others  who  are  able  to  contribute 
to  the  work  of  the  Bureau  through  publications,  ethnologic 
specimens,  or  manuscript  notes;  (2)  to  others  in  response 
to  special  requests,  frequently  indorsed  by  members  of 
Congress. 

During  the  year  1,380  copies  each  of  the  Nineteenth 
Annual  Report  and  Bulletins  26  and  27  have  been  sent 
to  reg-ular  recipients,  about  one -half  of  them  in  the  United 
States;  and  3,600  miscellaneous  volumes  and  pamphlets 
have  been  sent  in  response  to  about  an  equal  number  of 
special  requests,  more  than  200  of  which  have  come 
through  Congressmen,  about  400  volumes  having  been 
sent  in  response. 


EDITORIAL  WORK 

The  editorial  work  has  been  in  charge  of  Mr  H.  S. 
Wood,  assisted  during  July,  August,  and  a  part  of  Sep- 
tember, 1902,  by  Dr  Elbert  J.  Benton.  This  work  has 
comprised  the  proof-reading  of  the  Twentieth  Annual 
Report,  Bulletin  27,  and  Bulletin  25,  and  of  the  galleys 
of  the  Twenty-first  and  Twenty-second  Annual  Reports, 
the  preparation  of  a  list  of  abbreviations  for  Bulletin  25, 
and  the  reading  in  manuscript  of  the  Mayan  and  Mexican 
papers  already  mentioned. 


LIBRARY 

Although  books  and  documents  relating  to  ethnology 
were  collected  to  a  limited  extent  by  the  Geological  Sur- 
veys, almost  from  their  inception,  the  library  of  the  Bureau 
did  not  have  a  separate  existence  until  1882,  at  which  time 
a  librarian  was  first  appointed  in  the  United  States  Geo- 
logical Survey,  with  which  organization  the  Bureau  was 
still  domiciled.     The  systematic  acquisition  of  volumes  by 

24   ETH — 05 III 


XXXIV  BUREAU    OF    AMERICAN    ETHNOLOGY 

purchase  or  exchange  was  begun  at  that  time,  though  the 
first  entry  in  the  list  of  accessions  was  not  made  until 
1885.  From  then  until  separation  from  the  Survey  the 
record  shows  a  steady  growth,  though  it  was  slow,  as 
allotments  for  purchase  were  small.  At  the  time  of  the 
removal  from  the  Survey  building,  in  1898,  the  vol- 
umes numbered  about  2,500.  Since  that  date  growth 
has  been  more  rapid,  partly  by  reason  of  larger  allotments 
for  purchase,  but  chiefly  through  judicious  exchange. 
The  library  now  contains  11,863  volumes,  somewhat  more 
than  6,000  pamphlets,  and  several  thousand  numbers  of 
unbound  periodicals. 

Only  books  dealing  with  the  American  Indians  and 
such  general  works  as  are  needed  for  constant  reference 
are  purchased,  but  books  and  periodicals  treating  of  all 
branches  of  anthropology  and  the  related  sciences  are 
received  in  exchange. 

During  the  year  there  have  been  received  524  volumes, 
about  600  pamphlets,  and  the  current  numbers  of  more 
than  500  periodicals. 

PROPERTY 

The  property  of  the  Bureau  may  be  grouped  in  seven 
classes,  as  follows:  (1)  Office  furniture,  appliances,  and 
supplies;  (2)  field  outfits;  (3)  ethnologic  manuscripts 
and  other  documents;  (4)  photographs,  drawings,  etc., 
for  illustrations ;  (5)  books  and  periodicals;  (6)  collec- 
tions held  tem])orarily  by  collaborators  for  use  in  research; 
(7)  undistributed  residue  of  the  editions  of  Bureau  pub- 
lications. 

The  additions  to  the  office  and  field  property  during  the 
year  have  been  few  and  unimportant.  Numerous  minor 
manuscripts  have  been  added,  ]irincipally  in  connection 
with  the  Handbook  of  Indian  Tribes.  The  illustrative 
material  has  been  increased  by  several  hundred  negatives 
and  by  numerous  prints  and  drawings.  The  library  has 
continued  to  grow  steadily  through  exchange  and,  to  a 
limited  extent,  by  purchase. 


ADMINISTRATIVE    REPORT  XXXV 


ACCOUNTS 

When  the  present  Chief  took  charge  of  the  oflfice  a 
clerk  who  had  been  transferred  from  one  of  the  execu- 
tive departments  occupied  the  position  of  custodian  of 
accounts  and  property.  It  w^as  ascertained  during  the 
spring  that  vouchers  were  being  tampered  witli,  and  he 
was  promptly  arrested  and  indicted. 

A  critical  examination  of  the  Bureau  accounts  thus 
became  necessary,  and  all  papers  connected  with  disburse- 
ments were  at  once  turned  over  to  the  disbursing  officer 
of  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  who  proceeded  to  give 
them  the  fullest  scrutiny.  One  noteworthy  result  of  this 
examination  was  the  discovery  of  the  fact  that  deficien- 
cies existed  for  the  years  1901  and  1902,  amounting  to 
between  $G00  and  $700.  The  accounts  at  the  close  of  the 
present  year  were  fortunately  in  such  condition  that  a 
sufficient  balance  remains  to  li(iuidate  this  indebtedness, 
if  Congress  so  desires.  At  the  close  of  the  year  the 
accounting  work  was  again  placed  in  charge  of  the 
Bureau;  and,  with  its  other  affairs,  is  now  reorganized 
and  put  on  a  proper  business  footing. 


NECROLOGY 
John  Wesley  Powell 

John  Wesley  Powell,  founder  and  director  of  the  Bureau 
of  American  Ethnology,  was  born  March  24,  1834,  at 
Mount  Morris,  N.  Y.  He  died  September  23, 1902,  at  his 
summer  home  in  Haven,  Me.,  and  was  buried  in  Arling- 
ton National  Cemetery  with  the  honors  due  to  a  soldier. 

His  boyhood  was  spent  mostly  in  the  town  of  Jackson, 
Ohio,  where  his  mind  was  first  directed  toward  the  study 
of  nature  by  James  Crookham,  an  eccentric  but  able 
teacher  of  the  village  youth.  He  was  a  student  for  brief 
periods  in  Jacksonville  and  Oberlin  colleges,  and,  taking 


XXXVI  BOREAU    OF    AMERICAN   ETHNOLOGY 

up  natural -history  studies,  traversed  many  sections  of  the 
Middle  West  and  South,  observing,  studying,  and  collect- 
ing. It  whs  thus,  no  doubt,  that  he  acquired  a  decided 
bent  for  exploration,  but  it  was  probably  his  experience 
as  an  officer  in  the  civil  war  that  developed  the  masterly 
qualities  which  made  him  a  leader  among  men  and  an 
organizer  in  the  realm  of  science. 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  declining  political  preferment, 
he  resumed  his  scientific  studies  and  engaged  in  teaching 
and  in  lecturing  on  geology.  During  his  connection  with 
Wesleyan  University  and  the  Illinois  State  Normal  Uni- 
versity he  conducted  classes  in  the  field,  and  thus  became 
more  fully  a  devotee  of  research.  In  1867  he  found  his 
way  to  the  Far  West,  where  later  he  reached  the  climax 
of  his  career  as  an  explorer  in  his  memorable  voyage  down 
the  Grand  Canyon  of  the  Colorado.  This  expedition 
brought  into  play  his  splendid  courage  and  commanding 
abilities,  and  the  story  of  his  adventures  is  fraught  with 
deep  and  romantic  interest.  On  these  journeys  of  explo- 
ration contact  with  the  native  tribes  gave  him  an  interest 
in  ethnology,  and  thenceforth  for  many  years  his  energies 
were  divided  almost  equally  between  the  sciences  of 
geology  and  anthropology. 

Major  Powell's  mind  was  so  broadened  and  strengthened 
by  the  varied  experiences  of  his  early  career  that  when  he 
was  called  u])on  to  enter  the  service  of  the  nation  as 
explorer,  geologist,  geographer,  and  ethnologist  he  natu- 
rally assumed  the  role  of  organizer.  He  gathered  about 
him  the  best  available  men  in  the  various  departments  of 
science,  assigning  them  to  the  fields  for  which  their  abili- 
>ties  particularly  fitted  them ;  but  at  all  times  he  was  the 
master  spirit,  compassing  with  clear  vision  the  widest 
horizon,  and  easily  pointing  the  way  to  even  the  ablest. 
His  vigorous  methods  were  an  inspiration  and  his  large - 
mindedness  and  generosity  made  a  deep  impression  on 
scores  of  students,  who  recognized  the  potent  influence 
exerted  by  the  master. 

As  Director  of  the  Geological  Survey  Major  Powell 


ADMINISTRATIVE    REPORT  XXXVII 

originated  and  conducted  many  enterprises  of  importance 
to  science  and  to  public  welfare,  but  lie  was  finally  forced 
by  failing  health  to  withdraw  from  all  branches  of  the  pub  - 
lie  service  save  that  relating  to  ethnologic  research;  in 
1893  he  resigned  the  directorship  of  the  Geological  Survey 
to  devote  the  remainder  of  his  life  to  the  science  of  man, 
and  as  Director  of  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology  he 
achieved  results  that  establish  his  claim  to  lasting  renown. 
The  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology  is  peculiarly  his,  the 
lines  of  research  initiated  by  him  being  in  the  main  those 
that  must  be  followed  as  long  as  the  Bureau  lasts — in  fact 
as  long  as  the  human  race  remains  a  subject  of  study. 
Although  the  investigations  made  and  directed  by  Powell 
related  almost  exclusively  to  the  American  race,  the  results 
are  so  broad  as  to  apply  to  all  mankind .  It  was  a  fortunate 
circumstance  that  his  energies  were  directed  to  a  field  little 
encumbered  by  the  forms,  methods,  and  determinations  of 
earlier  students,  since  it  enabled  him  to  conduct  his  inves- 
tigations on  new  lines,  and  thus  to  raise  the  science  to  a 
higher  plane. 

The  series  of  volumes  published  by  the  Bureau,  which 
are  more  completely  Powell's  own  than  the  world  can  ever 
know,  are  a  splendid  monument  to  his  memory,  a  monu- 
ment that  will  lose  none  of  its  impressiveness  as  the  years 
and  generations  pass,  and  when,  a  little  later,  the  Indian 
race  and  its  unique  culture  are  but  shadows  on  the 
face  of  the  world,  and  other  primitive  peoples  have  like- 
wise passed  forever  out  of  view,  this  monument  that 
Powell  has  reared  will  stand,  not  only  for  himself  but  for 
the  nation,  among  the  most  important  contributions  to 
human  history  ever  made  by  an  individual,  an  institution, 
or  a  state.  The  world  of  the  future,  viewing  Powell *s 
career,  will  thank  the  guiding  star  that  led  the  farmer  boy 
to  become  a  teacher,  the  teacher  a  soldier,  the  soldier  an 
explorer,  the  explorer  a  geologist,  and  the  geologist  the 
historian  of  a  vanishing  race. 


XXXVIII  BUREAU    OF    AMERICAN    ETHNOLOGY 

Jessie  E.  Thomas 

Ou  Januaiy  14, 1903,  a  skating  accident  caused  the  death 
of  Miss  Jessie  E.  Thomas,  Hbrarian  of  the  Bureau. 

Miss  Thomas  was  born  at  Carbondale,  111.,  October  31, 
1875.  She  received  a  public  school  education;  studied 
French,  German,  and  Spanish  under  private  teachei's; 
and  during  four  years  which  she  spent  as  secretary  and 
assistant  to  her  father,  Dr  Cyrus  Thomas,  of  the  Bureau, 
gained  considerable  knowledge  of  the  Maya  language  and 
of  the  literature  relating  to  the  American  Indians  in  gen- 
eral, as  well  as  some  experience  in  proof-reading  and  in 
bibliographic  work.  She  acquired  familiarity  with  library 
methods  through  attendance  at  Columbian  University, 
Washington,  D.  C,  and  in  May,  1900,  was  temporarily 
appointed  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  the  staff  of  the  Bureau 
library,  of  which  Mr  F.  W.  Hodge  was  then  in  charge. 
In  September  the  appointment  was  made  permanent,  after 
Miss  Thomas  had  passed  highest  in  a  special  examination 
given  by  the  United  States  Civil  Service  Commission  to 
fill  the  ])osition. 

On  Mr  Hodge's  resignation  in  the  following  January 
she  was  put  in  full  charge,  and  from  that  time  until 
her  death  performed  with  marked  ability  the  difficult 
task  of  administering  a  scientific  library.  Much  of  Miss 
Thomas's  time  was  taken  up  by  the  copying  of  the  Motul 
dictionary  (Maya-Spanish,  Spanish -Maya)  from  the  late 
Doctor  Brinton's  collection,  and  in  addition  to  her  other 
duties  she  gave,  considerable  attention  to  bibliographic 
studies  intended  to  lessen  the  labors  of  students  of  anthro- 
pology. 

Her  extreme  carefulness  and  methodical  habits  are  well 
illustrated  by  the  perfect  order  in  which  all  her  work 
was  left,  and  her  staunch  character,  modest  demeanor,  and 
lovable  disposition  were  highly  appreciated  by  her 
associates. 


ADMINISTRATIVE    REPORT  XXXIX 

FINANCIAL  STATEMENT 

Appropriation  by  Congress  for  the  (iscal  year  ending  June  30,  190.S,  "for 
continuing  ethnological  researches  among  the  American  Indians  under 
the  direction  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  including  salaries  or  com- 
pensation of  all  necessary  employees  and  the  purchase  of  necessary 
books  and  periodicals,  fifty  thousand  dollars,  of  which  sum  not  ex- 
ceeding one  thousand  five  hundred  dollars  may  be  used  for  rent  of 
building"  (sundry  civil  act,  June  2S,  1902) $50,  OIU).  00 

Salaries  or  compensation  of  employees i?32,  327.  8!) 

Special  services SI ,  161 .  00 

Traveling  expenses 4,  1 1 7.  65 

Ethnologic  specimens I,  937.  00 

Illustrations 300.  90 

Manuscripts 3,  651.  70 

Books  and  periodicals  for  lil)rary 498.  67 

Rental  1,375.00 

Furniture 96.  50 

Lighting 67.98 

Stationery  and  supplies 665. 95 

Freight 45. 10 

Postage  and  telegrapli  and  telephone 102.  50 

Miscellaneous 162. 17 

14,182.12 

Total  disbursements 46, 510. 01 

Balance  July  1,  1903,  to  meet  outstanding  liabilities 3,  489.  99 


ACCOMPANYING  PAPER 

This  report  is  accompanied  by  a  single  paper,  a  mono- 
graphic study  of  American  Indian  games,  by  Mr  Stewart 
Culin.  The  collection  of  the  data  therein  embodied  was 
begun  by  the  author  a  number  of  years  ago,  in  collabora- 
tion with  Mr  F.  H.  Cushing,  but  at  the  time  of  Mr  Cush- 
ing's  death  slight  insight  had  been  gained  into  the  real 
character  and  significance  of  the  games  as  a  whole.  The 
popular  notion  that  games  of  chance  are  trivial  in  nature 
and  of  no  particular  significance  as  a  subject  of  research 
soon  gave  way,  under  the  well-conducted  studies  of  Mr 
Culin,  to  an  adequate  appreciation  of  their  importance  as 
an  integral  part  of  human  culture.  Although  engaged  in 
by  both  men  and  women,  apparently  as  a  pastime,  and 
played  persistently  and  with  utter  recklessness  as  to  the 
wagers  laid,  games  of  all  classes  are  found  to  be  inti- 
mately connected  with  religious  beliefs  and  practices,  and 


XL  BUREAU    OF    AMERICAN    ETHNOLOGY 

to  have  universally  a  devotional  aspect  and  in  cases  a 
divinatory  significance.  Mr  Culin's  studies,  therefore, 
not  only  afford  an  understanding  of  the  technology  of  the 
games  and  of  their  distribution,  as  well  as  their  bearing 
on  the  history  of  the  tribes,  but  they  contribute  in  a 
remarkable  manner  to  an  appreciation  of  native  modes  of 
thought  and  of  the  motives  and  impulses  that  underlie 
the  conduct  of  primitive  peoples  generally.  The  paper 
thus  practically  creates  the  science  of  games  and  for  the 
first  time  gives  this  branch  its  proper  place  in  the  science 
of  man. 


ACCOMPANYING   PAPER 


24  BTH~05  M 1 


GAMES  OF  THE  NORTH  AMERICAN  INDIANS 


STEWART    CULIN 


C  0  N  TENT  S 


.-)61 


Page 

Preface '^ 

Introduetion ^^ 

Tabular  index  to  tribes  and  games 36 

Games  of  chance ■*^ 

Dice  games ** 

Guessing  games -^' 

Stick   games -- '' 

Hand  game -•'' 

Four-sticlv  game ^   ' 

Hidden-ball  game,  or  moccasin 335 

Games  of  dexterity , 383 

Archery ^^ 

Snow-snake •'^ 

Hoojt  and  pole **^ 

Ring  and  pin •'-' 

Ball 

Racket ^'■^ 

Shinny '^^t* 

Double  ball ^ ''"47 

Ball  race *"*'* 

Football ^"07 

Iland-and-foot  ball — ^^ 

Tossed  ball '^08 

Foot-cast  ball r '^^ 

Ball  .iuggliug -   ''1- 

Hot  ball 714 

Minor  amusements ''^•* 

Shuttlecock '^^'* 

Tipcat '^-^ 

Quoits — — '^22 

Stone-throwing '^28 

Sbuffleboard '^28 

Jackstraws '^29 

Swing '^30 

Stilts '^31 

Tops '^33 

Bull-roarer '^^ 

Buzz ''^l 

Popgun  J 7'^^ 

Bean  shooter '^^ 

Cat's  cradle '^^1 

Unclassified  games '^^^ 

Games  derived  from  Europeans '89 

Ai)pendix  :   Running  races , 803 

Summary  of  conclusions ^^ 

5 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Pagp 

Plate  I.  Basket  shield  fiom  ;t  tliff-tlwelling Frontispiece 

II.  Altar  of  War  God.  Zuui.  New  Me.xifo 33 

III.  Tewa  Iviva  altar  at  Haiio.  Arizona 4t! 

III«.   Menominee  |>laying  l)0\\i  game.  Wisconsin T.'! 

ni&.  Olanieutke  playing  stick  game.  California 144 

IIIc.  Tarabumare  pla.viug  stick-dice  game.  Chihuahua.  Mexico 152 

IV.  Taku  gambling  sticks.  Alaska •J4ii 

V.  Haida  stick  game.  Alaska 2(50 

VI.  Four-stick  game.  Klamath.  Oregon .T2S 

Vll.   Soyal  altar.  Ilopi.  Walpi.  Arizona 387 

VIII.   Menominee  ])laying  uiorcasin  game.  Wisconsin 343 

'       IX.  Gaming  arrows.  Kiowa.  Oklahoma ^ 38.S 

X.   Hidatsa  playing  lioop  and  pole.  Xorth  Dakota 511 

XI.  Soquoquas.  Klamath,  Oregon 550 

XII.   Menominee  ball  game.  Wisconsin 5ti>< 

XIII.  Ball  dance.  East  Cherokee,  Xorth  Carolina 57»J 

XIV.  Scratching  a  pla.ver,  Cherokee  l)all  game,  Xorth  Carolina 580 

XV.  Cherokee  ball  player.  Xorth  Carolina 583 

XVI.  Cherokee  Ijall  team,  Xorth  Carolina .  58t". 

.    XVII.  Choctaw  liall-iilay  dance.  Indian  Territory 000 

■'XVIII.  Choctaw  liall  play,  liall  up.  Indian  Territory 001 

XIX.  Choctaw  ball  pla.v,  ball  down,  Indian  Territory 0(il 

XX.  Flute  children  throwing  annulets  and  cylinders  on   rain-cloud 

symbols,  Hopi,  Arizona 049 

XXI.  Bark  playing  cards.  I'inkaret.  Arizona 701 

Figure  1.  O^qol  altar.  Hopi.  Arizona 35 

2.  Sacrificial  gaming  canes.  Znni.  New  Me.xico 40 

3.  Cane  dice.  Zufii.  Xew  Mexico 40 

4.  Handle  of  atlatl.  cliff-dwelling,  Colorado 47 

5.  Atlatl   (restored),  cliff-dwelling.  Colorado 47 

6.  Stick  die,  cliff-dwelling,  Colorado 47 

7.  Bone  dice.  Tanner  springs.  Arizona 48 

8.  Cane  and  wood  dice  and  wooden  dice  cups,  Utah 48 

9.  Bone  dice.  Am.ilecite.  Xew  Brunswick 49 

10.  Counting  sticks  for  stick  dice.  Anialeeite,  Xew  Brun.swick 50 

11.  Stick  dice,  Arapaho.  Wyondng 50 

12.  Stick  dice.  Arapaho,  Wyoming 51 

13.  Stick  dice.  Arapaho.  W.voniing 51 

14.  Stick  dice.  Arai)aho.  Wyoming 51 

15.  Leather  disk  used  with  .stick  dice.  Arapaho,  Wyoming 51 

10.  Stick  dice.  .Vr.ipaho.  Wyoming 52 

17.  Leather  disk  used  with  stick  dice.  Arapaho.  Wyoming 52 

18.  Stick  dice.  .\ra|iaho.  WyDiiiing 52 

.6 


ILLUSTRATIONS  ( 

Page 

FiGiRt  iri.  Bone  dice,  Arapalio.  W.vomiiijr 53 

20.  Boue  and  peach-stone  dice,  Arapalio.  Wyoming 5." 

21.  Bone  dice,  Arapaho,  Olilahonia 54 

22.  Basliet  for  dice.  Arapalio,  Oklahoma -54 

23.  Bone  dice.  Arapaho,  Oklahoma 55 

24.  Baslvet  fov  dice,  Aiapaho,  Oklahoma 55 

25.  Wooden    dice.  Arapaho,  Oklahoma 55 

26.  Stick  representing  a  man.  used  in  dice  game.  Arapaho.  Okla- 

homa    55 

27.  Bone  stick  dice.  Blaekfeet.  Montana ^7 

28.  Bone  stick  dice.  Blaekfeet,  Montana 57 

29.  Counting  sticks  for  dice,  Blaekfeet,  Montana 58 

30.  Bone  .stick  dice.  Blaekfeet,  Albeita 58 

31.  Bone  dice,  Cheyenne.  Oklahoma 59 

32.  Basket  for  dice.  Cheyenne,  Oklahoma 59 

33.  I'lum-stone  dice.  Cheyenne,  Montana 60 

34.  Basket  for  dice.  Cheyenne,  Montana 60 

35.  Plum-stone  dice,  Cheyenne,  Montana 61 

36.  Stick  dice.  Chippewa.  Minnesota 61 

37.  Bowl  for  dice,  Chippewa,  Minnesota 62 

38.  Counting  sticks  for  dice,  Chippewa.  Minnesota 62 

39.  Beaded  bag  for  dice.  Chippewa.  Minnesota 62 

40.  Bone  dice,  Chippewa,  Minnesota 62 

41.  Bone  and  brass  dice,  Chippewa,  Minnesota ti2 

42.  Stick  dice.  Chippewa,  Minnesota <5-( 

43.  Stick  dice.  Chippewa.  Minnesota 64 

44.  Counting  sticks  for  stick  dice.  Chippewa.  Minnesota 64 

45.  Stick  dice.  Chippewa.  Minne.sota 64 

46.  Platter  for  dice.  Chippewa,  Minnesota 65 

47.  Bone  and  brass  dice.  Chippewa.  Michigan 67 

48.  Wooden  dice  and  tray,  Chippewa,  North  Dakota 68 

49.  Stick  dice.  Cree,  Assiniboia 68 

50.  Bone  dice.  Cree,  Saskatchewan 09 

51.  Platter  and  bag  for  dice.  Cree.  Saskatchewan 69 

52.  Stick  dice  and  counting  sticks.  Delawares,  Oklahoma 69 

53.  Stick  dice,  Delawares.  Oklahoma 70 

54.  Stick  dice.  Grosventres,  Montana 71 

55.  Stick  dice  and  counting  sticks.  Grosventre.s.  Montana 71 

56.  Bone  dice.  Grosventres.   Montana J2 

57.  Peach-stone  dice.  Grosventres.  Montana 72 

58.  Plum-stone  dice,  Grosventres.  Montana 72 

59.  Peach-stone  dice.  Kickapoo,  Oklahoma 73 

60.  Bowl  for  dice.  Menominee,  Wisconsin 73 

61.  Bone  dice,  Micmac,  Nova  Scotia 74 

62.  Platter  for  dice,  Micmac.  Nova  Scotia 75 

63.  Counting  sticks  for  dice,  Micmac,  Nova  Scotia 75 

64.  Counting  sticks  for  dice,  Micmac.  Nova  Scotia 76 

65.  Bone  die,  Jlicmac,  Nova  Scotia 77 

66.  Engraved  shell  bead  or  runtee.  New  York 77 

67.  Boue  dice.  Micmac.  Nova  Scotia 78 

68.  Platter  for  dice.  Micmac.  Nova  Scotia 79 

60.  Counting  sticks  for  dice.  Micmac.  Nova  .Scotia 79 

70.  Counting  sticks  for  dice.  Micmac.  New  Brunswick.: 80 

71.  Manner  of  holding  dish  in  dice  game.  Passamaiiuoddy.  .Maine..  82 


8  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 

FiGUBE    72.  Bone  die.  Passamaquoddy,  Maine 83 

73.  Counting  sticks  for  dice  game,  Passamaquoddy,  Maine 83 

74.  Counting  stielvs  for  dice  game,  Penobscot,  Maine 84 

75.  Limestone  disks,  possibly  used  ingame,  Nottawasaga.  Ontariu_  84 
7t>.  Bone  stick  dice,  Piegan,  Alberta 84 

77.  Bone  dice,  Potawatomi,  Oklahoma 85 

78.  Bone  dice.  Sauk  and  Foxes,  Iowa 85 

79.  Jlessage  sticks  for  woman's  dice  game.  Sauk  and  Foxes,  Iowa.  85 

80.  Stick  dice.  San  Carlos  Apache.  Arizona 86 

81.  Stick  dice.  San  Carlos  Apache.  Arizona Sfi 

82.  San  Carlos  .\pa<he  playing  stick  dice.  Arizona 86 

83.  Stick  dice.  White  Mountain  Apache,  Arizona 87 

84.  Circuit  for  stick  dice.  White  Mountain  Apache,  Arizona 87 

85.  Stick  dice.  White  Mountain  Apache.  Arizona 88 

86.  Circuit  for  stick  dice.  White  Mountain  Apache,  Arizona 88 

87.  White  Mountain  Apache  women  playing  stick  dice.  Arizona 89 

88.  Stick  dice.  White  Mountain  Apache.  Arizona 90 

89.  Manner  of  holding  .stick  dice.  White  Mountain  Apache.  Ari- 

zona    90 

90.  Wooden  dice.  White  Mountain  Apache.  Arizona 91 

91.  Shell  dice,  Hupa.  California 91 

92.  Wooden  dice,  Kawchodinne,  Mackenzie 92 

93.  Stick  dice,  Navaho,  Arizona 93 

94.  Order  of  counts  in  game  of  ashbii.  Navaho,  Arizona 93 

95.  Stick  dice.  Xavaho.  New  Mexico 94 

96.  Navaho  women  playing  stick  dice.  Arizona 94 

97.  Wooden  dice.   Navaho,  Arizona 95 

98.  Wooden  dice,  Navaho,  Arizona 96 

99.  Plum-stone  dice,  Arikara,  North  Dakota 98 

100.  Canedice,  Caddo,  Oklahoma 98 

101.  Canedice,  Caddo,  Oklahoma  98 

102.  Canedice.  board,  and  counting  sticks,  Caddo.  Oklahoma 98 

10.3.  Canedice,  Pawnee.  Oklahoma 99 

104.  Stick-dice  game.  Pawnee.  Oklahoma 10ft 

105.  Stick  dice,  Pawnee,  Oklahoma 100 

100.  Stone  tablet  for  stick  dice,  Pawnee.  Oklahoma 100 

107.  Counting  sticks  for  stick  dice.  Pawnee.  Oklahoma 100 

108.  Peach-stone  dice,  basket,  and  counters.  Pawnee.  Oklahoma 101 

109.  Plum-stone  dice.  Pawnee,  Oklahoma 101 

110.  Stick  dice.  Wichita,  Oklahoma 102 

111.  Ivory  dice.  Central  Eskimo,  Franklin 102 

112.  Game  of  fox  and  geese,  Yuit  Eskimo,  Siberia 103 

113.  Ivory  water  birds  and  seal.  Western  Eskimo,  .\laska 103 

114.  Phalanges  of  seal  used  in  game.  Western  Eskimo,  Alaska 104 

11.5.  Bone  die.  Western  Eskimo.  Ala.ska 104 

116.  Bone  dice.  Seneca.  New  York 113 

117.  Bowl  for  dice,  Seneca,  New  York 114 

118.  Peach-stone  dice,  Seneca,  New  York 114 

119.  Position  of  pla.vers  in  bowl  game,  Seneca,  Ontario 117 

120.  Peach-stone  bowl  game,  Seneca,  New  York 118 

121.  Bone  dice.  Seneca,  New  York 118 

122.  Cane  di<e.  Keres.  Acoma,  New  Mexico 119 

12.S.  Cane  dice,  Keres,  Acoma,  New  Mexico 119 


ILLUSTRATIONS  V* 

Page 

Figure  124.  Stick  dicp,  Keres.  Acouia.  New  Mexico 120 

125.  Circuit  for  sticli  dice.  Keres.  Acoma.  New  Mexico 120 

120.  Sticlv  dice.  Keres.  Cocliiti.  New  Mexico 121 

127.  Stick  dice.  Keres.  Laguna.  New  Mexico 121 

128.  Circuit  for  stick  dice.  Keres.  Laguua.  New  Mexico 122 

129.  Stick  dice,  Keres.  Laguna.  New  Mexico 122 

130.  Circuit  for  stick-dice  game,  Keres.  Sia.  New  Mexico 12.3 

131.  Stick  dice.  Kiowa,  Oklahoma 124 

132.  Counting  sticks  and  awls  for  abl  game,  Kiowa,  Oklahoma 12.5 

133.  Cloth  for  ahl  game.  Iviowa.  Oklahoma 125 

134.  Stick  dice.  Kiowa.  Oklahoma 128 

1.3.5.  Stick  dice.  Kiowa.  Oklahoma.-- 128 

136.  Stick  dice.  Kiowa.  Oklahoma...: 129 

137.  Stick  dice,  Kiowa,  Oklaliom.i 129 

138.  Ivory  and  wooden  dice.  Tlingit.  Alaska 130 

139.  Leather  tahlet  on  which  dice  are  thrown.  Tlingit.  .Vlaska 130 

140.  Stick  dice.  Pomo,  California 131 

141.  Stick  dice,  Pomo,  California 132 

142.  Stick  dice,  Pomo,  California 132 

14.3.  Stick  dice.  Pomo,  California 133 

144.  Stick  di<e.  Pomo.  California 133 

145.  Stick  dice,  Pomo,  California 133 

140.  Stick  dice.  Pomo.  California 133 

147.  Stick  dice.  Pomo,  California 134 

148.  Stick  dice,  Pomo,  California . 134 

149.  Stick  dice.  Pomo,  California 134 

150.  Counting  .sticks  for  stick  dice,  Pomo,  California 135 

151.  Counting  sticks  for  stick  dice.  Pomo.  California 135 

152.  Counting  sticks  for  stick  dice.  Pomo,  California 135 

15.3.  Counting  sticks  for  stick  dice.  Pomo,  California 135 

154.  Stick  dice.  Pomo.  California 135 

1.55.  .Vstralagus  of  deer,  used  as  die.  Pomo,  California 135 

150.  Stick  dice.  Klamath.  Oregon 136 

157.  AVoodchuck-teeth  dice.  Klamath.  Oregon 137 

158.  Woodchuck-teeth  dice.  Klamath.  Oregon 1.38 

159.  Dice  plaque,  Wiktchamne,  California — _ 139 

160.  Cane  dice  and  counting  sticks.  Yokuts.  California 140 

161.  Walnut-shell  dice.  Yokuts.  California 141 

162.  Dice  plaque.  Miwok.  California 144 

163.  Basket,  dice-tray  and  dice.  Tulares,  California 145 

]t>4.  Corn-grain  dice.  Choctaw,  Louisiana 146 

105.  Stick  dice.  Papago.  Arizona 147 

166.  Papago  striking  stick  dice  in  the  air 147 

167.  Circuit  for  stick  dice,  Papago.  Arizona 147 

168.  Stick  dice.  Papago,  Arizona 148 

169.  Astralagus  of  hison  used  as  die.  Papago.  Arizona 148 

170.  Stick  dice,  Pima,  Arizona 149 

171.  Stick  dice,  Pima.  .Vrizona 149 

172.  Stick  dice.  Pima.  Arizona 149 

173.  Circuit  for  stick-dice  game.  Pima,  .\rizDna 150 

174.  Four  faces  of  stick  die.  Pima.  Arizona 150 

17.5.  Stick  dice,  Pima,  Arizona 151 

176.  Stick  dice,  Pima,  Arizona 151 


10  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 

Figure  177.  Stick  liiee.  Taralnimare.  Cliilniahun.  Mexico 152 

178.  Stick  dice,  Teiiehuan.  Chilinaluia.  Jle.xico 153 

179.  Sticlv  dice,  Tepelniaii,  Cbihualiua.  Jlexico l-i4 

180.  Circuit  for  stielc-dice  game,  Tiiraliuinare  and  Tepehuan,  Clii- 

buabua,   Mexico 154 

ISl.  Wooden  dice,  Bellacoola,  British  Columbia 155 

182.  Beaver-teetb  dice.  Snoboniisli  (?K  Washington 156 

ISH.  Counters  for  l)eaver-teetb  dice.  Snoboniisli   (?).  Washington^  1.56 

184.  Beaver-teeth  dice.  Thoniiison  Indians.  British  Columbia 157 

185.  Stick  dice,  Yakima,  Washington 158 

186.  Stick  dice,  Bannock,  Idaho 15i) 

187.  Counting  sticks  for  stick  dice.  Bannock.  Idaho 159 

188.  Bone  dice,  Comanche.  Oklahoma 160 

189.  Bone  dice.  Comanche.  Oklahoma 160 

190.  Cane  dice,  Hopi,  Arizona 160 

101.  Board  for  cane  dice,  Hopi,  Arizona 161 

192.  Board  for  cane  dice,  Ilopi.  .Vrizona 161 

19:i.  Cane  dice,  Ilopi.  Arizona 161 

194.  Cane  dice  and  board.  Ilopi.  Arizona 162 

19.5.  Cane  dice  and  board,  Ilopi.  Arizona 162 

19G.  Cane  dice  and  board.  Ilopi.  Arizona 162 

197.  Decorated  pottei-j-  bowl  with  gambling  sticks.  Hopi.  Arizona 163 

198.  Decorated  pottery  bowl  with  gambling  sticks.  Hopi.  .\rizona 163 

199.  Decorated  pottery  bowl  with  Eagle-man  and  gaming  reed  casts. 

Ilopi,  Arizona 164 

2<Ki.  Cane  dice,  Chevlon  ruin,  Arizona 165 

201.  Stick  dice,  Kawia,  California 165 

202.  .\ci)rn-cup  dice.  Mono,  I'alifornia 166 

203.  Basket  tray  for  dice,  ilono.  California 166 

204.  Cane  dice,  Paiute,  Utah 166 

205.  Cane  dice,  Paiute,  Utah 167 

206.  Stick  dice,  Paiute,  Nevada 167 

207.  Stick  dice,  Paiute.  Nevada 168 

20S.  Walnut-shell  dice.  Paiute.  Nevada 168 

200.  Stick  dice.  Sbosboni,  Wyoming 169 

210.  Stick  dice,  Sbosboni.  Idaho 169 

211.  I'.one  dice.  Sbosboni.  Wyoming 170 

212.  Bone  dice,  Shoshoni,  Wyoming 170 

213.  China  dice,  Shoshoni,  Wyoming 170 

214.  China  dice.  Shoshoni.  Wyoming 170 

21.5.  Bag  for  dice.  Shoshoni.  Wyoming 170 

216.  Basket  for  dice,  Shoshoni.  Wyoming__"l 170 

217.  (\)nnting  sticks  for  dice.  Shoshoni.  Wyoming 171 

215.  Stick  dice,  Salioba,  California . 171 

219.  Stick  dice,  I'inta  Ute,  Utah 172 

220.  Stick  dice  for  basket  dice,  Uinta  Ute.  Utah 172 

221.  Uinta  Ute  women  playing  basket  dice.  Utah 173 

222.  Stick  dice,  Assiniboin,  North  Dakota 174 

223.  Bowl  game.  Assiniboin,  Montana 174 

224.  Counts  in  bowl  game.  Assiniboin.  Montana 1 175 

22.'.  Stick  dice.  Assiniboin.  Montana 176 

226.  Claw,  plum-stone,  and  lirass  dice,  Assiniboin,  Montana 177 

227.  Stick  dice.  Crows,  Montana 178 


ILLUSTRATIONS  11 

rage 

Figure  228.  Bone  dice  and  counting  stielvs.  Crows.  Montana 17.8 

22!».  Platter  for  dice.  Crows.  Montana ITS 

230.  Plum-stone  dice.  Crows,  Montana ITS 

2.31.  Basket  for  plum-stone  dice.  Brule  Dakota.  South  Dakota 1T9 

232.  Counting   sticks    for   plum-stone   dice.    Brule   Dakota.    Scmtli 

Dakota ITO 

2.3.3.  Plum-stone  dice.  Oglala  Dakota.  South  Dakota 180 

234.  Basket  for  dice,  Oglala  Dakota,  South  Dakota 180 

23.5.  Wooden  cup  for  dice,  Oglala  Dakota,  South  Dakota 180 

23(;.  Casts  in  plum-stone  dice.  Santee  Dakota,  Minnesota 181 

23T.  Plum-stone  dice.  Wahpeton  and  Sisseton  Dakota.  South  Da- 
kota    183 

238.  Plum-stone  dice,  Yankton  Dakota,  Montana 184 

23!l,  Plum-stone  dice,  Yanktonai  Dakota,  Xortli  Dakota 185 

24(1.  Plum-stone  dice.  Yanktonai  Dakota.  North  Dakota 180 

241.  Bone  stick-dice.  Hidatsa.  North  Dakota 180 

242.  Bone  dice.  Mandan.  North  Dakota 18T 

243.  Basket  for  dice,  Mandan,  North  Dakota 18" 

244.  Clay  fetish  used  with  dice.  Mandan.  North  D.akota 18T 

24.").   Plum-stone  dice,  Omaha,  Nebraska 188 

241!.  Brass  dice.  Osage,  Oklahoma 188 

24T.  Bone  dice.  Winnebago.  Wisconsin 189 

24.S.   Positions  of  die  in  winning  throw.s,  Haida.  British  Columbia--  180 

249.  Stick  dice.  Tewa,  Hano.  Arizona 190 

2.50.  Stick  dice.  TIgua.  Isleta,  New  Mexico 191 

2.51.  Counts  in  stick  dice,  Tigua,  Isleta,  New  Jlexico 191 

252.  Counts  in  stick  dice.  Tigua.  Isleta.  New  Mexico 192 

253.  Stick  dice,  Tewa,  Nambe,  New  Mexico 193 

254.  Stick  dice.  Tewa,  Santa  Clara,  New  Mexico •   193 

2.5.">.  Stick  dice.  Tewa.  Santa  Clara.  New  Mexico 194 

25n.  Stick  dice  and  marking  sticks,  Tigua,  Taos,  New  Mexico 194 

2."5T.  Circuit  for  stick  dice,  Tigua,  Taos,  New  Mexico 195 

258.  Beaver-teeth  dice,  Clayo(iuot,  British  Columbia 196 

259.  Wooden  die,  Kwakiutl,  British  Columbia 19(1 

260.  Beaver-teeth  dice,  Makah,  Washington 19G 

201,  Beaver-teeth  dice,  Mak.ih.  Washington 19T 

2G2.  Counters  for  beaver-teeth  dice,  Makah,  Washington 19T 

20."!.  Charm  used  with  beaver-teeth  dice,  Makah,  Washington 19T 

204.  Bone  dice,  Nootka,  British  Columbia 198 

265.  Bone  dice,  Nootka,  British  Columbia 198 

200.  Stick  dice,  Cocopa,  Sonora,  Mexico 200 

20T.  Cirls  playing  stick  dice,  Ilavasupai.  .\ri7,ona . 200 

208.  Stick  dice,  JIarieopa,  Arizona 201 

209.  Stick  dice.  Mission  Indians.  California 204 

2T0.  Stick  dice  and  board.  Mission  Indians,  California 204 

2T1,  Stick  dice,  Mohave,  Arizona 205 

2T2.  Stick  dice.  Mohave.  Lower  California  (Mexico) 205 

2T3.  Stick  dice.  Jlohave.  Arizona 206 

2T4.  Stick  dice.  Mohave.  Arizona 200 

2T5.  Stick  dice,  Walapai.  Arizona 20T 

2T0.  Stick  dice,  Walapai.  Arizona 20T 

2TT.  Stick  dice.  Walapai.  Arizona 20T 

2T8.  Stick  dice.  Walapai.  Arizona 20T 


12  ILLUSTBATIONS 

Page 

Figure270.  Circuit  for  stick  dice.  Walapai,  Arizona 208 

280.  Stick  dice.  Yuma,  Arizona 208 

281.  Stick  dice.  Yuma.  Arizona 209 

282.  Stick  dice.  Yuma.  California 209 

283.  Sacrificial  cane  dice,  Zufii.  New  Mexico 210 

284.  Sacrificial  cane  dice.  Zuni.  New  Mexico 210 

285.  Sacrificial  cane  dice,  Zuni.  New  Mexico 211 

286.  Cane  dice.  Zuni.  New  Mexico 211 

287.  Cane  dice.  Zuni,  Xew  Mexico 211 

288.  Cane  dice,   showing  method  of  t.ving  in   hundle,  Zuni,   New 

Mexico   •— -  212 

289.  Cane  dice,  Zuni.  New  Mexico 213 

290.  Cane  dice,  showing  method  of  tying  in  bundle,  Zuni,   New 

Mexico  213 

291.  Arrow  shaftments  of  the  four  directions,  Zuni,  New  Mexico.-  214 

292.  Hide  gaming  circuit  for  cane  dice.  Zufii.  New  Mexico 216 

29;!.  Manner  of  holding  cane  dice.  Zuni.  Xew  Mexico 216 

294.   Split  reeds  used  in  sholiwe,  Zuni.  Xew  Mexico 218 

29."i.  Method  of  placing  reeds  in  playing  sholiwe,  Zuni,  New  Mexico.  219 

296.  Stick  dice,  Zuni.  New  Mexico 220 

297.  Stick  dice,  Zuni.  New  Mexico 220 

298.  Stick  dice,  Zuni,  New  Mexico 221 

299.  Stick  dice,  Zuni,  New  Mexico 222 

3(HI.   Stick  dice.  Zuni.  New  Mexico . 222 

301.  Stick  dice.  Zuni.  New  Mexico 223 

302.  Stick  di<-e  for  basket-dice  game.  Zuni.  New  Mexico 223 

."iO;!.  Wooden  dice  for  baslvet-<li(e  game,  Zuni.  Xew  Mexico 224 

.304.  Rasket  for  dice.  Zuni.  New  Mexico 224 

305.  Wooden  dice  and  tossing  instrument.  Zufii,  New  Mexico 224 

306.  Wooden  dice,  Zuni,  New  Mexico 224 

307.  Arrow  shaftment.  showing  rilibanding,  Hupa.  California 228 

.308.  Cut  arrow  shaftment.  cliff-dwelling.  Colorado 228 

309.  Head  ornament.  Hupa.  California 22.9 

.310.   Stick  game,  Chippewa,  North  Dakota . 229 

311.   Stick  game,  Cree,  Wyoming 230 

.312.  Stick  game.  Cree.  Assiniboia 230 

31.3.  Stick  game.  Sauk  and  Foxes.  Iowa 232 

.314.  Dividing  stick  for  stick  game,  Sauk  and  Foxes,  Iowa 232 

31.">.  Stick  game,  Sauk  and  Foxes,  Iowa 233 

310.  Stick  game,  Ataakut,  California 233 

.317.  Counting  sticks  for  stick  game.  Hupa.  California 234 

318.  Stick  game.  Hupa.  California 234 

319.  .Stick  game.  Hupa.  California 235 

32(1.  Stick  game.  Hupa.  California 2.35 

.321.  Stick  game.  Hupa.  California 236 

322.   Stick  game.  Sekani.  British  Columbia 236 

32.3.  Stick  game.  Tututni,  Oregon 239 

.3^.  Counting  sticks  for  stick  game,  Tututni,  Oregon 239 

32.^,  Wooden  pipe  used  in  stick  game,  Tututni,  Oregou 2.39 

.326.  Stick  game.  Whilkut,  California 239 

.327.  Sti<-k  game.  Winnimen.  California 241 

32,S.   Stick  game.  Ponio,  California 247 

.329.   Sti<k  game.  Pomo.  California 247 

3.30.   Stiik  game,  I'omo,  California 247 


ILLUSTRATIONS  13 

Page 

Figure  331.  Stick  game,  KlMmath.  Uregon 248 

332.  Wooden  gamiug  disk.  Clemflemalats.  British  Columbia 24ft 

333.  Position  of  players  in  disk  game,  Puyallup.  Washington 252 

334.  Stick  game.  Thompson  Indians,  British  Columbia 255 

335.  Gambling  mat  for  stick  game,  Thompson  Indians.  British  Co- 

lumbia    2.55 

330.  Pointer  for  stick  game.  Thompson  Indians.  British  Columbia..  2.55 

337.  Copiier  pins  used  in  liolding  down  gambling  mat  in  disk  game. 

Klikitat,  Washington 257 

338.  Stick  game,  Achomawi,  California 257 

339.  Stick  game,  Shasta,  Oregon 258 

340.  Gamiug  disks,  Makah,  Washington 264 

341.  Stick  game,  Turok,  California 265 

342.  Stick  game.  Klamath  river,  California 266 

343.  Stick  game.  Zuni.  Xew  Mexico 266 

344.  Beads  for  hand  game,  Cree.  Wyoming 270 

345.  Beads  for  hand  game,  Grosventres.  Montana 271 

346.  Counting  sticks  for  hand  game,  Grosventres,  Montana 271 

347.  Bones  for  hand  game.  Grosventres,  Montana 271 

348.  Bone  for  hand  game,  Grosventres,  Montana 271 

34!t.  Bones  for  hand  g.inie.  Piegan.  Alberta 271 

3.50.  Bones  for  hand  game,  Bahine,  British  Columbia 273 

351,  Bones  for  han<l  game.  Tsilkotin.  British  Columbia 273 

3.52.  Bones  for  hand  game.  Sekani.  British  Columbia 273 

35.3.  Bones  for  hand  game.  I'mpyu.-i,  Oregon 274 

354.  Bead  and  counting  sticks  for  hand  game.  Pawnee,  Oklahonia__  274 

355.  Sticks  for  hand  game,  Pawnee.  Oklahoma 274 

356.  Counting  sticks  for  hand  game.  Pawnee,  Oklahoma 275 

3.57,  Counting  sticks  for  hand  game,  Wichita,  Oklahoma 276 

358,  Counting  sticks  for  hand  game,  Wichita,  Oklahoma 277 

359,  Counting  .sticks  for  hand  game,  Wichita,  Oklahoma 277 

360,  Counting  sticks  for  hand  game,  Wichita,  Oklahoma 278 

.361.  Counting  sticks  and  beads  for  hand  game,  Wichita.  Oklahoma_  278 

.362.  Drum  used  in  hand  game.  Wichita,  Oklahoma 278 

363.  Drum  used  in  hand  game.  Wichita,  Oklahoma 279 

364.  Bones  for  hand  game.  Wasco.  Oregon 282 

365.  Bones  for  hand  game,  Wintun,  California 283 

366.  Bones  and  counting  sticks  for  hand  game.  Calapooya.  Oregon^  284 

367.  Hand  game.  Kiowa.  Oklahoma 285 

368.  Bones  for  hand  game.  Kutenai,  Idaho 286 

360.  Kutenai  playing  hand  game.  Montana 286 

.370,  Kutenai  playing  hand  game.  Montana 287 

371.  Bones  for  hand  game.  Chilkat.  .Vlaska 288 

372.  Bones  for  hand  game.  Tlingit,  Alaska 289 

373.  Bones  for  hand  game.  Porno.  California 289 

374.  Bones  for  hand  game,  Porno,  California 290 

375.  Bones  for  hand  game,  Pomo,  California 290 

376.  Bones  for  hand  game,  Pomo,  California 291 

377.  Bones  for  hand  game.  Klamath,  Oregon 292 

378.  Counting  sticks  for  hand  game,  Klamath.  Oregon 292 

379.  Bones  for  hand  game.  Klamath.  Oregon 292 

380.  Stones  for  hand  game.  Klamath,  Oregon 293 

381.  Sticks  for  hand  game,  Modoc,  Oregon 293 


14  ILLUSTRATIONS 

I'ajse 

Figure  382.  Sticks  ami  counters  for  Imnd  fjiiine.  Yokuts,  California 294 

383.  Bones  for  hand  game,  Toiiiuagugiin,  California 295 

384.  Bones  for  hand  game,  Topinagngini.  California 295 

385.  Bones  for  hand  game,  Toiiinagngim.  California 295 

386.  Sticks  for  i)e(in.  r'apago.  .Arizona 295 

387.  Sticks  for  wahpctah.  IMnia.  Arizona 296 

388.  Bones  for  hand  game,  Konkau.  California 297 

389.  Bones  for  hand  game,  Maidu,  California 297 

39<).  Bones  for  hand  game.  Bellacoola,  British  Coliuul)ia 299 

391.  Bones  for  hand  game.  Penelakut,  British  Columbia 301 

392.  Bones  for  hand  game.  Penelakut,  British  Columbia 301 

.393.  Bones  for  hand  game.  Penelakut,  British  Columbia .301 

394.  Bones  for  hand  game,  Pu.v.illup,  Washington .302 

39.5,  Bones  for  hand  game,  Thompson  Indians,  British  Cohnnbia 303 

396.  Knnckle-covering  for  hand-game  players.  Thompson   Indians, 

British  Columbia 303 

397.  Bones  for  hand  game,  Twana,  Washington : 304 

398.  Bones  for  hand  game,  Nez  Perces,  Idaho 305 

399.  Bones  for  hand  game,  Umatilla,  Oregon 306 

400.  Counting  sticks  for  hand  game,  Umatilla,  Oregon .306 

401.  Sticks  for  hand  game,  .\chomawi,  California 307 

402.  Bones  for  hand  game,  Bannock,  Idaho 308 

403.  Counting  sticks  for  hand  game,  Bannock,  Idaho 308 

404.  Bones  for  hand  game.  Bannock  and  Shoshoni,  Idaho 309 

405.  Bones  and  sticks  for  peon,  Kawia,  California 310 

406.  Sticks  for  hand  game.  Jlono.  California 310 

407.  Beads  and  counters  for  hand  game.  Mono,  California 310 

408.  Bones  for  hand  game,  Paiute,  Nevada 311 

409.  Bones  for  hand  game,  Paiute,  Utah 311 

410.  Paiute  ))Iajing  hand  game,  Utah 312 

411.  Bones  and  sticks  for  jieon,  Saboba.  California 313 

412.  Bones  for  hand  game.  Shoshoni.  Wyoming 813 

413.  Counting  sticks  for  hand  game.  Shoshoni,  Wyoming ;_  314 

414.  Bones  for  band  game.  Uinta  Ute,  Utah .315 

415.  Sticks  for  baud  game,  Yankton  Dakota,  Montana 317 

41(>.  Counting  sticks  for  hand  game,  Yankton  Dakota,  Montana 317 

417.  Bones  for  hand  game.  Ilaida,  British  Columbia 318 

418.  Bones  for  liand  game.  Clayoquot,  British  Columbia 319 

410.  Bones  for  band  game,  Clayoquot.  British  Columbia .319 

420.  Bones  for  hand  game.  Clayoquot.  British  Columbia 319 

421.  Bones  for  liand  game,  KwaUiutl,  British  Columbia 319 

422.  Bones  for  hand  game.  Kwakiutl,  British  Columbia 319 

423.  Kwakiutl  playing  hand  game.  British  Columbia .320 

424.  Bones  for  hand  game.  Makah,  Washington .322 

425.  Bones  for  hand  game,  Huchnom,  California 323 

426.  Sticks  and  bones  for  peon,  Dieguenos,  California 324 

427.  Counting  sticks  for  peon,  Dieguenos,  California 324 

428.  Bones  for  peon.  Mission  Indians.  California .325 

429.  Rone  for  hand  game,  ilohave,  .Vrizona .326 

4.30,  Sticks  for  peon.  .Mohave,  .Vrizona 1 .326 

431.  f^loth-covercd  sticks  for  hand  game,  Mohave,  Arizona .326 

4.32.  Sticks  for  peon.  Y'uma.  California 327 

433.  Billets  for  game,  cliff -dwelling.  Arizona 328 


ILLUSTRATK^NS  15 

ra;;e 
l-"iurRK4:M.  rossible  oonibinntious  of  large  ami  small  sticks  in  the  four- 
stick  game,  Klamath,  Oregon -i'— ) 

4:i.">.  Four-stick  game,  Klamath,  Oregon "530 

436.  Four-stick  game.  Klamath.  Oregon 330 

487.  Counting  sticks  for  four-stick  game.  Klamath,  Oregon 3.'?0 

4.38.  Basket  for  four-stick  game.  Klamath,  Oregon 331 

43!).  Four-stick  game,  Achomawi,  California 3."!2 

440.  Four-stick  game,  Paiute,  Nevada 333 

441.  Counting  sticks  for  four-stick  game,  Paiute.  Nevada 333 

442.  Four-stick  .game.  Paiute.  Utah 3:i4 

443.  I'aiute  playing  four-.stick  game,  Utah 334 

444.  I'osition  of  sticks  in  four-stick  game.  Washo.  Nevada 335 

44.">.  Sacrificial  tubes  for  hiding  game,  Zuni.  New  Mexico 3.36 

44(;.  Drab  Flute  altar.  Ilopi.  Mishonguovi.  Ari/.cjna 330 

447.  Blue  Flute  altar.  Ilopi,  .Mishonguovi,  Arizona 337 

448.  Flute  altar,  Ilopi.  Shum<)i)avi.  Arizona 338 

44!).  Flute  altar,  Ilopi.  Shipaulovi,  Arizona 339 

450.  Bullets  for  moccasin  game,  Chippewa,  Minnesota 340 

451.  Counting  sticks  for  mo<'casin  game.  Chippewa,  Minnesota 340 

452.  Bullets  for  moccasin  game,  Chippewa,  Minnesota 340 

453.  Chippewa  pla.ving  mo<casin  game,  Minnesota 341 

454.  Pads,  counters,  and  striking  stick  for  moccasin  game.  Chip- 

pewa. Nortli  Dakota 342 

45.5.  Counting  sticks  and   pointer  for  moccasin   game,   Sauk    and 

Foxes.   Iowa •'>^~' 

456.  Ball,  counting  sticks,  and  striker  for  moccasin  game.  Navaho. 

Arizona 340 

457.  Counting  sticks  for  moccasin  game.  Navaho,  New  Mexico 346 

458.  Tubes  for  hiding  game.  Keres.  Acoma,  New  Mexico 351 

4.5!t.  Tubes  for  hiding  game.  Keres.  Laguna.  New  Mexico 3.52 

4t;(».  Counting  sticks  for  hiding  game.  Keres.  Laguna.  New  Mexico.  352 

461.  Paper  tubes  for  hiding  game,  Keres.  Sia,  New  Mexico 353 

462.  Cane  tul)es  for  hiding  game.  Papago.  Arizona 3.54 

463.  Cane  tubes  for  hiding  game.  Papago.  Arizona 354 

464.  Cane  tubes  for  hiding  game,  Papago,  Arizona 355 

465.  Papago  playing  hiding  game,  .\rizona 3.55 

466.  Cane  tubes  for  hiding  game,  Pima,  Arizona 356 

467.  Tubes  for  hiding  game.  Pima.  Arizona 3.56 

468.  Chilaca.vote  beans  for  hiding  game.  Zuaiiue.  Sinaloa.  Mexico—.  357 

469.  Wooden  tubes  for  hiding  game.  Hopi,  Arizona 357 

470.  Wooden  tubes  for  hiding  g.uue.  IIo])!.  .Vrizona 357 

471.  Wooden  tubes  for  hiding  game,  Ilopi.  .Vrizona 358 

472.  Wooden  tubes  for  hiding  game.  Ilopi,  Arizona 3.5!) 

47.3.  Wooden  tubes  for  hiding  game,  Ilopi,  Arizona 3.59 

474.  W^ooden  tubes  for  hiding  game.  Hopi.  Arizona 359 

475.  Wooden  tubes  for  hiding  game,  Hopi,  Arizona 359 

476.  Wooden  tubes  for  hiding  game.  Hopi.  Arizona 360 

477.  Wooden  tubes  for  hiding  game.  Hopi,  Arizona 360 

478.  Wooden  tubes  and  counting  sticks  for  hiding  game.  Hopi.  Ari- 

zona    360 

470.  Wooden  tubes  for  hiding  game,  Hopi,  Arizona 361 

480.  Tubes  for  hiding  game,  Tewa.  Hano.  .Vrizona 362 

481.  Plaza  Cocotukwi  at  Sichomovi,  Arizona 362 


KJ  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 

Figure  4S2.  I'lau  of  kiva  biding  game,  Iloiii.  Ai-izuiia ^ SOH 

483.  Hiding    horn    for    moccasin    KJmiP.    Oglala     Dalcota,     Soutli 

Dalvota 3C4 

484.  Pointing   sticlis   for   moccasin   game.   Oglala   Dakota,    Sonlli 

Dakota :i(U 

485.  Counting  sticks   for  moccasin   game,   Oglala   Dakota,   South 

Dakota 364 

486.  Wooden  tubes  for  hiding  game,  Tewa,  Nambe,  New  Mexico 367 

487.  Wooden  tubes  for  hiding  game.  Tewa,  Santa  Clara,  New  Mexico-  36f> 

488.  Wooden  tubes  for  hiding  game, Tewa,  Santa  Clara,  New  Mexico.  369 

489.  Wooden  tubes  for  hiding  game,  Tigua,  Taos,  New  Mexico 369 

490.  Cane  tubes  for  hiding  game.  JIaricoi>a,  Arizona 370 

491.  Hiding  ball  and  counting  sticks,  Walapai.  Arizona 371 

49:i.  Wooden  tubes  for  biding  game.  Zuni.  New  Mexico 372 

493.  Wooden  tubes  for  hiding  game.  Zuni.  New  ?fIexico 373 

494.  Stone  liall  for  liiding  game.  Zuni.  Xcw  Mexico 374 

495.  Counting  straws  for  hiding  game,  Zuni,  New  Mexico 374 

496.  Plan  of  hiding  game,  Zuni,  New  Mexico 379 

497.  Sand  mounds  with  hiding  tubes,  Zuni,  New  Mexico 380 

498.  Sand  moimd  with  hiding  tubes.  Zuni,  New  Mexico 380 

409.  Arrangement  of  tulies  before  pla.ving  biding  game,  Zuni,  New 

Mexico _' 381 

500.  Stone  disk  used  to  determine  first  pla.v  in  hiding  game,  Zufu, 

New  Jlexico 382 

501.  Arrow  target,  Grosventres,  Jlontana 384 

502.  Arrow  target,  Navaho,  Arizona 386 

503.  Game  dart.  Western  Eskimo,  Alaska 387 

504.  Arrow  target.  Crows,  Montana 391 

505.  Crow  Indian  pla.ying  grass-target  game,  Montana 391 

506.  Toy  bow  and  arrow,  Oglala  Dakota,  Sonth  Dakota 392 

507.  Game  of  the  arrow,  Mandan,  North  Dakota 394 

508.  Method  of  holding  arrows  in  playing  showialtowe,  Zuni,  New 

Mexico 397 

509.  Plumed  sticks  u.sed  in  playing  lapochiwe.  Zuni.  New  Mexico 397 

510.  Lapochiwe,   Zuni,   New   Mexico 398 

511.  Target  and  bow  and  arrows,  Zmli.  New  Mexico 399 

512.  Feathered  bone  slider.  Cheyenne,  Oklahoma 400 

513.  Snow-snake,  Chippewa,  Minnesota 402 

514.  Snow-snakes.  Cbi|ipew.i.  Minnesota 402 

515.  Snow-snakes,  Cliippewa.  Minnesota 402 

516.  Snow-snake,  Cliippewa,  Minnesota 403 

517.  Snow-snake,  Cbipiiewa,  North  I>akota 403 

518.  Snow-dart,  Cree,  Assiniboia , 403 

519.  Snow-dart,  Cree,  Assiniboia . 404 

520.  Snow-dart,  Cree,  Assiniboia 404 

.521.  Menominee  holding  snow-snake,  Wisconsin 405 

522.  Snow-darts,  Passama<iuoddy,  Maine 406 

.523.  Snow-snakes,  I'enoliscot,  Maine 40" 

524.  Snow-snake.  Saulc  and  Foxes.  Iowa 407 

.525.  Snow-snakes,  Sauk  and  Foxes.  Iowa . 407 

.526.   Snow-snakes,  Sank  and  Foxes,  Iowa 40,S 

.527.  Slinging  darts  and  stick.  Sank  and  Foxes.  Iowa 408 

528.  Game  dart,  Takulli.Kritisli  Colnml)ia 409 


ILLUSTRATIOXS  17 

I  age 

Figure  52ii.  Siiow-suake.  TakuUi,  British  (_'oluinl)ia 40<i 

530.  Snow-snake,  Seneca,  New  York 41(i 

531.  Snow-boat.  Seneca,  Xew  York 411 

532.  Featberefl  l»ne  slider,  Kiowa.  Oklahoma 4i;', 

5.33.  Ground  coasting  arrows,  Pomo,  California 413 

534.  Snow-snake.  Yokuts,  C'iiliforuia 414 

5.3.5.  Throwing-  or  whipiiing-sticks,  Topinagugiiu,  California 414 

53(j.  Game  dart.  Crows,  Montana 41.- 

537.  Feathered  bone  slider,  Oglala  Dakota.  South  Dakota 415 

538.  Boys'  throwing  arrow,  Oglala  Dakota,  South  Dakota 4Hi 

539.  Girls'  throwing  stick,  Oglala  Dakota,  Soutli  Dakota 417 

540.  Snow-snakes.  Teton  Dakota,  .South  Dakota 417 

541.  Feathered  bone  slider.  Yankton  Dakota.  Montana 41S 

542.  Feathered  horn  dart.  Mandan,  North  Dakota 410 

543.  Game  dart,  Omaha.  Xeliraska 4i!i 

544.  Pottery  bowl  with  spider-web  decoration.  Ilopi.  Arizona 422 

54.J.  Pottery  IkjwI  with  spider-web  decoration,  Hopi,  Arizona 42:; 

it-id.  Netted  shield,  bow,  and  arrows  attaclicd   to  plume  offering. 

Zuni,  New  Mexico 424 

547.  Plume  offering,  Zuni,  Xew  Mexico „___  4J4 

548.  Baho  stand  with  netted  sliield.  Hopi.  Arizona 424 

549.  Sacrificial  feather  darts.  Zuni.  New  .Mexico 425 

550.  Netted  hoops  and  feathered  darts  used  by  the  Oilqol  manas. 

Hopi,  Arizona 42i; 

551.  Oaqol   manas   throwing   darts   into    netted    lioops,   Hopi.  .Vri 

zona 427 

552.  Marau  arrows,  Hopi,  Arizona 42s 

553.  Corncob  feather  dart,  cliff-dwelling.  Colorado 428 

;            554.  Feather  dart,  cliff-dwelling,  Ccdorado 428 

55.5.  Yucca  ball,  cliff -dwelling.  Colorado 42S 

550.  Cradle  charm.  Hnpa.  California 428 

557.  Hair  ornament  (netted  hoop  I.  Cheyenne.  Oklahoma 428 

5.58.   Hair  ornament  (netted  hoop).  Crows,  .Montana 420 

5.50.   Protective  amulet  (netted  li<X)p).  Grosventres.  M(>nt,ina__    _.  420 

.5(;(l.  Protective  anudet  (netted  hoop).  Grosventres,  Montana 429 

561.  Four-strand  medicine  cord.  Chiricahua  Apache,  Arizona 4:^0 

5G2.  Three-strand  medicine  cord.  Chiricahua  Apache.  Arizona 430 

563.  Amulets  of  scented  grassTNavaho.  New  Mexico 430 

504.  Hair  ornament.  Oglala  Dakota.  South  Dakota 431 

50.5.  Hair  ornament.  Arapaho.  Wyoming 431 

5C,li.  Hair  ornament,  Arapaho.  W.voming 431 

567.  Mask  of  Ilehea  tahaanni.  Hopi.  Arizona 432 

508.  Deerskin  iilume  worn  with  head  ring.  IIu|ia.  California 4.32 

569.  Flute  priest's  headdres.s,  Hopi.  Arizona 4.33 

570.  Conjurer's  hoop  and  sticks,  Oglala  Dakota.  South  Dakota 4.34 

571.  Gaming  ring,  Navaho,  Arizona 43(; 

572.  Stone  medicine  ring,  Cheyenne,  Oklahoma 4.37 

573.  Gaming  wheel  and  sticks,  Dakota.  South  Dakota 4.37 

574.  Arapaho  Sun  Dance  altar  with  wheel.  Oklahoma 438 

575.  Netted  hoop.  Arapaho.  W.vonnng 441 

576.  Darts  for  netted  hoop,  Arapaho.  W.voming 441 

•577.  Gaming  ring,  Blackfeet.  Montana 44i 

24  ETii— 05  M 2 


18  ILLUSTRATIONS 

•  Page 

Figure  .">78.  Netted  lioop,  ("heyeniie  and  AraiJiilm,  Uklalionia •  445 

579.  Netted  hoop,  ("he.reiiiie.  Oklahoma 445 

580.  Netted  hoop  and  dart.  Chippewa.  North  Dakota 446 

581.  Netted  hoop.  Orosventres.  Montana 447 

582.  Netted  hoop.  Piegau.  Alberta 447 

58.3.  P.eadetl  ring.  Piegan.  Alberta 448 

584.  (Jauie  rhigs.  Sauk  and  Foxes.  Iowa 448 

585.  Bundle  of  elm  bark  used  as  target.  Sauk  and  Foxes,  Iowa 448 

586.  How  and  arrows  used  in  ring  game.  Sauk  and  Foxes,  Iowa__  448 

587.  San  Carlos  Apache  pla.ving  hoop  and  pole.  Arizona 451 

588.  Plan  of  pole  grounds.  White  Mountain  Apache,  Arizona 451 

.589.  San  Carlos  Apache  playing  hoop  and  pole.  Arizona 4.52 

590.  White  Mountain  Ajiache  iihi.ving  hoop  and  pole.  Arizona 453 

591.  Plan  of  pole  ground.  White  Mountain  Apache,  Arizona 4.54 

592.  Cross  section  of  counting  Held  in  pole  game.  White  Mountain 

Apache.  Arizona 4.54 

59.3.  Counting  end  of  pole  for  pole  game.  White  Mountain  Apache, 

Arizona 454 

504.  Hoop  for  pole  game.  White  Mountain  Apache.  Arizona 455 

595.  Counting  points  in  polegame.White  MountainApache.Arizona_  455 

596.  Hoop  for  pole  game.  White  Mountain  Apache,  Arizona 4.56 

597.  Ring  for  pole  game,  Navaho,  Arizona 458 

598.  Poles  for  pole  game.  Navaho,  Arizona 4.58 

590.  FiUds  of  lashing  of  pole  for  pole  game,  Navaho,  Arizona 458 

6(Xl.  Hoop  for  game.  Takulli.  British  Columbia 460 

6(tl.  Dart  for  ring  game.  Pawnee.  Nebraska 464 

602.  Dart  for  boys"  ring  game.  Pawnee.  Nebraska 464 

603.  Netted  hoop.  Pawnee.  Oklahoma 466 

604.  Netted  hoop.  Pawnee,  Oklahoma ; 466 

605.  Netted  hoop.  Pawnee.  Oklahoma 466 

<>06.  (Jame  hoop.  Pawnee.  Oklahoma 467 

607.   Hoop  and  poles.  Pawnee,  Oklahoma 467 

6(i.S.  Game  hoop.  I'awnee.  Oklahoma 467 

6(19.   (Jame  hoop.  Pawnee.  Oklahonui 467 

610.  King  for  buffalo  game.  Pawnee,  Oklahoma 468 

611.  Poles  for  buffalo  game.  Pawnee,  Oklahoma 468 

■    612.  Ring  and  pole.  Pawnee,  Oklahoma 469 

613.  Netted  hoop  and  dart.  Wichita.  Oklahoma 470 

614.  Game  hoop.  Wichita,  Oklahoma 470 

615.  Game  ring,  Wasco,  Washington 472 

616.  (iame  of  nuglutang.  Central  Eskinjo,  Franklin 473 

617.  Netted  hoop  and  darts.  Western  Eskimo,  Alaska 474 

618.  lloo|)  and  pole,  Seneca.  New  York 476 

610.  (Jame  hoop.  Tusearora.  New  York 477 

620.  Poles  for  hoop  game.  Tusearora,  New  York 477 

621.  Game  ring,  Keres,  New  Mexico 478 

'           622.  Poles  for  ring  game,  Keres,  New  Mexico 478 

623.  Game  ring,  Kiowa,  Oklahoma 478 

624.  Hoop  and  dart.  Pomo.  California 479 

62.5.  Plan  of  field  for  hooji  game.  Pomo,  California 479 

626.  (iame  ring.  Klamath,  Oregon 480 

627.  Boy's  game  ring.  Klamath,  Oregon 480 

628.  Rings,  bow,  and  arrows  for  ring  game,  Klamath,  Oregon 480 


ILLUSTRATIONS  19 

Page 

Figure  020.  Game  ring  and  awl.  Klamath.  Oregon 481 

030.  Game  ring,  Klamatb.  Oregon 481 

031.  Ring  and  poles.  Chukohansi,  California 482 

632.  Ring  and  arrow.  PitUachi.  California 483 

633.  Ring  and  pole.  Yokuts.  California 483 

634.  Implements  for  lance-and-peg  game.  Yokuts.  California 484 

635.  Plan  of  Held  for  hoop-and-lance  game. Topinagugim, California-  484 

636.  Cbuuk  yard,  Muskogee.  Georgia 488 

637.  Position  of  jila.yers  in  lioop-and-lance  game,  Nishinam.  Cali- 

fornia    489 

638.  Cedar-bark  game  rings,  Bellacoola,  British  Columbia 489 

6.39.  Lava  game  rings.  Bellacoola.  British  Columbia 490 

640.  Beaded  game  ring  and  arrows.  Pend  d'Oreilles,  Montana 490 

641.  Beaded  game  ring  and  spear.   Thompson    Indians.    British   Co- 

lumbia   492 

642.  Game  dart,  Thompson  Indians,  British  Columbia 492 

643.  Game  hoop.  Umatilla,  Oregon 493 

tH4.  Poles  for  hoop  game,  Umatilla,  Oregon 493 

m'j.  Beaded  game  ring  and  darts,  Umatilla.  Oregon 494 

640.  Bark  game  disk,  Achomawi.  California ; 494 

tMT.  Bannock  boy  playing  hoop  and  pole.  Idaho 495 

648.  Corn-husk  game  ring,  Hopi.  Arizona 495 

649.  Corncob  darts,  Hopi,  Arizona 495 

650.  Corn-husk  game  ring  and  corncob  darts.  Hopi.  Arizona 496 

651.  Corn-husk  ring  and  corncob  dart.  Hopi.  .Vrizona 497 

6.52.  Lanee-and-i>eg  game.  Mono,  California 498 

653.  Netted  game  hoop  and  feathered  darts.  Paiute,  Utah 498 

654.  Game  ring  and  dart.  Paiute.  Nevada 499 

65.5.  Game  ring.  Sbosboni.  Wyoming . 499 

6.56.  Darts  for  ring  game,  Shoshoni,  Wyoming 499 

6.57.  Counting  sticks  for  ring  game.  Shoshoni.  Wyoming 500 

658.  Game  arrow.  Uinta  Ute,  Utah 500 

659.  Darts  for  ring  game.  Uncompahgi-e  Ute.  I'tah 501 

660.  Game  ring.  Ute 501 

661.  Netted  game  hoop.  Crows,  Montana 502 

662.  Darts  for  netted  hoop.  Crows.  Montana 502 

603.  Beaded  ring.  Crows.  Montana ■---  502 

664.  Game  hoop,  Oglala  Dakota,  South  Dakota 503 

665.  Marks  on  game  hoop.  Oglala  Dakota.  South  Dakota 503 

666.  Darts  for  hoop  game.  Oglala  Dakota.  .South  Dakota 503 

667.  Ring  for  elk  game.  Oglala  Dakota.  South  Dakota 505 

668.  Darts  for  elk  game,  Oglala  Dakota.  South  Dakota 505 

669.  Haka  game,  from  American-Horse's  Winter  Count,   1779-80, 

Oglala  Dakota 5*W> 

670.  Haka  game,  from  Americau-Horse's  Winter  Count.  1779-80, 

Oglala  Dakota 506 

671.  Netted  hoop.  Oglala  Dakota.  South  Dakota 506 

672.  Dart  for  netted  hoop.  Oglala  Dakota.  South  Dakota 506 

673.  (iame  hoop.  Yankton  Dakota.  Montana 509 

674.  Darts  for  hoop  game,  Yankton  Dakota,  Montana 509 

67.5.  Chunkee  stones.  Eno(?).  South  Carolina 510 

676.  The  game  of  tehung-kee.  Mandan,  North  Dakota 512 

677.  Netted  hoop  and  pole,  Maudau,  North  Dakota 513 


20  ILLUSTKATIONS 

Pa;rr 

Figure  ti78.  Game  ring  ami  dan,  (jiiialia.  Xeliraska 514 

679.  Ring-aud-dart  game.  Omaha.  Nebraska 515 

680.  Game  ring  and  darts.  Omaha.  Nebraska 51Ci 

681.  Game  ring  ami  darts.  Tigua.  Isleta.  New  Mexico 51!> 

682.  Game  ring.  Kwakiutl,  British  Columbia 520 

68-3.  Game  ring.  Kwakiutl,  British  Columbia 520 

68-1.  Dart  for  ring  game,  Kwakiutl.  British  Columbia .520 

685.  Stone  game  ring.  Kwakiutl.  British  Columbia 521 

680.  Dart  for  spear-and-kelp  game.  Kwakiutl.  British  Columliia .521 


i~.  Game  ring.  Makah,  Washington _ 


522 


688.  Garnering,  Mohave,  Arizona 523 

689.  Rings  for  ring  and  pole.  Mohave.  Arizona 52-1 

690.  Game  ring,  Walapai,  Arizona 525 

691.  Game  ring.  Walapai.  Arizona .525 

692.  Game  ring  and  dart.  Zuni.  New  Me.xico 527 

693.  YuM-a  ball  and  i-orneob  darts.  Zuni.  New  Mexico 527 

694.  Stick  and  ring,  Zuni,  New  Mexico .528 

695.  Chetguetat.  Arapaho,  V\',vomiug ."i2!t 

696.  Che.venne  woman  playing  nitonisdot,  Oklahoma 531 

697.  Nitonisdot.  Che.venne.  Oklahoma 532 

698.  Napawagan,  Chippewa,  Minnesota 533 

699.  Napawagan.  Chippewa.  Minnesota .533 

700.  Napaagauagi.  Chip] lewa.  North  Dakota .534 

701.  Pepenggunegun,  Chipi)ewa.  Ontario .534 

702.  Tapa  whan,  Cree.  Saskatcliewan .535 

703.  Cup  and  pin,  Cree,  Saskat<liewan 535 

704.  Napahwhan.  Cree.  Assiniboia 5.36 

705.  Teheapi,  Cree,  Wyoming : 530 

70C.  Tsaitkusha,  Grosventres,  Montana 5.37 

707.  Phalangeal-bone  game.  Missisauga.  Ontario 538 

708.  Cup-and-pin  game,  Montagnais,  Quebec 538 

709.  Cup  and  pin.  Nascapee.  Labrador 539 

710.  T"wis,  Passamaquoddy,  Maine 540 

711.  Artoois,  Penobscot.  Maine 541 

712.  Ahduis.  Penobscot.  Maine 541 

713.  Nibiiiuaihaki.  Sauk  and  Foxes.  Iowa 542  ■ 

714.  Kiolki.s.  Hupa.  California .543 

715.  PhaIan.geal-bone  game,  Kawchodinne,  Mackenzie .543 

716.  Ecagoo,  Thlingchadinne.  Mackenzie .544 

717.  Ivory  carving  representing  head  of  fox.  used  in  the  game  of 

a.iegaung.  Central  Eskimo,  Franklin .545 

-718.  Ivory  carving  representing  polar  l)ear.  used  in  the  game  of 

a.iegaung.  Central  Eskimo,  Franklin 545 

71'.K  Ivory  carving  representing  jiolar  bear,  used  in  the  game  of 

ajegaung.  Central  Eskimo.  Franklin .54ii 

720.  Bone  game.  Central  Eskimo,  Keewatin •">4(> 

721.  Fish  game.  Central  E.skimo.  Keewatin .547 

722.  Bone  game.  Central  Eskimo.  Keewatin 547 

723.  Seal-bone  game.  Central  Eskimo.  Keewatin 547 

724.  Skull  used  in  the  game  of  a.iegaung.  Labrador  Eskimo,  Uugava 

bay.   Labrador 548 

72.5.  Bone  game.  Central  Eskimo,  Lalirador 549 

726.  Ajagaq.  Ita  Eskimo.  Greenland 549 


ILLUSTRATIONS  21 

Page 

FifURK  7l.'7.  Ajagaq.  Ita  Eskimo,  Greenlaiul 549 

728.  Dittcega,  roino,  California 550 

72(1.  Chelgwegoooot.  Pima.  Arizona 551 

7;^0.  Ball-and-pin  game,  Tliompson  Indians,  British  Columbia 552 

731.  Pactslewitas,  Umatilla.  Oregon 553 

732i  Salmon-lione  game.  Shasta.  California 5.53 

733.  Xadohetin.  I'aiute.  Nevada 554 

734.  Skull  and  pin  and  bone  and  pin.  Paiute,  Utah 554 

7:{5.  Keed  and  pin.  Ute.  Utah 554 

7."{t>.  Bone  and  pin,  Ute.  Utah 555 

737.  Taseha.  Assinihoin,  Montana 555 

7.38.  Cup  and  pin,  Brnlr  Dakota.  South  Dakota 556 

730.  Tasiha,  Oglala  Dakota.  South  Dakota 556 

740.  Hokiwaxoxokke,  Winuebago,  Wksconsiu 557 

741.  Ngoila  uabapi.  Tewa,  I-Iano,  Arizona 558 

742.  Seal-bone  game.  Clayofiuot.  British  Columbia 558 

74.3.  Seal  bone  for  divining,  Kwakintl.  British  Coluuibia 559 

744.  Pumpkin-rind  game,  Mohave,  Arizona 560 

74.5.  King  game.  Zuni.  New  Mexico 560' 

74fi.   King  game.  Zufii.  New  Mexieo .561 

747.  King  game.  Zuni.  New  Mexieo 561 

748.  Miniature  racket.  Missisauga.  Ontario 562 

749.  Kacket.  Chippewa.  Minnesota 565 

750.  Kacket,  Chippewa,  Wisconsin 565 

751.  Ball  and  racket,  Chippewa,  Ontario 567 

7.52.  Kacket.  Menominee.  Wisconsin 568 

753.  Ball.  Passama<]Uodd.v,  Maine 570 

754.  Racket.  I'assaniaquoddy.  Maine 571 

75.5.  Ball,  Penobscot.  Maine 572 

7.50.  Kacket.  Sauk  and  Foxes.  Iowa 572 

757.  Ball.  Sauk  and  Foxes,  Iowa 572 

758.  Message  sticks  for  ball  game.  Sauk  and  Foxes.  Iowa 572 

759.  Kacket,  Sauk  and  Foxes.  Iowa 573 

700.  Racket.  Sauk  and  Foxes,  Oklahoma 573 

761.  Racket.  Mohawk.  Ontario 590 

7»;2.  Ball,  Mohawk,  Ontario -  590 

76,3.  Ball,  St  Regis.  New  York .592 

7(U.  Kacket.  Seneca,  New  York .594 

7(!5.  Ball  and  racket.  Porno.  California 595 

706.  Ball  and  racket.  Pomo.  California 595 

767.  feall  and  racket,  Yokuts,  California 596 

768.  Ball  baskets.  Miwok,  California i 596 

769.  Ball  and  ball-casting  basket.  Topinagugim.  California 597 

770.  Choctaw  ball  player.  Indian  Territor.y 600 

771.  Rackets,  Choctaw,  Indian  Territory 602 

772.  Horse  tail  worn  in  ball  game.  Choctaw.  Indian  Territory 60'i 

773.  Racket,  Choctaw.  Louisiana   604 

774.  Rackets,  negroes.  New   Orleans 605 

775.  Rackets.  Muskogee.  Indian  Territory 606 

776.  Ball,  Seminole,  Florida 60S 

777.  Rackets,  Seminole,  Florida  008 

778.  Racket.  Seminole,  Indian  Territory 608 

779.  Ball  racket,  Nishinam,  California 608 


22  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 

Figure  780.  Ball  sticks,  TUomp.son  Indians,  British  Columbia liOO 

781.  Stick  for  protecting  ball.  Thompson   Indians.  British  Colum- 

bia    (Hd 

782.  Balls  and  catching  hoop.s.  Thompson  Indians,  British  Colum- 

bia    611 

78o.  Santee  Daliota  ball-play  on  the  ice,  Minnesota 613 

784.  Santee  Dakota  ball-play  on  the  prairie,  Minnesota f;i4 

785.  Ball  and  racket,  Oto.  Oklahoma lil.j 

78t;.  Ball.   Winnebago,   Wisconsin 016 

787.  Racket,  Winnebago.  Wisconsin 610 

788.  Shinny  ball  and  stick.  Arapaho.  Oklahoma ^ 617 

789.  Shinny  ball.  Arapaho.  Wyoming 018 

790.  Shinny  ball.  Arapaho.  Wyoming 618 

791.  Shinny  stick.  Arapaho.  Wyoming 618 

792.  Shinny  ball.  Arapaho.  Wyoming 618 

703.  Shinny  ball.  Cheyenne,  oklalioma 619 

794.  Shinny  ball.  Che.venne.  Oklahoma (CO 

79.''>.  Shinny  stick.  Cheyenne.  Oklahoma 620 

796.  Shinny  ball  and  .stick.  Cheyenne.  Montana 621 

797.  Shinny  ball  and  stick.  Cheyenne,  Montana 621 

798.  Shinny  ball  and  stick.  Chippewa,  North  Dakota 621 

799.  Shinny  ball  and  stick.  (Jrosventres,  Montana 621 

800.  Ball  and  stick  for  ice  hockey,  Sauk  and  Foxes,  Iowa 623 

801.  Shinny  ball.  Navaho.  New  Mexico 623 

802.  Shinny  stick.  Navaho.  Arizona 623 

803.  Plan  of  shinny  ball  field,  Navaho,  Arizona 624 

804.  Shinny  ball.  Pawnee,  Oklahoma 625 

80.5.  Shinny  sticks,  Pawnee.  Oklahoma 625 

806.  Goal  .sticks  and  pole  for  shinny.  Pawnee,  Oklahoma 025 

807.  Shinny  ball  and  stick.  Wichita,  Oklahoma 620 

808.  Shinny  hall.  Kiowa,  Oklahoma 6.30 

809.  Shinny  stick.  Kiowa.  Oklahoma 630 

810.  Shinny  ball.  Kiowa.  Oklahoma 630 

811.  Shinny  ball  and  stick.  Yokuts.  California 630 

812.  Ball  eour.se.  Wasania,  California 631 

813.  Shinny  ball  and  stick,  Zuaque,  Sonora,  Mexico 032 

814.  Shinny  stick,  Pend  d'Oreilles,  Montana 632 

815.  Shinny  ball.  Umatilla,  Oregon 633 

816.  Shinny  stick.  T'matilla.  Oregon 633 

817.  Shinny  ball  and  stick.  Achomawi,  California 6.33 

818.  Shinny  ball.  Ilopi.  Arizona ..!. 634 

810.  Shinny  ball.  Hopi.  Arizona 634 

820.  Shinny  ball,  Hopi,  Arizona 634 

821.  Shinny  stick.  Hopi,  Arizona 634 

822.  Shinny  ball  and  stick.  Mono,  California 635 

82.3.  Shinny  ball  and  .stick.  Mono.  California 635 

824.  Shinny  ball.  Shoshoni.  Wyoming 636 

82.5.  Shinny  stick.  Shoshoni.  Wyoming 636 

826.  Shinny  ball.  Uinta  Ute.  Utah 636 

827.  Shinny  stick.  Uinta  I'te.  Utah 636 

828.  Shinny  ball  and  stick,  Oglala  Dakota.  South  Dakota 638 

829.  Stick  for  wood  shinny.  Oglala  Dakota,  South  Dakota 638 

§30.  Shinny  stick.  Teton  Dakota.  South  Dakota 6.39 


ILLUSTRATIONS  23 

Page 

Figure  831.  Shinny  stick.  Yanlcton  Daliota.  MdHtaiui W1 

832.  Shinny  ball.  Omaha.  Nebraska 641 

833.  Shinny  stiolc;  Omaha.  Nebraska Gil 

834.  Plan  of  shinny  ball  frrouml.  Onmha.  Nebraska *>i- 

835.  Shinny  ball  and  stick.  Osasre.  Oklahoma 842 

83»i.  Shinny  ball  and  stick.  Tisna.  Isleta.  New  Mexico (U3 

837.  Shinny  sticks.  Tewa.  Tcsuque.  New  Mexico MS 

838.  Shinny  iKill,  Makah.   Washington <544 

839.  Shinny  sticks,  Makah,  Washington f!44 

840.  Shinny  ball  and  stick.  Mission  Indians.  California G44 

841.  Shinny  ball  and  stick,  Mohave,  Arizona 645 

842.  Shinny  ball.  Mohave.  Arizona 645 

84.3.  Shinny  ball  and  stick,  Walapai.  Arizona 645 

844.  Shinny  ball  and  stick.  Yuma.  California lUr. 

845.  Shinny  ball  and  stick.  Znfii.  New  Mexico HIT 

840.  Shinny  ball.  Znni.  New  Mexico <)47 

847.  Yoke-shaped  billet,  cliff-dwelling.  Colorado 648 

848.  Annulet  baho,  used  in  Flute  ceremony,  Hopi,  Arizona 640 

849.  Cylinder  tossed  in  Flute  ceremony.  Hopi,  Arizona 1  (;4",l 

850.  Double  balls,  Cheyenne,  Oklahoma 6.50 

851.  Double  billets.  Chippewa.  Minnesota 6.50 

852.  Double  billets.  Chippewa.  Minnesota 6.5(i 

85.3.  Double  b.ill  and  stick.  Chippewa.  Ontario 651 

854.  Double  ball  and  stick.  Chippewa.  North  Dakota 651 

855.  Double  ball.  Cree.  Assiniboia 652 

856.  Double  ball.  Cree,  Wyoming 6.52 

857.  Sticks  for  double  ball,  Cree,  Wyoming 652 

858.  Double  ball  and  stick,  Cree,  Alberta 653 

8.59.  Double  ball.  Menominee,  Wisconsin 6,53 

860.  Double  ball.  Sauk  and  Foxes,  Iowa 654 

861.  Double  liall.  Sauk  and  Foxes,  Iowa 655 

862.  Sticks  for  tb)uble  ball.  Sauk  and  Foxes,  Iowa 655 

86.3,  Double  billct.s.  Ilupa.  California 656 

864.  Sticks  for  double-billet  game.  Hupa.  California 656 

865.  Double  ball  and  stick.  I'awnee.  Oklahoma , 657 

866.  Double  ball  and  stick.  Wichita.  Oklahoma 6.58 

867.  Double  billets  and  sticks.  Klamath.  Oregon 6,59 

868.  Double  ball  and  stick.  Papago.  Arizona 660 

869.  Double  billets  and  stick,  Papago.  Arizona 660 

870.  Double  ball.  Pima.  Arizona 660 

871.  Double  billets.  Tepehuan,  Chihuahua.  Mexico <!6I 

872.  Implement  for  tossing  game,  Kaoni.  California 1161 

873.  Stick  for  double  ball,  Achomawi.  California 661 

874.  Double  billets  and  stick.  Shasta.  California 662 

875.  Double  ball  and  stick.  Paiute.  Nevada 602 

876.  Double  ball,  Shoshoni,  Wyoming 6(!3 

877.  Stick  for  double  ball,  Shoshoni,  W.yoming 663 

878.  Double  ball,  Uinta  Ute,  Utah 663 

879.  Santee  Dakota  women  playing  double  ball,  Wisconsin 664 

880.  Double  billets.  Yurok.  California 665 

881.  Stick  for  double  billets.  Yurok.  California 665 

882.  Double  ball.  Maricopa,  Arizona 665 

883.  Set  of  sacrificial  wooden  cylinders,  Hopi,  Arizona 66(; 


24  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 

Figure  884.  Kicking  billets,  cliff-ilwelling.  ColoiMilo (567 

885.  Kifking  billets,  cliff-dwelling.  Colorado 667 

886.  Clown  kii-king  billet.  Mexico 667 

887.  Kicking  billets.  Keres.  .Veonia.  New  Jlexieo 668 

888.  Kicking  billets.  Keres,  ('ocliiti.  New  Jlexico 66!) 

880.   Kicking  liillets.  Keres.  Lngiina,  New  Mexico 66f) 

89(1.  I'apago  kicking-ball  players,  Arizona 671 

891.  I'apago  kicking-ball  player.  Arizona 673 

892.  I'apago  kicking-ball  race — the  start — Arizona 674 

893.  I'apago  kicking-ball  race.  .Vrizona 674 

894.  Stone  kicking  balls.  Pima.  .Vrizona 67.5 

89.5.  Wooden  kicking  ball.  Pima.  .Vrizona (i7.5 

896.  Tossing    balls    for    women's    race,    Taraliumare,    Chihuahua. 

Mexico 677 

897.  Tossing  sticks  for  women's  ball   race,  Taraliumare.   Cliilnia- 

hua,  Mexico 677 

898.  Tossing    rings    t'lir    women's    race,    Tarahuniare,    Chihuahua, 

Jlexleo 677 

899.  Tossing    rings    for    women's    race,    Tarahumare,    Chihuahua. 

Mexico 67S 

9(n;i.  Tossing  sticks  for  women's  ring  race,  Tarahumare,  ("hihua- 

hua.   Mexico 678 

901.  Kicking  balls.   Hopi.  .Vrizona 679 

902.  Footballs.  Mono.  California 679 

903.  Kicking  billets,  Tewa,  Hauo,  Arizona (■>80 

904.  Slinging  ball.  Tewa,  Hano,  Arizona 680 

90.5.  Wooden  kicking  ball,  Cocopa,  Sonora,  Mexico 681 

906.  Stone  kicking  ball.  Maricopa.  Arizona 681 

907.  Wooden  kicking  ball.  Mohave,  .\rizona 682 

908.  Wooden  kicking  ball,  Yuma,  California 682 

909.  Kicking  billets.  Zuni.  New  Mexico 683 

910.  Kicking  billets.  Znni.  New  Mexico 683 

911.  Kicking  billets  of  the  Bow  priests,  Zvini,  New  Mexico 690 

912.  Kicking  billets  used  in  clan  races.  Zuiii.  New  Mexico 696 

913.  Kicking  stone.  ZuiSi,  New  Mexico 696 

914.  Tossing  ring  for  race  game.  Zufli.  New  Mexico 696 

915.  Tossing  rod  for  race  game.  Zuni.  New  Mexico 696 

916.  Ring,  tossing  vnd.  and  kicking  billet.  Zuiii.  New  Mexico 697 

917.  Footballs,  Labrador  Eskimo.  I'ngava 699 

918.  Football  and  driver.  Kokso.igniint  Eskimo,  Labrador 700 

919.  Plan  of  ball  field,  Topinagugim,  California 702 

920.  Football.  Achomawi.  California 703 

921.  Football.  Paiute.  Nevada 704 

922.  Ball  with  thong.  .Vrapaho.  Wyoming 705 

923.  Hand-and-foot  ball.  Cheyenne.  Jlontana 705 

924.  Hand-and-foot  ball,  Cheyeinie.  Montana 706 

925.  Position  of  players  in  women's  football  game.  Western  Es- 

kimo, Alaska 706 

9'_'6.   Iland-and-t'oot  ball.  Crows.  Montana 707 

927.  Iland-and-foot  ball.  .Mandan,  .North  Dakota 707 

928.  Ball,  Central  Eskimo,  Franklin 709 

929.  Ball.  Zuni,  New  Mexico 711 

930.  Stone  foot-casting  ball,  ChuRchansi,  California 711 


ILLUSTRATIONS  25 

rage 

FioiHEiK:!!.  Juggling  balls.  Sliosliuui.  W.voiuiug 713 

!)31'.  Juggling  balls,  Uinta  Ute.  Utah 7i:5 

933.  Juggling  balls.  Zuiii,  New  Mexico 714 

934.  Hot  ball.  Mono.  Califoniia 714 

93.5.  Bone  sled.  Yankton  Dakota.  Montana 71i; 

930.  Battledoor.  Bellacoola.  Hiitisli  Columbia _' 717 

937.  Battledoor,   Hescjiii.-ilit.   British  Columbia 718 

938.  Shuttlecock.  Hesiiniaht.  British  Columbia 71S 

939.  Battledoor  and  shuttlecock.  Makah.  Washington 718 

940.  Battledoor.  Ninikish.  British  Columbia 719 

941.  Battledoor.  Opitchesaht.  British  Columbia 719 

942.  Shuttlecocks.  Zuni.  New  Mexico 720 

943.  Shuttlecocks.  Zuni.  New  Mexico 720 

944.  Tipcat.  Zuni.  New  Me.xico 722 

945.  Bat  for  tipcat.  Zuni.  New  Mexico-. : 722 

94t;.  Ring  for  game.  Navaho.  .\rizona 722 

947.  Ivor.v  gaming  disks.  Western  Eskimo,  Alaska 723 

948.  Stone  (|Ui>its.  Tarahumare.  Chiluiahua.  Me.xico 724 

i»49.  Stones  for  lukia.  Kwakiutl.  British  Columbia : 72."> 

950.  Standing-cob  game,  Zuni.  New  Mexico 72('> 

951.  Stone  quoits.  Zuiii.  New  Mexico 727 

952.  Stone  quoit,  Zuni,  New  Me.xico 727 

953.  Sun  i|U<>it.  Zuni.  New  Mexico , 727 

954.  Stone  ball  used  to  throw  at  a  mark.  Bannock.  Idaho 728 

9.55.   Implements  for  umpapi,  Yankton  Dakota.  Montana 729 

95(5.  .Jackstraws.  Western  Kskimo.  Alaska 729 

9.57.  Stilt-walking    I  ?).  .Ma.va.  Yucatan 731 

9.58.  Stilts.  Hopi.  Arizona 732 

959.  Stilts,  Shoshoni.  Wyoming 7.32 

960.  Digging  sticks  (used  as  stilts  I.  Zuiii.  New  Mexico 7.32 

9til.  Whip  top.  Arapaho.  Wyoming 733 

9H2.  Whip  tops.  Blackfeet.  Montana 734 

963.  Whip  top  and  whip.  Cree.  Alberta 734 

9(j4.  Whip  top  and  whip.  (Jrosventres,  Montana 735 

9(i5.  Top.  (irosventres.  Montana  735 

9ti(i.  Whip  top  and  whip.  Sauk  and  Foxes,  Iowa : 73.5 

9(;7.  Top.  Tsimshian.  British  Columbia 7.3(> 

9(58.  Top,  Central  Eskimo.  Franklin 7.3(> 

969.  Top.  Labrador  Eskimo.  Ungava  bay 737 

970.  Top,  Labrador  Eskimo.  I'ngava  bay 737 

971.  Top.  Labrador  Eskimo.  Ungava  bay 737 

972.  Top.  Labrador  Eskimo.  Ungava  bay 737 

973.  Wooden  top.  Western  Eskimo.  Alaska 737 

974.  Wooden  top.  Western  Eskimo.  Alaska 7.38 

975.  Ivory  top.  We.stern  Eskin)o.  Alaska 7.38 

976.  Wooden  top.  Western  Eskimo,  Alaska 738 

977.  Bone  toi>.  Western  Esk inio.  Alaska 73s 

978.  Top,  Western  Eskimo.  Alaska 739 

979.  Top.  Western  Eskimo.  Alaska 7.39 

980.  Ivory  top.  Western  Eskimo.  Alaska 739 

981.  Top,  Keres.  Sia.  New  Mexico 740 

382.  Top.  Kiowa.  Oklahoma 74(» 

88:^.  Ivory  top.  Yakutat.  Alaska 740 


26 


ILLUSTKATIONS 


Page 

FiGiREltS4.  Tops.  Klamath.  Oregon 741 

985.  Hand  tops.  Yokuts.  California 741 

980.  Top,  Thompson  Indians,  British  «'oliinibia 742 

987.  Top.  Thompson  Indians.  Britisli  Columbia 742 

988.  Finger  top.  Bannock.  Idalio 743 

989.  Whip  top.  Mopi.  Arizona 743 

990.  Top.  Iloi)!.  .Vrizona 743 

991.  Whip  top  and  whip.  Ilopi.  Arizona 744 

992.  Tops.  Paiute.  rtah 744 

993.  Whip  top  and  whip,  Shoshoni.  Wyoming ^ 744 

994.  Whip  tops,  Crows,  Montana 745 

995.  Whip  tops  and  whip.  Oglala  Dakota.  South  Dakota 745 

990.  Whip  top.  Yankton  Dakota.  Montana 747 

997.  Horn  top.  Yankton  Dakota,  Montana 747 

998.  Top.  Hidatsa.  North  Dakota 747 

999.  Top.  Tewa.  Santa  Clara.  New  Mexico 747 

100(1.  Top.  Tewa.  Santa  Clara.  New  Mexico 747 

1001.  Top  with  handle.  nes(iuiaht.  British  Columbia . 748 

1002.  Top.  MaUah.  Washington 748 

1003.  Top,  Makah.  Wa.shiugton 748 

1004.  Top.  Makah,  Washington _, 749 

100.5.  Top.  Nootka.  British  Columbia 749 

1000.  Top.  Nootka.  British  Columbia 749 

1007.  Top.  Zuni.  New  Mexico 749 

1008.  Bull-roarcr.  Oglala  Dakota.  South  Dakota 750 

1009.  Stone  buzz,  cliff-ruins.  Arizona ; 751 

1010.  Bone  buzz.  Atsina  ((irosventres).  Montana 751 

1011.  Buzz,  Central  Eskimo.  Franklin 752 

1012.  Buzzes,  Central  Eskimo,  Keewatiu 752 

1013.  Buzz,  Ita  Eskimo.  Greenland 752 

1014.  Buzz,  Western  E.sklmo.  Alaska 753 

1015.  Whirligigs.  Western  Eskimo.  Alaska 754 

lOlC.  Buzzes,  Hopi.  Arizona 755 

1017.  Bone  whirligig.  Mono.  California 756 

1018.  Buzz.  Mono,  California 750 

1019.  Bone  buzz,  Oglala  Dakota.  South  Dakota 750 

1020.  Buzz.  Maricopa,  Arizona 757 

1021.  Buzz.  Zufii,  New  Mexico ■ 757 

1022.  Wooden   popguns.   Ancon.   Peru 758 

1023.  Popgun,  Cheyenne,  Oklahoma 758 

1024.  Popgun.  Sauk  and  Foxes.  Iowa 758 

102.5.  Popgun.  Arikara.  North  Dakota 758 

102G.  Poiigun.  Yokuts.  California 759 

1027.  Popgun.  Oglala  Dakota.  South  Dakota 759 

1028.  Popgun,  Omaha,  Nebraska 759 

1029.  Bean  shooter,  Hopi.  Arizona 760 

1030.  Stone  Hipper,  Mono.  California 760 

1031.  Stime  Hipper.  Opitchesaht.  British  Columbia 761 

10.32.  Bean  shooter.  Zuni.  New  Mexico 761 

1033.  Cord  arranged  for  the  trick  of  splicing  in  the  mouth.  Maya. 

Y'ueatan 762 

1034.  Cat's  cradle.  White  Jlountain  Apache.  Arizona 763 

10.35.  Cat's  cradle,  lightning.  X.ivaho.  .\rizona 763 


ILLUSTRATIONS  27 

I'age 

FlGUKE  KKJti.  Cat's  cradle,  big  star,  Navabo,  Arizona TC;; 

1037.  Cat's  cradle,  many  (group  of)  stars.  Navaho.  Arizona 7(5.3 

1038.  Cat's  cradle,  twin  star.s.  XavaUo.  Arizona 70:5 

10.39.  Cat's  cradle,  borned  stars.  Xavabo.  .\rizona 703 

1040.  Cat'.s  cradle.  Pleiades.  Xavabo.  Arizona 764 

1041.  Cat's  cradle,  coyotes  running  apart.  Xavabo.  Arizona 7<!4 

1042.  Cat's  cradle,  owl.  Xavabo.  Arizona 7<>4 

1(>43.  Cat's  cradle.  snaUe.  Xavabo.  Arizona , 7fi5 

1044.  Cat's  cradle,  lizard,  Xavabo.  Arizona ^ .  765 

104.0.  Cat's  cradle,  poncbo.  Xavabo,  Arizona 1 765 

1046.  Cat's  cradle,  bogban.  Xavabo.  Arizona 766 

1047.  Cat's  cradle,  |)aeking  (carrying)  wood.  Xavabo.  Arizona 766 

1048.  Cat's  cradle,  carrying  wood.  Xavabo.  Xew  Mexico 767 

1040.  Cat's  cradle — deer.  bare,  bills,  and  ponds — Central  Eskimo, 

Franlclin 70S 

1050.  Cat's  cradle,  wolf.  ussu(id,iung.  Central  Eskimo.  Franklin 769 

1051.  Cat's  cradle — fox.  raven,  polar  bear — Ita  Eskimo.  (Jreeidand-  769 
10.V2.  Cat's    cradle — narwbal.     bare,     walrus     bead — It.i     Eskimo, 

Greenland 770 

1053.  Cat's  cradle,  cbicken  foot,  Keres.  Cochiti,  New  Mexico 77(i 

10.54.  Cat's  cradle,  butterfly.  Keres.  Cocbiti.  Xew  Mexico 771 

105.5.  Cat's  cradle.  Kere.s.  Cocbiti.  New  Mexico 771 

1056.  Cat's  cradle,  bat.  Keres,  Cocbiti.  Xew  Mexico 771 

1057.  Cat's  cradle,  bunnuing  liird.  Porno.  California 772 

1058.  Cat's  cradle,  cbicken  foot.  Maya.  Yucatan 772 

1059.  Cat's  cradle,  sawing  wood.  .Maya.  Yucatan 773 

1060.  Cat's  cradle— dressing  a  skin,  pitcbing  a  tent— Tliouiii^Dii  In- 

dians. British  Columbia 774 

1061.  Cat's  cradle.  TIgua.  Isleta.  Xew  Mexico 774 

106'2.  Cat's  cradle,  star.  Tigua.  Isleta.  New  Mexico _p ^___  77."i 

1063.  Cat's  cradle.  Tigua.  Isleta.  New  Mexico 77ri 

1004.  Cat's  cradle,  lightning.  Tigua,  Isleta,  New  Mexico 775 

1065.  Cat's  cradle,  mealing  stone.  Maricopa.  Arizona 776 

10()0.  Cat's  iradle.  turtle.  Jlaricopa.  Arizona 776 

1067.  Cat's  cradle,  netted  shield.  Zuni.  New  .Mexico 777 

1068.  Cat's  cradle,  netted  shield.  Zuiji.  Xew  Mexico 777 

1069.  Cat's  cradle,  lightning,  Zufd,  New  Mexico 777 

1070.  Cat's  cradle,  brush  bouse.  Zuiii,  New  Mexico 77s 

1071.  Cat's  cradle,  brush  bouse.  Zuni.  New  Mexico 77s 

1072.  Cat's  cradle,  top  crossbeam  of  ladder.  Zuni,  New  Mexico 778 

1073.  Cat's  cradle,  sling.  Zuni.  Xew  Mexico 779 

1074.  Implements  for  te'ko.  Takulli,  P.ritisb  Columbia 782 

107.5.  Saketan.  or  roulette.  Central  Eskimo.  Franklin 783 

1076.  ^Vbalebone  hoops.  Central  Eskimo.  Keewatin 783 

1077.  Game  of  sealing.  Central  Eskimo.  Keewatin 784 

1078.  .Stick  for  wak  pel  pul.  Maya,  Yucatan 784 

1079.  Slats  for  k'lemgua,  Kwakiutl,  British  Columbia 785 

1080.  Sticks  for  mena.  Kwakiutl.  British  Columbia 785 

1081.  Stick-dropping  game.  Kwakiutl,  British  Columbia 786 

1082.  Ring  game,  Zuiii,  Xew  Mexico !__  787 

1083.  Implements  for  "  horns  kill,"  Zuni,  New  Mexico 787 

1084.  Ball  field,  Xavabo,  Arizona . 790 

108.5.  Ball.  Thompson  Indians,  British  Columbia 790 


28  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 

Figure  loSti.  Bat.  Thompson  Indians.  Hritish  Columbia 790 

1087.  Board  game  and  men,  Cree  and  Chippewa.  Assinilioia 792 

1088.  Board  game.  Keres,  Aeoma,  New  Me.xito 792 

1080.  Chessmen.  Yakutat,  Alaska 793 

1090.  Stone  game  board  and  men.  Yokuts.  California 794 

1091.  Game  of  coyote  and  chickens.  Papago.  Arizona 794 

1092.  Star  game.  Pajiago.  Arizona 794 

•        1093.   Stone  game  board.  Hopi.  Arizona 794 

1094.  Arrangement  of  men  in  game  of  tuknanavuhpi,  Hopi,  .\ri- 

zona 795 

1095.  Game  of  totolospi,  Hopi.  Arizona 795 

1090.  Game  board  and  men.  Mono,  California 796 

1097.  Stone  game  board  for  totolospi.  Tewa.  Hano.  Arizona 796 

1098.  Arrangement  of  men  in  totolospi,  Tewa,  Hano.  Arizona ._  797 

1099.  Game  of  picaria.  Tigua.  Isleta.  New  Mexico 797 

1100.  (iame  of  picaria.  Tigua,  Isleta,  New  Mexico 797 

1101.  Game  of  pitarilla.  Tewa.  Santa  Clara.  New  Mexico 798 

1102.  (iame  of  pitarilla.  Tewa.  Santa  Clara.  New  Mexico 798 

1103.  <iame  of  .lack  rabbit.  Tewa.  Santa  Clara.  New  Mexico 798 

1104.  Star  game.  Tewa,  Santa  Clara,  New  Mexico 798 

1105.  Game  of  Indian  and  jack  rabbits,  Tigua,  Taos,  New  Mexico—  798 

1106.  Game  of  stone  warriors.  Zufii,  New  Mexico 799 

1107.  Potter.v  men  for  game  of  stone  warriors.  Zuiii.  New  Mexico__  800 

1108.  Stone  game  board.  Zuui.  New  Mexico 80O 

1109.  Stone  game  board.  Znni.  New  Mexico 800 

1110.  Stone  game  board.  Znni.  New  Mexico 801 

nil.  Kolowis  awithlaknannai.  Zufii,  New  Mexico 801 

1112.  .Vwithlakuan  mosona,  Zuni.  New  Mexico 801 


GAMES  OF  THE  XORTH   A^IERK  AN   INDIANS 


B\    Stewakt  Ci'lin 


PKEFACE 


In  the  sprin*;:  of  lSi>l  tin-  writer  was  invited  bv  Prof.  F.  AV.  Pntnam 
to  prepare  and  take  charge  of  an  exhibit  illustrative  of  the  games 
of  the  world,  at  the  Columbian  Exposition  at  Chieago.  During  the 
course  of  the  exposition  his  attention  was  directed  l)v  Mr  Frank 
Hamilton  Cashing  to  the  remarkable  analogies  existing  between  the 
oriental  and  modern  European  games  in  the  collection  and  those  of 
the  American  Indians.  A  joint  work  in  which  Mr  Cushing  should 
discuss  the  American  games  and  the  writer  those  of  the  Old  Worlil 
was  then  projected.  Mr  Cushing's  ill  health  delayed  and  finally 
prevented  his  i)roposed  collal)oration.  Deeply  impressed  with  the 
importance  of  the  subject,  the  present  author  took  up  the  sj'stematic 
study  of  American  games,  constantly  aided  by  Mr  Cushing's  advice 
and  suggestions.  In  1895.  at  the  request  of  Dr  (t.  Brown  Goode, 
Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  in  charge  of  the 
United  States  National  Museum,  he  prepared  a  collection  of  games 
for  the  exhibit  of  the  National  ^luseuni  at  the  International  aiul 
Cotton  States  Exposition  at  Atlanta,  Ga.  A  catalogue  of  this  col- 
lection, including  a  comparative  stud}-  of  the  Indian  stick-dice 
games,  which  is  incorporated  in  the  present  volume,  was  jjublished 
in  the  report  of  the  United  States  National  Museum  for  1890.  Stimu- 
lated by  this  work,  increased  attention  was  paid  to  Indian  games 
by  collectors  and  students  in  the  field.  Dr  (ieorge  A.  Dorsey.  curator 
of  anthropology  in  the  Field  Columbian  Museum,  undertook  the 
systematic  collection  of  specimens  of  gaming  implements  of  all  the 
existing  triijes.  To  his  efforts  and  those  of  his  assistants.  Rev. 
H.  E.  Voth.  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson.  Dr  C.  F.  Newcombe,  Mr  S.  C.  Simms. 
and  Mr  Charles  L.  Owen,  is  chiefly  due  the  great  wealth  of  material 
on  which  the  writer  has  been  enabled  to  draw  in  the  prei)aration  of 
his  work.  Doctor  Dorsey  not  only  encouraged  the  widest  use  of  the 
collections  in  the  Field  Columbian  Museum,  but  made  many  special 


30  (JAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 

inquiries  of  the  Indians,  and  freely  placed  the  field  notes  and  manu- 
scripts which  he  himself  had  intended  for  publication,  in  the  hands 
of  the  writer.  A  trip  through  tlie  Indian  reservations  made  with 
Doctor  Dorsey  in  the  summer  of  1900  resulted  in  the  collection  of 
much  new  material,  and  subsequent  trips  made  by  the  writer  alone  in 
1901.  1902,  1903,  1904,  and  1905  yielded  satisfactory  results. 

In  1898,  on  the  invitation  of  Dr  W  J  McGee.  of  the  Bureau  of 
American  Ethnology,  the  writer  arranged  with  the  Bureau  for  the 
25ublication  of  the  present  volume.  It  contains  a  classified  and  illus- 
trated list  of  practically  all  the  American  Indian  gaming  imple- 
ments in  American  and  European  museums,  together  with  a  more 
or  less  exhaustive  summary  of  the  entire  literature  of  the  subject. 
The  collection  has  been  confined  to  games  in  which  implements  are 
employed,  and  the  argument  rests  directly  on  the  testimony  afforded 
by  them.  Indian  children  have  many  amusements  which  they  play 
without  implements,  such  as  tag,  etc.,  corresponding  to  those  of  civi- 
lization, but  these  belong  to  a  different  category  from  those  herein 
described,  and  their  exclusion  does  not  affect  the  questions  vuider  dis- 
cussion. Since  the  relation  and,  in  no  small  degree,  the  significance 
of  the  games  become  through  comparison  self-evident,  the  writer  has 
retained  the  catalogue  form  for  his  work,  prefacing  the  whole  with  a 
general  dissei'tation  and  each  of  the  several  divisions  into  which  the 
games  naturally  fall,  with  a  short  introduction. 

In  conclusion,  the  writer  desires  to  express  his  obligations  to  Amer- 
ican and  foreign  students  and  collectors,  who  have  generously  placed 
at  his  disposal  material  which  they  have  zealously  collected.  His 
thanks  are  due  also  to  the  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of  American  Eth- 
nology and  the  curators  of  the  United  States  National  ^luseum,  who 
have  in  everv  wav  aided  and  facilitated  his  work. 


INTRODUCTION 

The  games  of  the  Anierieaii  Indians  may  be  divided  into  two  gen- 
eral chisses:  I.  games  of  chance;  II.  games  of  dexterity,  (iames  of 
pure  skill  and  calculation,  such  as  chess,  are  entirely  absent.  The 
Indian  games  of  chance  fall  into  two  categories:  1.  games  in  which 
imjilements  of  the  nature  of  dice  are  thrown  at  random  to  determine 
a  number  or  numbers,  and  the  sum  of  the  counts  is  kept  by  means  of 
sticks,  pebbles,  etc.,  or  upon  an  abacus,  or  counting  board,  or  circuit ; 
'2.  games  in  which  one  or  more  of  the  players  guess  in  which  of  two 
or  more  places  an  odd  or  particidarly  marked  lot  is  concealed,  success 
or  failure  resulting  in  the  gain  or  loss  of  counters.  The  games  of 
dexterity  may  be  enumerated  as:  1,  archery  in  various  modifications; 

2,  a  game  of  sliding  javelins  or  darts  upon  the  hard  ground  or  ice; 

3.  a  game  of  shooting  at  a  moving  target  consisting  of  a  netted  wheel 
or  a  ring;  4.  the  game  of  ball  in  several  highly  specialized  forms; 
.5.  the  racing  games,  more  or  less  related  to  and  complicated  with  the 
ball  games.  In  addition,  there  is  a  subclass  related  to  the  games  of 
shooting  at  a  moving  target,  of  which  it  is  a  miniature  and  solitaire 
form,  coiTesponding  to  the  Eui'opean  game  of  cup  and  ball. 

Games  of  all  the  classes  designated  are  found  among  all  the  Indian 
tribes  of  North  .Vmerica  and  constitute  the  games  par  excellence  of 
the  Indians.  Children  have  a  variety  of  other  amusements,  such  as 
top  spinning,  mimic  fights,  and  similar  imitative  sports,  but  the 
games  first  described  are  played  only  by  men  and  women,  or  youth- 
and  maidens,  not  by  children,  and  usually  at  fixed  seasons  as  the 
accompaniment  of  certain  festivals  or  religious  rites. 

There  is  a  well-marked  affinity  and  relationship  existing  between 
the  manifestations  of  the  same  game,  even  among  the  most  widely 
separated  tribes.  The  variations  are  more  in  the  materials  employed, 
due  to  environment,  than  in  the  object  or  method  of  play.  Precisely 
the  same  games  are  jjlayed  by  tribes  belonging  to  unrelated  lingiiistic 
stocks,  and  in  general  the  variations  do  not  follow  differences  in 
language.  At  the  same  time,  there  appears  to  be  a  progressive  change 
from  what  seems  to  be  the  oldest  forms  of  existing  games  from  a 
center  in  the  southwestern  United  States,  along  lines  north,  north- 
east, and  east,  l^imilar  changes  probably  occurred  along  lines  radi- 
ating from  the  same  center  southward  into  Mexico,  but  in  the  absence 
of  sufficient  data  this  conclusion  can  not  be  verified. 

31 


3'J  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [kth.  axn.  24 

There  is  no  evidence  that  any  of  the  games  described  were  imported 
into  America  at  any  time  either  before  or  after  the  Conquest.  On  the 
other  hand,  they  appear  to  be  the  direct  and  natural  outgrowth  of 
alwriginal  institutions  in  America.  They  show  no  modifications  due 
to  whit«  influence  other  than  the  decay  which  characterizes  all  Indian 
institutions  under  existing  conditions.  It  is  probable.  how(?ver,  that 
the  wide  dissemination  of  certain  games — for  example,  the  hand 
game — is  of  comparatively  recent  date,  due  to  wider  and  less  restricted 
intercourse  through  the  abolition  of  tribal  wars.  Playing  cards 
and.  prot)ably,  the  simple  board  game  called  by  the  English  nine 
men's  morris  are  among  the  few  games  borrowed  by  the  Indians  froni 
the  whites.  On  the  other  hand,  we  have  taken  their  lacrosse  in  the 
north  and  racket  in  the  south,  and  the  Mexicans  on  the  Rio  (Jrande 
plaj'  all  the  old  Indian  games  under  Spanish  names. 

My  first  conclusions  as  to  the  interrelation  and  common  origin  of 
Indian  games  were  based  upon  a  comparative  study  of  the  stick-dice 
game,  published  in  the  report  of  the  United  States  National  Museum 
for  1896. "  I  was  then,  in  default  of  other  data,  inclined  to  view  the 
question  from  its  objective  side  and  to  explain  the  manifold  inter- 
relationshij^s  of  the  dice  games  as  dtie  chiefly  to  the  progressive  modi- 
fications of  the  implements  employed.  This  explanation,  however, 
failed  to  account  for  the  manifest  relations  which  I  afterward  dis- 
covered between  the  dice  game  and  most  of  the  other  games,  as  well 
as  those  which  exist  between  the  gaming  implements  and  many  cere- 
monial appliances,  and  I  was  led  to  the  conclusion  that  behind  Ijoth 
ceremonies  and  games  there  existed  some  widespread  myth  from 
which  both  derived  their  impulse. 

References  to  games  are  of  common  occurrence  in  the  origin  myths 
of  various  tribes.  They  usually  consist  of  a  description  of  a  series 
of  contests  in  which  the  demiurge,  the  first  man.  the  culture  hero, 
overcomes  some  opponent,  a  foe  of  the  human  race,  by  exercise  of 
superior  cunning,  skill,  or  magic.  Comparison  of  these  myths  not 
only  reveal  their  practical  unity,  hut  disclose  the  primal  gamblers 
as  those  curious  children,  the  divine  Twins,  the  miraculous  offspring 
of  the  Sun,  who  are  the  principal  personages  in  many  Indian  mytholo- 
gies. They  live  in  the  east  and  in  the  west ;  they  rule  night  and 
day.  winter  and  summer.  They  are  the  morning  and  evening  stars. 
Their  virgin  mother,  who  appears  also  as  their  sister  and  their  wife, 
is  constantly  spoken  of  as  their  grandmother,  and  is  the  Moon  or 
the  Earth,  the  Spider  Woman,  the  eml>odiment  of  the  feminine 
principle  in  nature.  Always  contending,  they  are  the  original 
patrons  of  play,  and  their  games  are  the  games  now  played  l)y  men. 
1  shall  reserve  for  another  work  the  task  of  attempting  to  untwine  the 


"Chess  ami  I'iiniti,:.'  Cards. 


BUREAU   OF   AMERICAN    ETHNOLOGY 


TWENTY-FOURTH    ANNUAL    REPORT 


/Qpj<^,tAR    OF    WAR    GOD;     ZUNI     INDIANS,    ZUNI,     N.     MEX.;    FROM     PHOTOGRAPH 
---^    OF    REPRODUCTION     IN    THE    UNITED    STATES    NATIONAL    MUSEUM 


cuLix]  INTRODUCTION  33 

tangled  web  in  which  the  myth  of  the  Twins  is  interwoven.  These 
tales  are  involved  with  tho:-e  of  two  other  similar  cosmical  person- 
ages, who  occupy  places  midway  between  them.  AVe  find  the  follow- 
ing description  of  the  Twins  in  their  relation  to  games  in  Mr  Cush- 
ing's  account  of  the  Zufii  'War  Gods : " 

Lo!  and  of  Chance  and  Fate  were  they  the  masters  of  foredeeming,  for  they 
carried  the  word-painted  arrows  of  destiny  (sh6Iiweatsinapa),  lilce  the  regions 
of  men.  four  in  niuuber.  And  they  carried  the  shuttlecoclis  of  divination 
(bapochiwe),  lilve  tlie  regions  of  men,  four  in  number.  And  they  carried  the 
tubes  of  hidden  things  (iyanliolotdmawe).  lilie  the  regions  of  men,  four  in  num- 
ber, and  the  revealing  balls  thereof  (lyankolote  tsemak'ya  moliwe).  like  the 
regions  of  men.  four  in  number.  Yea.  and  they  bore,  with  these,  other  things— 
the  feather  bow  and  iilume  arrow  of  far-finding,  tipped  with  the  shell  of  heart- 
searching  :  and  the  race  sticks  of  swift  journeys  and  way-winning  ( moti- 
kwawe).  two  of  them,  the  right  and  the  left,  the  pursuer  and  the  pursued  of  men 
in  pontention.  All  these  things  wherewith  to  divine  men's  chance,  and  play 
games  of  hazard,  wagering  the  fate  of  whole  nations  in  mere  pastime,  had  they 
with  them. 

The  significant  emblems  of  the  Twins  are  their  weapons.  These 
consist  of  a  throwing-club  made  of  heavy  wood,  their  bows  and  cane 
arrows,  the  bows  interchangeable  with  a  lance,  and  a  netted  shield. 
These  objects  are  distinguished  one  from  the  other  by  their  markings, 
which  again  are  commonly  fourfold,  one  pair  referring  to  one  of 
the  Twins,  and  one  to  the  other.  In  this  fourfold  division  we  find 
included  those  other  interrelated  twins  of  whom  mention  has  been 
made.  Gaming  implements  are  almost  exclusively  derived  from  these 
symbolic  weapons.  For  example,  the  stick  dice  are  either  arrow 
shafts  or  miniature  bows,  and  a  similar  origin  may  be  asserted  for 
the  implements  used  in  the  hand  game  and  in  the  four-stick  game. 
Counting  sticks  in  general  and  sticks  for  the  stick  game  are  arrows. 
The  engraved  and  painted  tubes  used  in  the  guessing  game  are  arrow 
shaftments.  In  the  games  of  dexterity  we  find  again  bows  and 
arrows  and  the  netted  shield  with  bows.  Snow-snakes  are  either  the 
club,  the  bows,  or  arrows.  Ball  seems  to  be  less  sure,  but  the  racket 
may  be  referred  to  the  net  shield.  The  painted  sticks  of  the  kicked- 
billet  race  are  miniature  bows.  The  opposing  players  are  frequently 
the  representatives  of  the  two  War  Gods.  We  find  gaming  imple- 
ments, as  things  pleasing  to  the  gods,  among  the  objects  sacrificed 
npon  the  altar  of  the  Twins  in  Ziini. 

This  is  well  illustrated  in  the  model  of  the  shrine  of  the  War  God 
arranged  for  exhibition  by  Mrs  Matilda  Coxe  Stevensoii  in  the 
United  States  National  Museum  (plate  ii).'' 

"  Outlines  of  Zuui  Creation  Myths.  Thirteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Eth- 
nology, p.  423,  18(10. 

'The  following  is  a  descriptive  label  of  the  altar  of  the  War  God  in  the  Museum,  fur- 
nished b.v  .Mrs  Stevenson;  Idol  and  paraphernalia  of  the  Zufii  war  god  Ahaiyuta.  em- 
ployed in  the  worship  of  the  deity  and  forming  a  petition  for  rain.     The  plumes  surround 

24  ETH— 05  M ,S 


34  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  asx.  24 

The  games  on  the  altar  are  as  follows:  Set  of  four  cane  dice  (fig- 
ure 284)  ;  set  of  four  long  cane  dice  (figure  2)  ;  set  of  four  wooden 
cylinders  for  hidden-ball  game  (figui'e493) ;  two  corncob  feather  darts 
with  ball  made  of  yucca  leaves  (figure  549)  ;  sticks  for  kicked!  )inet 
game  (figure  913). 

From  the  account  of  the  altars  of  the  twin  War  Gods  among  tlie 
Hopi  given  by  Doctor  Fewkes,"  it  would  appear  that  the  games  are 
absent,  but  we  find  them  upon  the  altars  in  the  Flute  ceremony.  For 
example,  on  the  altar  of  the  Drab  Flute  (Macilenya)  from  Oraibi. 
as  reconstructed  in  the  Field  Columbian  Museum  at  Chicago,  four 
little  flowerlike  cups,  yellow,  green,  retl,  and  white,  rest  upon  the  floor 
at  the  base  of  the  effigy.  Between  them  are  two  wooden  cylinders, 
painted  black,  corresponding  to  the  kicked  sticks  of  the  Zuni  race 
game.  A  corn-husk  ring,  tied  to  a  long  stick,  precisely  like  one  used 
in  certain  forms  of  the  ring-and-dart  game,  stands  on  each  side  of 
the  princijial  figure.'' 

In  addition,  stuck  on  sand  mounds  at  the  right  and  left,  are  artifi- 
cial trees  or  plants  covered  with  flowers.  These  flowers  are  wooden 
gaming  cups.  16  in  number — 4  white.  4  green,  4  red,  and  4  yellow. 
The  four  cups  are  seen  again,  surmounted  with  birds,  resting  upon 
cloud  symbols  on  the  Hopi  Oaqol  altar  (figure  1). 

In  general,  games  appear  to  be  played  ceremonially,  as  j^leasing 
to  the  gods,  with  the  object  of  securing  fertility,  causing  rain,  giving 
and  prolonging  life,  expelling  demons,  or  curing  sickness.  My 
former  conclusion  as  to  the  divinatory  origin  of  games,  so  far  as 
America  is  concerned,  was  based  upon  ilr  Cushing's  suggestion  that 

ing  the  image  and  the  objects  before  it  are  offeiings  from  the  Bow,  or  War.  society  and 
certain  members  of  the  Deer  clan.  They  are  displayed  as  they  appear  in  the  house  of 
the  director  of  the  Bow  society,  where  they  are  set  up  previous  to  being  deposited  at  the 
shrine  of  Ahaij'uta  on  Uhana  YiialUinf'.  Wool  mountain,  southwest  of  the  pueblo  of  Zuni. 

1.  Carved  figure  of  Ahaiyuta,  a  very  old  original,  collected  hy  Col.  James  Stevenson, 
redecorated. 

2.  Shield  of  Ahai.vuta  ;  hoop  and  network  of  cotton. 

2.  Symbolic  feather  bow  and  arrow. 

3.  3.  Ceremonial  staffs. 

4.  Symbolic  war  club. 

5.  Ceremonial  tablet,  with  symbol  of  crescent  moon.  sun.  morning  star,  lightning,  and 
house  of  Ahaiyuta. 

6.  7,  8,  9,  10.  Cames  supposed  to  have  originated  with  the  gods  of  war,  and  made  by 
the  Deer  clan. 

11.  Plumes  of  offerings  made  by  two  members  of  the  Bow  society. 

12.  Four  plume  offerings  of  a  member  of  the  Deer  clan. 

13.  Sacred  meal  bowl  containing  prayer  meal. 

14.  Ued  bread,  food  offering  to  the  god  of  war. 

l."».  Tur(]Uoise  and  sbell-bead  offerings  in  corn  husks. 

16.  Feathered  staff,  offering  to  the  god  of  war  by  the  Bow  society.  Included  in  this 
case,  but  presented  at  a  different  ceremonial. 

17.  Oraibi  basket  for  holding  the  prayer  plumes  afterward  deposited  in  connection  with 
the  ceremony. 

18.  Old  handled  vase  and  medicine  plume  box,  personal  property  of  the  direitor  of  the 
Bow  society. 

"  Minor  Hopi  Festivals.     American  Anthropologist,  n.  s..  v.  4.  p.  487.  lOci-'. 
"It  is  carried  by  two  girls  in  the  public  ceremony  on  the  ninth  day,   the  ring  being 
tossed  with  the  stick. 


CULIN] 


INTRODUCTION 


35 


the  gaming  implonu'uts  which  iire  sacrificed  uiion  tlie  Zuni  aUar  were 
symbols  of  the  divination  with  whicli  the  ceremonies  were  originally 
connected.  From  that  i:)oint  of  view  the  divination  might  be  regarded 
as  an  experiment  in  which  the  dramatization  of  war,  the  chase,  agri- 
culture, the  magical  rites  that  secured  success  over  the  enemy,  the  re- 
production of  animals  and  the  fertilization  of  corn,  is  performed  in 


1.    Oaqol  altar.  Hopi  Indians.  Oraibi.  Arizona;  from  model  in  the  Field 
r'olnmbian  MuKeiim. 

order  to  discover  the  probable  outcome  of  human  effort,  representing 
a  desire  to  secure  the  guidance  of  the  natural  powers  by  which 
humanity  was  assumed  to  be  dominated.  As  opposed  to  this  view,  it 
should  be  said  that  I  have  no  direct  evidence  of  the  employment  of 
games  in  divination  by  the  Indians  apart  from  that  afforded  by  Mr 
Cushing's  assertion  in  regard  to  the  Zuni  sholiwe.  This  game  is 
ceremonially  played  to-day  to  secure  rain. 


36 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


Games  of  chance 

Games  of  dexterity 

to 

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Guessing 
games 

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Tabular  Index  to 
Tribes  and  Games 

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56 
58 
61 
68 
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70 
72 
72 
73 
73 

229 

Arapaho 

229 
230 

268 

269 
269 

384 

400 

r44i 

1445 
443 
445 
446 

'446 
447 

}529 

617 

705 

Blackfeet 

Cheyenne 

384 

400 
401 
403 

630 
533 
535 
537 
537 

563 
664 

619 
620 

649 
650 
652 

705 

340 
342 
342 

Cree 

270 

567 

Grosventres 

'230 

'>70 

384 

404 

621 

706 

Illinois 

1 

Massachuset 

230 

698 

343 

404 

567 
569 

622 

653 

Miami 

231 

344 

708 

74 
80 

698 

Missisauga 

344 

384 

405 

538 
538 

569 

653 

708 

80 

231 

699 

Nascapee 

539 
540 

712 

81 
81 
82 
82 
84 
84 
85 

344 

570 

Norridgewock 

231 

406 

Ottawa 

344 

Passaniaquoddv 

406 
406 

.... 
447 

540 
541 

570 
671 

Piegan 

231 

271 

385 

232 
232 

622 
622 

699 

Sauk  and  Foxes 

85 

345 

407 

448 

542 

572 
573 

654 

Athapascan  stock: 
Apache      (Chirica- 
nua) . .'. 

385 

449 

449 
449 
450 

450 

• 

Apache  (.Hcarilla) 

345 

Apache  (SanCarlosI 

86 
87 

Apache          (White 
Mountain) 

233 

Chipewyan 

272 

385 

Coivilie... 

457 

272 
272 

Han  Kutchin. 

Hupa 91 

233 

542 
543 

656 

Kawchodinne '    92 

272 
272 

Mikonotunne 

236 
236 

623 

623 
623 

Mish  ikhwutrae- 

Navaho 

92 

/ 

340 

385 

467 
460 

668 

Sarsi 

272 

■ 

97 
97 

236 
236 

Takulli  . 

272 

409 

460 

543 

Tlekiing 

238 

Tsetsaut 

624 

Tututni 

239 

274 

Whilkut 

239 

Beothukan  stock: 

Beothuk 

97 

97 
98 
99 
102 

Caddoan  stock: 

461 
462 
463 
470 

471 

624 

657 

Caddo 

Pawnee 

'40 

274 
276 

■'81 

386 
386 

409 

625 
625 

628 

657 
658 

Wichita 

Chimmesyan  stock: 
Niska 

709 

TainiahiflTi    . 

240 

CULIN) 


TABULAB    INDEX 


37 


Minor  amusements 

! 
1 

s 

3 
SI 

i 

■^° 

IS. 

M 

■o 

to 
O 

O 

M 
1 

■♦J 

o 

s 

1 

CO 

i 

1 

03 

§ 

&0 

1 

3 

00 

a, 
o 

1 

3 

3 

o 

S 
§ 

i 

1 

O 

1 

3 

1 

73C 



733 

734 
734 
734 
734 

751 

758 

1 

1 

791 
791 

1 

1 

[ 

1 

1 

734 

m 

' 

' 

781 

J 

1 

722 

792 

803 

1 

735 

.... 

. 

792 

i 

.'. 

* 



1 

735 

758 

762 

' "  ■  • 

1 

• 

80S 

1 

762 

1 

763 

"  "  "  ' 

722 

763 

781 

804 

781 

1 

767 

1 

758 

730 
730 

731 

804 

736 
736 

"::::::;::;:i 

... 

38 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


Games  of  chance     '                              Games  of  dexterity                                  1 

1 

.1 

n 

Cruessing       i 
games         1 

1 

o 

B 
CQ 

1 
P. 

P 
03 

a 
§ 

c 
'p. 

a 

£ 

Ball 

Tabular  Index  to 

Tribes  and  Games 

to 

o 

■s 

CO 

E 

a 
1 

1— 1 

9 

1 

1 

h 

ii 

n  o 

(U   l-r 

5 

§ 

1 

§ 

0 

1 

i 

ai 
•O 

K 

=3 

OS 

s 

1 

1 

o 
o 

=3 

o 

m 

Chinookan  stock: 

Chinook                .  . 

240 

281 

573 

328 

Clatsop,             .  ... 

282 
282 

Wasco 

472 

472 

Chumashan  stock: 

Santa  Barbara     .  . 

628 

Copehan  stock: 

Winnimen             

241 

283 
283 

658 

Costanoan  stock: 

472 
472 

473 

Eskimauan  stock; 
Eskimo  (Central). 

102 
102 

544 

547 
549 

701 

709 

712 

Eskimo     (Central: 
Aivilirmiut     and 
Kinipetu) 

Eskimo  (Ita) 

701 

700 
699 
701 

712 

Eskimo  (Koksoag- 
miut^            

283 

548 

104 

105 
105 
105 
106 
110 
111 

386 

474 

474 
475 

629 

70C 

Iroquoian  stock: 

Caughnawaga 

Cherokee 



573 
674 

Huron          

241 

409 

549 

688 
590 
692 
592 
592 

Onondaga 

349 

St  Regis 

Seneca 

113 

118 
118 

350 

410 
413 

476 

477 

Tuscarora 

629 

351 

702 

Kalapooian  stock: 

Calapoova 

283 

Keresan  stock: 

119 

1''4 

351 

388 
388 

413 

478 
478 

629 

629 

668 

Kiowan  stock: 

284 
285 
287 

Kitunahan  stock: 

Koluschan  stock: 

Chilkat 

243 
244 
244 
245 

Stikine.. 

Taku 

Tlingit 

130 

288 

709 

Yakutat 

. 

Kulanapan  stock: 

Gualala 

289 
289 

291 
293 

594 
594 

Porno. ...            

131 
136 

247 
247 

413 

478 
479 

550 
550 

Lutuamian  stock: 

Klamath 

328 
332 

659 

Mariposan  stock: 

138 

482 
482 

630 

702 

711 

714 

630 

Pitkachi 

482 

Tejon 

138 
139 

SOI 
483 

Yoktits 

140 

141 
143 

293 

414 

595 

630 

Mayan  stock: 

Kekchi 

Moquel'umnan  stock: 

712 

... 

... 

Awani 

143 

630 
631 

Chowchilla 

294 

484 

''4fi 

Cosumne 

669 

TABULAR    INDEX 


39 


Minor  amusements 

•a 
1 

5 

s 

E 
£ 

O 

S 

o 

'S 

% 
s 

1 

s. 

1 

Si 

2 
1 

a. 

u 

=1 

S 

3 

a 

1 

fin 

B 
a 
o 

Xi 

i 

1 

782 

\ 

1 

736 
737 

751 

752 
752 

767 



782 

783 

1 

769 

' 

1 

737 
737 

723 

729 

753 

805 

, 

721 

:;::: : 

■ 

805 



1 

724 

740 

740 

770 

792 

740 

793 

771 

J 

740 

741 

759 

793 

741 

772 

783 

, 



40 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


Games  of  chance 

Games  oj  dexterity 

1 
s 

Guessing 
games 

>> 

o 

1 

PI 
to 

0) 

o 
a. 

a 
oi 
o. 
o 
o 
W 

a 
■ft 
•a 

5 

Ball 

Tabular  Index  to 
Tribes  and  Games 

a 

B 

a 

B 

a 

& 

B 

1 

P5 

1 
1 

1 

(9 

1 

=3 
1 

O 

O 

o 

a 

1 

O 

Moquelumnan  stock— 
Continued. 
Miwok 

143 
144 

596 

Olamentke 

248 

Topinagugim 

294 

388 

414 

484 

597 

702 

■ 

Tulares 

145 

485 
485 

631 

659 

670 

Miiskhogean  stock: 

Chickasaw 

597 
598 

146 

485 
486 
485 
481 

709 

Huma 

Mugulasha 

Muskogee 

605 
608 

Seminole 

Natchesan  stock: 

Natchez 

146 

146 
146 
148 
152 
153 
154 

488 

710 

Piman  stock: 

Opata 

631 

659 
660 

'660 
660 

670 
670 
671 
672 

Papago 

295 
295 

353 
355 

rima 

389 
389 

489 

551 

631 

Tepehuan 

356 

631 

678 

Piijunan  stock: 

i 

Konkau 

296 
297 
298 
299 

299 

Maidu 

Nishinam 

154 

248 

249 
249 
249 
249 
250 

489 

608 

661 

703 

710 

Salishan  stock: 

155 

489 

Chi  Hi  whack 

Clallam 

155 

299 

632 

Clemclemalats. 

156 

299 
300 

Okinagan 

Pend  d'Oreilles 

250 

490 

632 

301 
302 

Puyallup 

250 

156 

Salish 

491 
491 

156 

252 
253 

253 
254 
254 
256 

257 

302 

390 

632 

Skokomish ....'. 

609 

703 

156 
157 
157 
158 

158 

■ 

Songish . 

302 
302 
30S 

491 
491 

632 

390 

552 

609 

710 

Twana 

Shahaptian  stock: 
Klikitat 

304 
305 
307 

307 

493 
493 

632 
633 

553 

158 

257 
258 

Shastan  stock: 

332 

494 

633 

661 
662 

703 

..i 

... 

712 

Shasta 

553 

Shoshonean  stock: 
Bannock 

159 
159 
160 
165 
166 
166 
171 

168 

172 
172 

307 
309 

495 

678 

. 

713 

Comanche. 

Hopi 

357 

390 

495 

633 

678 

Kawia 

310 
310 
311 
313 
(309 
[313 
314 
315 

1 

Mono 

498 
498 

635 

662 

679 

704 
704 

1 

714 

333 

563 

Saboba.. 

Shoshoni 

I 

499 

500 
500 
501 
501 

554 

635 

662 

1 

713 

)■■ 

680 

Uinta  Ute 

636 

663 

713 

-• 

1 

Vte                            ' 

554 

1 

1 

Yampa  Ute ! 

315 

...1 

.  1 

..1 

1 

CLLIX] 


TABULAR   INDEX 


41 


Minor  amusements 

1  , 
12 

8 
1 

3 

ja 

CO 

s 

O 

3 

C 

s 

2 
02 

1 

CO 

09 

1 

*-> 

1 
c 

QQ 

so 
QQ 

i 

g 

=! 

3 

K 

3 

c 
0 

CL. 

§ 

10 

1 

JO 

d 
0 

1 

1 

1 

1 3 
s 

£ 

■^  to 

>  s. 

■c 

■S 
0 

1 

OS 

; 

1 

. 

1 

805 

1 

794 

717 

724 
724 

806 

■    ■ 

717 



717 

74! 

772 

... 



773 
773 

717 

" 

773 
773 

7'a 

806 



, 

t 

' 

.   .. 

728 

7-i2 

1 

731 

743 

i5ii 

7601 

774 

.... 

794 

807 

1 

756 

7fl6' 

796' 

1 

744 

1 

1 

732 

744 

I 

; 

'' 

1 



1 

...! 



42 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  asn.  21 


Games  of  chance                                     Games  of  dexterity 

00 

1 
§ 

5 

Guessing 
games 

1 
< 

§ 

S 

a 

C 

& 

o 

a 

'S, 
§ 

Ball 

Tabular  Index  to 
Tbibes  and  Games 

M 

a 

CO 

■a 
W 

s 

n 
u 

a 
o 

^  o 

a 

1 

>> 

i 

"3 

V 

g 

0 

"3 

=3 

s 
I 

fa 

a 

o 
•2 

a 

w 

i 

O 

s 
s 
? 
1 

1 
p 

O 

Siouan  stock: 
Assiniboin 

173 

258 

316 

391 

415 

502 

555 

610 
611 

636 

707 

710 

704 

1       1 

Congaree 

258 

!        1 

177 

317 

391 

415 

502 

637 

707 

Dakota.   .  . 

Dakota  (Bruie  i 

179 
179 
180 
183 
181 

5.56 

Dakota  (Oglalai  ... 

364 
365 

391 

415 

503 

556 

637 

611 

663 

...1... 

Dakota  (Tetou) 

258 

392 

416 

508 

557 

638 

1 

Dakota      (Wahpe- 
ton) 

Dakota  ( Yankton).  1  184 

317 

418 

508 

639 

Dakota(Yanktonai)    185 

614 

510 
511 

Hidatsa 

I8(i 

318 

641 

710 

186 
187 
187 
188 

365 

615 

vr^ 

419 
419 

MI 

707 

259 

366 

m•^ 

514 
516 

641 
642 

663 

Osage .   . 

Oto 

615 

PoNca 

188 
189 

189 

fl90 
1192 
fl90 

517 

366 

557 

'i'i7 

615 

708 

Skittagetan  stock: 

259 

318 

395 
395 

517 

642 

643 
642 

Tanoan  stock: 

367 
369 

558 

680 

1 

] 

1 

518 

^     liya 

Wakashaii  slock:            ! 
Bellahella 

1 
263 

Clavoquot i  196 

llesquiaht 

319 

5SS 

263 
263 

3i9 

370 

519 
522 

559 
559 

Makah     197 

321 

395 

643 

198 

■^00 

523 

' 

Washoan  stock: 
Pao 

335 
335 

199 
199 
199 

265 
265 
266 

322 

396 

623 

664 
G64 
605 

704 

Weitspekaii  stock: 

VVishoskan  stock: 

Yukian  stock; 

323 

Yumau  stock: 

199 

681 

323 

200 
201 
204 
205 
207 

■ 

370 

396 

665 

681 

325 
326 

644 
644 
645 
646 

646 

523 
525 
526 

5?fi 

560 

682 

\ 

371 

•"fifi 

T>7 

682 
68? 

2ufiian  stock: 

Znfxi 

■'in 

372    396 

vm 

710 

714 

\ 

CULIN] 


TABULAE    INDEX 


43 


Minor  amusements 

1 

s 

£ 

1 

***  OS 

IS. 

O 

33 

5 

c 

s 
1 

CO 

1 

1 

n 

CO 

O 

& 
1 

3 
(0 

1 

o 

1 

i 

in 
bit 

a 

728 



1 

7« 



758 

807 

7« 

750 

766 

7S9 

) 

791 

728 

731 



746 

750 

757 

759 

1 

728 

748 



729 

747 

808 

1 

747 



750 

7.59 

797 

1 

1 

809 

725 

730 

747 

747 
748 

784 

728 

774 
775 

797 

798 

718 

748 

718 

725 

760 
76) 

"776 

784 

718 

748 

719 



749 

719 

761 



1 

757 

776 

809 

726 



:;:::.:.. 

1 

719 

721 

726 

732 

749 

757 

761 

777    787 

799 

GAMES  OF  CHANCE 


The  ultimate  object  of  all  Indian  games  of  chance  is  to  determine 
a  number  or  series  of  numbers,  gain  or  loss  depending  upon  the 
I^riority  in  which  the  players  arrive  at  a  definitive  goal.  The  Indian 
chance  games,  as  before  mentioned,  may  be  divided  into  dice  games 
and  guessing  games — that  is,  into  those  in  which  the  hazard  depends 
ui^on  the  random  fall  of  certain  imijlements  emjjloyed  like  dice,  and 
those  in  which  it  depends  upon  the  guess  or  choice  of  the  player ;  one  is 
objective,  the  other  subjective.  In  general,  the  dice  games  are  played 
in  silence,  while  the  guessing  games  are  accamj)anied  by  singing  and 
drumming,  once  doubtless  incantations  to  secure  the  aid  and  favor 
of  the  divinity  who  pi-esides  over  the  game. 

The  guessing  games  consist  of  four  kinds : 

I.  Those  in  which  a  bundle  of  sticks,  originally  shaftments  of 
arrows,  are  divided  in  the  hands,  the  object  being  for  the  opponent 
to  guess  in  which  hand  the  odd  stick  or  a  particularly  marked  stick 
is  held ;  these  for  convenience  I  have  designated  stick  games. 

II.  Those  in  which  two  or  four  sticks,  one  or  two  marked,  are  held 
in  the  hands,  the  object  being  to  guess  which  hand  holds  the  un- 
marked stick;  for  these  the  common  name  of  hand  game  has  been 
retained. 

III.  Those  in  which  four  sticks,  marked  in  pairs,  are  hidden 
together,  the  object  being  to  guess  their  relative  position :  these  I  have 
designated  four-stick  games. 

IV.  Those  in  which  some  small  object — a  stone,  stick,  or  bullet — 
is  hidden  in  one  of  four  wooden  tubes,  in  one  of  four  moccasins,  or  in 
the  earth,  the  object  being  to  guess  where  it  is  hidden;  for  these  I 
have  accepted  Mr  Cushing's  designation  of  the  hidden-ball  game, 
and  for  a  particular  form  of  the  game,  the  common  descriptive  name 
of  the  moccasin  game. 

DICE  GAMES 

Under  this  caption  are  included  all  games  in  which  number  is 
determined  by  throwing,  at  random,  objects  which,  for  convenience, 
may  be  termed  dice.    A  game  or  games  of  this  type  are  here  described 

44 


■CULIN]  DICE    GAMES  45 

as  existing  among  130  tribes  belonging  to  30  linguistic  stocks,  and 
from  no  one  tribe  does  it  apjjear  to  have  been  absent. 

The  essential  imi>lemeuts  consist,  first,  of  the  dice,  and,  second, 
of  the  instruments  for  keeping  count.  The  dice,  with  minor  excep- 
tions, have  two  faces,  distinguished  by  colors  or  markings,  and  are 
of  a  great  variety  of  materials — split  canes,  wooden  staves  or  blocks, 
bone  staves,  beaver  and  woodchuck  teeth,  walnut  shells,  peach  and 
Ijluni  stones,  grains  of  corn,  and  bone,  shell,  brass,  and  pottery  disks. 
They  are  either  thrown  by  hand  or  tossed  in  a  bowl  or  basket,  this 
difference  giving  rise  to  the  two  principal  types  of  the  game.  Both 
are  frequently  found  among  the  same  tribe,  and  the  evidence  goes  to 
show  that  the  basket-dice  game,  which  is  most  commonly  played  b}^ 
women,  is  a  derivative  from  the  game  in  which  the  dice  are  thrown 
by  hand.  In  the  latter  the  dice  are  cast  in  a  variety  of  ways — tossed 
in  the  air  against  a  hide  or  blanket,  struck  ends  down  upon  a  stone 
or  a  hide  disk,  struck  ends  down  upon  a  stone  held  in  the  hand,  or 
allowed  to  fall  freely  upon  the  earth  or  upon  a  hide  or  blanket. 

There  are  many  variations  in  the  method  of  counting,  but  they 
can  all  be  divided  into  two  general  classes — those  in  which  the  score 
is  kept  with  sticks  or  counters,  which  j^ass  from  hand  to  hand,  and 
those  in  which  it  is  kept  upon  a  counting  board  or  abacus.  In  the 
first  the  counters  are  usually  in  multiples  of  ten,  infrequently  of 
twelve,  and  vary  from  ten  up  to  one  hundred  and  twenty.  They  com- 
monl}^  consist  of  sticks  or  twigs,  and.  from  the  fact  that  arrows  are 
employed  by  some  tribes  and  that  many  others  use  sticks  bearing 
marks  that  may  be  referred  to  those  on  arrow  shaftments,  they  may 
be  regarded  as  having  lieen  derived  from  arrows,  for  which  the 
game  may  have  originally  been  played.  The  game  terminates  when 
one  of  the  opposing  sides  wins  all  the  counters.  The  counting  board 
or  abacus  consists  either  of  stones  placed  in  a  square  or  circle  upon 
the  ground,  of  a  row  of  small  sticks  or  pegs,  or  of  an  inscribed  cloth, 
hide,  stone,  or  board.  It  is  almost  invariably  arranged  in  four  divi- 
sions, consisting  of  ten  places  each,  the  number  of  counts  in  the  cir- 
cuit varying  from  forty  to  one  hundred  and  sixty.  In  connection 
with  the  counting  board,  men,  or  pieces,  frequently  known  as 
"  horses,"  are  used  to  indicate  the  positions  of  the  several  players. 
It  is  an  invariable  rule  that  when  a  man,  or  piece,  falls  upon  a  place 
occupied  by  a  man  of  an  opponent,  the  latter  piece  is  said  to  be  killed, 
and  is  sent  back  to  its  starting  place.  The  number  of  players  varies 
from  two,  one  on  each  side,  up  to  an  indefinite  number,  depending 
upon  those  who  desire  to  take  part.  Two  or  four  are  most  com- 
mon, the  spectators  betting  upon  the  residt.  Both  men  and  women 
participate  in  the  dice  games,  hut  usiuilly  apart.  In  their  ceremonial 
forms  these  are  distinctively   men's  games.     As  mentioned   in  the 


46 


GAMES    OF   THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [etii.  ann.  24 


Fjg.  2.  Sacrificial  gaming  canes  from  shrine 
of  War  God,  Zuni  Indians,  Zuiii,  New  Mex- 
ico; length,  15  inches:  cat.  no.  22681.  Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of 
Pennsylvania. 


introduction,  the  dice  game  was  one  of  the  games  sacred  to  the  War 
God  in  Zuiii,  and  the  cane  dice  were  sacrificed  upon  his  shrine.  Fig- 
ure 2  represents  a  set  of  such  sacrificial  dice,  collected  by  the  writer 
from  the  shrine  of  the  War  God  on  Corn  mountain,  Zuni,  in  1902. 

They  consist  of  four  split  canes 
15  inches  in  length,  painted  black 
on  the  outside,  and  bound  in 
pairs,  one  fitting  into  the  other, 
to  form  a  cross.  The  middle  and 
two  ends  are  tied  with  cotton 
cord,  to  which  down  feathers  are 
attached.  These  canes  api)ear  to 
have  been  used  in  a  different  form 
of  the  dice  game  from  that  de- 
scribed in  the  present  volume  as 
plaj^ed  in  Zuiii. 

Dr  J.  Walter  Fewkes"  men- 
tions a  bundle  of  gaming  reeds 
being  placed  with  otiier  ol)jects 
upon  the  Tewa  kiva  altar  ( plate 
III)  erected  at  the  winter  solstice  at  Haiio,  and  in  a  letter ''  to  the 
writer  says  that  the  markings  on  these  canes  resemble  very  closely 
those  on  the  set  (figure  200)  which  he  found  in  the  old  altar  at  Clu'vlon. 
A  comparison  of  the  dice  games  of  the  Indians  throughout  the 
United  States  led  the  writer  at  first  to  refer  them  all  to  canes,  such 
as  are  employed  in  the  Zuiii  game 
of  sholiwe.  These  canes  in  their 
original  form  consist  of  split  arrow 
shaftmeuts,  and  are  marked  botli 
inside  and  out  with  bands  or  rib- 
bonings  corresponding  with  th(^ 
markings  on  the  arrows  of  th(>, 
four  world  quarters.  Many  of  the 
wooden  dic«.  wliich  the  Zuni  call 
"  wood  canes,"  bear  an  incised  mark 
on  tile  inner  side,  corresponding 
to  the  inner  concave  side  of  the 
canes.  The  chevron  pattern  on  the 
outer  face  of  many  of  the  staves 
agrees  with,  and  appears  to  be  derived  from,  the  crosshatching  on  the 
sholiwe.  AMien  the  staves  are  differentiated  liy  marks,  tiiese,  too, 
agree  more  or  less  closely  with  those  on  the  canes.  It  will  be  observed 
that  ill  many  of  the  sets  one  of  tlie  dice  is  distinguished  from  the 
others  by  marks  on  the  face,  or  convex  side,  as  well  as  on  the  rever.se. 


E 


S 


L 


^ 


3? 


:s^ 


32simD.- 


zoi: 


td 


Fig.  3.  Cane  dice  (reproductiunsi:  length, 
5i  inches;  Zuni  Indians,  Zuiii,  New  Mex- 
ico; cat.  no.  16543,  Free  Museum  of  Science 
and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


o  American   Anthropologist,   n.  s.. 


1,   p.   272.   1800. 


''January   27.    IMOO. 


' ,  •■.■) 


i     / 


.  i^.?-* '  .. 


■/ 


Q 


o 
z 


< 

o 

o 

z 

o 

I 

CO 


< 

I 


cc 
< 


< 

LU 


CULIN] 


DICE    GAMES 


47 


When  tliis  piece  falls  with  this  side  uppermost  it  augments  the  count 
in  the  play. 

Figure  3  represents  the  obverse  of  a  set  of  Zuhi  canes  for  sholiwe, 
reproduced  from  memory  by  ^Ir  Cushing  for  the  writer  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1893.  The  athlua.  or  "  sender,"  the  uppermost  cane  in  this 
set,  corresponding  with  the  north,  is  marked  on  the  convex  side  with  a 
cross,  agreeing  in  this 
respect  with  one  of 
the  sticks  of  the  Tewa 
game,  figure  25.5. 

This  peculiarity,  in 
one  form  or  another, 
is  repeated  through- 
out the  implements 
hereafter  described, 
the  obverse  of  one  of 
the  sticks  in  many  of  the  sets  being  carved  or  burned,  while  in  others 
the  stave  is  tied  about  the  middle.  This  specially  nuirked  die  is  the  one 
that  augments  the  throw.  In  attempting  to  account  for  it,  it  occurred 
to  the  writer  to  compare  the  Zuni  cane  bearing  the  cross  marks  with 
the  atlatl,  or  throwing  stick,  from  a  cliti-dwelling  in  Mancos  canyon, 


Fio.  4.  Handle  of  atlatl,  showing  crossed  wrapping:  for  the 
attachment  of  finger  loops;  cliff-dwelling.  Jlanctis  canyon, 
Colorado;  Free  Museum  of  .Science  and  Art,  University  of 
Pennsylvania. 


c 


=r3Ci 


Fig.  a.    Atlatl  (restored);  length.  15  inches;  cliff-dwelling.  Mancos  canyon,  Colorado;  Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Colorado,  in  the  ITniversity  of  Pennsylvania  museum  (figures  4 
and  .->).  Mr  Cushing  had  suggested  that  the  athlua,  placed  beneath 
the  other  canes  in  tossing  them,  corresponded  to  the  atlatl.  The 
comparison  seemed  to  confirm  his  suggestion.  The  cross  mark  is  pos- 
.•^ibly  the  cross  wrapping  of  the  atlatl  for  the  attachment  of  finger 


Fig.  I).    Stick  die;  length,  7  inches;  cliff-dwelling,  Mancos  canyon.  Colorado;  Free  Museum  of 
Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

loops.  According  to  this  view,  the  Zuni  canes  ma}'  be  regarded  as 
feymbolic  of  the  atlatl  and  three  arrows,  such  as  are  carried  by  the 
gods  in  Mexican  pictures.  From  the  evidence  furnished  by  the 
impleiiients  employed,  I  concluded  at  first  that  the  games  with 
tossed  canes,  staves,  etc.,  must  all  be  referred  to  the  regions  of  cane 
arrows  and  the  atlatl,  i)robably  the  southwestern  TTnited  States. 
Later  observations  upon  other  Indian  games,  in  which   it  is  ap- 


48 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [inii.  ann.  24 


FiQ.  7.  Bone  dice;  length,  |J  to  i|  inch;  Tanner 
springs,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  22770,  Free  Museum 
of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsyl- 


pareut  that  the  implements  represent  the  bows  of  the  War  Gods, 
caused  me  to  reexamine  the  stick  dice,  with  the  resuU  that  I  am 
inclined  to  believe  that  many  of  them  are  to  be  indentified  with  bows 
rather  than  with  arrows.     At  any  rate,  whether  as  arrows  or  bows, 

the  four  dice  are  to  be  referred 
to  the  AVar  Gods.  It  will  be  seen 
that  the  counting  circuit  agrees 
with  the  gaming  wheel,  which 
in  some  instances  is  notched  at 
its  four  quarters  in  agreement 
with  the  dice  marks. 

The  wide  distribution  and 
range  of  variations  in  the  dice 
games  point  to  their  high  antiq- 
uity, of  which  objective  evi- 
dence is  afforded  in  the  prehistoric  stick  die  (figure  G)  from  the  cliff- 
ruins  of  Colorado.  Similar  evidence  exists  in  the  pottery  bowls  (fig- 
ures 197-199)  decorated  with  representations  of  gaming  sticks,  with 
their  peculiar  markings,  from  prehistoric  Ilopi  graves  in  Arizona. 

Small  bone  dice  are  found  in  the  j^rehistoric  graves 
and  ruins  of  Arizona,  New  Mexico,  and  Utah.  Seven 
such  dice  in  the  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art  of  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania  (cat.  no.  22770),  collected 
by  Henry  Dodge  at  Tanner  springs,  Arizona,  are  len- 
ticular in  form  and  from  eleven-sixteenths  to  fifteen- 
sixteenths  inch  in  length.  The  flat  sides  are  marked — 
five  with  fine  diamonds  formed  of  cross  lines,  and  two 
with  straigjit  transverse  lines,  as  shown  in  figure  7. 
Four  are  plain,  and  three  have  transverse  bands  on 
the  rounded  side.  Four  of  them  have  also  traces  of 
blue  and  three  of  red  j^aint.  There  are  several  such 
dice  in  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Eight  from  pueblo  Penasca  Blanca,  Chaco  canyon. 
New  Mexico,  are  similar  to  those  above  described. 
Witli  them  are  a  similar  object  of  limonite,  two  small 
cii'cular  bone  disks,  and  three  small  rectangular  pieces 
of  thin  bone,  which  also  appear  to  have  been  used  as  dice. 
From  (rrand  Gulch,  Utah,  in  the  same  museum,  are 
three  similar  lenticular  bone  dice,  plain  on  their  flat 
side,  and  two  somewhat  smaller  ones  with  the  flat  side 
inscribed  with  four  transverse  lines.  With  them  are 
four  small  bone  disks,  the  flat  sides  of  which  show 
grooves,  the  natural  ca\ities  of  the  bone,  and  one  somewhat  smaller 
that  is  marked  on  the  flat  side  with  a  cross. 
From  Grand  Gulch  also,  in  the  same  museum,  are  a  number  of 


Fig.  8  a,  h,  c. 
Cane  and  wood 
dice  and  wood- 
en dice  cups; 
Grand  Gulch, 
Utah;  Ameri- 
can Museum  of 
Natural  His- 
tory. 


CCLIN] 


DICE    GAMES  :    AMALECITE 


49 


other  dice.  Nine  consist  of  small  fragments  of  cane  (figure  8a), 
made  to  include  a  joint,  and  slightly  flattened  and  marked  with 
notches  at  each  end.  on  the  flat  side.  Two  of  these  are  somewhat 
shorter  than  tlie  rest  and  have  the  joint  smoothed  down.  Another  set 
of  four  wooden  dice  from  the  same  place  is  accompanied  In'  a  finely 
wrought  wooden  cup  2  inches  in  height  and  1|  inches  in  diameter. 
These  dice  are  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  length,  slightly  flattened 
on  one  side,  the  rounded  jjart  being  marked  with  burned  devices,  as 
shown  in  figure  8^.  Another  similar  dice  cup  in  the  same  collection 
Contains  three  wooden  dice  (figure  Be)  and  two  cane  dice  like  those 
first  described.  The  wooden  dice  in  these  two  sets  appear  to  be  copies 
of  canes. 

ALGONQUIAN    STOCK 

Algoxkix.     Three  Rivers,  Quebec. 

Pierre  Boucher "  says : 

The  game  of  the  dish  is  played  with  nine  little  flat  round  bones,  blaek  on 
one  side,  white  on  the  other,  which  they  stir  ui)  and  cause  to  jump  in  a  large 
wooden  dish,  preventing  them  from  striking  the  earth  by  holding  it  in  their 
hands.  Loss  or  gain  depends  upon  the  largest  number  of  one  color.  The  game 
paquessen  is  almost  the  same  thing,  except  that  the  little  bones  are  thrown  into 
the  air  with  the  hand,  falling  upon  a  robe  .spread  on  the  ground  like  a  carpet. 
The  number  of  one  color  determines  loss  or  gain. 

Amalecite    (Malecite).     New    Brunswick.      (Cat.   no.   20125,   Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Set  of  six  disks  of  caribou  bone  marked  on  the  flat  side  (figure  9)  ;  a 
platter  of  curly  maple  cut  across  the  grain.  Hi  inches  in  diam- 


FiG.'9.    Bone  dice;  diameter,  1  inch;  Amalecite  ( Malecite  i  Indians,  New  Brunswick;  cat.  no. 
30125,  Free  Musenm  of  Science  and  Art,  Univei'sity  of  Pennsylvania. 

eter;  and  fifty-two  wooden  counting  sticks  about  8  inches  in 

length    (figure  10),  four  being  much  broader  than  the  others 

and  of  different  shapes. 

These  were  collected  and  deposited  by  Mr  George  E.  Starr,  who 

purchased  the  game  from  a  woman  named  Susan  Perley,  a  member 

"■  Histoire    Veritable    et    Naturelle   des   Moeurs   et    Productions   du    Pays   de   la    Novelle 
France,  ch.  10.  Paris,  1664. 

24  ETH— 05  M 4 


50 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


of  a  tribe  calling  themselves  the  Tobique.  at  an  Indian  village  half 
a  mile  north  of  Andover,  New  Brunswick.  Three  of  the  disks  and 
the  counting  sticks  were  made  for  the  collector,  while  the  jjlatter  and 
three  of  the  disks  shown  in  the  upper  row  (figure  9)  are  old.  Two 
of  the  latter  are  made  apparently  of  old  bone  buttons,  there  being 


Flo.  10.    Counting  sticks  for  stick  dice;  length,  8  inches;  Amalecite  (Malecite  i  Indians,  New 
Bronswick;  cat.  no.  20125,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

a  hole  in  tlie  reverse  into  which  the  shank  fitted.  The  designs  on 
t\w  faces  are  not  the  same.  The  woman  informed  Mr  Starr  that 
the  game  was  called  altestagen,  and  that  it  was  played  by  two  jDcrsons, 
one  of  whom  places  the  counting  sticks  in  a  pile  together. 

Theu  the  stones  are  placed  at  random  in  the  plate,  which  is  held  in  both 
hands  and  struck  sharply  on  the  ground  so  as  to  make  the  stones  fly  into  the  air 
and  turn  before  landing  in  the  plate  again.  A  player  continues  as  long  as  he 
scores,  taking  counters  from  the  pile  of  sticks  according  to  his  throw.  When 
the  pile  is  exhausted,  each  having  obtained  part,  tlie  game  is  continued  until 
one  wins  tliem  all.  Three  plain  sticks  count  one  point.  The  three  carved 
sticks  count  each  four  points,  or  twelve  plain  sticks.  The  snake-like  stick  is 
kept  to  the  last.  It  is  equal  to  three  plain  sticks,  and  a  throw  that  counts  three 
is  necessary  to  take  it. 

Arapaho.     Wind  River  reservation,  Wyoming.     (Free  Museum  of 

Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Cat.  no.  36963.     Four  willow^  twigs,  marked  alike  on  the  flat  side, 
painted  red;  length,  6f  inches  (figure  11). 


TL 


IL 


IL3 


Fio.  11. 


Stick  dice;  length,  lij  inches:  Arapalio  Indians,  Wyoming;  cat.  no.  36963,  Free  Museum 
of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


CILIN] 


DICE  games:  aeapaho 


51 


Cat.  no.  36964.     Four  others,  similar,  but  marked  on  the  round  sides,, 
painted  yellow;  length.  6}  inches  (figure  12). 


Fig.  12.    Stick  dice;  length,  BJ  inches:  Ai-apaho  Indiana,  Wyoming;  cat.  no.  MXA,  Free  Mnseiun 
of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Cat.  no.  36965.  Five  flat  shaved  twigs,  painted  orange  yellow; 
one  face  plain,  the  other  marked  with  incised  lines  painted  blue; 
length,  8f  inches  (figure  13). 


^n—TirT 


"T  ^  f/TlD 


Fig.  13.    Stick  dice;  length,  8^  inches;  Arapaho  liulian-s,  Wyoming;  cat.  no.  .36965,  Free  Museum 
of  Science  and  Ai't,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Cat.  no.  36966.    Four  flat  willow  twigs,  one  side  j'ellow,  with  notches 
painted  green  and  red,  all  ditlerent   (figure  14),  reverse  plain 


i      '^m 


Z^ZZ 


-^Sf^ 


Fig.  14.    Stick  dice;  length,  9^  inches;  Arapaho  Indians,  Wyoming;  cat.  no.  36!M>6,  Free  Mtiseum 
of  Science  and  Art.  Univei-sity  of  Pennsylvania. 

green;     accompanied   by    a    thick   rawhide   disk.    11    inches   in 
diameter,  painted  green,  with  the  device  shown  in  figure  15a  on 


Pig.  15.    Leather  disk  used  with  stick  dice;  diameter,  11  inches;  Arapaho  Indians,  Wyoming; 
cat.  no.  36966,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


52 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  axn.  24 


one  face;  reverse,  green  with   internal  ring  of  red.  ami   Itlue 
center  (figure  15h).     The  bets  are  said  to  be  laid  on  this. 
Cat.  no.  36967.     Four  flat  twigs,  having  one  side  painted  yellow,  with 
notches  painted  green  and  rrd.  all  diiferent,  as  shown  in  figure 


Fio.  16.    Stick  dice;  length.  9  inches;  Ar.ipaho  Indians.  Wyoming:  cat.  no.  36967,  Free  Museum  of 
Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

16;  length,  9  inches:  accompanied  by  a  disk  of  rawhide  jiainted 
red,  yellow,  and  green,  upon  which  the  bets  are  laid:  diameter, 
6^  inches  (figure  17). 


Fio.  17.    Leather  disk  used  with  stick  dice;  diameter,  6;  inches;  Arajjaho  Indians,  Wyoming; 
cat.  no.  36967,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Cat.  no.  36968.  Six  shaved  twigs,  ovoid  in  section,  painted  red.  three 
marked  on  the  round  side  with  incised  line  and  three  with  incised 
lines  on  both  sides,  all  different;  lengtli,  10  inches. 

Cat.  no.  36969.  Five  slender  peeled  willow  twigs,  with  burnt  mark- 
on  one  side;  length,  7  inches  (figure  18). 


■*>  ■"         H>     ~? 


— w V- 


"        — — n 


Pio.  18.    Stick  dice;  length,  7  inches;  Arapaho  luUians,  Wyoming;  cat.  no.  :«y69,  Free  Museum 
of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


Cat.  no.  36961.  Eight  pieces:  Three  bone  disks  with  three  incised 
intersecting  lines  painted  red  and  yellow,  diameter  about  1  inch; 
three    diamond-shaped    bone   pieces   with    incised    Greek    cross 


CILIX] 


DICE    GAMES  :    ARAPAHO 


53 


burned  and  painted  green,  length.  If  inches;  two  rectanguhir 
pieces  with  siniihir  cross  burned  and  jjainted  red,  length,  li 
inches.     The  reverse  sides  are  all  ]ilain  (figure  10). 


/Tj^ 


iVt 


i\  ' 


Fig.  13.    Bone  diue;  diameter,  1  to  Ij  inches;  Arapahu  ludiaus,  Wyoming;  cat.  no.  36961,  Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Cat.  no.  3(;9fi2.     Twenty  piece.s,  contained  in  a  small  cotton-cloth  bag. 

The  following  arc  bone,  with  burnt  designs  on  one  face,  the  reverse 
being  plain:  Three  diamond-shaped  with  cross  (figure  20fl)  ;  three 
diamond-shaped,  quartered,  the  alternate  quarters  burned  (figure 
20h)  ;  three  elliptical,  with  elongated  diamond  in  field  (figure  20e)  ; 
three  ellii^tical,  with  cross  band  and  lines  at  end  (figure  20d)  ;  one 
elliptical,  with  central  diamond  inclosed  by  chevrons  (figure  20e)  ; 
tAvo  rectangular,  with  central  cross  lines  and  wedge  on  each  end  (fig- 
ure 20/)  :  one  rectangular,  with  lines  at  the  ends  (figure  20ff)  ;  two 
rectangular,  with  three  dots  (figure  20h). 

The  following  are  of  peach  stone:  Three  with  Greek  cross  (figure 
20/):  two  witli  dot  ijU  circle  (figure  20/).  All  of  these  specimens 
were  collected  bv  the  writer  in  1000. 


o 


Fig.  20.    Bone  and  peach-stone  dice;  diameter,  i  inch  to  21  inches;  Arapaho  Indians,  Wyoming^ 
cat.  no.  ;i6962,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Aeapaho.  Cheyenne  and  Arapaho  reservation,  Oklahoma.  (Cat. 
no.  1.52802,  152803,  United  States  National  Museum.) 

Set  of  fiA^e  dice  of  buffalo  bone,  marked  on  one  side  with  burnt  de- 
signs (figure  21)  and  basket  of  woven  grass.  9  inches  in  diameter 
at  top  and  2i  inches  dee^D  (figure  22).     The  rim  of  the  basket  is. 


54 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


Fig.  21.  Bone  dice;  lengths,  ■  and  1|  inches;  Arapabo  In- 
dians, Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  152802,  United  States  National 
Museum 


bound  with  cotton  cloth,  and  the  inner  side  of  the  bottom  i.s 
covered  with  the  same  material.  The  game  is  played  l)y  women. 
Collected  by  Mr  James  IMooney  in  1801. 

The  following  account 
of  the  game  is  given  by 
the  collector : " 

The  dice  game  is  called  ta- 
u'seta'tlua  (literally,  strik- 
ing or  throwing  agtiiust 
something)  b.v  the  Arapaho, 
and  mo'nshiinOnh  b.v  the 
Cheyenne,  the  same  name 
being  now  given  to  the  mod- 
ern card  games.  It  was  prac- 
tically universal  among  all 
the  tribes  east  and  west,  and,  under  the  name  of  hubbub,  is  described  liy  a 
New  England  writer  i  as  far  back  as  1634  almost  precisely  as  it  exists  to-day 
among  the  prairie  tribes.  The  only  difference  seems  to  have  been  that  in  the 
cast  it  was  played  also  by  the  men,  and  to  the  accompaniment  of  a  song,  such 
as  is  used  In  the  hand  games  of  the  w'estern  tribes.  The  requisites  are  a  small 
wicker  bowl  or  basket  (hatechi'na),  five  dice  made  of  lione  or  plum  stones, 
and  a  pile  of  tally  sticks,  such  as  are  used  in  the  awl  game.  The  bowl  is  6  or  8 
inches  in  diameter  and  about  2  inches  deep,  and  is  woven  in  Ii:\sket  fashion  of 
the  tough  fillers  of  the  yucca.  The  dice  ma.v  lie  round,  elliptical,  or  diamond 
shaped,  and  are  variousl.v  marked  on 
one  side  with  lines  or  figures,  the  tur- 
tle being  a  favorite  design  among  the 
Arapaho.  Two  of  the  five  must  be 
alike  in  shape  and  marking.  Theother 
three  are  marked  with  another  design 
and  may  also  be  of  another  shape. 
Any  number  of  women  and  girls  may 
play,  each  throwing  in  turn,  and  some- 
times one  set  of  partners  playing 
against  another.  The  partners  toss  up 
the  dice  from  the  basket,  letting  them 
drop  again  into  it,  and  score  points  ac- 
cording to  the  way  the  dice  turn  up  in  the  basket.  The  first  throw  by  each  player 
is  made  from  the  hand  instead  of  from  the  basket.  One  hundred  [loints  usually 
count  a  game,  and  stakes  are  wagered  on  the  result  as  in  almost  every  other 
Indian  contest  of  skill  or  chance.  For  the  purpose  of  explanation  we  shall 
designate  two  of  the  five  as  "  rounds  "  and  the  other  three  as  "  diamonds,"  it 
being  understood  that  only  the  marked  side  counts  in  the  game,  excepting  when 
the  throw  happens  to  turn  up  the  three  "diamonds"  blank  while  the  other 
two  show  the  marked  side,  or,  as  sometimes  happens,  when  all  five  dice  turn 
up  blank.  In  every  case  all  of  one  kind  at  least  must  turn  up  to  score  a  point. 
A  successful  throw  entitles  the  player  to  another  throw,  while  a  failure  obliges 
her  to  pass  the  basket  to  someone  else.  The  formula  is :  One  onl.v  of  either 
kind  counts  0;  two  rounds,  3;  three  diamonds  (both  rounds  with  blank  side  up). 


••VV 


m 


Pig.  22.  BaskPt  for  dice;  diameter,  9  inches; 
Arapaho  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  uo.  15280:5, 
United  States  National  Museum. 


"The  Ghost   Dance  Religion.      Fourtpenth    Annual    Report   of  the   Bureau   of   Ethnology, 
j)t.  2,  p.  1004.  1800. 

*  William  Wood.  New  England's  Prospect.   London.   10:^4. 


CliLIN] 


DICE    GAMES  :    ARAPAHO 


55 


3;  three  diamonds  blank   (both  rounds  with  marlied  side  up),  3;  four  marlced 
sides  up,  1 ;  five  blanlv  sides  up,  1  ;  five  marlied  sides  up,  8. 

A  game,  similar  in  principle  Ijut  played  with  six  dice  instead  of  five,  is  also 
played  by  the  Arapaho  women,  as  well  as  by  those  of  the  Comanche  and  prob- 
ably of  other  tribes. 

Arapaiio.     Oklahoma.      (United  States  Xational  Museum.) 


t: 


Fig.  24. 


Fig.  25.  Fig.  26. 

Fto.  23.    Bone  dice;  length,  1}  to  2i  inches;  Arapaho  Indians,  Olilahoma;  cat.  no.  1IW76.5,  UnitKil 

States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  24.     Basket  for  dice;  diameter,  10  inches;  Arapaho  Indians.  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  16.576.5.  United 

States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  25.-  Wooden  dice;  length,  U  inches;  Arapaho  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  16.5T6.5(f.  United 

States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  26.     Stick  representing  a  man,  used  by  women  in  dice  game;  length,  1.5.1  inches;  Arapaho 

Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  {r%  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

Cat.  no.  165765.  Set  of  five  bone  dice,  marked  on  convex  side  with 
burned  designs  (figure  23),  and  much  worn  basket  of  woven 
grass,  10  inches  in  diameter  at  top  and  2  inches  deep  (figure  21). 


56  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 

Cat.  no.  lG5765a.  Set  of  five  wooden  dice,  marked  on  one  side  witli 
burned  designs  (figure  26),  representing  on  three  a  swallow  or 
swallow  hawk  and  on  two  a  dragon  fly.  Both  collected  by  Rev. 
H.  R.  Voth. 

Aeapaho.     ( )klahoma.     ( Cat.  no.  ^^,  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History.) 

AVooden  stick.  15i  inches  in  length,  knobbed  at  the  upper  end  and 

jDointed  at  the  lower,  the  upper  half  painted  red  and  the  lower 

Ijlack.  with  four  feathers  and  a  small  brass  bell  tied  at  the  top 

(figure  26). 

It  was  collected  by  Dr  A.  L.  Kroeber,  who  describes  it  as  rej^re- 

senting  a  man : 

When  women  gamble  with  dice  they  use  this  stick  as  a  charm  to  prevent 
cheating  in  tlie  game. 
Blackfeet.     Alberta. 

Rev.  Edward  F.  Wilson"  says: 

Their  chief  amusements  are  horse  racing  and  gambling.  For  the  latter  of 
these  they  employ  dice  of  their  own  construction — little  cubes  i>(  wood  with 
signs  instead  of  numbers  marked  upon  them.  These  they  shake  together  in  a 
wooden  disli. 

Rev.  J.  W.  Tims  '>  gives  katsasinni  as  a  general  term  for  gambling. 

Dr  George  Bird  Grinnell  has  furnished  me  the  following  account 
of  the  stave  game  among  the  Blackfeet,  wdiich  he  describes  under  the 
name  of  onesteh.  the  stick,  or  travois,''  game : 

This  is  a  woman's  gambling  game,  in  vogue  among  the  tribes  of  the  Blackfoot 
nation,  who  know  nothing  of  the  basket  or  .seed  game  so  generally  played  by  the 
more  southern  i)lains  tribes. 

Four  str.-iigbt  bones,  made  from  buffalo  ril)s — 0  or  .S  inches  long,  one-fourth  of 
an  inch  thick,  and  about  three-fourths  of  an  inch  wide,  tapering  gradually  to  a 
blunt  point  at  either  end — are  used  in  playing  it.  Three  of  these  bones  are  un- 
marked on  one  side,  and  the  fourth  on  this  side  has  three  or  five  transvei'se 
grooves  running  about  it  at  its  middle,  or  sometimes  no  grooves  are  cut  and  the 
bone  is  marked  by  having  a  buckskin  string  tied  around  it.  On  their  other 
sides  the  bones  are  marked,  two  of  them  by  zigzag  lines  running  from  one  end 
to  the  other:  another,  called  the  chief,  has  thirteen  equally  distant  holes 
drilled  in.  but  not  through,  it  from  one  end  to  the  other.  The  fourth,  called 
"  four."  from  its  four  depressions  or  holes,  has  four  transverse  grooves  close 
to  each  end.  and  within  these  is  divided  into  four  erinal  spaces  by  three  sets 
of  transverse  grooves  of  three  each.  In  the  middle  of  each  of  these  spaces  a 
circular  depi-ession  or  hole  is  cut.  .\ll  the  lines,  grooves,  and  marks  are  painted 
in  red,  blue,  or  black  [figure  27]. 

These  bones  are  played  with  either  by  two  women  who  gamlile  against  each 

°  Report  on  the  Blackfoot  Tribes.  Report  of  the  Fifty-seventh  Meeting  of  British  Asso- 
ciation for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  lOH,  London,  1888. 

''Grammar  and  r>ictionary  of  the  Blackfoot  Language,  London,   18S9. 

■■  The  wold  travois  has  been  vai-iously  explained  as  coming  from  travail  and  from  trai- 
neau.  I  believe,  however,  as  stated  In  The  Story  of  the  Indian,  p.  156,  it  is  a  corruption 
from  travers  or  ft  travers.  meaning  across,  and  referring  to  the  crossing  of  the  poles  over 
the  horse's  or  over  the  dog's  withers  (G,  B,  G.). 


CILIX] 


DICE  games:  blackfeet 


57 


•  itUei'  or  by  ;i  uumber  of  women  who  sit  opposite  and  facing  each  other  in  two 
long  Hues,  each  player  contesting  with  her  opposite  neiglibor.  Twelve  sticks, 
or  counters,  are  used  in  the  game,  and  at  first  these  are  placed  on  the  ground 
between  the  two  players. 

The  player,  kneeling  or  squatting  on  the  ground,  grasps  the  four  bones  in  the 
right  or  left  hand,  holding  them  vertically  with  the  ends  resting  on  the  ground. 
With  a  slight  sliding  motion  she  scatters  the  liones  on  the  ground  close  in  front 
of  her.  and  the  sides  which  fall  ui)permost  express  the  count  or  the  failure  to 
count.  Sometimes,  but  not  always,  the  players  throw  the  bones  to  determine 
which  shall  have  the  first  throw  in  the  game. 

The  person  making  a  successful  throw  takes  from  the  heap  of  sticks  the 
number  called  for  liy  the  points  of  the  throw — one  stick  for  each  point.  So 
long  as  the  throw  is  one  which  counts  the  player  continues  to  throw,  but  if 
she  fails  to  count  the  bones  are  passed  over  to  the  opposite  player,  and  she 
then  throws  until  she  has  cast  a  blank.  When  the  sticks  have  all  been  taken 
from  the  pile  on  the  ground  between  them  the  successful  thrower  begins  to 
take  from  her  opiionent  so  many  of  the  sticks  which  she  has  gained  as  are 
called  f(ir  by  her  throw.     .\s  twelve  points  nnist  be  made  by  a  player  before  the 


<eLjJ\L'  til  •  TTm]fl> 


==^SSS^^SS2^ 


Fig.  27.  Bone  stick  di<-e.  Black- 
foot  Indians,  Blackfoot  agency, 
Montana;  in  the  collection  of  Dr 
George  Bird  Grinnell. 


Fig.  ^.  Bone  stick  dice:  length,  5J 
inches;  Blackfoot  Indians,  South  Pie- 
gan  reservation,  Montana;  cat.  no. 51693, 
Field  Columbian  Museum. 


twelve  sticks  can  come  into  her  possession  and  the  game  be  won.  it  will  be  seen 
that  the  contest  ma.v  be  long  drawn  out.     A  run  of  luck  is  needed  to  finish  it. 

Some  of  the  counts  made  by  the  throws  are  here  given  :  Three  blanks  and 
chief  count  6 :  three  blanks  and  chief  reversed,  .3 ;  two  zigzag,  one  four,  and 
chief,  4 ;  two  blanks,  one  four,  and  chief.  2 ;  two  blanks,  one  zigzag,  and  chief, 
0 ;  two  blanks,  one  zigzag,  and  chief  reversed,  0 ;  one  zigzag,  one  blank,  one  four, 
and  chief.  0. 

The  women  do  not  sing  at  this  game  as  the  men  do  at  the  gambling  game  of 
hands. 

The  game  described  was  obtained  by  Doctor  Grinnell  from  the  Pie- 
gan  of  the  Blackfoot  agency  in  northwestern  Montana,  on  the  eastern 
flanks  of  the  Eocky  mountains.  They  live  on  Milk  river  and  Cut 
Bank.  Willow.  Two  Medicine  Lodge,  and  Badger  creeks,  being  the 
southernmost  tribe  of  the  Blackfeet.  It  will  be  observed  that  the 
implements  for  this  game  are  practically  identical  with  those  collected 
by  Doctor  ilatthews  from  the  Grosventres  (Hidatsa)  in  North 
Dakota  { figure  241 ) .     Concerning  the  latter  Doctor  Grinnell  remarks : 

The  Grosventres  of  Dakota — by  which  are  meant,  of  course,  the  Grosventres 
of  the  village,  a  tribe  of  Crow  stock — are  not  very  distant  neighbors  of  the 


58 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


Fu;.  29.  Counting  sticks  for  dice;  length,  5i 
inches;  Blackf oot  Indians.  South  Piegan  reser- 
vation, Montana;  cat.  no.  .51693,  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum. 


Blackfeet,  ami.  in  fact,  the  people  of  the  old  Fort  Bertbold  village — the  Gros- 
ventres,  Ree,  and  Mandan — have  iiian.v  customs,  and  even  some  traditions,  which 
closely  resemble  those  of  the  Blackfeet. 

Blackfeet.     South  Piegan  reservation,  Montana.     (Cat.  no.  51G93, 

Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Set  of  four  bone  staves,  made  of  rib  bones.  5J  inches  in  length  and 
one-lialf    inch    wide    in    the 
middle,  tapering  to  the  ends. 
The  outer  rounded  sides  are 
cut    with    lines,    which    are 
filled    with     red     paint,     as 
shown    in    figure    28.     Two 
are    alike,    and    one    of    the 
others  is  banded  with  a  narrow  thong  of  buckskin,  on  which  are 
sewed  twelve  small  blue  glass  beads.     The  reverses,  which  show 
the  texture  of  the  bone,  are  alike  and  jjainted  red. 
Accompanied  by  twelve  counting  sticks  (figure  29)  made  of  twigs,  5i 
inches  in  length,  smeared  with  red  paint. 

Blood   reserve.   Alberta.     Cat.   no.   5165-1.   Field   Columbian 

Museum. ) 
Three  bone  staves,  fif  inches  in  length  and  five-eighths  of  an  inch  in 

width  in  the  middle,  taper- 
ing     to      the      ends.     The 
outer     rounded     sides     are 
carved   as  shown  in   figure 
30,  two  alike,  in  which  the 
incised  lines  are  filled  with 
red    paint,    and    one    with 
holes,  10—3   3—9,  which  are 
painted     blue.     The     inner 
sides,  which  show  the  tex- 
ture  of  the   bone,   are   perfectly   plain. 
Both  of  the  above  sets  were  collected  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey.  who 
gave  me  the  following  particulars  regarding  the  way  in  which 
they  are  used : 

I  am  informed  that  the  Bloods  generall.v  use  three  instead  of  four  liones. 
They  call  the  game  nit  sitai  epsktpsepinan.  we  pla.v.  The  stick  marked  with  holes 
is  called  "  man  "  and  the  other  two  "  snakes."  Of  the  counts  I  have  only  this 
much : 

All  marked  faces  up  count  4:  all  unmarked  faces  up.  4:  two  unmarked  and 
snake  up.  li :  one  unmarked  and  two  snakes  u|i.  <1:  one  unmarked,  snake,  and 
man  up,  0. 

Cheyenne.     Cheyenne  and  Arapaho  reservation,  Oklalioma.     (Cat. 

no.  1.52803.  United  States  National  Museum.) 
Set  of  five  bone  dice  marked  on  one  side  with  Ijurned  designs  (figure 
31 )  and  basket  of  woven  grass  Si  inches  in  diameter  at  top  and 


<^^^^^^^^S^ 


FiG.;^).  Bone  stick  dice;  length,  6a  inches;  Black- 
foot  Indians,  Blood  reserve.  Alberta;  cat.  no. 
51654,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 


CLLIX] 


DICE    games:    CHEYENNE 


59 


2^  inches  deep  (tigiire  32).     Both  sides  of  the  bottom  are  covered 
with  cotton  cloth.     Phiyed  by  women.     Collected  by  Mr  James 
Mooney  in  lSi>l. 
Dr  George  Bird  Grinnell  furnislied  the  writer  the  following  account 

of  the  Cheyenne  basket  game,  which  he  describes  under  the  name  of 

monshimout : 

The  Cheyenne  seed  or  basket  game  is  played  with  a  shallow  bowl  and  five 
plum  stones.  The  bowl  is  from  3  to  4  inches  deep,  8  inches  across  at  the  top, 
flattened  or  not  on  the  bottom,  and  woven  of  grass  or  strips  of  willow  twigs. 
It  is  nearly  one-half  inch  thick  and  is  strong.  All  five  seeds  are  unmarked  on 
one  side,  but  on  the  other  side  [figure  33]  three  are  marked  with  a  figure 
representing  the  paint  patterns  often  used  by  girls  on  their  faces,  the  cross  being 
on  the  bridge  of  the  nose,  the  side  marks  on  the  cheeks,  and  the  upper  and 
lower  ones  on  the  forehead  and  chin,  respectively.  The  other  two  stones  are 
marked  with  a  figure  representing  the  foot  of  a  bear." 

These  plum  stones  are  placed  in  the  basket  [figure  34],  thrown  up  and  caught 
in  it,  and  the  combination  of  the  sides  which  lie  uppermost  after  they  have  fallen 
determines  the  count  of  the  throw. 


Fit,-,  ai. 


Fig.  32. 


Fig.  31.    Bone  dice:  lengths,  li  and   ;   inches:  Cheyenne  Indians,  Oklahoma:    cat.  no.  1538rc^ 

United  States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  32.    Basket  for  dice;  diameter  at  top,  SJ  inches:  Cheyenne  Indians.   Oklahoma:  cat.  no. 

152803,  United  States  National  Museum. 

The  players  sit  opposite  one  another,  if  several  are  playing,  in  two  rows  facing 
each  other.  Each  individual  bets  with  the  woman  opposite  to  her.  Each  player 
is  provided  with  eight  sticks,  which  represent  the  points  which  she  must  gain  or 
lose  to  win  or  lose  the  game.  When  a  player  has  won  all  the  sticks  belonging  to 
lier  opponent  she  has  won  the  game  and  the  stake. 

There  are  several  combinations  of  marks  and  blanks  which  count  nothing  for 
or  against  the  player  making  the  throw,  except  that  she  loses  her  chance  to 
make  another  throw.  Others  entitle  the  thrower  to  receive  one,  three,  or  even 
all  eight  sticks,  and  each  throw  that  counts  anything  entitles  the  player  to 
another  throw.  .\11  the  players  on  the  side  of  the  thrower — that  is,  in  the  same 
row — win  or  lose  from  those  opposite  them  as  the  thrower  wins  or  loses.  If 
the  person  making  the  first  throw  casts  a  blank,  she  passes  the  basket  to  the  one 
sitting  next  her;  if  this  one  makes  a  throw  that  counts,  she  has  another  and 
another,  until  she  throws  a  blank,  when  the  basket  passes  on.  When  the  basket 
reaches  the  end  of  the  line,  it  is  handed  across  to  the  woman  at  the  end  of  the 
opposite  row,  and  in  the  same  way  travels  down  the  opposite  line. 

In  making  the  throw  the  basket  is  raised  only  a  little  way,  and  the  stones 
tossed  only  a  few  inches  high.  Before  they  fall  the  basket  is  brought  smartly 
down  to  the  ground,  against  which  it  strikes  with  some  little  noise.     Some  of 

"  Mr  dishing  identified  the  msirli  of  the  cross  with  a  star  and  the  other  with  a  bear's 
track,  referring,  respectivel.v,  to  the  sky  and  earth. 


60 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  axn.  24 


the  throws  are  given  below,  the  sides  of  the  seeds  being  designated  li.v  their 
marlvs ;  Two  blanks,  two  bears,  and  one  cross  count  nothing ;  four  blanks  and 
one  bear  count  nothing;  tive  blanks  count  1  point  and  the  thrower  takes  one 
stick  :  three  blanks  and  two  bears  count  1  point  and  the  player  takes  1  stick ; 
one  blank,  two  bears,  and  two  crosses  count  1  point  and  thrower  takes  one" 
stick ;  two  blanks  and  three  crosses  count  3  points  and  the  thrower  takes  three 
sticks ;  two  bears  and  three  crosses  count  8  points  and  the  thrower  takes  eight 
sticks,  and  wins  the  game. 

The  women  do  not  sing  at  tliis  game,  lint  tlie.v  chatter  and  joke  continually  as 
the  play  goes  on. 


oo  oo 


Fig.  33.    Plum-stone  dice;  Cheyenne  Indians,  Montana;  in  the  collection  of  Dr  George  Bird 

Grinnell. 

Doctor  Grinnell  states  that  the  specimens  figured  came  from  the 
Northern  Cheyenne  agency,  officially  known  as  the  Tongue  'River 
agency,  in  Montana,  the  Indians  living  on  Eosebud  and  Tongue  rivers, 
which  are  tributaries  of  the  Yellowstone  from  the  south.  At  the 
same  time  the  southern  Cheyenne  of  Oklahoma  have  the  same  game. 
Cheyenn'e.     Oklahoma. 

Mr  Louis  L.  Meeker,  late  manual  training  teacher  in  the  Cheyenne 
school  at  Darlington,  refers  to  the  Cheyenne  dice  game  in  a  communi- 


Fio.  34.     Basket    lui'  dir,-;  chL-yi-iiii.'  IilIkius.  ir..iitiina;   in  the 

Grinnell. 


olU'ction  of  Dr  George  Bird 


cation  on  Cheyenne  Indian  games  made  to  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology. 
He  says  the  bone  dice,  marked  differently  on  one  side,  are  shaken  in  a 
basket  of  Indian  manufacture.     The  game  and  ordinary   playing 
cards  are  both  called  moncimon. 
Col.  liichard  Irving  Dodge  says :  "^ 

«  Our  Wild  Indians,  p.  330,  Hartford,  1882. 


CULIN] 


DICE  games:  chtppewa  61 


Besides  taking  part  in  the  round  games  of  the  men.  the  women  have  games 
of  their  own  which  I  have  never  seen  [ilayed  by  men.  The  most  common  is 
cailed  the  pium-stone  game,  and  is  played  by  the  women  and  children  of  nearly 
all  the  plains  tribes.  The  stone  of  the  wild  plum  is  polished  and  the  Hatter 
sides  are  cut  or  scraped  off.  nialiing  them  more  flat.  Some  of  these  faces  are 
then  marked  with  different  hieroglyphics,  varying  with  the  tribe,  and  some  are 
left  blank.  The  game  is  played  with  eight  such  pieces,  which  are  shaken 
together  in  a  little  bowl  or  a  tin  cup  and  then  thrown  on  a  blanket.  It  is 
really  nothing  but  our  game  of  dice,  complicated,  however,  by  a  system  of 
counting  so  curious  and  arbitrary  that  it  is  almost  impossible  for  a  white  man 
to  learu  it.  Every  possible  combination  of  the  hieroglyphics  and  blanks  on 
the  eight  stones  gives  a  different  count.  This  varies  with  the  tribe.  Among 
the  Cheyenne  the  highest  possible  throw  is  200,  the  lowest  0.  The  game  is 
usually  2,00U,  though  this  varies  greatly.  Each  player,  having  the  gambler's 
superstition  as  to  what  is  her  lucky  number,  tries  to  fix  the  game  at  that  number. 
If  the  stakes  are  valuable,  the  number  fixed  for  the  game  is  generally  a  com- 
promise. In  some  tribes  a  certain  combination  of  the  stones  wins  and  another 
combination  loses  the  game,  even  though  it  be  made  on  the  first  throw. 

Cheyenne.     Cheyenne  reservation,  Montana.      (Cat.  no.  GfiOSO,  Field 
Columbian  Musenni.^ 


Fio.  35.    Plum-stone  dice;  Cheyenne  Indians,  Montana;  cat.  no.  69689,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Implements  for  women's  dice  game.  Plum-stone  dice  (figure  3"))  in 
sets  of  three  alike,  with  burnt  designs  on  one  side;  accompanied 
by  a  small  basket  of  twined  grass,  and  counting  sticks  made  of 
stalks  of  rushes,  about  8  inches  in  length,  dyed  yellow,  green, 
red,  and  blue,  each  player  having  six  of  the  same  color.  Col- 
lected by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms  in  1901. 

Chippewa.    Bois  fort.    Near  Rainy  river,  Minnesota.     (Cat.  no.  j-ff^i 

American  Museum  of  Natural  History.) 
Four  flat  sticks  (figure  36),  15|  inches  long,  burned  black  on  both 

sides  and  marked  alike  in  pairs  with  crosses  and  cut  lines  on 

one  face. 


Fig.  36.    Stick  dice:  length,  15i  inches;  Chippewa  Indians,  Bois  fort,  Minnesota;  cat.  no.  jSji, 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

They  were  collected  in  1903  by  Dr  William  Jones,  who  gives  the 
following  counts : 

Four  points  on  a  flush  :   4  points  on  a  cross  and  striped  flush ;   2  points  on  a 
pair  of  striped  sticks;  20  points  on  sticks  with  medial  band  and  X's. 


62 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


Chippewa.     Bois  fort,  Minnesota.      (Cat.   no.    ^-j,  American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History.) 
Wooden  bowl  (figure  37),  9i  inches  in  diameter;  80  wooden  counters 


Fig.  37. 


Fig.  3S. 


Pig.  40. 

O    (i 


Fig.  39. 


r^ 


Fit,^  41 


Fig.  37.    Bowl  for  dice;  diameter,  9i  inches;  Chippewa  Indians,  Bois  fort,  Minnesota:  cat.  no.  ,^^^, 

American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Pig.  38.    Counting  sticks  for  dice;  length,  6  inches;  Chippewa  Indians,  Bois  fort.  Minnesota;  cat. 

no.  J72I,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Fig.  39.    Beaded  bag  for  dice;  length,  8  inches;  Chippewa  Indians.  Bois  fort,  Minnesota;  cat.  no. 

j72T»  Anaerican  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Fig.  4(1.     Bone  dice;   Chippewa  Indians,  Bois  fort,  Minnesota;  cat.  no.  ^^sx,  American  Museum  of 

Natural  History. 
Fig.  41.    Bone  and  brass  dice;  Chippewa  Indians,  Mille  Lacs,  Minnesota;  cat.  no.  j^go,  American 

Museum  of  Natural  History. 

(figure  38),  6  inches  in  length;  a  cloth  bag  (figure  39),  S  inches 
in  length,  ornamented  with  beads  for  dice,  and  the  following 
dice:  Four  disks,  two  knives,  one  gun,  and  one  figure  of  a  man 
(figure  40). 


ciLix]  DICE    games:    CHIPPEWA  63 

Another  set  of  dice  from  Mille  Lacs,  cat.  no.  xHttj  comprises:  One 
star,  four  disks,  one  eagle,  two  knives,  one  serpent,  three  arrow 
heads,  two  yoke-shaped  objects,  and  one  brass  disk  (figure  41). 
With  the  exception  of  the  last  these  dice  are  all  of  bone  and  are 
plain  on  one  side  and  finely  crosshatched  and  painted  red  on  the 
other. 

These  were  collected  by  I)r  William  Jones  in  1903. 

Mr  S.  C.  Simms  has  kindly  furnished  the  following  counts  of  a 
similar  game  played  at  Leech  lake.  Minnesota  : 

Counts  of  one :  Three  white  sides  up  of  dislis  and  canoe,  rough  side  of  ring, 
one  rough  side  of  disk  and  blue  side  of  moose,  woman  and  wigwam ;  all  white 
sides  up  liut  woman. 

Counts  of  two :  Blue  sides  up  of  small  disks,  moose  and  womau,  white  sides 
of  all  others  and  smooth  side  of  brass  ring:  blue  sides  of  moose  and  woman, 
white  sides  of  all  others,  and  smooth  side  of  ring. 

Counts  of  three :  Same  as  count  of  two.  with  exception  of  moose  white  instead 
of  blue  side  up ;  four  disks  white  side  up.  smooth  side  of  ring,  white  side  of 
wigwam,  blue  sides  of  moose,  canoe,  and  woman. 

Count  of  four :  Same  as  count  of  three,  with  exception  of  rough  side  of  ring  up. 

Counts  of  nine :  All  white  sides  up  and  smooth  side  of  ring ;  all  blue  sides  up 
and  rough  side  of  ring ;  white  sides  of  moose,  wigwam,  canoe,  and  woman,  blue 
sides  of  disks,  and  rough  side  of  ring. 

If  canoe  stands  up  on  any  throw,  it  counts  '2 ;  if  on  succeeding  throw  it  stands 
up,  it  counts  four ;  if  on  third  throw,  it  counts  (i. 

If  canoe  stands  upright  on  ring,  it  counts  4.  and  if  remaining  dice  show  blue 
sides,  an  additional  count  of  0  is  made,  or  i::!. 

If  wigwam  stands  up  on  any  throw,  it  counts  3 ;  if  on  succeeding  throw  it 
stands  up,  it  counts  6 :  if  on  third  throw,  it  counts  9. 

If  moose  stands  up,  it  counts  4:  if  on  succeeding  throw,  it  counts  8:  if  on 
third  throw,  it  counts  12,  regardless  of  other  dice. 

If  woman  stands  up.  it  counts  5;  if  on  succeeding  throw,  it  counts  10 :  if  on 
third  throw,  it  counts  20. 

If  woman  stands  up  in  ring,  it  counts  10  points,  regardless  of  other  dice. 

Chippewa.     Bear  island.  Leech  lake,  Minnesota.     (American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History.) 

Cat.  no.  ^4fj.  Four  flat  sticks  (•figure  "42),  loi  inches  long,  taper- 
ing at  the  ends,  both  faces  slightly  convex  and  burned  black 
on  one  side  and  having  representations  of  snakes  on  the  other; 
made  in  pairs,  two  alike,  distinguished  by  slight  differences  in 
the  heads. 

Cat.  no.  j44^.  Four  flat  sticks  (figure  43),  131  inches  long,  tapering 
at  the  ends,  both  faces  rounded  and  very  slightly  convex;  made 
in  pairs,  with  faces  burned  as  shown  in  the  figure,  and  reverses 
burned  alike;  with  four  counting  sticks  (figure  44),  9  inches  in 
length. 
They  were  collected  in  1903  by  Dr  William  Jones,  who  gives  the 

following  counts: 


64 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ANN.  24 


The  two  sticks  marked  with  triangles  at  the  ends  may  be  designated  as 
major,  and  the  other  pair  as  minor.  When  the  pair  of  major  fall  face  upper- 
most alike  and  the  minor  unlike,  the  count  is  2.  but  when  the  minor  fall  face 
uppermost  alike  and  the  major  unlike,  the  count  is  1.     When  the  sticks  fall  all 


Fig.  42.    Stick  dice;  length,  1.')}  iuches;  Chippewa  Indians,  Leech  lake,  Minnesota:  cat.  no.  i^U< 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

heads  or  all  tails  uppermost,  the  count  is  4.  The  game  is  .5,  but  an  extra  throw 
is  made  when  the  5  points  are  gained.  The  holder  of  the  5  points  lets  the 
opponent  throw  first.     If  the  opponent  beats  him  with  a  iiair  of  majors,  then 


<SEtac: 


€Dcac 


Pig.  43.  Fig.  44. 

Fio.  43.  Stick  dice:  length,  13.;  inches:  Chippewa  Indians,  Leech  lake,  iluinesota;  cat.  no.  jSJj, 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

Pig.  44.  Counting  .sticks  for  stick  dice:  length,  9  inches;  Chippewa  Indians,  Leech  lake,  Minne- 
sota; cat.  no.  jS;,,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

the  5-point  holder  throws  2  points  back  into  tlie  pool.     If  he  loses  on  a  flush, 
he  throws  4  points  back  into  the  pool.     A  player  wins  only  on  the  extra  throw. 

Chippewa.     Mille  Lacs,  Minnesota.     (United  States  National  Mu- 
seum.) 
Cat.  no.  204968.     Set  of  four  .sticks  15  inches  in  length,  flat  and  plain 
on  one  side,  and  marked  as  shown  in  fig.  45  on  the  other.     Two 
reproductions  and  two  originals,  the  gift  of  Mr  G.  H.  Beau  lieu, 
of  St  Cloud,  Minnesota. 
The  following  information  about  the  game  was  obtained  by  the 
writer  from  a  delegation 


iLr-.^\v^<^ 


:^ 


;^-^z 


>ji=-j 


Fig.  4,').  Stick  dice;  length.  l.=j  inches:  Chippewa  Indians. 
Milln  Lacs,  Minnesota;  cat.  no.  204968,  United  States 
National  Museum.  \ 


of  Chippewa  Indians 
who  visited  Washington 
with  Mr  Beaulieu : 


The  game  is  called  shay- 
mahkewuybinegnnug.  Men 
and  women  play.  Each  player,  of  whom  the  number  is  not  fixed,  has  five 
counting  sticks.  All  put  up  stakes.  The  counts  are  as  follows:  All  marked 
sides  count  1  ;  all  plain  sides,  1  ;  the  counts,  however,  depend  upon  the  previous' 
understanding.  If  the  first  throw  is  two  turtles  and  two  tails,  it  wins  the  game, 
but  if  the  other  side  has  won  any,  then  the  throw  onl.v  counts  two  sticks.  A 
player  who  does  not  make  a  point  pays  double.  The  sticks  are  said  to  be 
marked  usually  with  figures  of  snakes,  on  account  of  a  dream. 


CULIN] 


DICE    GAMES  :    CHIPPEWA  65 


Cat.  no.  204967.     Wooden  platter  (figure  4(j),  12^  inches  long  and  7 
inches  wide,  cut  from  a  single  piece  of  wood. 
This  was  described  by  the  collector,  Mr  G.  H.  Beaulieu,  under  the 
name  of  bugaysaj^win  as  used  in  the  dice  game. 
Chippewa.     Minnesota. 

J.  Long"  gives  the  following  description  of  the  bowl  game: 
Athtergain.  or  miss  none  but  catch  all,  is  also  a  favorite  amusement  with 

them,  in  which  the  women  fre- 
quently take  part.  It  is  played 
with  a  number  of  hard  beans, 
black  and  white,  one  of  which 
has  small  spots  and  is  called 
king.  They  are  put  into  a  shallow 
wooden  bowl  and  shaken  alter- 
FiG.46.  Platter  for  dice;  length,  12J  inches;  Chippewa  natelv  bv  each  party,  who  sit  on 
Indians,    Mille   Lacs,    Minnesota;    cat.    no.   204967,        a.i_       *      '     ,  •/     .^ 

United  States  National  Museum.  t^e  ground   opposite   to   one   an- 

other.  Whoever  i.s  dexterous 
enough  to  make  the  spotted  bean  jumj)  out  of  the  bowl  receives  of  the  adverse 
party  iis  many  beans  as  there  are  spots ;  the  rest  of  the  beans  do  not  count  for 
anything. 

Wisconsin. 

^  Jonathan  Carver  *  describes  the  game  as  follows : 

The  game  of  the  bowl  or  platter.  This  game  is  played  between  two  persons 
only.  Each  person  has  six  or  eight  little  Imnes  not  unlike  a  peach  stone  either 
in  size  or  shape,  except  they  are  quadrangular,  two  of  the  sides  of  which  are 
colored  black,  and  the  others  white.  These  they  throw  up  into  the  air.  from 
whence  they  fall  into  a  bowl  or  platter  placed  underneath,  and  made  to  spin 
round. 

According  as  these  bones  present  the  white  or  black  side  upward  they  reckon 
the  game ;  he  that  happens  to  have  the  greatest  number  turn  up  of  a  similar 
color,  counts  5  points ;  and  40  is  the  game. 

The  winning  party  keeps  his  i)lace  and  the  loser  yields  his  to  another  who 
is  appointed  by  one  of  the  umpires ;  for  a  whole  village  is  sometimes  concerned 
in  the  party,  and  at  times  one  band  plays  against  another. 

During  this  play  the  Indians  appear  to  be  greatly  agitated,  and  at  every 
decisive  throw  set  up  a  hideous  shout.  They  make  a  thousand  contortions, 
addressing  themselves  at  the  same  time  to  the  bones,  and  loading  with  impre- 
cations the  evil  spirits  that  assist  their  successful  antagonists. 

At  this  game  some  will  lose  their  apparel,  all  the  movables  of  their  cabins, 
and  sometimes  even  their  liberty,  notwithstanding  there  are  no  people  in  the 
universe  more  jealous  of  the  latter  than  the  Indians  are. 

Apostle  islands,  Wisconsin. 

J.  G.  Kohl  '■  thus  describes  the  game  called  by  the  Indians  pagessan : 
The  Canadians  call  it  le  jeu  au  plat  (the  game  of  the  bowl).  It  is  a 
game  of  hazard,  but  skill  plays  a  considerable  part  in  it.  It  is  played  with  a 
wooden  bowl  and  a  number  of  small  figures  bearing  some  resemblance  to  our 
chessmen.  They  are  usually  carved  very  neatly  out  of  bones,  wood,  or  plum 
stones,  and  represent  various  things — a  fish,  a  hand,  a  door,  a  man,  a  canoe, 

"  Voyages  and  Travels  of  an  Indian  Interpreter,  p.  52,  London,  1791. 

'Travels  through  the  Interior  Parts  of  North  America,  p.  238,  Philadelphia,  1796. 

"  Kitchi-Gaml.  Wanderings  round  Lake  Superior,  p.  82,  London,  1860. 

24  ETH — 05  M 5 


DD  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 

a  half-moon.  etc.  They  call  these  figures  pagessanag  (carved  plum  stones), 
and  the  game  has  received  its  name  from  them.  Each  figure  has  a  foot  on 
which  it  can  stand  upright.  They  are  all  thrown  into  a  wooden  bowl  (in 
Indian  onagan).  whence  the  French  name  is  derived.  The  players  make  a  hole 
in  the  ground  and  thrust' the  bowl  with  the  figures  into  it  while  giving  it  a 
slight  shake.  The  more  figures  stand  upright  on  the  smooth  bottom  of  the  bowl 
through  this  shake,  all  the  better  for  the  player.  Each  figure  has  its  value, 
and  some  of  them  represent  to  a  certain  extent  the  pieces  in  the  game  of  chess. 
There  nre  also  other  figures,  which  may  similarly  be  called  the  pawns.  The 
latter,  carved  into  small  round  stars,  are  all  alike,  have  no  pedestal,  but  are 
red  on  one  side  and  plain  on  the  other,  and  are  counted  as  plus  or  minus 
according  to  the  side  uppermost.  With  the  pawns  it  is  a  perfect  chance  which 
side  is  up.  but  with  the  pieces  much  depends  on  the  skill  with  which  the  bowl 
is  shaken.  The  other  rules  and  mode  of  calculation  are  said  to  be  very  com- 
plicated, and  the  game  is  played  with  great  attention  and  passion.  Jly  Indians 
here  will  lie  half  the  night  through  round  the  bowl  and  watch  the  variations 
of  the  game.  It  is  played  with  sliglit  divergences  by  nearly  all  the  Indian 
tribes,  and  in  many  both  men  and  women  practise  it.  How  seriously  they 
regard  the  giime  and  how  e.xcited  they  grow  over  it  I  had  an  opportunity  of 
noticing.  Some  time  ago  I  seated  myself  by  some  Indians  who  were  playing 
at  pagessan.  One  of  them  was  a  very  handsome  young  fellow,  wearing  broad 
silver  rings  on  his  arms,  the  carving  of  which  I  was  anxious  to  in.spect.  On 
turning  to  him  with  a  question,  however,  he  grew  very  impatient  and  angry 
at  this  interruption  of  the  game,  considered  my  question  extremely  imperti- 
nent, and  commenced  such  a  threatening  speech  that  my  interpreter  could  not 
be  induced  to  translate  it  to  me.  He  merely  said  it  was  most  improper,  and 
then  began,  for  his  part,  abusing  the  Indian,  so  that  I  had  great  difliculty 
in  appeasing  him.  All  I  imderstood  was  that  an  Indian  must  not  be  disturbed 
when  gambling. 

Chipi'e\v.\.     Michigan. 

.Schoolcraft"  describes  the  bowl  game  tinder  the  name  of  piigasaing 
as  follows: 

This  is  the  principal  game  of  hazard  among  the  northern  tribes.  It  is  i)layed 
with  thirteen  pieces,  hustled  in  a  vessel  called  onagun.  which  is  a  kind  of  wooden 
liowl.     They  are  represented  and  named  as  follow  s  : 

The  pieces  marked  no.  1  in  this  cut  [figure  47],  of  which  there  are  two.  are 
called  ininewug,  or  men.  They  are  made  tapering  or  wedge-shaped  in  thick- 
ness, so  as  to  make  it  possible,  in  throwing  them,  that  they  may  stand  on  their 
base.  Number  2  is  called  gitshee  kenabik,  or  the  great  serpent.  It  consists 
of  two  pieces,  one  of  which  is  fin-tailed,  or  a  water  serpent,  the  other  trun- 
cated, and  is  probably  designated  as  terrestrial.  They  are  formed  wedge- 
shaped,  so  as  to  be  capable  of  standing  on  their  bases  lengthwise.  Each  has 
four  dots.  Number  ?<  is  called  pugamilgun,  or  the  war  club.  It  has  six  marks 
on  the  handle  on  the  red  side,  and  four  radiating  from  the  orifice  of  the  club 
end,  and  four  marks  on  the  handle  of  the  white  side,  and  six  radiating  marks 
from  the  orifice  on  the  club  end.  making  ten  on  each  side.  Number  4  is  called 
keego,  which  is  the  generic  name  for  a  fish.     The  four  circular  pieces  of  brass, 

°  One6ta,  or  Characteristics  of  the  Red  Race  of  America,  p.  83,  New  York,  184.5.  See 
also.  Information  respecting  the  Ilistor.v.  Condition,  and  Prospects  of  the  Indian  Trihes 
of  the  T'nited  States,  pt.  2,  p.  7L'.  Philadelphia,  lS5:i. 


CULIN] 


DICE    games:    CHIPPEWA 


67 


ooo  o 


sligbtly  concave,  with  a  flat  surface  on  the  apex,  are  called  ozawftblks.     The 
three  bird-shaped  pieces,  slieshebwuf;.  or  duclis. 

All  but  the  circular  pieces  are  made  out  of  a  fine  kind  of  bone.  One  side  of 
the  piece  is  white,  of  the  natural  color  of  the  bones,  and  polished,  the  other  red. 
The  brass  pieces  have  the  convex  side  bright,  the  concave  black.  They  are  all 
shaken  together  and  thrown  out  of  the  onSgun,  as  dice.  The  term  pugasaing 
denotes  this  act  of  throwing.  It  Is  the  participial  form  of  the  verb.  The  fol- 
lowing rules  govern  the  game  : 

1.  When  the  pieces  are  turned  on  the  I'ed  side  and  one  of  the  ininewugs  stands 
upright  on  the  bright  side  of  one  of  the  brass  pieces,  it  counts  15S.  2.  When  all 
till'  pieces  turn  red  side  up  and  the  gitshee  kenabik  with  the  tail  stands  on  the 
bright  side  of  the  brass  piece,  it  coimts 
138.  3.  When  all  turn  up  red,  it  coiuits 
58.  whether  the  brass  pieces  be  bright  or 
black  side  up.  4.  When  the  gitshee  kena- 
bik and  his  associate  and  the  two  inine- 
wugs turn  up  white  side  and  the  other 
pieces  red,  it  counts  58.  irrespective  of 
the  concave  or  convex  position  of  the 
brass  pieces.  5.  When  all  the  pieces 
turn  up  white  it  counts  38.  whether  the 
ozawubiks  be  bright  or  black.  0.  When 
the  gitshee  kenabik  and  his  associate 
turn  up  red  and  the  other  white,  it  counts 
38.  the  brass  pieces  immaterial.  7.  When 
one  of  the  ininewugs  stands  up  it  counts 
.511.  without  regard  to  the  position  of  all 
the  rest.  8.  When  either  of  the  gitshee 
kenabiks  stands  upright  it  counts  40, 
irrespective  of  the  position  of  the  others. 
'■>.  When  all  the  pieces  turn  up  white  excepting  one,  and  the  ozawiibiks  dark, 
it  counts  2(».  1(1.  When  all  turn  up  red  except  one  and  the  brass  pieces  bright, 
it  counts  1.").  11.  When  the  whole  of  the  pieces  turn  up  white  but  one.  with  the 
ozawiibiks  bright,  it  counts  10.  12.  When  a  brass  piece  turns  up  dark,  the  two 
gitshee  kenabiks  and  the  two  men  red,  and  the  remaining  pieces  white,  it  counts 
8.  l.'i.  When  the  brass  piece  turns  up  bright,  the  two  gitshee  kenabiks  and  one 
of  the  men  red.  and  all  the  rest  white,  it  is  6.  14.  When  the  gitshee  kenabik  In 
chief  and  one  of  the  men  turn  up  red,  the  ozawabiks  bright,  and  all  the  others 
white,  it  is  4.  15.  When  both  the  kenabiks  and  both  men  and  the  three  ducks 
turn  U)!  red.  the  brass  piece  black,  and  either  the  keego  or  a  duck  white,  it  is  5. 
10.  When  .-ill  the  pieces  turn  up  red  but  one  of  the  ininewugs  and  the  brass 
piece  black,  it  counts  2.  The  limit  of  the  game  is  stipulated.  The  parties  throw 
up  for  the  plav. 

I 


Pig.  47.    Bono  and  brass  dice;   Chippewa 
Indians,  Michigan:  from  Schoolcraft. 


Elsewhere  °  he  says : 


The  game  is  won  by  the  red  pieces ;  the  arithmetical  value  of  each  of  which 
is  fixed :  and  the  count,  as  in  all  games  of  chance,  is  advanced  or  retarded  by 
the  luck  of  the  throw.  Any  number  of  players  may  play.  Nothing  is  required 
but  a  wooden  bowl,  which  is  curiously  carved  and  ornamented  (the  owner  rely- 
ing somewhat  on  magic  influence),  and  having  a  plain,  smooth  surface. 


"  Information  respecting  the  Histor.v.  T'ondition.  and  Prospects  of  the  Indian  Tribes  of 
the  United  States,  pt.  2,  p.  72,  Philadelphia,  1S53. 


68 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  axn.  24 


Chippewa.  Turtle  mountain.  North  Dakota.  (Cat.  no.  ^HSr,  Amer- 
ican Museum  of  Natural  History.) 

Four  flat  wooden  disks  (figure  48),  1  inch  in  diameter,  carved  with  a 
cross  painted  red  on  one  side,  and  opposite  side  j^ainted  red. 
Accompanied  by  a  rough  willow  basket  tray,  11  inches  in  diame- 
ter.    Collected  by  Dr  AVilliam  Jones  in  1903. 


Fig.  48.    Wooden  dice  and  tray:  diameter  of  dice,  1  inch;  of  tray,  11  inches;  Chippewa  Indians, 
Turtle  mountain.  North  Dalcota:  cat.  no.  j?!;^,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

Cree.     Muskowpetung    reserve,    Qu'appelle,   Assiniboia.     (Cat.    no. 

61988,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Four  wooden  staves,  13|  inches  in  length,  one  side  plain  and  the  other 

marked  with  burned  designs,  as  shown  in  figure  49. 
These  were  collected  by  Mr  J.  A.  Mitchell,  who  describes  the  game 

under  the  name  of  cheekahkwanuc,  dashing  down  the  dice  sticks. 

Played  with  four  specially  marked  oblong  sticks,  each  stick  having  a  special 
counting  value  according  to  the  marks  and  according  to  the  number  of  similar 
sticks  which  turn  face  up  at  the  same  time,  when  thrown  down. 


FiQ.  49.    Stick  dice;  length,  135  inches;  Cree  Indians,  Qu'appelle,  Assiniboia;  cat.  no.  61988,  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 

The  game  is  played  by  any  number  of  men  and  women,  in  groups  of  four 
each,  opposed  to  similar  groups,  and  is  played  for  stakes,  as  in  our  draw  poker. 
The  sticks  are  thrown  to  the  ground,  end  down,  and  falling  flat  are  counted  by 
the  markings  of  those  which  show  the  marked  side  uppermost.  The  count  is  as 
follows:  Three  plain  sides  down,  one  white  band  up.  counts  six;  two  plain  sides 
.down,  two  white  bands  up,  24;  three  plain  sides  down,  one  X-marked  side  up. 


CULIX] 


DICE    GAMES  :    DELAWARES 


69 


14 ;  two  plain  sides  down,  two  X-marlied  sides  up,  5G ;  all  marked  sides  up  ex- 
cept the  stave  with  14  X's,  14 ;  all  marked  sides  up  wins  game. 

Ceee.     Coxby,    Saskatchewan.      (Cat.    no.    15400,    Field    Columbian 

Museum.) 
Set  of  dice  consisting  of  four  small  bone  diamonds  and  four  hook- 
shaped  objects  of  bone  (claws)   (figure  50),  and  a  wooden  bowl 
or  plate  shaped  like  a  tin  pan,  8^  inches  in  diameter  (figure  51). 
The  dice  are  two-faced,  one  white  and  the  other  black,  and  are 
accompanied  by  a  small  beaded  bag  of  red  flannel.     Collected  by 


Fig.  50.  Bone  dice;  length,  } 
inch;  Cree  Indians,  Saskatche- 
wan; cat.  no.  1546(1,  Field  Co- 
Inmbian  Museum. 


Fig.  51.  Platter  and  bag  for  dice; 
diameter, 84  inches;  Cree  Indians, 
Saskatchewan;  cat.  no.  15460, 
Field  Columbian  Museum. 


Mr  Philip  Towne,  who  describes  the  game  as  follows,  under  the  name 
of  pahkasahkimac,  striking  ground  with  wood  bowl  to  shake  up  the 
bones : 

This  game  is  played  b.v  any  number  of  persons,  either  singly  or  in  partner- 
ship. The  dice  are  placed  in  the  bowl,  which  is  then  given  a  sharp  downward 
movement  with  both  hands.  The  count  is  determined  by  combinations  of  the 
upper  faces  of  the  dice  and  is  as  follows:  All  white  sides  up  counts  100;  all 
dark  sides  up,  80 ;  7  white  and  1  dark  side  up,  30 ;  white  sides  of  all  hook- 
shaped  dice  and  of  one  diamond-shaped  die  up,  10;  dark  sides  of  all  hook-shaped 
dice  and  of  1  diamond-shaped  die  up.  8;  white  sides  of  4  diamond-shaped  dice 
and  of  1  hook-shaped  die  up,  G;  dark  sides  of  4  diamond-shaped  dice  and  of 
1  hook-shaped  die  up,  4 :  each  hook-shaped  piece  on  edge,  2.  One  hundred 
points  constitute  the  game. 

Alberta. 

In   Father  Lacombe's  Cree  Dictionary 
pakessewin,   and   Rev.    E.    A.    Watkins, 
in    his    Dictionary    of    tlie    Cree    Lan- 
guage,' gives   pukasawuk,   they   gamble 
with  dice. 
Delawares.     Wichita  reservation.  Okla. 

(Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Cat.    no.    59376.     Four    rounded    twigs 

,n  rr,\     r-;    •       1  •!  it  ^       ^'^-  ^'^-    Stick    dice   and  counting 

(figure  52).  Of  inches  in  length  and       sticks;  lengths,  6}  inches  and  4* 

three-eighths-  of    an    inch    wide,    all         inches;  Delaware  Indians,  Wichlta 
T  .,         -  •  T         ,1  reservation,    Oklahoma;    cat.    no. 

grooved     on     the     inner     side,    three         59376,  Field  Columbian  Museum 


we   find   jeu   de   hasard, 


r    — 


'  Rev.  Albert  Lacombe.  Dictionnalre  de  la  Langue  des  Cris,  Montreal,  1874.      »  London,  1865. 


70 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  24 


Fig.  5y.  Stick  dice;  length,  6J  inches;  Delaware 
Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  59377,  Field  Co- 
lumbian Museum. 


having  grooves  iDiiinted  red  and  one  green;  outer  faces  plain; 
accompanied  by  seven  counting  sticks,  4^  inches  in  length. 
Cat.  no.  59377.  Four  rounded  strijis  of  cane  (figure  53).  fif  inches 
long  and  one-half  of  an  inch  wide,  with  inner  sides  painted  like 
the  f)receding.  Both  of  the  above  sets  were  collected  by  Dr 
George  A.  Dorsey  in  1901. 
Delawares.     Ontario. 

Dr  Daniel  G.  Brinton  "  gives  the  following  account  derived  from 

conversation     with     Eev.    Albei't 
Seqaqkind  Anthony: 

A  third  game  occasionally  seen  is 
uKiumun'di.  Tbis  is  played  with 
twelve  flat  holies,  u.suall.v  those  of  a 
deer,  aud  a  bowl  of  wood  constructed 
for  the  purpose.  One  side  of  each 
bone  is  white ;  the  other  colored.  They 
are  placed  in  the  bowl,  thrown  into 
the  air.  and  caught  as  they  descend.  Those  with  the  white  side  uppermost  are  the 
winning  pieces.  Bets  usually  accompany  this  game,  and  it  had.  in  the  old  days, 
a  place  in  the  native  religious  rites,  probably  as  a  means  of  telling  fortunes. 

■ Pennsylvania. 

In  Zei.sberger's  Indian  Dictionary  '■  we  find  : 

Die,  to  play  with,  maiiiaiidi'can. 
Gbosventres.     Fort  Belknap  reservation,  Montana.      (Field  Colum- 
bian Museum.) 
Cat.  no.  G03i(j.     Four  wooden  staves  (figure  54)  9]  inches  in  length, 
plain  on  one  side  and  marked  on  the  other  with  burnt  designs; 
two  alike. 

These  were  collected  in  190U  by  Dr  (ieorge  A.  Dorse}-,  who  gives 
the  following  account  of  the  game  under  the  name  of  tagawatse 
tothetsan : 

The  staves  are  thrown  from  the  hand  upon  a  stone  or  on  the  ground,  the 
value  of  the  throw  depending  on  the  nature  of  the  combination  of  uppermost 
faces.  When  all  faced  lots  fall  uppermost  the  count  is  6.  When  all  unmarked 
lots  fall  uppermost  the  count  is  4.  When  two  lots  fall  face  up  and  two  down 
the  count  is  2. 

This  is  a  woman's  game,  aud  formerly  heavy  stakes  were  laid  on  the  outcome 
of  the  game. 

Cat.  no.  60295.  Four  wooden  staves  (figure  55),  10^  inches  in  length, 
two  painted  green  with  incised  lines  painted  red,  both  alike,  and 
two  painted  red  with  incised  lines  painted  green :  similar  but  not 
alike;  one  of  the  two  red  sticks  tied  with  two  thongs.  The  re- 
verses are  plain,  painted  in  solid  color. 
Accompanied  with  12  counting  sticks.  10  white  and  2  with  bark  on, 

9}  inches  in  length.     They  were  collected  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey, 

"  Folklore  of  the  Modern  Lenape.  Essa.vs  of  an  Americanist,  p.  186.  Philadelphia, 
18!)0. 

'Cambridge,  1887. 


CrLIN] 


DICE   games:   GROSVENTRES 


71 


wlio    describes    the    game    under 
tothetsan : 

The  staves  are  throwu  from  the 
hand  upon  the  end.  on  stone  or  on 
the  ground,  the  count  or  value  of  the 
throw  being  as  follows :  Plain  side  of 
banded  stave  and  marked  side  of  other 
staves.  6 :  marked  side  of  banded 
stave  and  plain  side  of  other  staves.  6 ; 
all  marked  or  all  plain  sides  upper- 
most. 4 :  pair  of  two  marked  or  plain 
uppermost.  2.  The  count  is  kept  with 
twelve  wooden  sticks,  athsan.  the  game 
continuing  until  one  opponent  or  the 
other  has  won  all  the  counters.  The 
stave  with  the  buckskin  bands  is  known 
as  "  netha." 


the    same    name    of    tagawatse 


Fig.  o4.  Stick  dice:  length.  9^  inches:  Gros- 
ventre  Indians,  Fort  Belknap  reservation, 
Montana;  cat.  no.  60328,  Field  Columbian 
Museum. 


Grosventres.  Fort  Belknap  reservation,  Montana.  (American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History.) 

Cat.  no.  xlf¥-  Four  wooden  staves,  9  inches  in  length,  painted  red 
on  one  side. 

Cat.  no.  ylfj.  Four  wooden  staves,  8  inches  in  length,  painted  yel- 
low, with  burnt  marks  on  one  side;  accompanied  by  \-  counting 
sticks,  iS;^  inches  in  length,  painted  j'ellow. 


Fig.  m.    stick  dice  and  counting  sticks;  length  of  dice,  I'M  inches;  of  counters,  9i  inches;  Gros- 
ventre  Indians,  Fort  Belknap  reservation,  Montana;  cat.  no.  fi029.5.  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Cat.  no.  y4j^.  Four  wooden  staves,  9^  inches  in  length,  painted  yel- 
low, and  having  oneside  incised  with  red  marks;  accompanied  by 
12  counting  sticks,  painted  yellow,  10  inches  in  length. 

Cat.  no.  yll^.     Four  bone  staves,  8  inches  in  length,  one  side  with 
incised    marks;   accompanied   by  12    counting   sticks,    eat.    no. 
•rlo^f''  9i  inches  in  length,  made  of  willow,  pointed  at  end. 
Collected  by  Dr  A.  L.  Kroeber. 

Fort  Belknap  reservation,  Montana.     ( Field  Columbian  Mu- 
seum.) 
Cat.  no.  60332.     Set  of  six  triangular  bone  dice,  length   1^  inches, 
three  alike  with  spots  on  one  face,  and  three  alike  with  incised 


72 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


lines  as  shown  in  figure  56.     One  die  in  each  lot  has  a  single 
spot  on  the  reverse,  the  other  reverses  being  plain. 

Cat.  no.  60331.  Set  of  six  jjeach-stone  dice,  length  1-i  inches,  three 
alike  with  transverse  burned  bands  and  three  alike  with  burned 
marks,  shown  in  figure  57.  One  die  in  each  lot  has  two  burned 
marks  on  the  reverse,  the  other  reverses  being  plain. 

Cat.  no.  60358.     Set  of  nine  plum-stone  dice  ( figure  58) ,  length  1  inch, 

three  alike  with  transverse  bands,  three  with  cross  marks,  and 

three  with  small  spots,  one  die  in  each  lot  having  a  single  dot  on 

the  reverse,  the  other  reverses  being  plain. 

Collected  in  1900  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey,  who  gives  the  following 

account  of  the  game  under  the  name  of  besnan-bethetsan. 

Six  dice  are  used  and  tossed  in  a  basket  or  \yooden  bowl,  ttie  value  of  the 
throw  being  determined  wben  certain  combinations  fall  as  follows:  All  marked 
faces  up  or  all  down  count  <> :  tbree  marked  faces  up  or  down,  3 ;  two  marlced 
faces  up  and  four  down,  2 ;  four  marked  faces  up  and  two  down,  2.     In  many 


Fig.  56.  Fig.  57.  Fig.  58. 

Fig.  5(j.  Bone  dice:  length.  It  inches:  Grosventre  Indians,  Montana:  cat.  no.  60332,  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum. 

Fig.  oT.  Peach-stone  dice:  length,  l!  inches:  Grosventre  Indians,  Montana:  cat.  no.  60831,  Field 
Columbian  Museum. 

Fig.  5H.  Plum-stone  dice:  length,  1  inch;  Grosventre  Indians,  Montana:  cat.  no.  603,^8,  Field 
Columbian  Museum. 

sets  of  this  game  is  found  an  extra  group  of  tbree  dice;  tbese  may  be  sub- 
stituted for  eitber  of  the  two  other  groups  of  three  by  any  player  whenever 
she  desires  to  change  her  luck.  This  is  a  woman's  game,  and  formerly  heavy 
stakes  were  wagered  on  the  outcome. 

Illinois.  It  would  appear  f»-om  the  manuscript  Illinois  dictionary 
of  Rev.  James  Gravier,"  now  in  the  John  Carter  Brown 
library,  that  this  tribe  was  familiar  with  the  game  of  plum 
stones. 

KicKAPOO.      Kickapoo    reservation,    Oklahoma.      (Cat.    no.    70702, 

Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Set  of  eight  dice  (figure  59) ,  halves  of  peach  stones,  one  carved  to  rep- 
resent a  tortoise  and  one  to  represent  a  bird,  the  carved  pieces 

»  .Andrew  McFarland  Davis,  in  Bulletin  of  Essex  Institute,  v.  18,  p.  187,  Salem,  1886. 


^t 


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05 

z 
o 

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CULIN] 


DICE    games:    MENOMINEE 


73 


Fia.  59.  Peach-stone  dice;  Kicka- 
poo  Indians,  Oklahoma:  cat.  no. 
70702,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 


being  painted  red  on  the  curved  side;  accompanied  by  a  wooden 
bowl,  polished  by  use,  8i  inches  in  diameter.     Collected  by  Dr 
George  A.  Dorsey. 
Massachuset.     Massachusetts. 

William  Wood,  in  his  New  England's  Prospect,"  relates  the  fol- 
lowing : 

They  bave  two  sorts  of  games,  oue  called  puim,  the  other  hubbub,  not  uiun-h 
unlike  cards  and  dice.  .  .  .  Hubbub  is  five  small  bones  in  a  small  smooth  tray, 
the  bones  be  like  a  die.  but  something  tiatter, 
black  on  the  one  side  and  white  on  the  other, 
which  they  place  on  the  ground,  against  which 
violently  thumping  the  platter,  the  bones  mount 
changing  colors  with  the  windy  whisking  of  their 
hands  to  and  fro:  which  action  in  that  sport  tliey 
much  use,  smiting  themselves  on  the  breast,  and 
thighs,  crying  out.  Hub,  Hub,  Hub ;  they  may  be 
heard  play  at  this  game  a  quarter  of  a  mile  off. 
The  bones  being  all  black  or  white  make  a  double 
game :  if  three  be  of  a  color  and  two  of  another, 
then  they  afford  but  a  single  game :  four  of  a 
color  and  one  differing  is  nothing;  so  long  as 
the  man  wins  he  keeps  the  tray  :  lint  if  he  lose,  the  next  man  takes  it. 

Menojiinee.     Wisconsin. 

Dr  Walter  J.  Hotfnum  ''  describes  the  Menominee  form  of  the  game 
under  tlie  name  akaqsiwok  ( |)late  hi  a)  : 

It  was  frequently  played  in  former  times,  but  of  late  is  rarely  seen.  It  is  played 
for  purposes  of  gambling,  either  by  two  individuals 
or  by  two  sets  of  players.  A  hemispheric  bowl 
[figure  60]  made  out  of  the  large  round  nodules 
of  a  maple  root  is  cut  and  hollowed  out.  The 
bowl,  wagtiq'  koman,  is  symmetric  and  is  very  nicely 
finished.  It  measures  13  inches  in  diameter  at  the 
rim  and  is  G  inches  in  depth.  It  measures  five- 
cigliths  of  an  inch  in  thickness  at  the  rim,  but  grad- 
ually increases  in  thickness  toward  the  bottom, 
which  is  about  an  inch  thick.  There  are  forty  count- 
ers, called  ma'atik,  made  of  twigs  or  trimmed 
sticks  of  pine  or  other  wood,  each  about  12  inches 
long  and  from  one-fourth  to  one-third  of  an  inch  thick.  Half  of  these  are 
colored  red.  the  other  half  black,  or  perhaps  left  their  natural  whitish  color. 

The  dice,  or  aka'sianoU.  consist  of  eight  pieces  of  deer  horn,  about  three- 
fourths  of  an  inch  in  diameter  and  one-third  of  an  inch  thick,  but  thinner 
toward  the  edges.  Sometimes  plum  stones  or  even  pieces  of  wood  are  taken,  one 
side  of  them  Ijeing  colored  red.  the  other  side  remaining  white  or  uncoiored. 
When  the  players  sit  down  to  play,  the  bowl  containing  the  dice  is  placed  on  the 
ground  between  the  opponents ;  bets  are  made ;  the  first  player  begins  a  song  in 

"  London,   1634.      Reprint,  Boston,  r-  00,   1.S08. 

'■  The  Menomini  Indians.  Fourteenth  Annual  Repoit  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p. 
241,  1896. 


Fig.  60.  Buwl  for  dice;  Me- 
nominee Indians,  Wisconsin; 
from  HotTman. 


74 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  2-1 


which  the  other  iihiyers  as  well  as  the  spectators  join.  At  a  certain  propitious 
nioment  the  one  to  play  first  strikes  the  bowl  a  smart  tap.  which  causes  the  dice 
to  fly  upward  from  the  bottom  of  the  bowl,  and  as  they  fall  and  settle  the  result 
is  watched  with  very  keen  interest.  The  value  indicated  by  the  position  of  the 
dice  represents  the  number  of  counters  which  the  player  is  permitted  to  take 
from  the  ground.  The  value  of  the  throws  is  as  follows  :  First  throw,  4  red  dice 
and  4  white  counts  a  draw ;  second  throw.  5  red  dice  and  3  white.  1  ;  third 
throw,  t;  red  dice  and  2  white,  4:  fourth  throw.  7  red  dice  and  1  white.  20: 
fifth  throw.  8  red  dice  and  no  white.  40. 

The    players    strike    the    bowl    alternately    until    one    person    wins    all    the 
counters — both  those  on  the  ground  and  those  which  the  opponent  may  hiive  won. 

MicjiAC.     Nova   Scotia.      (Cat.  no.   18850,  Free  Museum  of  Science 

and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Set  of  six  Ijuttons  of  vegetable  ivory  (figure  fil)  about  seven-eighths 
of  an  inch  in  diameter,  rounded  and  unmarked  on  one  side  and 
flat  with  a  dotted  cross  on  tlie  other,  being  modern  substitutes 
for  similar  objects  of  caribou  bone.     Bowl  of  wood  (figure  li-J), 
nearly  flat.  Hi  inches  in  diameter.     Fifty-one  round  counting 
sticks    (figure  63),  7f   inches  in   length,   and   4  counting  sticks 
(figure  64),  T^  inches  in  length. 
They  were  collected  by  the  donor,  Mr  .Stansbury  Hagar.     The  fol- 
lowing account  of  the  game  is  given  l)y  the  collector:" 

.V  game  much  in  use  within  the  wigwams  of  the  Micmac  in  former  times  is 

that  (>alled  by  some  writers  altestakun 
iir  woltestakun.  By  good  native  authdr- 
ity  it  is  said  that  the  proper  name  for  it  is 
woltestonikwon.  It  is  a  kind  of  dice  .game 
of  unknown  antiquity,  undoubtedly  of 
pre-Columbian  origin.  It  is  played  upon 
a  circular  wooden  dish — properly  rock 
maple — almost  exactly  a  foot  in  diam- 
i  ter.  hollowed  to  a  depth  of  about  three- 
fourths  of  an  indi  at  its  center.  This 
dish  plays  an  important  role  in  the  older 
legends  of  the  Micmacs.  Filled  with 
water  and  left  overnight,  its  appear- 
ance ne.xt  morning  serves  to  reveal 
hidden  knowledge  of  past,  present,  and  future.  It  is  also  said  to  have  been 
used  as  a  vessel  upon  an  arki'te  trip.  The  dice  of  caribou  bone  are  six  in  num- 
ber, having  flat  faces  and  rounded  sides.  One  face  is  plain;  the  other  bears  a 
dotted  cross.  When  all  the  marked  or  all  the  uinuarked  faces  are  turneil  up 
there  is  a  count  of  5  points;  if  five  marked  faces  and  one  unmarked  face  or 
five  uiunarked  faces  and  one  marked  face  are  turned  up.  1  point  results:  if  a 
die  falls  off  the  dish  there  is  no  count.  There  are  fifty-five  counting  sticks — 
fifty-one  plain  rounded  ones  about  7J  inches  long,  a  king  pin  *  shaped  like  the 


Pig.  (jl.  Bone  dice;  diameter,  seven-eighth.s 
inch;  Micmac  Indians,  Nova  Scotia:  cat. 
no.  I,s8.5f!),  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art. 
University  of  Pennsylvania. 


"  Micmac  Customs  and  Traditions.     American  Anthropologist,  v.  8,  p.  31,  1895. 

**  Mr.  Hagar  informs  me  that  the  king  pin  is  called  kesegoo.  the  old  man,  and  that  the 
notched  sticks  are  his  three  wives  and  the  plain  sticks  his  children.  The  Micmac 
explains  these  names  hy  saying  that  when  a  stranger  calls,  the  children  come  out  ot 
the  wigwam  first,  then  the  women,  and  then  the  head  of  the  family  ;  and  this  is  the 
way  it  happens  when  one  plays  at  woltestOmkwOn.     "The   technical   name  for  the  king 


CULIN] 


DICE    GAMES  :    MICMAC 


75 


forwanl  half  of  an  arrow,  and  three  notched  sticks,  each  presenting  half  of 
the  rear  end  of  an  arrow.  These  last  four  are  about  8  inches  long.  Three 
of  the  plain  sticks  form  a  count  of  1  point:  the  notched  .sticks  have  a  value 
of  5  points;  while  the  king  pin  varies  in  value,  being  used  as  a  fifty-second 
plain  stick,  except  when  it  stands  alone  in  the  general  pile;  then  it  has.  like 
the  notched  sticks,  a 
value  of  5  points.  Thus 
the  possible  points  of 
the  count  are  17  (one- 
third  of  fifty-one)  on 
the  plain  sticks,  and  15 
(five  times  three)  on  the 
three  notched  sticks,  a 
total  of  32;  but  by  a 
complex  system  the 
count  may  be  extended 
indefinitely.  In  playing 
the  game  two  players 
sit  opposite  each  other, 
their  legs  crossed  in 
a  characteristic  manner, 
and  the  dish,  or  woltes, 
between  them  usually 
placed  on  a  thick  piece 
of  leather  or  cloth.  A  squaw  keeps  the  score  on  the  counting  sticks  [figures  (i3, 
64],  which  at  first  lie  together.  The  six  dice  are  placed  on  a  dish  with  their 
marked  faces  down  ;  one  of  the  players  takes  the  dish  in  both  hands,  and  raises 
it  an  inch  or  two  from  the  ground,  and  brings  it  down  again  with  considerable 
force,  thus  turning  the  dice.  If  all  but  one  of  the  upturned  faces  are  marked  or 
unmarked,  he  repeats  the  toss  and  continues  to  do  so  as  long  as  one  of  these  com- 


PiG.62,  Platter  for  dice;  diameter,  11  Mnclies:  Miomac  Indiaus, 
Nova  Scotia;  cat.  no.  18850,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art, 
University  oP  Pennsylvania. 


Fio.  IW.    Counting  sticlts  for  dice;  lengtli.  "!  inches;  Miomac  Indians,  Nova  Scotia;  cat.  no.  18850, 
Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

binations  results.  When  he  fails  to  score,  the  amount  of  his  winnings  is  with- 
drawn from  the  general  pile  and  forms  the  nucleus  of  his  private  pile.  His  oppo- 
nent repeats  the  dice-throwing  until  he  also  fails  to  score.  Two  successive  throws 
of  either  a  single  point  or  of  .5  points  count  thrice  the  amount  of  one  throw — 
that  is,  3  points  or  15  points,  respectively.     Three  successive  throws  count  five 


pin  is  nandaymelgawasch  and  for  tlie  wives  tkomwoowaal,  Imth  of  which  names  mean, 
they  say,  '  it  counts  five '  and  "  they  count  five.'  Nan  is  the  Micmac  for  '  5.'  l)ut  no 
numeral  of  which  I  know  appears  in  the  second  name."  Mr  Hagar  regards  the  polyga- 
mous element  in  the  game  as  a  good  indication  of  its  antiquity,  if.  he  adds.  "  sncb 
Indeed  be  necessary."  Referring  to  the  passes  described  by  Mrs  W.  W.  Brown,  in  her 
paper  on  the  games  of  the  Wabanaki  Indians,  he  says;  "These  passes  are  made  by 
the  Micmac  in  woltestomliwon  by  passing  the  right  hand  rapidly  to  the  left  over  the 
dish,  and  shutting  it  exactl.v  as  if  catching  a  fly."  .  Wedding  ceremonies  among  the 
Micmac  were  celebrated  by  the  guests  for  four  days  thereafter.  On  the  first  day  they 
danced  the  serpent  dance,  on  the  second  they  played  football  ( tooad  iki.  on  the  third 
day  they  played  lacrosse  (madijik),  on  the  fourth.  wiJltestomkwon. 


76  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 

times  as  much  as  a  single  tbrow,  etc.  After  tlae  pile  of  counting  sticks  has  been 
exhausted  a  new  feature  is  introduced  in  the  count.  The  player  who  scores 
first  takes  a  single  plain  stick  from  his  pile  and  places  it  by  itself,  with  one  of 
its  sides  facing  him  to  represent  1  point,  and  perpendicular  to  this,  either 
horizontally  or  vertically,  to  represent  .">  points. 

He  continues  to  add  sticks  thus  as  he  continues  to  score.  This  use  of  sticks 
as  counters  to  indicate  unpaid  winnings  Is  a  device  for  deferring  further  set- 
tlement until  the  game  seems  near  its  end,  and  also  serves  to  increase  the  count 
indefinitely  to  meet  the  indefinite  duration  of  the  game,  as  after  one  player 
secures  a  token,  his  opponent,  when  he  scores,  merely  reduces  the  former's  token 
pile  by  the  value  of  his  score.  The  reduction  is  effected  by  returning  from  the 
token  pile  to  the  private  pile  the  amount  of  the  opponent's  score :  hence  at 
any  time  the  token  pile  represents  the  amount  of  advantage  which  its  owner 
has  obtained  since  the  last  settlement.  These  settlements  are  made  when- 
ever either  party  ma.v  desire  it.  This,  however,  is  supposed  to  be  wlienever 
one  player's  token  pile  seems  to  represent  a  value  approaeliing  the  limit  of  his 
opponent's  ability  to  pay.  If  his  opponent  should  permit  the  settlement  to  be 
deferred  until  he  were  no  longer  able  to  pay  his  debts,  then  he  would  lose  the 
game  to  the  first  player ;  wliereas,  if  one  player,  after  the  settlement,  retains 
five  plain  sticks,  but  not  more. 


a  new  feature  is  introduced, 
which  favors  him.  If,  while 
retaining  Ills  five  sticks,  he 
can  score  5  points  before  his 
opponent  scores  at  all,  he  wins 
the  game  in  spite  of  the 
much  greater  amount  of  his 
opiionent's  winnings  tip  to 
Fio.  64.    Counting  sticks  fur  dice;  length  THuches;  Mic-       fjjjjj-    point.      If    his    opponent 

mac  Indians,  Nova  Scotia:  <'at.  no.  18.^50.  Free  Museum  .,  .    .  .... 

of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.  **™''e«     ^     P^'"*     ""'J"     ''''^"'"e 

he   obtains   his   5   points,    he 

still  has  a  chance,  though  a  less  promising  one.  After  paying  over  the  three 
plain  sticks  that  represent  a  single  point,  two  plain  sticks  still  remain  to  him,  he 
is  then  compelled  to  win  7  points  before  his  opponent  wins  1  or  he  forfeits  the 
game ;  but  if  he  succeeds  in  winning  his  7  points  the  game  is  still  his.  How- 
ever, in  tliese  last  chances  he  is  further  handicapped  by  the  rule  that  he  can 
at  no  time  score  more  points  than  are  represented  in  his  private  pile,  Con.se- 
quently,  if  with  only  five  plain  sticks  in  his  jiossession.  he  could  score  only  a 
single  point,  even  if  his  toss  should  call  for  5;  but  with  si.x  plain  sticks  he  could 
score  2  points;  with  nine  sticks,  3,  etc.  The  last  chances  are;  With  only  five 
plain  sticks,  5  points  are  necessary  to  win  ;  with  four  plain  sticks,  .5  points  are 
necessarj'  to  win  ;  witli  three  sticks.  6  points  ;  with  two  sticks,  7  points  ;  with  one 
stick,  7  points.  There  are  two  other  minor  rules  ;  One,  that  in  counting  T>  points 
on  the  plain  sticks  four  bundles  of  four  each  are  given  instead  of  the  five  bundles 
of  three  each,  as  one  should  expect ;  total  16.  The  other  rule  is  that  to  count  <5 
points  we  use  a  notched  stick  plus  only  two  plain  sticks,  instead  of  tliree.  as 
might  be  expected. 

Mr  Hagar  states  that  the  preceding  game  was  invented  and  tai;ght 
by  the  hero  Glooscap.  They  have  also  a  similar  game,  called  wobima- 
runk,"  which  they  say  was  invented  and  owned  by  Milcchikch — the 
turtle — one  of  Glooscap's  companions,  to  whose  shell  the  dice  bear 
some  resemblance. 


»  The  account  of  wobunarunk  Is  from  a  manuscript  by  Mr  Hagar,  which  he  courteously 
placed  In  my  hanfls. 


•crux] 


DICE    GAMES  :    MICMAC 


77 


noose  or 


Flo.  B5— Bone  die;  diame- 
ter li  inches;  Micmac  In- 
dians, Nova  Scotia;  frt>m 
drawing  by  Stansbury 
Hager. 


The  name  wobunilruiik  is  derived  from  wobiin.  meaning  dawn ;  to  whioh  is 

added   a   termination   signifying   anything   moUled   or   worl^ed   upon   by    human 

hands." 
The  outfit   for  the  game  consists  simply   of  six   dice,   made  from 

caribou  bone.     One  Micmac,  at  least,  is  positive  that 

the  teeth  only  of  these  animals  can  properly  be  used. 

In  playing,  these  dice  are  thrown  from  the  right  hand 

upon  the  ground,  and  the  points  are  counted  accord- 
ing to  the  number  of  marked  or  unmarked  faces  which 

fall  uppermost.    It  is  customary  for  a  player  to  pass  his 

hand  quickly  over  the  dice,  if  possible,  after  he  has 

tossed  them  and  before  they  reach  the  ground,  in  order 

to  secure  good  luck.     The  shape  of  the  dice  is  that  of 

a   decidedly   flattened  hemisphere,   the  c\u'ved   portion 

being  unmarked.     The  base  or  flat  surface  is  about  the 

size  of  a  25-cent  piece  and  presents  three  figures  (flg- 

t:re  65).     Close  to  its  edge  there  is  a  circle,  touched  at 

four  points  by  a  series  of  looped  curves,  which  form  a 

kind  of  cross.     Within  each  of  the  four  spaces  thus  separated  is  an  equal-armed 

cross  composed  of  nine  dots,  which,  with  the  dot  in  the  center  of  the  die,  make 

a  total  of  37  dots  upon  each  piece,  or  of  222  dots  (37  by  6)  used  in  the  game. 
Tlie  count  is  as  follows:  If  six  marked  faces  fall  face 
up,  it  counts  .W  points ;  if  five  marked  faces  fall  face  up,  5 ; 
if  four  marked  faces  fall  face  up,  4;  if  three  marked  faces 
fall  face  up,  3 :  if  two  marked  faces  fall  face  up,  2 ;  if  one 
marked  face  falls  face  up,  1 ;  if  six  unmarked  faces  fall 
face  up,  5 ;  total,  seven  counts  and  70  points. 

The  marks  on  the  Micmac  dice  are  similar  to 
those  on  some  of  the  inscribed  shell  beads,  known  as 
runtees.  found  in  the  state  of  New  York.  One  of 
these  (figure  fifi).  reproduced  from  Prof.  W.  H. 
Holmes's  Art  in  Shell  of  the  Ancient  Americans,"  is 
from  an  ancient  village  site  at  Pompey,  which  Rev.  W.  M.  Beau- 
champ,  of  Baldwinsville,  New  York,  attributes  to  the  seventeenth 
century.  Mr  Beauchamp  writes  me  that  both  sides  are  alike,  and  that 
it  is  pierced  with  two  holes  from  edge  to  edge. 
Micmac.     Digby,  Nova  Scotia.     (Cat.  no.  21642,  Free  Museum  of 

Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Set  of  implements  for  the  game  of  altestaan,  the  dice  game,  con- 
sisting of  six  bone  dice,  marked  on  the  flat  sides  as  shown  in 
figure  67  and  contained  in  a  small  velvet  bag;  a  flat  wooden  dish 
(figure  68),  lOi  inches  in  diameter,  marked  with  incised  lines  on 


Fig.  66— Engraved 
shell  bead  (runteet; 
Pompey,  New  Yort; 
from  Holmes. 


"Prom  the  fact  that  white  shell  beads  (wampum)  are  constantly  referred  to  as  being 
used  as  stakes,  not  only  among  the  tribes  of  the  Atlantic  coast,  but  in  the  Southwest  (see 
Cushing's  account  of  the  white  shell  beads  used  in  shollwe).  the  writer  is  inclined  to 
believe  that  the  name  of  this  same  wnliunni'unk  is  derived  from  the  use  of  wampum 
(w6bun,  white,  so  called  from  the  white  l>e:idsi  as  stakes  for  which  it  was  played. 
Again,  it  may  refer  to  the  white  disks;  but.  however  this  may  be,  a  peculiar  significance 
is  attached  to  the  use  of  shell  beads  as  ;;ambling  counters  or  stakes. 

"  Second  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  pi.  xxxvi,  fig.  4,  1683. 


78 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMEEICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


Fig.  67. — Bone  dice;  diameter,  1^  inch;  Mic- 
mao  Indians.  Nova  Scotia:  cat.  no.  21643. 
Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania. 


the  lower  side,  as  shown  in  the  figure,  and  fifty-five  counting 
^ticks    (figure   69)    made  of  bamboo,   fifty-one   phiin    and    four 
notched,  as  described  below. 
These  were  collected  by  Dr  A.   S.  Gatschet,  who  obtained  them 
from  James  Meuse.  chief  of  the  western  counties  Indians  of  Nova 
Scotia.     Meuse  claimed  that  the  dish  was  300  years  old,  and,  though 
this  is  an  exaggeration,  one  can  clearly  see  that  it  is  of  old  manu- 
facture. 

Doctor  Gatschet  furnished  the  following  account  of  the  game : " 

The  (lice,  altestfl-an — in  the  pluml.  .altesta-ank — are  disk-shaped,  flat  above 
and  couve.x  below,  six  in  number.     They  always  make  them  of  white  bone,  and 

since  the  caribou  furnishes  the  hardest 
bone,  they  use  the  bone  of  this  animal 
only  for  the  purpose.  The  caribou 
is  still  frequent  in  the  woods  of  N'ova 
Scotia  and  New  Brunswick,  and  is  called 
xaliba' — in  Quoddy,  megali'p — from  its 
habit  of  shoveling  the  snow  with  its 
forelegs,  which  is  done  to  find  the  food 
covered  by  the  snow,  ^alibu"  mulxadeget 
(Micmac),  "the  caribou  is  scratching  or 
shoveling."  The  bone  dice  are  made  smooth  liy  rubliing  them  on  a  stone, 
subigida-an,  whetstone,  honing  stone ;  subigidegel,  any  obieet  whetted  or  honed. 
The  dish,  or  waltes.  is  a  heav.v  platter  made  of  a  piece  of  rock-maple  wood,  and 
appears  to  have  no  other  ijuriiose  than  to  jerk  altestd-ank  up  and  receive  them 
when  falling  down.  This  is  done  either  by  striking  the  dish  upon  a  table  or 
upon  a  mat  lying  on  the  ground.  The  rock-maple  tree  is  still  found  in  all 
the  hard-wood  ridges  of  Nova  Scotia,  and  where  this  useful  tree  is  getting 
scarce  the  Nova  Scotia  white  people  begin  to  rear  it,  as  the.v  do  also  the  nime- 
nohen,  or  yellow  birch ;  the  axannix,  or  white  ash ;  the  wlsx6k,  or  black  ash ;  the 
midi.  or  common  poplar.  When  the  dish  is  made  of  birch  bark  it  is  called  ula'u, 
plural  ulanel.  The  Micmac  make  birch-bark  canoes  for  Annapolis  basin,  .iust 
as  in  ancient  times,  and  the  price  they  now  get  for  them  is  .$15  to  $l!.5. 

The  waltes  sent  to  you  is  made  from  a  piece  of  rock-maple  about  one-half 
inch  thick,  diameter  about  1  foot,  and  wholly  carved  with  a  knife,  no  ma- 
chinery having  been  used.  The  top  side  is  slightly  concave  and  the  bottom 
conspicuously  convex.  As  the  biggest  rock-maple  trees  do  not  exceed  20  inches 
in  thickness,  the  wftltes  was  evidently  made  from  one  side  of  the  tree  and  not 
from  across.  The  wood  is  cross-grained  and  extremely  smooth,  the  nerves 
(<VX"Xi)  of  the  tree  being  just  perceptible.  Round  and  elliptic  figures  are 
carved  on  tlie  top  and  bottom  side.  l)Vit  have  no  significance  for  tlie  game  itself. 
The  rubbing  smooth  or  jiolishing  of  tlie  wood  is  called  sesubado^  Ii.v  the  Indians ; 
it  has  the  same  effect  as  s.-mdpaper  rulibing  with  us. 

The  altestfl-ank,  or  dice,  are  blank  on  the  convex  side  and  carved  with  A 
figures  on  the  flat  side,  which  converge  in  the  center.  The  game  itself  is 
altestaf;  they  (two)  play  the  dice  game,  altestayek;  they  (more  than  two) 
play  the  dice  game,  altestSdiyek. 

The  counters  of  this  game  are  of  two  kinds,  both  Ijeing  sticks  alumt  7  to  ,S 


"  Bulletin  of  the  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania,  v,  2,  p. 
191,  Philadelphia,  1900. 


CCLINj 


DICE    GAMES  :    MICMAC 


79 


inches  in  length:  etxamuawef.  flat  sticks,  with  a  broadening  at  one  end:    (2) 
kidemfl-ank.  thin.  c.vlindiMc  sticks,  about  double  the  thickness  of  lucifer  matches. 

The  etxamuawef,  iilural  I  c  Itxaniuawel,  slender  sticks,  are  also  called  "five 
pointers,"  because  their  broadening  end  shows  five  notches  or  points,  showing 
their  value  as  counters,  each  rep- 
resenting five  kidemii-ank.  The 
ones  sent  you  are  made  of  bamboo 
obtained  from  the  West  Indies, 
hence  called  kesiisk.  plural  ke.su.s- 
kel.  On  one  of  the  txamuawel  the 
end  has  a  double  set  of  notches,  the 
whole  resembling  a,  diminutive  ar- 
row. It  is  called  the  old  man ; 
gisigu.  plural  gisiguk.  With  this 
last  one  txamuawel  are  to  the 
number  of  four.  At  the  final  ac- 
counting each  of  the  txamuawel 
counts  5  points,  and  it  is  the  privi 
lege  of  the  one  who  gets  the  old 
man  to  get  T>  points  more  than  the 
others,  under  the  condition  that  his 
previous  gain  exceetl  l.j  points. 

The  kidema-ank.  or  common 
counters,  are  fifty-one  in  number, 
cylindric,  and  of  the  same  length  as 
the  txamuawel.  Some  of  those  be- 
fore you  are  of  snai'i,  or  rock-maple, 

the  others  of  liamboo.     Their  number  is  determined  by  the  fact  that  three  times 
seventeen  makes  fifty-one.  and  each  three  of  them  represents  1  point  i^i  the  game. 


Fig.  68 — Platter  for  dice  i  obverse  t;  diameter.  lOJ 
inches;  Micmac  Indians,  Nova  Scotia:  cat.  no. 
21642.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  University 
of  Pennsylvania. 


Fig. 


-CountiuK  sticks  for  dice:  length.  9i  inches.  Micmac  Indians,  Nova  Scotia;  cat.  no.  21642, 
Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


Some  of  the  rules  observed  in  this  truly  aboriginal  game  are  as  follows,  accord- 
ing to  James  Meuse : 

Any  player  in  the  ring  can  have  three  throws  of  the  dice.  When,  after  shak- 
ing the  waltes  on  a  table  or  on  the  mat.  all  the  dice,  or  altesta-ank,  turn  their 
white  or  black  side  uj).  the  player  gets  1  etxamuawef,  or  5  points,  or  15  kidemi'i- 
ank.  'When,  after  the  shake,  two  altesta-ank  turn  their  marked  side  up,  the 
player  gets  no  counter,  or  kidema-an.  When  one  ;iltesta-an  turns  up  with  the 
marked  side  up.  the  pla.ver  gets  1  point,  or  3  kidema-ank. 

When  five  dice  turn  their  marked  side  up  and  one  the  blank  side,  the  player 
makes  1  point,  or  .3  kidema-ank.  When  the  player  finds  all  six  dice  with  the 
marked  side  up  he  wins  15  counters,  or  5  points. 


80  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 

When  five  marked  sides  turn  up  and  one  blank  one  he  makes  1  [loint.  or  3 
counters.  But  when  he  makes  the  same  throw  again  in  succession  to  the  above, 
he  wins  3  points,  or  9  counters.  Whenever  a  player  has  all  the  blanks  turned 
up  he  has  the  privilege  of  throwing  again. 

MiCMAC.  New  Brunswick.  (Peabody  Museum  of  American  Archie- 
ology  and  Ethnology.) 

Cat.  no.  50804.  Set  of  six  dice  made  of  antler,  three-fourths  to 
seven -eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  marked  on  flat  side  with  a 
six-rayed  star;  bowl  of  birch  wood,  11^  inches  in  diameter,  and 
fifty-four  counting  sticks  (figure  70).  consisting  of  fifty  plain 
sticks  and  four  larger  sticks.  The  latter  comprise  one  stick  with 
three  serrations  on  side  near  one  end,  two  each  with  four  serra- 
tions, and  one  resembling  the  feathered  shaftment  of  an  arrow 
with  three  serrations  on  each  side. 


Fig.  70.    Counting  sticks  for  dice;  length,  8  to  ><i  inches;  Micmac  Indians.  New  Brunswick;  cat. 
no.  .5n.S0i,  Peabody  Museum  of  American  Archfeology  and  Ethnology. 

Cat.  no.  50792.     Five  dice  of  antler,  three-fourths  to  seven-eighths 
of  an  inch  in  diameter,  marked  on  the  flat  side  with  four-rayed 
star;  l^owl  of  birch  wood.  DJ  inches  in  diameter;  52  counting 
sticks,  con.sisting  of  48  jilain  sticks  and  4  larger  sticks. 
The  latter  comprise  one  stick  with  five  serrations  on  one  side  near 
one  end,  two  with  four  serrations  each,  and  one  resembling  a  feath- 
ered arrow  shaftment  with  serrations  on  each  side.     The  counting 
sticks  in  this  and  the  preceding  game  are  in  part  of  bamboo. 

Both  were  collected  by  Mr  G.  M.  AVest. 
MissiSAUGA.     New  Credit,  Ontario. 
Rev.  Peter  Jones  "  says : 

In  their  bowl  plays  they  use  plum  stones.  One  side  is  burnt  black,  and  the 
other  is  left  of  its  natural  color.  Seven  of  these  plums  are  placed  in  a  wooden 
bowl,  and  are  then  tossed  up  and  caught.  If  they  hai)pen  to  turn  up  all  white 
or  all  black  they  count  so  many.     This  is  altogether  a  chance  game. 

Narraganset.     Rhode  Island. 

Roger   Williams,   in   his   Kej'    into   the    Language   of   America,* 

"  History  of  the  Ojehway  Indians,  p.  135,  London,  1861. 

^  London,  1643.  (Collections  of  the  Rhode  Island  Historical  Society,  v.  1,  p.  145, 
I'rovldence,  1827;  also.  Collections  of  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society,  for  the  year 
1734,  V.  3,  p.  324.)  Cited  by  Andrew  Mcl'arland  Davis,  in  Bulletin  of  the  Essex  Insti- 
tute, V.  18,  p.  173,  Salem,  1886,  to  whom  I  am  Indebted  for  the  reference. 


cL-LiN]  DICE  games:  noreidgewock  81 

describes  the  games  of  the  Narraganset  as  of  two  sorts — private  and 
public.  "  They  have  a  kind  of  dice  which  are  plum  stones  painted, 
which  they  cast  in  a  tray  with  a  mighty  noise  and  sweating."  He 
gives  the  following  words  referring  to  this  game :  wunnaugonhom- 
min,  to  play  at  dice  in  their  tray;  asauanash,  the  painted  plum 
stones  which  they  throw,  and  puttuckquapuonck.  a  playing  arbor. 
He  describes  the  latter  as  made  of  long  poles  set  in  the  earth,  four 
square,  16  or  20  feet  high,  on  which  they  hang  great  store  of  their 
stringed  monej',  having  great  staking,  town  against  town,  and  two 
chosen  out  of  the  rest  by  course  to  play  the  game  at  this  kind  of 
dice  in  the  midst  of  all  their  abettors,  with  great  shouting  and 
solemnity.     He  also  saj's : 

The  chief  gamesters  amoug  them  much  desire  to  make  their  gods  side  with 
them  in  their  games  .  .  .  tlaerefore  I  have  seen  tliem  lieep  as  a  precious 
stone  a  piece  of  thunderbolt,  which  is  lilie  unto  a  crystal,  which  they  dig  out  of 
the  ground  under  some  tree,  thunder-smitten,  and  from  this  stone  they  have  an 
opinion  of  success. 

NiPissiNG.     Forty  miles  above  Montreal,  Quebec. 

Eev.  J.  A.  Cuoq  "  describes  the  plum-stone  game  among  this  tribe 
under  the  name  of  pakesanak.  which  he  says  is  the  usual  name  given 
to  five  plum  stones,  each  marked  with  several  dots  on  one  side  only. 
Four  or  five  women,  squatting  around  on  a  blanket,  make  the  stones 
jump  about  the  height  of  their  foreheads,  and  according  to  the  stones 
falling  on  one  or  the  other  side  the  fate  of  the  player  is  decided.  Of 
late  the  game  has  been  improved  by  using  a  platter  instead  of  a  cover 
(blanket) ,  which  caused  the  name  of  the  game  of  platter  to  be  given  it 
by  the  whites. 

The  name  pakesanak  is  the  plural  of  pakesan,  defined  as  noyau, 
jeu.     Dr  A.  S.  Gatschet  has  kindly  given  me  the  following  analysis 
of  this  word:  Pake,  to  fall,  to  let  fall;  s.  diminutive:  an,  suffix  of 
inanimate  nouns. 
NoRRiDGEWocK.     Norridgcwock,  Maine. 

In  the  dictionary  of  Father  Sebastian  Rasles,*  a  number  of  words  "^ 
referring  to  games  are  defined,"*  from  which  it  appears  that  the 
Norridgewock  Indians  played  a  game  with  a  bowl  and  eight  disks 
(ronds),  counting  with  grains.     The  disks  were  black  on  one  side 

"  Lexique  de  la  Langue  Algonqulne,  Montreal,  1886. 

"  .Memoirs  .American  Academ.v  of  .\rts  and  Science,  n.  s.,  v.  1.  Cambridge,  18:1,^. 

^' Je  joue  avec  des  ronds  blancs  d'un  cot^'  et  noirs  de  Tautre,  nederakki^,  v.  nedanmke,  v.  nedaSe 
annar.  Les  ronds,  tss^  84nar;  les  grains,  tagSssak.  Les  grains  du  jeu  du  plat,  dicuntur  etiam, 
6ss68anar.  Lors  qu'ils  s'en  trouve  du  nombre  de  8,  5  blancs  et  3  noirs,  v.  5  noirs  et  A  blancs, 
nebarnam,  keb,  etc.  (on  ne  tire  rieu  i;  idem  fit  de  4  blancs  et  4  noirs.  Lors  qu'il  y  en  a  0  d'une 
couleur,  et  2  de  Tantre,  nemesSdam  (on  tire  4  grains).  Lors  qu'il  y  en  a  7  d'une  meme  couleur, 
et  qu'un  de  Tautre,  nedenehi  (on  en  tire  10).  Lors  qu'ils  sont  tous  8  de  meme  couleur,  nSrihara 
(on  en  tire  20)  Nesakasi,  je  plante  un  bois  dans  terre  p'r  marquer  les  parties.  Je  lul  gagne  une 
partie.je  mets  un  bois  p'r,  etc.,  negSdagSharan.  NedasabamankS,  il  me  dt'marque  une  partie, 
■  il  ote  un  bois,  etc.  Je  joue  au  plat,  nSanrad^h&ma  3.  San  m6.  Mets  les  petlts  ronds,  etc.,  p8n4 
€ss^8anar.    Nederakebena,  je  les  mets. 

"  Bulletin  of  the  Essex  Institute,  v.  18,  p.  187,  Salem,  1886. 

24  ETH — 05  M 6 


82  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  asn.  24 

and  white  on  the  other.  If  black  and  white  turned  up  four  and  four, 
or  five  and  three,  there  was  no  count ;  six  and  two  counted  -t :  seven 
and  one,  10;  and  all  eight  of  the  same  color,  20.  Davis  remarks 
that,  "  according  to  Rasles,  the  count  was  sometimes  kept  by  thrust- 
ing sticks  into  the  ground.  This  is  shown  by  Indian  words  used  in 
the  games,  which  Rasles  interisrets,  respectively:  'I  thrust  a  stick  in 
the  ground  to  mark  the  games; '  '  I  win  a  game  from  him;  I  place  a 
stick,'  etc. ;  '  He  takes  the  mark  for  a  game  away  from  me ;  he  re- 
moves a  stick,'  etc. ;  '  He  takes  away  all  my  marks ;  he  removes  them 
all.'" 

Ottawa.     Manitoba. 

Tanner"  describes  the  game  as  follows,  under  the  name  of  bugga- 
sank  or  beggasah : 

The  beg-ga-sah-nuk  are  small  pieces  of  wood,  bone,  or  sometimes  of  brass 
made  by  cutting  up  an  old  kettle.  One  side  they  stain  or  color  black,  the  other 
they  aim  to  have  bright.  These  may  vary  in  number.  l)Ut  can  -never  be  fewer 
than  nine.  They  are  put  together  in  a  large  wooden  bowl  or  tray  kept  for  the 
purpose.  The  two  parties,  sometimes  twenty  or  thirty,  sit  down  opposite  to 
each  other  or  in  a  circle.  The  play  consists  in  striking  tlie  edge  of  the  bowl  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  throw  all  the  beg-ga-sah-nuk  into  the  air,  and  on  the 
manner  in  which  they  fall  into  the  tray  depends  his  gain  or  loss.  If  his  stroke 
has  been  to  a  certain  e.xtent  fortunate,  the  player  strikes  again  and  again,  as 
in  the  game  of  liilliards.  until  he  misses,  when  it  passes  to  the  next. 

Passamaquoddy.     Maine. 

The  bowl  game  among  these  Indians  is  described  by  Mrs  W.  W. 
Brown,'  of  Calais,  Maine,  under  the  name  of  alltestegenuk  : 

Played  by  two  persons  kneeling — a  folded  blanket  between  tbem  serving  as 

a  cushion  on  which  to  strike  the  sli.Ulow 
wooden  dish,  named  wal-tah-ha-mo'g'n. 
This  dish  [figure  71]  contains  six  thin 
bone  disks  [figure  72]  about  three- 
fourths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  carved 
and  colored  on  one  side  and  plain  on  the 
other.  These  are  tossed  or  turned  over 
by  holding  the  dish  firmly  in  the  hands 
Fig.  71-Manner  of  holding  dish  in  dice  game;  and  striking  down  hard  on  the  cushion. 
Passamaquoddy  Indians,  Maine;  from  Mrs       -^  a-  .       j,,  •  ^i, 

W.W.Brown.  ^°^  counting   in   this   game   there  are 

48  small  sticks,  about  5  inches  in 
length,  named  ha-ga-ta-ma-g'n'al ;  4  somewhat  larger,  named  t'k'm-way-wal  and 
1  notched,  called  non-a-da-ma-wuch  [figure  7.3]. 

All  the  sticks  are  placed  in  a  pile.  The  disks  are  put  in  the  disli  witliout 
order ;  each  contestant  can  play  while  he  wins,  but  on  his  missing  the  other 
takes  the  dish.  Turning  all  the  disks  but  one.  the  player  takes  .3  small  sticks, 
twice  in  succession,  9  sticks,  three  times  in  succession,  1  big  stick  or  12  small 
ones.  Turning  all  alike  once,  he  takes  a  big  stick,  twice  in  succession.  .3 
big  ones,  or  2,  and  lays  a  small  one  out  to  show  what  is  done,  three  times 

"  A  Narrative  of  the  Captivity  and  Adventures  of  .Tohn  Tanner,  p.  114,  New  York.  1S30. 
'  Some  Indoor  and  outdoor  Games  of  the  Wabanaki  Indians.     Transactions  of  the  Uoyal 
Society  of  Canada,  v.  (i,  sec.  2,  p.  41,  Montreal,  1889. 


CULIX] 


DICE  games:  passamaquoddy 


83 


Fig.  72— Bone  die, 
Passamaquoddy 
Indians,  Maine; 
from  Mrs  W.  W. 
Brown. 


ill  suwession  lie  stands  a  big  stick  up — equal  to  l(j  small  ones  from  the  oppo- 
nent— tlie  notched  one  to  be  the  last  taken  of  the  small  ones  it  being  equal  to  3. 

When  all  the  small  sticks  are  drawn  and  there  are  large  ones  left  in  the  pile — 
instead  of  taking  '.i  from  the  opponent,  the  players  lay  one  out  to  show  that  the 
other  owes  3  sticks,  and  so  on  until  the  large  ones  are  won.  Then,  unless  the 
game  is  a  draw,  the  second  and  more  interesting  stage  begins,  and  the  sticks 
have  different  value.  Turning  all  the  disks  but  one.  the  player  lays  1  out — equal 
to  4  from  an  opponent.  Turning  all  the  disks  hut  one  twice 
in  succession,  he  lays  3  out — e<iual  to  12  from  the  other — three 
times  in  succession — stands  1  up,  equal  to  1  large  or  1(5  .small 
ones.  Turning  all  alike,  he  .sets  up  1  large  one  twice  in  suc- 
cession :  then  3  large  ones,  or  lacking  these.  3  small  ones  for 
each  large  one.  This  would  end  the  game  if  the  opponent  had 
none  standing,  as  there  would  be  no  sticks  to  pay  the  points. 
But  a  run  of  three  times  of  one  kind  in  succession  is  unusual. 
When  one  has  not  enough  sticks  to  pay  points  won  by  the 
other  comes  the  real  test  of  skill,  although  the  former  has 
still  several  superior  chances  to  win  the  game.  If  he  has  .5 
sticks,  hg  has  3  chances ;  if  7  or  9  sticks  he  has  .5  chances ;  that  is.  he  places  the 
disks  in  position,  all  one  side  up.  for  each  of  the  tosses:  the  other  contestant 
takes  his  turn  at  playing,  but  he  can  not  place  the  disks.  Then,  giving  the  dish  a 
peculiar  slide,  which  they  call  la  Ink,  or  running  downhill  like  water,  and  at  the 
same  time  striking  it  down  on  the  cushion,  he  may,  unless  the  luck  is  sadl.v 
against  him.  win  twice  out  of  three  times  trying. 

To  this  day  it  is  played  with  great  animation,  with  incantations  for  good  luck 
and  exorcising  of  evil   spirits,   by  waving  of  hands   and   cr.ving  .von-tel-eg-wa- 

wiich.   At  a  ruu  of  ill  luck  there  are 

t= 


peculiar  passes  made  over  the  dish 
and  a  muttering  of  Mic-msic-squs 
fik  n'me  ha-ook  ("  I  know  there 
is  a  Micmac  squaw  around"). 
One  of  their  legends  tells  of  a 
game  played  by  Youth  against 
Old  Age.  The  old  man  had  much 
m'ta-ou-lin  (magic  power).  He 
had  regained  his  youth  several 
times  b.v  inhaling  the  breath  of 
youthful    opponents.     He    had   again    grown    old   and   sought    another    victim. 


Fig.  7.3— Counting  sticks  for  dice  game:  length,  6}  to 
6i  inches:  Passamaquoddy  Indians,  Maine:  from 
Mrs  W.  W".  Brown. 


When  he  found  one  whom  he  thought  suited  to  his  imrpose  be  invited 
him  to  a  game  of  all-tes-teg-enuk.  The  young  man  was  also  m'ta-ou-Iin, 
and  for  a  po-he-gan  had  K'che-bal-lock  (spirit  of  the  air),  and  consequently 
knew  the  old  man's  intention,  yet  he  consented  to  a  game.  The  old  man's 
wal-tah-ha-nio"g'n  was  a  skull,  and  the  all-tes-teg-enuk  were  the  eyes  of  former 
victims.  The  game  was  a  long  and  exciting  one.  but  at  each  toss  off  by  the 
young  man  the  disks  were  carried  a  little  higher  by  his  po-he-gan  until  they 
disappeared  altogether.  This  broke  up  a  game  that  has  never  been  com- 
pleted. The  legend  says  that  the  old  man  still  waits  and  the  .young  mau  still 
outwits   him. 

Another  Passamaqiioddy  game  is  described  by  Mrs  Brown  under 
the  name  of  wypenogeniik : 

This  game,  like  all-tes-teg-enfik.  has  long  been  a  gamliling  game.  The  disks 
are  very  similar,  but  larger,  and  eight  in  numlier.  The  players  stand  opposite 
each  other  with  a  blanket  spread  on  the  ground  between  them.  The  disks  are 
held  in  the  palm  of  the  hand,  and  chucked  on  the  blanket.     This  game  is  counted 


84 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       (eth.  ann.  24 


with  sticks,  the  contestants  detenuiuiug  the  number  of  points  necessary  to  win 
before  commencing  to  play. 

Penobscot.  Maine.  (Cat.  no.  lfio51.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and 
Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Set  of  counting  sticks  of  unpainted  white  wood  (figure  74),  copied  at 

the  Chicago  Exposition  by  a  Penob- 
scot Indian  from  those  in  a  set  of 
gaming  implements,  consisting  of  dice, 
counters,  and  bowl,  there  exhibited  by 
the  late  Chief  Joseph  Nicolar.  of  Old- 
town.     The  latter  kindly  furnished  the 


E 


m 


E 


"=?^ 


Fig.  74.  Counting  sticks  for  dice 
game;  Penobscot  Indians,  Maine; 
cat.  no.  16551,  Free  Mnseiim  of 
Science  and  Art,  University  of 
Pennsylvania. 


Fig.  75.  Limestone  disks,  possibly  used  in  game; 
a  1  inch  in  diameter, fc  s  inch  in  diameter:  Nottawa- 
saga,  Ontario.    Archgeological  Museum,  Toronto. 

writer  the  following  account  of  the  game  under  the  name  of  werlarda- 
harmungun : 

The  buttons  used  as  dice  in  this  game  are  made  from  the  shoulder  blade  of 
a  moose,  the  counters  of  cedar  wood.  The  latter  are  fifty-five  in  number,  fifty- 
one  being  rounded  splints  about  6  inches  in  length,  three  fiat  splints  of  the  same 
length,  and  one  made  in  a  zigzag  shape.  A  soft  bed  is  made  in  the  ground  or  on 
the  floor  for  the  dish  to  strike  on.  Two  persons  having  been  selected  to  play 
the  game,  they  seat  themselves  opposite  to  each  other.  The  buttons  are  placed  in 
the  dish,  and  it  is  tossed  up  and  brought  down  hard  upon  its  soft  bed.  If  five  of 
the  six  buttons  have  the  same  side  up,  the  player  takes  three  round  splints;  but 
if  the  entire  six  turn  the  same  side  up,  it  is  called  a  double,  and  the  player  takes 
one  of  the  flat  ones.    Tlie  game  is  continued  until  all  the  coiniters  are  drawn. 

It  might  naturally  be  inferred  that  remains  of  the  bone  disks  u.sed 

in  the  bowl  game  would  be  found 
in  our  archeological  museums,  but 
as  yet  I  have  not  met  with  any. 
On  the  other  hand,  small  disks  of 
pottery  and  of  stone,  frequently 
marked  on  one  face,  are  not  un- 
common, and  are  usually  classified 
as  gaming  implements.  I  am  in- 
debted to  Mr  David  Boyle,  cura- 
tor of  the  Archa?ological  Museum.  Toronto,  for  the  sketch  (figure  T.'S) 
representing  a  sjnall  disk  of  soft  white  limestone  from  Nottawasaga, 
Ontario,  in  his  collection,  engraved  with  a  cross  on  one  side  and  a 
similar  disk  with  a  cross  on  both  sides. 

PiEGAN.     Alberta.     (Cat.  no.  69356,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Set  of  four  bone  staves,  8  inches  in  length,  marked  with  incised  lines, 
in  two  pairs,  one  with  chevrons  in  red  and  the  other  with  crosses 


FujTtj.  Boue  stick  dice;  length,  8  inches;  Pie- 
gan  Indians,  Alberta;  cat.  no.  69356,  Field 
Columbian  Museum. 


CDLIN] 


DICE    games:    SAUK    AND    FOXES 


85 


Pig.  77.    Bone  dice:  diameter.  J  inch;  Potawatomi  Indians, 
Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  707111,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 


between  transverse  lines,  one  of  the  latter  tied  with  a  leather 
band  (figure  76).    Collected  by  Mr  R.  N.  Wilson. 
Potawatomi.     Potawatomi  reservation.  Oklahoma.      (Cat.  no.  70701, 

Field  Columbian  ^Museum.) 
Set  of  8  bone  dice   (figure  77)  :  six  disks,  three-fourths  of  an  inch 
in    diameter,    one    tor- 
toise,    and     one     horse 
head,     with     one     side 
rounded  and  plain  and 
reverse  flat  and  stained 
red;  accompanied  by  a 
flat    wooden    bowl,    11 
inches  in  diameter,  and 
25  seeds  used  in  count- 
ing.    Collected    by    Dr 
George  A.  Dorsey. 
Sauk  and  Foxes.     Tama,  Iowa.     (Cat.  no.  .36751,  Free  Museum  of 

Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Eight  disks  of  bone  (figure  78).  gusigonuk,  three-fourths  of  an  inch 
in  diameter.  Six  are  marked  with  two  incised  circles  on  one  side, 
and  two  with  a  five-pointed  star  inclosed  in  a  circle,  with  a  brass 
boss  in  the  center  which  penetrates  to  the  other  side.  Except 
for  this  the  reverses  are  plain.     Accompanied  by  a  wooden  bowl, 

anagai      (cat.     no.     36752), 

made     of     a     maple     knot, 

grease-soaked     and     highly 

polished;       diameter,       11^ 

inches.     Collected      by      the 

writer  in  1900. 

Both   men   and   women   i)la.v.   but 

I  his  is  especially  a  woman'.s  game. 

The  dice  are  tossed  in  the  bowl,  and 

ihe  count  is  kept  with  ten  sticks,  10 

lieing  the  game.     The  counts' are  as 

follows :     Eight    marked    sides    up 


Flo.  78.  Bunedice;  diameter. }  inch;  Sauk  and  Fox 
Indians,  Tama,  Kwa;  cat.  no.  36751,  Free  Museum 
of  Science  and  Art,  Univei*sity  of  Pennsylvania- 


Fig.  79.  Message  sticks  for  woman's 
dice  game;  length,  55  inches;  Sauk 
and  Fox  Indians,  Tama,  Iowa;  cat. 
no.  af  33.  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History. 


counts  4  :  eight  plain  sides  up,  4  ;  seven  marked  sides  and  one  white  side  up, 
six  marked  sides  and  two  white  sides  up,  1 ;  seven  white  sides  and  one  marked 
up,  2  ;  six  white  sides  and  two  marked  up,  1 ;  seven  white  sides  and  one  star  up,  .5 
seven  marked  sides  and  one  brass  stud  uii.  .5;  six  white  sides  and  two  stars  up 
10 ;  six  marked  sides  and  two  brass  studs  up,  10.     The  game  is  called  gusigonogi 


86 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [kth.  anx.  24 


A  set  of  message  sticks  (figure  79)  for  the  women's  dice  game,  in  the 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History  (cat.  no.  yffj).  consists  of 
a  bundle  of  eight  pieces  of  reed,  oh  inches  in  length.  Collected 
by  Dr  William  Jones. 


ATHAPASCAN    STOCK 


San  Carlos  Apache.     San  Carlos.  Gila  county.  Arizona.      (Field 

Columbian  Musemn.) 
Cat.  no.  63556.     Three  wooden  staves  (figure  80),  9  inches  in  length, 


Fig.  so.  Stick  dice;  length,  9  inches;  San  Carlos  Fio.  81.  Stick  dice;  length,  8  inches;  San 
Apache  Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  63556,  Field  Carlos  Apache  Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  no. 
Columbian  Museum.  63557,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

flat  faces  painted  red.  with  incised  cross  lines  painted  black  in 
middle  and  end  edges  notched,  round  sides  painted  yellow. 


Fig.  83.    San  Carlos  Apache  Indians  playing  stick  dice;  (Jila  county.  Arizona:  from  photograph 

Vjy  Mr  S.  C.  Simms. 

Cat.  no.  63557.  Three  wooden  staves  (figure  81).  8  inches  in  length, 
identical  with  preceding,  except  that  flat  faces  have  alternate 
painted  bands,  black  and  red.  They  were  collected  by  Mr  S.  C 
Siinms,  who  gives  the  name  of  the  game  as  settil. 


CTLI.N]  DICE    GAMES  :    WHITE    MOL'XTAIN    APACHE  87 

AVhite  MorNTAiN  Apache.     Arizona.      (Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Cat.   no.   61247.     Three   wooden   staves    (figure   83).    lOJ   inches   in 

length,  flat  on  one  side,  ])ainted  yellow,  with  green  band  on  flat 

face. 
These  specimens  were  collected  by  Rev.  Paul  S.  Mayerhotf,  who 
gives  the  following  account  of  the  game  under  the  name  of  tsaydithl, 
or  throw-sticks : 

This  is  a  woman's  game  and  is  playetl  witli  great  ardor.  The  stave.s  are 
three  in  number,  from  8  to  10  inches  long  and  flat  on  one  side. 

The  playground  is  a  circle  [figure  Si]  about  .5  feet  in  diameter.  The  center 
of  this  circle  is  formed  by  a  flat  rocU  of  any  convenient  size,  generally  from 
8  to  10  inches  in  diameter.  On  the  circumference  forty  stones  are  arranged 
in  sets  of  ten.  to  be  used  as  counters.  Not  less  than  two  or  more  than  four 
persons  can  iiarticipate  in  the  game  at  one  time. 

In  playing,  the  sticks  are  grasjied  in  the  hand  and  thrown  on  end  upon  the 
rocU  in  the  center  with  force  enough  to  make  them  rebound.  As  they  fall, 
flat  or  round  face  upward,  the  throw  counts  from  1  to  10.  as  follows:  Three 
round  sides  up  counts  10  points,  called  yiih :  two  round  sides  up.  one  flat,  1  or 
2  points,   called  tlay ;  one  round   side  up.   two   flat.   3  points,   called   tah  gee ; 


o°' 

300 

'^"^o. 

o 

0 

o 

0 

o 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

o 

0 

o 

0 

^0 

°oo 

00^^ 

Fig 

.  S4. 

Fig.  83. 
Fio.  83.    Stick  dice  for  tsaydithl;  length.  Hi!  iuche.s;  White  Mountain  Apache  Indians,  Arizona; 

cat,  no,  61247,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fio.  84.    Circuit  fur  stick  dice;  White  Mountain  Apache  Indians,  Arizona. 

three  flat  sides  up.  .-.  points,  called  dagay.  Should  one  of  the  players,  in  mak- 
ing her  count,  continue  from  her  set  of  counters  to  the  adjoining  set  of  her 
opponent's  and  strike  the  place  marked  by  the  opponent's  tally  marker,  it 
throws  the  opponent's  count  out  of  the  game.  ;lnd  she  must  start  anew.  Who- 
ever first  marks  40  points  wins. 

Cat,  no.  61248.     Four  sticks    (figure  85).  23  inches  in  length,  the 

round  sides  painted,  two  alike,  with  four  diagonal  black  stripes, 

and  one  with  a  Inroad  red  hand  in  the  middle  and  red  ends.     The 

first  three  have  flat  reverses,  painted  red,  and  the  fourth,  with 

the  red  l)and.  a  black  reverse. 

Another  set.  cat.  no.  61249.  has  three  with  round  sides  decorated 

alike  with  alternate  red  and  black  lines,  and  one  with  diagonal  black 

lines.     The  first  three  have  red  reverses,  the  fourth  a  black  reverse. 

These  specimens  were  collected  by  Rev.  Paul  8.  Mayerholf.  who 
gives  the  following  account  of  the  game  under  the  name  of  haeegohay, 
drop  sticks : 

This  game  is  played  by  both  sexes  together.  For  it  there  is  no  preparation 
of  a  playground.     The  staves  are  four  sticks  18  to  24  inches  in  length,  round  on 


88 


GAMES    OF    THE    NOKTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       (eth.  ann.  24 


zja 


Piii.  85.  Stick  dice  for  ha-ee-go-hay;  length,  23  inches; 
White  Mountain  Apache  Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  no. 
61348,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 


the  back,  flat  <m  the  face.  One  of  the  set  of  four  sticks  is  distinguished  from 
the  remaining  three  and  represents  a  man,  the  other  three  being  women.  The 
sticks  are  dropped  and  the  points  counted  as  follows :  Four  faces  down,  sticks 
lying  parallel,  counts  10 ;  four  faces  down,  pair  of  crosses,  10 ;  four  faces  down, 

odd  stick  crossing  the  others.  10 ; 

^^  fimr  faces  up,  pair  of  crosses,  20 ; 

four  faces  up,  odd  stick  crossing 

others,    20 ;    three    faces    down, 

one  crossed  by  the  odd  stick,  face 
upward,  26 ;  three  faces  up,  one 
crossed  by  the  odd  stick,  face 
down,  26 :  three  faces  up,  crossed 
by  the  odd  stick,  face  down,  39 ; 
three  faces  up,  two  crossed  by  the  odd  stick,  face  up  or  down,  39 ;  four  faces  up, 
sticks  lying  parallel,  40  ;  three  faces  up,  one  face  down,  lying  parallel,  52  :  three 
faces  down,  one  face  up.  lying  parallel,  52 ;  three  faces  up.  one  down,  crossing 
one  another  six  times,  62. 

White  Mountain  Apache.    White  river,  Arizona. 

Mr  Albert  B.  Reagan  furnished  the  following  account  of  the 
Apa«he  stick  dice  game  in  a  communication  to  the  Bureau  of  Amer- 
ican Ethnology  in  1901 : 

This  game  is  usually  played  by  women  only,  occupying  with  it  their  leisure 
hours.  They  bet  on  it  such  things  as  beads,  dress  materials,  and  other  ol)jects 
of  small   value,   sometimes 

even  money.     When  money  puvtH 

is  bet  it  is  put  under  the 
stone  on  which  the  sticks 
are  cast.  In  preparing  the 
field  a  spot  of  ground  is  lev- 
eled and  a  small  flat  stone 
placed  in  the  center.  Other 
stones  are  then  piled  around 
this  stone  to  form  a  circle 
[figure  86]  34  feet  In  diam- 
eter, with  four  openings,  10 
stones  being  placed  in  each 
quarter  of  the  circle,  the 
oi)enings  corresponding  with 
the  northeast,  southeast, 
southwest,  and  northwest. 
The  stones,  which  are 
picked  up  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  playground, 
are  of  various  shapes  and  sizes.  The  stones  being  laid,  a  stick  is  placed  in  the 
opening  at  the  northeast  to  indicate  that  this  is  the  starting  point.  In  counting, 
a  player  moves  his  counting-stick  as  man.v  stones  from  the  starting  point  as  he 
has  points  to  count,  putting  his  marker  in  the  space  just  beyond  the  last  stone 
counted,  unless  that  count  should  end  in  one  of  the  four  openings,  in  which  case 
he  puts  it  in  the  next  preceding  space.  The  stones  in  each  section  are  num- 
bered or  named.  Those  in  the  two  sections  on  the  right  of  the  starting  point 
are  numbei-ed  from  1  on  to  the  right,  and  those  on  the  left  of  the  starting 
point  iu  the  same  way  toward  the  left. 


cP 


poc^03^ 


'o, 


'o 


0 
0 

o 

o 

% 


D 
O 
Q 

0 


o. 


'^Oo^O'^ 


aO 


sO 


PLAYER 

Fig.  86.    Circuit  for  stick  dice;  White  Mountain  Apache 
Indians,  Arizona:  from  drawing  by  Albert  B.  Reagan. 


CULIN] 


DICE    (JAMES:    WJUTE    MOUNTAIN    APACHE 


89 


The  playiug  .sticks  are  about  a  foot  in  Iciigtb.  and  are  the  halves  of  green  sticks 
about  1  inch  in  diameter,  the  bark  being  left  on  the  rounded  side  and  the  split 
surface  marked  across  its  face  with  charcoal  bands  about  1  inch  wide.  In 
throwing,  the  sticks  are  cai-efuUy  held  together  in  the  hand,  with  the  marked 
faces  either  in  or  out.  They  are  hurled,  ends  down,  the  hand  being  released 
just  before  they  strike,  so  that  they  are  free  to  fall  or  bounce  in  any  direction. 

The  counts  are  as  follows :  One  marked  face  up  counts  2 ;  two  marked  faces 
up,  3;  three  marked  faces  uji.  Ti ;  tliree  marked  faces  down,  10. 

If  the  player  scores  10,  she  throws  again  ;  otherwise  she  passes  the  sticks  to 
the  next  player.  When  a  player  makes  10,  she  always  says  yak!  and  strikes  the 
center  stone  with  the  liunch  of  three  play  sticks  sidewise  before  throwing  them 
again.     The  number  of  players  may  be  two.  three,  or  four,  the  last-named  num- 


Plo.  87.    White  Mountain  Apache  women  playinj^  stick  dice  (the  sticks  in  midair  i:  White  river, 
Arizona:  from  photogi-aph  by  Mr  Albert  B.  Reagan. 


ber  being  usual.  When  four  [ilay,  one  sits  behind  each  section  of  stones,  facing 
the  center.  When  more  than  two  play,  the  two  that  face  each  other  play  as 
partners.  In  moving  their  counting-sticks,  jiartners  always  move  them  in  the 
same  direction.  The  player  of  the  east  section  and  her  partner,  if  she  has  one. 
move  around  the  circle  toward  the  south,  and  the  player  of  the  north  section 
moves  around  toward  the  west. 

If  a  player's  count  terminates  at,  or  moves  past,  a  place  occupied  by  an 
antagonist,  she  takes  her  opponent's  counting-stick  and  throws  it  back,  and  the 
latter  must  start  again,  losing  all  her  .counts. 

A  game  consists  of  three  circuits,  or  ]2(l  points.  Each  time  a  player  makes  a 
circuit  she  scores  by  placing  a  charcoal  mark  on  a  stone  in  ber  section. 

Vocabulary:  Set  diltb'.  the  stick  game:  set  dilth'bed'-den-kak,  let  us  play  the 
stick  game:  dak.  tlie  sticks  used  in  the  stick  game;  gun-alsh'na,  the  game  is 
finished,  won  ;  gfiu-alsh-na  She,  I  have  the  game. 


90 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


White  Mountain   Apache.     East   fork  of  AVhite  river,   Arizona. 

(Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Cat.  no.  (18819.     Three  wooden  staves,  li  inches  in  length,  painted 

alike,  blue  on  the  flat  face  and  rounded  backs  yellow. 
Cat.  no.  68822.     Three  wooden  staves,  114  inches  in  length,  with 

incised  cross  lines,  blue  and  red  in  the  middle  of  the  flat  face,  the 

rounded  backs  plain. 
Cat.   no.   68821.     Three  wooden  staves,   12^   inches  in   length,   witli 

diagonal  incised  black  line  across  the  middle  of  the  flat  face,  the 

rounded  backs  plain. 
Cat.  no.  68824.     Three  wooden  staves,  9  inches  in  lengtli.  with  the 

middle  of  the  flat  sides  l)lackened,  and  one  stave  witli  incised 

diagonal  line  in  the  middle,  the  rounded  backs  plain. 
These   specimens   were   collected  by  Mr   Charles  L.   Owen,   who 
describes  them  as  used  in  the  game  of  tsa-st(|;l. 

— Arizona.     (Cat.  no.  152696,  United  States  National  Museum.) 

Set  of  three  sticks  of  hazel  wood,  8  inches  in  length,  three-fourths 

of  an  inch  wide,  and  about  three-eighths  of  an  inch  in  thickness, 

flat  on  one  side,  with  a  diagonal  black  band  across  the  middle,  the 

other  rounded  and  unpainted.     They  show  marks  of  use. 
These  were  collected  by  Dr  Edward  Palmer."  and  were  described  by 


Eig.  88. 


Fig.  SH. 


Fig.  88.  Stick  dire:  length,  9i  inches;  White  Mouutain  Apache  Indians.  Fort  Apaihe.  Arizona; 
cat.  no.  18619,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Fig.  89.  Manner  of  holding  stic'k  dice;  White  Mountain  Apache  Indians,  Arizona;  from  draw- 
ing by  the  lati>  Capt.  C.  N.  B.  Macauley,  U.  S.  Army. 

Captain  C.  N.  B.  Macauley,  U.  S.  Army,  as  used  in  a  game  played  l)y 
women  in  a  circle  ''  of  forty  stones  divided  in  four  tens  with  a  division 
to  each  ten,  and  having  a  large  flat  rock  placed  in  the  middle. 

Four  or  six  can  play.  Two  sides  are  formed  of  equal  nuniliei-s.  and  two  .sets  of 
sticks  are  used.  Tlie  pla.vers  kneel  lieliind  tlie  nick  circle.  The  first  player  takes 
ttie  sticks  in  one  liand.  rounded  sides  out  [  liKUie  .S!)].and  slams  them  end  first  on  the 
rock.     From  this  is  derived  the  name  of  the  game,  s#-tich-ch,  hoiuice-on-the-roek.* 


"A  set  of  sticks  (fig.  88)  made  of  a  variety  of  the  prickly  ash.  9*  inches  in  length, 
but  otherwise  identical  with  the  above,  is  contained  in  the  Free  Museiun  of  Science  and 
Art  of  the  I'niversity  of  I'ennsyhania  (cat.  no.  1SG19),  and  was  collected  l\v  Capt. 
C.  N.  B.  Macauley,  T^.  S.  Army. 

"Doctor  Palmer  says  a  square;   Captain  Macauley.  a  circle. 

'"Capt.  .Tohn  O.  Bourke  gave  the  .Apache  name  of  this  game  to  (lie  wi'iter  as  tze-chis, 
stone,  or  zse-tilth,  wood,  the  words  referi-ing  to  the  central  stone  and  (he  staves.  The 
circle  of  stones  is  called,  he  stated,  tze-nasti,  stcuu'  circle.  Dr  Edward  Palmer  givea 
the  name  of  the  game  as  satill. 


CILIN] 


DICE    liAMES  :    HUPA 


91 


Tlic  counts  are  iis  follows:  Tlu'ee  rouiul  sides  up  counts  10;  three  Hat  sides 
up,  5;  two  round  sides  up  and  one  flat,  ti ;  one  round  side  up  and  two  flat.  3. 

A  throw  of  10  gives  auother  throw.  Each  side  has  two  sticks  which  are  used 
to  mark  the  count.     The  two  sides  count  from  opjiosite  directions. 

White  Mountain  Apache.     Fort  Apache,  Arizona.     (Cat.  no.  844G5, 

Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Thirteen  wooden  dice  (figure  90),  Ig  inches  in  length,  flat  on  one  side 
and  rounded  on  the  other,  all  painted  black  on  the  flat  side,  while 
three  have  reddish  brown  and  ten  white  backs. 
Collected  in  IDO:]  bv  Mr  Charles  L.  Owen,  who  gives  the  following 
account  of  the  game,  which  is  played  only  by  warriors: 

It  is   called  da'ka-nadagiza,   or   da'ka   gijstse'gi.     Thirteen,   or,   according  to 

another  informant,  fourteen  dice  are 
used.     Two   or   four   players   partiel- 
/v  '^Z^     J^^\  .^^  \  pate.     The  highest  possible  throw  is 

^^      ^^.        'V^v\    ^y      '\^        ""^  points.     The  dice  are  shaken  in  a 
^     ^^^  ^    \^^^  ^'"*  basket,  or  tsa.     The  ground,  hav- 

ing been  hollowed  out.  is  lined  with 
bear  grass  co\ered  over  with  a  buck- 
skin or  l)lanket.  This  is  to  give  elas- 
ticity and  recoil  to  dice  when  the 
basket  is  struck  sharply.  The  mode 
of  shaking  dice  is  to  strike  thfe  ba.sket, 
which  is  firndy  grasped  at  two  o|)p(i- 
site  sides,  down  upou  the  elastic  play- 
ground, the  dice  thereby  being  tossed  upward  and  shaken  over  well. 

The  covmts  are  as  follows:  Ta-llqgai.  three  white  backs,  ten  black  faces,  counts 
12;  itcldenkaga,  three  red  backs,  ten  black  faces,  — :  nfltoha,  one  red  back: 
twelve  black  faces.  10;  ectlai  -ilqgai,  five  wliite  backs,  eight  black  faces.  — : 
gustsed-ilqgai  or  dsilqgai.  seven  white  backs,  six  black  faces.  — ;  ba  -iscinii.  three 
red  backs,  ten  white  backs,  20:  beitcihii,  —  red  backs.  —  white  backs.  16:  cudai. 
three  black  faces,  ten  white  backs,  — :  doca,  three  red  backs,  three  white  backs, 
seven  black  faces,  — ;  naki-nadiiyila,  two  red  backs,  ten  white  backs,  one  black 
face,  .1. 

HuPA.      Hupa     valley, 
Ca  1  i  f  ornia. 
(Free  Museum 
of  Science  and 
Art,      Univer- 
sity   of    Penn- 
sylvania. ) 
Cat.   no.   37199.     Four 
disks    of    mussel 
shell    (figure   91«). 
two  alike,  three-fourths  of  an  inch,  and  two  alike,  seven-eighths 
of  an  inch  in  diameter.     One  side  is  dull  and  slightly  concave, 
and  the  other  bright  and  convex. 
Cat.  no.  37200.     P'our  disks  of  abalone  shell  (figure  916),  similar  to 


Fio.  SKI.  Wooden  dice:  length,  1;  inches:  White 
Mountain  .\pache  Indians,  Arizona:  cat.  no. 
8446.5,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 


Fig.  !)1  shell  dice:  diameters,  \  to  li  inches:  Hupa  Indians, 
California:  cat.  no.  I^TISW,  STaB,  Free  Museum  of  Science 
and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


92 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS 


[ETH.  ANN.  24 


the  preceding,   1  and   li  inches  in  diameter.     Collected  by  the 

writer  in  1900. 
They  are  used  by  women  in  a  game  called  by  the  same  name  as  the 
dice,  yeoul  mat. 

Two  women  play.  The  four  dice  are  shaken  together  in  the  hands,  the  palms 
clasped  together,  and  the  dice  let  fall  upon  a  blanket.  The  larger  dice  are 
called  mi-ni-kiau.  and  the  smaller,  mi-ni-skek  :  the  concave  sides,  tak-ai-tim-it, 
and  the  convex,  you-tim-it.  Two  heads  and  two  tails  count :  four  heads  count 
1 :  four  tails  count  1.  Other  plays  do  not  count.  The  count  is  kept  with  ten 
sticks,  which  are  put  in  the  center  between  the  two  women  and  drawn  out  as 
they  win.  When  the  center  pile  is  exhausted  they  draw  from  each  other  until 
one  woman  wins  the  ten  sticks.     The  game  is  played  at  any  time." 

A  Crescent  City  Indian,  whom  tlie  writer  met  at  Areata,  California, 
gave  the  name  of  the  dice  described  above  as  tchuthut;  large  dice, 
tchaka  :   small  dice,  mushnai ;   concave  sides,  gaemun ;   convex  sides, 
youtowitmun ;  let  us  play  dice,  chitat. 
Kawchodinne.     Mackenzie.     (Cat.  no.  7404,  United  States  National 

Museum. ) 
Four  wooden  blocks  (figure  92),  IJ  inches  in  length,  said  to  be  for  a 


Fio.  92.    Wooden  dice;  length,  U  inches:  Kawchodinne  Indians,  Mackenzie;  cat.  no.  7404,  United 

States  National  Museum. 

game.     They  have  a  rounded  base,  with  two  transverse  cuts,  and 
are  perforated,  as  if  for  stringing.     Collected  by  Maj.  R.  Kenni- 
cott  on  the  Arctic  coast. 
Navaho.    St  Michael,  Arizona. 

Rev.  Berard  Haile  *  describes  the  following  game : 

Ashbf'i.  the  crossed-stick  game.  Two  sticks  are  used,  about  4  or  5  Inches 
long.  One  side  of  the  sticks  is  colored  red.  the  other  black.  Each  stick  has 
on  each  side  four  marks,  cuts,  in  the  center.  .V  blanket  is  placed  on  the  ground 
and  another  attached  above  it  to  the  ceiling.     The  sticks  are  crossed  so  that 

"  The  following  vocabulary  for  the  game  was  collected  for  the  writer  by  Dr  Pliny  E. 
Goddard  :  Dice,  ki  wil-mfit ;  large  dice,  mini  ki-a-o  :  small  dice,  mi-skl-atz  ;  convex  sides, 
tla-kus  :  concave  sides,  muk-kiis. 

'Under  date  of  .Tune  .5.  1902.  The  Information  was  obtained  from  a  medicine  man 
named   Qatqall   nadlol,   Laughing  Doctor. 


CDLIN] 


DICE    GAMES  :    NAVAHO 


93 


the  marks  touch  each  other,  and  are  held  in  this  position  with  the  index  finger 
and  thumb  of  both  hands.  The  player  states  how  many  points  he  will  score 
and  his  opponent  takes  up  the  challenge  by  stating  his  own  points.  The  sticks, 
held  in  position  with  both  hands,  are  thrown  up  against  the  blanket  above,  and 
according  as  they  fall — that  is — as  the  marks  touch  each  other  or  are  close  to 
one  another,  a  point,  great  or  small,  is  scored.  The  highest  point  is  scored  if 
the  sticks  fall  as  held  when  thrown  up,  otherwise  the  points  count  according 
to  the  proximity  of  the  mark  on  the  two  sticks.  The  player  continues,  if  he 
scores  a  point ;  contrariwise,  his  opponent  tries. 

This  was  an  indoor  game  and  not  limited  to  a  particular  season.  At  present 
it  is  scarcely  known,  but  our  informant  remembers  it  was  played  quite  fre- 
quently in  his  childhood.  Fie  remembers,  too.  that  the  sticks  were  not  rounded 
or  hollow.  l)ut  ordinarily  round. 

In  a  subsequent  letter,  from  information  obtained  from  Tlissi 
tso.  "  Big  Goat,"  whose  father  was  a  professional  gambler.  Father 
Berard  writes : 

There  are  four  sticks  of  different  colors,  yellow,  white,  black,  and  blue.  Yel 
low  is  called  tsl,  white  whfishi,  black  ashbli,  and  blue  nezhi.  These  names  are 
not  those  of  the  colors  but  of  the  sticks.  White  and  yellow,  black  and  blue,  are 
partners,  respectively.  These  sticks  are  placed  in  a  basket  and  thrown  up  to 
the  blanket  in  order  to  rebound.  According  as  they  fall,  or  not.  in  proximity  to 
partners  selected,  points  are  scored  and  stakes  won. 

Navaho.     Chin   Lee.   Arizona.      (Cat.   no.   3(521.   Brooklyn   Institute 

Museum. ) 
Three  sticks,  3  inches  in  length,  flat  on  one  side  and  rounded  on  the 
other. 
One  stick  (figure  i)3«).  painted  half  black  and  half  white  on  the 


JM! 


Pig.  93  a,  /*,  c.  Stick  dice  (for  asbbii); 
length,  3  inches:  Navaho  Indians.  Ari- 
zona; cat.  no.  3621,  Brooklyn  Institute 
Museum. 

rounded  side,  the  flat  side  black, 
is  called  tsi'i,  head.  Another  (  fig- 
ure 93&),  painted  half  red  and 
half  white,  the  flat  side  half  black 
and  half  white,  is  called  nezhi,  and 
the  third  (figure  93<"),  painted  en- 
tirely red  on  the  rounded  side  and 
black  on  the  flat  side  is  called 
tqelli.  Three  dice  are  employed  in  the  game  of  ashbii.  The 
are  held  together  and  tossed,  ends  upward,  against  the  blanket 
the  players.     A  basket  is  placed  below  and  they  do  not  count 


Fio.  94. 


Order  of  counts  in  game  of  ashbii: 
Navaho  Indians,  Arizona. 


sticks 
above 
unless 


94 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


Fi(i.  95.    Stick  dice:  length.  8  inches:  Navaho  Indiana.  New 
Mexico:  cat.  no.  1*5.57.  United  States  National  Museum. 


they  fall  into  it.     The  counts  are  agreed  upon  in  advance,  and  follow 

the  order  displayed  in  figure  !)4. 

XavAho.     Xew  Mexico.      ( Cat.  no.  9557,  United  States  National  Mu- 
seum.) 

Set  of  three  sticks  of  root  of  cottonwood,  8  inches  in  length,  about  IJ 

inches  in  breadth, 
and  one-half  inch 
in  thickness,  one 
side  flat  and  black- 
ened, the  other 
rounded  and  un- 
I^ainted  (figure 
95 )  ;  one  stick  tied 
near  the  end  to 
prevent  splitting. 
They  show  marks 
of  continued  use.  Collected  by  Ur  P^dward  Palmer. 
As  observed  by  the  writer  at  the  Columbian  Exposition  in  Chicago, 

the  Navaho  play  on  a  circle  of  forty  stones,  throwing  the  staves  ends 

down  upon  a   flat   stone  j^laced  in  the  center.     Each  player  has  a 

splint  or  twig  to  rejDresent  him  upon  the  board,  and  these  are  all 

placeil  together  at  one 

of  the  four  openings 

in   the   circle   at   the 

commencement  of  the 

game.     The   throws 

count    as    follows: 

Three  round  side  up 

counts  10;  three  flat, 

5;    two    rounds    and 

one  flat.  0:  one  round 

and  two  flat,  0.     The 

following  vocabulary 

of  the  game  was  fur 

nished  me  by  a  Nav- 
aho at  Chicago:  The 

game,     set-tilth;    the 

staves,    .set-tilth ;    the 

circle  of  stones,  sen-asti ;  the  stone  in  the  center,  a-cle-sane. 

Dr  Washington  Matthews"  describes  a  game  played  by  Navaho 

women  under  the  name  of  tsidil  or  tsindil : 

The  principal  implements  are  three  sticlis,  which  are  thrown  violoiitl.v.  ends 

down,  on  a  flat  stone  around  which  the  gamblers  sit.     The  sticks  rebound  so 


Fig.  9B.    Navaho  Indian  women  playing  stick  dice,  St  Michael. 
Arizona;  from  photograph  by  Rev.  Berard  Haile. 


'  Navajo  Legends,  note  i~,  p.  i!19,  noston,  1.S97. 


CDLIN] 


DICE  games:  navaho  95 


well  that  they  would  fly  far  away  were  not  a  blanket  stretched  overhead  to 
throw  them  back  to  the  players.  A  number  of  small  stones  placed  in  the  form 
of  a  square  are  used  as  counters.  These  are  not  moved,  but  sticks,  whose  posi- 
tions are  changed  according  to  the  fortunes  of  the  game,  are  placed  between 
them.     The  rules  of  the  game  have  not  been  recorded. 

Doctor  Matthews  tells,"  among  the  early  events  of  the  fifth  or 
present  world,  that  while  they  were  waiting  for  the  ground  to  dry 
the  women  erected  four  poles  on  which  they  stretched  a  deerskin, 
and  under  the  shelter  of  this  they  played  the  game  of  three  sticks, 
tsindi,  one  of  the  four  games  which  they  brought  from  the  lower 
world." 

Navaiio.     Arizona.      (Cat.  no.  62540,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Three  flat  blocks,  6  inches  in  length,  one  face  painted  with  equal 
bands  of  green,  blue,  and  red,  and  tlie  other  face  half  blue  and 
half  red. 

They  were  collected  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey,  who  describes  the 
game  imder  the  name  of  sitih. 

The  circle  is  senesti.  The  game  is  -10  and  the  counts  are  as  follows;  All  with 
three  bauds  up  count  5 ;  all  with  two  bands  up,  10 ;  one  with  three  bands  and 
two  witli  two  bands,  2;  two  with  three  bands  and  one  with  two  bands,  3:  one 
with  two  bands  and  two  with  three  bands.  :!. 

Arizona.     (Cat.  no.  74735,  United  States  National  Museum.) 

Set  of  seven  blocks  of  cedar  wood,  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  length, 
seven-sixteenths   of  an   inch   wide,   and   one-fourth   of   an    inch 
thick    (figure   !)7)  ;   section   hcniispherical.     Six  have   flat   sides 
blackened  and  one  painted  red;  opposite  unpainted. 
These  were  collected  by  Dr  Washington  Matthews,  U.  S.  Army. 
The  game  was  "  j)layed  with  count- 
ers by   women." 

Doctor  Matthews '  describes  an- 
other game  similar  to  the  above 
under  the   name  of  taka-thad-sata  "^ 

or  the  thirteen   chips:  Fic.    «7.     Wooden    dice;    length,    }    inch; 

Tj.     •  T  ,         -^i       ..  -    .  .  .  ,  Navaho  Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  747;^, 

It     IS     played     with     tllirteen     thin     fl:,t         United  States  National  Museum. 
pieces  of  wood  which  are  colored  red  on 

one  side  and  left  white  or  nncolored  on  the  other.  Success  depends  on  the  num- 
ber of  chips  which,  being  thrown  upward,  fall  with  their  white  sides  up. 

In  the  gambling  contest  between  Hastsehogan  and  Nohoilpi  the 
animals  came  to  the  relief  of  the  former,  and  in  the  game  of  taka- 

'  "  Navajo  Legends,  p.  77,  Boston,  1897. 

■■  Ibid.  The  other  games  were  dilkftn,  played  with  two  sticlis,  each  the  length  of  an 
arm  ;   atsa.  played  with  forked  sticks  and  a  ring  ;   and  aspl'n. 

'  Ibid.  p.  SX 

'  Takathad-sfita  was  the  first  of  four  games  played  by  the  young  Hastsehogan  with 
the  gambling  god  Nohoflpi.  These  four  games  are  not  the  same  as  the  four  described 
as  brought  from  the  under  world.  They  comprise,  in  addition,  ninzoz,  hoop  and  pole ; 
tsi'nbetsil,  push  on  the  wood,  in  which  the  contestants  push  on  a  tree  until  it  is  torn 
from  its  roots  and  falls,  and  tsol,  ball,  the  object  in  which  was  to  hit  the  ball  so  that 
it  would  fall  beyond  a  certain  line. 


96  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  an'N.  2-1 

thad-sata  the  Bat  said:  "Leave  the  game  to  me.  I  have  made 
thirteen  chips  that  are  white  on  both  sides.  I  will  hide  myself  in  the 
ceiling  and  when  our  champion  throws  up  his  chips  I  will  grasp  them 
and  throw  down  my  chips  instead."  The  Bat  assisted  as  he  had 
promised  the  son  of  Hastsehogan.  and  the  latter  soon  won  the  game. 
Xavaho.     Keams  Canyon,  Arizona. 

Mr  A.  M.  Stephen  describes  the  following  game  in  his  unpub- 
lished manuscrijit ; 

Ta-ka  sost-siti.  seven  cards,  played  with  seven  small  chips  about  1  inch  in 
diameter,  one  red,  bi-tu,  on  one  side  and  marked  with  a  cross,  the  other  side 
blackened;  six  black  on  one  side,  hot-djilc,  and  uncolored  on  the  other  side. 
Thrown  up  from  the  hands,  when  one  white  side  comes  up,  the  one  who  has  been 
shaking  the  dice  wins,  called  iin-iiai  ;  when  only  one  black  disk  is  exposed, 
tai-klign;  when  the  red  one  and  all  the  rest  white,  ho-ka,  a  winning  card  for 
several  amounts,  it  may  be  seven  times  the  stal;es  doubled  ;  when  all  are  black 
except  the  red,  it  is  called  hot-dje-bi-tci.  An  even  number  of  players  are  sought. 
It  is  a  man's  game:  but  women  are  also  foiuid  to  play  it,  though  only  under 
protest  from  the  men. 

Chin  Lee.  Arizona.      (Brooklyn  Institute  Museum.) 

Cat.  no.  3622.     Seven  wooden  dice  (figure  '.>8a).  flat  on  one  side  and 

rounded     on     the 
other,   ends   square: 
length,  three-fourths 
of  an  inch. 
Cat.     no.     3623.      Seven 

Or^    m     r~\     r^     r~\    Mh  wooden  dice  (figure 

I       1    I     J  |c  98&),  similar  to  the 

kj     O'      ^wJ     l^     U^'     4!liy  .,,^^^.^^  ,,,,^  circular: 

FiG.98n,  6,  c.    Three  setsof  wooden  dice;  lengths,  J,  liinches;  -,•  f     .     i    '       1 

Navaho   Indians.   Arizona;   cat.    n.i.  3622,  3623,  and   3624,  aiaineter,   I    lIlCll. 

Brooklyn  Institute  Museum.  Cat.      UO.      3624.        Seveil 

wooden  dice  (figure  !>8c).  similar  to  the  above,  but  oval:  diame- 
ter, Ij  inches. 
These  dice  are  all  painted  black  on  the  flat  side,  with  six  unpainted 
and  one  painted  red  on  the  convex  side;  made  by  a  medicine  man 
named  Little  Singer,  who  gave  the  name  as  dakha  tsostsedi,  seven 
cards. 

Rev.  Berard  Haile  describes  the  preceding  game  in  a  personal 
letter :  - 

Da'ka  tsostse'di.  cards  seven  times  or  seventh  card.  There  are  four  sets  of 
chips  of  seven  each.  One  set  is  flat  on  both  sides,  and  square :  another  has  round 
corners:  another  is  flat  below  and  round  aljiive:  and  the  other  set  ta|»ers  to  a 
point  on  both  sides,  with  rounded  back  and  a  ridge  in  the  center.  Each  of  these 
sets  has  six  chips,  colored  white  or  natural  on  one  side,  the  other  side  being 
black.  The  seventh  one  is  red  and  white  and  is  called  bichi',  red,  and  c<mnts 
more  than  all  the  rest.  These  chips  were  made  of  oak  or  of  a  certain  .species 
of  wood  easily  polished  after  removing  the  bark,  perhaps  mahogany.  The 
players  usually  carried  four  sets  with  them,  together  with  a  basket,  in  a  pouch, 


o 


CDLIX] 


DICE    GAMES  :    AEIKARA  97 


from  which  I  conclude  it  was  small^  and  threw  them  up.  However,  they  played 
with  only  one  set  at  a  time,  viz.,  seven  chips,  either  round  or  flat  ones.  Accord- 
ingly as  the  color  of  the  chips  faced  the  ground,  points  were  scored.  Six  white 
and  the  seventh  red  won  the  game,  while  all  blacks  did  not  score  as  much. 

Frank  Walker,  one  of  F'ather  Berard's  interpreters,  recognized  the 
name  taka-thad-sata,  or  thirteen  cards,  given  by  Doctor  Matthews  as 
that  of  a  similar  game  which  is  so  called  in  legends,  but  said  that 
daka  tsostsedi  is  more  generally  known  and  spoken  of. 

Sekaxi.     British  Columbia. 

Sir  Alexander  Mackenzie"  gives  the  following  description  of  the 
game  of  the  platter. 

The  instruments  of  it  consist  of  a  platter  or  dish  made  of  wood  or  bark  and  six 
round  or  square  but  flat  pieces  of  metal,  wood,  or  stone,  whose  sides  or  surfaces 
are  of  different  colors.  These  are  put  into  the  dish,  and  after  lieing  for  some 
time  shaken  together  are  thrown  into  the  air  and  received  again  in  the  dish  with 
considerable  dexterity,  when  by  the  number  that  are  turned  up  of  the  same 
mark  or  color  the  game  is  regulated.  If  there  should  be  equal  numbers  the 
throw  is  not  reckoned:  if  two  or  four,  tlie  platter  changes  hands, 

Takilli.     Stuart  lake,  Britisli  Columbia. 
The  Reverend  Father  A,  G.  Moi-ice ''  wrote: 

A  third  chance  game  was  proper  to  the  women  and  was  jilayed  witli  l)Utton- 
like  pieces  of  bone. 

It  was  based  on  the  same  primiple  as  dice.  and.  in  common  with  atlih.  it  has 
long  fallen  into  disuse.     Its  name  is  atiyi'b. 

BEOTIUICAX    STOCK 

Beothuk.     Newfoundland, 

From  colored  drawings  of  ancient  bone  disks  attributed  to  the 
Beothuk,  and  presented  to  the  United  States  National  Museum  by 
Lady  Edith  Blake,  of  Kingston,  Jamaica,  it  would  appear  that  this 
tribe  may  have  used  gaming  disks  resembling  those  of  the  Micmac. 

CADDOAX    STOCK 

Arikara,  North  Dakota,  (Cat,  no,  G342,  ()3.55,  United  States  Na- 
tional Museum,) 

Set  of  eight  plum  stones!,  jilain  on  one  side,  with  marks  burned  on  the 
other,  as  shown  in  figure  99.  Four  have  stars  on  a  burnt 
ground;  two,  circular  marks;  two  are  entirely  burned  over. 
Basket  of  woven  grass.  7  inches  in  diameter  at  the  top  and  2 
inches  deep  (catalogued  as  from  the  Grosventres) .  Collected 
by  Dr  C.  C.  Gray  and  Mr  Matthew  F.  Stevenson. 

"  Voyages  from  Montreal,  p.   142,  London,   ISOl. 

"  Xotes  on  Western  r>enes.  Transactions  of  tbe  Canadian  Institute,  v.  4,  p.  SI,  Toronto, 
1895. 

24  ETH — 05  M 7 


98 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


H.  M.  Brackenridge,"  referring  to  the  Arikara,  states: 

In  the  evening,  about  sundown,  the  women  cease  from  their  labors  and  collect 
in  little  knots,  and  amuse  themselves  with  a  game  something  like  jackstones : 

Ave  pebbles  are  tossed  up  in  a  small  bas- 
ket, with  which  they  endeavor  to  catch  them 
again  as  the.v  fall. 

It  seems  hardly  necessary  to  point  out 
that  he  failed  to  comprehend  the  object 


Pig.  H9.  Plum-stone  dice:  diameter, H 
inch;  Arikara  Indians.  North  Da- 
kota; cat.  no.  635.5,  United  States 
National  Museum. 


of  the  game. 


(Field     Colum- 


C-\DDO.       Oklahoma. 

bian  Museum.) 
Cat.    no.    5936fi.     Four    slips    of    cane 
(figure  100),  f>i  inches  in  length,  three  painted  red  on  the  inside 
and  one  black. 
Cat.  no.  .5937-2.     Four  slips  of  cane  (figure  101).  Hi  inches  in  length, 
painted  black  on  the  inner  side. 


Fig.  KIO. 


Pig.  102. 


Fig.  101. 

Fig.  100.  Cane  dice;  length,  6i  inches;  Caddo  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  .')93»j,  Field  Columbian 
Museum. 

Fk;.  101.  Cane  dice:  length.  Hi  inches;  Caddo  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat,  no.  59372,  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum. 

Flu.  102.  Cane  dice  board  and  counting  sticks;  length  of  canes,  "i  inches;  length  of  board,  11 
inches:  length  of  counters.  8J  inches:  Caddo  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  59370,  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum. 

Cat.  no.  59370.  Four  slips  of  cane.  7|  inches  in  length,  painted  on 
the  inside;  one  yellow,  one  red,  one  blue,  one  green;  with  a  flat 
rectangular  board,  3J  by  11  inches,  with  incised  and  painted 


•■  Views  of  Louisiana,  together  with  a  Journal   of  a   Vojage  up  the  Mis.souri   River,   In 
1811,  p.  251,  Pittsburg,  1814. 


CiLiN]  DICE    GAMES:    PAWNEE  99 

designs,  on  which  the  canes  are  thrown,  and  eight  counting  sticks, 
8|  inches  in  length   (figure  102).     Collected  by  Dr  George  A. 
Dorsej'. 
Pawnee.     Nebraska. 

Mr  John  B.  Dunbar  says : " 

The  women  also  were  addicted  to  games  of  chance,  though  with  them  the 
stakes  were  usually  trifliug.  The  familiar  game  with  plum  stones,  suk'-u,  and 
another,  luk'-ta-kit-au'-i-cuk-u,  played  with  a  bundle  of  parti-colored  rods  about 
a  foot  in  length,  were  much  in  vogue  among  them. 

Oklahoma.     (Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Cat.  no.  59522.  Set  of  four  stick  dice,  made  of  slips  of  cane,  8  inches 
in  length,  entirely  plain. 

Cat.  no.  59413.  Set  of  four  stick  dice,  made  of  slips  of  cane,  12^ 
inches  in  length,  curved  sides  plain,  concave  sides  painted,  two 
red  and  two  green. 

Cat.  no.  59519.  Set  of  dice,  similar  to  the  above,  13^  inches  in  length, 
one  with  concave  side  painted  red  and  having  an  incised  line 
painted  red  on  the  conve.x  side;  one  with  concave  side  blue  and 
a  line  with  feather-like  marks  on  the  reverse;  one  with  concave 
side  yellow,  and  an  incised  line  painted  yellow  on  the  reverse,, 
and  one  with  the  concave  side  painted  white,  with  a  long  un- 
painted  line  with  a  cross  mark  on  the  reverse. 


Fig.  Va.    Vhuu  dice;  length,  16J  inches;  Pawuee  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  5ft523,  Field  Colum- 

hian  Museum. 

Cat.  no.  59523.  Set  of  dice,  similar  to  the  jDreceding,  16^  inches  in 
length  (figure  103).  Insides  painted  yellow,  red,  green,  and 
plain,  and  three  crosses  incised  on  reverse.  Each  has  a  feather 
attached  by  a  thong  at  one  end. 

Cat.  no.  59415.  Four  sticks  (figure  104),  8 J  inches  in  length,  one 
side  rounded  and  burned  with  marks,  as  shown  in  the  figure, 
the  other  flat  with  a  groove  jjainted  red.  Accompanied  with  a 
square  of  buffalo  hide,  27  by  32  inches,  marked  in  black  with  two 
rows  of  eight  lines,  a  row  on  each  side,  each  with  seven  divisions, 
on  which  the  bets  are  laid. 

»  The  Pawnee  Indians.     Magazine  of  American  History,  v.  8,  p.  751,  New  York,  1882. 


100  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [bth.  ANN.  24 

Cat.  no.  59412.  Set  of  four  wooden  dice  (figure  105).  9  Indies  in 
lengtli.  one  side  convex  and  marked  with  incised  black  lines,  as 
shown  in  figure.  The  reverse  grooved,  three  painted  red  and 
plain,  and  one  black  and  mai-ked  with  cross  lines  at  the  end  and 
middle.  Accompanied  by  a  tablet  of  sandstone  (figure  106),  4 
inches  square,  marked  with  incised  lines,  and  four  counting 
sticks,  7  inches  in  length,  painted  red,  and  twelve,  9  inches  in 
length,  painted  yellow  (figure  107). 


Fig.  105. 


Fig.  107.  - 


Fig.  1M.  Stick-dice  game;  length  of  dice,  Si  inches;  length  of  hide,  32  inches;  Pawnee  Indians, 
Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  59415,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Fig.  105.  Stick  dice;  length,  9  inches;  Pawnee  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  .511412,  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum. 

Fig.  106.  Stone  tablet  for  stick  dice;  4  inches  square;  Pawnee  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  59412, 
Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Fig.  107.  Counting  sticks  for  stick  dice;  length,  9  and  7  inches:  Pawnee  Indians,  Oklahoma: 
cat.  no.  59412,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Cat.  no.  59419.     Rattan  basket    (figure  lOS),  ^  inches  in  diameter: 
six  peach-stone  dice,  three  burned  entirely  black   on   one  side, 
three  with  crosses  on  one  side,  the  reverse  plain,  and  four  red, 
four  green,  and   four  yellow   counting  sticks,   all    1'2   inches   in 
length. 
A  number  of  other  peach  and  plum-stone  dice  in  the  same  collec- 
tion are  in  sets  of  six,  two  kinds  in  each  set,  all  plain  on  one  face 
and  marked,  three  alike,  on  the  other,  chiefly  with  stars. 

All  of  the  above  were  collected  in  1901  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey. 
Pawnee.     Pawnee  reservation.  Oklahoma.      (Cat.  no.  707-21.  Field 
Columbian  Museum.) 


CrLIN] 


DICE  games:  pawnee 


101 


Set  of  six  plum-stone  dice  (figure- 109),  tiiree  small,  burned  black  on 
one  side,  and  three  large,  with  a  light  longitudinal  curved  band 
with  seven  dots  on  one  side,  reverses  plain;  accompanied  by  a 
flat  basket  of  twined  rattan,  9  inches  in  diameter.    Collected  bj^ 
Dr  George  A.  Dorsey. 
In  the  tale  of  Scabby  Bull,  Doctor  Dor- 
sey  describes   the   marking   of   a   set   of 
six  magic  plum  stones  for  the  woman's 
game : 

One  of  the  stones  had  a  new  moon  pictured 
on  it,  and  a  little  black  star  on  the  decorated  ^  d  ^   t^  i)  i) 

side.  The  next  stone  bore  a  half  moon  in  black. 
The  next  stone  was  decorated  with  a  full 
moon  ;  the  next  one  had  upon  it  one  great  star, 
which  I'eached  from  one  point  of  the  stone  to 
the  other.  The  next  stone  had  two  stars 
painted  upon  it,  wliiie  the  last  one  had  seven 
stars  painted  upon  it.  .\ccording  to  the  people, 
the  man  took  the  stones  outside,  held  them  up, 
and  through  the  power  of  the  moon  and  stars  p,„  j,^  Peach-stone  dice, basket,  and 
the  stones  were  painted  black."  counters;    diameter   of    basket,    8}. 

inches;  length  of  counters.  13  inches; 

In    reply    to    a    letter    addressed    by    the      Pawnee  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no. 

writer  to"Dr  George  Bird   Grinnell,  of    59419,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
New  York  City,  he  kindly  wrote  the  following  account  of  what  the 
Pawnee  call  the  seed  game : 

I  have  seen  this  game  played  among  the  Pawnee,  Arikara.  and  Che.venne,  and 
substantially  the  same  way  everywhere.     The  Pawnee  do  not  use  a  bowl  to 

throw  the  seeds,  but  hold  them  in  a  flat 
wicker  basket  alwnit  the  size  and  shape 
of  an  ordinary  tea  plate.  The  woman 
who  makes  the  throw  holds  the  basket 
in  front  of  her,  close  to  the  ground, 
gives  the  stones  a  sudden  toss  into  the 
air,  and  then  moves  the  basket  smartly 
down  against  the  ground,  and  the  stones 
fall  into  it.  They  are  not  thrown  high, 
but  the  movement  of  the  basket  is 
quick,  and  it  is  brou.ght  down  hard  on 
the  ground,  so  that  the  sound  of  the 
slapping  is  easily  heard.  The  plum  stones  are  always  five  in  number,  blackened 
and  variously  marked  on  one  side.  The  women  who  are  gambling  sit  in  a  line 
opposite  to  one  another,  and  usually  each  woman  bets  with  the  one  sitting 
opposite  her,  and  the  |)oints  are  counted  liy  sticks  placed  on  the  ground  between 
them,  the  wager  always  being  on  the  game  and  not  on  the  different  throws. 
It  is  exclusively,  so  far  as  I  know,  a  woman's  game, 

Z.  M,  Pike  "  says : 

The  third  game  alluded  to,  is  that  of  la  platte,  described  by  various  travelers, 

»  Traditions  of  the  Skidi  Pawnee,  p,  235,  New  York,  1904. 

"An  account  of  an   Expedition   to  the  Sources  of  the  Mississippi,   .Appendix   to  part  2, 
p.  16,  Philadelphia,  1810. 


Fig.  109.  Plum-stone  dice;  Pawnee  Indians, 
Oklahoma:  cat.  no.  7aT:Jl,  Field  Columbian 
Museum. 


102 


GAMES    OF    THE    NOKTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann,  24 


L 


J 


and  is  played  by  the  women,  children,  and  old  men,  who,  like  grasshoppers,  crawl 
out  to  the  circus  to  bask  in  the  sun,  probably  covered  only  with  an  old  buffalo 
robe. 

Wichita.     Wichita    reservation, 
Oklahoma.     (Cat.  no.  59350, 
Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Four    split    canes    (figure    110),    6 
inches  in  length,  the  outer  faces 
plain,   the   inner   sides   colored; 
Pig. 110.  stickdice;iengtii,6inches;Wich-  three  red,  one  green.     Collected 

ita  Indians,  Wichita  reservation,  Okla-  i       t-v     /^  *      -r\ 

homa;  cat.  no.  59.350,   Field  Columbian  by  Dr  Gcorge  A.  DorsCJ. 

Museum. 

ESKIMAUAN    STOCK 

Eskimo  (Central,  Aivilirmiut,  and  Kinipetu).     Keewatin. 

Dr  Franz  Boas  describes  the  following  game  played  with  bones 
from  seal  flippers : " 

Each  bone  represents  a  certain  animal  or  an  old  or  young  person.  They  are 
divided  into  two  equal  parts.  One  bone  is  picked  up  from  each  pile,  held  up  a 
few  inches,  and  then  let  drop.  Should  one  land  right  side  up,  it  is  looked  upon 
as  though  it  had  thrown  the  other  down  in  a  fight.  The  one  which  fell  wrong 
side  up  is  then  set  aside,  and  another  from  the  same  pile  is  tried  with  the  suc- 
cessful one  in  this  way.  This  is  carried  on  until  one  side  wins.  Then  the  last 
bone  to  win  is  called  the  bear,  being  strongest  of  all.  The  player  who  has  lost 
the  game  so  far  takes  the  bone,  holds  it  up  to  his  forehead,  and  lets  it  drop. 
If  it  should  land  right  side  up,  it  is  looked  upon  as  though  the  bear  has  thrown 
him.  Otherwise  be  is  stronger 
than  the  bear.  Children  also  use 
these  bones  for  playing  house. 

Eskimo  (Central).  Fro- 
bisher  bay,  Franklin. 

Captain  Charles  Franklin 
Hall "  says : 

They  have  a  variety  of  games  of 
their  own.  In  one  of  these  they 
use  a  number  of  bits  of  ivory 
made  in  the  form  of  ducks,  etc. 

■ Cumberland  sound,  Franklin.  (Cat.  no.  ^ff^,  ^xH,  Amer- 
ican Museum  of  Natural  History.) 

Doctor  Boas  figures  three  ivory  dice  (figure  111)  in  the  form  of 
women,  and  one  representing  a  bird.''  Collected  by  Capt.  James  S. 
Mutch. 

Elsewhere  ^  Doctor  Boas  says : 

A  game  similar  to  dice,  called  tingmiu.iang — i.  e.,  images  of  birds — is  fre- 

»  Esljimo  of  Baffin  Land  and  Hudson  Bay.  Bulletin  of  American  Museum  of  Natural 
Hlstoiw.  V.  l.'i.  p.   112,  New  York.  1901. 

''  Arctic  Researches,  p.   .570.  New  York,   isfio. 

"  Eskimo  of  Baffin  Land  and  Hudson  Bay.  Bulletin  of  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  v.  10,  p.  54,  New  York,  1001. 

'  The  Central  Eskimo.     Sixth  .\nniml  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  567,  1888. 


Fig.  111.  Ivory  dice  in  form  of  women  and  bird; 
Central  Eskimo,  Cumberland  sound,  Franklin; 
cat.  no.  jj},,  3J55,  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History;  from  Boas. 


CDLIX] 


DICE    games:    ESKIMO 


103 


quently  played.  A  set  of  about  fifteen  figures,  like  those  represented  in  figure 
522,  belong  to  this  game ;  some  representing  birds,  others  men  and  women.  The 
players  sit  around  a  board  or  piece  of  leather  and  the  figures  are  shaken  in  the 
hand  and  thrown  upward.  On  falling,  some  stand  upright,  others  lie  flat  on 
the  back  or  on  the  side.     Those  standing  upright  belong  to  that  player  whom 


Fig.  112.    Game  of  *'  fox  and  geese."  Yuit  Eskiiiii).  Plover  bay.  Siberia;  from  Slurd 


iorh. 


they  face:  sometimes  they  are  so  thrown  that  they  all  lielong  to  the  one  that 
tossed  them  up.  The  players  throw  by  turns  until  the  last  figure  is  taken  up, 
the  one  getting  the  greatest  number  of  figures  being  the  winner. 

Mr  John  Murdoch "  describes  similar  objects  which  he  purchased 
at  Plover  bay,  eastern  Siberia,  in  1881  (figure  112).  They  were  sup- 
posed to  be  merely  works  of  art.  Referring  to  the  account  given  by 
Doctor  Boas  of  their  use  as  a  game,  he  says : 

It  is  therefore  quite  likely  they  were  used  for  a  similar  purpose  at  Plover 
bay.  If  this  be  so,  it  is  a  remark- 
able iiointof  similarity  between  these 
widely  separated  Eskimos,  for  I  can 
learn  nothing  of  a  similar  custom  at 
any  intermediate  point. 


Fig.  U.S.  Ivory  water  birds  and  seal;  Western 
Eskimo,  St  Lawrence  island,  Alaska;  cat.  no. 
634,57,  United  States  National  Museum. 


In  the  United  States  National 
Museum  (cat.  no.  63457)  there 
is  a  set  of  carved  water  birds 
and  a  seal  (figure  113)  collected 
from  the  Eskimo  at  St  Law- 
rence island,  Alaska,  by  Mr  E.  W.  Nelson,  in  1882.  He  informs  me, 
through  Prof.  Otis  T.  Mason,  that  he  never  saw  the  flat-bottomed 
geese  and  other  creatures  used  in  a  game,  and  all  of  his  specimens 
are  perforated  and  used  as  pendants  on  the  bottom  of  personal  orna- 
ments and  parts  of  clothing. 

Prof.  Benjamin  Sharp,  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of 
Philadelphia,  tells  me  that  he  saw  the  carved  water  birds  used  as  a 
game,  being  tossed  and  allowed  to  fall  by  Eskimo  at  St  Lawrence 
bay,  Siberia. 


»  Ethnological  Results  of  the  Point  Barrow  Expedition. 
Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  .364.  1892. 


Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the 


104 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


Flo.  114.  Phalanges  of  seal  used  in  game: 
length,  IJ  to  '3  inches;  Western  Eskimo,  Point 
Barrow,  Alaska;  cat.  no.  41M41,  Free  Museum 
of  Science  and  Art.  University  <-if  Pennsyl 
vania. 


In  reply  to  my  inquiry  in  reference  to  the  use  of  such  objects  in 
games  bj'  the  Arctic  Highlanders  of  Greenland,  Mr  Henry  G.  Bryant 
writes  me  that  small  images  of  birds  are  rare  among  them,  although 
representations  of  men,  women,  walrus,  seal,  bears,  and  dogs  are  part 
of  the  domestic  outfit  of  every  well-regulated  family." 

I  understand  that  the  leg  bones  of  the  arctic  fox  are  sometimes  tied  together 
on  a  string,  and  at  times  tliese  are  thrown  up  and  their  position  noted  when 
striliing  the  ground.     Perhaps  they  attach  a  significance  to  tlie  position  (if  the 

fo.\  liones,  which  may  be  analogous  to 
the  practice  of  using  wooden  <ir  bone 
dice  by  other  tribes. 

Eskimo  (Western).     Point 

Barrow,  Alaska.     ( Cat. 

no.   41840,   41841,   Free 

Museum  of  Science  and 

Art,    University    of 

Pennsylvania.) 

Two    sets,    each    of    twenty -five 

metatarsal     bones    (figure 

114)    of   the   seal    (five   sets 

from  as  many  sets  of  flippers), employed  in  a  game  called  inugah. 

These   were   collected   by   Mr   E.   A.   Mcllhenny.     The    following 

account  of  the  game  is  given  by  the  collector: 

Played  by  men  and  women  during  the  winter  months.  Two  persons  play, 
dividing  the  flft.v  bones  lietween  them,  one  takin.g  twenty-five  from  a  right  flipper 
and  the  other  twenty-five  from  a  left.  The  first  player  lets 
all  his  bones  fall,  and  those  which  fall  with  the  condylar 
surface  upward  are  withdrawn.  The  other  player  then  lets 
his  bones  fall  and  withdraws  those  which  fall  with  the  con- 
dylar surface  upward  in  the  same  way.  Then  the  first  drops 
his  remainder,  and  the  game  proceeds  until  one  or  the  other 
has  withdrawn  all  his  bones  and  becomes  the  winner.  An- 
other game  is  pla.ved  by  two  pla.vers,  each  with  a  single 
metatarsal  bone,  the  one  represented  in  the  foreground  of  fig- 
ure 114  being  selected  preferably.  The  two  players  hold  the 
bone  aloft  at  the  same  time  and  let  it  fall  on  a  skin  on  the 
floor  from  a  distance  of  2  feet.  If  both  bones  fall  alike,  the 
play  is  a  draw.  If  one  falls  with  the  condylar  surface  upward,  its  owner  wins 
and  takes  the  other  one.  The  game  is  continued  in  the  same  way  until  the 
bones  of  one  or  the  other  pla.ver  are  exhausted. 

Island  of  Kodiak,  Alaska. 

Capt.  Uriy  Lissiansky  ''  says : 

There  is  another  favorite  game  called  stopka  [figure  lir>l,  whicli  is  a  small 
figure  cut  out  of  bone.  It  is  thrown.up  into  the  air,  and  if  it  falls  on  its  bottom 
2  are  counted  ;  if  on  its  back,  .3,  and  if  on  its  belly,  1  only.  This  game  consists 
in  gaining  20,  which  are  also  marked  with  short  sticks. 

"  Mr  Bryant  states  that  these  miniature  figures,  which  are  made  of  ivory,  are  employed 
to  teach  children  the  arts  of  the  chase. 

'A  Voyage  Round  the  World,  p.  211,  London,  1814. 


Fig.  115.  Bone  die 
(Stopka):  West- 
ern Eskimo,  Ko- 
diak, Alaska; 
from  Lissiansky. 


CLLIN]  DICE    GAMES  :    CONESTOGA  105 

IKOQUOIAN    STOCK 

Cauohnawaga.     Quebec. 

Col.  James  Smith  "  describes  a  game  resembling  dice  or  hustle  cap: 

They  put  a  number  of  plum  stones  in  a  small  bowl ;  one  side  of  each  stone  is 
black  and  the  other  white ;  then  they  shake  or  liustle  the  bowl,  calling  hits,  hits, 
hits,  honesy,  honesy,  rajjo,  raRo,  whi<'h  signifies  calling  for  white  or  black  or 
what  they  wish  to  turn  up;  they  then  turn  the  howl  and  count  the  whites  and 
blacks. 

Cherokee.     North  Carolina. 

I  am  informed  by  Mrs  Starr  Hayes  that  the  Cherokee  play  a  game 
in  a  flat  square  basket  of  cane,  like  the  lid  of  a  market  basket,  with 
colored  beans,  under  the  name  of  black  eye  and  white  eye. 

The  shallow  basket  used  is  1*  feet  square.  The  beans  are  colored  butter 
beans,  a  variety  of  lima,  and  those  selected  are  dark  on  one  side  and  white  on 
the  other.  Twelve  beans  are  kept  as  counters.  Six  others  are  put  in  the 
basket,  as  they  come,  and  the  players,  who  are  four  in  number,  and  each  two 
partners,  play  in  turn.  The  basket  is  held  in  both  hands,  slightly  shaken,  and 
then  with  a  jerk  the  beans  are  tossed  in  the  air.  If  all  turn  black.  2  are  taken 
from  the  counters;  if  all  turn  white,  3  are  taken.  If  but  one  turns  up  white,  1 
is  taken  from  the  twelve.  When  they  turn  five  white,  1  only  is  taken.  The 
game  is  played  three  or  si.x  times  weekly.  Whoever  gets  twelve  beans  has  the 
game. 
CoNESTOGA.     "Western  Pennsylvania  and  southern  New  York. 

Loskiel  **  gives  the  following  account: 

The  Indians  are  naturally  given  to  gambling,  and  frequently  risk  their  arms, 
furniture,  clothes,  and  all  they  possess  to  gratify  this  passion.  The  chief  game 
of  the  Iroquois  and  Delawares  is  dice,  which,  indeed,  originated  with  them.  The 
dice  are  made  of  oval  and  flattish  plum  stones,  painted  black  on  one  and  yellow 
on  the  other  side.  Two  persons  only  can  play  at  one  time.  They  put  the  dice 
into  a  dish,  which  is  raised  alternately  liy  eai-h  gambler  and  struck  on  the  table 
or  floor  with  force  enough  to  make  the  dice  rise  and  change  their  position,  when 
he  who  has  the  greater  number  of  winning  color  counts  5,  and  the  first  who  has 
the  good  fortune  to  do  this  eight  times  wins  the  game.  The  spectators  seem  in 
great  agitation  during  the  game,  and  at  every  chance  that  appears  decisive  cry 
out  with  great  vehemence.  The  gamblers  distort  their  features,  and  if  unsuc- 
cessful mutter  their  displeasure  at  the  dice  and  the  evil  spirits  who  prevent  their 
good  fortune.  Sometimes  whole  townships,  and  even  whole  tribes,  play  against 
each  other.  One  of  the  missionaries  happened  to  be  present  when  two  Iroquois 
townships,  having  got  together  a  number  of  goods,  consisting  of  blankets,  <'loth, 
shirts,  linen,  etc.,  gambled  for  them.  The  game  lasted  eight  day.s.  They  assem- 
bled every  day,  and  every  inhabitant  of  each  township  tossed  the  dice  once. 
This  being  done  and  the  chance  of  each  person  noted  down,  they  parted  for  the 
day;  but  each  township  offered  a  sacrifice  in  the  evening  to  insure  success  to 
their  party.  This  was  done  by  a  man  going  several  times  around  the  fire,  throw- 
ing toliacco  into  it,  and  singing  a  song.  Afterward  the  whole  company  danced. 
When  the  appointed  time  for  the  game  was  at  an  end  they  compared  notes,  and 
the  winner  bore  away  the  spoil  in  triumph. 


'  An  Account  of  the  Remarkable  Occurrences  in  the  Life  and  Travels  of  Col.  James 

Smith,  p.  46.  Cincinnati,  1870. 

'•  Oeorge    Henry    Losljiel,    History    of    the    Mission    of    tiie    United    Brethren    among    the 
Indians  in  North  America,  pt.  1.  p.  106,  London,  1794. 


106  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  axs.  24 

Huron.     Detroit,  Michigan. 

Charlevoix"  gives  the  following  account: 

As  I  returned  through  a  quarter  of  the  Huron  village  I  saw  a  company  of 
these  savages,  who  appeared  very  eager  at  play.  I  drew  near  and  saw  they 
were  playing  at  the  game  of  the  dish  [jeu  ilu  plat].  This  is  the  game  of  which 
these  people  are  fondest.  At  this  they  sometimes  lose  their  rest,  and  in  some 
measure  their  reason.  At  this  game  they  hazard  all  they  possess,  anl  many 
do  not  leave  off  till  they  ai'e  almost  stripped  quite  naked  and  till  they  have 
lost  all  they  have  in  their  cahins.  Some  have  heen  known  to  stake  their  lib- 
erty for  a  time,  which  fully  proves  their  passion  for  this  game,  for  there  are 
no  men  in  the  world  more  jealous  of  their  lil)ert.v  than  the  savages. 

The  game  of  the  dish,  which  they  also  call  the  game  of  the  little  bones  [.jeu 
des  osselets],  is  played  by  tsvo  persons  only.  Each  has  six  or  eight  little 
bones,  which  at  first  I  took  for  apricot  stones — the.v  are  that  shajie  and  bigness. 
But  upon  viewing  them  closely  I  perceived  they  had  six  unequal  surfaces,  the 
two  principal  of  which  are  painted,  one  black  and  the  other  white  inclined  to 
yellow.  They  make  them  jump  up  by  striking  the  ground  or  the  table  with 
a  round  and  hollow  dish,  which  contains  them  and  which  they  twirl  round 
first.  When  they  have  no  dish  they  throw  the  bones  up  in  the  air  with  their 
hands ;  if  in  falling  they  come  all  of  one  color,  he  who  plays  wins  5.  The  game 
is  40  up,  and  they  subtract  the  numbers  gained  by  the  adverse  party.  Five 
bones  of  the  same  color  win  only  1  for  the  first  time,  hut  the  second  time  they 
win  the  game.     A  less  number  wins  nothing. 

He  that  wins  the  game  continues  playing.  The  lo.ser  gives  his  |)lace  to 
another,  who  is  named  by  the  markers  of  his  side,  for  tlie.v  make  the  parties  at 
first,  and  often  the  whole  village  is  concerned  in  the  game.  Oftentimes,  also, 
one  village  plays  against  another.  Each  party  chooses  a  marker,  but  he  with- 
draws when  he  pleases,  which  never  happens  except  when  his  party  loses.  At 
every  throw,  especially  if  it  happens  to  be  decisive,  they  set  up  great  shouts. 
The  players  appear  like  people  possessed,  and  the  spectators  are  not  more  calm. 
They  all  make  a  thousand  contortions,  talk  to  tlie  bones,  load  the  spirits  of  the 
adverse  partj'  with  imprecations,  and  the  whole  vill.age  echoes  with  bowlings. 
If  all  this  does  not  recover  their  luck,  the  losers  may  put  off  the  party  till  the 
next  day.  It  costs  them  only  a  small  treat  to  the  company.  Then  they  pre- 
pare to  return  to  the  engagement.  Each  invokes  his  genius  and  throws  some 
tobacco  in  the  fire  in  his  honor.  They  ask  him  above  all  things  for  lucky 
dreams.  As  soon  as  day  appears  they  go  again  to  play,  but  if  the  losers  fancy 
the  goods  in  their  cabins  made  them  unlucky,  the  first  thing  they  do  is  to 
change  them  all.  The  great  parties  commonly  last  five  or  six  days,  and  often 
continue  all  night.  In  the  meantime,  as  all  the  persons  present — at  least,  those 
who  are  concerned  in  the  game — are  in  agitation  that  deprives  them  of  reason, 
as  they  quarrel  and  fight,  which  never  happens  among  savages  but  on  these 
occasions  and  in  drunkenness,  one  may  judge  if.  when  they  have  done  playing. 
they  do  not  want  rest. 

It  sometimes  happens  that  these  parties  of  play  are  made  by  order  of  the 
physician  or  at  the  request  of  the  sick.  There  is  needed  for  this  purpose 
nothing  more  than  a  dream  of  one  or  the  other.  This  dream  is  always  taken 
for  the  order  of  some  spirit,  and  they  prepare  themselves  for  the  game  with  a 
great  deal  of  care.  They  assemble  for  several  nights  to  make  trial  and  to  see 
who  has  the  luckiest  hand.  They  consult  their  genii,  they  fast,  the  married 
persons  observe  continence,  and  all  to  obtain  a  favorable  dream.  Every  morn- 
ing they   relate  what   dreams  they   have   had   and   all   the   things   they   have 

"  Journal  fl'un  Voyage  dans  r.\m^riqup  Septentrfonnalp.  v.  ."?,  p.  260.  Paris.  1744. 


CCLIN]  DICE    GAMES  :    HURON  107 

dreamt  of  which  they  think  lucl<y,  and  they  mal<e  a  collection  of  all  and  put 
them  into  little  bags,  which  thej-  carry  about  with  them,  and  if  anyone  has  the 
reputation  of  being  lucky — that  is,  in  the  opinion  of  these  people  of  having  a 
familiar  spirit  more  powerful  or  more  inclined  to  do  good — they  never  fall  to 
make  him  keep  near  the  one  who  holds  the  dish.  They  even  go  a  great  way 
sometimes  to  fetch  him,  and  if  through  age  or  any  infirmit.v  he  can  not  walk 
the,v  will  carry  him  on  their  shoulders. 

They  have  often  pressed  the  missionaries  to  be  present  at  these  games,  as 
they  believe  their  guardian  genii  are  the  most  powerful. 

Nicolas  Perrot  "  says : 

The  savages  have  also  a  sort  of  game  of  dice,  the  box  of  which  is  a  wooden 
plate,  well  rounded  and  well  polished  on  both  sides.  The  dice  are  made  of  six 
small  flat  pieces  of  bone,  about  the  size  of  a  plum  stone.  They  are  all  alike, 
having  one  of  the  faces  colored  black,  red.  green,  or  blue,  and  the  other  gen- 
erally painted  white  or  any  difterent  color  from  the  first-mentioned  face.  They 
throw  these  dice  in  the  plate,  holding  the  two  edges,  and  un  lifting  it  they  make 
them  Jump  and  turn  therein.  .Vfter  having  struck  the  dish  on  the  cloth  they 
strike  themselves  at  the  same  time  heavy  blows  on  the  chest  and  shoulders 
while  the  dice  turn  about,  crying  "  Dice,  dice,  dice  "  until  the  dice  have  stopped 
moving.  When  they  find  five  or  six  showing  the  same  color  they  take  the 
gains  which  have  been  agreed  upon  with  the  opposite  party.  If  the  loser  and 
his  comrades  have  nothing  more  to  play  with,  the  winner  takes  all  that  is  on  the 
game.  Entire  villages  have  been  seen  gambling  away  their  p  issossions.  one 
against  the  other,  on  this  game,  and  ruining  themselves  thereat.  They  also 
challenge  to  a  decision  by  one  throw  of  the  die,  and  when  it  happens  that  a 
party  tlmiws  6  all  those  of  the  tribe  that  bet  on  hiiu  get  up  and  dance  in 
cadence  to  the  noise  of  gourd  rattles.  All  passes  without  dispute.  The  women 
and  girls  also  play  this  game,  but  they  often  use  eight  dice  and  do  not  use  a 
dice  box  like  the  men.  They  only  use  a  blanket,  and  throw  them  on  with  the 
hand. 

Gabriel  Sagard  Theodat ''  says : 

The  men  are  addicted  not  only  to  the  game  of  reeds,  which  they  call  aescara, 
with  three  or  four  hundred  small  white  reeds  cut  equally  to  the  length  of  a  foot, 
but  are  also  addicted  to  other  kinds  of  games,  as  for  instance,  taking  a  large 
wooden  platter  with  five  or  six  plum  stones  or  small  balls  somewhat  flattened, 
about  the  size  of  the  end  of  the  little  finger,  and  painted  black  on  one  side  and 
white  or  yellow  on  the  other.  They  squat  all  around  In  a  circle  and  take  each 
his  turn  in  taking  hold  of  the  platter  with  both  hands,  which  they  keep  at  a  little 
distance  from  the  floor,  and  bring  the  platter  down  somewhat  roughl.v.  so  as  to 
make  the  balls  move  about ;  they  take  it  as  in  a  game  of  dice,  observing  on  which 
side  the  stones  lie.  whether  it  goes  against  them  or  for  them.  The  one  who  holds 
the  platter  says  continually  while  striking  it.  "  Tet.  tet.  tet."  thinking  that  this 
may  excite  and  influence  the  game  in  his  favor. 

For  the  ordinary  game  of  women  and  girls,  at  times  joined  by  men  and  boys, 
five  or  six  stones  are  used ;  for  instance,  those  of  apricots,  black  on  one  side  and 
yellow  on  the  other,  which  they  hold  in  their  hands  as  we  do  dice,  throwing  the 
stones  a  little  upward,  and  after  they  have  fallen  on  the  skin  which  serves  them 
as  a  carpet  they  see  what  the  result  is,  and  continue  to  play  for  the  necklaces, 
ear  ornaments,  and  other  small  articles  of  their  companions,  but  never  for  gold 

°  M^moire  sur  les  Moeurs,  Coustumes  et  RelUgion  des  Sauvages  de  l*Am€rique  Septen- 
trlonale,  p.  50,  Leipzig.  1864. 

'  Histoire  du  Canada,  p.   24.3.  Paris.  1866. 


108  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  ;;4 

or  silver  coin,  because  they  do  not  know  the  use  of  it,  since  in  trade  the.v  harter 
one  thing  for  another. 

I  must  not  forget  to  mention  that  in  some  of  their  villages  they  play  what 
we  call  in  France  porter  les  monions,  carry  the  challenge.  They  send  a  chal- 
lenge to  other  villages  to  come  and  play  against  them,  winning  their  utensils. 
If  they  can,  and  meanwhile  the  feasting  does  not  stop,  because  at  the  least 
inducement  the  kettle  is  on  the  fire,  especially  in  winter  time,  at  which  time  they 
especially  feast  and  amuse  themselves  in  order  to  pass  the  hard  sea.son 
agreeably. 

Father  Louis  Hennepin  "  says  in  describing  games  of  the  Indians: 

They  have  games  for  men,  for  the  women,  and  for  the  children.  The  most 
common  for  men  are  with  certain  fruits,  which  have  seeds  black  on  one  side 
and  red  on  the  other ;  they  put  them  in  a  wooden  or  bark  platter  on  a  blanket, 
a  great  coat,  or  a  dressed-skin  mantle.  Tliere  are  six  or  eight  players.  But 
there  are  only  two  who  touch  the  platter  alternately  with  both  hands ;  they 
raise  it,  and  then  strike  the  bottom  of  the  platter  on  the  ground,  by  this  shaking 
to  mix  up  the  six  seeds,  then  if  they  come  five  red  or  black,  turned  on  the  same 
side,  this  is  only  one  throw  gained,  because  they  usually  play  several  throws 
to  win  the  game,  as  they  agree  among  them.  All  those  who  are  in  the  game 
play  one  after  another.  There  are  some  so  given  to  this  game  that  they  will 
gamble  away  even  their  great  coat.  Those  who  conduct  the  game  cry  at  the 
top  of  their  voice  when  they  rattle  the  platter,  and  they  strike  their  shoulders 
so  hard  as  to  leave  them  all  black  with  the  blows. 

The  Baron  La  Hontan  *"  says : 

Another  game  whicli  is  hazard  and  chance  is  i>erformVl  with  eight  little 
stones,  which  are  black  on  one  side  and  white  on  the  other.  They're  put  on 
n  plate  which  they  lay  on  the  ground,  throwing  the  little  stones  up  in  the  air, 
and  if  they  fall  so  as  to  turn  up  the  black  side,  'tis  good  luck.  The  odd  number 
wins,  and  eight  whites  or  blacks  wins  double,  but  that  happens  but  seldom. 

Marc  Lescarbot  <■  says: 

I  will  add  here,  as  one  of  the  customs  of  our  savages,  games  of  chance,  of 
which  they  are  so  fond  that  sometimes  the.v  bet  all  the.y  have ;  and  Jaques  Quar- 
tier  writes  the  same  of  those  of  Canada  at  the  time  he  was  there.  I  have  seen 
one  sort  of  game  that  they  have,  but  not  then  thinking  to  write  this  I  did  not 
pa.v  much  attention  to  it.  They  place  a  certain  number  of  beans,  colored  and 
painted  on  one  side,  in  a  platter,  and  having  spread  a  skin  on  the  ground, 
play  upon  it.  striking  the  platter  on  the  skin  and  by  this  means  the  before- 
mentioned  beans  jump  into  the  air  and  do  not  all  fall  on  the  colored  part,  and 
in  this  is  the  hazard,  and  according  to  the  game  they  have  a  certain  number 
of  stalks  of  rushes  which  they  distribute  to  the  winner  in  order  to  keep  score. 

Jean  de  Brebeiif  "^  says: 

The  game  of  dish  is  also  in  great  renown  in  affairs  of  medicine,  especially 
if  the  sick  man  has  dreamed  of  it.  The  game  is  jmrely  one  of  chance.  They 
jilay  it  with  six  plum  stones,  white  on  one  side  and  black  on  the  other,  in  a 
dish  that  they  strike  very  roughly  against  the  ground,  so  that  the  plum  stones 
leap  up  and  fall,  sometimes  on  one  side  and  sometimes  on  the  other.     The  game 

"  A  Description  of  Louisiana,  p.  300,  New  York,  1880. 
*  New  Voyages  to  North-America,  v.  2.  p.  18.  London.  1703. 
<*  Histoire  de  la  Noiivelle  France,  p.  788,  Paris,  1609. 

'  Relation  of  1036.  The  .Tesuit  Relations  and  .Vllied  Documents,  v.  10,  p.  187,  (Meve- 
lantl,    1807. 


CLXIX]  DICE    GAMES:    HURON  109 

consists  in  tlirowing  all  white  or  all  black  :  they  usuallir  l''!>y  village  against 
village.  All  the  i)eopIe  gather  in  a  cabin,  and  tliey  (iis[)Ose  themselves  on  poles, 
arranged  as  high  as  the  roof,  along  both  sides.  The  sicli  man  is  brought  in  a 
blanket,  and  that  man  of  the  village  who  is  to  shake  the  dish  (for  there  is  only 
one  mat!  on  each  side  set  apart  for  the  pur()0.se),  he,  I  sa.v,  walks  behind,  his 
head  and  face  wrapped  in  his  garment.  They  bet  heavily  on  both  sides.  When 
the  man  of  the  opposite  party  takes  the  dish,  they  cry  at  the  top  of  their  voice 
achiuc.  achinc,  achinc,  three,  three,  three,  or,  perhaps,  ioio,  ioio,  ioio,  wishing  him 
to  throw  onl.v  three  white  or  three  black.  You  might  have  seen  this  winter  a 
great  crowd  returning  from  here  to  their  villages,  having  lost  their  moccasins  at 
a  time  when  there  was  nearly  three  feet  of  snow,  apparentl.v  as  cheerful,  never- 
theless, as  if  the.v  had  won.  The  most  remarkable  thing  I  notice  in  regard  to 
this  matter  is  the  disposition  they  bring  to  It.  There  are  some  who  fast  several 
days  before  playing.  The  evening  before  they  all  meet  together  in  a  cabin, 
and  make  a  feast  to  find  out  what  will  be  the  result  of  the  game.  The  one 
chosen  to  hold  the  dish  takes  the  stones,  and  puts  them  promiscuously  into  a 
dish,  and  covers  it  so  as  to  prevent  an.vone  from  putting  his  hand  into  it.  That 
done,  they  sing;  the  song  over,  the  dish  is  uncovered,  and  the  plum  stones  are 
found  all  white  or  all  black.  .\t  this  point  I  asked  a  savage  if  those  against 
whom  they  were  to  play  did  not  do  the  same  on  their  side,  and  if  they  might 
not  find  the  plum  stones  in  the  same  condition.  He  said  the.v  did.  "And  yet," 
said  I  to  him.  "  all  can  not  win  ;  "  to  that  he  knew  not  how  to  answer.  He 
informed  me  besides  of  two  remarkable  things:  lu  the  first  place,  that  they 
choose  to  handle  the  dish  some  one  who  has  dreamed  that  he  could  win,  or 
who  had  a  charm  ;  moreover,  those  who  have  a  charm  do  not  conceal  it.  and 
carry  it  everywhere  with  them  ;  we  have,  they  tell  me.  one  of  these  in  our 
village,  who  rubs  the  plum  stones  with  a  certain  ointment  and  hardly  ever 
fails  to  win ;  secondly,  that  in  making  the  attempt,  some  of  the  plum  stones 
disajjpear,  and  are  found  some  time  after  in  the  dish  with  the  others. 

Bacqueville  de  la  Potherie  "  says : 

The  women  sometimes  play  at  platter,  but  their  ordinar.v  game  is  to  throw 
fruit  stones  with  the  hands,  as  one  plays  with  dice.  When  they  have  thrown 
their  stones  in  the  air.  they  move  their  arms  as  if  making  gestures  of  admira- 
tion, or  driving  away  Hies.  They  say  nothing,  one  hears  almost  nothing,  but 
the  men  cry  like  people  who  fight.  They  speak  only  in  saying  black!  black! 
white!  white!  and  from  time  to  time  they  make  great  clamorings.  The  women 
have  onl.v  this  kind  of  game.     Children  play  at  cross,  never  or  rarel.y  at  platter. 

Teaiiaustayae,  Ontario. 

Father  Lalemant ''  says: 

One  of  the  latest  fooleries  that  has  occurred  in  this  village  was  in  behalf  of  a 
sick  man  of  a  neighboring  village,  who,  for  his  health,  dreamed,  or  received 
the  order  from  the  physician  of  the  country,  that  a  game  of  dish  should  be  played 
for  him.  He  tells  it  to  the  captains,  who  immediately  assemble  the  council, 
fix  the  time,  and  choose  the  village  that  they  must  invite  for  this  purpose — and 
that  village  is  ours.  An  envo.v  from  that  place  is  sent  hither  to  make  the  propo- 
sition ;  it  is  accepted,  and  then  preparations  are  made  on  lioth  sides. 

This  game  of  dish  consists  in  tossing  some  stones  of  the  wild  plum  in  a  wooden 
dish — each  being  white  on  one  side  and  black  on  the  other — whence  there  ensues 
loss  or  gain,  according  to  the  laws  of  the  game. 

"  HIstorie  de  I'Am^rique  Septentrionale,  v.  3,  p.  23,  Paris,  1722. 

"  Relation  of  1639.  The  Jesuit  Relations  and  Allied  Documents,  v.  17.  p.  201,  Cleve- 
land, 1898. 


110  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth,  ann.  24 

It  is  beyond  my  power  to  picture  the  diligence  and  activity  of  our  barbarians 
in  preparing  themselves  and  in  seeking  all  the  means  and  omens  for  good  luck 
and  success  in  their  game.  They  assemble  at  night  and  spend  the  time  partly  in 
shaking  the  dish  and  ascertaining  who  has  the  best  hand,  partly  in  displaying 
their  charms  and  exhorting  them.  Toward  the  end  they  lie  down  to  sleep  in  the 
same  cabin,  having  previously  fasted,  and  for  some  time  abstained  from  their 
wives,  and  all  this  to  have  some  favorable  dream ;  in  the  morning,  they  have  to 
relate  \Ahat  happened  during  the  night. 

Finally,  they  collect  all  the  things  which  they  have  dreamed  can  bring  good 
luck,  and  fill  pouches  with  them  in  order  to  carr.v  them.  They  search  every- 
where, besides,  for  those  who  have  charms  suitable  to  the  game,  or  ascwandies  or 
familiar  demons,  that  these  may  assist  the  one  who  holds  the  dish,  and  be 
nearest  to  him  when  he  shakes  it.  If  there  be  some  old  men  whose  presence  is 
regarded  as  elHcacious  in  augmenting  the  strength  and  virtue  of  their  charms, 
they  are  not  satisfied  to  take  the  charms  to  them,  but  sometimes  even  to  load 
these  men  themselves  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  young  men,  to  be  carried  to  the 
place  of  assembly,  and  inasmuch  as  we  pass  in  the  country  for  master  sorcerers, 
they  do  not  fail  to  admonish  us  to  begin  our  i>rayers  and  to  jierform  many  cere- 
monies, in  order  to  make  them  win.  They  have  no  sooner  arrived  at  the  appointed 
place  than  the  two  parties  take  their  places  on  opposite  sides  of  the  cabin  and 
fill  it  from  top  to  bottom,  above  and  below  the  andichons,  which  are  sheets  of 
bark  making  a  sort  of  canopy  for  a  bed,  or  shelter,  which  corresponds  to  that 
below,  which  rests  upon  the  ground,  upon  which  they  sleep  at  night.  It  is  placed 
upon  poles  laid  and  suspended  the  whole  length  of  the  cabin.  The  two  players 
are  in  the  middle,  with  their  assistants,  who  hold  the  charms  :  each  of  those  in 
the  assembly  bets  against  whatever  other  person  he  chooses,  and  the  game 
begins. 

It  is  then  every  one  begins  to  pray  or  mutter.  I  know  not  what  words,  with 
gestures  and  eager  motions  of  the  hands,  eyes,  and  the  whole  face,  all  to  attract 
to  himself  good  luck  and  to  exhort  their  demons  to  take  courage  and  not  let 
themselves  be  tormented. 

Some  are  deputed  to  utter  execrations  and  to  make  precisely  contrary 
gestures,  with  the  purpose  of  driving  ill  luck  back  to  the  other  side  and  of 
imjiarting  fear  to  the  demon  of  the  opponents. 

This  game  was  played  several  times  this  winter,  all  over  the  country  ;  but  I 
do  not  know  how  it  has  happened  that  the  people  of  the  villages  where  we  have 
residences  have  always  been  unlucky  to  the  last  degree,  and  a  certain  village 
lost  30  porcelain  collars,  each  of  a  thousand  beads,  which  are  in  this  country 
equal  to  what  you  would  call  in  France  50,000  pearls,  or  pistoles.  But  this  is  not 
all :  for.  hoping  alwaj's  to  regain  what  the.y  have  once  lost,  they  stake  tobacco 
jiouches.  robes,  shoes,  and  leggins,  in  a  word,  all  they  have.  So  that  if  ill  luck 
attack  them,  as  happened  to  these,  they  return  home  naked  as  the  hand,  having 
sometimes  lost  even  their  clouts. 

They  do  not  go  away,  however,  until  the  ii.-itient  lias  thanked  them  for  the 
health  he  has  recovered  through  their  help,  always  professing  himself  <-ured 
at  the  end  of  all  these  fine  ceremonies,  although  frequently  he  does  not  do  this 
long  afterward  in  this  world. 

Mohawk.     New  York. 

Bruyas "  in  his  radical  words  of  the  Mohawk  language,  written  in 
the   latter   part   of   the   seventeenth    century,   gives    under   atnenha^ 

»  Rev.  Jacques  Bruyas,  Radices  Verborum  Iroquseorum,  p.  37,  New  York,  1862. 


cruN]  DICE    GAMES:    ONONDAGA  111 

noyau,  stone  of  a  fruit,  the  compounds  "  tSatnenhaSinneton.  jouer 
avec  des  noyaux  comme  sont  les  femmes.  en  les  jettant  avec  la  main, 
and  tSatennaSeron.  y  jouer  au  plat." 
Onondaga.     New  York. 

Rev.  W.  M.  Beauchamp "  states : 

Among  the  Onondaga  now  eight  bones  or  stones  are  used,  black  on  one  side 
and  white  on  the  other.  They  term  the  game  ta-you-nyun-wSt-hah.  or  finger 
shaker,  and  from  100  to  300  beans  form  the  pool,  as  may  be  agreed.  With 
them  it  is  also  a  household  game.  In  playing  this  the  pieces  are  raised  in  the 
hand  and  scattered,  the  desired  result  being  indifferently  white  or  black. 
Essentially,  the  counting  does  not  differ  from  that  given  by  Morgan.  Two 
white  or  two  black  will  have  si.\  of  one  color,  and  these  count  2  beans,  called 
o-yfi-ah.  or  the  bird.  The  player  proceeds  until  he  loses,  when  his  opponent 
takes  his  turn.  Seven  white  or  black  gain  4  beans,  called  o-neo-sah,  or  pump- 
kin. All  white  or  all  black  gain  20.  called  o-hen-tah.  or  a  field.  These  are  all 
that  draw  anything,  and  we  may  indifferently  say  with  the  Onondaga  two 
white  or  black  for  the  first,  or  six  with  the  Seneca.  The  game  is  played  singly 
or  by  partners,  and  there  is  no  limit  to  the  number.  Usually  there  are  three 
or  four  players. 

In  counting  the  gains  there  is  a  kind  of  ascending  reduction;  for  as  two 
birds  make  one  pumpliin.  only  one  bird  can  appear  in  the  result.  First  come 
the  twenties,  then  the  fours,  then  the  twos,  which  can  occur  but  once.  Thus 
we  may  say  for  twenty.  jo-han-t6-tah,  you  have  one  field  or  more,  as  the  case 
may  be.  In  the  fours  we  can  only  say  ki-yae-ne-you-s&h-ka,  you  have  four 
pumpkins,  for  five  would  make  a  field.  For  two  beans  there  Is  the  simple 
announcement  of  o-yii-ah,  bird.     .     .     . 

The  game  of  peach  stones,  miich  more  commonly  used  and  important,  has  a 
more  public  character,  although  I  have  played  it  in  an  Indian  parlor.  In  early 
days  the  stones  of  the  wild  plum  were  used,  but  now  six  peach  stones  are  ground 
down  to  an  elliptic  flattened  form,  the  oiiposite  sides  being  black  or  white. 
This  is  the  great  game  known  as  that  of  the  dish  nearly  three  centuries  ago. 
The  wooden  Viowl  which  I  used  was  11  inches  across  the  top  and  .3  inches  deep, 
handsomely  carved  out  of  a  hard  knot.  A  beautiful  small  bowl,  which  I  saw 
elsewhere,  may  have  been  used  by  children.  The  six  stones  are  placed  in  the 
kah-oOn-wah,  the  bowl,  and  thence  the  Onondaga  term  the  game  ta-yune-oo 
wSh-es.  throwing  the  bowl  to  each  other  as  they  take  it  in  turn.  In  public 
playing  two  iilayers  are  on  their  knees  at  a  time,  holding  the  bowl  between 
them.  .  .  .  Beans  are  commonly  used  for  counters.  JIany  rules  are  settled 
according  to  agreement,  but  the  pumpkin  is  left  out,  and  the  stones  usually 
count  5  for  a  bird  and  6  for  a  field.  All  white  or  all  black  is  the  highest  throw, 
and  .")  or  6  are  the  only  winning  jioints.  In  early  days  it  would  seem  that  all 
white  or  all  black  alone  counted.  The  liowl  is  simply  struck  on  the  floor.  .  .  . 
This  ancient  game  is  used  at  the  New  Year's,  or  White  Dog,  feast  among  the 
Ouandaga  yet.  Clan  plays  against  clan,  the  Long  House  against  the  Short 
House,  and.  to  foretell  the  harvest,  the  women  play  against  the  men.  If  the 
men  win.  the  ears  of  corn  will  be  long,  like  them ;  but  if  the  women  gain  the 
game,  they  will  be  short,  basing  the  results  on  the  common  proportion  of  the 
sexes.  As  of  old.  almost  all  games  are  yet  played  for  the  sick,  but  they  are 
regarded  now  more  as  a  diversion  of  the  patient's  mind  than  a  means  of  heal- 
ing. The  game  of  the  dish  was  once  much  used  in  divination,  each  piece  having 
its  own  familiar  sjiirit.  but  it  is  more  commonly  a  social  game  now. 

"  Iroquois  Games.     .Tournal  of  .American  Folk-lore.  v.  0,  p.  269,  Boston,  1896. 


112  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 

Onondaga.     Grand     River     reserve.     Ontario.      (Field     Coliuiibian 
MiLseum. ) 

Cat.  no.  55785.     Set  of  ('i<rlit  Ixnie  disks,  burned  on  one  side.  1  inch  in 
diameter. 

Cat.  no.  55786.     Set  of  eight  bone  disks,  similar  to  i)rc(V(lino;.  three- 
fourths  of  an  inch  in  diameter. 

Cat.  no.  55787.     Set  of  eight  bone  disks,  similar  to  preceding,  1  inch 
in  diameter. 

Cat.  no.  55788.     Wooden  bowl,  9f  inches  in  diameter. 

Cat.  no.  55790.     Wooden  bowl,  hemispheric,  1:2^  inches  in  diameter, 
Ijainted  red,  with  green  rim,  and  yellow  dots  at  the  edge. 

Cat.  no.  55791.     Wooden  Ijowl.  heniis])heric,  lO'J  iurhcs  in  diameter, 
machine  made. 

Cat.  no.  55789.     Set  of  six  worked  peach  stones,  burned  on  one  side, 
five-eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter. 

Cat.  no.  55807,  55807(7.     Two  sets  of  peach  stones  like  the  preceding, 
one  five-eighths  and  the  other  three-foiirtlis  of  an  inch  in  diame- 
ter. 
These  specimens  were  collected  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms,  who  informed 

me  that  the  Onondaga  call  the  bone  dice  game  daundahskaesadaqnah, 

and  the  Cayuga   the   peach-stone  game   daundahqua.   and   gave   the 

following  account  of  the  games: 

Game  of  da-uii-dah-skii-e-sa-(la-(|UMli  (Onondaga),  consisting  of  a  set  of  eight 
dislis,  each  of  a  diameter  of  an  inch,  made  from  si)lit  l)eef  rilis  and  blackened  liy 
heat  upon  one  side.  They  are  tin-own  with  the  hand,  the  count  dejiending  upo:! 
the  uuniher  of  faces  which  turn  up  of  one  color.  If  all  are  black,  fur  instance, 
the  count  is  2(1;  if  all  turn  up  but  one.  4  is  counted;  if  two,  2.  After  each 
successful  throw  the  thrower  Is  given  the  nuinl>er  of  beans  called  foi-  by  his 
throw,  from  the  bank,  which  usually  begins  with  50  beans,  and  the  game  contin- 
ues until  one  party  has  won  them.  This  is  purely  a  home  game.  During  the 
game  the  tmttons  are  constantly  addressed  with  such  remarks  as  o-liaii-da. 
meaning  the  thrower  hopes  the  buttons  will  turn  up  one  color;  if  there  should 
be  seven  buttons  that  show  the  black  sides  and  the  remaining  one  has  not 
yet  settled  sufficiently  to  determine  the  uppermost  side,  entreaties  of  bun-.je. 
meaning  all  black,  are  directed  to  this  one  l)Utton  by  the  thrower;  if.  on  the 
other  hand,  the  white  sides  .appear,  gan-ja.  meaning  all  wliite,  is  sung  out, 
accompanied  by  derisive  shouts  of  tek-a-ne-ta-wo,  njeaning  two,  or  sciiort,  mean- 
ing one. 

Peacll-stone  game.  da-un-dah-(|na  (Cayuga).  This  game  is  iilaycil  with  a 
wooden  bowl  and  si.\  peach  stones  rublied  down  and  burned  slightly  on  one  side 
to  blacken  them.  In  the  middl(>  of  the  one  large  room  of  the  long  bouse  where 
the  game  is  [)la,ved  a  blanket  or  a  (piilt  is  folded  double  and  sjjread  njion  the  floor. 
At  the  south  edge  of  the  blanket  stands  a  vessel  containing  one  hundred  lieans. 
The  bowl  is  taken  l>y  the  edge  with  both  hands  and  is  given  a  sharp  rap  upon 
the  blanket,  causing  the  peach  stones  to  rebound  and  fall  back  within  the  bowl. 

There  are  four  winning  counts,  viz;  All  white,  counting  5;  all  black.  .'5;  one 
white.  1.  and  one  black.  1.  For  each  successful  throw  the  representative  of  the 
player  is  handed,  from  the  stock  of  beans,  as  man.v  as  the  throw  calls  for.  A 
player  keeps  his  place  as  long  as  hi>  makes  winning  throws,  but  it  is  taken  by 
another  man  or  woman  as  soon  as  he  makes  an  unsuccessful  one. 


cclin] 


DICE    GAMES:    SENECA 


113 


The  day  before  the  game  is  played  six  men  are  sent  around  to  collect  from 
the  peojile  such  things  as  they  care  to  staice  in  the  peach-stone  game.  The  goods 
collected — usually  wearing  apparel — are  placed  in  two  piles,  the  articles  being 
fastened  together  in  pairs  with  regard  to  the  four  brothers'  end  and  the  two 
brothers'  end.  Two  men  are  selected  to  call  out  the  male  players,  and,  simi- 
larly, two  women  to  call  out  the  female  players. 

During  the  game  the  players  are  greeted  with  loud  and  enthusiastic  shouts 
or  with  yells  of  derision,  while  the  opposing  player  makes  comments  and  grim- 
aces, hoping  thus  to  distract  the  attention  of  his  or  her  rival. 

Public  gambling  is  permitted  by  the  Iroquois  only  at  the  midwinter  and  fall 
festivals. 

Seneca.     New  York. 

Morgan  "  describeK  the  Iroquois  game,  under  the  name  of  gusga- 
esatii,  or  deer  buttons : 

This  was  strictly  a  fireside  game,  although  it  was  sometimes  introduced  as  an 
amusement  at  the  season  of  religious  councils,  the  people  dividing  into  tribes  as 
usual  and  betting  upon  the  result.  Eight  l)uttons,  about  an  inch  in  diameter, 
were  made  of  elk  horn,  and,  having  lieen  rounded  and  polished,  were  slightly 


Fio.  116.    Bone  dice:  Seneca  Indians,  New  York;  from  Morgan. 

burned  upon  one  side  to  blacken  them  [figure  110].  When  it  was  made  a  public 
game  it  was  played  by  two  at  a  time,  with  a  change  of  players  as  elsewhere  de- 
scribed in  the  peach-stone  game.  At  the  fireside  it  was  played  by  two  or  more, 
and  all  the  pla.vers  continued  in  their  seats  until  it  was  determined.  A  certain 
number  of  beans,  fifty,  perhaps,  were  made  the  capital,  and  the  game  continued 
until  one  of  the  players  had  won  them  all.  Two  persons  spread  a  blanket  and 
seated  themselves  upon  it.  One  of  them  shook  the  deer  buttons  in  his  hands  and 
then  threw  them  down.  If  six  turned  up  of  the  same  color,  it  counted  2;  if 
seven,  it  counted  4 ;  and  if  all,  it  counted  20,  the  winner  taking  as  many  beans 
from  the  general  stock  as  he  made  points  by  the  throw.  He  also  continued  to 
throw  as  long  as  he  continued  to  win.  When  less  than  six  came  up,  either  black 
or  white,  it  counted  nothing,  and  the  throw  was  passed  to  the  other  player.  In 
this  manner  the  game  was  continued  until  the  lieans  were  taken  up  between  the 
two  players.  After  that  the  one  paid  to  the  other  out  of  his  own  winnings,  the 
game  ending  as  soon  as  the  capital  in  the  hands  of  either  player  was  exhausted. 
If  four  played,  each  had  a  partner  or  played  independently,  as  they  were  dis- 
posed ;  but  when  more  than  two  played,  each  one  was  to  pay  the  winner  the 

"  League  of  the  Iroquois,  p.   302.   Rochester,    1851. 
24  ETH — 05    M 8 


114 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


amount  won.  Thus,  if  four  were  playing  independently  and,  after  the  beans 
were  distributed  among  theui  in  the  progress  of  the  game,  oue  of  them  should 
turn  the  buttons  up  all  black  or  all  white,  the  other  three  would  be  obliged  to 
pay  him  2(J  each;  but  if  the  beans  were  still  in  bank,  he  took  up  but  20.  The 
deer  buttons  were  of  the  same  size.  In  the  figure  [IIG]  they  were  represented 
at  different  angles.     ... 

An  ancient  and  favorite  game  "  of  the  Iroquois,  gus-kii'-eh,  was  played  with  a 
bowl  and  peach-stones.     It  was  always  a  betting  game,   in   which   the  people 


Fifi.  117.     Bowl  lor  lint-;  Suuecja  Indians,  New  York;  from  Morgan. 


divided  by  tribes.  By  established  custom,  it  was  introduced  as  the  concluding 
exercise  on  the  last  day  of  the  Green  Corn  and  the  Harvest  festivals,  and  also  of 
the  New  Year's  jubilee.  Its  introduction  among  them  is  ascribed  to  the  first  To- 
do  da'  ho,  who  flourished  at  the  formation  of  the  League.  A  popular  belief  pre- 
vailed that  this  game  would  be  en.ioyed  by  them  in  the  future  life — in  the  realm 
of  the  Great  Spirit — which  is  perhaps  but  an  extravagant  way  of  expressing 
their  admiration  for  the  game.  A  dish,  about  a  foot  in  diameter  at  the  base,  was 
carved  out  of  a  knot  or  made  of  earthen.     Sis  peach  stones  were  then  ground  or 

cut  down  into  an  oval  form,  re- 
ducing them  in  the  process  about 
half  ill  size,  after  which  the 
heart  of  the  pit  was  removed  and 
the  stones  themselves  were 
burned  upon  one  side  to  blacken 
them.  The  above  representation 
[figures  118,  117]  will  exhibit 
both  the  bowl  and  the  peach 
stones,  the  latter  being  drawn  in 
different  positions  to  show  the 
degree  of  their  convexity. 

It  was  a  very  simple  game,  de- 
pending,  in   part,   upon   the  dex- 


Fio. 


118.    Peach-stone  dice;    Seneca  Indians,  New 
York;  from  Morgan. 

terity  of  the  player,  but  more  upon  his  good  fortune.  The  peach  stones  were 
shaken  in  the  bowl  by  the  player,  the  count  depending  upon  the  number  which 
came  up  of  one  color  after  they  had  ceased  rolling  in  the  dish.  It  was  i>layed  in 
the  public  council  house  by  a  succession  of  players,  two  at  a  time,  under  the  super- 
vision of  managers  appointed  to  represent  the  two  parties  and  to  conduct  the  eon- 
test.  Its  length  depended  somewhat  upon  the  number  of  beans  which  made  the 
bank— usually  100— the  victory  being  gained  by  the  side  which  finally  won  them 
all. 

A  platform  was  erected  a  few  feet  from  the  floor  and  spread  with  blankets. 


°  League  of  the  Iroquois,  p.  307,  Rochester,  1851. 


CCLix]  DICE    GAMES:    SEXECA  115 

When  the  betting  was  ended,  and  the  articles  had  been  delivered  into  the  cus- 
tody of  the  managers,  they  seated  themselves  upon  the  platform  in  the  midst  of 
the  throng  of  spectators,  and  two  persons  sat  down  to  the  game  between  the 
two  divisions  into  which  they  arranged  themselves.  The  beans,  in  the  first 
instance,  were  placed  together  in  a  bank.  Five  of  them  were  given  each  player, 
with  which  they  commenced.  Each  player,  by  the  rules  of  the  game,  was 
allowed  to  keep  his  seat  until  he  had  lost  this  outfit,  after  which  he  surrendered 
it  to  another  player  on  his  own  side  .selected  by  the  managers  of  his  own  party. 
And  this  was  the  case,  notwithstanding  any  number  he  might  have  won  of  his 
adversary.  Those  which  he  won  were  delivered  to  his  party  managers.  The 
six  peach  stones  were  placed  in  the  bowl  and  shaken  by  the  player :  if  five  of 
them  came  up  of  one  color,  either  white  or  black,  it  counted  1.  and  his  adversary 
paid  to  him  the  forfeit,  which  was  one  beau,  the  bean  simply  representing  a  unit 
in  counting  the  game.  On  the  ne.Kt  throw,  which  the  player  having  won.  re- 
tained, if  less  than  five  came  up  of  the  same  color  it  counted  nothing,  and  he 
passed  the  bowl  to  his  adversary.  The  second  player  then  shook  the  l>owl.  upon 
which,  if  they  all  came  up  of  one  color,  either  white  or  black,  it  counted  five. 
To  pay  this  forfeit  required  the  whole  outfit  of  the  first  player,  after  which, 
having  nothing  to  pay  with,  he  vacated  his  seat  and  was  succeeded  by  another  of 
his  own  side,  who  received  from  the  hank  the  same  number  of  beans  which  the 
first  had.  The  other  player  followed  his  throw  as  long  as  he  continued  to  win. 
after  which  he  repassed  the  bowl  to  his  adversary.  If  a  player  chanced  to  win 
five  and  his  opponent  had  but  one  left,  this  was  all  he  could  gain.  In  this  manner 
the  game  continued  with  varying  fortune  until  the  beans  were  divided  between 
the  two  sides  in  proportion  to  their  success.  After  this  the  game  continued  in 
the  same  manner  as  before,  the  outfit  of  each  new  player  Ijeing  advanced  by  the 
managers  of  his  own  party ;  but  as  the  beans  or  counters  were  now  out  of  sight, 
none  but  the  managers  knew  the  state  of  the  game  with  accuracy.  In  playing 
it  there  were  but  two  winning  throws,  one  of  which  counted  1  and  the  other  5. 
When  one  of  the  parties  had  lost  all  their  beans,  the  game  was  done. 

Morgan,"  referring  to  games  generally,  says : 

In  their  national  games  is  to  be  found  another  fruitful  source  of  amusement 
in  Indian  life.  These  games  were  not  only  played  at  their  religious  festivals, 
at  which  they  often  formed  a  conspicuous  part  of  the  entertainment,  but  special 
days  were  set  frequently  apart  for  their  celebration.  They  entered  into  these 
diversions  with  the  highest  zeal  and  emulation,  and  took  unwearied  pains  to  per- 
fect themselves  in  the  art  of  playing  each  successfully.  There  were  but  six  ■ 
principal  games  among  the  Iroquois,  and  these  were  divisible  into  athletic  games 
and  games  of  chance. 

Challenges  were  often  sent  from  one  village  to  another,  and  were  even 
exchanged  between  nations,  to  a  contest  of  some  of  these  games.  In  such  cases 
the  chosen  players  of  each  community  or  nation  were  called  out  to  contend  for 
the  prize  of  victory.  An  intense  degree  of  excitement  was  aroused  when  the 
champions  were  the  most  skillful  players  of  rival  villages  or  adjacent  nations. 
The  people  enlisted  upon  their  respective  sides  with  a  degree  of  enthusiasm  which 
would  have  done  credit  both  to  the  spectators  and  the  contestants  at  the  far- 
famed  Elian  games.  For  miles,  and  even  hundreds  of  miles,  they  flocked 
together  at  the  time  appointed  to  witness  the  contest. 

Unlike  the  prizes  of  the  Olympic  games,  no  chaplets  awaited  the  victors. 
They  were  strifes  between  nation  and  nation,  village  and  village,  or  tribe  and 
tribe ;  in  a  word,  parties  against  parties,  and  not  champion  against  champion. 

"  League  of  tbe  Iroquois,  p.  291,  Rochester,  18.51. 


116  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       Ieth.  ann.  24 

The  prize  contended  for  was  tbat  of  viotory:  and  it  belonged,  not  to  the 
triumphant  players,  but  to  tbe  party  wbiob  sent  them  forth  to  the  contest. 

When  these  games  were  not  pla.ved  by  one  community  against  another,  upon 
a  formal  challenge,  the  people  arranged  themselves  upon  two  sides  according  to 
their  tribal  divisions.  By  an  organic  (irovision  of  the  Iroquois,  as  elsewhere 
stated,  the  Wolf,  Bear.  Beaver,  and  Turtle  tribes  were  brothers  to  each  other  as 
tribes,  and  cousins  to  the  other  four.  In  playing  their  games  the.v  always  went 
together  and  formed  one  party  or  side.  In  the  same  manner  the  Deer.  Snipe. 
Heron,  and  Hawk  tribes  were  brothers  to  each  other,  as  tribes,  and  cousins  to 
the  four  first  named.  These  formed  a  second  or  opposite  party.  Thus  in  all 
Indian  games,  with  the  excev>tions  first  mentioned,  the  people  divided  them- 
selves into  two  sections,  four  of  the  tribes  always  contending  against  the  other 
four.     Father  and  son.  husband  and  wife,  were  thus  arrayed  in  opposite  ranks. 

Betting  upon  the  result  was  common  among  the  Iroquois.  As  this  practice 
was  never  reprobated  by  their  religious  teachers,  but  on  the  contrar.v,  rather 
encouraged,  it  frequently  led  to  the  most  reckless  indulgence.  It  often  hap- 
pened that  the  Indian  gambled  away  every  valuable  article  which  he  jjossessed : 
his  tomahawk,  his  medal,  his  ornaments,  and  even  his  blanket.  The  excitement 
and  eagerness  with  which  he  watched  the  shifting  tide  of  the  game  was  more 
uncontrollable  than  the  delirious  agitation  of  the  pale  face  at  the  race  course,  or 
even  at  the  gaming  table.  Their  excitable  temperament  and  emulous  siiirits 
peculiarl.v  adapted  them  for  the  enjoyment  of  their  national  games. 

These  bets  were  made  in  a  s.vstematic  manner,  and  the  articles  tlien  deposited 
with  the  m.-magers  of  the  game.  A  bet  offered  by  a  person  upon  one  side,  in  the 
nature  of  some  valuable  article,  was  matched  by  a  similar  article  or  one  of 
equal  value  by  some  one  upon  the  other.  Personal  ornaments  made  the  usual 
gaming  currenc.v.  Other  bets  were  offered  and  taken  in  the  same  manner, 
until  hundreds  of  articles  were  sometimes  collected.  These  were  laid  aside 
by  the  managers  until  the  game  was  decided,  when  each  article  lost  by  the 
event  was  handed  over  to  the  winning  individual,  together  with  his  own.  which 
he  had  risked  against  it. 

Seneca.     (Ti-aiid  River  reserve,  Ontario. 

Mr  David  Bojde  «  says : 

It  is  only  in  connection  with  the  midwinter  and  fall  festivals  that  the  prac- 
tice of  public  gambling  is  permitted.  On  these  occasions  there  is  high  revelry. 
■  All  the  goods  collected  as  stakes  by  tlie  six  men  already  mentioned  are  piled 
in  one  or  two  heaps,  the  articles  being  tied  or  pinned  in  jiairs  with  some  regard 
to  their  respective  values  or  uses.  Thus,  there  may  be  two  silk  neckties,  two 
jiairs  of  moccasins,  two  shawls,  or  two  strings  of  onagorha  (wampum),  which 
is  regarded  as  taking  first  place  at  such  times. 

The  Old  Men  *  of  the  nation  appoint  two  men,  one  from  each  side  of  the  long 
house,  to  call  out  the  male  players,  and.  similarly,  two  women  for  a  like  purpose. 

A  sheet  is  spread  on  the  floor  of  the  long  house,  and  in  the  middle  of  this 
sheet  rests  the  wooden  bowl,  about  14  or  16  inches  wide  and  4  to  5  deep, 
containing  six  peach  stones  rubbed  down  to  smooth  surfaces  and  blackened 
on  one  side.     Near  the  south  edge  of  the  sheet  is  placed  a  vessel  containing  100 

"  Archasologlcal  Report,   1808,  p.   126,  Toronto,   1898. 

"The  pagan  Indians  when  suppljling  infoimation  make  frequent  mention  of  the  "Old 
Men,  '  who  are  not.  as  wonlrl  appenr.  any  old  men,  hut  certain  seniors  who.  either  tacitly 
or  by  arrangement,  are  looked  upon  as  sages.  There  are  si.f  of  them;  three  represent 
the  east  end  of  the  long  house  :ind  three  the  west.  The  present  Old  Men  are  .Tohn  Styres, 
Abraham  Buck,  and  James  Vanevery  for  the  east  and  .lohnson  Williams.  Seneca  Wil- 
liams, and  .lacob  Hill  for  the  west.     Gentes  are  not  taken  Into  account. 


WINNING  THROWS  N                                                WINNWe  THROWS 

•••  o«« 

•••  ••• 

ooo  ooo 

o  o  o  o  o« 


CCLINJ  DICE    games:    SENECA  117 

beans,  from  which  stock  seven  are  taken  by  each  of  the  men  who  act  as  callers. 
When  everything  is  ready  the  arrangement  is  as  shown  in  the  diagram  [figure 
119],  the  players  invariably  sitting  east  and  west. 

Before  the  game  is  begun  all  present  are  exhorted  by  the  speaker  to  keep 
their  temper,  to  do  everything  fairly,  and  to  show  no  jealousy,  "  because,"  says 
he,  "  the  side  that  loses  this  time  may  be  favored  by  Niyoh  the  next  time,  and 
it  will  displease  him  should  there  be  any  bad  feeling." 

The  first  player  takes  the  bowl  by  the  edge  with  both  hands  and  after  a  few 
preliminary  shakes  in  midair  he  strikes  the  bottom  sharply  on  the  floor,  when 
the  peach  stones  rebound  and  fall  back  within  the  dish. 

Winning  throws  are  of  four  kinds :  All  white,  all  black,  one  white,  or  one 
black.  All  black  or  white  means  that  the  woman  representing  the  winner 
receives  from  him  who  represents  the  loser  .">  beans,  but  when  only  one  white  or 
one  black  bean  shows  face  up,  1  bean  is  the  gain.  If,  however,  any  player 
makes  three  successive  casts,  winning  5  each  time,  he  is  allowed  !.">  additional 
beans,  and  similarly,  after 
three  successive  casts  win- 
ning 1  each,  he  is  allowed 
3  more  beans. 

As  long  as  a  player  makes 
winning  throws  he  keeps  his 
place,  which  when  he  leaves 
is  immediately  taken  by  an- 
other— man  or  woman.  In 
this  way  the  game  is  con- 
tinued until  one  side  wins 
all  the  beans,  and  this  may 
require  only  an  hour  or  two. 
or  it  may  take  two  or  three 
days. 

While  the  play  is  going 
on  it  is  not  to  be  understood  that  the  onlookers  exemplify  what  is  known  as 
Indian  stoicism.  Anything  but  this.  Excitement  runs  unusually  high.  Those 
on  the  side  of  the  player  for  the  time  being  encourage  him  with  enthusias- 
tically uproarious  shouts  of  "  .iagon  !  jagon  !  jagon !  "  "  play !  play  !  "  or  "  go  on  ! 
go  on !  go  on !  "  while  the  opponents  yell  with  a  sort  of  tremulous  derisiveness 
"  hee-aih !  hee-aih !  "  Nor  is  this  all.  for  those  on  the  opposing  side  make  faces 
and  grimaces  at  each  other  and  give  utterance  to  all  sorts  of  ridiculous  and 
.absurd  things,  hoping  thus  to  distract  the  attention  of  their  rivals,  to  discourage 
them,  or  in  some  other  way  to  induce  loss.     ... 

When  all  the  beans  have  been  won.  the  ceremonial  game  is  at  an  end  and  the 
slakes  are  divided,  each  better  getting  his  own  article  along  with  the  one 
attached  to  it. 

Similar  games  may  be  played  afterward  "  just  for  fun."  as  often  as  the 
people  please. 

The  peach-stone  game  is  one  of  the  most  popular  gambling  exercises  on  the 
Reserve  and  is  often  played  among  friends  in  each  other's  houses.  The  pagans 
religiously  abstain  from  card  playing  in  accordance,  it  may  be  remembered, 
with  the  injunctions  of  Hoh-shah-honh  and  Sos<^-a-wa.  the  immediate  successors 
of  Ska-ne-o-dy'-o.  both  of  whom  taught  that,  as  this  was  a  white  man's  device,  it 
must  be  shunned." 

»  .Mr  Boyle  writes:  "The  description  of  the  prach-stone  game  applies  to  the  method  of 
pla.Tlng  by  all  the  pagao  nations — Seneca.  Cayuga,  and  Onondaga,  although  the  Seneca 
are  referred  to  In  my  report.  As  the  Oneida  and  Tuscarora  are  professedly  Christian, 
the  game  is  not  Indulged  In  by  them." 


BOWL    OF 
WOMAN  X      BEJNS     X  WOMAN 
<MN  X     O      X   '>WN 


Fig.  119.    Position  of  players  in  bowl  game;  Seneca  Indians,. 
Ontario;  from  Boyle. 


118 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [bth.  ann.  2-1 


The  implements  for  a  Seneca  bowl  game  collected  by  Mr  John 
N.  B.  Hewitt,  of  the  Bureau  of  American  P^thnology  (cat.  no.  21073, 
Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania),  from 
the   Seneca   Indians,    Cattaraugus 
reservation,    Cattaraugus     county, 
N.   Y.,  consist  of  a  wooden  bowl 
(figure  120)  9§  inches  in  diameter 
and  six  dice  made  of  fruit  stones. 
A  set  of  bone  gaming  disks  from 


Fig.  lai. 


Pig.  131. 


Fio.  120.    Peach-stone  bowl  game;  diameter  of  bowl,  91  inches;  Seneca  Indians,  New  York;  cat. 

no.  2107.S,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  121.    Bone  dice;  diameter.  }  inch;  Seneca  Indians,  New  Yorli;  cat.  no.  21073,  Free  Museum 

of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

the  same  tribe  and  place  are  represented  in  figure  121.  As  will  be 
seen,  they  are  eight  in  number  and  marked  on  one  side,  in  a  way 
similar  to  those  of  the  Micmac  and  Penobscot. 

TuscARORA.     North  Carolina. 

Referring  to  the  North  Carolina  Indians,  John  Lawson "  writes : 

They  have  sever.il  other  games,  as  with  the  kernels  or  stones  of  persimmons, 
which  are  in  effect  the  same  as  our  dice,  because  winning  or  losing  depends  on 
which  side  appears  uppermost  and  how  they  happen  to  fall  together. 

Again,  speaking  of  their  gambling,  he  says :  ^ 

Their  arithmetic  was  kept  with  a  heap  of  Indian  grain. 

He  does  not  specify  this  game  as  played  by  any  particular  tribe 
in  North  Carolina,  and  it  was  probably  common  to  all  of  them. 

Wyandot.     Kansas. 

Mr  William  E.  Connelley  writes  me  as  follows: 

There  is  little  I  can  say  about  games.  The  Wyandot  are  now  three-fourths 
white  in  blood.  There  is  scarcely  a  quarter-blood  to  be  found  in  some  neigh- 
borhoods.    Until  they  came  to  Kansas  in  1843  they  kept  up  the  game  between 


°  The  History  of  North  Carolina,  p.  176,  London,  1714. 


•>  Ibid.,  p.  27. 


CULIN] 


DICE  games:  kerbs 


119 


the  divisions  of  the  tribe  at  the  celebration  of  the  green-corn  feast.  This  game 
was  played  with  uiarlced  plum  seeds,  and  exactly  as  the  Seneca  played  it 
and  play  it  yet.     The  ancient  divisions  of  the  tribe  are  as  follows:  " 

First  division:  1,  Bear;  2,  Deer;  3,  Snake:  4,  Hawk.  Second  division: 
1,  Big  Turtle;  2,  Little  Turtle;  .3,  Mud  Turtle;  -t.  Beaver;  5,  Porcupine;  6, 
Striped  Turtle;  7,  Highland  Turtle,  or  Prairie  Turtle.  Mediator,  umpire, 
executive  power,  the  Wolf  clan.  These  are  the  phratries  of  the  tribe.  For 
the  purpose  of  gambling  or  playing  the  final  game  of  the  green-corn  feast  fes- 
tivities, the  tribe  separated  into  its  phratries.  The  Wolf  clan  was  not  permitted 
to  take  sides.  It  was  always  the  office  of  this  clan  to  act  as  the  executive 
power  of  the  tribe  and  settle  all  disputes ;  but  a  certain  portion  of  the 
winnings  of  the  successful  party  was  given  to  the  Wolf  clan.  The  game  was 
played  exactly  as  played  by  the  Seneca.  The  ending  of  th^  game  terminated 
the  festivities,  as  it  does  to-day  in  the  Seneca.  The  dances  were  partly 
games  and  partly  ceremonies,  often  engaged  in  for  amusement  alone.  But  1 
could  never  get  enough  information  to  warrant  me  in  sa^^ing  where  amusement 
left  off  and  ceremony  began.  The  gambling  at  the  close  of  the  green-corn 
feast  is  the  only  game  I  could  get  any  definite  information  about. 

KERESAN    STOCK 

Keres.     Acoma,  New  Mexico.      (Brooklyn  Institute  Museum.) 
Cat.  no.  4976.     Four  split  canes,  5  inches  in  length,  marked  on  convex 
side  with  cut  designs  painted  black  as  shown  in  figure  122. 
The  reverses  are  painted  with  black  marks,  precisely  like  those  of 
the  Zuni  sholiwe.    The  cut  designs  represent  a  water  bug.  gamasku,  a 


^---^^-^^^^^^ae 


^^ 


Pig.  122.  Fig.  123. 

Fio.  122.  Cane  dice;  length,  5  inches;  Keres  Indians,  Acoma.  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  4976,  Brook- 
lyn Institute  Museum. 

Fig.  las.  Cane  dice;  length,  61  inches;  Keres  Indians,  Acoma.  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  4975,  Brook- 
lyn Institute  Museum. 

word  which  also  means  spider.  The  Zuni  call  this  gannastepi,  and 
use  it  in  precisely  the  same  way  as  a  mark  on  their  sholiwe  (see  fig- 
ure 289). 

Cat.  no.  4975.     Four  split  canes,  6i  inches  in  length,  marked  as  shown 
in  figure  123. 


'  Wyandot  Folk-lore,  p.  26,  Topeka,  Kans.,  1899. 


120 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       Teth.  asm.  24 


Fig.  124.  Stick  dine :  length,  5i  inches; 
Keres  Indians,  Acoma,  New  Mex- 
ico; cat.  no.  49*3,  Brooklyn  Insti- 
tute Museum. 


Both  of  the  above  were  made  for  the  writer  in  1904  by  James  H. 
Miller,  an  Acoma  Indian  living  at  Zuiii,  who  furnished  the  following 
particulars : 

The  game  is  called  bish-i,  and  the  four  canes  receive  the  following  names : 
Stick  marked  at  one  end,  bish-i,  the  same  as  the  game,  after  a  great  gambler 

of  the  olden  time;  stick  marked  in  the  mid- 
dle, tsoi-yo,  woman  ;  stick  marked  at  both  ends, 
gosh,  the  name  of  a  man ;  stick  marked  entire 
length,  tel-i.  woman. 

The  first  and  last  two  are  paired,  as  if  part- 
ners. In  playing,  a  basket,  o-ta-ni,  covered  with 
buckskin,  is  hung  concave  side  down  and  the 
canes  tossed  against  it,  so  that  they  fall  on  a 
blanket  spread  beneath  it  on  the  ground.  In 
throwing  the  canes  three  of  them  are  slid,  concave  side  up,  one  inside  of  the 
other,  with  the  top  one  projecting  and  one  or  the  other  of  the  first  two  crossed 
beneath  them,  as  in  Zuiii. 

The  counts,  which  resemble  those  in  Zuiii.  althougfh.  according  to 
Miller's  statement  not  precisely  the  same, 
are  extremely  complicated.    Among  them 
is  the  following : 

Three  convex  sides  up  and  the  stick  marked 
in  the  middle  or  at  one  end  coneav^  side  up, 
and  cro.ssed  beneath  others,  counts  .3. 

The  game  is  counted  with  twelve  grains 
of  white  corn.  They  blow  their  breath  on  the 
canes  before  tossing  them.  The  game  was  in- 
vented by  Gau-pot.  He  was  the  greatest  of 
gamblers,  and  lost  everything.  He  played 
against  the  sun  and  was  beaten,  and  lost 
his  eyes  and  became  blind.  Bish-i  is  played  in 
winter  in  the  estufas,  and  there  is  a  society, 
the  Bi.sh-i  society,  devoted  to  it.  Women  don't  play  and  are  not  even  allowed  to 
touch  the  sticks,  Acoma  Indians  regard  it  as  one  of  their  original  games  and 
not  as  borrowed  from  Zuni. 

Keres.     Acoma,  New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  4972,  Brooklyn  Institute 

Museum.) 
Set  of  three  stick  dice  (figure  124),  ai  inches  in  length,  black  on  one 
side  and  plain  white  on  the  other. 
They  were  made  for  the  writer  by  James  H.  Miller.     He  gave  the 
name  as  owasakut.     The  counts  are  as  follows: 

Three  black  counts  10;  three  white,  5;  two  white,  2;  one  white,  3.  The 
game  is  counted  around  a  circle  of  thirty  stones,  yow-wu-ni  [figure  12."].  with 
little  sticks  called  horses.  There  are  three  openings  in  the  stone  circle,  which 
are  called  tsi-a-ma,  door. 

Acoma,  New  Mexico. 

The  Acoma  Indian,  James  H.  Miller,  described  also  the  following 
game  to  the  writer  under  the  name  of  inaani,  to  throw  up : 


Fig.  125.  Circuit  for  stick  dice;  Kerea 
Indians,  Acoma,  New  Mexico. 


CULIN] 


DICE    GAMES  :    KEEES 


121 


A  piece  of  bone,  white  on  one  skle  and  black  on  the  other,  is  tossed  with  the 
fingers.  Black  counts  10  and  white  5.  Black  gives  another  throw.  The  count 
is  30,  and  is  kept  by  making  marks  on  the  ground.  Formerly  a  deer  bone  was 
used,  but  now  a  sheep  bone  is  substituted. 

Kerbs.     Cochiti,  New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  4977,  Brooklyn  Institute 

Museum.) 
Three  sticks,  4  inches  in  length,  flat  on  one  side  and  convex  on  the 
other,  one  of  the  flat  sticks  marked  on  the  round  side  with  four- 
teen or  fifteen  notches  with  two  crossed  notches,  as  shown  in 
figure  126. 
They  were  collected  by  the  writer  in  1904,  and  were  made  by  a 
Cochiti  boy  at  St  Michael.  Arizona,  named  Fran- 
cisco Chaves  (Kogit).     He  gave  this  account : 

The  sticks  are  thrown,  ends  down,  on  a  flat  stone.  The 
counts  are  as  follows :  Three  round  sides  up  counts  10 ; 
three  flat  sides  up.  5 ;  the  marked  stick  round  side  up 
and  the  other  two  flat  side  up.  15 :  one  round  side  up  and 
two  flat.  2 :  one  flat  side  up  and  two  round,  2.  The  game 
is  counted  around  a  circle  of  forty  stones  with  markers 
called  horses. 


9 


■  Laguna,  New  Mexico.     ( Cat.  no.  61819,  Field 
Columbian  Museimi.) 


Fig.  126.  Stick  dice; 
leugth,  4  inches; 
Keres  Indians.  Co- 
chiti, New  Mexico; 
cat.  no.  4977.  Brook- 
lyn Institute  Mu- 
seum. 


Three  flat  wooden  blocks,  4^  by  If  inches,  with  one 

side  plain  and  one  side  painted  red.     One  of 

the  block  has  fifteen  notches,  ten  of  which  are  on  one  edge  and 

five  on  the  other,  as  shown  in  figure  127.     Collected  by  Dr  C.  E. 

Lukens. 

The  following  detailed  account  of  the  game,  under  the  name  of 

owasokotz,  which  was  furnished  by  the  collector,  appears  on  the 

museum  label : 

The  game  is  played  with  three  billets 
of  wood,  painted  black  on  one  side,  white 
on  the  other,  one  of  the  white  sides  hav- 
ing fifteen  notches  on  it,  the  other  plain. 
Each  player  has  a  small  stick  to  use 
as  a  marker,  formerly  known  as  o-poia- 
nia-ma,  but  of  late  called  a  horse.  "  be- 
cause it  goes  so  fast ;  "  a  flat  stone,  the 
size  of  the  hand,  used  as  a  center  stone, 
upon  which  the  billets  are  dropped  :  and 
forty  small  stones,  the  size  of  a  hen"s  egg. 
These  forty  stones  are  placed  on  the  ground  in  the  form  of  a  circle,  with  four 
openings,  or  doors,  called  si-am-ma,  always  facing  the  four  cardinal  points.  The 
play  always  begins  at  the  east  door,  but  after  that  the.v  play  whichever  way  they 
choose.  Each  player  ma.v  go  a  different  way  if  he  chooses ;  as  many  as  wish  can 
play,  or  they  may  pla.v  partners.  At  the  lie.sinning  of  the  play  the  horses  are 
placed  at  the  east  door.  A  player  takes  up  the  billets  and.  placing  the  ends  even 
with  one  hand,  strikes  them  ends  down  on  the  center  stone  like  dice ;  the  count 


Pig.  127.  Stick  dice:  length,  4}  inches; 
Keres  Indians,  Laguna.  Ne^r  Mexico: 
cat.  no.  61819,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 


122 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth,  anx,  24 


DOOR 


o 
o 
o 
o 
_o 

VVE5T    DOOR 

O 

o 


o 


o 


ooO|  IOOq 


'o, 


Q 


is  determined  by  the  manner  of  the  fall,  and  he  then  moves  his  horses  up  as 
many  stones  as  he  makes ;  if  he  gets  around  to  the  starting  point  first,  he  wins. 
There  are  two  ways  of  playing — one  is  called  pass,  the  other  enter.  In  pass, 
if  one  makes  a  score  which  lands  him  exactly  in  the  starting,  or  east,  door,  he 
must  go  around  again  until  he  lands  in  the  proper  place.     In  enter,  if  A  should 

laud  his  horse  on  the  top 
of  his  opponent's  horse,  he 
kills  him.  and  he  goes  back 
to  the  beginning,  but  if  A 
'0„  reaches    the    starting    point 

first,  he  falls  in  and  wins, 
even  if  the  number  of  stones 
made  should  carry  him  be- 
yond. The  count  otherwise 
is  just  the  same  in  both. 
The  blocks  may  fall  within 
or  without  the  ring.  If  one 
block  should  fall  nn  edge, 
not  leaning,  then  tlie  pla.ver 
lays  it  on  the  center  stone 
and  strikes  it  with  another 
billet,  but  if  the  notched 
billet  is  lying  face  down,  it 
must  not  be  used  to  strike 
m  edge  it  must  be  picked  up  and  thrown 


CENTRE       STONE 


o 

o 
o_ 

EAST   DOOR 

o 


o^ 


o 


^Ooo|  |oo 

SOUTf  I        DOOR 


o 


o° 


o 
o 
o 


Fig.  128. 


Circuit  for  stick  dice;  Keres  Indians,  Laguua.  New 
Mexico;  from  sketch  by  Dr  C.  E.  Lukens. 


with ;  when  the  notched  block  stand 
on  the  center  stone. 

The  count  is  as  follows :  Two  black  sides  up, 
with  oue  white  notched,  15  stones ;  three  white 
sides  up,  10  (when  a  player  makes  10  or  1.5  he 
may  strike  again,  and  as  many  times  as  he 
makes  these  large  numbers)  ;  two  blacks  up  and 
one  white,  not  notched,  3 ;  two  white  and  one 
black  up.  2 ;  three  blacks  up,  5. 

Keres.     Lagiina,  New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no. 
38500,  Free  Museum  of  Science 
and  Art.  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania.) 
Three  flat  Iilocks   (figure  1-29),  .3J  inches 
in  length,  painted  black  on  one  side 
the  other  plain. 
One  has  1.)  notches  on  the  edge  of  the 
white   side.     Made    for    the   writer   hj-    a 
Laguna  youth,  at  the  Pan-American  E.\- 
position.  Buffalo.  1903.     He  describes  them  as  used  in  the  game  of 
patol.  or.  in  their  own  language,  wasokutz. 

Laguna,  New  Mexico. 

Capt.  George  H.  Pradt.  a  resident  of  the  pueblo  of  Laguna  for 
many  years,  writes  as  follows: 

The  game  played  with  a  circle  of  small  stones  is  called,  by  the  Keres  Indians, 


Fig.  129.  Stick  dice;  lengrth,  3j 
iuohes;  Keres  Indians.  Laguna, 
New  Me.iico;  cat.  no.  3.'<.5UO,  Free 
Miiseum  of  Science  and  Art, 
University  of  Pennsylvania. 


CULIX]  DICE    GAMES  :    KERES 


123 


ka-w-a-su-kuts.o  The  stones  number  40.  and  are  divided  into  tens  by  openings 
called  doors  or  gates  called  si-am-uia  :  the  doors  are  placed  north,  south,  east, 
and  west. 

In  the  center  of  the  circle  is  placed  a  flat  stone,  upon  which  are  thrown  the 
three  counters.  These  are  flat  pieces  of  wood  about  4  inches  long,  one-half  of 
an  inch  wide,  and  one-eighth  of  an  inch  thick,  painted  black  on  one  side,  and 
marked  with  two,  three,  and  ten  marks,  respective!}-.  The  counters  are  flrmly 
grasped  with  the  ends  down  and  forcibly  thrown,  ends  down,  on  the  stone  in 
the  center  in  such  a  manner  that  they  will  rebound,  and  the  marks,  if  any  are 
uppermost,  are  counted,  and  the  player  lays  his  marker,  a  small  stick  like  a 
pencil,  between  the  stones  the  proper  distance 

from  the  starting  point,  to  record  the  number.       OOOOOOOOOC 
The  starting  point  is  one  of  the  doors,  which-        q  O 

ever  is  selected,   and  the  game   is  played   by       ^  ^ 

any  number  that  can  assemble  around  the 
circle.  A  player  can  go  around  the  circle  in 
either  direction,  but  if  another  player  arrives       O  I        j  O 

at  the  same  point  he  kills  the  previous  player.       O  I |  O 

and  that  one  is  obliged  to  go  back  to  the  start-       o  O 

ing  point ;  the  first  one  making  the  circuit  sue-       q  q 

cessfully   wins   the   game,   which    is   generally 
played  for  a  small  stake.     The  game  is  modi- 
fied sometimes  liy  ruling  that  if  a  player  falls       OOOOOOOOOO 
into  one  of  the  doors  he  must  go  back,  but  in     Fig.  i;M.    Circuit  for  stick-dice  game, 
this  case  the  player  is  not  obliged  to  go  back  if        ^eres  Indians,  Sia,  New  Mexico; 

. ,        ,  .  ,  .    i  ,  from  Mrs  Stevenson, 

another  happens  to  mark  as  many  points  as  he. 

Sometimes  a  round  stone  is  painted  to  resemble  a  face  and  has  a  wreath  of 
evergreens  placed  around  it  and  is  used  as  a  mascot ;  it  is  placed  to  one  side 
of  the  circle  and  is  appealed  to  by  the  players  to  give  them  good  numbers ; 
this  mascot  is  generally  called  kflm-mQshk-ko-yo,  a  traditional  fairy,  or  witch. 
The  name  means  the  old  spider  woman. 

Kerbs.     Sia.  New  Mexico. 

Mrs  Matilda  Coxe  Stevenson ''  gives  a  description  of  the  game  as 
played  by  the  Sia  under  the  name  of  wash'kasi,  of  which  the  follow- 
ing is  an  abstract : 

Forty  pebbles  form  a  square,  ten  pebbles  on  a  side,  with  a  flat  stone  in  the 
center  of  the  square  [figure  130].  Four  flat  blocks,  painted  black  on  one  side 
and  unpainted  on  the  other,  are  held  vertically  and  dropped  upon  the  stone. 
The  counts  are  as  follows :  Four  painted  sides  up,  10 ;  four  unpainted  sides  up, 
6 :  three  painted  sides  up,  3 :  two  painted  sides  up,  2 :  one  painted  side  up,  — . 
The  players  move  in  opposite  directions,  both  starting  at  one  of  the  corners. 
The  game  is  described  as  the  first  of  four  games  played  by  ro'shaiytinne.  the  Sia 
culture  hero,  with  the  tribal  priest.  The  stake  was  the  latter's  house  in  the 
north.  The  .second  of  the  four  games  is  of  the  bowl  class,  which  I  have  included 
in  this  series.  The  stake  in  this  game  was  the  ti'amoni,  or  priest's,  house  in 
the  west.  It  was  played  with  six  2-ineh  cubes,  which  were  highly  polished 
and  painted  on  one  side.  These  were  tossed  up  in  a  large  bowl  held  with  each 
hand.  When  three  painted  sides  are  up,  the  game  is  won ;  with  only  two 
painted  sides  up.  the  game  is  lost.  Six  painted  sides  up  is  equivalent  to  a  march 
In  euchre.  The  games  that  followed  were,  first,  a  game  played  with  fonr  sticks 
with  hollow  ends,  under  one  of  which  a  pebble  was  hidden.     This  was  played 

«  Meaning  a  punch,  or  sudden  blow,  the  only  name  the  Lagunas  have  for  it. 
'The  Sia.      Eleveutb  .\nuual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  60.  1894. 


124  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 

for  the  priest's  house  in  the  south.  Second,  a  game  played  with  four  little 
mounds  of  sand,  in  one  of  which  a  small  round  stone  was  hidden.  This  was 
played  for  the  priest's  house  in  the  east.  The  games  were  then  repeated  in  the 
same  order,  commencing  with  wash'kasi  for  the  house  in  the  zenith,  the  game 
with  the  six  blocks  for  the  house  in  the  nadir,  and,  fiually,  the  third  in  order, 
that  with  the  four  sticks  with  hollow  ends,  for  all  the  people  of  the  tribe. 

Mr  Charles  F.  Lummis  informed  the  writer  that  he  had  witnessed 
the  game  with  the  staves  or  blocks  in  the  following  pueblos  belong- 
ing to  this  stock :  Acoma,  Cochiti,  Laguna,  El  Rito  (Lagiina  colony), 
and  San  Felipe. 

KIOWAN    STOCK 

Kiowa.     Oklahoma.     (Cat.  no.  16535,  16536,  Free  Museum  of  Sci- 
ence and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Set  of  four  sticks  of  willow  wood,  called  ahl  (wood).  10  inches  in 

length,  five-eighths  of  an  inch  in  width,  and  three-eighths  of  an 

inch  in  thickness  (figure  131),  nearly  hemispheric  in  section,  with 

one  side  flat. 
Three  of  the  sticks  have  a  red  groove  running  down  the  middle 
on  the  flat  side,  and  one  has  a  blue  stripe.  The  last  has  a  burnt 
design  on  the  reverse,  as  shown  in  the  figure,  while  the  backs  of  the 
others  are  plain.  The  flat  sides  are  also  burnt,  with  featherlike 
markings  at  the  ends. 
A  cotton  clotli.  41  by  48i  inches,  marked  as  shown  in  figure  133, 

called  the  ahl  cloth ;  a  flat  bowlder,  called  the  ahl  stone ;  two 

awls,  sharpened  wires,  with  wooden  handles,  6|  inches  in  length ; 

eight  sticks,  8f  inches  in  length,  to  be  used  as  counters  (figure 

132). 
These  objects  were  collected  by  Col.  H.  L.  Scott,  U.  S.  Army,  who 
furnished  the  following  descrii)tion  of  the  game,  under  the  title  of 
zohn  ahl  (zohn,  creek;  ahl,  wood),  commonly  known  as  the  ahl  game: 

The  ahl   cloth   is  divided  into  points   Ijy   which  the  game   is  counted.     The 

curved  lines  are  called  knees,  because  they 
are  like  the  knees  of  the  players.     The  space 
between  the  parallel  lines  1  <rnd  1  and  20 
and  20  is  called  the  creek,  and  the  corre- 
sponding spaces  between  the  parallel  lines 
at  right  angles  are  called  the  di'y  lirauches. 
The  sticks  are  held  by  the  players  in  one 
Fio.  131.    Stick  dice;  length,  10  Inches;       hand   and  struck   downward,   so   that   their 
Kiowa   Indians,   Oklahoma;    cat.    no.       ends  come  on  the  ahl  stone  with  consider- 
J6536,   Free    Museum    ot    Science  and        .^^^^   j^^.^g       jf  j^jj   j^g   g^j^j-j,    f,,„    „.jj^   ^^^ 

Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Sides  without  grooves  uppermost,  the  play 

is  called  white,  and  counts  10.     If  all  the  grooved  sides  come  uppermost,  it  is 

called  red,  and  counts  .5.     Both  of  these  throws  entitle  the  player  to  another 

throw.     If  one  grooved  side  is  uppermost,   it  counts  1:  two  grooved  sides,  2, 

and  three  grooved  sides,  3.     The  game  is  pla.ved  by  any  even  number  of  girls 

or  women  (never  by  men  or  boys),  half  on  one  side  the  line  N  S  and  half  on 


COLIN] 


DICE    GAMES  :    KIOWA 


125 


the  other.  The  flat  ahl  stone  is  placed  iu  the  middle  of  the  cloth,  and  tne 
players  kneel  on  the  edge.  The  two  awls  are  stuck  in  the  creek  at  1  1.  The 
player  at  A  makes  the  first  throw,  and  the  throwing  goes  around  the  circle 


GfT 


i^ 


:^ 


Fig.  132.  Counting  sticks  and  awls  for  ahl  (stick-dice  i  game;  lengths,  8f  and  fjj  inches;  Kiowa 
Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  165.%,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

/ 
in  the  direction  of  the  hands  of  a  watch,  each  side  counting  the  results  of  each 
throw  on  the  ahl  cloth  by  .sticking  its  awl  just  be.yond  the  mark  called  for  by 
the  results  of  the  throw.     The  moves  are  made  in  the  opposite  directions,  as 
indicated  by  the  arrows. 


•i 


i* 


•  •  • 


Pig.  133.    Cloth  for  ahl  game;  Kiowa  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  16535,  Free  Museum  of  Science 
and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

If  in  counting  any  awl  gets  into  the  creek  at  N,  that  side  must  forfeit  a 
counter  to  the  other  side  and  be  set  back  to  the  creek  at  S.  That  side  is 
then  said  to  have  fallen  into  the  creek,  the  object  being  to  jump  over.     If  in 


126  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  AX.x.  24 

tbeir  passage  around  the  circle  the  two  awls  get  into  the  same  division,  the 
last  comer  is  said  to  whip  or  kill  the  former,  who  forfeits  a  counter  and  is 
set  back  to  the  beginning.  The  counting  continues  until  one  gets  back  to  the 
creek  at  S.  The  one  first  at  S  receives  a  counter,  and  if  there  is  more  than 
enough  to  take  it  to  the  creek  the  surplus  is  added  to  the  next  round ;  that 
is.  the  creek  is  jumped,  and  the  awl  put  beyond  it  as  many  points  as  may  be 
over.  When  one  side  wins  all  the  counters,  it  conquers.  If  the  game, should 
he  broken  up  before  this  event  the  side  which  has  the  greater  number  of 
counters  is  victor. 

Colonel  Scott  further  states : 

The  Kiowa  have  a  custom  of  wetting  the  fingers  and  slapping  them  several 
times  on  the  stone  before  a  throw,  and  calling  out  "red.  red."  or  "white, 
white,"  according  to  the  number  they  desire  to  count:  or.  it  hut  "one"  should 
be  required  to  throw  the  opposite  part.v  into  the  "  creek."  some  one  puts  her 
finger  into  her  mouth,  and.  drawing  it  carefully  across  the  top  of  the  stone, 
calls  out  "  parko.  parko  "  ("one,  one").  Often  before  the  throw  the  thrower 
will  rub  the  four  sticks  in  a  vertical  position  backward  and  forward  several 
times  between  the  palms  of  the  hands,  to  insure  good  luck. 

■  The  Comanche  have  a  similar  game  which  they  play  with  eight  ahl  sticks, 
and  the  Cheyenne  and  Arapaho  are  said  to  have  a  game  which  they  play  with 
ahl  sticks  which  are  2  feet  or  more  long. 

Kiowa.     Oklahoma.      (Cat.  no.   152908«,    United    States    National 

Museum.) 
Set  of  four  sticks  of  willow  wood,  7  inches  in  length,  three-eighths  of 
an  inch  in  width,  and  three-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  thickness, 
nearly  hemispherical  in  section,  with  one  side  flat,  and  ha^ang  a 
deep  groove. 
The  stick  is  doubtless  a  substitute  for  the  cane,  like  that  used  by 
the  Zuiii.  as  suggested  by  Mr  Cushing.     Three  of  the  grooves  are 
painted  red,  these  sticks  having  two  oblique  marks  burnt  across  the 
grooved  face  near  each  end.     The  fourth  stick  has  the  groove  painted 
black,  with  three  lines  burnt  across  the  middle  in  addition  to  those 
at  the  ends.     Its  rounded  reverse  is  marked  with  a  star  in  the  center, 
composed  of  four  crossed  lines  burnt  in  the  wood.     The  rounded 
sides  of  the  others  are  plain. 

The  collector,  Mr  James  Mooney,"  prefaces  his  account  of  the 
game  with  the  following  song,  employed  in  the  ghost  dance : 

Hise'  hi,  hise'  hi, 
Hii'  tine'  biiku'  tha'  na, 
Ha'  tine'  baku'  tha'  na, 
Hati'  ta-u'  seta'  na, 
Hati'  ta-u'  seta'  na. 
My  comrade,  my  comrade. 
Let  us  play  the  awl  game, 
Let  us  play  the  awl  game, 
Let  us  play  the  dice  game. 
Let  us  play  the  dice  game. 

»  The  Ghost  Dance  Religion.  Fourteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology, 
pt   2.  p.  1002.  1896. 


CCLIN]  DICE    games:    KIOWA  127 

The  womau  who  composetl  this  soug  tells  how,  on  wakiug  up  in  the  spirit 
world,  she  met  there  a  party  of  her  former  girl  companions  and  sat  down  with 
them  to  play  the  two  games  universally  popular  with  the  prairie  tribes. 

The  first  is  called  ne'liiiku'thana  by  the  Arapaho  and  tsoua.  or  awl  game 
(from  tsoi),  an  awl)  by  the  Kiowa,  on  account  of  an  awl,  the  Indian  woman's 
substitute  for  a  needle,  being  used  to  keep  record  of  the  score.  The  game  is 
becoming  obsolete  in  the  north,  but  it  is  the  everyday  summer  amusement  of 
the  women  among  the  Kiowa,  Comanche,  and  Apache  in  the  southern  plains. 
It  is  very  amusing  on  account  of  the  unforeseen  rivers  and  whips  that  are 
constantly  turning  up  to  disappoint  the  expectant  winner,  and  a  party  of 
women  will  frequently  sit  around  the  blanket  for  half  a  day  at  a  time  with  a 
constant  ripple  of  laughter  and  good-humored  .iokes  as  they  follow  the  chances 
of  the  play.  It  would  make  a  very  pretty  picnic  game,  or  could  be  readily 
adapted  to  the  parlor  of  civilization. 

The  players  sit  on  the  ground  around  a  blanket  marked  in  charcoal  with 
lines  and  dots  and  quadrants  in  the  corners,  as  shown  in  figure  []o.3].  In  the 
center  is  a  stone  upon  which  the  sticks  are  thrown.  Each  dot,  excepting  those 
between  the  parallels,  counts  a  point,  making  24  points  for  dots.  Each  of  the 
parallel  lines  and  each  end  of  the  curved  lines  at  the  corners  also  counts  a 
point,  making  16  points  for  the  lines,  or  40  points  In  all.  The  players  start 
at  the  bottom,  opposing  players  moving  in  opposite  directions,  and  with  each 
throw  of  the  sticks  the  thrower  moves  her  awl  forward  and  sticks  it  into  the 
blanket  at  the  dot  or  line  to  which  her  throw  carries  her.  The  parallels  on 
each  of  the  four  sides  are  called  rivers,  and  the  dots  within  these  parallels  do 
not  count  in  the  game.  The  rivers  at  the  top  and  bottom  are  dangerous  and 
can  not  be  crossed,  and  when  the  player  is  so  unlucky  as  to  score  a  throw  which 
brings  her  upon  the  edge  of  the  river  (i.  e..  upon  the  first  line  of  either  of  these 
pairs  of  parallels)  she  falls  into  the  river  and  must  lose  all  she  has  hitherto 
gained,  and  begin  again  at  the  start.  In  the  same  way,  when  a  player  moving 
around  in  one  direction  makes  a  throw  which  brings  her  awl  to  the  place 
occupied  by  the  awl  of  her  opponent  coming  around  from  the  other  side  the 
said  opponent  is  whipped  back  to  the  starting  point  and  must  begin  all  over 
again.  Thus  there  is  a  constant  succession  of  unforeseen  accidents,  which 
furnish  endless  amusement  to  the  players. 

The  game  is  played  with  four  sticks,  each  from  0  to  10  inches  long,  flat  on 
one  ?ide  and  round  on  the  other.  One  of  these  is  the  trump  stick  and  is 
marked  in  a  distinctive  manner  in  the  center  on  both  sides,  and  is  also  distin- 
guished by  having  a  green  line  along  the  flat  side,  while  the  others  have  each 
a  red  line.  The  Kiowa  call  the  trump  stick  sahe,  green,  on  account  of  the 
green  stripe,  while  the  others  are  called  guadal,  red.  There  are  also  a  number 
of  small  green  sticks,  about  the  size  of  lead  pencils,  for  keeping  tally.  Each 
player  in  turn  takes  up  the  four  sticks  together  in  her  hand  and  throws  them 
down  on  end  upon  the  stone  in  the  center.  The  number  of  points  depends  upon 
the  number  of  flat  or  round  sides  which  turn  up.  A  lucky  throw  with  a  green 
or  trump  stick  generally  gives  the  thrower  another  trial  in  addition.  The 
formula  is :  One  flat  side  up  counts  1 :  one  flat  side  up  (if  sahe),  1  and  another 
throw:  two  flat  sides  up  (with  or  without  sahe),  2;  three  flat  sides  up.  3; 
three  ftot  sides  up  (including  sahet,  .3  and  another  throw:  all  four  flat  sides 
up,  0  and  another  throw  :   all  four  round  sides  up,  10  and  another  throw. 

Cat,  no.  1529086.  Set  of  four  sticks  (figure  134),  of  a  variety  of 
alder.  5i  inches  in  length,  seven-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  width, 
and  one-fourth  of  an  inch  in  thickness;  three  with  groove  painted 
red  on  flat  side  and  one  with  groove  painted  black. 


128 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [ktii.  anx.  24 


The  former  are  burned  with  four  diagonal  naarks.  resembling  the 
feathering  of  an  arrow  on  alternate  sides  of  the  groove  near  each 
end.  The  fourth  stick  has  in  addition  two  parallel  marks  burned 
directly   across  the  middle.     Its  rounded  reverse  is  burned  with  a 

design  in  the  shape  of  a  diamond. 
The  reverses  of  the  others  are  plain. 
Cat.  no.  I.j2908f/.  Set  of  four  sticks 
of  willow  wood  or  chestnut 
sjDrout,  85  inches  in  length, 
three-fourths  of  an  inch  in 
breadth,  and  five-sixteenths  of 
an  inch  in  thickness  (figure 
135). 
Three  have  flat  sides  with  length- 
wise groove  painted  red,  with  par- 
allel oblique  lines  like  arrow- 
feathering  burned  on  alternate  sides 
of  the  groove  at  the  ends,  opposite  to  which  are  similar  marks 
arranged  in  triangles.  The  rounded  reverses  of  these  sticks  are 
plain.  The  fourth  stick  has  an  incised  device  painted  black  and 
resembling  two  feathered  arrows,  the  heads  of  which  meet  a  trans- 
verse band  cut  acx'oss  the  middle.  Its  rounded  side  has  three  parallel 
lines  burned  across  the  center,  on  one  side  of  which  is  an  incised 
design  resembling  a  serpent  and  on  the  other  an  undetermined 
figure. 


Fio .  134.  Stick  dice  (the  lowest  stick  shows 
obverse  of  one  nest  above  it);  length,  5 i 
inches:  Kiowa  Indians,  Oklahoma:  cat.  no, 
'1539(J8^,  United  States  National  Museum. 


^"■A^CM-NJy 


Fio.  135.    Stick  dice  (the  lowest  stick  shows  obverse  of  one  next  above  it);  length,  Kf  inches; 
Kiowa  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  1529fl8rf,  United  States  National  Museum. 

Cat.  no.  152908c.     Set  of  four  sticks  of  elm  wood,  8J  inches  in  length, 

nine-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  width,  and  five-sixteenths  of  an 

inch  in  thickness  (figure  136)  ;  three  with  groove  painted  red 

and  one  with  groove  painted  black. 

The  former  are  burned  with  two  sets  of  pai'allel  marks  about  \\ 


CILIX] 


DICE    GAMES  :    KIOWA 


129 


inches  apart  across  the  grooved  face  near  each  end.     The  fourtli  stick 
has  in  addition  oblique  marks  burned  across  the  center  of  the  same 
side,  with  two  pyramidal  dotted  designs  in  the  center  of  the  opposite 
side,  which  on  the  others  is  plain. 
Cat.  no.  15'2909ff.     Set  of  four  sticks  (figure  137),  5i  inches  in  length, 

seven-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  breadth,  and  three-sixteenths  of  an 

inch  in  thickness:  section  ellipsoidal. 


(MWWm 


"rmmr-'^-^'-imrm 


Fig.  1.36.    Stick  dice  ithe  lowest  stick  shows  obverse  of  one  next  above  itt;  length,  fti  inches; 
Kiowa  Indians,  Oklahoma;  eat.  no.  152908c,  United  States  National  Muspum. 

One  side,  slightly  flatter  than  the  other,  is  grooved  and  marked  with 
fine  cross  lines,  forming  a  lozenge  pattern.  Three  are  painted  red 
and  one  dark  green.  One  of  the  red  sticks  is  burned  in  the  center 
with  two  parallel  marks  obliquely 
across  both  the  grooved  and  the 
opposite  side.  The  green  stick  has 
an  undetermined  figure  burned  in 
the  center  of  the  rounded  side, 
which  on  the  other  two  is  plain. 
Cat.    no.    152909&.     Set    of    four 

sticks,  3|   inches   in  length, 

five-sixteenths   of   an    inch   in 

breadth,  and  one-eighth  of  an 

inch    in    thickness;     the    flat 

sides    grooved    and    painted, 

three  red  and  one  black. 
Cat.    no.    152909c.      Set    of    four 

sticks,  of  inches  in  length,  five-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  breadth, 

and  one-eighth  of  an  inch  in  thickness. 
One  of  the  red  sticks  has  an  oblique  incised  line  cut  across  the  mid- 
dle and  two  parallel  lines  on  the  opposite  (rounded)  side.     The  black 
stick  has  a  small  triangle  cut  lengthwise  in  the  center  of  the  rounded 
side,  across  which  is  a  transverse  incised  line. 

The  flat  sides  are  grooved  and  have  triangular  expansions  of  the 
gi'oove  at  each  end.     Three  are  painted  red  and  one  black;  one  of  the 

-4  ETH — 05  M 9 


I,     -   —   „-^.__^,^.»^. 

Fig.  137.  Stick  dice  ithe  lowest  two  sticks 
show  obverses  of  the  two  next  above); 
length,  rti  inches;  Kiowa  Indians,  Okla- 
homa; cat.  no.  1.52909rf,  United  States  Na- 
tional Museum. 


180 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


red  sticks  is  marked  like  the  one  in  the  preceding,  and  the  black  stick 
in  the  same  manner. 

These  Kiowa  sticks  were  all  collected  by  Mr  James  Mooney.     In 
each  set  there  is  an  odd  stick. 


Tlingit. 
Cat.    no. 


1  9 


Pig.  138.  Ivory  and  wooden  dice;  Tlingit 
Indians,  Alaska;  cat.  no.  E  894,  19  &50, 
E  1859,  19  650,  E  1857,  American  Mnseiim 
of  Natural  History. 


KOLUSCHAN    .STOCK 

Alaska.     (American  Museum  of  Natural  History.) 

Small  ivory  die  (figure  lS8d),  shaped  like  a  chair; 
height  1  inch,  twelve-sixteenths 
of  an  inch  wide  at  back,  and 
ten-sixteenths  of  an  inch  at 
side,  with  a  vertical  hole  from 
top  to  bottom  filled  with  lead. 
It  is  called  ketchu  and  came  from 
Shakan. 

Cat.  no.     ^.     Small    wooden    die 
(figure  1386),  like  preceding,  the  sides  engraved  with  ci'ossed 
lines.     The  back  of  the  die  has  four  lead  plugs  and  a  liole  for  a 
similar  plug.     The  front  has  an  incised  rectangular  design  with 
three  lead  plugs. 
Cat.  no.  E  894.     Small  ivory  die  (figure  138ff),  like  the  preceding; 
height  1  inch,  twelve- 
sixteenths  of  an  inch 
wide    at    back,    and 
eight-sixteentlis  of  an 
inch    at    side;    front 
face     having     small 
plug  of  lead. 
Cat.  no.  E  1857.     Small 
wooden    die     ( figure 
138e),  like  the  pre- 
ceding,    liV     inches 
high,     twelve- six- 
teenths   of    an    inch 
wide    at    back    and 
sides;    the  back  and 
three    sides    marked 
with  incised  lines. 
Cat.  no.  E  1859.     Small 
wooden    die    (figure 
138c),  like  the  pre- 
ceding, fifteen-sixteenths  of  an  inch  high  and  nine-sixteenths  of 
an  inch  wide  at  side;  perfectly  plain. 
All  these  specimens  were  collected  in  Sitka  by  Lieut.  Geqrge  T.  Em- 
mons, U.  S.  Navy.     They  are  designated  as  women's  gambling  dice. 


Fig.  139.  Leather  tablet  on  which  dice  are  thi'own:  lieight, 
7}  inches;  Tlingit  Indians,  Alaslsa;  cat.  no.  E  lidB,  Amer- 
ican Museum  of  Natural  History. 


CDLIN] 


DICE    GAMES  :    POMO 


131 


Dr  Boas  informs  me  that  one  die  is  used.     The  counts  are : 

Either  side  up,  0 ;  Imcli  or  front  up,  1  ;  bottom  up,  2. 

The  dice  are  thrown  upon  a  thick  tablet  of  leather  about  8  inches 
square,  cut  with  a  totemic  device.  One  (cat.  no.  E  606.  figure  139) 
has  the  device  of  a  bear's  head.  Another  (cat.  no.  E  1057)  a  beaver, 
and  still  another  (cat.  no.  E  2404)  an  unidentified  animal. 

Similar  dice  are  used  by  tlie  Ilaida  and  i:)ossibly  by  the  Kwakiutl. 

KULANAPAN  STOCK 

PoMO.     Tculaki.    Mendocino    county,    California.      (Cat.    no.    54473, 

Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Six  wooden  staves  (figure  140),  17  inches  in  length,  fiat  on  one  side, 
the  oth^r  convex,  with  rounded  ends,  the  convex  faces  decorated 
with  l)urned  designs,  in  two  slightly  different  patterns;  accom- 
panied with  twelve  counting  sticks,  rudely  whittled,  11   inches 
in  length. 
The  collector.  Dr  George  .\.  Dorsey,  who  obtained  these  objects  in 
1899,  describes  the  game  as  follows : 


Pio.  140.    Stick  dice;  length,  17  inches;  Pomo  Indians.  TculaH,  California;  cat.  no.  54473,  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 

Name,  ka-dai.  Twelve  is  the  game.  All  white,  kule-laile-ka,  counts  2:  all 
black,  katse-mal  da  butchin,  counts  .3:  three  white,  three  black,  bubu-kule-ka, 
counts  1.     It  is  pla.ved  by  women. 

Ukiah,  California.     (Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Cat.  no.  61085.  Six  staves  (figure  141)  of  elder  wood,  10  inches  in 
length,  similar  to  the  preceding,  decorated  alike  on  the  rounded 
face  with  a  burned  figure,  designated  as  kawinatcedi,  turtle-back 
pattern. 


132  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS  ,  [eth.  ann.  24 

Collected  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey,  who  gives  the  counts  us  folh)\vs: 

Three  plain  up  counts  3 ;  three  plain  down,  1 ;  six  plain  up,  6 ;  six  uuirlied 
up,  2. 


Pig.  141.    Stick  dice;  length,  11)  inches;  Pomn  Indians,  Ukiah,  California;  cat.  no.  61085,  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 

Cat.  no.  61086.     Six  staves    (figure   142).  similar  to  preceding,   11 

inches  in  length,  four  marked  alike  and  two  slightly  different, 

with  turtle-rib  pattern,  kawinamisat. 
Cat.  no.  61087.     Six  staves    (figure  143),  similar  to  the  preceding, 

made  of  elder,  12  inches  in  length,  marked  alike  with  hododudu- 

ciba,  the  milk-snake  pattern. 


Pig.  142.    Stick  dice;  length,  11  inches;  Pomo  Indians,  Ukiah,  California;  cat.  uo.  61086,  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 

Cat.  no.  61146.  Six  staves  (figure  144).  similar  to  the  preceding, 
lOf  inches  in  length;  four  marked  alike  and  two  differently,  the 
counts  varying  much. 

Cat.  no.  61166.  Six  staves  (figure  145),  similar  to  the  preceding, 
14f  inches  in  length,  all  marked  differently  with  burnt  design. 


CULIN] 


DICE    GAMES  :    POMO 


133 


Cat.  no.  fillTl.  Six  staves  (figure  14()).  like  the  preceding,  made  of 
elder,  11  inches  in  length  and  marked  alike.  Collected  by  Dr 
George  A.  Dorsey. 


Pig.  143. 


Fig.  144. 


mnzmmm^m 


i^ 


Txrj^m 


Fig.  145.  Fig.  146. 

Fig.  143.    Stick  dice;  length,  12  inches;  Porno  Indians,  Ukiah,  California;  cat.  no.  61087,  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  144.    Stick  dice;  length,  10}  inches;  Porno  Indians,  Ukiah,  California;  cat.  no.  IU146.  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 
FlQ.  145.    Stick  dice;  length,  14f  inches;  Pomo  Indians,  Ukiah,  California;  cat.  no.  HUeti,  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 
Pig.  146.    Stick  dice;  length,  11  inches;  Pomo  Indians,  Ukiah,  California;  cat.  no.  61174,  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 

Cat.  no.  61175.  Six  staves  (figure  147).  8  inches  in  length,  of  Salix 
sitchensis,  mai-ked  alike,  designated  as  kadai  kawiatan  (toy  for 
child). 


134 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  axn.  24 


Cat.  no.  61193.     Six  staves   (figure  148),   12^  inches  in  length,  all 

marked  alike. 
Cat.  no.  61194.     Six  staves   (figure  149),  12^  inches  in  length,  all 

marked  alike. 


Fig. 147 


Fig.  149. 


Fig.  U». 

Fig.  14T.    Stick  dice:  length,  8  inches;   Pomo  Indians,  Ulriah,  California:   cat.  no.  8117.5,  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  14H.    Stick  dice;  length,  13i  inches:  Pomo  Indians,  Ukiah.  California;  cat.  no.  6119:j,  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  149.    Stick  dice;  length,  12}  inches;  Pomo  Indians,  Ukiah,  California;  cat.  no.  B1194.  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 

Cat.  no.  01089.  Twelve  counting  sticks  (figure  1.50).  kadai  haitai 
(counters),  ash  shoots,  painted  black,  9^  inches  in  length. 

Cat.  no.  61090.  Twelve  counting  sticks  (figure  151).  10  inches  in 
length,  with  burnt  markings  on  the  end  and  in  middle  of  the 
tsupiam,  lance  ]iattern. 


CULIN] 


DICE    GAMES  :    POMO 


135 


Cat.  no.  61091.  Twelve  counting  sticks  (figure  152),  04  inches  in 
length,  with  burnt  markings  of  the  niisakala,  black-snake  pat- 
tern. 


Fig.  154.  Fig.  155. 

Pio.  150.    Counting  sticks  for  stick  dice:  length,  9}  inches:  Porno  Indians,  Ukiah,  California; 

cat.  no.  61089,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  151.    Counting  sticks  for  stick  dice:  length,  10  inches;  Pomo  Indians,  Ukiah,  California; 

cat.  no.  61090,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  152.    Counting  sticks  for  stick  dice:  length,  94  inches:   Pomo  Indians,  Ukiah,  California: 

cat.  no.  61091,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  153.    Counting  sticks  for  stick  dice;   length,  9s  inches;    Pomo  Indians,  Ukiah,  California; 

cat.  no  61092,  Field  Columbian  Museum 
Fig.  154.    Stick  dice;  length,  16  inches;   Pomo  ludians.  Lake  village,  California;  cat.  no.  54474, 

Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  155.    Astragalus  of  deer  used  as  die;  Pomo  Indians.  Ukiah  valley,  California:  cat.  no.  70937, 

Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Cat.  no.  61092.     Twelve  counting  sticks   (figure  153),  9|^  inches  in 
length,  with  burnt  markings. 


136 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMEEICAX    INDIANS       [eth,  ANN.  24 


All  of  the  preceding  were  collected  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey. 
PoMo.     Lake   village.  Lake  county,  California.      (Cat.   No.   54474, 

Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Set  of  six  staves  (figure  154)  of  elder  wood.  15  inches  in  length,  simi- 
lar to  the  23receding,  but  each  with  a  different  pattern. 
They  were  collected  in  1899  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey.  who  desig- 
nates them  as  kaikadai. 

Ukiah.  Mendocino  county,  California.     (Cat.  No.  70937.  Field 

Columbian  Museum. ) 
Astragalus  of  deer  (figure  155),  described  by  the  collector.  Dr  J.  W. 
Hudson,  as  used  as  a  die. 

LUTUAMIAN    STOCK 

Klamath.     Upper  Klamath  lake,  Oregon.     (Cat.  no.  61711.  <il7-J2, 

Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Four  pine  staves  (figure  15(>),  7f  inches  long,  flat  on  one  side,  rather 
rounded  on  the  other,  and  tapering  to  the  ends. 


r 


J 


1 


jsm 


canrr 


mii^ 


Fig.  156.    Stick  dice;  length.  7i  inches:  Klamath  Inrtians.  Oregon;  cat.  no.  BITU.  Field  Columbian 

Museum. 

Two  of  the  Staves  are  marked  by  a  series  of  nine  parallel  lines  at 
each  end  and  tlu-ee  parallel  lines  in  the  center,  and  are  known  as 
shnawedsh.  women ;  the  remaining  two  sticks  are  marked  from  end 
to  end  by  zigzag  lines  ci'ossing  back  and  forth  from  side  to  side,  and 
these  are  called  xoxsha  or  hishiiaksk.  male  person.  All  these  lines 
have  been  burnt  in  by  means  of  a  sharp-pointed  iron  tool. 

The  counting  is  as  follows :  " 


■■  Certain  Gambling  Games  of  the  Klamath  Indians.      American  .Anthropologist,  n.  s.,  v. 
3,  p.  25,  1001. 


CCLIX] 


DICE    GAMES:    KLAMATH 


i;:57 


All  marked  sides  up  or  down  count  2:  both  uinle  sticks  up  with  women  down, 
or  vice  versa,  count  1.    These  are  the  only  counts. 

The  set  no.  61722  differs  from  the  j^receding  only  in  the  number  of 
parallel  lines  on  the  two  shnawedsh  staves.  At  the  ends  of  the  two 
staves  there  are  seven  parallel  lines,  while  in  the  center  of  one  are 
five  and  of  the  other  six  parallel  lines.  These  specimens  were  col- 
lected in  1900  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey.  who  furnished  the  above 
description  of  the  game  under  the  name  of  skushash. 

Klamath.  Oregon.   (Cat.  no.  2412G,  United  States  National  Museum. ) 

Four  woodchuck-teeth  dice  (figure  157),  two,  both  lefts,  stopped  at 
the  end  with  red  cloth  and  marked  on  the 
flat  side  with  chevron  pattern,  and  two.  some- 
what smaller,  one  right  and  the  other  left, 
apparently  from  the  same  animal,  marked 
on  the  same  side  with  five  small  holes.  Col- 
lected by  L.  S.  Dyar,  Indian  agent. 
The  game  is  described  by  Dr  Albert  S.  Gat- 

schet."  under  the  name  of  skushash : 
The  four  teeth  of  the  beaver  are  marked  for  this  game 

by  the  incision  of  parallel  lines  or  crosses  on  one  side, 

and  a  small  piece  of  woolen  or  other  cloth  is  inserted 

into  the  hollow  to  prevent  lireaks  in  falling.     The  two 

longer  or  upper  teeth  of  the  beaver  are  called  the  male. 

lakf.   the   pair   of   lower   and   shorter   the   female   teeth, 

gfilo.  kulu,  distributive  form:  kfikalu.     The  marked  side 

i>f  the  teeth  wins,  if  it  is  turned  uj)  after  dropping.     The 

teeth  of  the  woodchuck  (mu-i,  or  moi)  serve  for  the  same  purpose.     .     .     .     In 

this  game  of  beavers"  teeth   (pu'man  tfit)   or  woodchuck's  teeth   (mflyam  tut) 

they  use  twelve  check  sticks  to  count  their  gains  with.     The  game  is  played  tiy 

two  persons,  or  by  two  partners  on  each  side. 

A  further  account  of  the  game  is  found  in  a  text  translated  by 
Doctor  Gatschet :  '^ 

The  Klamath  lake  females  play  a  game  with  beavers"  teeth,  letting  them  drop 
on  a  rubbing  stone.  When  all  the  teeth  fall  with  the  right,  or  marked,  side 
uppermost,  they  win  2  checks.  If  both  female  teeth  fall  right  side  up,  they 
win  1  check.  If  both  male  teeth  fall  right  side  up,  they  win  1  check.  Fall- 
ing unequally,  they  win  nothing.  They  quit  when  one  side  has  won  all  the 
stakes.     Women  only  play  this  game. 

The  beaver-teeth  game  may  be  regarded  as  a  modification  of  the 
bone  game  played  by  the  Blackfeet.  The  four  beaver  teeth  marked 
with  circles  or  dots  and  lines  arranged  in  chevrons  clearly  rej^lace  the 
four  similarly  marked  staves.  Again,  the  tooth  tied  with  sinew  cor- 
responds with  the  sinew-wrapped  stave.  The  twelve  counters  agree 
with  those  of  the  Blackfeet. 


Fig.  l.iT.  Woodchuck- 
teeth  dice;  length.  1;  tt» 
li  inches;  Klamath  In- 
dians, Oregon;  cat.  no 
24126,  United  States  Na- 
tional Museum. 


°  The  Klamath  Indians. 
Washington.  1890. 
»Ibid.,  p.  SO, 


Contributions  to  North  American  Ethnology,  v.  2,  pt.  1,  p.  81, 


188  GAMES    OP    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  asn.  24 

Klamath.     Uppei"  Klamath  lake,  Oregon.     (Cat.  no.  6153G,  61734, 

Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Set  of  four  woodchuck  teeth,  the  two  upper  teeth  marked  on  the  flat 

side  with  zigzag  lines  extending  the  length  of  the  teeth ;  these 

are  called  laki,  male. 

The  lower  teeth  are  marked  by  four  incised  dots  and   are  kulu, 

female.     In  another  set  (61734),  figure  158,  the  markings  are  as  in 

the  preceding  set,  except  that  the  lower  teeth  have  fi\'e  dots  instead  of 


Fio.  158.  Woodchuck-teetli  dice;  Klamath  Indians,  Oi-egon;  cat.  no.  61734,  Field  Columbian 

Museum. 

four,  and  that  the  incised  markings  on  all  four  teeth  have  been  filled 
with  red  paint  instead  of  black  as  in  the  preceding  set.  These  speci- 
mens were  collected  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey."  who  gives  the  name  of 
the  game  as  skushash,  and  says : 

lu  playing  the  game,  which  is  generally  done  by  women,  the  teeth  are  dropped 
on  a  hard  level  object,  such  as  an  under  grinding  stt>ue.  The  count  is  the  same 
as  in  the  stave  game,  namely,  all  marlced  dice  up  or  down,  2 ;  both  males  up  with 
females  do\yn,  1. 

JIARIPOSAN    STOCK 

Chukchansi.  Chow  chilly  river,  Madera  county,  California.  (Cat. 
no.  70890,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Astralagus  of  deer  used  as  a  die.     Collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson. 

The.se  they  call  ka-nish-nau-she,  to  flip  between  thumb  and  second  finger. 
The  counts  are  0,  2,  3,  5. 

Doctor  Hudson  also  gave  the  following  description  of  this  game, 
obtained  from  the  Tcausilla  living  on  Chowchilly  River,  about  4 
miles  west  of  Ahwahnee  post-office. 

The  bone  and  the  game  are  called  by  the  same  name,  kanisbnaushe,  mean- 
ing flipped  between  thumb  and  second  finger.  The  bone  is  thrown  like  a  die. 
There  are  four  counts,  1,  2,  4,  12,  depending  upon  the  side  that  turns  uppermost. 

Tejox.     Tule  River  reservation,  California.     (Cat.  No.  70371.  Field 

Columbian  Museum.) 
Flat  basket  plaque  for  dice  game,  collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson,  who 
describes  it  as  follows : 
This  game  is  played  by  women  with  six  dice  made  from  halves  of  walnut 
shells.     The  game,  whioh  is  played  by  any  number  is  called  ho-wateh,  the  same 


"  Certain  Gambling  Samea  of  the  Klamath   Indians.     American  Anthropologist,   n.   s., 
V.  3,  p.  26,  1901. 


CULIN] 


DICE    GAMES  :    WIKTCHAMNE 


139 


name  being  applied  to  the  dice.  Three  up  and  3  down  count  1 :  all  up  or  all 
down.  5.  The  count  is  kept  with  10  sticks,  witchet.  The  basket  plaque  is 
called  tai-wan.  The  designs  on  this  plaque  represent  the  women  players,  the 
walnut-shell  dice,  and  the  counters. 

The  game  is  played  also  by  all  other  Mariposan  tribes  in  this  manner. 

WiKTCHAMXE.  Keweali  river,  California.  (Collection  of  Dr  C. 
Hart  Merriam.) 

Flat  basket  plaque  for  dice  game  (figure  159)  22^  inches  in  diameter, 
with  a  coil  foundation  of  yellow  grass.  Epicampes  rigens;  the 
body  material  is  of  the  root  of  the  Cladium  mariscxis.     It  is  dec- 


PlG.  15a.  Dice  ijlayue;  diameter,  22J  inclies;  Wiktoliamne  Indians,  Keweah   river,  CalUuruia; 
in  the  collection  of  Dr  C.  Hart  Merriam. 


orated  with  colored  designs  in  red  and  black;  the  red  twigs  with 
bark  on.  of  redbud  (Cercis  occidentalis) ,  the  black,  the  root  of 
the  basket  fern  [Pteridium) .  Doctor  Merriam  describes  the 
game  as  played  with  eight  dice  of  half  walnut  shells  filled  with 
pitch,  inlaid  with  abalone  shell.  The  flat  faces  up  count  when 
2,  5,  or  8  are  up  together.  Two  and  five  up  count  1  each:  eight 
up.  4.  The  basket  is  called  ti-wan.  The  man-like  figures  repre- 
sent water  dogs,  the  5-spots,  wild-cat  tracks,  and  the  double 
triangles,  deer  tracks. 
The  employment  of  these  basket  plaques  in  dice  games  may  in  part 


140 


GAMES    OP    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  24 


be  explained  upon  the  supposition  that  the  phiques  originated  in 
basket  shields.  The  coiled  basket  trays  made  by  the  Hopi  Indians  at 
the  Second  mesa,  which  suggest  shields  in  their  general  character,  were 
probably  derived  from  shields.  One  of  the  Hopi  names  for  shield  is 
tii'"-o-230-o-ta,  from  tu'"'-o-ka,  enemy,  po'-o-ta,  the  circular  tray.  An 
unique  examiale  of  an  ancient  basket  shield,  from  a  clitf-dwelling  in 
the  Canyon  de  Chelly,  Arizona,  is  represented  in  plate  i." 

YoKUTS.     Fort  Tejon  and  Tule  river,  California. 
Mr  Stephen  Powers  ''  gives  the  following  account : 

The  Yokiits  have  a  sort  of  gaiiililing  which  jK-rtahis  exrhisively  to  wniiien.  It 
i.s  a  kind  of  dice  throwing,  and  is  called  u-ohu'-us.  For  dice  they  talie  half  of  a 
large  acorn  or  walnut  shell,  fill  it  level  with  pitch  and  pounded  charcoal,  and 
inlay  it  with  bits  of  bright  colored  abalone  shells.  For  a  dice  table  they  weave 
a  very  large  fine  basket  tray,  almost  flat,  and  ornamented  with  devices  woven 
in  black  or  brown,  mostly  rude  imitations  of  trees  and  geometrical  figures. 
Four  squaws  sit  around  it  to  play,  and  a  fifth  keeps  tally  with  fifteen  sticks. 
There  are  eight  dice,  and  they  scoop  them  up  in  their  hands  and  dash  them  into 
the  basket,  counting  1  when  two  or  five  flat  surfaces  turn  up.  The  rapidity 
with  which  the  game  goes  forward  is  wonderful,  and  the  players  seem  totally 
oblivious  to  all  things  in  the  world  beside.  After  each  throw  that  a  jilayer 
makes  she  exclaims,  yet'-ni  or  wl-a-tak  or  ko-mai-^h,  which  are  simply  a  kind 
of  sing-song  or  chanting. 

Tule  Kiver  reservation,  Tulare  county,  California.     ( Cat.  no. 

70395,  70396,  70397.  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Eight  split  reeds  (figure  160),  13  inches  in  length,  with  V)acks  rudely 
smeared  with  seven  and  eight  bands  of  red  paint ;  four  willow 


Fig.  16U.  Cane  dic-e  and  counting  sticks;  length  of  dice,  13  inches:  length  of  counting  sticks,  20 
inches;  Yokuts  Indians,  Tule  River  reservation,  California;  cat.  no.  TO.39.5.  7(i:»(j.  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum. 


rijws:  and  2.")  willow 


counters,  20  inches  long,  marked  with  rc<l  >t 
sticks,  pointed  at  one  end. 

"  This  shield,  which  is  31  inches  in  diameter,  was  found  by  Mr  Charles  L.  Da.v,  of  Chin 
Lee,  Arizona,  in  the  cliff-house  known  as  the  Muramy  cave,  in  the  Canyon  del  Muerto,  .luly 
19,  in04.      It  is  now  in  the  United  States  National  .Museum,  cat.  no.  1'3177S. 

K  Tribes  of  California.  Contributions  to  North  .\merican  Ethnology,  v.  3,  p.  377,  Wash 
ington,  1877. 


cuLi.v]  DICE    GAMES:    KEKCHI  141 

These  were  collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson,  who  describes  them  as 
used  in  tlie  flip-stave  game  by  women. 

The  game  is  called  tsikehi,  to  hurdle.  Twenty-flve  sticks  are  stuck  in  a  row 
in  the  ground  and  receive  the  same  name  as  the  game.  The  throws  are  counted 
around  these  sticks  with  four  stick  counters  or  horses  called  witchet.  All  con- 
cave sides  up  count  Hi;  one  concave  side  up.  1  :  two  concave  sides  up.  -.  and  so 
on ;  but  if  an  opponent  ties  your  throw  you  go  back  as  much. 

The  game  appears  from  Doctor  Hudson's  description  to  be  played  also  for 
counting  sticks,  when  4  up  and  -t  down  count  1  ;  all  up  or  all  down.  4.  The 
sticks  are  ta-cha.     In  another  dialect  they  are  ka-li-sa. 

YoKUTs.     Mouth  of  Mill  creek,  Fresno  county,  California.     (Cat. 

no.  70r)71,  70fi7-2.  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Eight  wahiut-shell  dice   (figure  161);   basinet  plaque.  ■2■^  inches  in 
diameter.     Collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson. 
The  shells  are  filled  with  gum,  with  pieces  of  nbaloue  shell  inserted 
as  usual,  and  the  basket  is  old,  with  colored  design. 


Pig.  IHl.  Walnut-shell  dice:  diametei-.  about  1  incli;  Yokuts  Indiaus,  Fresno  county,  California: 
cat.  no.  70671,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

MAYAN    STOCK 

Kekchi.     Northern  Guatemala. 

Mr  Thomas  J.  Collins,  of  Haddonfield,  N.  J.,  who  spent  some  time 
in  Guatemala,  has  connnunicated  to  the  writer  the  following  account 
of  the  corn  game  of  this  tribe.  He  says  that  it  is  still  in  common  use 
among  those  in  the  outlying  districts.  In  or  near  the  Spanish- 
speaking  towns,  although  known,  it  is  rarely,  if  ever,  played. 

It  is  known  as  bool-ik  (from  bool,  dice,  and  ik,  state  of,  or  meaning  of)  ;  "  or 
as  batsunk,  to  play ;  Iain  oj  guech  txe  batsunk,  I  want  to  play. 

°  In  reply  to  my  inquiry  in  reference  to  the  meaning  of  bool,  Mr  Collins  writes  me  as 
follows,  under  date  of  Deceml)er  -.5,  ISOI*  : 

"  I  have  some  Information  as  to  the  Kekchi  word  bool-ik.  I  asked  for  a  list  of  all  the 
words  containing  the  syllable  bool  from  a  seminative  who  has  the  reputation  of  knowing 
the  language  better  than  a  Guatemalteco.  Bool  ;  un  pajarito  ehiquitito,  the  smallest  of 
birds  :  bool  :  cumbre  de  las  montailas,  the  summits  of  mountains  ;  bool  :  burbuja,  bubble  : 
bool  :  granos  de  mafz  marcados,  the  dice  :  bool-ok  :  jogar  ;   to  play. 

"The  third  (bubble)  recalls  to  me  something  of  interest.  A  small,  turbulent  stream 
near  the  house  at  Chama  was  called  the  bul-bul-hfi,  and  this  name  was  also  given  to  a 
stream  on  the  opposite  mountain  when  the  sound  of  its  roaring  reached  us  during  the 
rains.  Superlatives  are  made  by  repeating  the  adjective,  and  bul-bul-hS  would  signify 
an  extremely  bubbling,  playful  water.  The  way  they  throw  the  dice  and  the  reboundin.; 
and  rolling  of  them  on  the  ground  are  very  suggestive  of  bubbling  water  and  eddies,  and 
if  the  bird  he  means  be  the  humming  bird,  as  is  likely,  its  motion  would  be  in  line  with 
the  same  idea.  The  summits  of  the  mountains  are  not  unlike  the  irregular  up-and-down 
flight  of  humming  birds.  1  think  that  bul  (bool)  may  fairly  be  taken  to  mean  bubbling, 
playful,  or  dancing,  in  a  general  sense." 


142  GAMES    OF    THE    NOKTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  2-t 

The  game  is  played  on  the  clay  floors  of  houses,  usually  at  night  liy  light  of 
the  fire.  The  ground  is  swept  clean  and  15  grains  of  corn  are  placed  in  a 
straight  line.  U  to  2  inches  apart,  forming  eplix  chet,  all  their  places,  the  14 
spaces  between  these  grains  being  the  board  for  play. 

Four  flat-sided  grains  of  corn  are  selected  for  dice,  and  are  prepared  by  dig- 
ging out  with  the  thumbnail  the  eye  on  one  side  of  each  grain  and  either  rub- 
bing charcoal  in  or  applying  the  live  end  of  a  glowing  stick  to  the  hollow, 
resulting  in  each  of  the  four  grains,  or  dice,  having  a  black  spot  on  one  side. 
This  operation  is  called  tsep,  to  mark,  ke  ru  xam,  put  to  the  face  of  the  fire, 
or  ke  kek  sa  ix  naj  ru,  put  black  in  the  face  of  his  face.  The  black-spotteil  side 
of  the  dice  is  called  ru  bool,  face  of  the  dice,  and  the  blank  side  rit  bool.  bottom 
of  the  dice. 

The  board  and  the  dice  being  ready,  players  select  their  counters,  five  for 
each.  Any  small  articles  will  do,  but  preference  is  shown  for  five  similar  twigs, 
leaf  stems,  or  split  sticks,  or  different  lengths  and  kinds  of  these.  Fragments 
of  leaves  of  different  colors  or  structure  are  often  used,  and  where  there  are 
many  players  bits  of  grass,  muslin,  or  paper ;  even  thread  is  pressed  into  service. 

Players,  any  even  number,  squat  around  the  line  of  corn,  and  one  of  them, 
taking  the  four  dice  in  his  hand,  throws  them  lightly  on  the  ground,  calling  the 
number  of  black  spots,  ru  bool,  .showing  as  they  lie.  It  may  be  one,  two,  three, 
four.  or.  in  case  of  all  blanks,  rit  bool,  five.  He  plays  in  a  counter  to  the  value 
of  his  throw  starting  from  the  right  end  of  the  line  of  corn,  then  throws  again 
and  iilays  farther  in  ;  thus,  if  his  first  is  two  and  the  second  five  he  would 
leave  his  counter  in  the  seventh  chet,  or  space,  from  the  right  of  the  board. 
He  is  followed  by  an  opponent  who  plays  in  from  the  opposite,  or  left,  end  of 
the  board.  Then,  in  turn,  a  partner  (guehben)  of  the  first  and  a  partner  of 
the  second  pla.ver  enter,  continuing  alternately,  each  throwing  twice,  entering 
each  at  the  proi)er  end  of  the  board,  until  both  have  pkayed  and  it  is  the  turn 
of  the  first  player,  who  continues  the  advance  of  his  counter  from  its  position 
in  the  seventh  space,  with  the  object  of  ultimately  completing  his  passage  of 
the  line.  If  this  is  accomplished  without  taking  an  ad\ersary  or  being  taken 
by  him  he  enters  again  at  his  own  end  of  the  board,  exactly  as  if  the  board 
were  continuous. 

But  it  is  the  hope  of  every  player  to  fall  into  the  space  occupied  by  the 
counter  of  an  adversary  and  so  take  him  (xin  ket,  I  struck,  or  xin  chop,  I 
caught).  In  this  case  he  plays  backward  toward  his  entering  jioint  and  passes 
out,  carrying  his  captive  (ix  kam,  he  is  dead). 

If  he  passes  out  safely  without  meanwhile  being  retaken  by  one  of  his  op- 
(lonents,  the  captured  counrer  is  retained  (ix  guak,  he  is  eaten),  but  his  own 
counter,  the  captor,  is  entered  again  as  before.  But  if  he  is  retaken  before 
passing  out.  both  himself  and  his  captive  become  the  prey  of  the  new  captor  and 
are  carried  by  him  in  the  opposite  direction.  He  in  his  turn  may  be  taken, 
losing  himself  and  all  his  prey.  Sometimes  this  taking  and  retaking  continues 
until  the  accumulated  counters  number  6  or  S,  the  excitement  of  players  in- 
creasing until  it  is  a  wonderful  sight  to  look  upon  in  the  lialf  light  of  the  fire. 

All  crowded  together  and  moving  ceaselessly  in  a  euriousl.v  animal  way,  no 
muscle  or  feature  at  rest.  Some  are  pawing  with  their  hands,  scmie  stretching 
Ijai-k  like  cats  about  to  spring,  or  leaping  for  an  instant  upright,  but  all  scream- 
ing comments  or  calling  throws  in  voices  entirel.v  unrecognizable.  At  last  the 
disputed  counters  are  carried  out  at  one  end  or  the  other.  They  are  at  once 
separated,  those  belonging  to  partners  of  the  winner  of  them  are  returned  to 
their  owners,  who  enter  them  again  (tex  yoia  hi  chik,  they  are  living  again), 
while  those  belonging  to  the  opposing  side  are  put  into  a  hat  or  some  receptacle 
(lix  naj  kaminak.  there  place  the  dead,  or,  rotxotx  kaminak.  house  of  the  dead). 


CULIN]  DICE    GAMES:    MIWOK  143 

No  player  loses  his  throw,  for  if  he  has  lost  his  counter,  he  enters  another. 
but  no  second  can  he  used  until  the  first  is  lost.  Falling  into  a  space  occupied 
by  a  partner  does  not  change  the  play  of  either,  hut  an  adversary  would  take 
both  should  he  throw  into  that  space.  Players  never  throw  more  than  twice 
under  any  circumstances,  hut  if  the  first  throw  takes  an  opponent's  counter,  the 
second  throw  counts  toward  carrying  him  home. 

The  game  lasts  from  one  to  three  hours  and  is  ended  when  one  side  has  no 
more  counters  to  enter  (laex  chixgunil  xa  guak,  you  have  eaten  all). 

From  time  to  time,  toward  the  close  of  the  game,  counters  alread.y  taken  are 
separated,  eham-alni,  and  counted,  guar.1  hi,  the  burden  of  proof  lying  curiously 
enough  on  the  victors  to  show  they  have  caught  and  eaten  all  their  adversaries. 

The  whole  idea  shown  by  the  terms  of  the  game,  and  still  more  by  the  excla- 
mations and  remarks  of  iilayers  is  that  of  the  pursuit,  capture,  and  safe  carry- 
ing off  of  pre.v.  For  exami)le :  Xin  kan.  I  lay  in  wait ;  a  fm  xa  ram  txe  us. 
you  intercepted  him  well ;  ta  ok  lafit,  enter,  thou  (ok  is  used  as  setting  out 
upon  an  enterprise)  ;  ok  rf  sikbal  kar,  to  start  fishing,  or  ok  re  sikbal  tsik,  to 
start  the  hunt  for  birds.  In  the  ordinary  sense  of  enter,  another  word.  o.ian. 
is  used ;  a  .In  xin  num6  sa  jumpat,  I  passed  him  quickly  ;  gwi  jun  chik  xa 
kam-si  gwe,  if  one  more,  you  would  have  killed  me. 

Before  counters  arc  put  in  pl.a.v  tlie.v  are  called  what  the.v  are:  Che,  stick; 
<ha.1,  leaf;  ruk-chc,  twig:  ton  chaj,  leaf  stem.  Hut  when  put  in  play  they 
become  gwe,  me,  myself :  laat,  thou  ;  or  in  the  third  person  are  called  by  name 
of  the  player. 

Maya.     Chicheii  Itza,  Yucatan. 

Dr  Alfred  Tozzer  informs  me  that  he  saw  grains  of  corn.  I)la<k- 
ened  on  one  side,  that  were  used  in  a  game,  juego  de  maiz,  presumably 
similar  to  that  ol)served  among  the  Kekchi. 

The  game  is  called  baSal  iSim  (bashul  ishim).  Four  grains  of  corn,  two  of 
them  colored  black  on  one  side,  are  thrown.  The  winning  throws  are  two  white 
and  two  black  or  all  black. 

3IOQUELUMNAN    STOCK 

AwANi.     Near  Cold  Springs,  Mariposa  county,  California. 

Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  the  following  game  under  the  name  of 
teatacfu : 

Six  half  acorns  are  cast  in  a  basket  plaque.  Half  face  up,  half  down,  cnunt 
1  ;   all  up  or  down  count  2. 

The  game  was  given  me  by  a  refugee  of  the  Awani  once  possessing  Yosemite 
valley,  called  "  Old  Short-and-Dirty,"  a  woman  about  80  years  old.  who  is  one 
of  the  five  surviving  members  of  that  warlike  people  and  lives  with  her  sister 
and  a  blind  nephew  at  the  above-mentioned  place.  None  of  her  people  have 
been  in  Yosemite  since  about  1870. 

MiwoK.     California.     (Collection  of  Dr  C.  Hart  Merriam.) 
Plaque  for  dice  game  (figure  162),  23f  inches  in  diameter,  collected 
by  Dr  C.  Hart  Merriam. 
The  collector  states  that  this  plaque  was  collected  from  the  Miwok, 
but  made  by  one  of  the  Yuroks  tribes.     The  Miwok  call  the  plaque 
and  game  by  the  same  name,  chattattoomhe.     They   use  six   dice. 


144 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [bth.  anx.  24 


Olamentke.     Bay  of  Sau  Francisco,  Calit'oruiM. 
Louis  Choris  "  (1816)  says: 

Their  games  consist  in  throwing  small  pieces  of  wood,  which  fall  either  in 
odd  or  even  numbers,  or  of  others  which  are  rounded  on  one  side,  and  tlie  game 


Fig.  Ifi:i.    Dice  plaque;  diameter.  23^  inches:  Miwok  Indians.  California;  in  the  collection  of  Dr 

C.  Hart  Merriam. 

is  lo.st  or  won  according  to  whetlier  llie  pieces  of  wood  f;ill  on  tlie  fl;it  or  round 
side.     r>'^ee  plate  in,  i.] 

MiwoK.     Mariposa    county.   California.      (Cat.     no.     702-22.    Field 

Columbian  Museum.) 
8et  of  six  split  acorn  dice  with  the  shells  removed.     Collected  by  Dr 
J.  W,  Hudson. 

Tuolumne  county,  California,     (Cat.  no.  T0_'l!1.  I-'idd  Coliun- 

bian  Museum.) 
Flat  basket  tray,  collected  by  Dr  J,  W,  Hudson  and  described  l)y  him 
as  used  in  a  game  called  chatatha : 

Si.x  halves  of  acorns  are  u.sed  as  dice.  Three  up  or  three  down,  called  king-e, 
c-ounts  1 :  all  up  or  down,  called  a-ti-ka.  2:  all  other  turns,  a-wu-ya.  nothing. 

The  flat  round  basket  trays  on  which  the  dice  are  tossed  are  called  hetal.  from 
a  grass  used  as  a  warp  in  this  Ijasket.  Eight  stick  counters,  chi-ki-la-hu-hu.  oak 
sticks,  are  piled  between  the  opponents.  When  one  side  has  won  them,  they 
are  all  banded  to  the  loser,  and  must  be  won  again. 


'  Voyage  I'ittoiesqiie  Autour  du  Monde,  p.  5.  Paris,  1822. 


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CDLIN] 


DICE    GAMES:    TULARES 


145 


TuLARES.     Rancheria  near  Lemooiv,  Kings  county,  California.     (Cat. 

no.  200069,  United  States  National  Mnseum.) 
Flat  basket  tray    (figure   163),  28f   inches  in  diameter,  worked   in 
chevron  design  in  colored  pattern;  accompanied  by  eight  dice 


Fig.  163.    Basket  dice  tray  and  die.':  diameter  .jf  basket,  2.S;  iuchos;  Tulare  Indians,  California; 
cat.  no.  200069,  United  States  National  Museum. 

made  of  halves  of  walnut  shells,  filled  with  gum  and  inlaid  with 
pieces  of  abalone  shell.  (From  the  C.  F.  Briggs  collection.  See 
Holmes  in  Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1900,  plate  xli, 
1902.) 

24   ETH — 0.^    M 10 


146  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 

MU8KHOGEAN  STOCK 

Choctaw.     Mandeville,  Louisiana.     (Cat.  no.  38-1:77.  Free  Museum 
of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Eight    grains    of    white    corn    (figure    161), 
cliarred   on   one   side.     Collected   by   the 
writer  in  1901. 
These  are  used  as  dice  in  the  corn  game,  baslsa- 
FiG.  164.     Corn-grain    dice;      tanje.     Two  or  more  men   play,   throwing  the   com 
Choctaw  Indians,  Louisiana;      with  the  hand  upon  the  ground.     The  throws  are 
cat.  no.  S'qrT,  Free  Museum      either  white,  tobeh,  or  blaclj,  losah.  up.     The  game  is 
of  Science  and  Art,  Univer-       ^         ^     ^  ,     i.i  ^  ^  ,, 

sity  of  Pennsylvania.  twenty-five,    and    the    counts    are    as    follows:  All 

lilaok  up,  untachaina,  counts  S;  all  white  up,  8; 
seven  white  ui*i,  untokalo,  T:  six  white  up,  hanali,  0;  five  white  up,  tustslata,  5: 
four  white  up,  oshta,  4;  three  white  up,  tuchaina,  3;  two  white  up.  takalok.  2: 
one  white  up,  chofa,  1. 

NATCHESAN  STOCK 

Natchez.     Loui,siana. 

Le  Page  du  Pratz "  says,  referring  to  the  women's  game  of  the 
Natchez : 

The.se  pieces  with  which  they  play  are  three  little  bits  of  cane,  from  S  to  0 
inches  long,  split  in  two  equal  parts  and  pointed  at  the  ends.  Each  piece  is 
distinguished  liy  the  designs  which  are  engraved  on  the  convex  side.  They 
play  three  at  a  time  and  each  woman  has  her  piece.  To  play  this  game  they 
hold  two  of  these  pieces  of  cane  on  the  open  left  hand  and  the  third  In  the 
right  hand,  the  round  side  uppermost,  with  which  they  strike  upon  the  others, 
taking  care  to  touch  only  the  end.  The  three  pieces  fall,  and  when  there  are 
two  of  them  which  have  the  convex  side  uppermost  the  player  marks  one  point. 
If  there  is  only  one.  she  marks  nothing.  After  the  first  the  two  others  play 
In  their  turn. 

PIMAN   STOCK 

Opata.     Sonora. 

Dr  A.  F.  Baiidelier  ''  sjjeaks  of  patol,  or  quince,  as  a  social  game 
played  often  on  the  streets. 

Papago.     Pima  county.  Arizona.     (Cat.  no.   174516,  United  States 
National  Museum.) 
Set  of  four  .sticks  (figure  165)  of  saguaro  cactus,  about  9)  inches  in 
length,  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  width,  and  one-fonrth  of  an 
inch  thick. 
These  are  painted  solid  red  on  one  side,  "  which  is  flat  and  marked 
with  black  lines  of  numerical  and  sex  significance."     They  were  col- 
lected by  Dr  W  J  McGee  and  Mr  William  Dinwiddie.     The  game  is 
described  by  the  collectors  imder  the  name  of  ghingskoot : 

The  four  marked  faces  receive  the  following  names:  Old  man  (a),  young  man 
(6),  old  woman  (c),  young  woman  (d).     In  the  play  the  sticks  are  held  verti- 

"  Histoire  de  la  Loulsiane,  v,  3,  p.  4.  Paris,  1758. 

''  Final  Keport.  Papers  of  the  Archaeological  Institute  of  America,  Am,  series,  pt,  1,  p. 
1'40,  Cambridge,  1890, 


Cl'LIN] 


DICE  games:  papago  147 


cally,  bunched  in  the  right  hand,  and  struck  from  underneath  on  their  lower  ends 
by  a  stone  grasped  in  the  left  hand,  the  blow  shooting  them  vertically  into  the 
air  [figure  166].     Two  backs  and  two  fronts  of  any  sticks  up  counts  2;  three 
fronts  and  one  back  of  any  sticks  up,  3 ;    three  backs  and  the  young  man  up,  4 ; 
all  fronts  up.  5"  ;  three  backs  and  the  old  woman  up,  6  :   all  backs.  10  ;   three  backs 
and  the  young  woman  up,  14 ;   three  backs  and  the  old  man  up,  1.5.     If  the  sticks 
touch  or  fall  on  one  another,  the  throw  must 
be  repeated.     The  counts  are  kept  on  a  rec- 
tangle marked  on  the  ground   [figure  167],       _________________ 

usually  approximating  12  by  8  feet,  having       11' " "h'--|^-^-^-->=^^^^^-— =-^ 

ten   holes,   or  pockets,   counting  the   corners 

each  time  along  each  side.    At  two  alternate 

corners    are    two    quadrants    called    houses 

(kee)  of  five  holes  each  not  counting  the  cor-   Fig.  165.    Stick  dice;  length,  9}  inches; 

ner  holes,  called  doors  (jouta).  Papago   Indians,  Pima  county,  Ari- 

rj,,       „  -     „i         1   1       J.  i,  £  zona;  cat.  no.  174516,  United  States 

The  game  is  played  by  two,  three,  or  four      „  ,.      ,  ,, 

1      .  .  National  Museum. 

players   for   self  or  partner,   with   counters 

called  horses.  These  usually  number  two  for  each  player.  They  are  put 
into  play  consecutively  and  by  alternate  throws  of  the  players.  A  throw  of 
less  than  5,  which  does  not  carry  the  horses  out  of  the  door,  prevents  a 
player  from  entering  another  horse  until  his  aggregate  throws  are  5+,  thus 
putting  his  horse  into  the  rectangle  proper.  After  all  the  horses  of  a  single 
contestant  are  in  play  he  may  move  the  same  horse  continuously.  In  counting, 
the  pockets  from  A  to  either  of  the  nearest  corners  is  l.o.  It  is  optional  with  the 
player  whether  he  turns  to  the  left  or  right  upon  leaving  the  door,  though  he 


OOO       ^        OOOO   O— 

CP 

Q  PUIVER 

O 

o 

o 

o 

o  o  o  o  o 

c  b     a 

Fig.  166. 

Fig.  166.    Papago  Indian  striking  stick  dice  in  the  air;  from  photograph  by  William  Dinwiddle. 
Fig.  167.    Circuit  fur  stick  dice;  Papago  Indians,  Arizona;  from  sketch  by  McGee  and  Dinwiddle. 

must  move  his  horse  round  the  rectangle  in  the  same  direction  after  once 
starting.  If  X  throws  15,  moving  to  o,  and  W  throws  the  same  number,  enabling 
him  to  move  to  the  same  point,  he  kills,  or  throws  X's  horse  out  of  play,  and  he 
must  start  his  piece  over  again ;  and  again,  if  he  should  throw  14,  he  accom- 
plishes the  same  result  (there  is  no  1  in  the  stick  count).  However,  if  X 
should  get  to  c  and  W  throw  10  from  bouse  and  get  to  il.  he  does  not  kill  him. 
If  on  the  next  throw  W  throws  14  and  X  has  not  moved  from  e,  he  kills  him. 
A  horse  must  run  entirely  around  the  rectangle  and  back  into  the  house  pockets, 
where  he  is  safe  from  being  killed ;   but  to  lualce  him  a  winning  piece,  the  exact 

"At  this  play  they  all  laugh,  and  say  the  player  "has  not  done  skinning  himself." 


148 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


number  to  count  to  a  must  l)e  thrown  by  the  sticks.  When  a  horse  is  on  a 
pocket  adjoining  o,  a  2  throw  is  considered  out.  The  object  of  the  game  is  to 
carry  all  the  horses  around  the  pockets  and  out  again  at  a.  the  first  player 
succeeding  in  this  being  declared  the  winner. 

Papago.  Cahili,  Arizona.  (Cat.  no.  S674,  59,  Rijks  Ethnographi- 
sches  Museum,  Leiden.) 

Set  of  four  sticks  (figure  168),  4i  inches  in  length,  rounded  on  one 
side,  flat,  unmarked  on  the  other.  Catalogued  under  the  name 
of  quince  as  a  woman's  game.  Collected  by  Dr  H.  F.  C.  ten 
Kate,  jr,  in  1888. 


Fig.  168.    Stick  dice;  length,  44  inches;  Papago  Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  S674,  59,  Eijks  Ethno- 

graphisches  Museum,  Leiden. 


Pima  county,  Arizona, 
tional  Museum.) 


(Cat.  no.  174443,  United  States  Na- 


Astragalus  of  bison  (figure  169).  Collected  by  Dr  W  J  McGee, 
who  described  it  as  used  in  a  game  called  tanwan. 
The  game  is  played  by  two  persons,  who  sit  facing  each  other,  four  or  five  feet 
apart.  The  bone  is  twirled  into  the  air  out  of  tlie 
thumb  and  forefinger,  the  back  of  the  hand  being  held 
upward.  The  position  in  which  it  falls  on  the  ground 
controls  the  count  in  the  game.  So  long  as  the  player 
succeeds  in  throwing  the  pitted  side,  or  cow  hoof,  as 
it  is  called,  upward  he  retains  possession  of  the  bone, 
and  with  each  tln-ow  wins  one  bean  from  a  prear- 
ranged number  eiiually  divided  between  the  players. 
The  sides  do  not  count  in  the  play,  and  the  thrower 
may  play  again  and  again  without  forfeiting  the  bone 
until  he  throws  the  flat  side,  opposite  the  cow  hoof, 
upward,  when  the  bone  goes  to  his  opponent  to  throw, 

with  the  same  conditions.     The  winning  of  the  entire  number  of  an  opponent's 

counters  constitutes  a  game  won. 

PiMA.  Arizona.  (United  States  National  Museum.) 
Gat.  no.  27842.  Set  of  four  sticks  of  willow "  wood,  9  inches  in 
length,  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  breadth,  and  one-fourth  of  an 
inch  in  thickness  (figure  170)  :  flat  on  one  side,  which  is  incised 
with  transverse  and  diagonal  lines  filled  in  with  black  paint;  the 
opposite  side  rounded  and  painted  red. 
Cat.  no.  27843.  Set  of  four  sticks  of  willow "  wood,  8f  inches  in 
length,  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  breadth,  and  one-fourth  of  an 


Pig.  169.  Astragalus  of  bi- 
son used  as  die;  Papago 
Indians,  Pima  county, 
Arizona;  cat.  no.  174443, 
United  States  National 
Mu.seum. 


"  Salix  amygdaloides. 


culin] 


DICE    GAMES  :    PIMA 


149 


inch  in  thickness  (figure  171)  ;  identical  with  preceding,  except 
in  the  arrangement  of  the  incised  lines.  Both  collected  by  Mrs 
G.  Stout. 


]Z[ 


^3 


]^ 


Fig.  170.    Stick  dice;  length,  9  inclies;  Pima  Indians,  Arizona;  ca-t.  no.  £7843,  United  States 

National  Museum. 

Cat.  no.  76017.     Set  of  four  sticks  of  hazel  wood,  7.{  inches  in  length, 
one-half  of  an  inch  in  breadth,  and  one-fourth  of  an  inch  in 


n 


TT      1 


JZX 


sz 


:>^ 


Fig.  171.    Stick  dice;  length,  8|  inches;  Pima  Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  2784.3,  United  States 

National  Museum. 

thickness  (figure  172)  ;   flat  on  one  side,  and  marked  with  incised 
lines  cut  at  angles  across  the  sticks.     These  lines  are  painted  red, 


Pig.  172.    Stick  dice;  length,  7J  inches;  Pima  Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  76017,  United  States 

National  Museum. 

and  the  inscribed  part  of  the  faces,  black;  opposite,  rounded 
sides,  plain.  These  were  collected  by  Dr  Edward  Palmer  and 
described  as  men's  sticks. 


150 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAX    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


Doctor  Palmer  states : 

A  space  of  10  square  feet  is  inclosed  by  holes  made  in  tbe  ground  [figure 
178],  At  opposite  corners  on  the  outside  are  two 
semicircular  rows  of  five  holes  each.  At  the  liegin- 
ning  a  marking-stick  is  put  into  the  center  hole.  A.  of 
each  semicircle,  and  the  point  is  to  play  around  the 
square,  and  back  again  to  the  center  hole.  Each  pair 
of  players  moves  the  pegs  in  opposite  directions,  and 
whenever  the  count  is  made  that  would  bring  t)ie 
stick  to  the  hole  occupied  by  that  of  the  antagonist, 
be  is  sent  back  to  his  original  starting  place. 

The  counts  are  as  follows:  Four  round  sides  up, 
counts  10 ;  four  flat  sides  up,  5.  When  only  one  flat 
side  is  up,  it  counts  whatever  is  marked  on  it ;  any 
three  counts  3,  and  any  two,  2. 


oOq 

o         o 

o  o  o  oo 

o 

o 

o 

o 


o  o  o  o  o 
o 
o 
o 
o 


/ 


o 
o 

o 
o 
o  o  o  o  o 


o 

9 

o 

o 

o  oo  o  o 


PlM.^ 


United 


Fig.  17,S.  Circuit  for  stick- 
dice  game;  Pima  Indians. 
Arizona;  from  sketch  by 
Dr  Edward  Palmer. 


Arizona.  (Cat.  no.  TfiOlS. 
States  National  Museum.) 
Set  of  four  sticks  7f  inches  long,  one-half 
inch  in  breadth,  and  one-fourth  of  an  inch 
in  thickness;  flat  on  one  side  and  painted 
black;  the  opposite  side  rounded  and  painted  red.  Collected  by  Dr 
Edward  Palmer  and  described  by  him  as  women's  sticks. 

Two  play.     The  sticks  are  held  in  the  right  hand,  between  the  thumb  and 
forefinger,  and,  with  an  underthrow,  touch  the  ground  slightly,  and  are  let  fly. 

The  counts  are  as  follows:  Four  blacks,  counts  2;  four  reds.  1:  two  blacks, 
out. 

Cat.  no.  211935.     Squared  wooden  block,  7J  inches  long,  marked  on 
its  four  sides,  as  shown  in  figure  174. 


c 


"^^^Pl 


^^mm. 


Flo.  174.    Foxir  faces  of  stick  die;  length,  1}   inches;   Pima  Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  n».  211935, 
United  States  National  Museum. 

This  specimen  was  collected  by  Mr  Clarence  H.  Shaw,  who  de- 
scribes it  as  used  in  the  game  of  kinsgoot : 

It  is  held  in  the  palm  of  each  hand  and  thrown  from  the  pla.ver  with  a  push- 
ing motion.  The  counts  are  indicated  on  figure  174:  1.5,  4.  14.  6.  The  game 
ends  at  45. 

Pima.     Arizona.     (Cat.  no.  S362,  52.  Rijks  Ethnographisches  Mu- 
seum, Leiden.) 
Three  sticks   (figure  17.-)).  from  a  set  of  four,  about  5  inches  in 
length,  marked  on  one  face  with  incised  lines. 


tlLIXl 


DICE    GAMES  :    PIMA 


151 


These  were  collected  by  Dr  H.  F.  C.  ten  Kate.  jr.  and  catalogued 
under  the  name  of  kiense  (quince),  and  aj^e  similar  to  the  sets  from 
the  Pima  in  the  United  States  National  Museum  (cat.  no.  27842. 
278i3.  7(i017). 

Dr  ten  Kate"  refers  to  this  game  as  kiensse,  and  says  it  resembles 
the  otochei  and  oetaha  of  the  Yuma  and  Mohave. 


«=^^^i^^^-^^s:^^^^ 


Fig.  175.    Stick  dice;  length,  .i  inches;  Pima  Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  S382,  52,  Rijk»  Ethno- 

graphisches  Museum.  Leiden. 

Pima.  Arizona.  (Cat.  no.  218042.  United  States  National  Mu- 
.seum. ) 

Four  sticks  of  mesquite  wood,  about  8f  inches  in  length,  hemi- 
spheric in  section  and  not  colored  on  either  side.  They  were 
collected  by  the  late  Dr  Frank  Russell,  who  gives  the  name 
of  the  game  as  ki°ts  and  of  the  sticks  as  ki^ts  kut. 

The  sticks  [figure  176]  are  designated  as  foUows: 

No.  1.  ki-ik.  four.  No.  2.  teo-otp'.  six.  No.  3,  si-ika.  meaning  of  word  un- 
known to  informants.     No.  4.  kl°ts.  meaning  also  unknown. 

The  pla.vers  sit  about  10  feet  apart,  and  put  the  sticks  in  play  by  stiiking 
from  l>elow  with  a  flat  stone  held  in  the  left  hand.  The  sticks  are  held  nearly 
vertical,  but  are  inclined  a  little  forward,  so  that  they  will  fall  in  the  center  of 
the  .space  between  the  players,  who  rake  them  back  with  a  long  stick  after  each 
throw'. 

The  count  is  similar  to  that  described  for  the  Papago  game,  if  we  substitute 
the  Pima  names  for  the  pieces  as  follows : 

Two  backs  and  2  faces  count  2;  1  back  and  3  faces  count  3:  ki-ik  facing  up 
and  others  down  count  4 :  all  faces  up  count  a :  tco-oti)' 
facing  up  and  others  down  count  6 ;  all  faces  down  count 
10 :  si-ika  facing  up  and  others  down  count  14 :  ki°ts  fac- 
ing up  and  others  down  count  l.j.  The  counts  are  kept 
upon  a  rectangle  marked  upon  the  ground,  usually  approx- 
imating 12  by  8  feet,  having  10  holes  or  pockets,  counting 
the  corners  each  time  along  each  side.  .\t  two  alternate 
corners  are  two  quadrants,  called  houses  (ki).of  five  holes 
each,  not  counting  the  corner  holes,  called  doors  (utpa). 
The  stick  used  by  each  player  or  side  to  mark  its  throw  is 
called  rsaika.  slave  or  horse.  When  a  player  is  "  coming  home  "  and  his  count 
carries  his  "  slave  "  only  to  the  last  hole  of  his  house,  it  is  said  to  be  "  in  the 
fire."  and  remains  "  liurnt  "  until  he  throws  a  less  number  than  14  or  15. 

The  corner  hole  of  the  rectangle  is  called  tcoliit.  hii) ;  the  second,  tcoolrsan, 
near  the  corner;  the  third,  rsa-akit,  middle:  the  fourth,  koketam.  above  the  end; 
the  fifth,  ko-ok.  last :  the  first  hole  of  the  house,  tcooletam.  above  the  hip :  the 


or 

(ZKZ 


3s: 


ZEE  1 
I2S  2 

ZZ)   3 
4 


Fig.  176.  Stick  dice; 
Pima  Indians,  Ari- 
zona; cat.  no.  218012, 
United  States  Na 
tional  Museum. 


"  Relsen  en  Onderzoekingen  in  Noord  .\merika.  p.  139,  Leiden,  1885. 


152  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       ( UTii,  ann.  24 

hecond,  ki-ik  vak'  utra.  four  hole  end;  the  third,  vai-ik  vak'  utra.  three  hole 
fcnd ;  the  fourth,  sap'k"  utra,  right  end  or  place;  the  tifth,  tai-I  utra,  fire  end  or 
in  the  fire. 

Doctor  Kussell  describes  also  the  following  stick  dice  game,  which 
is  played  exclusively  by  women : " 

Kfl-anilsaknt.  This  stave  game  is  pla.ved  with  eight  sticks,  in  'two  sets  of 
four  each,  which  are  colored  black  on  the  rounded  side  in  one  set  and  black  on 
the  flat  side  in  the  other,  the  opposite  side  being  stained  red.  Two  pla.v,  each 
using  her  own  set  of  sticks,  but  e.xchanging  them  alternatel.v,  so  that  first  one 
set  is  in  use  and  then  the  other.  The,v  are  held  loosely  in  tlie  right  hand,  and 
are  thrown  from  the  end  of  the  metate  or  an,v  other  convenient  stone.  If  all 
fall  red  side  up,  one  point  is  scored  by  a  mark  in  the  sand.  If  all  are  black, 
two  are  counted.     Four  points  completes  the  game. 

Tarahumare,     Pueblo  of  Carichic,  Chihuahua,  Mexico.      (Cat.  no. 

^^,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History,) 
Set  of  four  split  reeds,  6  inches  in  length  and  one-half  of  an  inch  in 
wddth,  marked  on  the  inner,  flat  sides,  as  shown  in  figure  177; 
opposite  sides  plain. 
Collected  by  Dr  Carl  Lumholtz.  who  says: '' 

Their  greatest  gambling  game,  at  which  they  may  play  even  when  tipsy,  is 
quince,  in  Tarahumare  romavoa.  It  is  played  with  four  sticks  of  equal  length, 
called  romaiaka  and  inscribed  with  certain  mai-ks  to  indicate  their  value.     They 

.  practically  serve  the  same  purpose  as 
A  'v  w  Vv  v. — J'y y  y^  y  y  1  dice,  but  they  are  thrown  in  a  different 
^\SKS!^^^S>s>V^yy^  ^'"J'-      The  pla.ver  .grasps  them  in  his  left 

hand,   levels   their  ends   carefully,   lifts 

-yW        his  bundle  and  strikes  the  ends  against 

a  flat  or  square  little  stone  in  front  of 

1        him,  from  which  they  rebound  toward 

\       his  opponent.     The  sticks  count  iu  ac- 
cordance with  the  way  they  fall.     The 
"     I       point  of  the  game  is  to  pass  through  a 

'       figure   outlined   by   small    holes   in   the 

Fig.  it:.    Stick  dice;  length,  6  inches;  Tara-        ground  between   the  two  players.     The 
hiimare  Indians,  pueblo  of  Carichic,  Chi-  ^         i,  ■,  ,  j., 

,      ,         „     ■  ,.  ,,     ,        •  movements,  of  course,  depend  upon  the 

huahua,    Mexico;    cat.    no.   gVs,  American  ^  ' 

Museum  of  Natural  History.  points   gained    in    throwing   the   sticks, 

and  the  count  is  kept  by  means  of  a 
little  stone,  which  is  placed  in  the  respective  hole  after  each  throw.  .Many 
accidents  ma.v  impede  its  progress;  for  instance,  it  ma,v  happen  to  be  in  the 
hole  into  which  the  adversary  comes  from  the  opposite  direction.  In  this 
case  he  is  killed,  and  he  has  to  begin  again  from  the  opposite  side.  The 
iidvance  is  regulated  by  a  number  of  ingenious  by-laws,  which  make  the  game 
liiglily  intellectual  and  entertaining.  If  he  has  the  wherewithal  to  pay  his 
losses,  a  Tarahumare  may  go  on  jilaying  for  a  fortnight  or  a  month,  until  he 
has  lost  everything  he  has  in  tliis  world  except  his  wife  and  children;  he  draws 
the  line  at  that.  He  scrupulously  pays  all  his  gambling  debts,  (See  plate 
III,  c, ) 

"  From  a  forthcoming  memttir  li,v  the  collcctfn*.  to  Im  iniblished  by  the  Bureau  of  Ameri- 
can Ethnology. 

'' rnkrif)wn   Mexico,  v.   1.  p.  27.S,  New  York.   11I0-. 


{ 


CrLIN] 


DICE   GAMES;    TEPEHUAN 


153 


Tepehuan.     Talayote.  near  Nabogame,  Chihuahua,  Mexico.     (Cat. 

no.  jYt-  American  Museum  of  Natural  History.) 
Set  of  four  ash-wood  sticks,  184  inches  in  length,  three-fourths  of  an 

inch  broad,  and  one-eighth  of  an  inch  thick,  marked  on  one  side 

witli  incised  lines  smeared  with  red  paint  (figure  178«)  ;  reverse, 

plain. 
Chihuahua,   Mexico.     (Cat.    no.   ^W .   American    Museum    of 

Natural  History.) 
Set  of  four  ash-wood  sticks,  identical  with  the  preceding,  except  that 

they  are  16J  inches  in  length  (figure  1786). 


Fig.  IT.s.    Stick  dico;  leuyth&;  u,  l^A  uj>-hL.">;  6,  lil^  iucliu^;  c,  11;  to  13^  inches;  Tepehuan  Indians, 
Chihuahua,  Mexico;  cat.  no.  jV,,  ^,%,  iSSo.  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

Cat.  no.  xol'5-     '^6t  of  four  sticks  of  canyon  walnut,  of  slightly  differ- 
ent lengths,  from  11]  to  13i  inclies,  eleven-sixteenths  of  an  inch 
wide,  and  one-eighth  of  an  inch  thick;  one  side  flat,  with  incised 
designs    composed    of    straight    and    oblique    lines,    the    incised 
places  being  stained  red    (figure  178e)  ;  opposite  sides  rounded 
and  jilain. 
Cat.  no.  ifl-g.     Set  of  four  sticks  of  piiion  wood,  6^  inches  in  length 
and  three-eighths  of  an  inch  square  (figure  179). 
These  last  sticks  have  four  instead  of  two  faces.     Two  opposite  sides 
are  flat  and  unpainted.     One  set  of  the  other  four  sides  is  unpaiuted, 
with  incised  lines  filled  with  red  paint,  as  shown  in  figure  179.     The 
sides  opposite  to  these  are  slightly  rounded  and  painted  red.     The 
top  stick  is  marked  with  a  diagonal  line  across  the  middle,  the  next 


154 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  Ann.  24 


with  two  straight  transverse,  lines  near  each  end,  the  third  has  a  sin- 
gle transverse  cut  across  the  middle,  and  the  fourth  is  jjlain.  The 
preceding  Tepehuan  siiecimens  were  all  collected  by  Dr  Carl  Lum- 
lioltz.  He  informs  me  that  the  Tepehuan  call  the  game  intuvigai 
zuli  gairagai.  game  straight  throwing.  It  is  also  generally  known 
by  the  Spanish  name  of  quince,"  or  fifteen. 

He  .states  that  it  is  played  by  all  the  tribes  in  Chihuahua  who  live 
in  or  near  the  sierra,  and  bv  the  Mexicans  as  well,  but  is  not  seen 


o  o  o  o  o 

o 

o 

o 

o 


o 
o 
o 
o 
o  o  o  o  o 


o  o  o  o  o 
o 
o 
o 
o 


o 
o 

o 
o 

O   O   O   O   0( 


Fig.  179. 


Fig.  180. 


Fig.  17y.    stick  dice;   length,  6i  iuches;  Tepehuan  Indians,  Chihuahua,  Mexico;  cat.  no.  ^S5b, 

American  Museum  of  Natural  History  flower  four  show  reverses). 
Fig.  180.    Circuit  for  stick  dice  game;  Tarahnmare  and  Tepehuan  Indians.  Chihviahua,  Mexico; 

from  drawing  by  Dr  Carl  Lumholtz. 

south  of  the  state  of  Durango.     It  is  not  known  to  the  Cora  of  the 
state  of  Jalisco,  or  to  the  Tarasco  of  Michoacan. 

ZuAQUE.     Rio  Fuerte,  Sinaloa,  Mexico. 

Mr  C.  V.  Hartman,  who  accompanied  Dr  Carl  Lumholtz,  informs 
me  that  the  Zuaque  play  the  game  of  quince  with  four  flattened  reeds, 
calling  the  game  kezute. 


PUJDNAN    STOCK 

NisHiNAM.     California. 

Mr  Stephen  Powers  "  gives  the  following  account: 

The  ha  is  a  game  of  dice,  played  by  men  or  women,  two.  three,  or  four  together. 
The  dice,  four  in  number,  consist  of  two  acorns  split  lengthwise  into  halves, 
with  the  outside.s  scraped  and  painted  red  or  black.  They  are  shaken  in  the 
hands  and  thrown  into  a  wide,  fiat  basket,  woven  in  ornamental  patterns, 
sometimes  worth  $25.     One  paint  and  three  whites,  or  vice  versa,  score  nothing ; 

"  Also  in  French,  quinze.  "  a  popular  game  with  cards.  In  which  the  object  Is  to  make 
15  point.s."  The  name  "  quince  "  does  not  appear  to  bo  confined  among  the  Indians  to 
the  game  played  with  staves. 

'Contributions  to  North  .\meilcan  Ethnology,  v.  3,  p.  332,  Washington,  1877. 


CDLIN] 


DICE    GAMES:    CLALLAM  155 


two  of  each  score  1  :  four  alike  score  4.  The  thrower  keeps  on  throwing  until 
be  makes  a  blank  throw,  when  another  takes  the  dice.  When  all  the  pla.vers 
have  stood  their  turn,  the  one  who  has  scored  most  takes  the  stakes,  which 
in  this  game  are  generally  small,  sa.v  a  "  bit." 

NiSHiNAM.     Mokehimne  river.  12  miles  south  of  Placerville,  Cali- 
fornia. 
Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  a  dice  game,  played  with  four  half 
acorns  cast  into  a  basket,  imder  the  name  of  ha. 

Te'-o.  the  dice  plaque  basket  is  often  oval   in  shape.     Two  alike  up  or  two 
alike  down  count  1  :  all  alike  up  or  down.  2. 

SALISHAN    STOCK 

Bellacoola.     British  Cohimbia.     (Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Cat.  no.  18422.     Bone  die.  copied  from  a  beaver  tooth,  1|  inches  in 

length,  the  center  tied  with  a  thong  and  one  face  decorated  with 

twelve  dots  in  six  pairs. 
Cat.  no.  18434  and  1843.5.     Bone  dice,  two  similar  to  the  above,  but 

with  chevron  devices;    length,  1.1  inches. 
Cat.  no.  18416  to  18419.     AVooden  dice   (figure  181),  similar  to  the 

preceding,  two  carved  with  chevrons  and  two  with  dots;  length, 

2i  inches. 
All  these  specimens  were  collected  by  Mr  Carl  Hagenbeck. 


Fig.  181.    W(.odeu  dice;  length,  2)  iiK-hes;  BeUacoola  ludiaus,  British  Columbiui  cat.  no.  18416 
to  18419.  Field  Columlnan  Museum. 

Clallam.     "Washington. 

A  Clallam  boy.  John  Raub,  described  to  the  writer  the  beaver-teeth 
dice  game,  as  played  by  this  tribe,  under  the  name  of  smitale.  The 
two  teeth  marked  with  dots  are  called  swaika,  men,  and  the  two  marked 
with  chevrons,  slani,  women.     Playing  cards  are  called  smitale. 

Port  Gamble,  Washington.      (Cat.  no.  19653,  Field  Columbian 

Museum). 
Set  of  four  beaver-teeth  dice,  two  with  straight  lines  and  two  with 
circles.     Collected  by  Rev.  Myron  Eells. 

Mr  Eells  writes: 

Precisely  the  same  kind  are  used  by  the  Twaua.  Puyallup,  Snohomish.  Che- 
balis,  and  Quenaielt :  in  fact,  by  all  the  tribes  on  Puget  Sound.  I  have  obtained 
them  from  the  Twana  and  Quinaielt. 


156 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


To  this  list  Mr  Eells  h:is  added  the  (.\n\iitz,  Lummi.  Skagit,  and 
Squaxon.  and  the  Sooke.  of  British  Cohimbia. 

NisQUALLi.     Washington. 
Mr  George  Gibbs  "  states : 

The  women  have  a  game  belonging  properly  to  themselves.  It  is  played 
with  four  beaver  teeth,  meh-ta-la.  having  particular  marks  on  each  side.  They 
are  thrown  as  dice,  success  depending  on  the  arrangement  in  which  they  fall. 

In  his  dictionary  of  the  Nisqnalli,  the  name  of  the  game  is  given 
as  metahi,  smetali :  the  highest,  or  four-point  in  dice,  kes. 

QuiNAiELT.     Washington.      (Cat.    no.  j^,   American    Museum    of 

Natural  History.) 
Four  beaver-teeth  dice.     Collected  by  Dr  Livingston  Farrand. 
Shuswap.     Kamloops,  British  Columbia. 
Dr  Franz  Boas  ''  says : 

The  games  of  the  Shuswap  are  almost  the  same  as  those  of  the  coast  tribes. 
We  find  the  game  of  dice  played  with  beaver  teeth. 

Snohomish   (?).'■     Tulalip  agency.  Washington.     (Cat.  no.  130990, 

United  States  National  Museum.) 
Set  of  four  beaver-teeth  dice  (figure  18-2)  ;    two,  both  lefts,  stopped 
at  the  end  and  marked  on  the  flat  side  with  rings  anil  dots,  and 


Fig.  IW.  Fig,  18;i 

FKi.  IHa.    Beaver-teeth  dice;  length.  \}  to  ~  inches;   Snohomish  (?)  Indians.  Tulalip  agency, 

Washington;  cat.  no.  130990,  United  States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  183.    Counters  for  beaver-teeth  dice;  length,  about  .3  inches;  Snohomish  (?  i  Indians.  Tulalip 

agency,  Washington;  eat.  no.  130990,  United  States  National  Museum. 

two,  rights  and  lefts,  both  apjiarently  from  the  same  animal,  with 
both  sides  plain;  28  radial  hones  of  birds,  about  :'>  inches  in 
length  (figure  183).  used  as  counters.  Collected  by  Mr  E.  C. 
Cherouse  and  designated  by  him  as  a  woman's  game. 

"  Contriljutions  to  North  American  Ethnolog.v,  v.  1.  p.  206,  Washington.  1S77. 

".Second  General  Report  on  the  Indians  of  British  Columljia.  Report  of  the  Sixtieth 
Meeting  of  the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  G41.  Lniidon.  I.S90. 

'  It  is  not  possible  to  determine  the  tribe  exactly.  The  tribes  at  the  Tulalip  agency 
are  given  in  Powell's  Indian  Linguistic  Families  of  America  as  follows:  Snohomish,  443; 
Madison,  144  ;  Muckleshoot,  103  ;   Swinomlsh,  227  ;  Lummi,  295. 


CDLiN]  DICE    GAMES:    THOMPSON  157 

SoNGiSH.     Vancouver  island,  British  Columbia. 
Dr  Franz  Boas"  gives  the  following  account: 

.  Smetale',  a  game  of  dice,  is  played  with  four  beaver  teeth,  two  being  marked 
on  one  of  their  flat  sides  witli  two  rows  of  small  circles.  They  arc  called 
women,  slfi'nae  smetalf-'.  The  two  others  are  marked  on  one  of  the  flat  sides 
•with  cross  lines.  They  are  called  men,  suwe'k-a  smetale'.  One  of  them  is  tied 
with  a  small  string  in  the  middle.  It  is  called  ink-  ak-  "e  sen.  The  game  is 
played  by  two  persons.  According  to  the  value  of  the  stakes,  30  or  40  sticks 
are  placed  between  the  players.  One  begins  to  throw.  When  all  the  marked, 
faces  are  either  up  or  down,  he  wins  2  sticks.  If  the  faces  of  the  two  men  are 
up,  of  the  two  women  down,  or  vice  versa,  he  wins  1  stick.  When  the  face  of 
the  iak'  ak''e  sen  is  up,  all  others  down,  or  vice  versa,  he  \vins  4  sticks.  Who- 
ever wins  a  stick  gees  on  playing,  \\hen  one  of  the  players  has  obtained  all  the 
sticks  he  wins  the  game. 

It  is  considered  indecent  for  women  to  look  on  when  the  men  gamble.  Only 
when  two  tribes  play  against  each  other  are  they  allowed  to  be  present.  They 
sing  during  the  game,  waving  their  arms  up  and  down  rhythmically.  Men  and 
women  of  the  winning  party  paint  their  faces  red. 

Thompson.     British  Columbia.     (Cat.  no.   ^^,  American  Museum 

of  Natural  History.) 
Set  of  four  beaver-teeth  dice  (figure  184)  ;  one,  partly  split,  wrapped 
in  sinew;    marked  on  one  face  with  lines  and  dots,  the  opposite 
sides  plain.     Collected  by  Mr  James  Teit. 
The  following  account  is  given  bj-  the  collector: '' 

Women  played  a  game  of  dice  with  beaver  teeth,  which  were  tossed  down  on 
a  spread  blanket  or  skin  by  the  player.  Each  tooth  was  marked  on  only  one 
side  with  carved  lines  or  spots. 
One,  called  the  man,  was  marked 
with  eight  transverse  lines  and 
tied  around  the  middle  with  a 
piece  of  sinew.  Its  mate  was 
marked  with  five  transverse  lines, 
each  having  a  dot  in  the  middle. 
The    other    two    were    mates,    and  ^''C'7~T~X. 

were    each    marked    alike    with    a  /'^^IIUS^     'C=J^- — ^^\ 

certain  number  of  triangular  lines.  /C   y'  ^Tv 

When  the  dice  were  thrown,  if  all  N^/ 

the  blank  sides  or  if  all  the  faces  ^-^ 

came   up,    it    o-.unted    2    points    for       ^'«,  ^■'•'-    Beaver-teeth  dice;  length,  U  inche.,; 

Tnompson  Indians,  British  ColumDia;  cat.  no. 
the      thrower;       if      a      triangular-  ^e,.  American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 

marked  die  came  face  up   and  all 

the  others  face  down,  14  points;  if  the  dotted  one  fell  face  up  and  the  other 
three  face  down,  8  points ;  if  the  man  turned  face  up  and  the  rest  face  down, 
4  points.  If  the  dice  fell  any  other  way  than  as  indicated  above,  it  counted 
nothing,  and  the  opposite  party  took  their  turn  to  throw.  If  a  tooth  fell  on  its 
edge,  it  was  taken  up  and  let  fall  to  see  on  which  side  it  would  turn.  This  game 
is  still  played  by  some  women,  but  nut  nearly  as  much  as  it  was  eight  or  teu 
years  ago, 

»  Second  General  Report  on  the  Indians  of  British  Columbia.  Report  of  the  Sixtieth 
Meeting  of  the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  571,  London,  1891. 

'The  Thompson  Indians  of  British  Columbia.  Memoirs  of  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  v.  2,  p.  272,  New  York,  1900. 


158  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 

TwANA.     Washington. 

Rev.  Myron  Eells  thus  describes  the  women's  game :  " 

The  dice  are  made  of  beavers'  teeth  generally,  but  sometimes  from  musk-- 
rats'  teeth.  There  are  two  pairs  of  them,  and  generally  two  persons  play,  one 
on  each  side ;  but  sometimes  there  are  two  or  three  on  each  side.  The  teeth 
are  all  taken  in  one  hand  and  thrown  after  the  manner  of  dice.  One  has  a  string 
around  the  middle.  If  this  one  is  down  and  all  the  rest  up,  or  up  and  the 
rest  down,  it  counts  4 ;  if  all  are  up  or  down,  it  counts  2 ;  if  one  pair  is  up 
and  the  other  down,  it  counts  1 ;  and  if  one  pair  is  up  or  down  and  the  other 
divided,  unless  it  be  as  above  when  it  counts  4,  then  it  counts  nothing ;  30  is  a 
game :  but  they  generally  play  three  games,  and  bet  more  or  less,  money,  dresses, 
or  other  things.  The.v  sometimes  learn  ver.v  expertly  to  throw  the  one  with  the 
string  on  differently  from  the  others,  by  arranging  them  in  the  hand  so  that 
they  can  hold  this  one,  which  they  know  by  feeling,  a  trifle  longer  than  the 
others. 

SHAH.^PTIAN    STOCK 

Klikitat.  Washington.  (Cat.  no.  20D55,  Free  Museum  of  Science 
and  Ai't,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Three  beaver-teeth  dice,  two  marked  with  five  circles  with  central 
dot  and  one  with  chevrons  on  flat  side.  All  have  ends  wrapped 
with  sinew  to  prevent  splitting  and  one  with  circles  and  one  with 
chevrons  are  wrapped  about  the  middle  with  sinew.  Collected 
by  Mr  A.  B.  Averill. 

Yakima.     Yakima  reservation.  Washington.     (Cat.  no.  37.512,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Four  sticks,  5f  inches  in  length,  triangular  in  section,  one  side  flat 
and  plain  and  the  other  two  sides  marked  with  dots  and  cross 

lines   as   shown   in   figure 

mr- 1  ^_.-J*x^^^^^  ^^^-     <^'oll«'C'ted     by     the 

^^^^^^^^^^^=====^^^^ES2^^  The   dice   and   game   are   called 

^  porataliwit.    The  two  sticks  marked 

Pig.  186.    stick  dice:  length.  .5!  inches;  Yakima  In-  with  cross   lines  are  called  walou, 

dians,  Washington:    cat.  no.  37.512.  Free  Museum  man,      and     the     two      with      dots, 

of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.  ,,.^j,,^^,       jt    is    a    woman's    game, 

played  by  two  persons  and  counted  with  twenty  counting  sticks,  il  quas.  The 
counts  are  as  follows:  All  heads  up  counts  2;  all  tails  up,  1;  two  heads  and 
two  tails.  1. 

My  informant,  a  Dalles  (Wasco)  Indian  named  Jack  Long,  stated 
that  the  game  was  also  played  by  the  Klikitat  and  Dalles  Indians. 
The  former  call  the  game  tskaiwit.  The  game  is  played  on  a  blanket, 
and  the  sticks  are  tossed  up  with  the  hands. 

"Bulletin  of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey,  v.  iii,  p.  90,  Washington,  1877. 


CCLIN] 


DICE    GAMES  :    COMANCHE 


159 


SHOSHONEAN    STOCK 

Bannock.  Foi-t  Hall  reservation.  Idaho.  (Cat.  no.  37059,  Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Four  willow  sticks,  halves,  with  pith  removed  and  the  groove  painted 
red;  length,  8|  inches.  Three  have  the  Hat,  gi-ooved  side  plain, 
and  one  has  burnt  cross  marks.  Two  have  plain  reverses.  The 
others,  including  the  one  with  the  flat  side,  are  marked  with 
burned  designs,  as  shown  in  figure  186 ;  with  eight  willow-twig 
counting  sticks  4^  inches  in  length.  These  were  collected  by  the 
writer  in  1900. 

The  stick  dice  and  the  game  are  called  to-pe-di :  the  counters,  ti-hope.  The  two 
sticks  marked  on  the  rounded  convex  side  with  cross  lines  and  triangles  are 
known,  respectivel.v,  as  pi-au.  female,  and  a-ku-a,  male.  The  counts  are  as  fol- 
lows :  All  heads  or  all  tails.  1  :  male  and  female  lieads  or  tails  up  and  the  other 
two  heads  or  tails  down,  2 ;  three  heads  or  three  tails  up,  1. 


Fig 


Fig.  LHi;.  Fig.  187. 

1H6.    Stick  dice:  length.  Si  inches:  Bannock  Indians.  Idaho:  cat.  no.  37059.  Free  Museum  of 


Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  187.    Cf'unting  sticks  for  stick  dice:  length,  ^  inches:   Bannock  Indians.  Idaho:  cat.  no. 
37059,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


Comanche.     Texas. 

J.  M.  Stanley,  in  his  Catalogue  of  Portraits  of  Xorth  American 
Indians,"  says  in  connection  with  no,  92,  a  Comanche  game,  painted 
in  18-14 : 

This  game  is  played  exclusively  by  the  women.  They  hold  in  their  hands 
twelve  sticks,  about  0  inches  in  length  which  they  drop  upon  a  rock  :  the  sticks 
that  fall  across  each  other  are  counted  for  the  game ;  100  such  counts  the  game. 
They  become  very  excited,  and  frequently  bet  all  the  dresses,  deerskins,  and 
buffalo  robes  they  possess. 

Kiowa  reservation,  Oklahoma.     (United  States  National  Mu- 
seum, ) 
Cat,  no,  152911«.     Set  of  six  bone  dice,  having  both  faces  convex,  and 

bearing  on  one  face  incised  designs  (figure  188)  filled  with  i-ed 

paint. 

°  Page  55,  Washington,  1852.  The  pictures  were  destroyed  by  the  fire  in  the  Smith- 
sonian Institution,  January  :;4,  1865. 


160 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


The  reverses  are  plain,  with  the  exception  of  the  third  from  the 
left,  which  has  a  cross  inscribed  upon  the  back.  The  device  on  tlie 
face  of  this  die  was  intended  to  represent  the  head  of  a  buffalo,  whicli 
is  more  plainly  delineated  upon  one  of  the  Mandan  dice  (figure  1^4^!). 
The  dice  are  described  by  the  collector  as  being  played  by  women  and 
shaken  up  in  a  basket. 


Pig.  188.    Bone  dice;  lengths,  U  to  1}  inches;  Comanche  Indians,  Oklahoma;  lat   no.  I'tiSlla, 
United  States  National  Museum, 


PiQ. 


189.    Bone  dice;  lengths,  1}  and  H  inches;  Comanche  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  1529116, 
United  States  National  Museum. 


^^H^IZiHID 


El 


3 


3. 


Cat.  no.  1529115.     Set  of  six  bone  dice  with  designs  like  those  on  the 
preceding  .  but  painted  green  instead  of  red  (figure  189).     Both 
sets  were  collected  by  Mr  James  Mooney. 
Hopi.     Oraibi,  Arizona.     (Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Cat.  no.  55352.     Sandstone  slab,  inscribed  with 

diagram,    11    inches    in    length;    and    four 

pieces   of   cane,   3|    inches    in    length,    witli 

the  outer  face  burned  with  dots  in  chevron 

pattern    (figure   1!)0). 

These  were  collected  in  1899  by  Rev.  H.  R. 

Voth,  and  are  described  by  him  as  implements 

for  the  game  of  totolospi : " 

In  this  game  either  two  or  four  participate.  Each 
player  has  one  piece,  which  is  placed  in  the  ring  seen  in 
the  four  semicircles.  The  sticks  are  then  thrown  Ijy  one  party,  and  as  long  as 
either  the  plain  or  the  figured  sides  of  all  the  sticks  lie  upward  he  moves  his 
piece  forward  over  the  cross  lines  toward  the  center.  As  soon  as  the  sticks 
present  different  surfaces  another  player  throws. 

Cat.  no.  53353.     Inscribed  stone  for  game  of  totolospi  (figure  191). 

"  Compare  with  the  Aztec  totoloque  ;  "  Sorte  de  jeu  qui  eonsistait  il  lancer  d'un  pou  loin 
dp  petits  .j.Tk'ts  coulfe  en  or  et  trfes-polis  .sur  des  palets  (^Ralemeut  en  or;  cinq  marcpics 
sufhsaieut  pour  qu'on  perdlt  ou  qu'oD  gajL^mlt  certaine  pif^ce  on  joaillerie  qui  fiu-mait 
I'cnjeu  (B.  Diaz)."  R.  Simeon,  Dictionnalip  de  la  Ijunsue  Nahuatl  ou  Mexicaine  I  I'aiis, 
1S,K,^).  The  same  name,  totolospi,  is  applied  b.v  the  Tewa  at  liano  to  the  forei.iju  Mexican 
(S[)aiiisli)  same  Uke  Fox  and  Geese,  and  (lie  worci  \v;is  prol)aljl.v  derived  from  the  Mexican 
like  the  ;inaIoguus  patol. 


Fig.  190.  Cane  dice; 
length,  ,Si  inches;  Hopi 
Indians,  Oraibi,  Ari- 
zona; cat.  no,  55352, 
Field  Columbian  Mu- 
seum, 


CtJLlN] 


DICE    GAMES  :    HOPI 


161 


Cat.  no.  55354.     Inscribed  stone  for  game  of  totolospi  (figure  192). 
Cat.  no.  ;-)5356.     Two  slips  of  cane,  3f  inches  in  length,  marked  on  the 
round  side  with  burned  designs  (figure  193),  dice  used  with  the 
above. 

These  were  collected  in  1899  liv  Kev.  H.  R.  Voth,  who  describes 
the  game  as  follows: 

There  are  two  opposing  parties,  each  of  which  may  consist  of  one  or  more 
persons.  The  diagram  is  made  smaller  or  larger,  according  to  the  number  of 
players.  Each  player  has  one  piece,  or  animal  as  the  Hopi  call  it,  and  before 
starting  the  pieces  are  placed  on  the  circles  in  the  space  that  is  depicted  run- 
ning into  the  center  of  the  diagram.     This  space  is  made  either  in  a  straight. 


Pig.  192, 


DDDfl  am 
w  I 


jai 


© 


Fig.  191.  Fig.  193. 

Fio.  191.  Stone  board  for  cane  dite;  length  of  diagram,  S  inches;  Hopi  Indians,  Oraibi,  Ari- 
zona: cat.  no.  55.3.53,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Flo.  192,  Stone  board  for  cane  dice;  length  of  diagram,  5  inches:  Hopi  Indians,  Oraibi,  Arizona; 
cat.  no.  5.5;i')4,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Fig.  193.  Cane  dice;  length,  3J  inches;  Hopi  Indians,  Oraibi.  Arizona;  cat.  no.  55356,  Field 
Columbian  Museum. 

winding,  or  coiled  form.  The  number  of  sticks  used  varies ;  generally,  how- 
ever, either  two  or  three  are  used.  These  are  dropped  upon  the  floor  on  end. 
All  white  or  all  figured  sides  up  count.  The  jiluyers  throw  until  the  sticks  do 
not  all  present  the  same  side.  The  pieces  are  put  into  the  outside  circles  and 
move  from  left  to  right.  ITnder  certain  conditions,  which  have  not  yet  lieen 
fully  studieil,  they  are  put  forward  over  more  than  one  point  or  are  returned 
to  the  place  of  starting. 

Hopi.  Oraibi,  Arizona.  (Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania). 

Cat.  no.  38611.  Sandstone  slab,  9  inches  long,  inscribed  with  dia- 
gram, consisting  of  an  ellipse,  with  5  transverse  lines  on  each 
side  and  three  circles  arranged  as  shown  in  figure  194. 

24   ETH — fl5   M 11 


162 


GAMES    OF    THE    NOKTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


Cat.  no.  38610.  Sandstone  slab,  11|  inches  long,  inscribed  with  a 
cross-shaped  figure,  with  five  "lines  on  each  arm  and  a  circle  at 
each  end  and  in  the  middle  (figure  195).  Collected  by  the  writer 
in  11)01. 


Fig.  194.  Fig.  195. 

Fig.  194.    Cane  dice  and  stone  board;  length  of  board,  9  inches;  Hopi  Indians,  Oraibi.  Arizona;  cat. 

no.  :^6n.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  195.    Cane  dice  and  stone  board:  length  of  board,  11 J  inches;  Hopi  Indians.  Orailn,  Arizona; 

cat.  no.  38610.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Cat.  no.  38609.  Stone  slab  engraved  with  diagram  as  shown  in  figure 
196.  Collected  by  tlie  writer  in  1901. 
These  are  counting  boards  for  the  game  of  totolospi.  The  fir.st  is 
played  by  two  men  and  the  second  by  four.  The  moves  are  made 
according  to  the  throws  with  cane  dice.  The  first  is  accompanied  by 
three  slips  of  cane  i  inches  in  length,  painted  red  on  the  inner,  hollow 


Fig.  196.    Cane  dice  and  stone  board:  length  of  board,  124  inches;  Hopi  Indians,  Oraibi.  Arizona, 
cat.  no.  38(i09,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

side.     The  second  also  has  three  dice,  with  the  convex  side  marked 
with  diagonal  burned  lines.    The  counts  are  as  follows : 

Three  white  up  counts  2;  three  red  up,  1.  The  players  start  with  their  mau 
on  the  circle  nearest  to  them,  advanein.?  line  by  line  across  the  board.  The  one 
who  gets  first  to  the  opijosite  side  wins.  The  circles  are  called  hwalmai,  and 
the  spaces  tuwoila. 

Hopi.     Walpi,  Arizona. 

Mr  A.  M.  Stephen  in  his  unpublished  manuscript  gives  tcomakin- 
tota  as  the  name  of  a  Hopi  man's  game,  corresponding  to  the  Navaho 
woman's  game  of  tsittilc. 


IT LIN] 


DICE  games:  hopi 


163 


Hopi.     Mishongnovi.  Arizona.      (Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Cat.  no.  75568.  Pottery  bowl  ( figure  197) .  7-i  inches  in  diameter,  cream 


Pig.  197.    Decorated  pottery  bowl  with  gambling  sticks;  Hopi  Indians,  Mishongnovi,  Arizona; 
rat.  no.  7.V)68,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

color,  decorated  with  four  marked  gambling  sticks  painted  in 
brown  inside  of  a  broken  band  in  the  center. 


Fig.  198.    Decorated  pottery  bowl  with  gambling  sticks;  Hopi  Indians,  Mishongnovi^  Arizona; 
cat.  no.  T5.S9*J,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Cat.  no.  75892.  Pottery  bowl  (figure  198).  8  inches  in  diameter,  the 
interior  decorated  with  three  marked  gambling  sticks  painted 
in  brown  on  a  plain  field  inside  of  a  ring  with  serrated  edges 


164 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [etii.  ANN.  24 


having  30  notches ;  the  sjDace  outside  of  the  ring  spattered.    Col- 
lected from  ancient  graves  by  Mr  C.  L.  Owen  in  1900. 

Hopi.     Shiniopavi.  Arizona.     (Cat.   no.    15773.5,   United   States  Na- 
tional Museum.) 
Pottery  bowl   (figure  199),  containing  symbolic  pictograph  of  bird 
and  four  marked  gaming  canes.     Excavated  from  the  old  ceme- 
tery "  by  Dr  J.  Walter  Fewkes. 
The  symbolic  bird.  Doctor  Fewkes  informed  me,  was  identified  as 
Kwataka.  Eagle-man.  an  old  crony  of  gamblers. 


Fig.  199.    Decorated  pottery  bowl  with  Eagle-man  and  gaming  reed  casts;  Hopi  Indians,  Shimo- 
pavi,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  157735,  United  States  National  Museum. 


The  bird  in  this  bowl  was  further  identified  by  Mr  Cushing  with 
the  Zuni  Misina,  referred  to  in  his  account  of  sholiwe  (p.  215). 

These  three  bowls  serve  to  establish  the  existence  and  antiquity  of  a 
cane  or  reed  game,  like  the  Zuni  sholiwe,  among  the  Hopi.  Fur- 
ther evidence  of  the  antiquity  of  this  game  is  furnished  by  several 
split  gaming  reeds  excavated  by  Doctor  Fewkes  at  the  Chevlon  ruin, 
near  where  the  Chevlon  fork  flows  into  the  Little  Colorado,  about  15 
miles  east  of  Winslow,  Arizona.     The  marks  on  the  reeds  are  shown 

»  Doctor  Fewkes  informs  me  that  old  Shimopavl  was  inhabited  up  to  1680,  but  the 
bowl  he  regards  as  older  than  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century. 


oi;lin] 


DICE    GAMES  :    KAWIA 


165 


ill  figure  200.  One  is  apparently  without  marks  on  the  exterior,  and 
of  the  four  others,  two  have  the  same  marks,  from  which  it  may  be 
inferred  that  they  belonged  to  two  different  sets. 


Fig.  200.    Caue  dice  (restored):  Clievlon  ruin,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  loSKiO,  United  States  National 

Museum. 

Kawia.     Indio.  Riverside  county,  California.      (Cat.  no.  G3589,  Field 
Columbian  Museum.) 


{^^C^/^^^^^  J./^^^] 


:^^>^^^^^) 


Fig.  201.    Stick  dice;  length,  16  inches;  Kawia  Indians,  Indio,  Riverside  county,  California;  cat. 
no.  63589,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Three  staves  of  midrib  of  palmetto,  16  inches  in  length,  one  side 
rounded,  the  other  flat  with  burned  marks,  as  shown  in  figure 
201.     Collected  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms. 


166 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


Mono.     Hooker  cove,  Madera  county,  California.     (Field  Columbian 

Museum. ) 
Cat.  no.  71926,  71927.     Basket  plaque,  18|  inches  in  diameter,  and  six 
dice,  made  of  acorn  calyxes,  filled  with  talc  (figui-e  202). 


Flo.  202.    Acorn-cup  dice;  diameter,  seven-eighths  of  an  inch;  Mono  Indians,  Madera  county, 
California;  cat.  no.  71927,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Cat.  no.  71178.     Basket  dice  plaque  (figure  203).  2.")  inches  in  diam- 
eter, with  colored  designs. 
Both  collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson. 


;^-B%^..^-  ^ 


"^"^sSZOiB^ 


Fig.  803.    Basket  tray  for  dice;  diameter,  25  inches;  Mono  Indians,  Madera  county,  California; 
cat.  no.  71178,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Paiute.     Southern  Utah.      (Cat.  no.  14662,  United  States  National 

Museum. ) 
Slips  of  cane  (figure  204),  about  14  inches  in  length,  painted  red  on 
the  inner,  concave  side. 


CTt;^"-;^" 


-  -*-.j«- 


■    -^     ''**' 


1I1-UILUU.HJ.M1M.--  i-!t»^ 


Pia.  204.    Cane  dice:  length,  about  14  inches;  Paiute  Indians,  southern  Utah;  cat.  no.  14662,  United 

States  National  Museum. 


Among  them  are  several  pairs,  made  of  halves  of  the  same  cane, 
collected  by  Maj.  J.  W.  Powell.  A  large  number  of  other  sets  of  these 
cane  dice  from  the  same  place  are  contained  in  the  National  Museum. 


CIXIN] 


DICE    GAMES:    PAIUTE 


167 


Paiute.     Southern    Utah.      (Cat.    no.    9411,    Peabody    Museum    of 

American  Archaeology  and  Ethnology.) 
Fourteen  strips  of  cane,  of  inches  long,  with  the  inner,  curved  sides 

painted  red  (figure  205).     Collected  by  Dr  Edwai'd  Palmer  and 

said  to  be  used  on  the  dice  principle,  the  red  sides  only  being 

counted. 


Pyramid  lake,  Nevada, 
tional  Museum.) 


(Cat.  no.  10045,  United  States  Na- 


Eight  slips  of  split  cane,  painted  red  on  the  inside,  11  inches  in 
length.  Collected  by  Mr  Stephen  Powers,  who  describes  them  as 
follows : 

Tatsungiu.  gambling  pieces.     Ten  sticlis  are  stucli  into  the  ground,  and  two 
men  iilay  by  throwing  on  end  eight  split  pieces  of  reed,  painted  red  on  the 


Fig.  305.  Fig.  21)6. 

Fig.  205.    Cane  dice;  lengtli,  58  inches;  Paiute  Indlan-s,  .southern  Utah;  cat.  no.  9411,  Peabody 

Museum  ot  American  Ai'chieology  and  Ethnology. 
Fig.  206.    Stick  dice;  length,  2}  inches;  Paiute  Indians,  Pyramid  lake,  Nevada;  cat.  no.  37152,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

inside ;  they  count  the  pieces  which  fall  white  side  up  and  there  are  two  pieces 
serving  as  counters  in  addition  to  the  pieces  stuck  in  the  ground,  the  latter 
representing  the  ten  fingers. 

Pyramid  lake,  Nevada.     (Cat.  no.  37150,  Free  Museum  of 

Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Eight  slips  of  split  reed,  painted  red  on  the  convex  side ;  length,  135 

inches.     Collected  by  the  writer  in  1900. 
The  name  of  these  dice,  as  reported  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey,  is 
quoquokotateana. 
Cat.  no.  37152.  Eight  small  willow  sticks   (figure  206),  rounded  on 

one  side  and  flat  on  the  other,  the  round  side  plain  and  the  flat 

side  stained  red;  length,  2f  inches.     Collected  by  the  writer  in 

1900  through  Miss  Marian  Taylor. 

Pyramid  lake,  Nevada.     (United  States  National  Museum.) 

Cat.  no  19054.  Set  of  twelve  sticks  of  grease  wood,"  one  and  three- 
fourths  inches  in  length,  five-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  breadth, 
and  one-eighth  of  an  inch  in  thickness  (figure  207)  ;  both  sides 
rounded,  the  outer  painted  red  and  the  inner  unpainted. 

"  Larrea  mexicana. 


168 


GAMES    OP    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS 


[ETH.  ANN.  24 


These  were  collected  by  Mr  Stephen  Powers,  and  are  described  by 
the  collector  under  the  name  of  nabago-in,  as  intended  for  women  to 
gamble  with : 

Four  players  squat  in  a  circle  and  take  turns  in  tossing  these  sticks  on  a 
basket  tray.  Five  white  sides  must  turn  up  to  count  1.  They  mark  in  the  sand 
and  five  marks  count  1  stone :    10  stones  end  the  game. 


Fir..  207.    Stick  dice:  length,  2J  inches:  Painte  Indians,  Pyramid  lake,  Nevada;  cat.  no.  19054, 
United  States  National  Museum. 

Cat.  no.  19695.  Set  of  eight  dice  (figure  208),  hoowats,  made  of 
canyon  walnut  shells,  split  in  the  middle,  and  each  half  filled 
with  pitch  and  powdered  charcoal,  inlaid  with  small  red  and 
white  glass  beads  and  bits  of  abalone  shell.  They  are  accom- 
panied by  a  basket  tray,  chappit  (cat.  no.  19696). 

The  collector,  Mr  Stephen  Pow- 
ers, gives  the  following  account  of 
the  game: 

The  women  squat  on  the  ground  and 
toss  the  dice  in  the  tray.  When  either 
three  or  five  of  them  fall  fiat  side  up 
that  counts  1.  They  keep  count  with 
sticks  for  counters.  The  game  is  exclu- 
sively for  women,  who  bet  on  it  with  as 
much  recklessness  as  men. 

Shoshoni.  Wind  River  reservation,  Wyoming.  (Free  Museum  of 
Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Cat.  no.  36859.  Set  of  stick  dice,  topedi,  slender  twigs,  two  marked 
alike  with  grooves  the  entire  length  and  cross  notches  in  the 
middle  and  at  the  ends  on  the  flat  side;  the  reverse  plain;  two 
marked  with  red  grooves  and  burnt  designs  on  the  flat  side, 
and  with  burnt  designs  on  the  reverse,  which  is  otherwise  plain; 
length,  7^  inches. 

Cat.  no.  36860.  Similar  to  the  preceding,  except  that  the  designs  on 
the  reverses  of  the  two  sticks  are  slightly  different;  length,  9 J 
inches. 

Cat.  no.  36861:  Two  alike,  one  side  painted  red.  the  reverse  plain. 
One  painted  red  on  the  flat  side,  with  burnt  marks  in  the  center, 


Fig.  208.  Walnut-shell  dice;  diameter,  1 
inch:  Painte  Indians,  Pyramid  lake, 
Nevada;  cat.  no.  19695,  United  States  Na- 
tional Museum. 


Cl'LINj 


DICE    GAMES:    SHOSHONI 


1B9 


Cat, 


and  burnt  marks  and  green  paint  in  center  on  the  reverse;  one 
with  the  groove  painted  green  and  burnt  marks  on  the  flat  side, 
the  reverse  with  burnt  marks  and  green  paint ;  length.  11^  inches; 
with  eight  willow  counting  sticks,  8  inches  in  length, 
no.  36862.  Two  painted  yellow  on  the  flat  side,  the  reverse  plain ; 
one  painted  red  on  the  flat  side  with  burnt  marks  and  blue  paint 
in  the  middle,  the  re- 
verse with  burnt  cross 
lines  in  the  middle:  one 
with  groove  painted  red, 
and  burnt  lines,  the  re- 
verse burnt  with  cross 
marks  (figure  209)  : 
length,  11  inches. 
There  are  five  other  sets  in 
this  collection  (cat.  no. 
36863-36867),  all  varying  slightly  from  the  above.  Collected  by 
the  writer  in  1900.     The  dice  are  struck  ends  down  on  a  flat  stone. 

Shoshoni.  Fort  Hall  agency.  Idaho.  (Cat.  no.  22285. United  States 
National  Museum. ) 

Set  of  four  sticks,  10  inches  in  length,  seven-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in 
breadth,  and  three-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  thickness:  rectangu- 
lar in  section  (figure  210).  made  from  grooved  box  boards,  which 
Mr  Gushing  pointed  out  to  the  writer  were  used  as  a  substitiite 
for  split  canes;  burnt  on  the  inner  grooved  side  with  four  trans- 
verse marks,  two  near  each  end.  Collected  by  William  H.  Dan- 
ilson. 


Fig.  2ri9,  Stick  dice:  lengrth,  U  inches;  Shoshoni  In- 
dians. Wyoming;  cat.  no.  368(i2,  Free  Museum  of 
Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania,  (c,^ 
are  reverses  of  c,  rf. ) 


Fi(j.  21U.    Stick  dice:  length,  10  inches;  Shoshoni  Indians;    Port  Hall  agency,  Idaho;  cat.  no. 
32285,  United  States  National  Museum. 


Wind  River  reservation,  Wyoming.    (Free  Museum  of  Science 

and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Cat.  no.  36836.     Dice,  bone,  marked  with  incised  lines  and  painted 

red  and  green. 
Cat.  no.  36837.     Dice,  bone,  three  round,  three  rectangular. 
Cat.  no.  36838.     Dice,  blue  china,  three  round,  three  oval. 
Cat.  no.  36839.     Dice,  three  blue  china,  three  bone. 
Cat.  no.  36840.     Dice,  three  bone  disks,  three  plum  stones. 


170 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


Cat.  no.  36841.     Dice  (figure  211).  six  bone  disks,  two  sizes. 
Cat.  no.  36842.     Dice,  three  bone  disks,  three  bone  diamonds. 


Fig.  2U. 

Fig.  211.    Bone  dice;  diameter,  4  and  i  inch;   Shoshoni  Indians.  Wyoming;  cat.  no.  36841,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  212.    Bone  dice;  diameter,  J  to   ig  inch;   Shoshoni  Indians.  Wyoming;   cat.  no.  3684.3,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Cat.  no.  36843.     Dice   (figure  212).  three  bone  disks,  three  bone  tri- 
angles. 
Cat.  no.  36844.     Dice,  three  chin;i  disks,  three  |)hini  stones. 


Fig.  213. 


Fig.  214. 


Fig.  213.    China  dice;  diameter,  }  inch;  Shoshoni  Indians,  Wyoming;  cat.  no.  36tS47,  Free  Museum 

of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fio.  314.  China  dice;  diameter,  }  to  f  inch;  Shoshoni  Indians,  Wyoming;   cat    no.  36848,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania, 

Cat.  no.  36845.     Dice,  three  bone  disks,  three  phim  stones. 
Cat.  no.  36846.     Dice,  three  plum  stones,  three  china  triangles. 


Pig.  215. 


Fis?.  216. 


Fig.  215.     Bag  for  dice;   diameter,  3  inches;  Shoshoni  Indians,  Wyoming;  cat.  no.  38855,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  210.    Ba.ski't  for  dice;  diameter,  12j  inches;  Shoshoni  Indians.  Wyoming;  cat.  no.  36858,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Cat.  no.  36847.     Dice  (figure  213),  six  china  disks,  two  kinds. 
Cat.  no.  36848.     Dice  (figure  214).  seven  china  dice  of  three  sets. 


ClILIN] 


DICE    GAMES:    SABOBA 


171 


Cat.  no.  3684:9.     Dice,  three  bone  disks,  three  bone  diamondM. 
Cat.  no.  36850.     Nine  dice  of  five  sets. 

All  these  specimens  were  collected  by  the  writer  in  1900.  There 
are  six  dice  of  two  diilerent  kinds  in  each  set.  As  will  be  seen  from 
the  above,  three  may  be  made  of  china  or  bone  and  three  of  plum 


Fig.  317,    Counting  sticks  for  dice;  lengths,  5  and  13j  inches;  Shoshoui  Indians,  Wyoming;  cat. 
no.  36868,  Free  Musenni  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

stones,  or  three  may  be  round  and  three  diamond-shaped  or  triangular. 
The  reverses  are  all  plain,  (ireat  ingenuity  is  displayed  in  the  manu- 
facture of  these  dice,  which  are  made  by  the  women.  They  are  called 
awunhut.  The  dice  are  carried  in  small  buckskin  bags  ornamented 
with  beadwork,  awunhut  mogutz.  Cat.  no.  36852,  rectangular.  4  by 
'^  inches;  cat.  no.  36853,  36854,  circular:  cat.  no.  36855.  circular, 
diameter,  3  inches  (figure  215). 

The  dice  are  tossed  in  a  flat  woven  basket,  of  which  there  are  three 
specimens  in  this  collection:  Cat.  no.  36856.  diameter,  15  inches;  cat. 
no.  36857,  diameter.  11  inches:  cat.  no.  36858.  diameter.  12i  inches 
(figure  216). 

These  baskets  are  called  seheouwu.  The  game  is  counted  with  ten 
counting  sticks  of  peeled  willow.  Cat.  no.  36868  consists  of  ten  such 
sticks,  four  of  which  are  135  '^"d  six  5  inches  in  length  (figure  217). 

Saboba.  California.  (Cat.  no.  61940.  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Set  of   four  wooden   staves,   15 

inches   in   length,   rounded 

on   one   side   and   flat   and 

marked  with   incised  lines. 

as  shown  in  figure  218,  on 

the  other. 
They    were    collected    by    Mr 
Edwin  Minor,  who  describes  the 
game  as  follows : 

Kuu-we'la  is  played  by  any  number 
of  xvomen  seated  on  the  ground  in  a 

circle.  The  players  in  turn  bold  the  sticks,  round  side  up,  with  the  palms 
pressing  against  the  ends  of  the  sticlis,  which  are  tossed  up  and  allowed  to  fall 
on  the  ground.  The  count  is  determined  by  the  number  of  faces,  or  flat  sides, 
that  turn  up.  The  marks  on  the  sticks  are  not  used  in  the  counting ;  they 
merely  distinguish  them  individually. 


Fio,  218,  Stick  dice;  length,  15  inches;  Saboba 
Indians,  California;  cat.  no,  61940,  Field  Co- 
lumbian Mu,seum. 


172  GAMES    OF    THE    NOKTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 

ToBiKHAK  (Gabeielenos).     Los  Aiigeles  county.  California. 
Hugo  Ried  "  says : 

Another  game,  called  charcharake,  was  played  between  two.  each  taking  a 
turn  to  throw  with  the  points  down  eight  pieces  of  split  reed  8  or  10  inches  long 
and  black  one  side. 

Uinta  Ute.     White  Rocks,  Utah.     (Free  Museum  of  Science  and 

Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Cat.  no.  37109.     Four  willow  sticks,  one  side  flat  and   painted  red, 
the  rounded  side  burnt  with  cross  marks:  length.  Id  inches. 


Fi(i.  219.    Stick  dice;  length,  9i  inches;   Uinta  Ute  Indians,  White  Rocks,  Utah;  rat.  no.  37110, 
Free  Mnseum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Cat.  no.  37110.    Four  willow  sticks  (  figure  219),  one  side  nearly  flat 

and  jiainted  blue,  the  opposite  sides  also  nearly  flat  and  marked 

alike  with  burnt  designs ;  length,  9{t  inches. 
Cat.  no.  37111.     Four  willow  sticks,  one  side  flat  and  painted  yellow, 

and  the  opposite   side  rounded   and  painted   red :  length,   16J 

inches. 


Fig.  22(1.    Stick  dice  for  basket  dice:  length,  2[  inches;  Uinta  Ute  Indians,  White  Rock.s,  Utah; 
cat.  no.  37112,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

These  were  collected  by  the  writer  in  1900.     The  dice  are  called 

loroknop  (toropwinuk,  Dorsey). 

Cat.  no.  37112.  Twenty  oval  slips  of  willow  wood  (figure  220),  flat 
on  one  side  and  rounded  on  the  other,  in  five  sets  marked  alike  on 
the  rounded  side;  four  painted  red.  four  yellow,  four  green,  four 

»  Account  of  the  Indians  of  Los  Angeles  Co.,  Cal.     Bulletin  of  the  Essex  Institute,  v. 
17,  p.  18,  Salem,  1885. 


COLIN] 


DICE  games:  assiniboin 


178 


black,  and  four  with  burnt  marks,  the  reverses  plain ;  length,  2} 
inches.     Collected  by  the  writer  in  1900. 
Doctor  Dorsey  wives  tlie  name  as  wushanup. 


Pig.  221.    I'inta  Ut<'  wumen  playiug  basket  dit-e,  Uui'ay,  Utah;  froiu  pliotugraph  by  Dv  Oeorge 

A.  Dorsey. 

SIOUAN    STOCK 

AssiNiBoix.     Xorth  Dakota.     (Cat.  no.  8498,  United  States  National 
Museum.) 

Set  of  four  sticks  of  polished  hickory,  15^  inches  in  length,  about  1 
inch  in  lireadth  in  the  center,  tapering  to  three-fourths  of  an 
inch  at  ends,  and  one-eighth  of  an  inch  in  thickness.  Two  are 
burnt  on  one  side  with  war  calumets,  or  tomahawks,  and  with 
crosses  (stars?)  at  each  end,  and  two  each  with  four  bear  tracks, 
with  stripes  of  red  paint  between  (figure  222)  ;  opposite  sides 
plain,  ends  rounded ;  one  notched  and  tied  with  sinew,  to  prevent 
splitting.     Collected  by  Dr  J.  P.  Kimball. 

■ Fort  Union,  Montana. 

In  a  report  to  Isaac  I.  Stevens,  governor  of  Washington  territory, 

on  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  upper  Missouri,  by  Mr  Edwin  T.  Denig. 

a  manuscript  in  the  library  of  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology, 

occurs  the  following  accounts  of  the  bowl  and  stick-dice  game  among 

the  Assiniboin  : 

Most  of  the  leisure  time,  either  liy  night  or  by  day,  among  all  tliese  nations  is 


174 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


devoted  to  gambling  in  various  ways,  and  such  is  their  infatuation  that  it  is 
the  cause  of  much  distress  and  poverty  in  families.  For  this  reason  the  name 
of  being  a  desperate  gambler  forms  a  great  obstacle  in  the  way  of  a  young  man 
getting  a  wife.  Many  quarrels  arise  among  them  from  this  source,  and  we  are 
well  acquainted  with  an  Indian  who  a  few  years  since  liilled  another  liecause 
after  winning  all  he  had  he  refused  to  put  up  his  wife  to  be  played  for.  Every 
day  and  night  in  the  soldier's  lodge  not  occupied  by  business  matters  presents 


Pig.  222.    Stick  dice:  length,  15}  inches:  Asglniboin  Indians,  North  Dakota;  cat.  no.  8498,  United 

States  National  Museum. 

gambling  in  various  ways  all  the  time;  also  in  many  private  lodges  the  song  of 
hand  gambling  and  the  rattle  of  the  bowl  dice  can  be  heard. 

Women  are  as  much  addicted  to  the  practice  as  men,  though  their  games  are 
different,  and  not  being  in  possession  of  much  property  their  losses,  although 
considerable  to  them,  are  not  so  distressing.  The  principal  game  played  by  men 
is  that  of  the  bowl,  or  cossoo.  which  is  a  bowl  made  of  wood  with  flat  bottom 
1  foot  in  diameter  or  less,  the  rim  turned  up  about  2  inches,  and  highly  polished 
inside  and  out,  A  drawing  and  a  description  of  the  arithmetical  principles  of 
this  game  is  now  attached  in  this  place.  The  manner  of  counting  therein  men- 
tioned is  the  manner  in  which  we  learned  it 
from  the  Indians,  but  the  value  of  each  of  the 
articles  composing  the  dice  can  be  and  is 
changed  sometimes  in  default  of  some  of  them 
being  lost,  and  again  by  agreement  among 
the  playrs  in  order  to  lengthen  or  shorten 
the  game  or  facilitate  the  counting.  How- 
ever, the  best  and  most  ex|)erieneed  hands 
play  it  as  it  is  represented.  It  can  be  played 
between  two  or  four :  that  is,  either  one  on 
each  side  or  two  against  two.  The  game  has 
no  limit  unless  it  is  so  agreed  in  the  com- 
mencement, but  this  is  seldom  done,  it  being 
usually  understood  that  the  players  continue 
until  one  party  is  completely  ruined. 

The  dice  and  their  counts  [figure  223]  are 
as  follows :  One  large  crow's  claw,  red  on  one 
side  and  black  on  the  other,  being  the  only  one  that  will  occasionally  stand  on 
end,  in  which  case  25  for  it  is  counted,  besides  its  value  of  5  when  on  its  side: 
four  small  crow's  claws,  painted  the  same  as  the  large  one,  which  count  5 
each  if  the  red  side  turns  up ;  if  the  black,  nothing ;  five  plum  stones,  black 
on  one  side  and  scraped  white  on  the  other,  the  black  sides  turned  up  val- 
ued at  4  each,  the  white  sides  nothing:  five  small  round  pieces  of  blue 
china,  one-half  inch  in  diameter,  which  count  .S  each  for  the  blue  side,  for  the 
white  side  nothing :  five  vest  buttons,  the  eyes  filed  off,  the  eye  side  turned  up 
counts  2  each,  the  smooth  side  nothing :  five  heads  of  brass  tacks,  the  concave- 
Bide  turning  up  counts  1  each,  the  convex  side  nothing. 


Fig.  223.  Bowl  game;  Assiniboin  In- 
dians, Montana:  from  sketch  by- 
Edwin  T.  Denig. 


CCLIN) 


DICE    GAMES  :    ASSINIBOIN 


175 


First  throic.  Big  claw  on  end.  30.  and  three  red  claws.  15,  counts  45 ;  two 
burnt  sides  up.  0 ;  three  blue  sides  up.  3  each,  9 ;  one  eye  side  up,  0 ;  four  con- 
caves up,  1  each.  4;    total,  58.     [Figure  224a. 1 

'Second  Ihroir.  Two  red.  none  on  end.  nothing  by  claws,  counts  0;  three  burnt 
sides  up.  4  each.  12 ;  five  blue  sides  up.  3  each,  15 ;  three  eye  sides  up,  2  each, 
6:    two  concaves,  nothing  by  tacks.  0:    total.  .33.     [Figure  224b.] 

Third  throw.     Big  claw  on  end,  .30,  all  the  rest  red,  20.  counts  50 ;  five  burnt 
sides  up.  4  each,  20 ;  five  blue  sides  up,  3  each,  15 ;  five  eye  sides  up,  2  each,  10 ; 
five  concave  tacks.  1  each.  5 :  total.  100.     This  is  the  best  throw  that  can  be 
made  and  takes  all  the  stakes  when  the  game  does  not 
exceed  100.     [Figure  224c.] 

The  bowl   is  held  by  the  tips  of  the  four  fingers  in-  /^  y 

side  the  rim  and  the  thumb  underneath.    The  dice  being       /  ^  ^2) 

put   in.   they   are  thrown  up  a   few   inches  by   striking      /      ^  O  m   o  o 
the  bottom   of  the  bowl   on   the  ground,   so   that   each  •  O  •   O  • 

counter  makes  several  revolutions.     It  is  altogether  a      \      O  o  o  o  © 
game  of  chance,   and   no   advantage  can   be  taken   b.\        \    O  ' 
anyone   in   making  the  throws.     The  counters  or  dice 
never   leave   the   bowl,   but   are   counted   as   the   value 
turns  up.     One  person  having  shaken  it.  and  the  amount 
of  his  throw  having  been  ascertained,  a  requisite  num- 
ber of  small   sticks  are  placed  before   him.  each  stick         /  cn:^  a^  ^J  J 
counting   1.     In   this  way   the  game   is  kept,   but  each       /  •   •    O    #0 
keeps   his   adversary's  game,   not  his  own ;  that  is.   he      J     «    «    •    •   • 
hands  him  a  number  of  sticks  equal  to  the  amount  of      I      p   o  o   o  o 
his  throw,   which  are  laid  so   that  all   can  see  them. 
Each  throws  in  turn  unless  the  big  claw  stands  on  end. 
in   which   case  the  person   is  entitled   to   a   successive 
throw.     By  much  practice  they  are  able  to  count  the 
number  turned  up  at  a  glance,  and  the  principles  of  the 
game  being  stated     .     .     .     we  will  now  describe  how  /V   i=^ 

it  is  carried  on.  It  has  been  observed  in  reference  /  n  ^ 
to  their  gambling  that  it  is  much  fairer  in  its  nature  ' 
than  the  same  as  carried  on  by  the  whites,  and  this 
is  worthy  of  attention,  inasmuch  as  it  shows  how  the  ,  .  ^  o  o  o 
loser  is  propitiated,  so  that  the  game  may  not  result 
in  quarrel  or  bloodshed,  as  is  often  the  case.  The  game 
is  mostly  played  by  the  soldiers  and  warriors,  and  each 
must  feel  ecjual  to  the  other  in  courage  and  resolution  ;  piQ  2->4.  Counts  in  bowl 
it  is  often  kept  up  for  two  or  three  days  and  nights  game;  Assiniboin  Indians, 
without  any  intermission,  e.xoept  to  eat,  until  one  of  Montana;  from  sketch  by 
-T,  i-        •  .       -,       -n  1.1  .      ._       Edwin  T.  Denig. 

the   parties   is   ruined.     For  example.   A   plays   against 

B;  each  puts  up  a  knife,  and  they  throw  alternately  until  100  is  counted 
by  the  dice ;  say  A  wins.  B  now  puts  up  his  shirt  against  two  knives,  which  is 
about  equal  in  value ;  say  A  wins  again,  B  then  stakes  his  powderhorn  and 
some  arrows  against  the  whole  of  A's  winnings ;  should  B  now  win.  the 
game  commences  again  at  the  beginning,  as  A  would  only  have  lost  a  knife ; 
but  supposing  A  wins.  B  now  puts  up  his  bow  and  quiver  of  arrows  against 
all  A  has  won.  The  stakes  are  never  withdrawn.  Iiut  let  lie  in  front  of 
them.  Say  A  again  wins.  B  then  stakes  his  blanket  and  leggings,  which 
are  about  equ:il  in  value  to  all  A  has  won.  or.  if  not.  it  is  equalized  Iiy  adding 
or  subtracting  some  article.  Supposing  A  again  to  be  winner,  he  would  then 
be  in  possession  of  two  knives,  one  shirt,  one  blanket,  one  powderhorn.  one  lx>w 
and  quiver  of  arrows,  and  one  pair  of  leggings,  the  whole  of  which  the  Indians 
value  at  eight  robes.     B  now  stakes  his  gun  again.st  all  the  above  of  A's  win- 


176  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [f.th.  ANN.  24 

nings.  Now,  if  A  again  wins  lie  only  retains  the  gnn,  and  the  whole  of  the  rest 
of  the  property  won  by  A  returns  to  B,  Init  he  is  obliged  to  stake  it  all  against 
his  gun  in  possession  of  A,  and  play  again.  If  A  wins  the  second  time  he 
retains  the  whole,  and  B  now  puts  up  his  horse  against  all  of  A's  winnings, 
including  the  gun.  If  A  wins  he  retains  only  the  horse,  and  the  gnn  and  every- 
thing el.se  revert  again  to  B,  he  being  oljliged  to  stalce  them  again  against  the 
horse  in  A's  possession.  If  A  wins  this  time,  he  Iveeps  the  whole,  but  if  B  wins 
he  only  gets  back  the  horse  and  gun,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  property  goes  to  A. 
8ui)l>osing  B  again  loses  and  continues  losing  until  all  his  personal  property 
has  passed  into  the  hands  of  A,  then  B,  as  a  last  resort,  stakes  his  wife  and 
lodge  against  all  his  property  in  the  hands  of  A.  If  A  wins  he  only  keeps  the 
woman ;  the  horse,  gun,  and  all  other  property  returns  again  to  B,  with  the 
understanding,  however,  that  he  stake  it  all  to  get  back  his  wife.  Now,  if  B 
loses  he  is  ruined,  but  if  A  loses  he  gives  up  only  the  woman  and  the  horse,  con- 
tinuing to  ])lay  with  the  rest  of  the  articles  against  the  horse  until  one  or  the 
other  is  broke.  At  this  stage  of  the  game  the  excitement  is  very  gr^at.  The 
spectators  crowd  around  and  intense  fler<eness  prevails.  Few  words  are  ex- 
changed and  no  remarks  made  by  those  looking  on.  If  the  loser  be  completely 
ruined  and  a  desperate  man,  it  is  more  than  likely  he  will  liy  quarrel  endeavor 
to  repossess  himself  of  some  of  his  property,  but  they  are  generally  well 
matcheil  in  this  respect,  though  bloody  struggles  are  often  the  consequence. 
We  have  known  Indians  to  lose  everything — horse, 
' — ^  dogs,  cooking  utensils,  lodge,  wife,  even  to  his  wear- 
ing apparel,  and  l)e  obliged  to  beg  an  old  skin  from 
.some  one  to  cover  himself  and  seek  a  shelter  in  the 

,T=K— =^=i^7 — :-i= — J— -^         lodge  of  one  of  his  relations.     It  Is,  however,  consld- 
~-  -  ered  a  mark  of  manliness  to  suffer  no  discomposure 

C^-  ^~^   -   ^^  2-1^        to  be  perceptible  on  account  of  the  loss,  but  in  most 
Fig.  a25.    Stick  dice;  length       Cases  we  imagine  this  a  restraint  forced  upon  the 

\2  inches;  Assiniboin  indi-      loser  by  the  character  of  his  adversary.     Suicide  is 

ans,  Montana;  from  sketch      never  committed  on  these  occasions.     His  vengeance 
y      win         enig.  seeks  some  other  outlet — in  war  expeditions  or  some 

way  to  acquire  property  that  he  may  again  |ilay  and  retrieve  his  losses.  There 
are  .some  who  invariabl.v  lose  and  are  poor  all  their  lives.  A  man  may  with 
honor  stop  pl;iying  with  the  loss  of  bis  gun.  He  has  also  a  .second  opiiortnnity 
to  retire  on  losing  his  horse,  and  when  this  is  so  understood  at  the  commence- 
iiient  they  do;  but  when  a  regular  set-to  takes  place  between  two  soldiers  it 
generally  ends  as  above  described. 

The  usual  game  which  women  play  alone — that  is,  without  the  men — is  called 
cliunkandee,  and  Is  performed  with  four  sticks  marked  on  one  side  and  blank 
on  the  other.  The  women  all  sit  in  a  circle  around  the  edge  of  .some  skin  spread 
upon  the  grqund,  each  with  her  stake  before  her.  One  of  them  gathers  up  the 
sticks  and  throws  them  down  forcilily  on  the  end.  which  makes  them  hound  and 
whirl  around.  When  they  fall  the  number  of  the  throw  is  counted,  as  herein 
stated.  The  implements  [figure  22'<]  are  four  sticks,  12  inches  long.  Hat,  and 
rounded  at  the  ends,  about  1  inch  broad  and  one-eighth  of  an  inch  thick.  Two 
of  them  have  figures  of  snakes  burned  on  one  side  and  two  the  figure  of  a  bear's 
foot.  AH  the  sticks  are  white  on  the  opposite  side.  Two  painted  or  marked 
sides  and  two  white  count  2;  all  the  white  sides  turned  up  count  10;  three  liurnt 
sides  up  and  one  white  count  0;  three  white  sides  up  and  one  burnt  count  0; 
four  burnt  sides  up  count  10.  Each  throws  in  turn  against  all  otliers.  and  if 
the  whole  of  the  marked  sides  or  all  the  fair  sides  of  the  sticks  are  turned  up 
she  is  entitled  to  a  successive  throw.  The  g;inie  is  40.  and  they  count  liv  small 
sticks  as  in  the  preceding.     In  fine  weather  many  of  these  g;iiiililiiig  circles  can 


CULIXJ 


DICE    GAMES  :    CROWS 


177 


be  seen  outside  their  lodges,  siiending  the  whole  day  at  it,  instead  of  attending 
to  their  household  affairs.  Some  men  prohibit  their  wives  from  gambling,  but 
these  take  the  advantage  of  their  husbands'  absence  to  play.  Jlost  of  the 
women  will  gamble  off  everything  they  possess,  even  to  the  dresses  of  their 
children,  and  the  passion  appears  to  be  as  deeply  rooted  in  them  as  in  the  men. 
They  frequently  are  thrashed  by  their  husbands  for  their  losses  and  occasionally 
have  quarrels  among  themselves  as  to  the  results  of  the  game. 

Maximilian,  Prince  of  Wied,"  says : 

Another  [game]   is  that  in  which  they  play  with  four  small  boues  and  four 
yellow  nails,  to  which  one  of  each  sort  is  added:  they  are  laid  upon  a  fiat 
wooden  plate,  which  is  struck,  so  that  they  fly  up  and  fall  back  into  the  plate, 
and  you  gain  or  lose  according  as  they  lie  together 
on  one  side,  and  the  stake  is  often  very  high. 

AssiNiBoiN.      Fort     Bolknap    reservation. 

Montana.     (Cat.  no.  60161.' Field 

Columbian  Museum.) 

Set  of  dice  consisting  of  five  claws,  one  a 

lion  clav:  larger  than  the  others,  five 

heads  of  brass  tacks,  one  rectangular 

piece  of  copper,  and  fotir  plum  stones 

having  one  side  burnt  and  one  plain 

(figure  226). 

These    were    collected    in    1900    by    Dr 

George  A.  Dorsey.  who  describes  them  as 

used  in  th(>  game  of  kansvi  and  gives  the 

names  and  value  of  the  objects  as  follows : 

Large  crow  claw,  washage,  on  end  counts  28 : 
red  side  up,  5 :  small  claws  on  end,  12 ;  red  side 
up,  4;    plum  stones,  kan-h,  black  (saap)  side  up, 

4 ;  plain,  ska,  side  up,  0 :  brass  tacks,  masiek,  concave  side  up.  4 :  convex  side 
up,  0;  copper  jilate.  hungotunk.  big  mother,  bright  side  up,  18:  other  side,  0. 

As  in  other  dice  games,  these  ob.iects  are  tossed  in  a  wooden  bowl,  the  score 
being  kept  by  counting  sticks  and  100  constituting  game. 

Crows.     Wyoming. 

Dr  F.  V.  Hayden ''  in  his  vocabulary  gives  manopede.  a  favorite 
game  with  women,  in  which  plum  pits  are  used:  manuhpe.  plum 
(Pvurnis  i'h'ahii(tiia)  reveals  the  etymology:  badeahpedik.  to  gamble, 
evidently  referring  to  the  dish,  bate :  also  <■  maneshope,  a  game  with 
sticks,  played  by  the  women. 

Crow  reservation,  ^Montana.     (Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Cat.  no.  69691.  Four  stick  dice  (figure  22T).  flat  slips  of  sapling. 
11^  inches  in  length  and  one-half  of  an  inch  wide,  with  rounded 
sides  plain,  and  flat  sides  painted  red:  two  having  burnt  marks 

"  Travels  in  the  Interior  of  North  Amerira,  translated  by  IT.  Evans  IJoyd,  p.  infi.  Lon- 
don. 1843. 

''Contributions  to  the  Ethnoi^raphy  and  Philology  of  the  Indian  Tribes  of  the  Missouri 
Valley,  p.  408.  Philadelphia.  18G2. 

<^  Ibid.,  p.  420. 

24  ETH— 0.0   M 12 


Q    Q    Q   Q     ® 

Fig.  22*1.  Claw,  plum-stone,  and 
brass  dice;  Assiniboin  Indians, 
Montana;  cat.  no.  60161,  Field 
Columbian  Museum. 


178 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


on  both  sides;  one,  two  crosses  with  three  dots  on  the  red  side 

opposite,  and  the  other,  six  diagonal  lines  with  two  crosses  on  the 

red  side  opposite. 

These  were  collected  hj  Mr  S.  C.  Simms,  who  describes  them  as 

used  in  a  woman's  game.     There  are  14  other  sets  of  these  stick  dice 

in  this  collection,  all  of  four  sticks  each,  varying  in  length  from  B  to 

11|  inches.     They  are  painted  red,  green,  blue,  yellow,  and  black. 

Two  sticks  in  each  set  are  distinguished  by  burnt  marks  on  both  sides 

more  or  less  like  those  figured. 


Fig.  227. 


Fig.  228. 


Fig.  329.  Fig.  230. 

Fig.  227.    Stick  dice;  length,  11*  inches;  Crow  Indiana,  Montana;  cat.  no.  6'.I691,  Field  Columbian 

Museum. 
Ftg.  228.    Bone  dice  and  counting  sticks;  length  of  sticks,  4  inches;  Crow  Indians,  Montana;  cat. 

no.  69711,  69712,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fig  229.    Platter  for  dice;   diameter,  9  inches;  Crow  Indians,  Montana;  cat.  no.  69712,  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  2311.    Plum-stone  dice;  Crow  Indians,  Montana;  cat.  no.  69699,  69700,  69701,  69702,  69706,  69707, 

69708,  69731,  697:«,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 


Cat.  no.  G0711,  69712.     Set  of  implements  for  woman's  dice  game, 
consisting  of  six  bone  dice,  three  triangular  and  three  rectangular, 
marked  on  one  side  with  burnt  designs ;  a  wooden  bowl,  9  inches 
in  diameter,  and  twelve  willow  twig  counting  sticks,  4  inches  in 
length  (figures  228,  229).     Collected  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms  in  1901. 
There  are  some  fifty  sets  of  these  dice  in  this  collection,  each  con- 
sisting of  six  pieces,  of  which  three  and  three  are  alike.     They  are 
made  of  bone,  of  plum  stones  (figure  230).  and  of  wood,  uniformly 
marked  on  one  side  with  burnt  designs.     A  few  sets  are  made  of  for- 
eign material,  such  as  blue  china,  brass  buttons,  etc.     They  closely 
resemble  the  dice  used  by  the  Shoshoni  in  Wyoming. 


cclin] 


DICE    GAMES  :    DAKOTA 


179 


Dakota    (Brule).     South  Dakota.     (Cat.  no.   1044:2,  1044.3,  16552, 
Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania.) 
Eleven  plum-stone  dice,  apparently  belonging  to  two  sets;  basket  in 

which  dice  are  thrown,  made 

of  woven  grass,  8  inches  in 

diameter  at  top  and  2^  inches 

deep,    with    bottom    covered 

with     cotton     cloth     (figure 

231) ;  set  of  thirty-two  sticks 

used     in     counting     (figure 

232).   consisting    of    eleven 

rounded  white  sticks,  about 

13  inches  in  length,  fourteen 

similar  black  sticks,  made  of 

ribs  of  an  old  umbrella,  about  12  inches  in  length,  and  seven  iron 

sticks,  about  11  inches  in  length,  consisting  of  ribs  of  an  umbrella^ 

Collected  bv  Mr  Horatio  N.  Rust  in  1873. 


Fig.  231.  Basket  for  plum-stone  dice;  diameter 
at  top,  8  inclies;  Brule  Dakota  Indians,  South 
Dakota:  cat.  no.  10U3,  Free  Museum  of  Science 
and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


Fig.  2:«.    Counting  sticks  for  plum-stone  dice;  lengths,  13. 12,  and  11  inches;  Brule  Dakota  Indians, 
South  Dakota;  cat.  no.  16552,  Free  Museum  of  .Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Dakot.a.  (Oglala).  Pine  Ridge  reservation.  South  Dakota.  (Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.)  Im- 
plements for  the  game  of  kansu. 

Cat.  no.  22119.  Set  of  six  dice  made  of  plum  stones,  polished,  with 
incised  and  burned  marks.  Two  are  marked  on  one  face 
with  a  spider  and  on  the  reverse  with  a  longitudinal  line 
with  three  cross  marks;  two  with  a  lizard,  with  three  transverse 
marks  on  the  reverse,  and  two  with  undetermined  marks,  as 
shown  in  figure  233,  the  reverses  being  plain. 

Cat.  no.  22120.  Basket,  tampa.  8A  inches  in  diameter,  having  the  bot- 
tom covered  with  a  disk  of  hide  (figure  234). 


180 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  axx.  24 


Cat.  no.  22121.     Wooden  cup.  tanipa,  3f  inches  in  diameter  and  2 
inches  deep  (.figure  235) — a  model  such  as  would  be  used  l)v  a 
child. 
These  objects  were  collected  by  Mr  Louis  L.  ^Sleeker,"  who  says : 
The  game  is  played  like  dU-e.     Each  spider  [figure  283]  counts  i:  each  lizard, 
3.  and  each  turtle,  G.     There  is  a  connection  between  tlie  native  term  for  spider, 
inlctomi.  and  the  number  4,  topa  or  torn.     The  turtle  presents  six  visllile  mem- 
bers when  it  walks.     An  old  woman   here   ha.s  plum   stones   marked   with   the 
above  signs,  and  also  with  a  face,  a  tliunder  hawk,  and  a  bear  track.     She  has 


Fig.  2.33. 


Fig.  23i.  Fig.  2:B. 

Pig.  233.  Plum-stone  dice:  Oglala  Dakota  Indians,  Pine  Ridge  reservation.  South  Dakota:  cat. 
no.  22119,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Fio.  23i.  Basket  for  dice:  diameter,  8}  inches,  Oglala  Dakota  Indians,  Pine  Ridge  reservation, 
South  Dakota:  cat.  no.  22120,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Fio  .  235.  Wooden  cup  for  dice:  diameter,  3i  inches;  Oglala  Dakota  Indians,  Pine  Ridge  reser- 
vation, South  Dakota:  cat.  no.  22121,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

three  sets  of  three  pairs  each.  The  third  set  bears  a  Imffalo  face  on  one  and 
marks  that  represent  the  pickets  of  a  buffalo-surround  on  the  others.  Tliose 
were  used  only  to  secure  success  in  the  buffalo  hunt.  The  wagers  were  sacri- 
fices. 

Dakota  (Santee).     Minnesota. 

Philander  Prescott ''  gives  the  following  account  in  Schoolcraft : 

They  play  with  a  dish  and  use  plum  stones  figured  and  marked.  Seven  is  the 
game.  Sometimes  they  throw  the  whole  count :  at  others  they  throw  two  or 
three  times,  but  frequently  miss,  and  the  next  one  takes  the  dish.  The  dish 
which  they  play  in  is  round  and  will  hold  about  -  quarts.  Women  i>lay  this 
game  more  than  the  men  and  often  lose  all  their  trinkets  at  it. 

"  Ogalala  Games.  Bnlletin  of  the  Free  Museum  of  Science  .nnd  Art,  v.  3.  p.  .31,  Phila- 
delphia. lOOl. 

"Information  respecting  the  History.  Condition,  and  Prospects  of  the  Indian  Tribes  of 
the  United  States,  pt.  4,  p.  G4.  Philadelphia,  1856. 


CLLiN]  DICE    games:    DAKOTA  181 

Schoolcraft "  describes  the  game  of  kuiitahso,  which  he  translates 
as  ■'  the  game  of  the  plum  stones."  He  figures  five  sets  of  stones, 
each  consisting  of  eight  pieces : 

111  set  A  [figure  230]  numbers  1  and  2  represent  sparrow  bawks  with  forked 
tails,  or  the  forked-tail  eagle — Falco  fiiicatiit:.  This  is  the  so-called  war  eagle. 
Numbers  3  and  4  are  the  turtle ;  which  typifies,  generally,  the  earth.  If  1  and  2 
fall  upwards,  the  game  is  won.  If  but  one  of  these  figures  falls  upwards,  and,  at 
the  same  time,  3  and  4  are  up.  the  game  is  also  won;  The  other  numbers.  5,  6,  7, 
and  8.  are  all  blanks.     B  denotes  the  reversed  sides  of  .\,  which  are  all  blanks. 

Set  C  shows  different  characters  with  a  single  chief  figure  (o)  which  repre- 
sents the  Falco  fiircatKx.  This  throw  indicates  half  a  game,  and  entitles  the 
thrower  to  repeat  it.       If  the  same 

figure   (5)   turns  up.  the  game  is  4  :■  2         l  r.  R  7         8 

won.     If  no  success  attends  it  by     A  (^     (^     (J)     @     ^     ^     ■%     ||» 
turning  up   the  chief  figure,   the 

throw  passes  to  other  hands.     D  is  ■'         "'         ''         '-        !■'        '*         l"'        l* 

the  reverse  of  set  C  and  is  a  blank     bQQ0      ®0000 
throw. 

In    set    E.    Xo.    .">    represents    a  '  .'  :;         4  .5  «  ,  8 

muskrat.    Tlie  three  dots  (7)  iudi-     ^^      ^0      ®(DO      OO 
cate  two-thirds  of  a   throw,   and 

the  thrower  can  throw  again :  but  '  :;         :i         4         .5         6         7         k 

if  he  gets  blanks  the  second  time    D^^^@@(J)Q^ 
the   dish   passes   on   to   the   next 

thrower.     Set  F  is  invested  with  '  •  ^         •>         7         8 

different    powers.      Xo.    1    repre-    i^^<g»##      i)0©0 
seuts  a  buffalo,  and  2  and  3  de- 
note     cliicken-hawks.      fluttering  "•  •  '■  '  l  :.■  ;!         4 
horizontally  in  the  air.     The  chief     F  ^      ^^      ^      ^      vj)     (J)      (£)     O 
pieces,     1,    2.    3,     liave    the    same     p.^,    g^g     c^sts  in  plum-stone  dice;  Santee  Dakota, 
powers       and       modifications       of                  Indians.  Minnesota:  from  Schoolcraft. 
value  as  A. 

To  play  this  game,  a  little  orifice  is  made  in  the  ground  and  a  skin  put  in  it. 
Often  it  is  also  ]ilayed  on  a  robe.  The  women  and  young  men  play  this  game. 
The  bowl  is  lifted  with  one  hand  about  3  or  4  inches,  and  pushed  suddenly 
down  to  its  place.  The  plum  stones  fly  over  several  times.  The  sttike  is  first 
put  up  Iiy  all  who  wish  to  play.     A  dozen  can  play  at  once,  if  it  be  desirable. 

Dakota    (Teton).     Cheyenne  River  agency.  South   Dakota.      (Cat. 

no.  lo3365,  United  States  National  Museum.) 
Set  of  seven  plum  stones,  plain  on  one  side  and  with  marks  burnt 
upon  the  other. 

Collected  by  Dr  Z.  T.  Daniel.'  who  describes  the  game  as  follows 
under  the  name  of  kansu : 

This  is  a  very  ancient  game  of  the  Sioux  Indians,  j)layed  usually  by  elderly 
women,  although  young  women  and  men  of  all  ages  play  it.  Kansu  is  an 
abbreviation  of  kantasu,  which  means  plum  seed.  They  drop  the  ta  and  call 
the  game  kansu,  because  it  is  [ilayed  with  plum  seeds.  It  is  used  for  gainliling 
and  amusement,  and  is  more  like  our  dice  than  any  other  of  our  games.  When 
played,  the  seeds  are  thrown  up  in  a  basket  or  bowl,  and  the  markings  on 
the  seeds  that  are  up  or  down  decide  the  throw. 

"  Inform.ition  respecting  the  History.  Condition,  and  Prospects  of  the  Indian  Tribes  of 
the  ("nlted  Stales,  pt.  2,  p.  72.  Philadeiphia.  lS.j3. 

"  Kansu,  a  Sioux  fJame.     The  .American  Anthroijologist.  v.  5,  p.  215,  1892. 


182  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 

The  seeds  used  are  those  of  the  wild  plum  of  the  Dnkotas,  indigenous  throu^U- 
out  the  northwest  region  of  the  United  States.  They  are  seven  in  number. 
On  one  side  they  are  all  perfectly  plain  and  of  the  natural  color,  except  some 
fine  marks  on  four  to  distinguish  them  when  the  liurnt  sides  are  down,  but 
on  the  rever.se  side  of  all  there  are  burnt  markings.  These  markings  are  made 
by  a  piece  of  hot  iron,  .such  as  a  nail,  the  blade  of  a  knife,  or  a  piece  of  hoop 
iron.  Before  the  natives  used  iron  they  used  a  hot  stone.  Six  of- the  seeds  are 
in  pairs  of  three  different  kinds,  and  only  one  is  of  a  different  marking  from 
all  the  others.  One  pair  is  scorched  entirely  cm  one  side ;  another  pair  has  an 
unliurnt  line  about  2  millimeters  wide  traversing  their  longitudinal  convexity, 
the  remainder  of  their  surfaces  on  that  side  being  scorched:  the  remaining  pair 
have  one-half  of  one  side  burnt  longitudinally,  the  other  side  of  the  same 
unburnt,  but  traversed  by  three  small  burnt  lines  equidistant,  about  I  milli- 
meter wide,  running  across  their  short  axes.  The  i-emaining  and  only  single 
seed  has  an  hourglass  figure  burnt  on  one  side,  the  contraction  in  the  figure 
corresponding  to  the  long  diameter  of  the  seed.  They  are  all  of  the  srme  size, 
about  16  millimeters  long,  12  wide,  and  7  thick,  and  are  oval,  having  the  out- 
lines and  convexity  on  each  side  of  a  diminutive  turtle  shell.  When  the 
Sioux  first  obtained  our  ordinary  playing  cards  they  gave  to  them,  as  well 
as  to  the  game,  the  name  kansu,  because  they  were  used  by  the  whites  and 
themselves  for  the  same  puriiose  as  their  original  kansu.  The  men  do  not 
use  the  seeds  or  the  original  kansu  now,  but  they  substitute  our  cards. 
The  women,  however,  do  use  the  game  at  the  present  time.  When  a  r.ition 
ticket  was  issued  to  them,  they  gave  it  the  name  of  kansu,  because  it  was 
a  card ;  so  also  to  a  postal  card,  business  card,  or  anything  of  the  description 
of  a  card  or  ticket;  a  railroad,  street-car,  milk,  store,  or  circus  ticket  would 
be  called  a  kansu ;  so  that  the  evolution  of  this  term  as  applied  to  a  ticket  is 
a  little  interesting. 

The  description  of  the  game  kansu.  as  related  by  the  Sioux,  is  as  follows : 
Any  number  of  per.sons  may  play,  and  they  call  the  game  kansu  kute.  which  liter- 
ally means  to  shoot  the  seeds.  When  two  persons  play,  or  four  that  are  p.irtners, 
OU1.V  six  of  the  seeds  are  used,  the  hourglass,  or  king  kansu.  being  eliminated.  The 
king  is  used  when  a  number  over  two  are  playing  and  each  one  for  himself.  The 
three-line  seeds  are  called  sixes,  the  one-line  foin's,  those  that  are  all  lilack  tens. 
When  two  play  for  a  wager  they  each  put  sixteen  small  sticks,  stones,  corn,  peas. 
or  whatnot  into  a  common  pile  between  them,  making  in  all  .'52.  The  play 
begins  by  putting  the  seeds  into  a  small  bowl  or  basket  and  giving  it  a  (juiek 
upward  motion,  which  changes  the  positions  of  the  seeds,  then  letting  them  fall 
back  into  the  receptacle,  care  being  taken  not  to  let  any  one  fall  out.  The 
markings  that  are  up  decide  the  throw,  precisely  on  the  principle  of  our  dice. 
As  they  count,  they  take  from  the  pile  of  32  what  they  make,  and  when  the  pile 
is  exhausted,  the  one  having  the  greatest  number  wins  the  game.  If  all  the 
white  sides  are  up,  the  throw  counts  16.  The  two  tens  up  and  four  whites 
count  16.  Two  pairs  up  count  6,  and  the-  player  takes  another  throw.  Two 
sixes  down  count  4.  If  both  tens  are  down,  either  side  symmetrically,  it  counts 
10.  If  all  burnt  sides  are  up,  it  is  16.  If  both  fours  are  down,  it  is  6.  If 
two  pairs  are  up,  it  counts  2.  One  pair  up  does  not  count  uidess  all  the  others 
are  down.  When  more  than  two  play,  and  each  for  himself,  the  king  is  intro- 
duced. If  the  king  is  up  and  all  the  others  down,  the  count  is  16.  If  they  are 
all  up,  the  count  is  the  same.  If  two  pairs  are  up,  the  count  is  6.  If  the  king 
is  down  and  the  remainder  up.  the  count  is  16. 


CILIN]  DICE    GAMES  :    DAKOTA  183 

Dakota  (Wahpeton  and  Sisseton).    South  Dakota. 

Dr  H.  C.  Yarrow  "  refers  to  the  phim-stone  game  in  his  paper  on 
Indian  mortuary  customs,  as  described  to  him  by  Dr  Charles  E. 
McChesney,  U.  S.  Army,  as  follows: 

After  the  death  of  a  wealthy  Indian  the  near  relatives  talce  charge  of  the 
effects,  and  at  a  stated  time — usually  at  the  time  of  the  first  feast  held  over  the 
hundle  containing  the  lock  of  hair — they  are  divided  into  many  small  piles,  so  as 
to  give  all  the  Indians  invited  to  play  an  opportunity  to  win  something.  One 
Indian  is  selected  to  represent  the  ghost,  and  he  plays  against  all  the  others, 
who  are  not  required  to  stake  anything  ou  the  result,  but  simply  invited  to  take 
part  in  the  ceremony,  which  is  usually  held  iu  the  lodge  of  the  dead  person,  in 
which  is  contained  the  bundle  inclosing  the  lock  of  hair.  In  cases  where  the 
ghost  himself  is  not  wealthy,  the  stakes  are  furnished  by  his  rich  friends,  should 
he  liave  any.  The  players  are  called  in  one  at  a  time,  and  play  singly  against 
the  ghosfs  representative,  the  gambling  being  done  iu  recent  years  by  means  of 
cards.  If  the  invited  player  sucieeds  in  beating  the 
ghost,  he  takes  one  of  the  piles  of  goods  and  passes  out. 
when  another  is  invited  to  play,  etc.,  until  all  the  piles 
of  goods  are  won.  In  cases  of  men.  only  the  men  play, 
and  in  eases  of  women,  the  women  only  take  part  in  the 
ceremony.  Before  the  white  man  came  amoug  theee 
Indians  and  taught  them  many  of  his 
this  game  was  played  l)y  means  of  figured  plum  seeds, 
the  men  using  eight  and  the  women  seven  seeds,  figured 
as  follows  and  as  shown  in  figure  2.37.  Two  seeds  are 
sijiiply  blackened  on  one  side  [AAl,  the  reverse  [aa] 
containing  nothing.     Two  seeds  are  black  on  one  side.  c  d 

with  a  small  spot  of  the  color  of  the  seed  left  in  the 
center  [BB].  the  reverse  side  [bb]  having  a  black  spot 
in  the  center,  the  body  being  plain.     Two  seeds  have  a 

buffalo's   head  on   one   side    [C]    and   the   reverse    [e]  'c  d  d 

simply  two  crossed  blat^k  lines.  There  is  but  one  seed  Fig.  337.  Plum-stone  dice; 
of  this  kind  in  the  set  used  by  women.  Two  seeds  ha\e  Wahpeton  and  Sisseton 
4.1       i     itf     41  -Jill  1         1   ii  i   .    ^^      ,    .  Dakota    Indians.    South 

the  half  of  one  side  blackened  and  the  rest    eft  pan.         t^  ,    .      ,        ,, 

'  Dakota;  from  Yarrow. 

SO  as  to  represent  a  half-moon  [DD]  ;    the  reverse  [dil] 

has  a  black  longitudinal  line  crossed  at  right  angles  by  six  small  ones.  There 
are  six  throws  whereby  the  player  can  win  and  five  that  entitle  him  to  another 
throw.  The  winning  throws  are  as  follows,  each  winner  taking  a  pile  of  the 
ghost's  goods  ; 

Two  plain  ones  up.  two  plain  with  black  spots  up.  buffalo's  head  up.  and  two 
half-moons  up  wins  a  pile.  Two  plain  black  ones  up.  two  black  with  natural 
spot  up.  two  longitudinally  crossed  ones  up.  and  the  transversely  crossed  one 
up  wins  a  pile. 

Two  plain  black  ones  up.  two  black  with  natural  spots  up,  two  half-moons  up, 
and  the  transversely  crossed  one  up  wins  a  pile.  Two  plaiu  black  ones,  two 
black  with  natural  spot  up,  two  half-moons  up.  and  the  buffalo's  head  up  wins 
a  pile.  Two  plain  ones  up,  two  with  black  spots  up,  two  longitudinally  crossed 
ones  up,  and  the  transversely  crossed  one  up  wins  a  pile.  Two  plain  ones  up, 
two  with  black  spots  up,  buffalo's  head  up.  and  two  long  crossed  up  wins  a  pile. 

The  following  auxiliary  throws  entitle  to  another  chance  to  win  :  Two  plain 
ones  up,  two  with  black  six)ts  up,  one  half-moon  up,  one  longitudinally  crossed 

"  Mortuary  Customs  of  the  North  .American  Indians.  First  Annu.il  Report  of  the 
Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  195,  1S81. 


le  among  theee     /~\      /"N     /~\      /~\ 
improved  vices      I     J      \l     IVi      \) 

d  €) 

U  D 

®  DO) 


184 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  124 


oiif  up.  :iik1  1hi1T;i1o"s  bead  up  sivos  Muotber  throw,  aud  uu  tliis  throw,  it  the 
twit  plain  ones  iip  and  two  with  bhiek  spots  with  either  of  tlie  lialf-moons  or 
linlTalo's  head  up,  the  player  takes  a  pile.  Two  plain  ones  up.  two  with  black 
spots  up.  two  lialf-nioons  up,  and  the  transversely  crossed  one  up  entitles  to 
another  throw,  when,  if  all  the  black  sides  come  up  excepting  one,  tlie  throw 
wins.  One  of  the  plain  ones  up  and  all  the  rest  with  l)lacU  sides  up  gives 
another  throw,  and  the  same  then  turning  up  wins.  One  of  the  plain  black  ones 
up  with  that  side  up  of  all  the  others  having  the  least  black  on  gives  another 
throw,  when  the  same  turning  up  again  wins.  One  half-moon  up.  with  that 
side  up  of  all  the  others  having  the  least  black  on,  gives  another  throw,  and 
if  the  throw  is  then  duplicated  it  wins.  The  eighth  seed,  used  by  men,  has  its 
place  in  their  game  whenever  its  facings  are  mentioned  above. 

The  periimtations  of  the  winning  throws  may  be  indicated  as  fol- 
Jow.s:  ff«,  hh,  c,  dd;  aa,  bb,  r,  dd ;  aa,  bb,  f,  dd;  aa,  bb,  c,  dd;  aa,  bh, 
c.  dd;  aa,  I>b,  c,  dd. 

Dakota   (Yankton).     Fort  Peck,  Montana.     (Cat,  no.  37604.  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Set  of  six  phim  stones  (figure  238).  kansu,  for  phiying  the  game  of 

kansukute,     pkira-stone 
Kl"1i      f   m     II     S     («IlfS|B    ^HaiP,  shooting,  marked  as  fol- 

lows: One  pair  marked 
on  one  face  with  a  cross, 
kahdehdega,  marked 
across,  reverse  black, 
ata  sapa,  all  black ;  one 
pair  marked  on  one 
face  with  burnt  bands 
at  the  end,  sanni  ska, 
half  white,  the  reverse,  three  dots,  yamni,  threes;  one  pair  marked 
with  two  bands  near  one  end,  coka.  ska.  middle  white,  the  reverse 
])lain,  ska,  white.     Collected  by  the  writer  in  1000. 

The  game  is  played  by  both  men  aud  women.  The  dice  are  thrown  with  the 
hand.  The  object  is  to  get  a  pair  uppermost.  Bets  are  made  on  particular 
pairs.  In  old  times,  when  a  man  died,  it  was  customary  to  gamble  off  his 
property  at  this  game.  This  was  done  four  or  five  days  after  death.  The 
men  and  women  sat  in  a  circle. 

South  Dakota. 

George  P.  Belden  "  says : 

They  used  a  kind  of  dice  made  of  the  stones  of  the  wild  plum,  which  grew 
very  plentifully  in  the  deep  ravines  and  canyons  a  mile  or  two  back  from  the 
Missouri  river  at  this  point.  These  stones  were  first  dried  hard,  then  polished 
by  scraping  them  with  a  knife.  Six  were  used  for  the  game,  four  of  them 
being  spotted  on  one  side  and  blank  on  the  opposite,  and  the  other  two  striped 
or  checked  on  one  side  and  left  blank  on  the  other.  These  spots  and  stripes 
were  made  on  the  stones  b.v  means  of  a  small  iron  instrument  which  they  used 
to  paint  buffalo  robes  with.     The  iron  was  heated,  and  the  spots  and  stripes 


Fig.  238.  Plum-stone  dice;  Yankton  Dakota  Indians, 
Fort  Peck,  Montana;  cat.  no.  :^7604,  Free  Museum  of 
Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


"  Belden.  the  White  Chief,  edited  by  Gen.  James  S.  Brisbln,  U.  S.  Army,  p.  218,  Cincin- 
nati, 1871. 


riLiNj  DICE    GAMES:    DAKOTA  185 

then  seared  or  Imnit  in  the  stone.  The  Indians  used  a  wooden  bowl,  small  and 
light,  for  shaking  the  dice,  and  never  threw  them  out  of  the  bowi.  To  play  the 
game  they  sat  on  the  ground  in  a  circle,  and  a  blanket  or  robe  was  doubled  up 
and  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  ring — the  bowl,  containing  the  six  dice,  being 
placed  on  the  folded  blanket.  The  stakes  usually  were  two  or  four  silver  ear- 
rings, iiut  up  by  those  who  engaged  in  the  game,  and  the  sport  commenced  Ijy 
some  one  of  the  players  seizing  the  edge  of  the  bowl,  with  his  thumb  outside  and 
the  ends  of  his  forefingers  inside  the  rim,  and,  raising  it  an  inch  or  so.  bumped 
it  down  on  the  folded  blanket  three  or  four  times,  causing  the  light  jilum 
stones  to  jump  around  in  the  most  lively  manner,  .\fter  the  player  had  shaken 
the  bowl  thoroughly  he  sat  down  and  allowed  the  stones  to  settle  on  the  bottom, 
and  then  they  were  counted  thus:  If  all  the  spotted  and  striped  sides  were 
uppermost,  the  player  won,  unless  some  one  else  tied  him ;  if  he  threw  four 
spotted  ones,  it  was  the  same  as  four  aces  in  cards  in  the  game  of  liluff :  but 
if  he  threw  three  spotted  and  two  striped  ones,  it  was  equivalent  to  a  full  band 
of  bluff,  and  so  (jn,  the  only  differcJice  being  that  wlien  all  the  spotted  and 
striped  sides  were  turned  up,  it  showed  a  higher  hand  than  four  aces,  and  when 
all  the  blank  sides  were  turned  up  it  showed  a  flush  that  ranked  next  to  the 
highest  hand  and  above  the  four  aces. 

Dakota     (Yanktonai).     Devils    lake.    Xorth    Dakota.     (Cat.    no. 

23556,  23557,  United  States  National  Museum.) 
Six  plum-stone  dice,  part  of  two  sets  of  four  each.     The  designs  are 
burnt,  and  two — the  fourth  and  fifth — have  perforations  on  both 
sides  (figure  239).    Collected  by  Mr  Paul  Beckwith  in  187G. 
The  two  dice  to  the  left  bear  a  buffalo's  head  on  one  side  and  a 
pipe  or  calumet  on  the  reverse.     The  die  on  the  right  has  an  eagle, 
or  thunderbird,  with  lightning  symbol,  on  the  reverse. 


Fig.  2.S9.    Pluro-stone  dice  (a,  obverse:  h,  revers^);  diameter,  about  1  inch:  Yanktonai  Dakota 
Indians.  North  Dakota;  cat.  no.  2:fi.56,  23557,  United  States  National  Museum. 

-Devils    Lake    reservation,    Xorth    Dakota,      (Cat.    no.    ('10369, 

60421,  Field  Columbian  iluseum. ) 
Seven  jjlum  stones  seared  on  one  side   (figure  210).  ;ind  an  (>l)long 
wooden  bowl,  with  handle,  about  11  inches  in  length. 
These  were  collected  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey,  who  describes  the 
game  as  follows: 

These  are  used  in  the  Cut  Ile;id  [Pabaksaj  game  of  kansu.  The  dice  ;ire  plum 
stones  and  are  seared  on  one  side  with  various  devices,  which  occur  in  jiairs  with 
an  odd  stone.  The  odd  stone,  wit!i  central  markings  and  eight  radiating  lines, 
is  called  echeana,  alone:  the  pair  with  three  parallel  lines  and  seared  ends  are 
called  okehe,  next :  the  other  two  pairs  are  ikcheka,  common.  To  play,  the 
bowl  is  grasped  with  two  hands  and  brought  down  sharply  on  the  ground,  so  as 
to  cause  the  dice  to  jump  about.  The  counts  are  determined  by  the  character 
of   the   upper  sides   of   the   dice   and    are   as   follows :    x\.ll    marked    sides   up, 


186 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


Siibyaese.  black,  equal  10 ;  all  marked  sides  dowu,  sakyapese.  white.  10 ;  all 
marked  sides  down,  except  alone,  4 ;  all  marked  sides  down,  except  one,  next,  3 ; 
all  marked  sides  down,  except  one,  common,  1 ;  all  marked  sides  up.  except  one, 
common.  1.  This  game  is  played  exclusively  by  women  and  invariably  for 
stakes. 


Fig.  340.    Plum-stone  dice;  Yanlctonai  Dakota  Indians,  Devils  Lake  reservation,  North  Dakota; 
cat.  no.  60:%9,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

HiDATSA.     North  Dakota.      (Cat.   no.   8425,  United  States  National 
Museum.) 

Set  of  four  bone  staves  made  from  cores  of  elk  horn.  8-J  inches  in 
length,  eleven-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  width  in  middle,  and  about 
one-sixteenth  of  an  inch  thick;  the  outer  rounded  face  of  the 
bone  marked  with  lines  and  dots,  filled  in  with  faint  red  paint, 
as  shown  in  figure  241,  there  being  two  pairs  marked  alike;  the 
opposite  side  unmarked  and  showing  texture  of  bone;  ends 
rounded.  Collected  by  Dr  Washington  Matthews,  U.  S.  Army, 
and  described  as  women's  gambling  instruments. 
Doctor  Matthews  stated  in  a  letter  to  the  writer  that  tiiese  bone 

staves  were  not  thrown  so  as  to  rebound,  but  gently,  ends  down,  on  a 

blanket. 


X riLXX^ 


Fm.  241.    Bone  stick  dice:  length.  S)  inches;  Hidalsa  Indians,  North  Dakota;  cat.  no.  8425,  United 

States  National  Museum. 

Iowa.     Missouri. 

Catlin "  describes  a  game  among  the  Iowa  under  the  name  of 
konthogi-a,  game  of  platter. 

This  is  the  fascinating  game  of  the  women  and  exclusively  their  own,  played 
with  a  number  of  little  blocks  of  wood  the  size  o^  a  half-crown  piece,  marked 
with  certain  points  for  countinf;  the  game,  to  be  decided  by  throws,  as  they  are 
shaken  into  a  bowl  and  turned  out  on  a  sort  of  pillow.  The  bets  are  made 
after  the  bowl  is  turned  and  decided  by  the  number  of  points  and  colors  turned. 

°  Thomas  Donaldson,  The  George  Catlin  Indian  Gallery.  Report  of  the  Smithsonian 
Institution  for  ISSS,  p.  1.52,  1887. 


DICE    GAMES  :    OMAHA 


187 


Mandax.     Fort   Berthold,   North   Dakota.      (Cat.   no.   8427.   United 

States  National  Museum. ) 
Set  of  five  bone  dice,  with  incised  designs  (figure  242)  filled  in  with 
red  i3aint,  and  basket  of  woven  grass  (figure  243),  7i  inclies  in 
diameter  at  top  and  3  inches  deep;  with  the  dice  a  small  clay 
effigy,  1:^  inches  in  length,  with  legs  outspread  and  with  arms  and 
head  missing  (figure  244).  Collected  by  Dr  Washington  Mat- 
thews, U.  S.  Army. 
Catlin  "  mentions  the  game  of  the  platter  among  the  Mandan. 


Fig.  a«.  Pig.  -MS.  Fig.  244. 

Fig.  24^.    Boue  dice:  lengths.  1^,  1/e,  and  1  inch;  Mandau  Indians.  Fort  Bertliold.  North  Dakota; 

cat.  no.  8427,  United  States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  24(J.    Basket  for  dice;  diameter.  7.i  inches:  Mandan  Indians.  Port  Berthold,  North  Dakota: 

cat.  no.  8437,  United  States  National  Museum. 
Pig.  244.    Clay  fetich  used  with  dice;  length,  1;  inches;  Mandan  Indians,  Fort  Berthold,  North 

Dakota:  cat.  no.  8427,  United  States  National  Museum. 

Omaha.     Nebraska. 

Dr  J.  Owen  Dorsey  *  gives  the  following  account  under  tlie  name 
of  plum-stone  shooting,  ka"'-si  kide : '' 

Five  plum  .stones  are  provided,  three  of  which  are  marlied  on  one  side  only 
with  a  greater  or  smaller  number  of  black  dots  or  lines  and  two  of  them  are 
marked  on  both  sides ;  they  are,  however,  sometimes  made  of  bone  of  a  rounded 
or  flattened  form,  somewhat  like  an  orbicular  button-mold,  the  dots  in  this  case 
being  impressed.  A  wide  dish  and  a  certain  number  of  small  sticks  by  the 
way  of  counters  are  also  provided.  Any  number  of  persons  may  play  this 
game,  and  agreeably  to  the  number  engaged  in  it.  is  the  quantity  of  sticks  or 
counters.  The  plum  stones  or  bones  are  placed  in  a  dish,  and  ;i  throw  is  made 
by  simply  jolting  the  vessel  against  the  ground  to  make  the  seeds  or  bones 
rebound,  iind  they  are  counted  as  they  lie  when  they  fall.  The  part.v  jilays 
around  for  the  fir.st  throw.  Whoever  gaius  all  the  sticks  in  the  course  of  the 
game  wins  the  stake.  The  throws  succeed  each  other  with  so  much  rapidity 
that  we  vainly  endeavor  to  observe  their  laws  of  computation,  which  it  was 
the  sole  business  of  an  assistant  to  attend  to.  The  seeds  used  in  this  game 
are  called  ka°'-si  ge.  Their  number  varies.  Among  the  Ponkas  and  Omahas, 
only  five  are  used,  while  the  Otos  play  with  six.  Sometimes  four  are  marked 
alike,  and  the  fifth  is  black  or  white  (unmarked).     Generally  three  are  black 

«  Letters  and  Notes  on  the  Manners,  Customs,  and  Condition  of  the  North  American 
Indians,  p.   147,  Philadelphia,  1860. 

'Omaha  Sociology.     Third  .\nnual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  334,  1884. 

"  Miss  Alice  C.  Fletcher  gives  me  the  name  of  the  game  as  gkoH'-thi.  GkoH  is  the 
first  syllable  of  the  word  gko«'-de,  plum  ;  thi  means  seed.  The  game  is  described  by 
Major  S.  H.  Long  (Account  of  an  Expedition  from  Pittsburgh  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  v. 
1,  p,  216,  Philadelphia,  1822)   under  the  name  of  kon-se  ke-da. 


188 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


Q  Q^ 


Fig.  245.  Plum-stone  dice  (n,  obverse;  h,  reverse); 
diameter.  I  inch;  Omaha  Indians.  Nebraska:  cat. 
no.  IV  B  2228.  Berlin  Museum  fur  Volkerkunde. 


on  one  side,  and  white  or  uninai'lied  on  tlie  other,  while  two  have  each  a  star 
on  one  side  and  a  moon  on  the  other.  The  players  must  always  be  of  the  same 
sex  and  class ;  that  is,  men  must  play  with  men,  youths  with  youths,  and  women 
with  women.     There  must  always   be  an  even  number  of  players,  not  more 

than  two  on  each  side.  There 
are  about  twenty  sticks  used  as 
counters.  These  are  made  of 
desl^a  or  of  some  other  grass. 
The  seeds  are  put  into  a  l)Owl, 
which  is  hit  against  a  pillow  and 
not  on  the  bare  .ground,  lest  it 
should  break  the  bowl.  When 
three  seeds  show  black  and  two 
have  the  moon  »n  the  upper 
side  it  is  a  winnins;  throw  ;  but  when  one  is  white,  one  black,  the  third  black 
(or  white),  the  fourth  showing  a  moon,  and  the  fifth  a  star,  it  is  a  losing  throw. 
The  game  is  played  for  small  stakes,  such  as  rings  and  necklaces. 

Figure  245  represents  a  set  of  plum  stones  from  the  Omaha,  col- 
lected by  Miss  Alice  C.  Fletcher.  Two  have  a  star  on  one  side  and  a 
crescent  moon  on  the  other,  the  device  being  in  white  on  a  burnt 
ground,  and  three  are  white  or  plain  on  one  side  and  black  on  the  other. 
They  are  accompanied  by  a  hemispherical  bowl  made  of  walnut,  12 
inches  in  diameter,  of  perfect  form  and  finish,  and  by  about  one  hun- 
dred slips  of  the  stalks  of  the  blue-joint  grass,  about  12  inches  in 
length,  nsed  as  counters. 

Osage.     Missouri  and  Arkansas. 

John  D.  Hunter"  says: 

In  common,  they  merely  burn  on  one  side  a  few  grains  of  corn  or  pumpkin 
seeds,  which  the  stakers  alternately  throw  up  for  a  suc- 
cession of  times,  or  till  one  arrives  at  a  given  number 
first;   that   is,   counting   those   only   that   show   of   tlic 
requisite  color  when  he  wins. 

A  very  similar  game  is  played  witli  small  fiat  pieces  of 
wood  or  bone,  on  one  side  of  which  are  notched  ov  l)urnt  a 
greater  or  less  number  of  marks.  like  the  individual  faces 
of  a  die.     It  is  played  and  counted  like  the  preceding. 


Osage  reservation,  Oklahoma, 
hian  Museum.) 


o  o  o 

o  o  ® 

FiG.24(>.  Brass  dice;  Osage 
Indians.  Oklahoma;  cat. 
no.  5lM)(tT.  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum. 

(Cat.  no.  59097.  Field  Colum- 


Six  dice,  heads  of  small  brass  tacks  (figure  246).  one  with  a  hole 
punched  through  the  center,  all  with  the  inside  painted  red; 
diameter,  ime-fourth  of  an  inch;  accompanied  by  a  flat  wooden 
bowl.  9]  inches  in  diameter.     Collected  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey. 

PoNCA.     Nebraska. 

According  to  a  Ponca  legend  jiublished  by  Dr  J.  Owen  Dorsey,* 
the  plum-stone  game  was  invented  by  Ukiaba,  a  tribal  hero  of  the 

»  Manners  and  Customs  of  Several  Indian  Tribes  Located  West  of  the  Mississippi,  p. 
276,  Philadelphia.  1823. 

"The  ('egiha  Language.  Contributions  to  North  .American  Kthnologv.  v.  6,  p.  617, 
Washington,  1S90. 


CULIX] 


DICE    GAMES  :    HAIDA 


189 


(Cat.  no.  22157.  Fre 


Ponca,  who  sent  five  plum  stones  to  a  young  womian  whom  he  secured 
by  magical  arts,  afterward  telling  her:  "Keep  the  plum  stones  for 
gambling.     You  shall  always  win.'" 

Winnebago.     Black  River  Falls,  AVisconsin, 
Museum    of   Science    and 
Art.  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania.) 
Wooden  bowl,  highly  polished  with 
use,    9^    inches    in    diameter, 
and    eight    bone    disks,    five- 
eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter, 
one    side    smooth    and    white, 
the    other    .stained    dark    blue 
(figure    247).      Collected    bv 
Mr  T.  R.  Roddy. 

• Prairie  du  Chien.  Wisconsin 

Caleb  'Atwater "  saj's : 

The  wouien  play  a  game  among  themselves,  using  pieces  of  Ixme  about  the 
size  and  which  have  the  appearance  of  a  common  button  mold.  'I'ho.v  are  so  cut 
out  that  one  side  is  blackish  and  the  other  white.  A  considerable  number  of 
these  button  molds  are  placed  in  a  small  wooden  bowl  and  thrown  up  in  it  a 
certain  number  of  times,  when  the  white  sides  ui)  are  counted. 

SKITTAGETAN    STOCK 


FiCJ.  ^T.  Bone  dice;  diameter,  ;  inch:  Win- 
nebago Indians,  Wisconsin;  cat.  uo.  221-57, 
Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  Univer- 
sity of  Pennsylvania. 


^   €^ 


Haida.     Skidegate.  Queen  Charlotte  islands,  British  Columbia. 

Dr  C.  F.  Newcombe  states  that  this  tribe  have  the  chair-shaped  dice 
figured  among  the  Kwakiutl  and  Tlingit  and  gives  the  following 
account  of  the  game,  obtained  in  1901,  under  the  name  of  gadegan : 

Ten  counters  of  slips  of  wood  or  of  long  bones  of 
birds  are  placed  between  two  players.  The  first 
throw  in  the  game  is  won  by  the  pla.ver  who  scores 
the  highest  in  the  preliminary  throwing,  which  con- 
tinues until  the  advantage  is  gained  in  the  alter- 
nate play. 

Scoring. — The  following  are  the  winning  positions 
[figure  248]  :  Supine  (1),  scores  1 :  prone  (2),  with 
the  back  and  under  surface  uppermost:  erect  (3). 
or  natural  position  of  a  chair.  2 ;  resting  on  the 
front  edge  (4),  back  uppermost,  4. 

Losing  positions. — If  the  die  falls  and  remains  on 
either  side.  The  player  continues  to  throw  until  the 
die  falls  on  its  side.  Until  the  pot  is  exhausted  win- 
it.  and  afterward  from  their  opponent's  pile.  The 
won  all  the  counters.     Men  and  women  play 


k 


Fig.  24.^.  Positions  of  die  in 
winning  throws;  Haida  In- 
dians, British  Columbia; 
from  sketch  by  Dr  C.  F. 
Newcombe. 


ners  draw  counters  from 

game  goes  (ui  until  one  player  ha 

indifferently. 


»  Remarks  Made  on  a  Tour  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  p.  117,  Columbus.  1831. 


190  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 

Haida.     British  Cohimbia. 

Dr  J.  E.  Swanton  "  describes  the  throwing  game : 

The  Haida  name  for  this  game  (gu'tgi  qla'atagafi)  means  literally  "they 
throw  the  q  la'atagafio,  '  thing  thrown  up.'  to  each  other."  The  "  thing  thrown 
up."  figure  .5  [Swanton],  was  a  piece  of  wood,  bone,  or  ivory,  about  3  inclies 
high,  with  a  base  measuring,  say.  1*  by  1^  inches,  and  most  of  the  upper  part 
cut  away,  leaving  a  thin  flange  extending  upward  on  one  side.  It  was  held  by 
the  thin  flange,  with  the  thicker  part  up,  and  flipped  over  and  over.  If  it  fell 
upon  either  side,  called  qia'dagano,  marked  o  in  figure  5  [Swanton],  the  oppo- 
nent took  it ;  if  on  the  long  flat  side,  or  on  the  concave  side,  it  counted  the  one 
who  threw  it  1  ;  if  on  the  bottom,  2 :  or  if  on  the  smallest  side,  4.  as  indicated 
in  the  figure.  The  game  was  usually  played  at  camp,  in  the  smokehouse,  and 
the  winner  had  the  privilege  of  smearing  the  loo.ser"s  face  with  soot.  It  may  be 
played  by  two  or  more,  each  for  himself  or  by  sides. 

tanoAn  stock 

Tewa.     Hano.  Arizona.      (Cat.  no  38618,  Free  Museum  of  Science 

and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Three  wooden  blocks,  -ii  inches  long  and  14  inches  wide,  painted  black 

on  one  side  and  plain 
on  the  other   (figure 
249).     Collected    by 
the  writer  in  1901. 
They  are  called  chi-ti,  and 
are  counted  around  a   circle 
of   forty   stones   laid   on   the 
ground  and  having  an  open- 
ing   after    every    ten.      The 
Fig.  349.    Stick  dice;   length,  4}  inches;   Tewa  Indians,       counts  are  as  follows  :    Three 

Hano,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  3.S61H,  Free  Museum  of  Science  ...  .  *-  ia  4.1,..       ui    „i 

,.'_.,.       .^     ,  _  ,       .  white  count  10 :  three  black, 

and  Art,  University  of  Pennsvlvania. 

.5 ;  two  black.  3 ;  one  black,  2. 

Mr  A.  M.  Stephen,  in  an  unpublished  manuscript,  gives  edehti  as 
the  Tewa  name  of  a  seldom-played  man's  game  corresponding  with 
the  Xavaho  woman's  game  of  tsittilc. 
TiGUA.     Isleta,   New    Mexico.     (Cat.   no.    22726,    Free    Museum    of 

Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Two  sets  of  three  sticks  each  (figure  250),  halves  of  twigs,  flat  on  one 
side,  and  rounded,  with  inner  bark  on  the  other ;   length.  44 
inches.     Collected  by  the  writer  in  1902. 

One  stick  in  one  of  the  sets  has  eleven  diagonal  notches  across  the 
rounded  side.  In  the  other  set  all  the  sticks  are  plain.  They  are 
used  as  dice  in  the  game  of  patol. 

An  Isleta  boy,  J.  Crecencio  Lucero,  described  to  the  writer  the  peo- 
ple of  this  pueblo  as  playing  the  game  of  patol,  which  they  call  in 
their  own  language  cuwee,  with  three  sticks,  puo,  counting  around  a 
circle  of  stones,  hio. 


»  Contributions  to  the  Ethnology  of  the  Haida.     Memoirs  of  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  whole  series,  v.  8,  pt.  1,  p.  59,  New  Yorlt,  190.'). 


CLLIN  1 


DICE    GAMES  :    TIGUA 


191 


Fio.  a')*),  stickdice:  length, 4*  inches; 
Tigua  Indians,  Isleta,  New  Mexico; 
cat.  no.  227)iG,  Free  Museum  of  Sci- 
ence and  Art,  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania. 


Mr  Charles  F.  Lumniis "  gives  the  following  account  of  the  game 

in  Isleta : 

The  boys  gather  forty  smooth  stones,  the  size  of  the  fist,  and  arrange  them 
in  a  circle  about  3  feet  in  diameter.  Between  every  tenth  and  eleventh  stone 
is  a  gate  of  4  or  '>  inches.  These  gates  are 
called  p'ay-hlah  rivers.  In  the  center  of  the 
circle,  pa-tol  naht-heh,  pa-tol  bouse,  is  placed  a 
large  cobblestone,  smooth  and  approsimatel.\- 
flat  on  top.  called  byee-oh-tee-ay.  There  is 
your  pa-tol  ground. 

The  pa-tol  sticks,  which  are  the  most  im- 
portant part  of  the  paraphernalia,  are  three 
in  number.  Sometimes  they  are  made  b.v 
splitting  from  dry  branches,  and  sometimes  by 
whittling  from  a  solid  block.  The  chief  essen- 
tial is  that  the  wood  be  firm  and  hard.  The 
sticks  are  4  to  5  inches  long,  about  an  inch 
wide,  and  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick,  and  must 
have  their  sides  flat,  so  that  the  three  may  be  clasped  together  very  much  as  one 
holds  a  lien,  but  more  nearly  perpendicular,  with  the  thumb  and  first  three  fin- 
gers of  the  right  hand.  Each  stick  is  plain  on  one  side  and  marke<l  on  the  other, 
generally  with  diagonal  notches,  as  shown  in  figure  [-•'I'l]- 

The  only  other  requisite  is  a  kah-nfd-deh,  horse,  for  each  player,  of  whom 
there  may  be  as  many  as  can  seat  themselves  around  the  pa-tol  house.  The 
horse  is  merely  a  twig  or  stick  used  as  a  marker.  When  the  players  have 
seated  themselves,  the  first  takes  the  pa-tol  sticks  tightly  in  his  right  hand, 
lifts  them  about  as  high  as  his  chin,  and,  bringing  them  down 
with  a  smart  vertical  thrust,  as  if  to  harpoon  the  center  stone, 
lets  go  of  them  when  they  are  within  some  G  inches  of  it.  The 
three  sticks  strike  the  stone  as  one,  hitting  on  their  ends 
squarely,  and,  rebounding  several  inches,  fall  back  into  the  cir- 
cle. The  manner  in  which  they  fall  decides  the  denomination 
of  the  throw,  and  the  different  values  are  shown  in  figure  [251]. 
Although  at  first  flush  this  might  seem  to  make  it  a  game  of 
chance,  nothing  could  be  farther  from  the  truth.  Indeed,  no 
really  aboriginal  game  is  a  true  game  of  chance ;  the  invention 
of  that  dangerous  and  delusive  plaything  was  reserved  for 
civilized  ingenuity. 

An  expert  pa-tol  player  will  throw  the  number  he  desires 
with  almost  unfailing  certainty  by  bis  arrangement  of  the  sticks 
in  his  hand  and  the  manner  and  force  with  which  he  strikes 
them  down.  It  is  a  dexterity  which  anyone  may  acquire  by  sufficient  practice, 
and  only  thus.  The  five  throw  is  deemed  very  much  the  hardest  of  all,  and  I 
have  certainly  found  it  so. 

According  to  the  number  of  his  throw  the  player  moves  his  marker  an  equal 
number  of  stones  aliead  on  the  circle,  using  one  of  the  rivers  as  a  starting 
point.  If  the  throw  is  five,  for  instance,  he  lays  his  horse  between  the  fourth 
and  fifth  stones,  and  hands  the  pa-tol  sticks  to  the  next  man.  If  his  throw  be 
ten,  however,  as  the  first  man's  first  throw  is  very  certain  to  be,  it  lands  his 
horse  in  the  second  river,  and  he  has  another  throw.  The  second  man  may 
make  his  starting  point  the  same  or  another  river,  and  may  elect  to  run  his 


ma 
urn 


10 


15 


PiG.2r)l.  Counts 
in  stick  dice; 
Tigua  Indians, 
Isleta,  New 
Mexico;  from 
Lummis. 


«  A  New  Mexico  David,  p.  184,  New  York,  1891. 


SID^- 


BDD^^ 

DDD-^ 

kVI 

Fig.  232.   Counts 

in  stick  dice: 

Tigua  Indians. 

Isleta.  New 

Mexico;  from 

Lummis. 

192  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    .\MERIC.\N    INDIANS       [eth.  ans.  24 

horse  around  the  circle  in  the  .same  direction  that  the  first  is  going  or  in  the 
opposite.  If  in  the  same  direction,  he  will  do  his  best  to  make  a  throw  which 
will  liring  his  horse  into  the  same  notch  as  that  of  the  first  man.  in  which  case 
the  first  man  is  lulled  and  has  to  take  his  horse  hack  to  the  starting  point,  to 
try  over  again  when  he  gets  another  turn.  In  case  the  second  man  starts  in 
the  opposite  direction — which  he  will  not  do  unless  an  expert  player — he  has 
to  calculate  with  a  good  deal  of  skill  for  the  meeting,  to  kill  and  to  avoid  being 
killed  by  the  first  player.  When  he  starts  in  the  same  direction,  he  is  behind, 
and  runs  no  chance  of  being  killed,  while  he  has  just  as  good  a 
chance  to  kill.  But  if.  even  then,  a  high  throw  carries  him 
ahead  of  the  first  man — for  jumping  does  not  count  either  way. 
the  only  killing  lieing  when  two  horses  come  in  the  same  notch — 
his  rear  is  in  danger,  and  he  will  try  to  run  on  out  of  the  way  of 
his  pursuer  as  fast  as  possible.  The  more  players  the  more  com- 
plicated the  game,  for  each  horse  is  threatened  alike  by  foes  that 
chase  from  behind  and  charge  from  before,  and  the  most  skillful 
player  is  liable  to  he  .sent  back  to  the  starting  point  several 
times  before  the  game  is  finished,  which  is  as  soon  as  one  horse 
has  made  the  complete  circuit.  Sometimes  the  idayers.  when 
very  young  or  unskilled,  agree  there  shall  be  no  killing:  but 
unless  there  is  an  explicit  arrangement  to  that  effect,  killing  is 
understood,  and  it  adds  greatly  to  the  interest  of  the  game. 
There  is  also  another  variation  of  the  game — a  rare  one,  however.  In  case 
the  players  agree  to  throw  fifteens,  all  the  pa-tol  sticks  are  made  the  same, 
except  that  one  has  an  extra  notch  to  distinguish  it  from  the  others.  Then 
the  throws  are  as  shown  in  figure  [-."i-1- 

111  reply  to  a  letter  of  inquirv,  Mr  Lunaiiis  wrote  me  that  he  di.s- 
tinctly  remembers  having  witnessed  this  game  at  Isleta,  Santa  Clara, 
San  Ildefonso,  Tesiique.  and  Taos  (Tanoan):  at  Acoma.  Titsiama, 
and  Canada  Cruz  (Acoma  colonies).  Cochiti,  Laguna,  El  Eito, 
Sandia,  Santo  Domingo,  and  San  Felipe  (Keresan)  ;  and  at  Ziini. 

I  feel  quite  confident  I  saw  it  also  in  San  .Juan  (Tanoan  i.  though  of  that  I 
would  not  lie  positive.  I  can  not  remember  seeing  the  game  idayed  in  Jemez, 
Picuris.  and  Pojoaipie  (Tanoan)  :  in  Sia  (Keresan)  or  any  of  the  .Moqui  pueblos 
except  Hano  (which  of  course  is  a  village  of  migration  from  the  Rio  Grande). 
In  Xambe  (Tanoan)   I  never  saw  it.  I  am  sure. 

Tewa.    Nambe,  New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  17773. 17774,  Field  Columbian 

Museum.) 
Set  of  stick  dice,  three  pieces  of  .split   twig,  3§   inches  in   length. 
one  side  rounded  and  the  other  flat;    one  of  the  round  sides 
marked  with  fifteen  notches  (figure  253).     Collected  by  Mr  L.  M. 
Lampson. 
There  are  two  sets,  one  having  the  bark  left  on  the  back ;    on  the 
other  it  is  removed.     The  game  is  described  under  the  name  of  tugea. 
or  patol : 

This  game  is  played  by  two  or  more  persons.  Forty  small  stones  are  laid  iu 
a  circle  with  a  space  or  gate  between  each  gi-oup  of  ten.  The  players  throw 
the  billets  perpendicularly  upon  a  stone,  the  surfaces  falling  uppermost  deter- 


CI  LIN] 


DICE    GAMES  :    TEWA 


193 


FKi.  a.;,  .stick  di.e.  it-ufjtli,  :t! 
inches;  Tewa  Indians,  Nambe, 
New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  17774,  Field 
Columbian  MoBeum. 


niiuing  the  count.     One  flat  and  one  notebed  round  side  up  count  1 :  two  flat 

and  one  notched  round  side  up,  3 :  three  flat  sides  up.  5 :  three  round  sides  up, 

10 ;  two  flat  and  notched  stick  up.   15.     When 

the  count  is  10  or  15,  the  jjlayer  is  entitled  to 

another  throw.     Each  player  is  provided  with  a 

small  stieli  for  a  counter.     This  is  called  a  horse. 

All  players  start  from  the  same  place  and  mov>' 

their    horses    forward    between    the    stones    ai- 

cording  to  their  score,  in  the  same  or  opposite 

directions,  as  they  choose.     If  one  player  scorjs 

so  that  his  counter  conies  to  a  place  occupied  by 

the  counter  of  a  previous  player,  the  first  player 

must    remove   his   counter   or   horse   and   start 

again,  except  it  be  in  one  of  the  spaces  or  gates 

which  may  be  occupied  by  two  or  more  horses 

at  the  same  time.     The  one  who  first  moves  his  counter  completely  round  the 

circle  is  the  winner. 

Tewa.     Santa  Clara,  New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  60359,  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum.) 
Four  sticks  (figure  2.54),  4^  inches  in  length,  one  side  flat  and  un- 
marked and  the  other  round  with  bark  on,  two  of  the  rounded 
sides  with  incised  marks. 
They  were  collected  by  Mr  W.  C.  B.  Biddle,  who  describes  the  game 
as  follows: 

This  game  is  played  with  four  short  two-faced  lots,  tn'o  of  which  bear 
special  markings  on  the  obverse  side.  In  playing  the 
game  forty  small  pebbles  are  placed  on  the  ground  in 
the  form  of  a  hollow  square.  Two  small  sticks  or 
feathers,  to  be  used  later  on  as  markers,  are  placed 
at  the  opening  in  one  corner.  In  the  center  of  the 
square  is  a  flat  stone  or  inverted  cup. 

The  game  begins  by  one  of  the  players  taking  the 
four  staves  in  hand  and  casting  them  on  one  end  on 
the  stone  or  cup.  The  count  is  determined  by  the 
character  of  the  uppermost  side  of  the  staves,  and  is 
as  follows :  All  flat  sides  down  count  10 :  all  round 
sides  down,  5 ;  two  flat  sides  down,  3.  In  registering  the  count  the  counting 
stick  is  moved  about  the  stone  circuit  according  to  the  value  of  the  throw. 

The  game  is  ended  when  one  of  the  counting  sticks  has  made  the  entire 
circuit. 

■ — Santa  Clara,  New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  176T07,  United  States 

National  Museum.) 

Set  of  three  blocks  of  wood,  5^  inches  in  length,  1  inch  in  breadth, 
and  three-eighths  of  an  inch  in  thickness  (figure  2.55)  :  flat  and 
painted  red  on  one  side;  the  opposite  side  rounded  and  painted 
reddish  brown. 


Fig.  254.  Stick  dice:  length, 
4J  inches:  Tewa  Indians, 
Santa  Clara,  New  Mexico; 
cat.  no.  (iiiaifl,  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum. 


24   ETH — 05    M- 


-13 


194 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth,  an'n.  24 


One  stick  has  fifteen  transverse  notches  painted  green  on  the 
rounded  side.  The  notches  are  divided  by  an  incised  cross  painted 
yellow."  ' 

The  following  account  of  the  game,  from  a  manuscript  by  the  col- 
lector. Mr  T.  S.  Dozier,  was  kindly  placed  in  my  hands  by  Mr  F.  W. 
Hodge : 

Grains  of  corn  or  pebbles  are  laid  in  the  form  of  a  square,  in  sections  of  ten 
each.  The  two  players  sit  on  either  side.  The  sticlis.  called  e-pfe.  are  thrown 
in  turn  on  a  stone  placed  in  the  square.  The  counts  are  as  follows :  Two  flat 
and  notched  sticks,  notches  up.  count  15 ;  three  round  sides  up,  10 ;  three  flat 
sides  up.  5 ;  two  flat  and  one  round  side,  not  notched,  up,  .3 ;  one  flat  and  two 
round  sides,  not  notched,  up,  1. 

The  players  move  their  markers  between  the  grains  or  pebbles  according  to 
their  throw,  going  in  opposite  directions.  The  one  first  returning  to  the  start- 
ing point  wins.    This  is  the  ordinary  way.     Sometimes,  the  markers  being  con- 


Fif;.  2.5.5  Fig  -i'lii 

Fig.  2.55.    Stick  dice;  k-ngtl!,  oi  inches;  Tewa  Indians.  Santa  Clara,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  176707, 

United  States  National  Museiim. 
Fig.  256.    Stick  dice  and  marking  sticks;  lengths,  +J  and  4)  inches;  Tigua  Indians,  Taos,  New 

Mexico;  cat.  nf>.  2(1l2:i  Fn^e  Mnsenni  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


sidered  as  horses,  a  player  will  attempt  to  kill  his  adversary's  horses.  In  this 
case  he  so  announces  at  the  commencement  of  the  game,  and  he  then  moves  his 
marker  in  the  same  direction,  and.  by  duplicating  the  first  throw,  or,  if  at  any 
future  stage  of  the  game,  always  following,  he  succeeds  in  placing  his  marker 
where  his  adversary's  is.  by  so  doing  he  kills  that  horse  (marker!  and  sends 
him  back  to  the  place  of  beginning.  The  latter  may  then  elect  to  move  in  the 
same  direction  as  before  and  kill  and  send  back  his  adversary,  but,  if  he  wishes, 
he  may  go  in  the  opposite  direction.  In  which  case  he  does  no  killing.  The  game 
is  called  tugJ-e-pfe,  meaning  the  thrown  stick  (tugi,  to  throw). 

Mr  Dozier  states  that  the  stick  with  fifteen  notches  gives  rise  to  the 
Mexican  name  of  quince  (fifteen),  which  is  sometimes  given  its  Tewa 
equivalent  of  tadipwa  nopfe,  and  juego  de  pastor,  shepherd's  game. 

"  Another  set,  collected  by  Mr  T.  S.  Dozier,  in  the  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art  of  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania  (cat.  no.  20153),  has  the  notches  painted  green,  red,  yellow, 
.inrt  hin.',  and  the  cross  retl.  These  marks  appear  to  Imitate  wrappings  of  cord  of  dif- 
ferent colors. 


uLiN]  DICE  games:  tigua  1*)5 

TiGUA.    Taos,  New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  20123,  Free  Museum  of  Science 

and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Set  of  thi'ee  sticks,  4J  inches  in  length,  three-fourths  of  an  inch  broad, 
and  six-sixteenths  of  an  inch  thick  (figure  25G),  one  side  round, 
with  bark,  and  the  other  flat. 
One  of  the  sticks  has  eight  transverse  cuts  on  the  bark  side,  as 
shown  in  the  figure,  with  the  opposite  flat  side  smeared  with  red 
paint.    THej-  are  accompanied  by  two  twigs,  4|  inches  in  length,  with 
sharpened  ends,  one  having  two  nicks  cut  near  one  end  to  distin- 
guish it. 

These  objects  are  employed  in  the  game  of  caseheapana  (Spanish, 
pastor),  of  which  the  collector.  Dr  T.  P.  Martin,  of  Taos,  has  fur- 
nished the  following  accoiuit : 

A  circle,  from  2  to  .'!  feet  iu  diameter  [figure  257],  is  marliecl  on  the  ground 
with  small  stones.     Oue  hundred  and 
sixty  stones  are  used,  with  larger  ones  WEST 

at    each    quarter,    dividing    the    circle  ...—•o 

into  four  quarters  of  forty  stones  each.  _.••"  '•.._ 

A  line  AB  is  marked  out  as  a  river,  ,o"'  "'•t, 

and   is   usually   marked   from   east   to 

west.     The  line  CD  is  designated  as  a  / 

trail.     A  large  stone  is  placed  in  the        /  •. 

center.  /  '; 

There  are  two  players,  each  of  whom       j  ^^^ 

takes   one  of   the   little   twigs,    which        \  t 

are  known  as  horses.     .\  player  takes        '.  / 

the  three  stones,  holds  them  togethei-,  °,  o' 

and   drops   them    vertically    uiion    the 

large  stone.     He  counts   according  to  ''o,  ,/ 

their    fall,    and    moves    his    horse    as  *'•..,  .••' 

many  places  around  the  circuit.     1'hey  '" ^_ •°'' 

throw  and  move  in  turn,  going  in  op-  EAST 

posite    directions,    one    st.irtnig    from      „,„  .,.,     ,,.        ,,      ,.  ,  j.       „.       ,    ,. 

PiG.257.    (irouit  for  stick  dice;  Ti^ua  Indians, 
K     and     the    other     from     M.       If     M  Taos,  New  Mexico;  from  sketch  by  Dr  T.  P. 

passes   point   B   hefore   K   reaches   it,         Martin. 
and  meets  K"s  horse  anywhere  around 

the  circle,  K's  hor.se  is  said  to  lie  killed,  and  has  to  go  back  to  A  and  start  over 
again,  and  vice  versa.  A  chief  point  in  the  game  is  to  reach  B  before  the  other 
player,  so  as  to  kill  him  on  the  second  half  of  the  circle. 

The  counts  are  as  follows :  Two  flat  and  notched  sticks,  notches  up,  count  !.'> ; 
three  round  side.s  up,  10 ;  three  flat  sides  up,  5 :  two  flat  and  one  round  side,  not 
notched,  up,  1 :   one  flat  and  two  round  sides,  not  notched,  up,  1. 

This  game  is  usually  played  all  night  on  the  night  of  November  3  of  each  year. 
November  .*?  is  known  as  "  the  day  of  the  dead."  and  this  game  seems  in  some 
way  to  be  connected  with  it.  or  rather  with  its  celebration,  but  I  can  not  find 
out  any  tradition  connecting  the  two. 


196 


GAMES    OF    THE    >;OKTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  24 


WAKASHAX    STOCK 


Clayoqtjot.     West   coast    of    Vancouver    island,    British    Columbia. 

(Cat.  no.   ^Jf^,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History.) 
Set  of  four  beaver-teeth  dice,  two  with  dots  and  two  with  crossed  lines 

(figure  258).     Collected  by  Mr  F.  Jacob- 
sen  in  1897. 

One  pail-  with  circular  designs  are  called  tlie  women 
and  the  other  pair  with  straight  lines  the  men.  The 
one  man  with  the  more  elaborate  designs  is  trump. 
Ten  counters  are  placed  between  the  players,  one  of 
whom  tosses  the  dice :  when  t^o  men  or  two  women 
fall  face  up  he  wins  one  counter ;  when  the  trump 
falls  face  up  and  all  the  others  face  down,  or  vice 
versa,  he  wins  two  counters.  The  game  is  won  by  the 
player  who  gets  all  the  counters. 

Dr  C.  F.  Xewcombe  writes : 

In  this  game  the  C'layoquot  mark  two  of  the  teeth 
with  circular  dots,  o  o  o,  and  two  with  incised  cross 
lines.  X  X  X  or  #  ^  jf. 

One  of  the  dotted  teeth  is  also  marked  liy  a  circular 
black  band,  and  this  is  called  the  man.  and  the  other 
the  woman. 

Of  the  incised  teeth,  the  one  with  more  detinitc  or 
stronger  marks  is  the  man,  and  the  other  the  woman. 

The  game  is  called  a.  isyEk.  No  specimens  were  seen,  liut  the  information 
was  obtained  from  '"Annie,"  the  daughter  of  Atliu.  a  well-known  chief  of  the 
tribe. 

KwAKiTJTL,     Dsawadi,  Knight's  inlet.  British  Columbia. 

Dr  C.  F.  Newcombe  describes  the  beaver-tooth  dice  game  at  this 
place  under  the  name  of  midale.  They  say  it  came  from  the  Stick 
Indians  (Tahlkan).    It  is  now  obsolete.    It  was  a  woman's  gambling 

game,    TVHien  all  four  come  ^ 

up  alike  they  count  2. 

Vancouver     island. 

British  Columbia. 
Dr     Franz     Boas "     de- 
scribes   these     Indians    as 


Pig.  258.    Beaver-teeth  dice: 

length,  2  to  21  inches;  Clayo- 
quot  Indians,  Vancouver 
island,  British  Columbia: 
cat.  no.  501  ji  American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History. 


Fu;.2.59.  Wooden 
die:  Kwakiutl 
Indians,  British 
Columbia:  from 
Boas. 


Fig.  260.    Beaver-teeth  dice;  length, 

2  to  2^  inches;  Makah  Indians, 
Neah  bay.  Washington;  ''at.  no. 
23351,  United  States  National  Mu- 
seum. 


using  wooden  dice   (figure 

259)    in  a  game  called  ei- 

bayu.     "  The    casts    count 

according   to   the    nari'ow- 
ness  of  the  sides."     The  dice  collected  by  liim  were  in  the  World's 
Columbian  Exposition. 

-  Hixth  Report  on  the  Indians  of  British  Columbia.     Report  of  the  Sixty-sixth  Meeting 
of  the  British  Association  for  the  .Vdvancement  of  Science,  p.  578.  London.  189G. 


CLLIX] 


DICE    GAMES  :    MAKAH 


197 


Dr  C.  F.  Newcombe  informs  me  that  after  very  careful  inquiry 
he  is  unable  to  find  this  game  among  the  Kwakiutl.  The  name 
eibayu  is  similar  to  libaiu.  that  of  the  stick  game. 

Makah.     Neah  bay,  Washington.     (Cat.  no.  23351,  United   States 

Xational  Museum. ) 
Seven  beaver  teeth,  probably  part  of  two  or  more  sets.     Two,  right 
and  left,  apparently  from  the  same  animal,  are  similarly  marked 
on  the  flat  side  with  chevron  pattern  (figure  260,  a,  b). 
Two,   also  apparently   from   the   same   animal,   are   marked   with 
circles  and  dots   (figure  260  c,  d).     Two  teeth,  right  and  left,  are 
marked  with  three  chevrons,  and  one  odd  tooth  has  ten  circles. 

The  following  account  of  the  game  is  given  by  the  collector,  Mr 
J.  G.  Swan : " 

Four  teeth  are  used  :  one  side  of  each  has  marks  and  the  other  is  plain.  If  all 
four  uiarlied  sides  come  up  or  all  four  plaiu  sides,  the  throws  form  a  double ;  if 
two  marked  and  two  plain  ones  come  up.  it  is  a  single:  uneven  numbers  lose. 

He  states  also  that  this  game  is  usually  played  by  the  women,  and 
that  the  beaver  teeth  are  shaken  in  the  hand  and  thrown  down.' 

Neah   bay,  Washington.      ( Cat.   no.  37378,   Free  Museum  of 

Science  and  Ar,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 


Fig.  26.3. 

Pig.  261.    Beaver-teeth  dice;  length,  2  inches:  Makah  Indians,  Washington;  cat.  i  o.  37378,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Pig.  262.    Counters  for  beaver-teeth  dice;  length,  4i  inches;  Makah  Indians,  Washington;  cat. 

no.  37378,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Pig.  263.    Charm  used  with  beaver-teeth  dice;  Makah  Indians,  Washington;  cat.  no.  37378,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Four  beaver-teeth  dice   (figure  261),  two  with  incised  chevrons  on 
one  side  and  two  with  circles  with  center  dot ;    reverses  plain ; 

"The  Indians  of  Cape  Flattery.  Smithsonian  Contributions  to  Knowledge,  n.  220, 
p.  44.  1.S70. 

"  The  Northwest  Coast,  or  Three  Years'  Hesidence  in  Washington  Territory,  p.  158, 
Xew  York,  1S57. 


198 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [bth.  an.n.  24 


length,  2  inches.     One  tooth,  marked  with  circles,  is  tied  with  a 
string  around  the  middle. 
Thirty  small  bones  (figure  262),  4|  inches  in  length,  accompany  the 
dice  as  counters,  katsaiac.     Collected  by  the  writer  in  1900. 
The  set  is  contained  in  a  cotton-cloth  bag.  in  which  also  was  the 
charm   (figure  263),  or  medicine,  koi,  used  to  secure  success.     This 
consists  of  a  dried  fungus,  which  is  rubbed  on  the  hands,  and  the 
tooth  of  a  small  rodent. 

Dr  George  A.  Dorsey  "  describes  the  following  game : 

Ehis  This  is  the  well-knowu  game  of  the  beaver-teeth  dice,  and  is  played  l>y 
women  througliout  the  extent  of  the  Northwest  Territory.  Of  this  game  three 
sets  were  collected,  one  of  which  is  imperfect.  There  are  four  teeth  in  each  full 
set,  two  of  which,  usually  the  lower,  are  decorated  with  incised  lines,  chihlichi- 
cotl,  which  refer  merely  to  the  markings.  The  other  pair  are  variously  deco- 
rated with  a  single  row  of  circles  or  circles  arranged  in  groups.  These  are 
known  as  culUotlith,  dotted  teeth.  In  two  of  the  sets,  one  of  the  dotted  dice  is 
further  distinguished  by  means  of  a  band  of  black  yarn  about  the  center.  This 
is  known  as  quisiiuis.  or  snow.  The  teeth  are  thrown  from  the  hand  upon  the 
ground  or  upon  a  blanket.  When  the  marked  sides  of  all  four  teeth  lie  upper- 
most the  count  is  2  and  is  known  as  dhabas  or  all  down.  When  the  four  plain 
sides  lie  uppermost  the  count  is  also  2  and  is  known  as  tascoas  or  without 
marks.  When  the  two  dotted  dice  fall  face  down,  and  the  cross-hatch  dice  fall 
face  uppermost,  then  the  count  is  1,  chilitchcoas  or  cross-hatch  dice  up.  The 
exact  reverse  of  this  also  couuts  1,  and  is  known  as  kulcocoas  or  dots  down. 
When  one  of  the  teeth  is  further  distinguished  by  being  wrapped  with  a  black 
band  the  count  is  somewhat  difi'erent :  all  the  marked  sides  uppermost,  counting 
4 ;  while  the  wrapped  tooth  up  with  three  blank  teeth,  count  4,  also.  The 
remaiuing  counts  are  as  before  described. 


NooTKA.     Vancouver    island,   British    Columbia. 
1487,  Berlin  Museum  fiir  \'(Jlkerkunde.) 


(Cat. 


IV   A 


Fig.  294.  Fig.  265. 

i'ta.  264.    Bone  dice;  length,  2  inches;  Nootka  Indiana.  Vancouver  island,  British  Columbia:  cat. 

no.  IV  A  14»",  Berlin  Mus -um  fiir  Volkerkunde. 
Fig.  265.    Bone  dice;  length,  1}  inches;  Nootka  Indians,  Vancouver  island,  British  Columbia: 

cat.  no.  TV  A  1487,  Berlin  Museum  fiir  Volkerkunde. 


"  Games  of  the  Makah  Indians  of  Neah  Bay,     The  American  Antiquarian,  v.  23,  p.  72, 
1901. 


ccLiN]  DICE  games:  cocopa  199 

Set  of  four  flat  curved  pieces  of  bone,  2  inches  in  length,  imitations 
in  form  of  beaver  teeth ;  two  marked  on  one  side  with  spots  and 
two  with  chevrons   (figure  264),  the  opposite  sides  plain.     Col- 
lected by  Mr  Samuel  Jacobsen. 
It  is  described  by  the  collector  under  the  name  of  todjik  as  a 
woman's  game.     The  counts  are  as  follows:  Four  marked  sides  up 
count  2;    four  blank  sides  up,  2;    two  hole  sides  and  2  blank  up,  1; 
one  hole  side  and  three  blank  up,  0;  two  line  sides  and  two  blank 
up,  2 ;   two  line  sides,  one  blank,  and  one  hole  side  up,  4.     The  game 
is  played  on  blankets,  the  count  being  kept  with  small  sticks. 

Another  set  of  four  flat  curved  bone  dice  (figure  265).  1-J  inches 
in  length,  similar  to  the  preceding,  but  with  pointed  ends,  is  included 
under  the  same  number. 

WASHOAN    STOCK 

AVasiki.     Carson  valley  and  Lake  Tahoe.  Nevada. 

Dr  J.  W.  Htidson  describes  the  following  game  played  by  women: 

Twelve  small  sticks,  4  inches  long  by  three-eighths  of  an  inch  wide,  of  split 
willow  (SaUx  agrifoUa),  bent,  and  painted  red  on  the  flat  side,  are  cast  up  and 
caught  In  a  winnowing  basket.  The  counts  are  as  follows :  All  red  up  count 
6;   two  red  up,  1 :   one  red  up.  2:    all  plain  up.  i>. 

The  sticks  are  called  itpawkaw.  the  game,  pokowa.  and  the  pebble  counters, 
dtek,  "  stones." 

WEITSPEKAN    STOCK 

YuROK.     Hupa  Valley  reservation,  California. 

Dr  Pliny  E.  Goddard  gave  me  the  Yurok  name  of  the  shell  dice 
used  by  the  Hupa  Indians  as  tekgorpos. 

WISHOSKAN  STOCK 

Batawat.     Blue  Lake,  California. 

An  Indian  of 'this  tribe  who  was  interrogated  by  the  writer  at 
Blue  Lake  in  1900  recognized  the  shell  dice  (figure  91)  which  he  had 
collected  in  Hupa  valley  and  gave  the  name  as  goplauwat;  large 
dice,  docted;  small  dice,  koshshop;  concave  sides,  tsusarik;  convex 
sides,  bokshowarish. 

YUMAN    stock 

Cocopa.     Sonora.  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  7616.5.  United  States  National 

Museum. ) 
Set  of  four  sticks  of  willow  "  wood,  8  inches  long,  about  1^  inches 
broad,    and    one-half    inch    thick    (figure    266).      Flat    on    one 

"  Salid'  amygdaloides. 


200 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  a.nx.  2-1 


side,  which  is  uniformly  marked  lengthwise  in  the  center  with 
a  band  of  red  paint  about  one-half  inch  in  width:  opposite 
side  rounded  and  unpainted.     Collected  by  Dr  Edward  Palmer. 


Fig.  266.    Stick  dice;  length.  8  inches:  Cocopa  Indians,  Sonora,  Mexico:  cat.  no.  76165,  United 

States  National  Mu.seum. 

Havasupai.     Arizona. 

Mr  G.  AVharton  James  has  furnished  the  writer  an  account  of  the 
following  game  (figure  267)  : 

Squatted  around  a  circle  of  small  stones,  the  circle  having  an  opening  at  a 
certain  portion  of  its  circumference  called  the  yam-se-kyalb-ye-ka,  and  a  large 
flat  stone  in  the  center  called  taa-be-che-ka.  the  Havasupai  play  the  game  called 
hue-ta-qnee-che-ka.     Any  number  of  |ilnyprs  can  pngngo  in  the  .game. 


Fi(i.267.    Havasupai   Indian    girls   playing   stick  dice:  Arizona;  from  photugraph  l.y  Mr  G. 

Wharton  .Tames. 

The  players  are  chosen  into  sides.  The  first  player  begins  the  game  by  hold- 
ing in  his  hand  three  pieces  of  short  stick,  white  on  one  side  and  red  on  the 
other.  These  sticks  are  called  tob-be-ya,  and  take  the  place  of  our  dice.  They 
are  flung  rapidly  upon  the  central  stone,  taa-be-che-ka,  and  as  they  fall  counts 
are  made  as  follows:  Three  whites  up  count  10;  two  whites,  one  red  up.  2; 
two  reds,  one  white  up,  3 ;    three  reds,  5.     Tallie.s  are  kept  by  placing  short 


ciLiN]  DICE  games:  maeicopa  201 

sticks  between  the  stones,  hue.  that  fompdse  the  circle,  one  side  counting  in 
one  direction  from  the  opening  and  the  other  Iveeping  tall.v  in  the  opposite 
direction. 

Maricopa.     Arizona.     (Cat.  no.  2926,  Brooklyn   Institute  Museum.) 
Four  sticks  (figure  268),  7  inches  in  length,  one  side  flat  and  painted 
red,  and  the  other  rounded.     Collected  in  1004  liy  Mr  Louis  L. 
Meeker. 
The  collector  describes  the  game  under  the  name  of  kainsish : 

A  joint  of  cane  ijuartered  will  sen-e  instead  of  the  sticlis.  The  four  flat  sides 
up  count  1:  the  four  round  sides  up  count  2:  the  other  throws,  nothing, 
though  sometimes  they  have  values  agreed  upon  also.  The  count  is  made  by 
marking  in  the  dust.     The  game  is  for  6  points,  or  as  many  as  are  agreed  upon. 


Fig.  268.    Stick  dice:  length.  7  inche.s;  Maricopa  Indians.  Arizona:  cat.  no.  2926.  Brooklyn  Insti- 
tute Museum. 

The  following  abstract  of  Maricopa  mythology,  furnished  by  Mr 
Meeker,  refers  to  the  game  with  four  sticks: 

Table  of  yentiations 

I.  First  principles : 

Females  :    Mat.  the  Earth 

Ulash,  the  .Moon 
Males  :        Hyaish.  the  Sky 

Hlash,  the  Sun 

II.  Offspring    (originally   hermaphrodites)  : 

(1)  Terrestrial  (of  the  Earth  by  the  Sky) 
Kokmat.  mud 

Kokmat  hairk,  his  brother 

(2)  Celestial  (of  the  Moon  by  the  Sun) 
Hatelowish  epash,  Coyote  man 
Quokdsh  epash,  Fo.x  man 

Our  man  in  the  moon  is  Ilatdowish.  or  Quokosh.  The  Brother  seems  to  have 
been  the  first  handiwork  of  Il.itelowish  epash.  He  is  also  identified  with  the 
Spider  Woman,  who  spun  the  web  on  which  the  earth  was  deposited. 

Once,  when  there  was  yet  no  earth,  a  whirlwind  came  down  out  of  the  sky  into 
the  turbid  water,  and  they  were  man  and  wife. 

Twins  came.  Winds  carried  them  about  during  their  long  infancy,  childhood, 
and  early  manhood. 

At  length  the  elder  changed  the  other  into  a  spider  and  sent  him  to  stretch 
webs  north  and  south,  east  and  west,  and  between  jioints.  Then  a  close  web  was 
woven  outward  from  the  center,  where  the  lines  crossed.  On  this  plant  the 
earth  was  built  of  sediment  dejjosited  by  the  water.  The  elder  brotlier  then 
shaped  the  earth.     The  sky  was  so  close  the  sun  soon  dried  and  cracked  it  up 


202  GAMES    OP    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       Tbth.  axn.  24 

into  mountain  ridges  and  deep  canyons.  So  he  put  up  bis  hand  and  pushed  the 
slv.v  away  to  its  present  position.  There  are  five  stars  wliere  Ids  fingers  touched 
the  sliy.  They  are  called  the  hand  of  God.  Then  he  went  aliout  making  green 
things  grow,  shaping  what  came  forth  after  subsequent  whirlwinds  into  living 
things  and  men  and  women,  teaching  these  how  to  build  houses,  and  making  the 
earth  fit  for  them  to  live  upon.  So  bis  Pima  name  is  Earth  Doctor  (Che-o- 
tma'-ka).a 

The  Brother,  ceasing  to  be  a  sjiider,  followed  and  imitated  Earth  Doctor, 
Using  common  clay,  he  bungled  so  that  misshapen  animals  were  all  that  he 
could  make. 

The  man  he  formed  had  the  palm  of  his  baud  e.xtending  out  to  the  end  of  his 
fingers.  Earth  Doctor  rebuked  him,  so  he  threw  it  down  hard  against  the  sur- 
face of  the  water  and  it  swam  off  in  the  form  of  a  duck,  with  a  web  foot  and  a 
very  flat  breast. 

Others  were  so  bad  he  threw  them  up  against  the  sk.v,  and  they  remain  there. 

One  of  these  is  Gopher  (Pleiades)  :  one  is  Jlountain  Sheep  ( Orion K  farther 
east,  and  one  is  the  Scorpion  of  five  stars,*  three  in  the  body  and  one  for  each 
claw,  whose  place  is  west  of  the  (Jopher.  The.se  go  in  the  sun's  path.  When 
the  Gopher  and  the  Mountain  Sheep  are  east,  the  Scorpion  is  west:  but  when 
the  Gopher  and  Jlountain  Sheep  are  in  the  west,  the  Hand  is  east.  Now 
all  the  things  that  were  made  then  were  of  the  first  generation.  The  first  flood 
came  because  the  Brother  made  so  much  trouble  and  claimed  to  have  more 
power  than  Earth  Doctor,  who  at  length  drove  him  off  the  earth. 

Changing  again  to  a  spider,  he  took  refuge  in  the  sky.  acro.ss  which  he  spun  the 
web  of  the  milky  way.  Earth  Doctor  took  water  into  his  mouth  and  spurted  it 
rpward  at  the  Spider,  but  it  fell  in  a  spray  and  remaine<l  on  the  web  making  a 
river  of  the  milky  way.  He  took  dust  in  a  pouch,  and.  .ierking  it.  tried  to  make 
it  go  into  Spider's  eyes.  The  dust  made  a  road  and  lianks  along  the  river,  but 
some  fell  in  Spider's  eyes.  Observing  that  water  did  not  injure  him.  even  when 
Earth  Doctor  took  handfuls  and  sprinkled  the  sky  with  stars  of  snow  and  ice, 
and  also  that  earth,  even  in  the  form  of  dust,  did  injure  him.  Spider  tried  his 
own  power  over  the  water,  calling  upon  it  to  rise  up  and  wash  away  the  earth. 

The  waters  rose,  washing  away  all  except  the  mountains  and  the  representa- 
tive races  and  animals  that  took  refuge  there.  A  truce  was  called :  it  was 
agreed  that  Earth  Doctor  should  have  power  over  the  eartli,  the  Brother  over 
water.  The  sun's  reflection  in  water  was  dipped  up  with  the  hand  and  cast 
toward  the  sky,  and  the  flt)od  subsided.'' 

From  the  mountains  that  stood,  a  stronger  earth  was  built.  The  broken  web 
was  mended  with  strong  ropes  made  of  yucca  fibers.  Eagle  feathers  were  set 
up  aroinid  the  border.  Remnants  of  the  first  generation  were  gathered  up, 
and  the  second  generation  began. 

In  the  me.mtime  the  Sun,  who  is  a  male,  had  observed  what  was  done  by 
the  Sky  upon  the  maiden  world  of  turbid  water  and  visited  the  Moon  in  like 
manner.     The  Moon's  twins  were  Coyote  and  his  companion  the  Fox. 

When  the  road  and  river  were  complete  across  the  sky  along  the  milky  way. 
Coyote  and  his  companion  came  down  upon  the  earth.  Whatever  Earth  Doctor 
did  the  Co.vote  imitated,  bungling  his  work  as  the  Brother  had  done,  until  at 
length  there  was  strife  again. 


"  He  is  known  in  Maricopa  as  Kokmat,  which  may  mean  mud  or  middle  earth, 

'^Aa  this  constellation  rises  in  the  east  about  August,  the  three  stars  of  the  hody  are 

nearly  horizontal.     The  two  claws  point  toward  the  south,  upward  and  downward. 

'■  When  a  rain  doctor  wants  the  rain  to  cease  he  still  does  the  same.     It  is  obvious  that 

there  must  tirst  be  a  rift  in  the  clouds  to  get  the  sun's  reflection. 


CULIN]  DICE    games:    MARICOPA  203 

The  Brother  met  Coyote  and  palled  him  brother,  hut  Coyote  would  not  reply. 
So  a  flood  was  sent  to  destroy  Coyote  and  the  earth  and  all  its  inhabitants. 
Small  numbers  were  saved  by  eliuging  to  trunks  of  trees  that  floated  on  the 
water.  Coyote  insisted  the  Brother  should  address  him  as  Elder  Brother.  This 
was  conceded.  Coyote  made  a  ball  of  mud  from  the  root  of  the  tree  on  which  he 
floated.  He  stuck  in  a  bunch  of  grass  from  the  bill  of  the  duck  the  Brother  had 
made.  This  he  cast  upon  the  water  to  be  the  nucleus  of  a  new  world,  and  the 
flood  subsided. 

Then  Earth  Doctor  proceeded  to  construct  the  third  generation.  Coyote 
helped,  or  rather  hindered.  His  companion.  Fox.  made  trouble  by  pranks  of 
his  own. 

Men  increased  rapidly.  They  had  no  diseases.  There  were  no  wars.  The 
few  deaths  were  from  snake  bites  or  accidents.  The  earth  was  crowded. 
There  was  not  food  for  all. 

Some  killed  little  children  for  food.  One  especially  had  from  girlhood  a  vora- 
cious appetite;  as  a  woman  she  went  from  village  to  village,  prowling  about 
houses  and 'carrying  off  children  for  food.  8he  had  eaten  the  flesh  of  all 
animals  and  the  children  of  all  tribes.  A  council  was  held  in  the  skies.  The 
seats  of  tliose  who  were  there  are  in  a  circle."  They  agreed  to  have  the  great 
flood,  so  there  would  not  be  too  many  people. 

The  cannibal  woman  was  l)ound  and  carried  away.  She  was  burned  alive; 
all  kinds  of  wood  were  used  for  fuel,  and  the  flames  were  fed  seven  years. 
The  ashes  were  then  collected,  mixed  with  meal  made  of  all  kinds  of  seeds,  and 
the  whole  was  put  into  an  earthen  jar  for  the  seed  of  the  fourth  generation. 

The  flood  that  followed  continued  for  four  years.  The  Brother,  as  Spider, 
sat  on  the  northern  end  of  the  milky  way  ''  opposite  Coyote  (the  Dipper),  who 
tended  his  fish  net.  fastened  to  tlie  immovable  star.  Coyote's  companion,  intent 
upon  some  prank,  ran  along  the  milky  way  toward  the  south  and  fell  off.  where 
he  may  be  seen  as  six  stars'-  arr.-inged  like  the  seven  stars  that  represent  Coyote. 
He  is  generally  seen  with  his  head  lower  than  his  tail.  But  when  the  Moon  is 
full  she  takes  him  in  her  lap.  and  we  can  see  him  tliere  as  Rabbit  (man  in  the 
moon). 

Earth  Doctor  took  his  seat  at  the  end  of  the  milky  way  that  is  south,*  on  the 
western  side,  opposite  Fox.  Only  his  head  may  be  seen.  It  is  very  large  and 
grand.  His  face  is  looking  toward  the  west.  The  lower  end  of  his  long  braid 
of  hair  is  in  the  milky  way.  When  "  the  moon  is  dead  "  and  stars  are  thick  two 
eagle  feathers  may  be  seen  in  liis  hair,  each  coni[)ose(l  of  three  very  small  stars 
in  a  row. 

The  vessel  containing  the  seed  of  future  generations  floated  upon  the  water, 
and.  as  the  waters  subsided,  touched  ground  at  the  highest  point;  Che-o-tmaka. 
as  the  Pima  call  him,  the  Maricopa  Kokmat,  crossed  over  the  sky  to  get  the 
vessel.  But  Coyote  was  just  ahead  of  him,  and  took  refuge  In  the  joint  of  a 
great  reed  that  floated  upon  the  water.  There  were  three  other  joints  of  reed 
floating  by  it.  and  Co.vote  having  sealed  up  his  reed  with  resin  from  the  mesquite 
and  chaparral  bushes.  Kokmat  could  not  tell  in  which  he  was  concealed. 

Now,  the  earth  was  barely  dry  enough  to  support  one  who  passed  over  it  rap- 
idly, but  if  he  stopped  he  would  sink.  As  both  Coyote  and  Kokmat  wanted  the 
vessel,  thoy  ran  toward  it.  Coyote  coming  forth  from  his  reed  when  it  had 
floated  to  a  point  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  vessel  from  Kokmat.  Coyote  chal- 
lenged Kokmat  to  exchange  places  with  him  and  see  which  could  first  arrive. 
The  offer  was  accepted.  The  two  were  so  nearly  equally  matched  that  both 
arrived  at  the  same  time.    They  tried  again,  with  the  same  result.     When  they 

"Corona  Borealis.  •■  In  Sagittarius  (?). 

'Cassiopeia's  Chair.  '■Scorpio  and  tUe  others  (see  Hohuleyuks  in  TOUStellations). 


204 


GAMES    or    THE   NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       1  eth.  ann.  24 


ran  the  third  time,  Coyote  being  out  of  lireath,  sent  Fox  in  his  stead,  but  Kolvinat 
also  sent  his  brother.  Wheu  the  two  chief  characters  ran  again,  tliey  passed 
together  by  the  vessel  containing  the  seed,  and  each  tried  to  Ivicli  it  <in  l)efore 
him,  so  the  race  ceased  and  the  contest  tooli  on  a  different  form*  When  they 
had  tried  very  long  and  neither  had  gained  any  advantage.  Fox  proposed  to  cast 
lots  with  four  sticl<s.  one  each  for  Kokniat,  his  brother,  Coyote,  and  Fox.  He 
made  the  sticks  half  white  and  half  red.  and.  hiding  them,  asked  Kokmat  which 
color  were  the  sticks  for  himself  and  bis  l)rotlier.  purporting  to  turn  the  sticks  in 
his  own  favor.  But  Kokniat  made  him  strike  them  upward  with  a  stone,  to 
count  one  if  all  fell  white,  two  if  all  fell  red.  and  nothing  if  they  fell  mixed. 

While  they  played.  Coyote  and  Fox  cheating  and  quibbling  in  every  conceiv- 
able way,  the  sticks  very  seldom  fell  all  of  a  color;  Kokmat  meantime  had  the 
red-headed  woodpecker  carrying  away  the  seed  in  his  bill  to  all  parts  of  the 
world. 

From  the  ashes  of  the  woman  and  the  ashes  of  all  the  woods  and  from  all  the 
seeds  that  were  powdered  sprang  up  the  iiresent  generation. 

The  mortar,  stones,  and  eartbern  vessels  used  were  copied  by  men.  Baskets 
and  woven  mats  were  patterned  after  Spider's  webs.  The  games  we  play  rep- 
resent the  contests  between  Kokmat  and  his  Brother  (Spider)  or  Kokmat  and 
Coyote. 

Each  of  these  four  were  both  male  and  female,  but  the  female  side  of  Spider 
became  the  wife  of  Kokmat,  who  alone  married. 

Mission  Indians.     Mesa  Grande,  California.     (Field  Coliuubian  Mu- 
seum. ) 
Cat.  no.  62537.     Four  wooden  staves.  12  inches  long  and  1^  inches 

wide,  marked  on  one  face  with  burnt  lines  as  shown  in  tigure 

269. 


(S 


s: 


Pip.  269.  Pig-  270. 

Fig.  269.    stick  dice;  length,  12  inches:  Mission  Indians,  Mesa  Grande,  California;  cat.  no.  »2b37. 

Field  Columbian  Mu.seum. 
Fig.  270.    Stick  dice  and  board;  length  of  sticks,  3i  inches;  length  ot  board,  9  inches;   Mission 

Indians,  Mesa  Grande.  California;  cat.  no.  625.36,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

These  were  collected  by  Mr  C.  B.  Watkins,  who  describes  them  as 
used  in  the  game  of  can  weiso.  The  sticks  are  thrown  with  an  over- 
hand movement.  The  marked  sides  are  counted.  The  game  is  played 
in  silence. 

Cat.  no.  62536.  Four  wooden  sticks,  3|  inches  in  length  and  seven- 
eighths  of  an  inch  wide,  round  on  one  side  and  flat  on  the  other, 
the  latter  being  marked  with  burnt  cross  lines  as  shown  in  figure 


OL'H-N] 


DICE    GAMES  :    MOHAVE 


205 


270 :  accompanied  b}^  a  wooden  tablet,  7  by  9  inches,  marked  with 

holes  counting  10  on  a  side. 
These  were  collected  by  JSIr  C.  B.  Watkins,  who  describes  the  game 
under  the  name  of  serup.     Each  stick  has  a   value  known  by  the 
marks.    The  tablet  serves  to  keep  the  coiuit  of  the  throws. 

Mohave.     Arizona.      (Cat.  no.   10334.  United  States  National  Mu- 
seum. ) 
Set  of  four  blocks  of  cottonwood,  6^  inches  in  length,  2  inches  in 
width,  and  one-half  inch   in   thickness,  section  ellipsoidal;  one 


Fig.  271.  Pig.  272. 

Pig.  271.    Stick  dice;  length.  BJ^  inches:  Mohave  Indinns.  Arizona:  cat.  no.  10334,  United  States 

National  Museum. 
Fig. 272.    Stickdice:  length,  fi  inches:  Mohave  Indians.  Lower  California  (Mexico);  cat.  no.  24166. 

United  States  National  Museum. 

side  painted  red.  with  designs  as  .shown  in  figure  271,  and  the 
opposite  side  unpainted.     Collected  by  Dr  Edward  Palmer  and 
described  as  used  bj-  women. 
In  a  letter  to  the  writer  Doctor  Palmer  states: 

The  game  is  scored  according  as  tlie  plain  or  painted  sides  are  up,  as  each 
may  choose.  Three  rounds  constitute  a  game.  One  sticl^  is  laid  down  to  indi- 
cate which  side  is  to  count.  Tlie  paint  on  the  sticlis  consists  of  mesquite  gum 
dissolved  in  water. 


20(5  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 

iloHAVE.  Lower  California  (Mexico).  (Cat.  no.  241()(),  United 
States  National  Museum.) 

Set  of  four  blocks  of  willow  wood,"  6  inches  in  length,  H  inches  in 
width,  and  five-eighths  of  an  inch  in  thickness;  one  side  flat  and 
painted  brown  with  designs  (figure  272)  similar  to  those  on  the 
preceding,  the  opposite  side  rounded  and  unpainted.  Collected 
by  Dr  Edward  Palmer. 


Fig.  273.  Fig.  2T4, 

Fig.  273.    Stick  tlice;  length,  5«  inclies;   Mohave  Indiana,  Arizona;   cat.  no.  1(1090,  Peabody  Mu- 
seum of  American  Archa^olugy  and  Ethnology. 
Fig.  274.    stick  dice;  length,  ,51  inches;  Mohave  Indians,  Arizona;   cat,  no.  00265,  li026H,  Field 
Columbian  Museum. 

— Arizona.     (Peabodj'  Museum  of  American  Archaeology  and 

Ethnologj\) 
Cat.  no.  10090.     Set  of  four  gambling  sticks,  .5|  inches  in  length  and 

1|^  inches  in  width ;  marked  on  one  face  with  designs  as  shown  in 

figure  273 :  the  opposite  side  plain. 
Cat.  no.  1001)0.  bis.     Set  of  four  gambling  sticks,  3i  to  S-J  inches  in 

length  and  eleven-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  width;  marked  on  one 

face  with  red  and  l)lack  designs,  the  opposite  side  plain.     Both 

collected  by  Dr  Edward  Palmer. 
Fort  Mohave,  Arizona.     ( Cat.  no.  602(35,  60266,  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum.) 
Four  wooden  blocks,  5f  inches  in  length  and  2^   inches  in  width, 

round  on  one  side,  the  other  fiat  and  marked  with  brown  paint, 

as  shown  in  figure  274. 

"  Salix  amygdaloides. 


CCLI.V] 


DICE  games:  walapai 


207 


Mr  Jolm  J.  McKoin.  the  collector,  describes  the  game  under  the 
name  of  hotan : 

This  game  is  played  with  four  liillets,  one  side  of  which  is  flat.  The  players 
lay  one  stick  on  the  ground,  flat  side  down ;  then  they  throw  the  three  remain- 
ing sticks  with  the  hand  and  let  them  fall  upon  the  ground.  If  all  fall  with 
the  same  side  up  it  counts  one.  The  game  is  for  4  or  5  points.  The  sticks  are 
given  to  difterent  players  when  two  sticks  fall  the  same  side  up.  This  is  a 
gambling  game.  beds,  blankets,  ponies,  and  sometimes  w-ives  being  wagered. 

Walapai.     Walapai  reservation,  Arizona.     (Field  Cohunbian  Mu- 
seum. ) 
Cat.  no.  61099.     Three  wooden  blocks   (figure  275),  3f  inches  by 

three-fourths  of  an  inch,  one  side  plain  and  rounded  and  the 

other  flat  with  painted  red  streak. 


Fig.  275. 


Fig.  276. 


Fig.  277. 


Fig.  278. 


Fig.  27.5.    Stick  dice;  length,  3J  inches;  Walapai  Indians.  Walapai  reservation,  Arizona;  cat.  no. 

HlOyy.  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  276.    Stick  dice;  length,  4  inches;  Walapai  Indians.  Walapai  reservation.  Arizona;  cat.  no. 

61100,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  277.    Stick  dice;  length.  4i  inches;  Walapai  Indians,  Walapai  reservation,  Arizona;  cat.  no. 

63206,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  278.    Stick  dice;  length.  4i  inches;  Walapai  Indians,  Walapai  reservation.  Arizona;  cat.  no. 

63209,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 


Cat.  no.  fillOO.  Three  wooden  blocks  (figure  276),  4  inches  by  seven- 
eighths  of  an  inch,  one  side  plain  and  rounded,  the  other  flat, 
with  painted  designs,  two  alike  and  one  odd. 

Cat.  no.  63206.  Three  wooden  blocks  (figure  277),  4|  inches  by  1 
inch,  one  side  plain  and  rounded,  the  other  flat  and  painted  with 
brown  dots. 

Cat.  no.  63209.  Three  wooden  blocks  (figure  278).  4^  inches  by 
three-fourths  of  an  inch,  one  side  plain  and  rounded,  the  other 
flat  with  painted  designs,  two  alike  and  one  odd. 


208 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


OOOOQq 


^%. 


These  were  collected  by  Mr  H.  P.  Ewing,  who  gave  the  following 
account  of  the  game  under  the  name  of  tawfa  : 

The  Walapai  call  this  game  taw-fa,  from  the  manner  of  throwing  the  sticks 

against  a  stone.     The  play  is  as  follows : 

Place  fifty  i^ninll  stones  in  a  circle  about  4  feet  in  diameter,  arranging  them 

close  together  except  at  one  point  in  the  circle, 
which  remains  open.  Opposite  this  open  space  a 
larger  stone  is  placed.  These  stones  are  the 
rouiiters.  and  the  game  is  couuteil  l>.v  moving  the 
stones  aroimd  the  circle.  An  equal  number  of 
stones  is  placetl  on  each  side  of  the  large  stone, 
and  whichever  contestant  gets  to  the  large  stone 
first  wins.  In  playing  the  game,  one  jierson  takes 
the  little  billets  of  wood,  which  are  three  in  num- 
ber, rounded  on  one  side  and  flat  on  the  other, 
and  holds  them  between  the  thumb  and  first  two 
fingers  so  that  they  are  parallel.  She  throws 
them  so  that  the  three  ends  will  .strilie  on  a 
large  stone  in  the  center  of  tlie  circle.  The  count 
is  as  follows :  One  flat  side  up  coimts  1  ;  two 
flat  sides  up.  ■'i :  three  flat  sides  up,  5 ;  three  flat 

sides  down,  10.     This  game  of  taw-fa  is  little  played  now  among  the  Walapai, 

cards  having  taken  its  place. 

Yuma.     Fcrt  Yuma,  Arizona, 
fixr  Volkerkunde,) 


e 
o 

o 
o 

0 
o 
o 

Q. 


% 
o 
o 
o 


/ 


Fig.  :i7H.  Circuit  for  stick  dice: 
Walapai  Indians,  Walapai  res- 
ervation, Arizona;  from  sketch 
by  Mr  H.  P.  Ewing. 


(Cat.  no.  lY  B  KiGO,  Berlin  Museum 


gj< 

i 

!• 

\ 

v^/ 

SCs 

i« 

^ 

W(. 

*^* 

It 

3! 

wH^ 

(Ry 

R® 

^ 

!• 

fe 

i@i 

1 

Fic.  S»0.    Stick  dice;  length,  6J  inches;  Yuma  Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  IV  B  16tiU,  Berlin 

Museum  fiir  Volkerkunde. 

Set  of  four  blocks  of  wood,  ^  inches  in  length,  IJ  inches  in  width,  and 

five-eighths  of  an  inch  in  thickness:  one  side  flat  and  painted 

with   designs,   as  shown   in   figure  280,   in   red:   opposite   side 

rounded  and  painted  red. 

The  collector.  Mr  Samuel  Jacobsen.  gives  the  name  as  tadak,  and 

states  that  it  is  a  woman's  game. 


DICE    games:    YUMA 


209 


Yuma.  Fort  Yuma.  Saii  Diego  county.  Arizona.  (Cat.  no.  63429, 
Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Four  wooden  blocks,  of  inches  in  length  and  If  inches  wide,  with  flat 
sides  decorated  with  red  paint,  as  shown  in  figure  281.  The  collec- 
tor, Mr  S.  C.  Simms.  describes  them  as  used  in  the  game  of  otah. 


I 


Fio.  281.    stick  dice;  length,  5»  inches;  Yuma  Indians,  Port  Yuma.  Arizona;  cat.  no.  KJ429.  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 

Colorado  river,  California. 


Lieut.  W.  H.  Emory"  says: 
They  play  another  |«;ime]  with  sticks,  like  jacUstraws. 

Colorado  river.  California.     (Cat.  no.  S3(>2.  76,  Rijks  Eth- 

nographisches  Museum,  Leiden.) 


Pig.  282.    Stick  dice;  length,  6  inches;  Yuma  Indians.  CaUfornia;  cat.  no.  S362,  76,  Eijks 
Ethnogi'aphisches  Museum,  Leiden. 

Set  of  four  blocks  of  wood,  6  inches  in  length  and  1  inch  in  width, 
one  side  flat  and  painted  with  designs,  as  shown  in  figure  282,  in 
dark  brown  on  a  whitened  surface. 

» Report  on  the  United  States  and  Mexican  Boundary  Survey,  v.  1,  p.  111.  Washing- 
ton, 1857. 

24  ETH — ()5  M 14 


210 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  an'n.  24 


These  were  collected  by  Dr  H.  F.  C.  ten  Kate,  jr,  who  gives  the 
name  as  otochei.    He  refers  to  this  game  as  played  only  by  women." 

In  I'ejoly  to  my  inquiry  in  reference  to  the  words  tadak  and  otochei, 
given  by  the  collector  as  the  names  of  the  preceding  Yuman  games, 
Dr  A.  S.  Gatchet  writes : 

I  have  not  been  able  to  disco\er  any  Yinna  or  Mohave  words  resenil>lins  your 
otoche-i  and  tadak  either  in  the  vocaliuUu-ies  in  our  vaults  or  in  those  that  I  have 
published  myself  in  the  Zeitschrift  fiir  Ethnologie.  The  term  "  Yuma  "  refers  to 
a  tribe  which,  during  the  last  forty  years,  had  a  reservation  at  the  confluence  of 
the  Gila  and  Colorado  rivers,  who  seem  to  have  resided  on  New  river  near  the 
Mohave  desert  in  California.  Yuma  is  also  used  at  present  to  coui])rehend  all 
the  languages  or  dialects  cognate  with  the  Yuma  dialect  at  the  above  eontiuence, 
under  the  name  of  Y'uma  linguistic  family.  Your  word  otoche-i  has  pretty  nearly 
the  ring  of  an  Aztec,  or  better.  Xahuatl  word. 

ZUNIAN    STOCK 

Ztjni.     Zuni,  New  Me.xico.     (Cat.  no.  20031,  Free  Musemn  of  Science 

and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Set  of  four  sticks,  5-J  inches  in  length,  in  two  pairs,  each  of  which 
consists  of  a  length  of  reed  split  in  the  middle. 


^^^mmi 


(^mmmMMuiMi^^ 


Fig.  28.S. 


Fig.  284. 


Fig.  283.    Sacrificial  cane  dice  (reversel;  Zuni  Indians,  Zuni,  New  Mexico;  oat.  no.  20031,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  Univei-sity  of  Poiinsylvunia. 
Fig.  2«4.    Sacrificial  cane  dice  (obverse);  length,  5}  inches;  Zuni  Indians,  Zuiii,  New  Mexico; 

cat.  no.  200.31,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


The  inner  sides  of  the  reed  are  painted  as  shown  in  figure  283.  and 
the  opposite  rounded  sides  scratched  with  transverse  lines  and  burnt, 
as  shown  in  figure  284.  These  were  employed,  according  to  Mr 
Cashing,  in  the  game  of  sholiwe,  canes,  one  of  the  four  games ''  which 
are  sacrificed  to  the  twin  War  Gods,  Ahaiyuta  and  Matsailema. 
These  particular  canes  were  not  made  to  play  with,  but  for  the  pur- 
pose of  sacrifice. 

"  Reiien  en  Onderzoekingen  in  Noord  Amerika.  p.  114,  Leiden,  1885. 
''  In  addition  to  sho'liwe  there  were  Iflpochlwe.  fe.ither  dart ;   i'yankolowe,  hidden  ball, 
and  m6tikawe,  kicked  stick.     Compare  with  the  four  Sia  games  described  on  p.  123. 


ciLiN]  DICE  games:  zuni  211 

ZuNi.    Zuni,  New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  69289,  United  States  National 

Museum. ) 
Two  sets,  each  of  four  sticks,  one  7f  inches  and  the  other  7  inches 
in  length;  made  in  pairs,  like  the  preceding,  of  split  reed. 
The  inner  sides  of  the  reed  are  painted  like  the  preceding.     The 
outer  sides  of  the  longer  set  are  unmarked,  while  those  of  the  shorter 
set  are  marked,  as  shown  in  figure  285. 


i:^_  -        7S5^. 


Fig.  285.    Sacrificial  cane  dice  (obverse );  ZuBi  Indians,  ZuSi,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  69289,  United 

States  National  Museum. 

Mr  Gushing  informed  me  that  these  two  sets  were  used  together, 
also  for  sacrificial  purposes,  the  longer  one  being  offered  to  Ahaiyuta 
and  the  shorter  to  Matsailema." 

New  Mexico.     (United  States  National  Museum.) 

Cat.  no.  69277.  Set  of  four  sticks,  6^  inches  in  length  and  one- 
half  inch  in  width,  made  of  split  cane;  the  inner  sides  painted 
like  the  preceding,  ;.nd  the  rounded  sides  scratched  with  cross 
marks,  as  shown  in  figure  286.  Collected  Ida'  Col.  James  Ste- 
venson. 


^an-  L  ~^^i^ 


:2ZL 


i^^ ^^c  ^ 


///       /m 


Fig.  286.  Fig.  287. 

Fig.  386.    Cane  dice  (obverse):  length,  6J  inches:  Zuiii  Indians,  Zuiii,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no. 

69277,  United  States  National  Museum. 
FlQ.  287.    Cane  dice  ( obverse  i;  length,  6  inches;  Zuni  Indians,  ZuSi,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  69278, 

United  States  National  Museum. 

Cat.  no.  69278.  Set  of  four  sticks,  6  inches  in  length  and  one-half 
inch  in  width,  made  of  split  cane;  the  inner  sides  painted  like 
the  preceding,  and  the  rounded  sides  marked  with  cuts,  as  shown 
in  figure  287. 

°  Matsailema  is  somewhat  shorter  in  stature  than  his  twin  brother,  and  aU  of  his 
things  are  made  somewhat  shorter.  He  always  wears  a  shorter  war  club  and  a  shorter 
bow  (Cushing). 


212  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 

These  sets  were  intended  for  actual  use  and  are  made  of  heavy  cane, 
witli  the  inside  charred  at  the  edges,  unlike  the  sacrificial  sets,  which 
consist  of  common  marsh  reed. 


Pro.  288.    Cane  dice;  length,  ti!  inches;  showing  methud  of  tying  in  bundle:  Zuiii  Indians,  Zuni, 
New  Mexico:  cat.  no.  32593,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

ZuNi.     Zuiii,  New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  22.593,  Free  Museum  of  Science 

and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Four  split  canes,  6|  inches  in  length,  marked  on  one  side  with  cross 
lines  and  chevrons  and  on  the  other  with  ink.  as  shown  in  figure 
288.     Collected  by  the  writer  in  1902. 

These  are  bound  together  in  a  bundle  with  string,  one  inside  of  the 
other,  so  that  the  end  of  the  top  cane  projects  beyond  that  of  the  one 
below  it,  and  so  on  down.  The  sticks  are  arranged  in  the  following 
order:  Top,  black  in  middle;  second,  black  at  one  end;  third,  all 
black ;  bottom,  black  at  both  ends. 

The  figure  illustrates  one  of  the  ways  in  which  the  canes  are  tied 
Up  when  not  in  use.  This  is  one  of  a  number  of  sets  collected  in  Zufii 
by  the  writer.  The  markings  vary  considerably  in  detail  on  the  dif- 
ferent sets,  but  are  all  essentially  the  same.  In  removing  the  bundle 
of  canes  from  the  cloth  in  which  it  was  wrapped,  the  owner  took  up 
each  cane  in  turn  and  breathed  on  it. 

New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  4984.  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum.) 

Set  of  four  cane  dice,  6  inches  in  length  (figure  289).     Collected  by 
the  writer  in  1904. 

The  etched  figures  on  the  dice  represent  the  water  bug,  gannastepi. 
The  drawing  below  (figure  290)  shows  the  manner  in  which  these 
dice  are  arranged  and  bound  together  when  not  in  use. 

Mr  Cushing  placed  in  my  hands  the  following  account  of  sholiwe : " 

The  game  of  sho'-li-we  is  certainly  the  most  distinctive  of  any  practiced  by 
the  Zuni  Indians.  It  is  not  confined  to  them,  but  forms  of  it  are  found  amonfi 
all  the  more  settled  of  the  present  Indians  in  both  our  own  southwest,  and  in 
northern,  western,  and  central  Mexico:  while  variants  of  it  and  derived  sanies 
may  be  traced  over  well-uigb  the  whole  western  lialf  of  our  continent. 

A  study  of  the  distinctive  marks  of  the  different  sticlis  or  cane  slips  used  in 
this  game  by  the  Zuiii  would  seem  to  indicate  that  this  peculiar  form  of  it  is  the 
most  primitive.     The  reason  for  this  will  subsequently  appear. 

"  Mr  Owens  described  sho'-Ii-we  in  Some  Games  of  the  Zuiii  (Popular  Science  Monthly, 
V.  :{3.  p.  41,  1891).  The  names  of  the  four  sticks  he  gives  as  follows:  The  one  whose 
concave  side  is  entirely  black,  quin,  Zuni  for  black  :  the  one  with  one  black  end,  path-to ; 
with  two  black  ends,  ko-ha-kwa  :  and  one  with  a  black  center,  ath-lu-a.  He  fl.^ures  two 
of  the  reeds,  and  the  manner  of  holding  the  sticks,  which  he  describes  as  thrown  with 
the  right  hand  against  a  suspended  Ijlanket  and  allowed  to  fall  on  another  blanket. 
Two  of  the  pieces  belong  to  each  man  and  are  companions.  There  is  a  pool  with  twelve 
markers,  and  he  who  wins  the  markers  wins  the  game.  The  winner  takes  the  twelve 
markers  up  into  his  hands  and  breathes  on  them.  This  is  because  they  have  been  good 
to  him  and  allowed  him  to  win.  It  is  wholly  a  game  of  chance,  and  horses,  guns,  sad- 
dles, and  everything  are  staked  upon  the  throw. 


CULINj 


DICE  games:  zuni 


213 


The  niiine  sho'-li-we  is  derivefl  from  sho'-o-li.  arrow,  and  we,  plural  ending, 
signifying  "  parts  of."  sho'-we  being  the  plural  of  simple  arrows.  Sho'-o-Ii, 
arrow,  is  derived  in  turn  from  sho'-o-le.  cane,  the  termination  li  in  the  derived 
word  being  a  contraction  of  li-a.  and  signifying  out  of,  from,  or  made  of.  Thus, 
the  name  of  the  game  may  be  translated  cane  arrows,  or  cane  arrow  pieces  or 
parts. 

These  parts  consist  of  four  slips  of  cane.  From  the  fact  that  these  slips 
are  so  split  and  cut  from  the  canes  as  to  Include  at  their  lower  ends  portions  of 
the  joints  or  septa  of  the  canes,  and  from  the  further  fact  that  they  are 
variously  banded  with  blaclv  or  red  paint,  or  otherwise,  it  may  be  seen  that  they 


Pig.  289.    Cane  dice:  length.  K  inches:  Zuni  Indians,  Zunl.  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  4984.  Brooklyn 

Institute  Museum. 

represent  the  footings  or  shaftments  of  cane  arrows  in  which  the  septa  at  the 
lower  ends  serve  as  stojis  for  the  footing  or  nodiiug-plugs." 

A  study  of  the  bandings  by  which  these  cane  slips  are  distinguished  from  'one 
another  reveals  the  very  .significant  fact  that  they  are  representative  of  the  rib- 
bandings  of  cane-arrow  shaftments. 

I  have  found  that  sets  of  Zuni.  as  well  as  the  ancestral  cliff-dweller  arrows, 
were  thus  ribbanded  with  black  or  red  paint  to  symbolize,  in  the  arrows  so 
marked,  the  numerical  and  successional  values  of  the  four  quarters,  each  set, 
especially  of  war  arrows,  consisting  of  four  subsets,  the  shaftments  of  each 
marked  differently.     The  reasons  for  this,  and  for  processes  of  divination  by 


u^^ 


b  y>//  N\\ 


Fig.  290.    Cane  dice,  showing  method  of  tying  in  bundle:  Zuiii  Indians.  Zuni,  New  Mexico:  cat 
no.  4984.  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 

which  the  members  of  the  different  sets  among  the  arrows  were  determined  dur- 
ing their  manufacture,  I  have  set  forth  in  a  paper  on  "  The  Arrow,"  published 
in  the  Proceedings  of  the  American  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science, 
1895,  and  also  in  the  American  Anthropologist  for  October  of  the  same  year. 


°  The  canes  are  split  with  reference  to  the  notion  that  one  side  Is  masculine  or  north, 
and  the  other  feminine  or  south.  This  is  determined  by  the  direction  or  character  of 
the  natural  j;rowth.  as  well  as  by  the  presence  or  absence  of  the  leaf  pocket  in  the  joint  on 
the  one  side  or  the  other  of  that  particular  section  which  forms  the  shaftment  of  the 
arrow  (Cushing).  In  ancient  China,  according  to  the  Chow  Le  (LXii,  37),  the  arrow 
maker  lioated  the  arrow  longitudinally  upon  water  to  determine  the  side  which  cor- 
responded to  the  principle  of  inertia  and  the  side  which  corresponded  to  the  principle 
of  activity.  The  former  sank,  while  the  latter  rose.  He  cut  the  notch  with  reference 
thereto. 


214 


GAMES    or    THE    NOETH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  24 


111  tlio  sei'OiKl  part  of  that  paper,  the  publication  of  which  was  delayed  bj-  my 
Florida  explorations,  I  proceeded  to  show  how  these  various  facts  indicated 
quite  clearly  that  the  Zuiii  game  of  sho'-li-we.  as  Its  name  implied,  developed 
from  the  use  of  actual  arrows  for  divination ;  and  I  further  instanced  many 
ceremonial  uses  of  simple  or  ceremonial  arrows  in  such  divinatory  processes  as 
further  demonstrating  this  claim. 

It  may  be  well  for  me  to  preface  a  description  of  the  four  cane  slips  consti- 
tuting the  principal  apparatus  of  the  game  by  a  statement  or  two  relative  to  the 
successional  numbers  of  the  four  ipiarters  as  conceived  in  Zufii  dramatography. 
The  chief,  or  Master,  region,  as  well  as  the  first,  is  the  North,  designated 
the  Yellow  ;  Ijelieved  to  he  the  source  of  breath,  wind,  or  tlie  element  of  air.  and 
the  place  of  winter;  hence  of  violence  or  war,  and  therefore  masculine. 

The  next,  or  second  region  is  the  West,  designated  the  Blue ;  believed  to  be 
the  source  of  moisture  or  the  element  water  and  the  place  of  spring,  or  renewal 

and  fertility ;  hence  of  birth,  and  therefore 
feminine. 

The  next,  or  third,  is  the  South,  desig- 
nated as  the  Red ;  believed  to  be  the  source 
of  heat  or  the  element  fire,  and  the  place 
of  sunmier.  of  growtli  and  productivit.v : 
hence  of  fo.stering.  and  likewise  feminine. 
The  last,  or  fourth  of  the  earthly  regions 
represented  in  the  ordinary  sheaf  of  arrows 
and  in  the  game,  is  the  East,  designated  the 
White,  and  believed  to  be  the  source  of 
seeds  and  the  element  earth,  and  the  place 
of  autumn,  of  new  years,  and  hence  of  cre- 
ation ;  therefore  masculine  again." 

These  various  regions  and  theii'  numbers 
Fui.  m\.    Arrow  shaftments  of  the  four  »nd   meanings    are   symbolized   on   the   ar- 
directions,  showing  ribbanding  and  out  rows  of  the  four  quarters  by  differences  in 
cock  feathers;  Zufii  Indians,  Zuni,  New    their  ribbandings    [figvire  291  |. 
Mexi.o:  from  sketch  by  Frank  Hamilton        rpj^^^.^   ^^    ^y^^    j;^,,^,^    ^^.p,.^.    characterized 

Gushing.  ,  .      ,  ,.,.,,,.  i    j., 

by   a   single  medial   ribbanding  around   the 

shaftmont,  sometimes  of  yellow,  hut  more  usually  of  black,  tlie  color  of  death. 

Those  of  the  West  were  also  singly  ril>bandod  coextensively  with  the  shaft- 
ment,  but  there  was  oftentimes  a  narrow  terminal  band  at  either  end  of  this 
broad  band,  sometimes  of  blue  or  green,  but  usually  of  black. 

Those  of  the  South  were  characterized  Ity  two  bands  midway  lietween  the  two 
ends  and  the  middle,  .sometimes  of  red,  but  usually  of  black. 

Those  of  the  East  were  characterized  by  either  two  narrow  bands  at  either 
end.  leaving  tlie  wliole  medial  space  of  the  shaftment  white,  or,  more  often  by  a 
single  band  at  the  upper  end  of  the  shaftment,  sometimes  composed  of  two 
narrow  black  fillets  inclosing  wliite,  but  usually  merely  black  and  not  double. 

In  the  highly  finished  arrows  the  cock  or  tail  feathers  were  notched  and 
tufted  to  correspond  numerically  and  positionally  with  the  bandings,  for  mythic 
reasons  into  which  it  is  not  necessary  to  enter  here. 

Bach  of  the  four  cane  slips  was  banded  to  correspond  with  the  ribbandings 
of  one  or  another  of  these  sets  of  the  arrovj-s  of  the  four  quarters ;  but  the  paint 
bands  TflRure  28.3]  were  almost  invariably  black  and  were  placed  in  the  con- 
cavity of  the  cane  slip,  not  on  the  perijihery   (which  was,  however,  sc-orched, 

°  See  Outlines  of  Zuni  Creation  Myths.  Thirteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of 
Ethnology,  p.  369,  1S9G. 


ciLiN]  DICE  games:  zvni  215 

scored,  or  carved  to  correspond),  evidently  tf)  keep  the  paint  from  being  worn 
off  liy  handling  and  casting. 

Thus  the  cane  slip  of  the  North  was  banded  only  at  the  middle,  and  was 
called  a'-thlu-a,  or  the  all  speeder,  sender  (a,  all,  and  thlu-ah,  to  run,  speed,  or 
stiind  ready). 

The  cane  slip  of  the  West  was  blackened  its  full  length  and  was  called 
k'wi'-ni-kwa,  or  the  Black  (medicine),  from  k'wi'-ua,  black,  and  ak'-kwa. 
"  medicine  "  or  "  sacred." 

The  cane  slip  of  the  South  was  doubly  banded,  as  was  the  arrow  of  the  South, 
and  was  called  pathl-to-a.  or  divider  divided  (bordered,  enclo.sed).  from  pathl-lo. 
border  edge.  end.  and  oa.  to  become,  to  do.  or  make  to  do. 

Finally,  the  cane  slip  of  the  East  was  banded  only  at  one  end,  and  was  called 
ko'ha-kwa  ,the  white,  or  the  White  Medicine  (ko'-ha-na,  white,  and  ak'-kwa, 
"  metlicine"). 

In  addition  to  the  banding  and  scoring  of  these  cane  slips,  they  were,  in 
cases  of  great  importance,  as  in  sets  made  from  the  captured  arrows  of  some 
celebrated  foeman.  notched  at  the  ends,  as  I  have  said  the  cock  feathers 
were  notched:  but  this  old  practice  has  fallen  into  disuse  to  such  extent  that 
I  have  seen  only  one  venerated  set  so  notched.  In  this  set.  if  I  observed 
aright,  the  notches  corresponded  in  number  as  well  as  in  place,  whether  at  the 
sides  or  in  the  middle  of  the  ends  with  the  number  and  positions  of  the  linndings 
and  of  the  tuftings  on  the  cock  feathers  of  the  arrows  from  which,  probalily, 
they  were  made.  The  normal  numerical  value  of  the  cane  slips  agreed  with 
the  successional  values  of  the  regions  they  belonged  to — that  is,  the  slip  of  the 
North  made  one :  that  of  the  West,  two ;  that  of  the  South,  three,  and  that  of 
the  East,  four.  But  as  this  gave  unequal  values,  other  values  or  counts  were 
added,  according  as  the  slips  fell  concave  or  convex  sides  uppermost,  and 
especially  according  to  the  thrower. 

That  this  may  be  understood,  the  general  nature  of  the  game  as  essentially 
a  sacred  tribal  process  of  divination  must  be  considered.  Formerly  sho'-li-we 
was  exclusively  a  game  of  war  divination,  and  was  played  only  by  [iriests  of 
the  Bow,  members  of  the  esoteric  society  of  war  shamans. 

These  members  were,  according  to  their  totems  and  clans,  members  of  the  clan 
groups  corresponding_  to  the  several  quarters  or  sacred  precints  of  North,  West. 
Soutli,  East,  Upper,  Lower,  and  Middle  regions.  But  since  there  were  only 
foiu'  regions  concerned  in  the  waging  of  war,  clansmen  of  the  upper  and  nether 
regions  were  relegated  to  the  east  and  west,  since  the  places  of  the  upper  and 
lower  regions  in  the  sacred  diagram  were  in  the  northeast — between  the  East 
and  North,  and  in  tlie  southwest — between  tlie  West  and  South :  while  clansmen 
of  the  middle  might,  as  determined  by  the  casts  of  their  arrow  canes,  belong  to 
any  one  of  the  other  regions,  since  the  midmost  was  the  synthetic  region,  the 
all-containing  and  the  all-contained  place,  either  the  first,  therefore,  or  the  last. 
This  war  game  of  the  priests  of  tlie  Bow  was  i)layed  semiannually  at  the  festi- 
vals of  the  Twin  Gods  of  War,  Ahaiyuta  and  Matsailema,  patrons  of  the  game 
by  virtue  of  their  vanquishment  of  the  creational  god  of  gambling  Mi'-si-na.  the 
Eagle  star  god.  whose  forfeited  head  now  hangs  in  the  Milky  Way.  and  whose 
birds  are  the  god  servants  of  war  and  the  plumers  of  the  canes  of  war. 

It  is  played  at  such  times  as  a  tribal  divination  :  a  forecast  for  war  or  peace, 
for  prosperity  or  adversity,  and  is  accompanied  by  tribal  hazards  and  gamliling. 
But  at  other  times  it  is  played  for  the  determination  of  peace  or  war.  of  the 
direction  or  precaution  to  be  taken  in  defensive  or  offensive  operations  or 
preparations.  As  thus  pla.ved.  there  must  be  four  participants.  Each  pos- 
sesses his  own  canes.  In  the  uppermost  room  of  the  pueblo  (now  fallen), 
there  was  formerly  a  shrine  of  the  game.     Here  duriug  terrific  sand  storms  or 


216 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  an-n.  24 


Pig.  292.  Hide  gaming  circuit  for  cane  dice:  Zuni 
Indians.  Zuni.  New  Mexico;  from  sketch  by  Frank 
Hamilton  Cushing. 


at  uight  the  players  gathered  to  divine.  To  the  middle  of  the  ceiling  was  sus- 
pended a  jical  or  large  round  bowl-basket,  over  which  a  deerskin  was  stretched 
like  a  drumhead.  lumiediately  below  this,  spread  over  a  sacred  diagram  of 
prayer  meal  representing  the  terrace  or  cloud  bed  of  the  four  quarters,  on  the 
floor,  was  a  buffalo  robe,  pelt  side  up,  head  to  the  east,  left  side  to  the  north, 
etc.  [figure  292].  T'pon  this  pelt  a  broken  circle  was  traced  either  in  black 
lines  or  dots,  and  with  or  without  grains  of  corn  (forty  for  each  line,  the  colors 
corresponding  to  the  (juarters  as  aliove  described),  and  the  opening.s  (canyons  or 
passageways)    occurring  at   the   four  points  opposite  the   four   directions.     It 

should  be  observed  that  a  cross 
( + )  was  sometimes  painted 
both  on  the  center  of  the  skin 
on  the  basket  drum  and  on  the 
hide  beneath,  the  upper  sym- 
bolic of  Ahaiyuta.  and  the 
lower  of  Jliitsailema,  the  Twin 
War  Gods. 

The  four  players  chose  their 
places  according  to  the  clan 
groups  and  directions  or  quar- 
ters they  represented :  the 
pla.ver  of  the  North  between  the 
eastern  and  northern  passage- 
way :  the  player  of  the  West 
between  the  northern  and  west- 
ern passageway,  and  so  on. 
The  pla.vers  of  the  East  and  North  represented  war.  and  in  other  modes  of  the 
game,  masculinity  :   those  of  the  West  and  South,  peace  and  femininity. 

Before  taking  their  places  they  muttered  prayers,  or  rather  rituals,  clasp- 
ing the  playing  canes  lengthwise  between  the  palms,  breathing  deeply  from,  and 
from  the  close  of  the  prayers,  repeatedly  upon  them,  rubbing  and  shuffling  them 
vigorously,  from  which  comes  the  title  of  a  skilled  player  or  a  gambler,  shos'-li. 
cane  rubber,  or  cane  shulHer.  As  they  took  their  seats,  each  placed  under 
the  edge  of  the  buffalo  hide  in  front  of  his  place  the  pool,  consisting  of  sacred 
white  shell  beads,  or  of  little 
tablets  representative  of  va- 
rious properties  and  thus 
forming  a  kind  of  currency, 
since  these  little  symbols 
were  redeemable  in  the  iirop- 
erties  they  represented  or  in 
commodities  of  equal  value 
by  agreement.  Each  also 
laid  down  at  bis  right  side 
on  the  edge  of  the  robe  over 
the  pool  two  kinds  of  count- 
ers, usually  a  set  of  count- 
ing straws  of  broom  grass,  about  six  or  seven  inches  long,  worn  by  much  use, 
and  varying  in  number  according  to  the  proposed  game.  From  ten  to  forty  or 
forty-t\}-o.  or  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  two.  this  latter  number 
divided  at  random  into  four  bundles,  was  selected  by  each  player.  The  addi- 
tional coiniters  were  supjilied  by  beans  or  corn  grains,  each  set.  or  the  set  of 
each  pla.ver.  being  of  his  ap|iropriate  color.  Four  s|>lints.  the  moving  pieces  of 
the  game,  were  laid  in  their  places  by  tlie  left  sides  of  the  passageways. 


Fig.  393.  Manner  of  holding  cane  dice  in  game  of  sholiwe; 
ZuSi  Indians,  Zuni,  New  Mexico;  from  sketch  by 
Frank  Hamilton  Gushing. 


cuLiNi  DKE  games:  zuSi  217 

Each  player  then  shuffled  his  eaue  cards  back  and  forth  in  his  palms,  as  before 
described,  as  though  to  smooth  and  heat  them,  addressed  .them,  especially  the 
stick  of  his  special  quarter,  as  (for  the  East)  "Now  then,  white  one,  come 
thou  uppermost  1  "  :  then  laying  the  all-sender  or  his  special  slip  as  such  across 
the  two  middle  lingers  and  the  other  three  slips  upon  it  inside  of  one  another, 
his  thumb  pi'essing  over  their  middle,  the  ends  pointed  outward  over  the  index 
finger,  and  the  bases  held  down  to  the  base  of  the  palm  by  the  bent-over  little 
finger  [figure  2!),'!].  he  iiuickly  lireatlied  or  puffed  upon  them,  shouted  at  them, 
and  cast  them  skillfully  ag.-iinst  the  stretclied  skin  of  the  basket,  so  that  they 
rebounded  s\\  iftly  and  fell  almost  unerringly  within  the  circle  on  the  pe'-wi-ne 
or  bed  of  buffalo  hide.  Now  it  was  noted  which  slip  lay  uppermost  over  the 
others.  If  the  White  man  threw,  and  if  the  white  sticiv  la.v  uppermost  over  all 
the  others,  he  uttered  thanks  and  the  cast  counted  him  four  and  gave  him  the 
privilege  of  another  cast.  If.  moreover,  all  three  slips  <'.vcept  his  sender  lay 
concave  sides  upward,  they  counted  him  ten  and  gave  him  a  second  additional 
throw.  If  all  three  fell  convex  sides  up.  tlie.v  counted  him  five;  if  two  concave 
sides  and  one  convex  side  u]).  they  counted  him  three,  and  if  two  convex  sides 
and  one  concave  side  ui>.  they  counted  him  onl.v  one.  The  player  who  had  the 
largest  numlier  of  l)oth  kinds  of  counts  after  each  liad  tried,  led  off  in  the  game 
and  was  su]>]iosed  to  be  favored  by  the  gods  at  the  beginning.  With  but  a 
slight  change  in  the  system  of  counting,  the  game  was  continued ;  that  is.  the 
double  counts  were  kept  if  the  process  included  gambling,  willingness  to  sacrifice, 
but  onl.v  the  coinits  according  to  the  regions,  if  the  game  was  purely  an  arrow 
or  war  divination.  But  it  is  to  be  noted  that  in  either  case  an  ingenious  method 
was  resorted  to  in  order  to  equalize  the  covuits.  Since  the  North  or  Yellow  man 
could  gain  only  one  and  a  doulile  throw  if  liis  slip  came  uppermost,  he  gained 
the  cimnt  of  his  opi)ouent,  the  South,  if  his  slip  fell  uppermost  on  the  Red 
man's  slips.  The  latter  thus  forfeited  alike  liis  double  throw  and  his  appi'o- 
priate  mnuber.  three.  The  tally  of  these  purely  cosmical  counts  was  kept  with 
the  bundle  of  splints ;  the  tally  of  the  cast-counts  or  their  sums  were  kept 
with  the  grains  by  counting  out.  and  that  of  the  individual  by  moving  the 
iiointer  of  the  passageway  as  many  dots  or  grain  places  to  the  left  as  the  cast 
called  for.  If  a  pla.ver  of  the  East  or  the  North  overtook  a  player  of  the  West  or 
.South,  if  his  pointer  fell  in  the  same  space,  he  maimed  his  opponent,  sent  him 
buciv  to  his  passagewa.v.  and  robbed  him  of  his  load  :  that  is.  took  or  made  him 
forfeit  his  counts. 

The  completion  of  the  fourth  circuit  by  any  one  of  the  players  closed  the  ordi- 
nary game,  providing  the  sum  of  the  cosmical  counts  had  been  won  by  him,  and 
the  player  who,  with  his  partner,  had  the  largest  aggregate  of  both  lot  and 
cosmical  counts  was  the  winner. 

There  were  many  Variants  of  this  game  as  to  counts.  Some  of  these  were 
so  complicated  that  it  was  absolutely  impossible  for  me  to  gain  knowledge  of 
them  in  the  short  practice  I  had  in  the  play.  I  have  given  here,  not  very  pre- 
cisely or  fully,  the  simplest  form  I  know,  except  that  of  the  lot  and  diagram, 
which  was  quite  like  that  of  ta'-sho'-li-we  or  wood  canes,  which  raa.v  be  seen 
by  tlie  above  description  to  be  an  obvious  derivative  both  in  mode  and  name  of 
the  older  game  of  canes.  It  was  evidently  thus  divorced  for  purposes  of 
exoteric  play,  as  it  is  practiced  not  only  liy  men  but  also  by  women. 

Mrs  Matilda  Coxe  Stevenson "  gives  a  number  of  additional  par- 
ticulars in  reference  to  sholiwe.  and  her  description  of  the  game, 

"Zufii  Games.     Americin  Anthropologist  n.  s.,  v.  5,  p.  480,  1903. 


218 


GAMES    OP    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


m 


which  follows,  differs  from  tlie  preceding  in  the  uaines  of  the  canes 
and  in  the  manner  in  which  they  are  arranged  when  cast : 

Legend  says  that  it  was  played  for  rains  by  tlie  (Jods  of  War  and  the  AL'- 
shiwanni "  soon  after  coming  to  this  world.  The  Ali'shivvanni  afterward 
thought  the  reeds  used  for  the  game  were  too  long,  so  their  length  was  measured 
from  the  ti|>  of  the  thuuil)  to  the  tiii  of  tlie  middle  linger,  the  fingers  e.xtended. 

The  Ah'shiwauni  considered  this  game  .><o  elticacious  in  liringing  rains  that 
they  organized  a  fraternity,  which  they  called  ShoweUwe.  .-urow-reed  iieople. 
while  the  Ah'shiwi  were  at  IIiin''hliiiin'kii.  for  the  express  purpose  of  iilaying 

the   game   for    rain.     Ten    men 
4  3  3  1  were  designated  by  the  Ah'shi- 

wauni as  the  original  members 
of  the  ShoweUwe.  The  prayers 
of  tlie  fraternity  were  sure  to 
bring  rains.     .     .     . 

Each  player  takes  the  side 
of  one  of  the  Gods  of  War,  two 
pieees  of  split  reed  representing 
the  side  of  the  elder  God  of 
War  and  two  the  younger  God 
of  War,  The  writer  for  con- 
veiiienee  numbers  the  reeds  1, 
2.  ."..  4   I  figure  ■2'M  \ . 

No.  1,  named  knin'na,  black, 
has  the  com-ave  side  of  the  reed 
colored  black,  indicating  morn- 
ing, noon,  and  sunset,  or  the 
whole  day.  Three  sets  of  lines 
on  the  convex  side  denote  the 
three  periods  of  the  day — 
morning,  noon,  and  sunset. 

No.  L'.  athluwa,  center,  has  a 
daujp  of  black  midway  of  the 
reed,  concave  side,  denoting 
midday.  The  lines  on  the  con- 
vex side  al.'io  denote  noon. 

No.  3,  kohakwa,  white  shell,  has 
;i  liaul>  of  hlack  paint  at  either 
end  of  the  concave  side,  indicat- 
ing morning  and  evening,  or  sun- 
ri.se  and  sunset.  Lines  on  the 
convex  side  denote  the  same. 
No.  4.  pahlto.  m;irk  on  the 
end,  lias  a  daub  of  black  paint  on  the  joinl  end  of  the  concave  side,  denoting 
sunri.se,  which  to  the  Zufii  is  the  first  light  of  day.  or  the  white  light  which 
comes  fir.st :  and  the  lines  on  the  convex  side  indicate  the  same.  Three  dots 
are  sometimes  found  on  the  joint  of  the  reed,  indicating  eyes  and  mouth 
of  the  face,  which  is  not  delineated.  Other  reeds  have  only  two  dots  for 
the  eyes.  Nos.  1  and  3  are  said  to  belong  to  the  elder  God  of  War.  and  nos. 
2  and  4  to  the  Younger  God  of  War.  The  playei'  representing  the  elder  god 
liolds   no.   3   concave   side   up,   and   slides   no   2   into   the   groove  of   no.   .3.   the 


Fio.  394.    Split  reeds  used  in  sli61iwe:  Ziiui  Indians, 
Zufii.  New  Mexico:  from  Mrs  Stevenson. 


"  Bain  priests. 


CPLIN] 


DICE    games:    ZI'NI 


219 


joint  of  no.  -  falling  below  tliat  of  uo.  3.  He  then  slides  no.  4  into  that  of 
no.  2,  also  allowing  tlie  joint  to  extend  below.  Xo.  1  is  held  crosswise,  the 
others  at  an  acute  angle  (the  reeds  are  sometimes  crossed  at  right  angles) 
with  the  grooved  side  against  the  corresponding  sides  of  the  others,  the  joint 
to  the  left,  and  the  opposite  end  projecting  a  little  more  than  an  ineli  beyond  tlie 
group  [figure  295].  When  the  representative  of  tlie  .vounger  God  of  War 
plays,  he  runs  no.  3  into  the  groove  of  no.  2  and  no.  1  into  no.  3,  and  crosses 
them  with  no.  4.  The  reed  which  crosses  the  others  is  designated  as  tlie 
thrower,  hut  the  same  reed,  as  stated,  is  not  used  b.v  both  iilayers.  In  this 
position  the  reeds  are  thrown  upward  against  an  inverted  basket,  lo  or  12 
inches  in  diameter,  covered  with  a  piece  of  blanl^et  or  cloth  and  suspended 
from  the  ceiling.  The  reeds  strike  the  cloth  over  the  basket  and  fall  to  a 
blanket  spread  on  the  floor  to  receive  them.  If  pla.ved  out  of  doors,  which  is 
seldom  the  case  at  present,  the  basket  is  suspended  aliove  the  blanket  from 
the  apex  of  three  poles,  arranged  tripod  fashion,  with  sufficient  space  Iieneath 
for  the  lilanket  and  players. 

When  the   representative  of  the  elder   (Jod   of   War   throws   and   the   loiuave 
side  of  no.  1  and  the  convex  sides  of  the  otliers  .ire  up.  the  trick  is  w<in  :  or  if 


Fic.  21t5,     Method  of  placing  reeds  in  jilaying  sholiwe:  Zlini  Indians.  Znni,  Xew  Mexico;  from 

Mi's  Stevenson. 


no.  1  be  convex  side  uji  with  the  others  concave  up.  the  trick  is  won.  If  no.  1 
crosses  no.  3,  or  vice  versa,  convex  sides  up,  the  trick  is  won,  ewen  should  one 
cross  the  others  by  but  a  hairsbreadth.  If  nos.  2  and  4  should  be  crossed  as 
described,  the  trick  goes  to  the  opponent.  If  all  convex  sides  are  up,  or  vice 
.versa,  the  trick  is  lost.  If  the  convex  side  of  no.  3  is  up  and  the  others  have 
the  concave  sides  up,  the  trick  belongs  to  the  oiiponent. 

When  the  representative  of  the  younger  (Jod  of  War  plays,  the  counts  are 
reversed.  Silver  buttons  are  the  favorite  chips  for  the  game.  Though  sholiwe 
is  the  favorite  of  tlie  lot  games  <if  the  elder  Ah'shiwi.  it  lieiiig  the  game  of  the 
professional  gamblers  of  the  puelilo,  there  is  no  thought  of  personal  gain  when 
it  is  played  by  the  Ah'shiwanni  for  rains.  At  this  time  great  ceremony  is  ob- 
served and  buckskins  are  used  in  place  of  the  cloth  covering  over  the  basket  and 
the  blanket  on  the  floor.  The  skin  on  the  floor  has  the  head  to  the  east ;  a 
broken  circle,  forming  a  quadrant,  is  drawn  on  the  skin.     .     .     . 

There  is  but  little  ceremon.v  associated  with  the  game  when  pla.ved  liy  tlie  iiro- 
fessional  or  other  gamblers.  The  most  abandoned,  however,  would  not  dare  to 
play  without  first  offering  pra.vei-s  to  the  Gods  of  War.  invoking  their  blessing, 
and  breathing  on  their  reeds. 


220 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


ZrKi.     Ziini,  Xew  Mexico.     (United  States  National  Museum.) 

Cat.  no.  69285.  Set  of  three  sticks  of  larch  wood,  3f  inches  in  length, 
1  inch  in  breadth,  and  -i-l^  inches  in  thickness  (fij^'ure  29())  :  sec- 
tion rectangular ;  one  side  painted  red,  the  opposite  unpainted. 

Cat.  no.  69004.  Set  of  three  sticks  of  pinon  wood  (one  missing),  3f 
inches  in  length,  li  inches  in  breadth,  and  three-sixteenths  of  an 
inch  in  thickness;  one  side  flat  and  Ijlackened,  the  opposite 
roughly  rounded  and  unpainted:  ends  cut  straight  across  and 
jiainted  black. 

Cat.  no.  69355.  Set  of  three  sticks  rudely  shaped  from  piiion  wood. 
54  inches  in  length,  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  breadth,  and  about 
one-fourth  of  an  inch  in  thiclvuess;  section  rectanguhir,  with  both 
sides  flat ;  one  painted  black,  the  opposite  plain. 

Cat.  no.  69352.  Set  of  three  sticks  of  pinon  wood,  5^  inches  in  length. 
1}  inches  in  bi'eadth,  and  about  one-fourth  of  an  inch  in  thick- 
ness; one  side  flat  and  painted  black,  the  opposite  rounded  and 
painted  red. 


Fig.  296.  Fig.  297. 

Fig.  2iK.    Stii;k  dice:  length,  3}  inches:  Zuiii  Indians,  Zufii,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  6928.5,  United 

States  NatioiKil  Museum. 
Fig.  297.    Stick  dice:  length,  4  inches:  Zuni  Indians,  Zuni.  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  1)9287,  United 

States  National  Museum. 

Cat.  no.  69284.  Set  of  three  sticks  of  pinon  wood,  5i  inches  in  length, 
seven-eighths  of  an  inch  in  breadth,  and  about  three-sixteenths 
of  an  inch  in  thickness;  slightly  rounded  on  both  sides,  one 
being  painted  black  and  the  other  red. 

Cat.  no.  69354.     Set  of  three  sticks  of  pinon  wood,  5^  inches  in  length, , 
about  If  inches  in  breadth,  and  three-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in 
thickness;  painted  l)lack  on  one  side,  the  opposite  side  unpainted ; 
corresponding  ends  on  one  side  cut  straight  across  and  the  oppo- 
site with  one  corner  rounded. 

Cat.  no.  69.340.  Set  of  three  sticks  of  pine  wood,  6  inches  in  length, 
l-j\  inches  in  breadth,  and  seven-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  thick- 
ness; section  rectangular;  one  side  marked  with  triangles  of  red 
and  black  paint,  the  opposite  side  unpainted. 

Cat.  no.  69287.  Set  of  three  sticks  of  white  pine,  4  inclies  in  length, 
three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  breadth,  and  three-sixteenths  of  an 
inch    in    thickness    (flgurc   297);    one    face   flat,    with    triangles 


CULIN] 


DICE  GASiES :  zrxi 


221 


painted  i-ed  and  black  and  outlined  by  incised  lines,  the  opposite 
rounded  and  unpainted. 
Cat.  no.  69281.     Set  of  three  sticks  of  j^ellow  pine,  o^  inches  in  length, 
1  inch  in  breadth,  and  three-eighths  of  an  inch  in  thickness  (fig- 
ure 298)  :  one  face  flat  and  unpainted,  the  opposite  face  rounded 
and  painted  red  and  black  in  triangular  designs,  the  triangles  on 
one  side  being  red  with  a  black  inner  triangle,  and  vice  versa, 
the  outline  of  the  larger  triangles  deeply  incised. 
Cat.  no.  69003.     Set  of  three  sticks  of  basswood,  4f  inches  in  length, 
If  inches  in  breadth,  and  five-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  thickness 
(figure  299)  ;  flat  and  painted  light  red  on  one  side,  opposite  side 
rounded  and  painted  in  triangular  designs  in  red  and  black,  the 
pattern  being  double  that  on  numbers  69340,  69287.  and  69281. 
The  preceding  Zunian  staves  were  collected  by  Colonel  James  Stev- 
enson.    They  were  all  used,  as  I  was  informed  by  Mr  Cushing,  for 
the  game  of  tasholiwe,  or  wooden  canes, 
which  he  described  to  me  as  follows: 


Ta'-sho'-li-we  <•  is  played  according  to  the 
throws  of  three  wooden  blocks,  painted  red  on 
one  side  and  blacli  upon  the  other,  around  a 
circle  of  stones  placed  upon  the  sand.  Two  or 
four  players  engage,  using  two  or  four  splints 
as  marlvers,  and  advancing,  according  to  their 
throws,  around  the  circle,  which  is  divided  Into 
forty  parts  by  pebbles  or  fragments  of  pottery, 
and  has  four  openings,  called  doorways,  at  its 
four  quarters.  At  the  <oniniencement  of  the 
game  four  colored  splints  are  arranged  at  these 
points:  At  the  top  (Noi'th)  a  yellow  splint,  at  the 
left  (West)  a  blue,  at  the  bottom  (South)  a  red, 
and  at  the  right  (East)  a  white  splint.  The 
blocks  are  tossed,  ends  down,  on  a  disk  of  sandstone  placed  in  the  middle  of  the 
circle,  and  the  counts  are  as  follows :  Three  red  sides  up  count  10 :  three  black 
sides  up,  5 ;  two  red  and  one  black,  3 ;  two  black  and  one  red,  2. 

A  count  of  10  gives  another  throw.  When  four  play,  the  straws  of  the  North 
and  West  move  around  from  right  to  left,  and  those  of  the  South  and  East  from 
left  to  right.  When  a  player's  move  terminates  at  a  division  of  the  circle 
occupied  by  an  adversary's  straw  he  takes  it  up  and  sends  it  back  to  the  begin- 
ning. It  is  customary  to  make  the  circuit  of  the  stones  four  times,  beans  or 
corn  of  different  colors  being  used  to  count  the  number  of  times  a  player  has 
gone  around.  The  colors  on  the  wooden  blocks  or  dice  symbolize  the  two  con- 
ditions (if  men :  Red,  light  or  wakefulness ;  black,  darkness  or  sleep. 

The  si>lints  have  the  following  symbolism:  At  top.  yellow,  north,  air.  winter: 
at  left,  blue,  west,  water,  spring :  at  bottom,  red.  south,  fire,  summer :  at  right, 
white,  east,  earth  autumn. 


FiQ.  298.  Stick  dice;  lengtb,  5* 
inclies;  Zuni  Indians,  Zutii,  New- 
Mexico;  cat.  no,  69281,  United 
States  National  Museum. 


"  Ta'-sho'-li-we  was  described  by  John  G.  Owens  in  the  Popular  Scisace  Monthly,  v.  SD. 
1891.  He  gives  the  name  of  the  central  stone  as  a-rey-ley  and  the  dice  ta-me.v.  For 
counting,  each  player  has  a  horse,  or  louche.  '*  The  horse  is  supposed  to  stop  and  drink 
at  the  intervals  between  the  groups  of  stones.  One  game  whicli  I  witnessed  had  loaded 
rifle  cartridges  for  stalies.      Each  player  places  his  bet  within  the  circle  of  stones." 


222 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


The  following  is  a  vocabulary  of  the  game:  blocks,  ta'-sho'-li-we;  literally 
of  wood  cones :  splints,  ti'-we :  circle  of  stones,  i'-te-tchi-ua  kya-a'-we.  literally 
from  one  to  another  succeeding;  doorway,  a-wena-a-te-kwi-a,  literally  doorway, 
all  directions  of:  beans  used  as  counters.  a-\vi'-yah-na-kya  no'we.  literally,  for 
keeping  count  beans. 

Mrs  Matilda  Coxe  Stevenson  "  gives  the  counts  in  this  game  as  fol- 
lows: 

Three  colored  sides  up  coinit  l(i :  three  uncolored  sides  uj),  5 :  two  uncolored 
and  one  colored,  3 ;  two  colored  and  one  uncolored,  2.  The  first  one  around  the 
circle  wins  the  game,  provided  his  count  does  not  carry  him  beyond  the  starting 
point,  in  which  event  he  must  continue  going  round  until  his  counter  reaches 
the  doorway,  or  spring,  as  the  oi^ening  is  often  called. 


Fig.  300, 

Pig.  299.    Stick  dice;  length,  a  inches;  Zuni  Indians,  Zuni,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  69003,  United 

States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  3(W.    Stick  dice;  length,  51  inches;  Zuni  Indians,  Zuni,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  22591,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Mrs  Stevenson  .says  that  the  Zuni  declare  that  they  adopted  this 
game  from  the  Navaho, 

Zuni.  Zuiii.  New  Mexico.  (Cat.  no.  22591,  Free  Museum  of  Science 
and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Four  soft  wood  blocks  (figure  WO).  5]  inches  long  and  1}  inches 
wide,  painted  black  and  marked  on  the  rounded  side  with  diag- 
onal lines  and  chevrons,  two  and  two  alike.  Collected  by  the 
writer  in  1902. 

New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  16531,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and 

Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Reproductions  of  set  of  three  blocks,  originals  of  pinon  wood,  4 
inches  in  length,  1^  inches  in  breadth,  and  five-sixteenths  of  an 
inch  in  thickness  (figure  301)  ;  made  by  Mr  Cushing;  rectangu- 


<■  ZuSl  Games.     American  Anthropologist,  n.  s.,  v,  6,  p.  495,  1903. 


CCLIN] 


DICE   GAMES  :    ZCNI 


223 


lar  in  section ;  one  side  painted  nniformly  white  and  the  opposite 
side  with  transverse  bands  of  color  separated  by  black  lines  of 
paint,   in    the    following   order:    yellow,   blue.    red.    variegated, 
white,  speckled,  and  black." 
Mr  dishing  informed  me  that  these  blocks  are  used  in  a  divinatory 

form  of  tasholiwe.  called  tenithlanahnatasholiwe,  of  all  tlie  region's 

wood  canes. 

In  this  game  the  counting  grains  are  named  for :  North,  thlup-tsi  Icwa-IvWe, 

yellow  medicine  seed  people:  West,  thli'-a  kwa-kwe.  blue  "medicine  seed  people; 

South,    shi-lo-a    kwa-kwe.    red    medicine    seed    iieople ;    East,    ko'-ha    kwa-kwe, 

white  medicine  seed  people ;  T'pper  region,  ku'-tsu-a  kwa-kwe.  variegated  medi- 

I'ine  seed  people:  Lower  legion,  k'wi'-na  kwa-kwe.  black  medicine  seed  people; 

Middle  or  all-eontainiug  region.  r-to-i)a-nah-na  kwa-kwe,  of  all  colors  medicine 

seed  peoiile. 


Fig.  301. 


Fig.  302. 


Pig.  301.    Stick  dice;  length,  4  inches;  Zufii  Indians,  Zuiii,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  165.31,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  U!iivei*sity  of  Pennsylvania.         / 
Fig.  302.    Stick  dice  for  basket-dice  game;  length.  4  inches;  Zuni  Indians.  Zuni,  New  Mexico; 

cat.  no.  .30:i5.  Brooklyn  InstUute  Museum. 

This  game  is  employed  in  name  divination  and  prognostication  of  an  indi- 
vidual, usually  of  :\  youth,  the  eolors  being  noted  for  the  purpose  of  determining 
the  rank,  and  name  significant  thereof,  of  the  one  for  whom  the  divination  is 
made. 

Mrs  Matilda  Coxe  Stevenson,  commenting  upon  the  above  game 
(figure  301),  says  that  she  has  not  discovered  any  such  form,  but  that 
a  Zufii  will  sometimes,  when  he  wishes  to  play  sholiwe,  refer  to  the 
canes  as  temtlanana  sholiwe.  literally  all  grandfathers'  arrow  reeds, 
i.  e.,  reeds  of  our  forefathers.'' 

Zuni.      Zuni.    Xew    Mexico.       (Cat.    no.    3035,    Brooklyn    Institute' 

Museum. ) 

Four  very  thin  flat  sticks,  4  inches  in  length,  painted  red  on  one  side 

as  shown  in  figure  302.  there  being  two  and  two  alike,  the  reverse 

plain.     Collected  by  the  writer  in  1903. 

The  Zufii  described  these  sticks  as  used  as  dice  in  the  game  of  tsaspatsawe. 

a  woman's  game,  learned  by  the  Zuni   from  the  Navaho  and  regarded  as  a 

"The  stick  with  notches  (page  104K  used  in  the  Tanoan  game,  suggests  the  prohahility 
that  these  painted  sticks  replaced  others  wrapped  with  colored  thread  or  fabric. 
*Zuiii  Games.     American  Anthropologist,  n.  s.,  v.  5,  p.  496,  1903. 


224 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth,  ANN.  24 


Navaho  game.  The  sticks  are  tossed  up  iii  a  small  native  liasUet.  The  counts 
are  as  follows :  All  painted  sides  up  count  -1 ;  three  painted  sides  up,  3 ;  two 
painted  sides  up,  2  ;  one  painted  side  up,  1. 

ZuNi.     Zuiii,  New  Mexico.     ( Cat.  no.  ^^SOi,  Free  Museum  of  Science 
and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 


Fig.  303.  Fig.  :<N4. 

Fig.  303.  Wooden  dice  for  basket^dice  game;  length,  li  inches;  ZuSi  Indians,  Ziini,  New 
Mexico;  (a,t.  no.  22594,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Fig.  3114.  Basket  for  dice;  diameter,  lOJ  inches;  Zuni  Indians,  Zuni,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  23594, 
Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Five  wooden  blocks  (figure  303),  1  by  IJ  inches  and  one-fourth  of  an 
inch  thick,  jjainted  black  and  marked  with  incised  lines  on  one 
side,  the  other  side  being  left  plain,  accompanied  by  a  Zuni 
basket,  10^-  inches  in  diameter  (figure  304).  Collected  by  the 
writer  in  1902. 
The  name  of  the  game  was  given  as  thlaspatsa  ananai:  that  of  the 

basket,  tselai. 

Men  and  womeu  play.     Two  persons  engage,  and  money  is  bet  on  the  game. 

The  counts  are  as  follows :  Five  black  up  counts  10 ;  five  white  up,   5 ;  four 

white  up,  4 :  three  white  up,  3 ;  two  white  up,  2 ;  one  white  up,  1.     The  game 

is  10. 


^ 


Fig.  ao5. 
Fig.  305.    Wooden  dice  and  tossing  instrument;  lengths  of  dice,  li  and  21  inches;  Zuni  Indians, 

Zuni,  Now  Mexico;  cat.  no.  .3044.  3045,  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 
Fig.  3IK).    Wooden  dice;   diameter.  It  inches;   Zuni  Indians,  Zuni.  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  .3046, 

Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 

New  Mexico.     (Brooklyn  Institute  Museum.) 

Cat.  no.  3044.     Three  diamond-shaped  pieces  of  wood  (figure  305), 

2J  inches  long,  painted  black  on  one  side  and  red  on  the  other; 

called  moiachua  tslemmai,  star  boards. 
Cat.  no.  3045.     Two  flat  wooden  blocks  (figure  305),  U  Ijy  IJ  inches, 

painted  red  on  one  side  and  having  a  black  stripe  on  the  other; 

called  tslemmai  kokslii,  good  boards. 


cuLiN]  UKE  games:  zuni  225 

These  games  are  played  by  two  men.  The  boards  are  put  on  the  end  of  a  flat 
forked  stick  and  tossed  in  the  air.  They  phiy  turn  about  until  one  throws  all 
red  or  all  black  and  wins.  The  throwing  board  is  called  tslem-mai  kwil-li  ka-so-la, 
two-forked  board. 

Cat.  no.  3046.     Four  flat  wooden  disks    (figure  306),  li  inches  in 
diameter,  black  on  one  side  and  red  on  the  other. 

They  are  called  tslai-wai  i)i-so-li,  round  boards,  and  are  used  like  the  preceding, 
except  that  the  boards  are  thrown  by  hand. 

All  of  the  above-mentioned  specimens  were  collected  by  the  writer 
in  1903. 

24  ETH 0.5   M 15 


GUESSING  GAMES 

Stick  Games 

The  implements  for  the  stick  games  are  of  two  principal  kinds. 
The  first,  directly  referable  to  arrow  shaftments,  consists  (a)  of 
small  wooden  cylinders,  painted  with  bands  or  ribbons  of  color,  simi- 
lar to  those  on  arrow  shaftments,  employed  by  the  Indians  of  the 
AthajDascan,  Chimmesyan,  Chinookan,  Copehan,  Koluschan,  Sali- 
shan,  Skittagetan,  and  AVakashan  stocks  of  the  Pacific  coast;  (h)  of 
fine  sjjlints,  longer  than  the  jirecediiig,  of  which  one  or  more  in  a  set 
are  distinguished  by  marks,  emialoyed  by  the  Indians  of  the  Athapas- 
can, Lutuamian,  Shastan,  Weitspekan,  and  Wishoskan  tribes  near  the 
Pacific  coast;  (c)  of  sticks  and  rushes,  entirely  unmarked,  employed 
by  the  Indians  of  the  Algonquian,  Iroquoian,  Kulanapan,  Siouan, 
and  Washoan  tribes.  The  marks  on  the  implements  of  the  first  sort 
are  imderstood  as  referring  to  various  totemic  animals,  etc.,  which 
are  actually  carved  or  painted  on  some  of  the  sets. 

In  the  second  form  of  the  game  the  sticks  are  replaced  by  flat  disks, 
variously  marked  on  the  edges.  In  this  form  the  game  is  played  by 
Indians  of  the  Chinookan,  Salishan,  Shahaptian,  and  Wakashau 
stocks,  and  is  confined  to  the  Pacific  coast. 

The  number  of  sticks  or  disks  varies  from  ten  to  more  than  a  hun- 
dred, there  being  no  constant  number.  The  first  operation  in  the 
game,  that  of  dividing  the  sticks  or  disks  into  two  bundles,  is  invari- 
ably the  same.  The  object  is  to  guess  the  location  of  an  odd  or  a  par- 
ticularly marked  stick.  On  the  Pacific  coast  the  sticks  or  disks  are 
usually  hidden  in  a  mass  of  shredded  cedar  bark.  On  the  Atlantic 
coast  the  sticks  are  commonly  held  free  in  the  hands.  In  one  instance 
it  is  recorded  that  the  guesser  uses  a  pointer  to  indicate  his  choice. 
The  count  is  commonly  kept  with  the  sticks  or  disks  themselves,  the 
players  continuing  until  one  or  the  other  has  won  all. 

On  the  Northwest  coast  the  sets  of  sticks  are  almost  uniformly  con- 
tained in  a  leather  pouch,  sometimes  with  the  inner  side  painted,  with 
a  broad  flap  to  which  a  long  thong  is  attached,  passing  several  times 
around  the  pouch,  and  having  a  pointed  striji  of  bone,  horn,  or  ivory 
at  the  end.  The  latter  is  slipped  under  the  thong  as  a  fastening. 
The  identification  of  these  sticks  with  arrow  shaftments  is  aided  by 
comparison  with  the  banded  shaftments  of  actual  arrows,  as,  for 
example,  those  of  the  Hupa  (figure  307).  Figure  308  represents  a 
cut  shaftment  of  an  actual  arrow,  still  bearing  bands  of  red  paint, 

227 


228 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS        [eth.  anx.  24 


found  among  the  debris  of  a  cliff-dwelling  in  Mancos  canyon.  Colo- 
rado, which  Mr  dishing  regarded  as  having  been  intended  for  a 
game  in  the  manner  of  the  sticks.  In  this  connection  the  following 
account  of  the  tivotipi  of  the  Dakota,  by  Stephen  R.  Riggs."  will  be 
found  of  interest : 

The  exponent  of  the  phratry  w.is  the  tiyotipi,  or  soldier's  lodge.     Its  meaning 
is  the  lodge  of  lodges.     There  were  placed  the  bundles  of  black  and  red  sticks 


Hfe^ 


yriii^^^*' 


Fig.  3{yr.    Arrow  sliaftment  sliowing  ribliand  n^;  Hupa   Indians,  California;  cat.  no.    126517, 
Unit>ed  States  National  Museum. 

of  the  soldiers.     There  the  soldiers  gathered  to  talk  and  smoke  and  feast.     There 
the  laws  of  the  encampment  were  enacted. 

Describing  the  lodge,  he  says: 

A  good  Are  is  blazing  inside,  and  we  may  just  lift  up  the  skin  door  and  crawl 
in.  Toward  the  rear  of  the  tent,  but  near  enough  for  convenient  use.  is  a  large 
pipe  placed  by  the  symbols  of  power.  There  are  two  bundles  of  shaved  sticks 
about  G  inches  long.  The  sticks  in  one  bundle  are  painted  black  and  in  the 
other  red.     The  black  bundle  reiiresents  the  re.-il  men  f>f  the  camp — those  who 


Fio.  308.    Cut  arrow  .shaf  tment;  length,  B  inches;  cliflE-dwellin;;,  Mant-os  canyon,  Colorado;  Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania 

have  made  their  mark  on  the  warpath.     The  red  bundle  represents  the  boys 
and  such  men  as  wear  no  eagle  feathers. 

Again,  he  says : 

Then  of  all  the  round-shaved  sticks,  some  of  which  were  painted  black,  and 
some  painted  red,  four  are  especially  marked.  They  are  the  four  chiefs  of  the 
tiyotipi  that  were  made.  And  these  men  are  not  .selected  at  random  for  this 
place,  but  men  who  have  killed  many  enemies  and  are  most  able  are  chosen. 

"  Dakota  Grammar.  Texts  and  Ethnography,  edited  by  .lames  Owen  Dorsey.  Contribu- 
tions to  North  American  Ethnology,  v.  S).  p.  19.5,  -'00,  Washington.  1893. 


CLLIX] 


STICK    GAMES  :    CHIPPEWA 


229 


In  conclusion,  Mr  Riggs  adds: 

The  special  marking  of  the  sticlis  is  done  on  the  line  of  personal   history. 
Whatever  is  indicated  by  the  kind  of  eagle  feathers  a  man  is  entitled  to  wear  on 
liis  head,  and  by  the  notches  in  them,  this  is  all  hieroglyphed 
on  his  stick  in  the  tiyotipi.     Then  these  bundles  of  sticks  are 
used  for  gambling.     The  (luestion   is  "Odd  or  even?"     The 
forfeits  are  paid  in  meat  for  the  tiyotipi. 

The  gambling  mat  used  in  the  stick  game  by  the 
Thompson  (figure  335)  suggests  a  probable  ex^Dlana- 
tion  of  tlie  origin  of  the  long  woven  head  ornament, 
consisting  of  a  strip  or  net  made  of  native  hemp  (fig- 
ure 309)  worn  down  the  back  by  the  Hupa  in  one  of 
their  dances.  From  the  general  resemblance  of  the 
two  objects  and  the  constant  use  of  other  gambling 
implements  as  head  ornaments,  the  writer  is  inclined 
to  connect  the  Hupa  head  band  witli  their  common 
game  of  kin.  It  may  have  been  used  to  wrap  the  sticks 
or  as  a  mat  for  the  game. 


ALGONQUIAN   STOCK 

Algonkin.     Three  Rivers.  Quebec. 
Pierre  Boucher  "  says : 

The  game  of  straw  (paille)  is  played  with  little  straws 
made  for  this  purpose  and  which  are  divided  very  unequally 
into  three  parts,  as  in  hazard.  Our  Frenchmen  have  not  yet 
been  able  to  learn  this  game.  It  is  full  of  vivacy ;  and 
straws  are  among  them  what  cards  are  with  us. 

Chippewa.     Turtle  mountain.  North  Dakota.     (Cat. 
American    Museum    of    Natural 


Fig.  309.  Head  or- 
nament; length, 
38  inches;  Hupa 
Indians,  Hupa 
TaUey,Califor- 
nia;  cat.  no.  37263, 
Free  Museum  of 
Science  and  Art, 
University  of 
Pennsylvania. 


Histoi-y.) 
Eleven  sticks  (figure  310),  painted  saplings,  18  inches 

long.     These  were  collected  in  1903  by  Dr  William  Jones,  who 
described  them  as  u.sed  in  a  game  called  agintakurianatiwinani, 
stick  counting. 
Two  men  play.     One  takes  the  sticks,  five  in  one  hand  and  six  in  the  other. 


Fig.  310.    Stick  game;  length  of  sticks,  l.S  inches;  Chippewa  Indians,    Turtle  mountain.  North 
Dakota;  cat.  no.  iffr,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

his  opponent  guessing  which  hand  held  the  odd  stick,  touching  the  hand   he 
selects.     The  division  and  guess  are  effected  with  great  rapidity. 


"  Histoire   Veritable  et   Naturelle  des   Moeurs   et   Productions  du   Pays  de  la   Novelle 
Prance,  ch.  10,  Paris,  1664. 


230 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS        [eth.  ann.  24 


Cree.  Wind  River  reservation,  Wyoming.  (Cat.  no.  37027.  Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  Universitj'  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Twenty-nine  peeled  willow  twigs  (figure  311),  18  inches  in  length. 

These  were  collected  in  1900  by  the  writer,  for  whom  they  were 
made  by  a  Cree  of  Eiel's  band,  who  gave  the  name  as  tepashgue  ma- 
tun  and  said  the  game  was  derived  from  the  Salish. 

Phiyed  by  two  persons.  One  takes  the  bundle  and  rolls  the  sticks  in  his  hands 
and  divides  them  into  two  parts,  throwing  one  bundle  to  the  other  player,  who 
guesses  which  contains  the  even  number  of  sticks.  If  the  bundle  designated  is 
odd,  the  guesser  loses.  Sometimes  the  sticks  are  divided  into  two  bundles  and 
held  crosswise,  the  other  then  guessing.     They  do  not  sing  at  this  game. 


Pig.  3U. 


Stick  game:  length  of  sticks,  18  inches;  Cree  Indians,  Wyoming;  cat.  no.  :i7027.  Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


Muskowpetung    reserve,    Qu'appelle,    Assiniboia.     (Cat. 
61987,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 


no. 


Btmdle  of  twenty -five  slender  willow  splints  (figure  312),  19  inches 
in  length. 

They  are  used  in  the  game  of  counting  sticks,  ahkitaskoomnah- 
mahtowinah,  and  are  described  as  follows  by  the  collector,  Mr  J.  A. 
Mitchell : 

Played  by  both  men  and  women  or  by  either  separately.  Players  are  dividea 
into  two  parties,  seated  opposite  each  other.  Stakes  of  money,  clothing,  etc., 
are  then  put  up  in  a  common  lot.  The  person  inviting  the  players  begins  the 
game  by  secretly  dividing  the  bundle 
of  twenty-five  sticks  into  two  lots, 
holding  one  bundle  in  either  hand. 
If  his  opponent  chooses  the  bundle 
containing  the  even  number  of 
sticks,  he  wins ;  if  the  odd  bundle, 
he  loses,  and  the  play  passes  to  the 
next  couple.  Play  is  kept  up  until  either  one  or  the  other  party  desires  to 
stop,  when  the  wagered  articles  are  taken  possession  of  by  the  party  having 
made  the  most  points  and  are  divided  among  all  that  party.  The  game  is 
sometimes  kept  up  for  several  days  and  nights. 

Illinois.     Illinois. 

Mr  Andrew' McFarland  Davis"  states: 

I  am  indebted  to  Dr  Trumbull  for  information  that  a  MS.  Illinois  dirtionai-y 
(probably  compiled  by  Gravier,  about  1700)   gives  many  of  the  terms  used  in 
the  games  of  straws  and  dice. 
Mas.sachtjset.     Massachusetts. 

William  Wood,  in  his  New  England's  Prospect  says: 

They  have  two  sorts  of  games,  one  called  puira,  the  other  hubbub,  not  much 
unlike  cards   and  dice,   being  no  other   than   lottery.     Puini   is   fifty  or   sixty 


Fig.  3ia.  Stick  game;  length  ot  sticks,  19  inches; 
Cree  Indians,  Assiniboia;  cat.  no.  6U187,  Field 
Columbian  Museum. 


<■  Bulletin  of  the  Essex  Institute,  v.  18,  note  p.  177,  Salem,  1886. 
'  London,  1634  ;    Reprint,  p.  90,  Boston,  1898. 


ccLiN]  STICK  games:  piegan  •  231 

small  hents  of  a  foot  long  which  they  divide  to  the  number  of  their  gamesters, 
shuffling  them  first  between  the  palms  of  their  hands ;  he  that  hath  more  than 
his  fellow  is  so  much  the  forwarder  in  his  game:  many  other  strange  whim- 
sies be  in  this  game :  which  would  be  too  long  to  commit  to  paper :  he  that 
's  a  noted  gambler,  hath  a  great  hole  in  his  ear  wherein  he  carries  his  puims 
in  defiance  of  his  antagonists. 

Miami.     St.  Joseph  river.  Michigan. 
P.  de  Charlevoix  "  says : 

That  day  the  Pottawatomi  had  come  to  play  the  game  of  straws  with  the 
Miami.  They  played  in  the  hut  of  the  chief,  and  in  a  place  opposite.  These 
straws  are  small,  about  as  thick  as  a  wheat  sti'aw  and  2  inches  long.  Each 
player  takes  a  bundle  of  them,  usually  containing  two  hundred  and  one,  always 
an  uneven  number.  After  having  well  shaken  them  about,  making  meanwhile 
a  thousand  contortions  and  invoking  the  spirits,  they  separate  them,  with  a 
sort  of  thorn  or  pointed  bone,  into  parcels  of  ten.  Each  one  takes  his  own, 
haphazard,  and  he  who  has  chosen  the  parcel  containing  eleven  wins  a  certain 
number  of  points,  as  may  have  been  agreed  upon.  The  game  is  60  or  80. 
There  were  other  ways  of  playing  this  game  which  they  were  willing  to  explain 
to  me.  but  I  could  understand  nothing  unless  it  was  that  sometimes  the  number 
9  wins  the  game.  The.v  also  told  me  that  there  is  as  much  skill  as  chaiire  in 
this  game,  and  that  the  savages  are  e.xtremely  clever  at  it.  as  at  all  other  games  ; 
that  they  give  themselves  up  to  it  and  spend  whole  days  and  nights  at  it ;  that 
sometimes  they  do  not  stop  playing  until  they  are  entirely  naked,  having 
nothing  more  to  lose.  There  is  another  way  of  playing,  without  stakes.  This 
is  purely  a  pastime,  but  it  has  almost  always  bad  consequences  for  morals. 

Narraganset.     Ehode  Island. 

Roger  Williams,  in  his  Key  into  the  Language  of  ^Vmerica."  says: 

Their  games  (like  the  English)  are  of  two  sorts;  private  and  public;  a  game 
like  unto  the  English  cards,  yet  instead  of  cards,  they  play  with  strong  rushes. 

In  his  vocabulary  he  gives  the  following  definitions : 

Akesuog :  they  are  at  cards,  or  telling  of  rushes ;  pissinneganash :  their  play- 
ing rushes ;  ntakesemin :  I  am  telling,  or  counting ;  for  their  play  is  a  kind  of 
arithmetic. 

NoRRiDGEWocii.     Norridgcwock,  Maine. 

In  the  dictionary  of  Father  Sebastian  Kasles,'"  as  pointed  out  bj* 
Mr  Davis,"*  one  finds  corresponding  with  pissinneganash,  the  word 
pesseniganar,  defined  as  "-les  pailles  avec  quoi  on  joue  a  un  autre  jeu." 

PiEGAN.    Montana. 

Mr  Louis  L.  Meeker  writes : « 

A  game,  described  as  straws  or  Indian'  cards,  is  pla.ved  with  a  number  of 
unmarked  sticks.     Piegan  pupils  at  Fort  Shaw.  Montana,  used  lead  pencils  for 

"  Journal  d'un  Voyage  clans  TAm^rique  Septentrionnale,  v.  3,  p.  318,  Paris,  1744. 
^  Loudon,  1643.      Collections  of  the  Rhode  Island  Historical  Society,  v.  1,  p.  145,  Provi- 
dence. 1S27. 

''  Memoirs  American  Academy  of  .\rts  and  Sciences,  u.  s..  v.  1.  p.  472.  Cambridge,  1833. 
■!  Bulletin  of  the  Essex  Institute,  v.  18.  p.  176.  Salem.  1886. 
'  In  a  letter  to  the  author. 


232  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS        [eth.  ann.  24 

the  purpose.     An  odd  number  was  separated  into  two  portions  by  one  player. 
The  other  chose  one  portion.     If  the  number  was  odd,  he  won. 

Powhatan.     Virginia. 
William  Strachey "  says : 

Dice  play,  or  cards,  or  lots  they  know  not,  how  be  it  they  use  a  game  upon 
rushes  much  like  primero,  wherein  they  card  and  discard,  and  lay  a  stake  too, 
and  so  win  and  lose.  They  will  play  at  this  for  their  bows  and  arrows,  their 
copper  beads,  hatchets,  and  their  leather  coats. 

In  his  vocabulary  Strachey  gives :  "  To  play  at  any  game,  mamantu 
terracan." 

Roger  Beverley  ''  says : 

They  have  also  one  great  diversion,  to  the  practising  of  which  are  requisite 
whole  handfuls  of  little  sticks  or  hard  straws,  which  they  know  how  to  count  as 
fast  as  they  can  cast  their  eyes  upon  them,  and  can  handle  with  a  surprising 
dexterity. 

Satjk  and  Foxes.     Iowa.     (Cat.  no.  -jffj,  American  Museum  of  Nat- 
ural History.) 
Bundle  of  one  hundred  and  two  peeled  willow  sticks  (figure  313),  12 
inches  in  length,  and  a  pointed  stick   (figure  314),  with  a  red- 
painted  tip,  13^  inches  in  length. 
These  were  collected  by  Dr  "William  Jones,  who  describes  them  as 
implements  for  the  counting  game,  agitci  kanahamogi.     The  name 

means   to   count  with   an   agent ;   agi- 
tasowa.  he  counts;  agitasoweni,  count- 
ing. 
Dr    Jones    informed    me    that    the 
FiG.ma   stick  game;  length  of  sti.ks,  j  j  played,  but,  from 

12  inches;  Sauk  and  Fox  Indians,  Iowa;      &  t^         1       J       ?  ?         ^ 

cat.  no.  jif,,  American  Museum  of    the  coDstaut  reference  to  it  in  stories. 

Natural  History.  ^j^^  j^^^^^j^  .^^.^  ^jj  f^j^^Jliar  with  it  and 

made  the  above-described  implements  according  to  their  tradition. 

In  playing,  the  entire  bundle  is  held  together  in  the  hands  and  allowed  to  fall 
in  a  pile,  which  is  then  divided  with  the  pointed  stick,  called  the  dividing  stick. 


—''"''-    iirTniinr^ 


Fig.  314.    Dividing  stick  for  stick  game;  length,  i;ij  inches;  Sauk  and  Fox  Indians,  Iowa;  cat. 
no.  tJJ,,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

The  object  is  to  separate  either  9,  shagjiwa  ;  or  11,  metaswi  neguti,  or  l.S,  1.5,  17, 
or  19,c  but  the  player  must  call  out  which  of  these  numbers  he  attempts  to 
divide  before  putting  down  the  dividing  stick.-  If  he  succeeds  he  scores  1  point, 
but  if  he  fails  the  turn  goes  to  another  player. 

"  Historie  of  Travaile  into  Virginia  Britannia,  p.  78  ;  printed  for  the  Hakluyt  Society, 
London,  1849. 

*  The  History  and  Present  State  of  Virginia,  p.  .53,  London.  1705;  p.  175,  Richmond, 
^a..  IS.-,.-,. 

'  Or  21,  31,  41  ;  23,  33,  43  ;  25,  35,  45  ;  27,  37,  47  ;  29,  39,  49,  etc. 


CILIN] 


STICK    GAMES:    HUPA 


233 


Another  set  of  implements  for  the  same  game  in  this  collection 
(cat.  no.  -jfyy)  consists  of  fifty-one  sticks  (figure  315).  9i  inches  in 
length,  and  a  finder,  a  foriced  twig  18  inches  in  length.  Another 
name  for  the  game  is  ateso'kaganani.  from  ateso  'kiiwa,  he  tells  a 
story — that  is,  a  myth. 


Fig.  31R.    Stick  game;  sticks  and  finder:  length  of  sticks.  9i  inches:  length  of  finder,  18  inches; 
fcittuk  and  Fox  Indians,  Iowa;  cat.  no.  g^w,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

ATHAPASCAN    STOCK 

Ataakut.     Hupa  Valley  reservation,  California.     (Cat.  no.  12G905, 

United  States  National  Museum.) 
Set  of  thirty-one  sticks,  8|  inches  in  length  and  tapering  to  the  ends, 
one  having  a  band  of  black  paint  near  the  middle  (figure  SKi). 

These  were  collected  by  Lieut.  P.  H.  Ray.  U.  S.  Army,  who  de- 
scribes the  game  under  the  designation  of  kinnahehih : 

This  game  is  played  by  any  nuuiber  that  wish  to  engage  in  betting.  Two  deal- 
er.s  sit  opposite  each  other  on  a  blanliet,  each  baclved  by  two  or  more  singers  and 
a  drummer,  and  the  game  commences  by  one  of  the  dealers  taking  the  sticlvs  in 
both  hands,  about  equally  divided,  and  holding  them  behind  his  bacli,  shuf- 
fling them  from  hand  to  hand,  after  which  he  l)rings  them  in  front  of  his  body 
with   both   hands   extended    and    the   sticlis   grasped    so    the    players    can    not 


Fto.  316.    Stick  game;  length  of  sticks,  8}  inches;  Ataakut  Indians,  Hupa  Valley  reservation, 
California;  cat.  no.  126905,  United  States  National  Museum. 

see  the  centers.  The  opposite  dealer  clasjis  his  hands  together  two  or  three 
times  and  points  tow-ards  the  hand  which  he  thinks  holds  the  stick  with  the 
black  center.  Should  he  guess  correctly,  he  takes  the  deal  and  holds  it  until 
his  opponent  wins  it  back  in  like  manner.  For  each  failure  a  forfeit  is  paid, 
and  one  is  also  demanded  when  the  dealer  loses  the  deal.  Friends  of  each  party 
make  outside  bets  on  the  dealers,  and  each  dealer's  band  plays  and  sings  as  long 
as  he  holds  the  deal.a 

Hupa.     Hupa  Valley  reservation,  California.     (Free  Museum  of  Sci- 
ence and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

°  See  Prof.  Otis  T.  Mason,  The  Ray  Collection  from  Hupa  Reservation.     Report  of  the 

Smithsonian  Institution  for  1886,  pt.  1,  p.  234,  1889. 


234  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [bth.  ann.  24 

Cat.   no.  37201.     Set  of  one  hundred   and  six  fine  wooden  splints, 

eight  marked  in  the  center  with  black:    length,  8i  inches;    tied 

with  a  thong. 

It  was  explained  by  the  maker  of  these  sticks  that  it  was  customary  to  put  four 

sticks,  aces,  niarlved  with  blacli.  in  a  paclv.  although  but  one  is  actually  used  in 

guessing.     The  count  is  kept  with  tl  twigs.    Two  people  play.    The  starter  takes 

5  and  the  other  iilayer  G.  and  the  game  continues  until  oue  or  the  other  has  the  11 

twigs.     The  name  of  the  game  is  kifi.  meaning  stick.     This  and  the  similar  sets 

following  are  called  ho-tchi-kin,  ho-tchi  being  explained  as  meaning  correct. 

Cat.  no.  37202.     Set  of  sticks  for  kin,  hotchikiil.     Fiftv-tliree  coarse 
splints,  one  marked  with  black;    length.  10  inches. 


Pig.  317.    Counting  sticks  for  stick  game;  length,  7  iuclies;  Hupa  Indiaus.  California:  cat.  no. 
:i72(K>.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Cat.  no.  37203.     Set  of  one  hundred  and  ninetv-threo  fine  splints, 

four  marked  with  black ;    length,  Sf  inches. 
Cat.  no.  37204.     Set  of  forty-three  fine  splints,  three  marked  with 

black ;    length,  9  inches. 
Cat.   no.   37205.     Set  of  one  hundred   and  thirty-nine   fine   splints, 

five  marked  with  black;    length,  9j  inches.    Twenty-four  splints 

have  spiral  ribbons  of  red  the  entire  length,  said  to  have  been 

added  to  make  the  sticks  more  salable  for  the  white  trade. 
Cat.  no.  37200   (figure  317).     Set  of  eleven  counting  sticks  for  kiii, 

called   chittistil;  half   sections,   with   bark   having  three   spiral 

lines  cut  across;  length,  7  inches. 
A  Crescent   City   Indian  whom  the  writer  met   at  Areata,  Cali- 
fornia, gave  the  names  of  the  sticks  used  in  kiii  as  tchacti,  and  the 
trunip  as  tchacwun. 


Fig.  318.    Stick  game:  length  of  sticks,  4i  inches;  Hupa  Indians,  California;  cat.  no.  37208,  Free 
Mu-seum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Cat.  no.  37208.  Set  of  game  sticks,  missolich  (figure  318).  Fifteen 
small  sticks  of  hard  polished  wood,  4f  inches  in  length. 

Seven  of  these  have  three  bands  around  and  three  ro\vs  of  dots  or 
points  at  each  end;  seven  have  only  three  bands  and  one,  two  bands. 
The  last  is  regarded  as  the  ace,  or  stick  which  is  guessed,  hauk. 

All  collected  bv  the  writer  in  1900. 


CfLlN] 


STICK    GAMES:    HUPA 


235 


Htjpa.     Hupa   Valley  reservation,  California.      (United   States  Na- 
tional Museum.) 
Cat.  no.  151673.     Set  of  ninety-eight  slender  pointed  sticks.  8^  inches 

in  length,  two  marked  with  a  band  of  black  near  the  middle: 

collected  by  Lieut.  Robert  H.  Fletcher,  U.  S.  Army. 
Cat.  no.  21314.     Set  of  sixty-two  slender  pointed  sticks,  93  inches  in 

length,  three  marked  with  black  band  near  the  middle. 
Cat.  no.  2131G.     Set  of  fifty-one  slender  sticks  (figure  310).  9f  inches 

in  length,  thicker  than  the  preceding  and   not   pointed:  three 

marked  with  a  black  band  near  the  middle. 


Fig.  319.    Stick  game:  length  of  sticks,  9^  inches;  Hupa  Indians.   California;  cat.  uo.  3W16, 
United  States  National  Museum. 

Cat.  no.  2131.5.  Ninety-three  slender  pointed  sticks,  8f  inches  in 
length,  and  two  about  8^  inches  in  length,  possibly  parts  of  two 
or  more  sets;  four  marked  with  band  of  black  near  the  middle, 
one  carved  near  the  middle,  and  one  carved  near  the  end.  as  shown 
in  figure  .''20. 


Pig.  330.    Stick  game;  length  of  sticks,  8^  inches;  Hupa  Indians.  California;  cat.  uo.  31315, 
United  States  National  Museum. 

The  foregoing  specimens  from  cat.  no.  21314  were  collected  by 
Mr  Stephen  Powers,  who  describes  the  game  as  follows : 

Kin,  one  hundred  gambling  sticks,  four  of  them  marked  black  around  the 
middle.  The  player  holds  up  two,  and  his  adversary  guesses  in  which  hand  is 
the  marked  one.  If  he  is  unsuccessful  with  this  one,  he  takes  another  one  of 
the  marked  ones ;  if  unsuccessful  with  all  of  the  marked  ones  in  the  bunch,  he 
tries  another  bunch,  or  scarifies  the  outside  of  his  legs,  cutting  them  with  shal- 
low cross  lines.  A  company,  sometimes  a  hundred  people,  surround  the  jjlayers, 
and  a  drum  is  beaten  with  a  stick,  to  which  is  attached  a  rattle  of  deer  hoofs, 
while  chanting  is  kept  up. 


Hupa    Valley    reservation,    California.      ( Cat. 
United  States  National  Museum.) 


no.     126906, 


Set  of  eight  cylinders  of  wood  (figure  321),  4f  mches  in  length  and 
five-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  made  of  twigs.     Seven 


236 


GAMES    OF    THE    ISTORTH    AMERICAN    IKDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


have  a  band  of  black  paint  at  both  ends  and  in  the  middle,  while 
the  eighth  is  i^ainted  only  in  the  middle. 
These  were  collected  by  Lieut.  P.  H.  Ray,  U.  S.  Army,  who  de- 
scribes them  under  the  name  of  kiiinahelah : 

The  game  is  essentially  the  same  [as  that  from  the  Ataakut]  except  in  the 
use  of  a  smaller  number  of  sticks  and  the  joker 
being  l)Iaekened  only  in  the  center,  while  the  balance 
are  blackened  at  both  ends  and  center.  Both  games 
are  called  kin. 

MiKONOTUNNE       and       MiSHIKHWUTMETUNNE. 

Siletz  reservation,  Oregon.     A.  W.  Chase" 
says: 

Captain  Tichenor  played  several  native  games  of 
cards  for  us,  the  "  pasteboards "  being  bundles  of 
sticks. 

Sekani.  Sicanie  river,  British  Columbia. 
(Cat.  no.  G88,  Peabody  Museum  of 
American    Archseologv   and   Ethnol- 


FlG.  :ttl.  Stick  game;  length 
of  sticks,  a  inches:  Hupa 
Indians.  Hupa  Valley  reser- 
vation, California;  cat.  no. 
126906,  United  States  Na- 
tional Museum. 


Ten    sticks    of 


light 


^3 


ogy-) 

wood,    4f    inches    in    length    and    one-fourth 
of  an   inch  in   diameter,  marked   alike   with   red  lines  or   rib- 
bons   (figure  322)  ;  collected  by  J.   T.  Rothrock,  and   acquired 
by  the  Museum  in  18(57  with  other  Ath- 
apascan objects. 
The    use    of    these    sticks    is    explained 
clearly  by  the  following  reference  by  Father 
Morice  to  the  game  of  atlih.     There  is  an- 
other set  of  gambling  sticks  in  the  Peabody 
Museum,  cat.  no.  48395,  about  which  noth- 
ing   is   known,    but    which    from    their    re- 
semblance  to   the   preceding   are   probably 
from    the    same    or    some    adjacent    tribe. 
The}'  number  fifty-one,  are  marked  in  four 
different    ways   with    faint    black    and   red 
lines,   and   are   contained   in   a    flat   leather 
pouch,  open  at  the  top,  the  sticks  standing 
on  end. 

Takulli.     T^ijper  Fraser  river,  British  Columbia. 
Sir  Alexander  Mackenzie  ■  says : 

We  all  sat  down  on  a  very  pleasant  green  spot,  and  were  no  sooner  seated 
than  our  guide  and  one  of  the  party  i)repared  to  engage  in  play.  They  had  each 
a  bundle  of  about  Bfty  small  sticks,  neatly  polished,  of  the  size  of  a  quill,  and  5 
inches  long;  a  certain  number  of  these  sticks  had  red  lines  around  them,  and 


i--~>. 


=-—■■■■■■  111  1.^  -    ~-  ' 

Fig.  3'J2.  Stick  game:  length  of 
sticks,  4i  inches'.  Sekani  Indi- 
ans, British  Columbia;  cat. 
no.  6H8.  Peabody  Museum  of 
American  Archeeology  and 
Ethnology. 


"  The  Overland  Monthly,  v.  2,  p.  4.3,3.  San   Francisco, 
» Voyages  from  Montreal,  p.  311,  London,  1801, 


1869. 


ccLix]  STICK    GAMES:    TAKULLI  237 

as  many  of  these  as  one  of  tbe  players  migbt  find  convenient  were  curionsly 
rolled  up  In  dry  grass,  and  according  to  the  judgment  of  bis  antagonist  respect- 
ing their  number  and  marlvs  be  lost  or  won.  Our  friend  was  apparently  the 
loser,  as  he  parted  with  his  bow  and  arrows  and  several  articles  which  I  had 
given  him. 

Taktjlli.     Stuart  lake,  British  Columbia. 

The  Reverend  Father  A.  (i.  Morice "  refers  to  a  game — 

atlih,  which  In  times  past  was  passionately  pla.ved  by  the  Carriers,  but  is  now 
altogether  forgotten  except  by  a  few  elder  men.  It  necessitated  the  use  of  a 
quantity  of  finely-polished  bonesticks.  perhaps  4  or  .5  inches  long. 

Father  Morice  de.scribes  atlih  as  the  original  counterpart  of  the 
modern  netsea,  or  hand  game.  In  a  general  sense,  the  name  of  the 
game  may  be  translated  gambling.     The  bones  were  called  alte. 

Father  Morice  *  gives  also  the  following  legend  of  the  game : 

A  young  man  was  so  fond  of  playing  atlih  that,  after  he  had  lost  every  part  of 
his  wearing  apparel,  he  went  so  far  as  to  gamble  away  his  very  wife  and  chil- 
dren. Disgusted  with  his  conduct,  his  fellow-villagers  turned  away  from  liini 
and  migrated  to  another  sjiot  of  the  forest,  taking  along  all  their  belongings. 
and  carefull.v  extinguishing  the  fire  of  every  lodge  so  that  he  might  perish. 

Now.  this  happened  in  winter  time.  Reduced  to  this  sad  fate,  and  in  a 
state  of  complete  nakedness,  the  young  man  searched  every  fireplace  in  the  hope 
of  finding  some  bits  of  burning  cinders,  but  to  no  purpose.  He  then  took  the 
dry  grass  on  which  his  fellow  villagers  had  been  resting  every  night  and  roughly 
weaved  it  into  some  sort  of  a  garment  to  cover  his  nakedness. 

Yet  without  fire  or  food  he  could  not  live.  So  he  went  off  in  despair  without 
snowshoes,  expecting  death  in  the  midst  of  his  wanderings. 

After  journeying  some  time,  as  he  was  half  frozen  and  dying  of  hunger,  he 
suddenl.v  caught  sight  in  tlie  top  of  tlie  tall  spruces  of  a  glimmer  as  of  a  far-off 
fire.  Groping  his  way  thither,  he  soon  iierceived  sparks  tiying  out  of  two  col- 
umns of  smoke,  and  cautiously  approaching  he  came  upon  a  large  lodge  covered 
with  branches  of  conifers.  He  peeped  through  a  chink  and  saw  nobody  but  an 
old  man  sitting  by  one  of  two  large  fires  burning  in  the  lodge. 

Immediately  the  old  man  cried  out.  "  Come  in.  my  son-in-law  1  "  Tlie  .voung 
man  was  much  astonished,  inasmuch  as  he  could  see  nobody  outside  but  himself. 
"Come  in.  my  son-in-law:  what  are  .von  doing  out  in  the  cold?"  came  again 
from  the  lodge.  Whereupon  the  gamltler  ascertained  that  it  was  himself  who 
was  thus  addressed.  Therefore  he  timidly  entered,  and.  following  his  host's 
suggestion,  he  set  to  vfarm  himself  l).v  one  of  the  fires. 

The  old  man  was  called  Ne-,v9B-hwolluz.<'  because,  being  no  other  than  Yihta."* 
he  nightly  carries  his  house  about  in  the  course  of  his  travelings.  "  You  seem 
very  miserable,  my  son-in-law  ;  take  this  up,"  he  said  to  his  guest  while  putting 
mantlewiseon  the  young  man's  shoulders  a  robe  of  sewn  marmot  skins.  He  next 
handed  him  a  pair  of  tanned  skin  moccasins  and  ornamental  leggings  of  the  same 

"  Notes  on  the  Western  Dto&.    Transactions  of  the  Canadian  Institute,   v.  4,  p.   78, 

Toronto.  1895. 

»  n)id.,  p.   79. 

'■  Literally,  "He-carries  (as  with  a  sleigh >-a-house."  The  final  hwolluz  is  proper  to 
the  dialect  of  the  Lower  Carriers,  though  the  tale  is  narrated  by  an  Upper  Carrier, 
which  circumstance  would  seem  to  indicate  that  the  legend  is  not.  as  so  many  others, 
borrowed  from  Tsimpsian  tribe. 

''  Ursa  Major. 


238  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.24 

material.     He  then  called  out,  "  My  daughter,  roast  by  the  fireside  something 
to  eat  for  your  husband :  he  must  be  hungry."     Hearing  which,  the  gambler, 
who  had  thought  liiniself  alone  with  Xe-y9E-hwoIluz,  was  much  surprised  to  see 
a  beautiful  virgin  a  emerge  from  one  of  the  corner  provision  and  goods  stores  and 
proceed  to  prepare  a  repast  for  him. 

Meanwhile  the  old  man  was  digging  a  hole  in  the  ashes,  whence  he  brought 
■out  a  whole  black  bear  cooked  under  the  Are  with  skin  and  hair  on.  Pressing 
with  his  lingers  the  l)rim  of  the  hole  made  by  the  arrow,  he  took  the  bear  up  to 
his  guest's  lips,  saying.  "  Suck  out  the  grease,  my  son-in-law."  The  l.itter  was 
so  exhausted  by  fatigue  that  he  could  drink  but  a  little  of  the  warm  liquid, 
which  caused  his  host  to  exclaim,  "  How  small  bellied  my  son-in-law  is ! " 
Then  the  old  man  went  to  the  second  fireplace,  likewise  dug  out  therefrom  a 
whole  bear,  and  made  his  guest  drink  in  the  same  way  with  the  same  result, 
accompanied  by  a  similar  remark. 

After  they  had  eaten.  Xe-yaR-hwolluz  showed  the  gambler  to  his  resting 
place  and  cautioned  him  not  to  go  out  during  the  night.  As  for  himself,  he  was 
soon  noticed  to  leave  the  lodge  that  and  every  other  night ;  and  as  he  came 
back  in  the  morning  he  invariabl.v  seemed  to  l)e  quite  heated  and  looked  as  one 
who  had  traveled  a  very  great  distance. 

The  gambler  lived  there  happily  witli  his  new  wife  for  some  months.  But  his 
former  passion  soon  revived.  As  spring  came  back  he  would  take  some  alte  in 
an  absent-minded  way  and  set  out  to  play  therewith  all  alone.  Which  seeing  his 
father-in-law  said  to  him,  "  If  you  feel  lonesome  here,  my  son-in-law,  return  for 
a  while  to  your  own  folks  and  gamble  with  them."  Then,  handing  him  a  set  of 
alte  and  four  tetquh,*  he  added :  "  When  you  have  won  all  that  is  worth  win- 
ning throw  your  lat(|uh  up  over  the  roof  of  the  house  and  come  back  immedi- 
ately.    Also,  remember  not  to  speak  to  your  former  wife." 

The  gambler  then  made  his  departure,  and  was  soon  again  among  the  people 
who  had  abandoned  him.  He  was  now  a  handsome  and  well-dressed  young  man, 
and  soon  finding  partners  for  his  game  he  stripped  them  of  all  their  belongings, 
after  which  he  threw  his  tatquh  over  the  roof  of  the  lodge.  He  also  met  his 
former  wife  as  she  was  coming  from  drawing  water,  and  though  she  entreated 
him  to  take  her  back  to  wife  again  he  hardened  his  heart  and  did  not  know  her. 

Yet.  instead  of  returning  immediately  after  he  had  thrown  his  tat(iuh  over 
the  roof,  as  he  had  lieen  directed  to  do,  his  passion  for  atlili  betrayed  him  into 
playing  again,  when  he  lost  all  he  had  won.  He  was  thus  reduced  to  his  first 
state  of  wretched  nakedness.  lie  then  thought  of  Xe-yaR-hwolluz,  of  his  new 
wife,  and  his  new  home,  and  attempted  to  return  to  them,  but  he  could  never 
find  them. 

TuELDiNG.     South  fork.  Trinity  river.  California. 
Mr  Stephen  Powers  says :  *" 

The  Kailtas  are  inveterate  gamblers,  either  with  tiie  game  of  guessing  the 
sticks  f)r  with  cords,  and  they  have  a  curious  way  of  punishing  or  mortifying 
themselves  for  failure  therein.  When  one  has  been  unsuccessful  in  gaming  he 
frequently  scarifies  himself  with  flints  or  glass  on  the  outside  of  the  leg  from  the 
knee  down  to  the  ankle,  scratching  the  skin  all  up  crisscross  until  it  bleeds  freely. 
He  does  this  for  luck,  believing  that  it  will  appease  some  bad  spirit  who  is 
against  him.     The  .Slabs,  on  Eel  river,  have  the  same  custom. 

*>  Sak-9sta,  "  She  sits  ap.irt." 

''  .\  long  throwine  i-od  which  serves  to  play  another  game. 

'The  Overland  M  mthly,  v.  9,  p.   16.S.  San  Francisco.   1872. 


STICK    GAMES  :    WHILKUT 


239 


TuTUTNi.     Siletz  reservation.  Oregon.      (Cat.  no.  fi860<i.  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum.) 
A  bundle  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-nine  wooden  splints  (figure  323), 
pointed  at  the  ends.  12  inches  in  length,  two  with  black  bands  in 
the  center,  and  the  remainder  plain  white;  twelve  willow  count- 
ing sticks  (figure  324:),  pointed  at  the  ends,  Oj  inches  in  length; 
a  tubular  wooden  pipe  (figure  325),  10  inches  in  length. 
These  were  collected  by  Mr  T.  Jay  Bufort,  who  furnished  the  fol- 
lowing description  of  the  game  under  the  name  of  tussi : 

This  game  is  played  very  much  the  same  as  the  bone  hand  game,  the  only 
difference  being  that  the  reeds  are  held  in  the  hands  behind  the  back  and  there 


Fig.  .325. 

Fig.  323.  Stick  game;  length  cif  .splints.  12  inches:  Tututni  Indians.  .Siletz  reservation.  Oregon; 
cat.  no.  636U6,  Fiekl  Columbian  MusL^um. 

Fig.  324.  Counting  sticks  for  stick  game;  length,  9i  inches;  Tututni  Indians.  Siletz  reservation, 
Oregon;  cat.  no.  6.3fi<)6,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Fig.  325-  Wooden  pipe  used  in  stick  game;  length,  10  inches;  Tututni  Indians.  Siletz  reserva- 
tion. Oregon:  cat.  no.  63606,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

shuffled  and  divided,  part  in  each  hand.  The  hands  are  then  held,  one  beside 
each  leg,  and  the  opposite'  jiarty  guesses  by  pointing  and  loses  if  he  indicates  the 
hand  holding  the  marked  stick.    Tally  is  kept  by  means  of  twelve  counters. 

Whilkut.     Humboldt  county.   California.      (Free  Museum   of  Sci- 
ence and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Cat.  no.  3724.5.    Set  of  forty-five  fine  splints  (figure  326),  one  marked 
with  black;  length,  8  inches. 


Flo.  326.    Stick  game;  length  of  splints,  8  inches;  Whilkut  Indians,  California:  cat.  no.  3724.5.  Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Cat.  no.  37246.     Set  of  sixty-six  coarse  splints,  three  marked  with 

black;   length,  8J  inches. 
Cat.  no  37247.     Set  of  one  hundred  and  twelve  fine  splints,  three 

marked  with  black:    length.  8J  inches. 
These  were  collected  by  the  writer  in  1900,  and  are  all  designated 
hotchikin. 


240  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 

CHIMMESYAN    STOCK 

XiSKA.     Xass  river.  British  Columbia. 
Dr  Franz  Boas"  describes  the  game: 

Qsan  :  Guessing  game  played  with  a  number  of  maple  sticks  marked  with  red 
or  black  rings,  or  totemic  designs.  Two  of  these  sticks  are  trumps.  It  is  the 
object  of  the  game  to  guess  in  which  of  the  two  bundles  of  sticks,  which  are 
wrapped  in  cedar-bark,  the  trump  is  hidden.     Each  pla.ver  uses  one  trum[)  only. 

TsiMSHiAX.  British  Cokmibia.  (American  Museum  of  Natural 
History.) 

Cat.  no.J-^j.  Set  of  sixty-one  wood  gambling  sticks,  Oy\  inches  in 
length  and  six-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  in  leather 
pouch;  three  plain,  others  j^ainted  with  red  and  black  rib- 
bons; four  inlaid  with  small  disks  and  rectangles  of  abalone 
shell :  ends  nipple-shaped  and  inset  with  disks  of  abalone  shell. 
Collected  by  Dr  Franz  Boas. 

CHINOOKAN    STOCK 

Chinook.     Shoalwater  bay,  Washington. 

James  G.  Swan"  describes  the  game  of  la-hul  as  follows: 

A  mat  is  first  placed  on  the  floor,  with  the  center  raised  up  so  as  to  form  a 
small  ridge,  which  is  kept  in  its  place  by  four  wooden  pins  stuck  through  the 
mat  into  the  ground.  Two  persons  play  at  this  game,  who  are  seated  at  each 
end  of  the  mat.  Each  player  has  ten  disks  of  wood,  2  inches  in  diameter,  and  a 
little  over  an  eighth  of  an  inch  thick,  resembling  the  men  used  in  playing  back- 
gammon, but  much  larger.  The  only  distinguishing  feature  about  these  men,  or 
wheels,  is  the  different  manner  the  edges  are  colored.  There  are  but  two  pieces 
of  value :  one  has  the  edge  blackened  entirely  around,  and  the  other  is  per- 
fectly plain,  while  the  others  have  different  qiiantities  of  color  on  them,  varying 
from  the  lilack  to  the  white.  These  disks  are  then  inclosed  in  a  quantity  of  the 
inner  bark  of  the  cedar,  pounded  very  fine,  and  called  tupsoe.  The  player,  after 
twisting  and  shuffling  them  up  in  all  sorts  of  forms,  separates  them  into  two 
equal  parts,  both  being  enveloped  in  the  tupsoe.  These  are  tlien  rapidly  moved 
about  on  the  mat  from  side  to  side,  the  other  player  keeping  his  eyes  most 
intently  fixed  upon  them  all  the  time.  He  has  bet  either  on  the  black  or  the 
white  one,  and  now,  to  win,  has  to  point  out  which  of  the  two  parcels  contains 
it.  As  soon  as  he  makes  his  selection,  which  is  done  by  a  gesture  of  his  hand, 
the  parcel  is  opened,  and  each  piece  is  rolled  down  the  mat  to  tlie  ridge  in  the 
center.     He  can  thus  see  the  edges  of  all.  and  knows  whether  he  has  lost  or  won. 

Alexander  Ross  <"  says : 

When  not  employed  in  war  or  hunting,  the  men  generally  spend  their  time  in 
gambling.  The  chief  game,  chal-e-chal,  at  which  they  stake  their  most  valuable 
property,  is  played  by  six  persons,  with  ten  circular  palettes  of  polished  wood, 
in  size  and  shape  resembling  dollars.  A  mat  .3  feet  broad  and  6  feet  long  is 
spread  on  the  ground,  and  the  articles  at  stake  laid  at  one  end,  then  the  parties 

'  Fifth  Report  on  the  Indians  of  British  Columbia.      Report  of  the  Sixty-fifth  Meeting 
of  the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  582,  London,  1S9.J. 
'The  Northwest  Coast,  p.  ].")7.  New  York.  1857. 
'  Adventures  of  the  First  Settlers  on  the  Oregon  or  Columbia  River,  p.  90,  London,  1849. 


CILIN]  STICK    GAMES:    HURON  2-11 

seat  themselves,  three  on  each  side  of  the  mat,  facing  one  another :  this  done, 
one  of  the  players  takes  up  the  ten  palettes,  shuffling  and  shifting  them  in  his 
hands,  when  at  a  signal  given  he  separates  them  in  his  two  fists,  and  throws 
them  out  on  the  mat  towards  his  opponent,  and  according  as  the  palettes  roll, 
slide,  or  lie  on  the  mat  when  thrown,  the  party  wins  or  loses.  This  he  does 
three  times  successively.  In  this  manner  each  tries  his  skill  in  turn,  till  one 
of  the  parties  wins.  Whole  days  and  nights  are  spent  in  this  game  without 
ceasing,  and  the  Indians  seldom  grumble  or  repine,  even  should  they  lose  all  that 
they  ix>ssess.  During  the  game  the  players  keep 
chanting  a  loud  and  sonorous  tune,  accompanying  the 
different  gestures  of  the  body  just  as  the  voyageurs 
keep  time  to  the  iiaddle. 

COPEHAN    STOCK 

WiNNIMEN.        California.        (Cat.      no.      19338.      Fig.327.    SticTgame;  length 

United  States  National  Mnsenni.)  of  sticks,  3i  inches:  win- 

...  .  ^  -,-\  ,-1  ■  nimen  Indians,  California: 

Ten    willow    twigs    (figure    320.    '^l    inches    lU         cat.  no.  19SiS,  United  states 

length,  nine  with  bark  entire  length  and       National  Museum. 
one  with  hand  ot  bark  removed  in  the  middle. 
Collected  by  Mr  Livingston  Stone,  who  describes  them  as  used  in 
a  woman's  game. 

IROQUOIAM    STOCK 

Huron.     Ontario. 

Nicolas  Perrot "  says  of  le  jeu  des  pailles: 

The  savages  lose  at  the  game  of  straws  not  only  their  own  property,  but  also 
the  property  of  their  comrades.  To  play  the  game,  they  procure  a  certain 
number  of  straws  or  twigs  of  a  certain  plant,  which  are  no  thicker  than  the  cord 
of  a  salmon  net.  They  are  made  of  the  same  length  and  thickness,  being  about 
10  Inches  long.  Their  number  is  uneven.  After  turning  and  mi.xing  them  in 
their  hands,  they  are  plaied  <in  a  skin  or  blanket  rug.  and  he  who  plays  tirst, 
having  an  alaine  or,  more  often,  a  small  pointed  lione  in  his  hand,  contorts  his 
arms  and  body,  saying  chok  I  chok  I  at  frequent  intervals.  These  words  mean 
nothing  in  their  language,  but  serve  to  make  known  their  desire  to  play  well 
and  with  good  luck.  Then  he  pushes  the  little  pointed  lione  into  the  pile  of 
straws  and  takes  as  many  an  he  wishes.  His  opponent  takes  those  that  remain 
on  the  rug  and  rapidly  counts  them  by  tens,  making  no  errors.  lie  wlio  has  the 
odd  inimber  of  straws  wins. 

Sometimes  they  play  with  seeds  which  grow  in  the  woods  and  whicli  are  a 
little  like  small  haricots.  They  take  a  certain  number  of  them  each,  according 
to  the  value  of  tlie  goods  wagered,  which  may  be  a  gun,  a  blanket,  or  in  fact 
anything,  and  he  who  at  the  beginning  of  the  game  holds  nine  straws  wins 
everything  and  takes  all  that  has  been  wagered.  If  he  finds  that  he  holds  an 
odd  number  less  than  nine,  he  is  at  liberty  to  increase  his  bets  to  any  extent  he 
pleases.  This  is  why  in  one  part  of  the  game  he  invests,  as  he  pleases,  one 
straw  and  in  another  part  three,  five,  or  seven,  for  nine  is  always  sujiposed ; 
it  is  the  number  that  wins  against  all  the  others,  and  he  who  at  last  finds  that 
he  holds  nine  straws  generally  takes  everything  that  has  been  wagereil.     M  tlie 


"  M^moire  sur  les  Moeurs,  Coustumes  et  Relligion  des  Sauvages  de  I'Am^i-iqL;e  Septen- 
trionale,  p.  46,  Leipzig,  1864. 

24  ETH— 05  M 16 


242  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMEEICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN".  24 

side  of  the  straws  on  tbe  rug  are  the  seeds  with  which  the  players  have  made 
their  bets.     It  should  be  uoted  that  more  is  bet  on  the  nine  than  all  the  others. 

When  the  players  have  made  their  bets,  he  who  has  been  lucky  handles  the 
straws  often,  turning  them  end  for  end  in  his  hands,  and  as  he  places  them  on 
the  rug  says  chank,  which  means  nine,  and  the  other  player,  who  has  the  alaine 
or  little  pointed  lioue  in  his  hand,  plunges  it  among  the  straws  and,  as  said 
before,  takes  as  many  as  he  plea.ses.  The  other  player  takes  the  rest.  If  the 
latter  wishes  to  leave  some  of  them,  his  opponent  must  take  them,  and,  both 
counting  by  tens,  he  who  has  the  odd  number  wins  and  takes  the  stakes.  But 
if  it  happens  that  the  winner  is  ahead  by  only  one  straw  he  wins  only  the  seeds 
that  belong  to  that  straw  ;  for  example,  three  are  more  powerful  than  two,  five 
than  three,  and  seven  than  five,  but  nine  than  all.  If  several  persons  play  and 
one  of  them  finds  that  he  holds  five,  they  play  four  at  a  time,  two  against  two, 
or  less  if  there  are  not  four  players.  Some  win  the  seeds  bet  on  five  straws 
and  the  others  those  bet  for  three  and  one.  When  no  one  holds  the  odd  number 
of  those  that  remain — that  is  to  say,  of  one  and  three — after  having  carefully 
counted  the  straws  by  tens,  when  he  has  not  nine,  the  player  must  increase  his 
bet,  even  when  he  holds  five  or  seven  straws,  and  the  deal  does  not  count.  He  is 
also  obliged  to  make  two  other  piles ;  in  one  he  puts  five  and  in  the  other  seven 
straws,  with  as  many  seeds  as  he  pleases.  His  adversaries  draw  in  their  turn 
when  he  has  done  this,  and  then  he  takes  the  rest.  Some  will  be  fortunate, 
but  each  player  talces  only  the  number  of  seeds  belonging  to  the  number  of 
straws,  and  he  who  has  nine  takes  only  the  seeds  bet  on  the  nine.  When 
another  holds  seven  he  draws  what  remains,  for  three  and  one  are  the  same 
thing,  but  not  those  numbers  which  are  higher.  If  a  player  loses  everything 
that  he  has  with  him.  the  game  is  continued  on  credit,  if  the  player  gives  assur- 
ance that  he  has  other  property  elsewhere,  but  when  he  continues  to  lose  the 
winner  may  refuse  him  seeds  to  the  extent  asked  and  oblige  him  to  produce 
his  effect.s,  not  wishing  to  continue  the  game  till  he  has  seen  that  his  opponent 
still  has  property  to  risk.  To  this  there  is  but  one  reply,  and  the  loser  will  ask 
one  of  his  friends  to  bring  to  him  what  remains  of  his  goods.  If  he  continues 
unlucky,  he  will  continue  playing  till  he  loses  all  that  he  owns,  and  one  of  his 
comrades  will  take  his  place,  announcing  what  he  is  willing  to  risk  and  taking 
seeds  according  to  its  value. 

This  game  sometimes  lasts  three  or  four  days.  When  a  loser  wins  back  every- 
thing and  the  former  winner  loses  his  all,  a  comrade  takes  his  place  and  the 
game  goes  on  till  one  side  or  the  other  has  nothing  left  with  which  to  play,  it 
being  the  rule  of  the  savages  not  to  leave  the  game  until  one  side  or  the  other 
has  lost  everything.  This  is  why  they  are  compelled  to  give  revenge  to  all 
members  of  a  side,  one  after  the  other,  as  I  have  just  stated.  They  are  at 
liberty  to  have  anyone  they  wish  play  for  them,  and  if  disputes  arise — I  mean 
between  winners  and  losers,  each  being  backed  by  his  side — they  may  go  to  such 
extremes  that  blood  may  be  shed  and  the  quarrel  ended  with  difficult.v.  If  the 
winner  takes  losses  calmly,  pretending  not  to  notice  the  sharp  pr.-ictice  and 
cheating  which  occur  frequently  in  the  game,  he  is  praised  and  esteemed  by  all ; 
but  the  cheater  is  blamed  by  everyone  and  can  find  no  one  to  play  with  him,  at 
least  not  until  he  has  returned  his  ill-gotten  gains. 

The  game  is  usually  played  in  the  large  cabins  of  the  chiefs,  which  might 
also  l)e  called  the  savages'  academy,  for  here  are  seen  all  the  young  iieople  mak- 
ing up  different  sides,  with  older  men  acting  as  spectators  of  the  games.  If  a 
player  thinks  he  has  divided  the  straws  well  and  that  he  has  drawn  an  odd 
number,  he  holds  them  in  one  hand  and  strikes  them  with  the  other,  and  when 
he  has  counted  them  by  te&s,  without  saying  anything,  he  lets  the  others  know 


riLiN]  STICK    GAMES:    CHILKAT  243 

that  lie  has  gained  by  taking  up  the  seeds  wagered,  watching  out  that  his 
opponent  does  not  do  so.  If  one  of  them  thinks  that  the  straws  were  not 
properly  counted,  they  are  handed  to  two  of  the  spectators  to  count,  and  the 
winner,  without  speaking,  strikes  his  straws  and  takes  the  stakes. 

All  this  talies  place  without  dispute  and  with  much  good  faith.  You  will 
notice  that  this  is  not  at  all  a  woman's  game  and  that  It  is  only  the  men  who 
play  It.  o 

HuROX.     Ontario. 

Bacqueville  de  la  Potherie ''  says: 

They  have  another  game  which  consists  of  a  handful  of  straws,  the  number 
of  which  is,  however,  limited.  They  separate  first  this  handful  In  two,  making 
certain  gestures,  which  only  serve  to  increase  the  interest  In  the  game,  and  in  It, 
as  in  bowl,  they  strike  themselves  heavil.v  upon  the  naked  skin  on  the  shoulders 
and  on  the  che.st.  When  they  have  separated  the  straws,  they  retain  one  portion 
and  give  the  other  to  their  companions.  One  does  not  easily  understand  this 
game,  your  lordship,  at  sight.     They  seem  to  play  odd  and  even. 

Father  Louis  Hennepin  ■■  says: 

They  also  often  play  with  a  number  of  straws  half  a  foot  long  or  thereabouts. 
There  is  one  who  takes  them  all  in  his  hand :  then,  without  looking,  he  divides 
Ihem  In  two.  When  he  has  separated  them,  he  gives  one  part  to  his  antagonist. 
AA'hoever  has  an  even  number,  according  as  they  have  agreed,  wins  the  game. 

They  have  also  another  game  which  is  very  common  among  little  children 
In  Europe.  They  take  kernels  of  Indian  corn  or  something  of  the  kind;  then 
they  put  some  in  one  hand  and  ask  how  many  there  are.  The  one  who  guesses 
the  number  wins. 

Baron  La  Hontan  "*  says: 

They  have  three  sorts  of  games.  Their  game  of  counters  is  purely  numerical, 
and  he  that  can  add,  subtract,  multiply,  and  divide  best  by  these  counters  is  the 

winner. 

KOLUSCHAN    STOCK 

Chilkat.  Alaska.  (United  States  National  Museum.) 
Cat.  no.  46487.  Thirty-four  cylindrical  wood  sticks,  part  of  three 
sets,  ten  4f  inches,  fifteen  5j\  inches,  and  nine  5^  inches  in 
length,  all  marked  with  black  and  red  ribbons.  Collected  by 
Commander  L.  A.  Beardslee,  U.  S.  Navy. 
Cat.  no.  fiTOOOa.  Set  of  fifty-seven  cylindrical  bone  sticks,  4|| inches 
in  length  and  five-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  with  a  hole 
drilled  near  one  end  for  stringing;  all  engraved  with  fine  encir- 
cling lines.  One  is  set  with  a  rectangular  strip  of  abalone  shell 
and  one  with  a  I'ectangular  piece  of  ivory,  having  another  hole, 
similarly  shaped,  from  which  the  ivory  has  been  removed.     Six 

"■  Rev.  .T.  Tailhan.  who  edited  Perrot's  manuscript,  after  referring  to  Lafltau's  statement 
that  Perrot's  description  of  this  game  is  so  obscure  that  it  is  nearly  unintelligiljie,  says 
that  he  lias  not  been  mor^  successful  than  his  predecessors,  and  the  game  of  straws 
remains  to  him  an  unsolved  game.      (Notes  to  chap.  10,  p.  188.) 

^  Histolre  de  I'Am^rique  Septeutrionaie,  v.  3.  p.  22,  Paris,  172.S. 

^A  Description  of  Louisiana,  p.  .301.  New  York.  1880. 

■*  New  Voyages  to  North-America,  v.  2.  p.  18,  London,  1703. 


244  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS        [eth.  ann.  24 

others  have  deep  square  and  triangular  holes  for  the  insertion  of 
slips  of  ivory  or  shell,  and  twelve  are  engraved  with  conventional 
animal  designs,  of  which  five  have  holes  for  the  insertion  of 
ivory  eyes;  ends  fiat. 
■Cat.  no.  6790nb.  Set  of  thirty-nine  cylindrical  hone  sticks,  4iV 
inches  in  length  and  four-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  with 
a  hole  drilled  near  one  end  for  stringing;  all  engraved  with  fine 
encircling  lines.  One  has  two  deep  rectangular  holes  for  the 
insertion  of  abalone  shell,  which  has  been  removed.  One  has  a 
row  of  three  dots  and  three  dotted  circles.  Four  are  engraved 
with  conventional  animal  designs. 
The  two  sets  were  collected  by  Mr  John  J.  McLean. 

■Chilkat.  Alaska.  (Cat.  no.  ^^-g,  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History.) 

Sixteen  maple  gambling  sticks,  4/jt  inches  in  length  and  five-sixteenths 
of  an  inch  in  diameter,  marked  with  red  and  black  ribbons,  and 
six  with  burnt  totemic  designs ;  ends  ovate.  AVith  the  above  are 
ten  odd  sticks  belonging  to  six  or  seven  different  sets.  Collected 
by  Lieut.  George  T.  Emmons,  U.  S.  Navy. 

Stikine.  Alaska.  (Cat.  no.  y^l-j,  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History.) 

Set  of  fifty-three  wood  gambling  sticks,  4^|  inches  in  length  and  five- 
sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  in  leather  pouch;  all  marked 
with  red  and  black  ribbons,  and  having  each  end  incised  with 
three  crescent-shaped  marks  suggesting  a  human  face;  in  part 
inlaid  with  small  pieces  of  abalone  shell  and  small  rings  of  copper 
wire;  ends  flat.  Collected  by  Lieut.  George  T.  Emmons,  U.  S. 
Navy. 

Taku.     Taku  inlet,  Alaska.     (American  Museum  of  Natural  His- 
tory.) 
Cat.  no.  -^-g.     Set  of  fifty-seven  cylindrical  polished  maple  sticks, 
4}-|  inches  in  length,  in  leather  pouch :    all  marked  with  red  and 
black  I'ibbons. 
These  were  collected  by  Lieut,  (ieorge  T.  Emmons.  U.  S.  Na\'y, 
who  gave  the  following  designations  of  the  sticks: 

Eight  are  designed  as  kite,  blackfish ;  one  as  tieesh  sakh'.  starfish ;  four  as  kah. 
duck:  ten  as  liite-la-ta,  sea  gull;  four  as  nork.  sunfish  ;  four  iis  shuuko.  roiiin  ; 
four  as  heon,  fly;  three  as  kur-shish-show,  like  a  dragon  fly;  three  as  tseeke, 
black  bear ;  throe  as  gowh,  surf  duck  ;  four  as  larkar ;  three  as  yah-ah-un-a, 
South  Southerlee  [sic]  ;  three  as  ihk-ok-kohm,  cross  pieces  of  canoe;  two  as 
kea-tblu,  dragon  fly  :   one  as  tis.  moon. 

Cat.  no.  ^^.  Set  of  sixty-si.x  cylindrical  polished  wood  sticks,  4|f 
inches  in  length,  in  leather  pouch.  Twenty-seven  of  these  sticks 
are  marked  with  red  and  black  ribbons ;  thirty-eight  are  plain,  of 


ciLixi  STICK  games:  tlingit  245 

which  some  show  old  bands,  obliterated  but  not  removed,  while 
two  are  inlaid  with  a  small  rectangular  piece  of  black  horn  (plate 
IV,  k),  and  one  with  a  small  ring  of  copper  wire. 
These  also  were  collected  by  Lieutenant  Emmons,  who  gave  the 
following  description  of  the  twenty-seven  marked  sticks: 

Three  are  clesignntetl  ns  tuk-kut-ko-yar,  humming  bird  (phite  iv,  a)  ;  three  as 
kark,  golileii-eye  duck  tphite  iv,  b)  :  three  as  dulth.  a  bird  like  a  heron  without 
topknot  (plate  iv,  c)  :  three  as  kau-kon.  sun  (plate  iv.  d)  :  four  as  kite,  black- 
fish  (plate  IV,  e)  ;  three  as  sarish.  four-pronged  starfish  (plate  iv,  /)  ;  three  as 
kok-khatete,  loon  (plate  iv.  (/ )  :  three  as  ars,  stick,  tree  (plate  iv.  li)  ;  two  as 
fa-thar-ta,  sea  gull   (plate  iv,  j). 

Tlingit.     Alaska.     (American  Museum  of  Natural  History.) 
Cat.  no.  ^f  y.     Set  of  forty-three  gambling  sticks,  5^\  inches  in  length 
and  five-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  in  leather  pouch ;  one 
plain,  others  marked  with  red  and  black  ribbon;  ends  iiipple- 
shajjed.     Fort  Wrangell. 
Cat.  no.  -jf ;,.     Set  of  forty-six  wooden  gambling  sticks,  5^\  inches  in 
length   and   five-sixteenths  of  an    inch   in   diameter,   in   leather 
pouch;  all  marked  with  red  and  black  ribbons.     Fort  Wrangell. 
Cat.  no.  ^-j-y.     Set  of  sixty-two  polislied  maple  gambling  sticks,  4^\ 
inches  in  length  and  one-fourth  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  in  leather 
pouch;  painted  with  red  and  black  ribbons,  in  part  inlaid  with 
abalone   shell ;    one   carved   with   head   of   a   man ;    ends  ovate. 
Sitka. 
Cat.  no.  T^.     Set  of  sixty-seven  maple  gambling  sticks,  ,4^  inches 
in  lengtli  and  flve-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  in  leather 
pouch ;    all    marked    with    red    and   black   ribbons ;    ends   ovate. 
Sitka. 
Cat.  no.  -ffy.     Set  of  forty-three  wood  gambling  sticks,  4|f  inches  in 
length  and  four-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,   in  leather 
pouch;  twenty-two  painted  with  red  and  black  ribbons,  others 
plain,  ends  having  small  raised  flat  disk. 
Cat.  no.  j-^j.     Set  of  forty-nine  wood  gambling  sticks,  3y\-  inches  in 
length   and   five-sixteenths  of  an   inch  in  diameter,  in   leather 
pouch;  all  painted  with  red  and  black  ribbons;  ten  inlaid  with 
small  pieces  of  abalone  shell,  copper,  and  horn;  ends  flat.     Fort 
Wrangell. 
All  of  the  above  specimens  were  collected  by  Lieut.  George  T.  Em- 
mons, U.  S.  Navy.     The  name  is  given  as  alhkar. 

In  a  reply  to  an  inquiry  addressed  by  the  writer,  Lieutenant  Em- 
mons wrote  as  follows: 

All  of  the  sets  of  sticks  catalogued  in  my  collection  in  New  York  were  pro- 
cured among  the  Tlingit  people,  who  inhabit  the  coast  of  southeastern  Alaska 
from  Xass  river  northward  to  the  delta  of  Copper  river,  together  with  the 
adjacent  islands  of  the  Ale.xauder  archi])elago,  exclusive  of  Annette  and  the 


246  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [etii.  asn.  2-t 

western  portion  of  Prince  of  Wales  Island.  The  Tlingit  are  divided  into  six- 
teen tribal  divisions,  but  these  are  purely  geographical.  They  are  practically 
one  people,  all  Tlingit  in  language,  customs,  and  manners.  Gambling  sticks  are 
common  to  all,  but  are  more  generally  found  among  the  more  southern  people. 
The  same  character  of  stick  is  found  among  the  three  contiguous  peoples, 
Tlingit,  Haida,  and  Tsimshiau,  and  I  should  say  e.xtended  down  the  west  to  the 
extremity  of  Vancouver  island.  The  Tlingit  are  the  most  northeu  people  who 
use  them.  I  believe  the  names,  which  depend  upon  the  sticks,  are  somewhat 
arbitrary. 

Dr  Aurel  Kraiise  "  says : 

The  Tlingit  play  with  round  sticks  marked  with  red  stripes,  about  4  inches 
In  length.  These  are  mixed  by  rolling  a  bundle  of  from  ten  to  twenty  back- 
ward and  forward  between  the  palms  of  the  hands.  .  .  .  The  sticks  are  then 
dealt  out.  together  with  a  piece  of  cedar  bark,  which  serves  to  cover  the  marks. 
It  is  now  the  point  to  guess  these  marks.     Two  persons  or  two  sides  only  jjlay. 

Tlingit.    Norfolk  sound,  Alaska, 
Capt.  George  Dixon  *  says : 

The  only  gambling  implements  I  saw  were  fifty-two  small  round  bits  of  wood, 
about  the  size  of  your  middle  finger,  and  differently  marked  with  red  paint.  A 
game  is  played  by  two  persons  with  these  pieces  of  wood,  and  chiefly  consists 
in  placing  them  in  a  variety  of  positions,  but  I  am  unable  to  describe  it  minutely. 
The  man  whom  T  before  mentioned  our  having  on  board  at  Port  Mulgrave  lost 
a  knife,  a  spear,  and  several  toes  [toys]  at  this  game  in  less  than  an  hour : 
though  this  loss  was  at  least  equal  to  an  English  gamester  losing  his  estate,  yet 
the  poor  fellow  bore  his  ill  fortune  with  great  patience  and  equanimity  of 
temper. 

Port  des  Frangais,  Alaska. 

J.  F.  G.  de  la  Perouse "  says : 

They  have  thirty  wooden  pieces,  each  having  different  marks  like  our  dice ; 
of  these  they  hide  seven ;  each  of  them  plays  in  his  turn,  and  he  whose  guess 
comes  nearest  to  the  number  marked  upon  the  seven  pieces  is  the  winner  of  the 
stake  agreed  upon,  which  is  generally  a  piece  of  iron  or  a  hatchet.  This  gaming 
renders  them  serious  and  melancholy,  i 

Sitka,  Alaska, 

Otto  von  Kotzebue  "*  says : 

Their  common  game  is  played  with  little  wooden  sticks  painted  of  various 
colors,  and  called  by  several  names,  such  as  crab,  whale,  duck,  etc.,  which  are 
mingled  promiscuously  together,  and  placed  in  he.aps  covered  with  moss,  the 
players  being  then  required  to  tell  in  which  heap  the  crab,  the  whale,  etc.,  lies. 
They  lose  at  this  game  all  their  possessions,  and  even  their  wives  and  children, 
who  then  become  the  property  of  the  winner. 

"  Die  Tlinkit-Indlaner,  p.  164,  Jena,  1885.  He  gives  the  name  of  tlie  game  in  liis 
vocabulary  as  alchka,  katokkftsclia ;  that  of  the  stick  marked  with  a  red  rin.e  as  nak'- 
alcbka. 

'A  Voyage  round  the  World,  p.  245,  London,  1789. 

«A  Voyage  round  the  World,  in  the  .vears  1785,  1786,  1787,  and  1788,  v.  2,  p.  150, 
London,  1798, 

"■A  New  Voyage  round  the  World,  v.  2,  p.  61,  London,  1830. 


CLLIX] 


STICK    GAMES:    KLAMATH 


247 


KT7LANAPAN    STOCK 

PoMo.  Ukiah,  California.  (Cat.  no.  3002,  Brooklyn  Institute  Mu- 
seum.) 

Bundle  of  thirty-five  small  peeled  sticks  (figure  328).  4?  inches  in 
length,  and  eight  counting  sticks,  split  twigs  with  bark  on  one 
side,  7  inches  in  length.     Collected  \>y  the  writer  in  1903. 

One  plnyer  takes  tlio  liundle  of  sticks,  forty  or  tifty,  in  his  liands,  and  divides 
them  swiftly,  and  then  counts  them  off  in  fours,  the  other  player  finessing  the 
remainder  by  calling  out' yet,  pun,  ship,  (now  obsolete. — .j.  w.  h.K  or  to,  accord- 
ing as  he  would  guess  a  remainder  of  one.  two,  three,  or  none  over.  If  he 
guesses  correctly,  he  scores  and  takes  one  of  the  eight  counting  sticks. 


Fig.  328.  Fig.  329. 

Fig.  328.    Stick  game;  length  of  sticks,  4}  inches:  length  of  counters,  7  inches;  Porno  Indians, 

Ukiah,  California;  cat.  no.  3002,  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 
Fig.  329.    Stick  game:  length  of 'sticks,  25  inches;  length  of  counters,  7  inches;  Porno  Indians, 

Mendocino  county,  California;  cat.  no.  70938,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

■ Seven  miles  south  of  Ukiah,  Mendocino  county,  California. 

(Cat.  no.  70938,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Bundle  of  forty-five  sticks  (figure  329),  2J  inches  in  length,  and  six 
counting  sticks,  7  inches  in  length. 
These  were  collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Pludson,  who  describes  them  as 

used  in  a  guessing  game  called  witcli. 

Lake      county,      California. 

(Cat.  no.  71010,  Field  Co- 
lumbian Museum.) 


Bundle  of  sticks,  5  inches  in  length 
(figure   330),   for   match   game. 
Collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson, 
Avho  gave   the   Porno   name   for 
the  game  as  haimasol,  sticks  mixed  up. 


Fig.  330.  Stick  game;  length  of  sticks,  5 
inches;  Porno  Indians.  Lake  county.  Cali- 
fornia; cat.  no.  TlOlO,  Field  Columbian 
MTiseum. 


LUTDAMIAN  STOClv 


Kla.math.     Siletz  reservation,  Oregon.     (Cat.  no.  63607,  Field  Co- 
lumbian Museum.) 
Thirteen  fine  wooden  splints  (figure  331),  sharp  pointed  at  both  ends, 
Gi  inches  in  length.     Eleven  of  the  sticks  have  three  bands  of 


248  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS        [eth.  ANN.  24 

red  alternating  with  two  black  (burned)  bands  in  the  middle,  and 
on  two  the  liand  in  the  middle  is  white. 
These  were  collected   by   ^Ir  T.   Jay   Biifort,   who   furnished  the 
following  account  of  the  game,  under  the  name  of  tuckinaw. 

Thi.s  game  is  played  on  the  priuciple  of  the  bone  hand  game.  The  sticks  are 
divided  and  a  wisp  of  grass  is  wrapped  around  each  of  the  bundles,  which  are 
laid  out  in  front  of  the  player  for  the  opposite  side  to  guess ;  in  this  game  the 
party  loses  if  he  guesses  the  white  stick. 


Fig.  Sfl.    Stick  game;  length  of  sticks,  6.V  inches;  Klamath  Indians,  Siletz  reservation,  Oregon; 
cat.  no.  KMJT,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

MOQUELUMNAN   STOCK 

Olamentke  and  CostIvnoan.     San  Francisco  mission,  California. 

Otto  von  Kotzebue,"*  who  gives  a  list  of  the  tribes  at  this  mission, 
comprising  Guimen,  Olumpali,  Saklan,  Sonomi,  and  Utchium,  says: 

This  being  a  holiday,  the  Indians  did  no  work,  but,  divided  into  groups, 
amused  themselves  with  various  pastimes,  one  of  which  requires  particular 
dexterity.  Two  sit  on  the  ground  opposite  each  other,  holding  in  their  hands 
a  number  of  thin  sticks,  and  these  tieing  thrown  up  at  the  same  time  with  great 
rapidity  they  immediately  guess  whether  the  number  is  odd  or  even  ;  at  the 
side  of  each  of  the  players  a  person  sits,  who  scores  the  .sjain  and  loss.  As 
they  always  play  for  something  and  yet  possess  nothing  but  their  clothing, 
which  tliey  are  not  allowed  to  stake,  they  employ  much  pains  and  skill  on  little 
white  shells,  which  serve  instead  of  money. 

Again,  he  says : '' 

The  game  is  iilayed  between  two  antagonists,  at  odd  or  even,  with  short  sticks ; 
an  umpire  keeps  the  account  with  other  sticks. 

pujunan  .stock 
Olol()i-a.     California. 
A.  Delano  ''  says : 

They  are  most  inveterate  gamblers,  and  frequently  play  away  every  article 
of  value  they  possess,  but  beads  are  their  staple  gambling  currency.  They 
have  two  or  three  games,  one  of  which  is  with  small  sticks,  held  in  the  hand, 
which  being  suddenly  opened,  some  roll  on  the  fingers,  when  the  opposite  player 
guesses  at  a  glance  their  number.  If  he  guesses  right,  he  wins;  if  wrong,  pays 
the  forfeit. 

"A  Voyage  of  Discovery    (181.'5-18),  v.   1.  p.  2.S1,  London,   1821. 

"  U)id,  V.  3,  p.  44. 

*■  Life  on  the  Plains,  p.  307,  Auburn,  1S54. 


cLLiNi  STICK  games:  clemclemalats  249 

SALISHAN    STOCK 

Bellacoola.     British  Columbia.      (Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Cat.  no.  18349.  Set  of  fifty-five  cylindrical  wood  sticks,  45  inches  in 
length,  in  leather  pouch ;  variously  fi<>ured.  the  ends  rounded. 

Cat.  no.  18348.  Set  of  twenty-four  cylindrical  wood  sticks.  4}  inches 
in  length,  in  leather  pouch  ;  twenty-four  painted  in  various  ways, 
and  three  carved  to  represent  the  human  figure. 

Cat.  no.  18350.     Set  of  forty-two  cylindrical  wood  sticks.  4^  inches 
in  length,  in  leather  pouch:  variously  marked  with  colored  rib- 
bons, the  ends  rounded. 
All  collected  by  Dr  Franz  Boas. 

British    Columbia.      ( Cat.    no.    Tri-sTT?    American    Museum    of 

Natural  History.) 
Set  of  gambling  sticks,  collected  by  ^Ir  (ieorge  Hunt. 
Chilli  WHACK.     British  Columbia. 

Mr  Charles  Hill-Tout "  gives-  the  following  words  in  his  vocabulary : 

Gamble  (to),  lelahii'l:   I  gnmhle.  loLTliii'l-tcil  :  Kamhling  stick.  slEbii'l. 
Clallaji.     Washington. 

A  Clallam  boy,  John  Raub,  described  this  tribe  as  playing  the 
guessing  game  with  wooden  disks,  under  the  name  of  slahaluni.  The 
disk  with  a  white  edge  is  called  swaika,  man,  and  that  with  a  dark 
edge,  slani,  woman. 

Fort  Vancouver,  Washington. 

Paul  Kane  ''  says : 

Tbo  giime  is  called  leliailum,  and  is  played  witb  ten  small  cireulnr  jiieces  of 
wood,  one  of  wbich  is  maiUed  black  ;  tbese  pieces  are  sbuffled  about  rapidly 
between  two  bundles  of  frayed  cedar  bark.  His  opponent  suddenly  stops  bis 
shuffling  and  endeavors  to  guess  in  wbicb  bundle  the  blackened  piece  is  con- 
cealed. Tbe.v  are  so  passionately  fond  (if  this  game  that  they  frequently  pass 
two  or  three  consecutive  da.vs  and  nights  at  it  without  ceasing. 

Clemclemalats.     Kuper    island,    British    Columbia.      (Berlin    Mu- 
seum fiir  V(")lkerkunde.) 
Cat.   no.   IV   A   2031.      Eleven   wooden   gaming   disks,   2   inches   in 
diameter. 


Fig.  3:^2.    Wooden  gaminj;  disk;    diameter,  U  inches:    Clemclemalats  Indians,  Knper  island. 
British  Columbia;  cat.  no.  IV  A  2^:581,  Berlin  Museum  fiir  Volkerkunde. 

Cat.  no.   IV   A  2381.     Ten  wooden  gaming  disks    (figure  332),   If 
inches  in  diameter. 
Both  were  collected  by  Mr  F.  Jacobsen. 

°  Report  of   the   Seventy-second   Meeting  of  the   British   Association   for   the   Advance- 
ment of  Science,  p.  R^H.  London,  1003. 

'  Wanderings  of  an  Artist  among  the  Indians  of  North  America,  p.  220,  London,  1859. 


250  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMEllK'AX    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 

XisQUALLY.     Washington. 

Mr  George  Gibbs  "  states : 

"Another  [game],  at  which  they  exhibit  still  more  interest,  is 
played  with  ten  disks  of  hard  wood,  about  the  diameter  of  a  Mexican 
dollar,  and  somewhat  thicker,  called,  in  the  jargon,  tsil-tsil;  in  the 
Niskwalli  language  la-halp.  One  of  these  is  marked  and  called  the 
chief.  A  smooth  mat  is  spread  on  the  ground,  at  the  ends  of  which 
the  opposing  players  are  seated,  their  friends  on  either  side,  who  are 
provided  with  the  requisites  for  a  noise,  as  in  the  other  case.  The 
party  holding  the  disks  has  a  bundle  of  the  fibers  of  the  cedar 
bark,  in  which  he  envelops  them,  and,  after  rolling  tlieni  about,  tears 
the  bundle  into  two  parts,  his  opponent  guessing  in  which  bundle  the 
chief  lies.  These  disks  are  made  of  the  yew,  and  must  be  cut  into 
.sha])e  with  beaver-tooth  chisels  only.  The  marking  of  them  is  in  it- 
self an  art,  certain  persons  being  able  by  their  spells  to  imbue  them 
with  luck,  and  their  manufactures  bring  very  high  prices.  The  game 
is  counted  as  in  the  first  mentioned.  Farther  down  the  coast,  ten 
highly  polished  sticks  are  used,  instead  of  disks." 

Pend  d'Oreilles.     Montana. 

The  Dictionary  of  tlie  Kalispel ''  gives  the  following  definition: 

Play  at  sticks,  chines  zliillioi. 
PuYALLUP.     Puyallup  reservation,  Puget  sound,  Washington.      (Cat. 

no.   55004,  Field   Columbian  Museum.) 
Set  of  ten  wooden  disks,  2^  inches  in  diameter,  with  raised  edge. 

T'his  was  collected  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey,  who  has  furnished  the 
following  particulars: 

Name  of  game,  suwextUz ;  name  of  disks.  lahalabp;  six  females,  half  black 
'and  half  white;  one  male,  all  black:  three  odd,  all  white,  chatosedn. 

I  was  told  by  the  Indians  from  ^v!lom  I  got  the  game  that  there  are  generally 
fifty  counters. 

Tacoma.  Washington. 


The  Taconui  correspondent  of  the  San  Francisco  Examiner,  Mr 
Thomas  Sammons.  gives  the  following  account  in  that  jiaper,  Febru- 
ary 10, 1895: 

The  sing  gamble  is  the  great  contest  between  two  trilies  of  the  Puget  Sound 
Indians  for  the  trophies  of  the  year  and  for  such  blankets,  wearing  apparel, 
vehicles,  and  horses  as  can  be  spared  to  be  used  for  stakes,  and  sometimes  more 
than  should  be  spared.  This  year  the  pot  at  the  beginning  of  the  gamble  con- 
sisted of  12  Winchester  rifles  of  the  latest  pattern.  11  sound  horses.  7  buggies, 
100  blankets,  43  shawls,  an  uncounted  pile  of  mats,  clothing  for  men  and  women 
(some  badly  worn  and  some  in  good  condition,  but  mostly  worn),  and  .$49  in 
money. 

"Contributions  to  North  American  Ethnology,  v.  1,  p.  206,   Wasblnston,  1S77. 
'A  Dictionary  of  the  Kalispel  or  Flathead  Indian  Language,  comp'iled  by  the  Mission- 
aries of  the  Society  of  .lesus.     St.  Ignatius  Print.  Montana.  1877-8-9. 


CULiN]  STICK    GAMES:    Pt'YALLUP  251 

This  year  the  sing  gamble  was  lielrt  in  the  barn  of  Jalie  Tai-ugh.  commonly 
koown  as  Charley  Jacobs,  whose  place  is  4  miles  from  Tacoma.  At  the  begin- 
ning of  the  sing  gamble,  67  old  men  and  women,  many  of  them  wrinkled,  many 
of  them  gray-headed,  gathered  at  Jake's  big  barn,  which  had  been  cleared  of  all 
hay,  grain,  and  other  stores. 

On  the  ground,  which  serves  as  a  floor,  were  laid  two  mats  woven  from  straw 
and  weeds  and  flags.  Each  of  these  mats  was  3  feet  wide  and  6  long.  Be- 
tween the  mats  was  a  space  of  about  3  feet.  Around  these  squatted  the  .serious 
gamblers  of  the  ancient  races,  many  of  them  wearing  brilliantly  colored 
blankets,  others  arrayed  in  combination  costumes  jiicked  up  at  the  reservation 
or  in  the  town.  As  a  necessary  preparation  to  the  game,  the  drummers,  one  for 
each  tribe,  took  positions  in  front  of  their  drums,  made  of  horsehide  drawn  over 
one  end  of  a  stout  frame  2  feet  and  6  inches  deep.  Beating  heavily  on  these 
drums  with  sticks,  the  sound  is  similar  to  that  from  a  bass  drum,  save  that  it 
is  more  sonorous,  and  is  readily  heard  at  a  distance  of  half  a  mile.  As  the 
drums  beat  the  Indians  begin  their  chants  or  wails,  the  men  shouting  "  Hi-ah, 
hi-ah,  hi-ah,"  and  the  women  moaning  an  accompaniment  between  the  shouts  of 
their  braves,  sounding  something  like  this:    "  Mm-uh.  nim-uh.  nim-uh." 

The  players  gather  around  the  mats,  seven  being  permitted  on  each  side. 
One  mat  is  for  the  Puyallup,  the  other  for  the  Black  Uivers.  The  dealer  for 
each  side  sits  at  the  head  of  his  mat,  fingering  deftly  ten  wooden  chips,  about 
2  inches  in  diameter  and  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick.  Nine  of  these  are  of  the 
same  color,  but  the  tenth  is  different  in  color,  though  similar  in  shape  and 
dimensions.  The  shuffler  handles  the  chips  rapidly,  like  an  experienced  faro 
dealer  playing  to  a  big  board.  He  transfers  them  from  one  hand  to  another, 
hides  them  under  a  pile  of  shavings  made  from  the  cedar  bark  growing  close  to 
the  sap,  resembling  much  the  product  called  excelsior.  He  divides  the  chips 
into  two  piles  of  live  each,  and  conceals  each  pile  i\nder  the  shavings.  Mysteri- 
ously he  waves  his  hands  forward  and  backward,  crosswise,  and  over  and  over, 
making  passes  like  the  manipulations  of  a  three-card  nionte  dealer.  The  drum 
keeps  up  its  constant  beat ;  the  Indians  at  the  mats  and  those  looking  on  with 
interest  clap  their  hands  and  stamp  and  chant  in  time  to  the  drum. 

Now  is  the  time  for  the  Indian  assigned  to  guess  to  point  to  one  of  the  two 
piles.  The  game  is  entirel.v  one  of  chance,  there  being  no  possible  means  for 
the  closest  observer  to  detect  in  which  pile  the  dealer  places  the  odd-colored  chip. 
It  is  the  custom  of  the  game,  however,  for  the  guesser  to  ponder  for  some  time 
before  deciding  which  pile  to  select.  This  adds  interest  and  excitement  to  the 
speculation.  Finally  he  decides,  and  with  his  finger  points  to  one  of  the  piles. 
The  dealer  rolls  the  chips  across  the  mat  to  the  farther  end.  If  the  guess  is 
right  the  side  for  which  the  guesser  is  acting  scores  1  point.  If  the  guess  is 
wrong  the  tribe  to  which  the  dealer  belongs  scores  a  point  and  the  other  side 
takes  the  innings — that  is  to  say,  the  deal.  John  Towallis  was  captain  of  the 
Puyallup  team,  and  is  now  the  most  pojiular  man  in  the  tribe  on  account  of  the 
remarkable  victory  of  his  side  after  the  session  of  nearly  a  month,  and  also  on 
account  of  the  quantity  and  value  of  the  pot.  Captain  Jack,  the  leader  of  the 
unsuccessful  Black  liiver  team,  proved  a  thorough  sport;  for,  in  addition  to  his 
contribution  to  the  stake  of  his  tribe,  he  staked  and  lost  his  greatest  treasure,  a 
big  knife;  his  principal  decoration,  shiny  brass  rings,  all  his  money  (-$60),  his 
watch,  his  rifle  and  his  harness,  his  buggy,  and  his  horse.  He  advised  his  com- 
panions on  the  team  to  bet  everything  they  had.  except  their  canoes.  He  insisted 
that  they  should  keep  those  in  order  that  they  might  have  some  wa.v  to  get  home. 
He  was  not  so  careful  of  himself  as  of  them,  for  he  had  to  walk  when  the  time 
came.     Some  of  the  men  and  the  squaws  who  paddled  home  in  their  canoes  felt 


252 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       (eth.  ANN.  24 


the  sLiarpuess  of  the  weather,  for  shirts  anil  trousers  were  exeeediugly  scarce 
when  the  sixtieth  stick  had  gone  to  the  Puyallup  end  of  the  board.  At  the  last 
linrt  of  the  gamble  the  Black  Rivers  iilunged  wildly.  The  run  of  luck  of  the 
Puyallup  had  been  constant,  and  Captain  .Jack  announced  to  his  followers  that 
this  could  not  continue.  Luck  nuist  turn,  and  here  was  a  chance  for  them  to  get 
every  movable  thing,  except  that  which  belongs  to  the  Government,  transferred 
from  the  Puyallup  Reservation  over  to  the  Black  River  Reservation.  His  men 
were  quick  to  follow  his  suggestion,  and  the  result  is  that  poverty  is  intense  this 
year  at  Black  River  and  the  Puyallup  are  having  a  boom. 

Mr  Samiiions  has  kindly  furnished  the  writer  with  the  diagram 
(figure  333)  showing  the  laositions  of  the  players. 

Four  Indians  sit  on  each  side  of  the  two  mats,  making  teams  of  eight  on  each 
side  in  addition  to  the  Indian  who  actually  does  the  playing.  The  position  of 
this  Indian  is  designated  A,  B.  At  the  time  of  making  the  drawing  A  was 
shuffling  the  disk,  a  piece  of  wood,  glass,  or  stone,  half  the  size  of  an  ordinary 
table  saucer.  The  players  two  hands  rest  on  the  mat,  and  aliout  them  is  a 
buuch  of  straw,  moss,  or  anything  of  a  like  nature  that  can  be  had  conveniently 


O^ 


TALLY  BOARD 


O^ 


o  o  o  o 


o 


o= 

o 

o 

o 

'  ,!.'1V|  1 

iW 

1 ''  '  ''                                    ■  .r, 

o« 


o  o  o  o 

Black    River    Side 


O   u   u   O 

Pu'T'An.uP  Side 


Flu.  :«<.    Position  of  players  in  disk  game:  Puyallup  Indians,  Washington;  from  sketch  by 

jlr  Tliomas  Sammons. 

and  used  for  the  purpose  of  hiding  the  player's  hands  and  confusing  the  oppo- 
site team  while  the  disk  is  being  shuffled  about.  E  and  F  represent  tuui-tum, 
or  bass-drum,  players,  who  keep  up  a  loud  drumming  while  the  shuffling  is 
going  on.  This  is  done  with  the  hope  of  confusing  the  opposite  team,  much  as 
coaching  is  carried  in  from  the  coaching  line  for  baseball  teams  of  the  present 
period.  A  blazing  heap  of  logs  at  the  side  warms  the  warriors  and  is  tended 
by  the  women.  The  women  during  tlie  game  sing  monotonously,  as  do  also 
the  four  men  on  each  side  of  the  player.  The  opposing  team,  who  have  to  do 
the  guessing,  remain  very  quiet  and  watch  very  closely  every  move  of  the 
hider's  hands.  Should  the  ojiposing  team  guess  rightly,  one  stick  the  size  of 
one's  thumb  and  about  6  inches  long  is  added  to  the  team's  credit  on  the  tally 
board  placed  between  the  drummers.  Should  the  opposing  team  fail  to  guess. 
a  stick  is  added  to  the  credit  of  the  team  whose  captain  is  doing  the  shuffling. 
When  either  side  wins  all  the  sticks  the  game  is  over,  and  the  cows,  horses, 
wearing  apparel,  dogs,  harness,  cash,  watches,  and  wagons  constituting  the 
stakes  are  delivered  to  the  winners. 

Shuswap.     Kamloops,  British  Columbia. 
I)r  Franz  Boas"  says: 
Another  gambling  game  is  played  with  a  series  of  sticks  of  maple  wood  about 


»  Second  General   Report  on  the   Indians  of  British  Columbia.     Report   of  the  Sixtieth 
Meeting  of  the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  641,  London.  1891. 


<-iLixl  STICK    GAMES:    SNOHOMISH  253 

4  inches  long  and  painted  with  various  marks.  There  are  two  players  to  the 
game,  who  sit  opposite  each  other.  A  fisher-skin,  which  is  nicel.v  painted,  is 
placed  between  them,  bent  in  such  a  way  as  to  present  two  faces,  slanting  down 
toward  the  players.  Each  of  these  takes  a  number  of  sticks,  which  he  covers 
with  hay,  shakes,  and  throws  down,  one  after  the  other,  on  his  side  of  the  skin. 
The  player  who  throws  down  the  stick  bearing  a  certain  mark  has  lost. 

Skokomish.     Washington.      (Cat.  no.  li)(J48,  Field  Columbian  Mu- 
seum. ) 
Set  of  ten  wooden  disks,  2  inches  in  diameter  and  one-fourth  of  an 
inch  thick,  periplierv  well  rounded  and  sides  concave,  colored 
light  red;  accompanied  by  a  rough  split  cedar  board.  3  bv   10 
inches,  three-sixteenths  of  an   inch   thick,  said  to  go  with  the 
game. 
Collected  by  llev.  Myron  Kells. 

Snohomish  (0-"     Tulalip  agency.  AVashington.     (Cat.  no.  i:U)!iSl, 

United  States  National  Museum.) 
One  hundred  and  thirty-two  wooden  disks,  part  of  twenty-three  sets. 
Collected  Ijy  ilr  E.   C.  Cherouse.  United  States  Indian   agent, 
1875. 

The  number  of  sets  may  be  somewhat  less  than  this,  owing  to  some 
of  the  jneces.  although  bearing  diti'erent  nuirks.  having  been  com- 
bined for  use. 

The  different  sets  are  distinguished  1)y  a  variety  of  marks,  some  of 
which  are  so  minute  as  to  escape  all  but  careful  examination.  These 
marks  consist  chiefly  of  minute  holes,  like  pin  holes,  in  ones,  twos, 
and  threes,  variously  arranged  on  the  faces  of  the  disks.  Some  sets 
have  raised  rims,  with  a  line  of  nicks  on  each  face  next  to  the  edge; 
others  are  painted  with  a  dark  ring  near  the  edge.  The  edges  are 
either  blackened  or  painted  red  the  entire  distance  around,  or  are  per- 
fectly plain,  or  part  plain  and  part  i)lackened.  this  last  kind  prepon- 
derating. There  are  but  two  complete  sets  of  ten  disks  each  in  the  lot. 
The  disks  vary  from  IJ  to  2^  inches  in  diameter,  those  in  each  set 
being  2)erfectly  miiform  and  appearing  to  be  cut  from  the  same  jiiece 
of  wood. 

The  collector  gave  the  following  account  of  the  game: 

The  present  casters  or  trundles  are  made  of  a  shrub  that  grows  in  rich  bottom 
lands  and  is  called  by  the  Indians  set-ta-chas.  The  shrub  is  the  genus  Vibur- 
num, and  I  would  call  it  the  wild  snowball  tree.  They  boil  the  trundles  during 
three  or  four  hours,  and  when  dried  the.v  scrape  them  with  shave  grass  until 
they  are  well  shaped,  polished,  and  naturally  colored.  The  common  set  for  a 
game  of  two  gamblers  is  twenty  apiece.  Two  of  the  casters  are  called  chiefs 
and  are  edged  with  black  or  white,  and  the  others  are  slaves,  or  servants.  Fine 
mats  are  expanded  on  a  level  place  and  fi.xed  to  the  ground  by  pins  made  for 
that  purpose.  The  two  antagonists,  surrounded  by  their  respective  partners,  sit 
on  the  ends  of  the  mat,  leaving  a  free  space  between.  Each  one  keeps  his 
casters  hidden  under  two  handfuls  of  stlowi.  or  dressed  bark,  the  partners  sing- 

"  It  is  net  possible  to  deterniiue  the  tribe  exactly. 


254  GAMES    OF    THE    XORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      (eth.  ann.  24 

ing.     The  casters  are  (lividetl.  live  muler  the  right  hand  and  five  under  the  left. 

While  the  counters  are  running  out  from   the  right  to  the  left  the  opposite 

antagonist  points  out  to  the  right  or  the  left  before  they  are  out.  naming  the 

chief,  and   if  it  happens  the  chief  conies  out  in  accord  with  the  guessing  the  -^ 

guesser  wins  the  game.     If  it  comes  out  from  a  different  direction,  he  loses  the 

game.     When  Indians  gamble  the.v  paint  their  faces  with  different  colors  and 

designs,  representing  the  spirit  the.v  invoke  for  success,  and  they  do  their  utmost 

to  deceive  each  other. 

SoNGiSH.     Vancouver  islainl.  British  Coliiiabia. 
Dr  Franz  Boas  "  describes  the  following  game  : 

SlEha'lEm.  or  wuqk'"ats.  is  pl.-iyed  with  one  white  and  nine  black  disks.  The 
former  is  called  ■"  the  man."  Two  players  take  part  in  the  game.  They  sit  oppo- 
site each  other,  and  each  has  a  mat  before  him,  the  end  nearest  the  partner 
being  raised  a  little.  The  player  covers  the  disks  with  cedar  bark  and  shakes 
them  in  the  hollow  of  his  hands,  which  are  laid  one  on  the  other.  Then  he 
takes  five  into  each  hand  ami  keeps  them  wrapped  in  cedar  bark,  moving  them 
backward  and  forward  from  right  to  left.  Now  the  opponent  guesses  in  which 
hand  the  white  disk  is.  Each  player  has  five  sticks  lying  in  one  row  by  his  side. 
If  the  guesser  guesses  right,  he  rolls  a  stick  over  to  his  opponent,  who  is  the 
next  to  guess.  If  the  guesser  guesses  wrong,  he  gets  a  stick  from  the  pla.ver  who 
!^ook  the  disks  and  who  continues  to  shake.  The  game  is  at  an  end  when  one 
man  has  got  all  the  sticks.  He  has  lost.  Sometimes  one  tribe  will  challenge 
another  to  n  game  of  slEhii'lEui.  In  this  case  it  is  called  lEhjilEme'latl.  or 
wupfatse'latl. 

Continuing,  Doctor  Boas  says : 

In  gambling  the  well-known  sticks  of  the  northei'n  triljes  are  often  used,  or  a 
piece  of  bone  is  hidden  in  the  hands  of  a  member  of  one  party  while  the  other 
must  guess  where  it  is. 

It  is  considered  indecent  for  the  women  tolook  on  when  the  men  gamble. 
Only  when  two  tribes  play  against  each  other  are  they  allowed  to  be  present. 
They  sing  tluriug  the  .game,  waving  tlieir  arms  up  and  down  rhythmically.  Men 
and  women  of  the  winning  party  paint  their  faces  red. 

Thompson  Indians.     British  Columbia.     (Cat.  no.   iiljj,  American 

Museum  of  Natural  Histoi-y.) 
Set  of  si.xteeu  willow  sticks  (Hgure  334).  o^^  inches  in  length  and 
three-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  all  marked  with  ribbons 
of  red  paint,  in  a  small  fringed  buckskin  pouch,  stitched  with  an 
ornamental  figure  in  red  and  green  silk.  Collected  by  ilr  James 
Teit. 
The  collector  gives  the  following  account : '' 

Another  game,  engaged  in  almost  altogether  by  the  men,  was  played  with  a 
number  of  sticks.  These  were  from  4  to  0  inches  in  length  and  about  a  quarter 
of  an  inch  in  diameter,  made  of  mountain-maple  wood,  rounded  and  smoothed 
off.  There  was  no  definite  number  of  sticks  in  a  set.  Some  .sets  contained  only 
twelve  sticks,  while  others  had  as  many  as  thirty.     Most  of  the  sticks  were 

"  Second  General  Report  on  the  Indians  of  British  Columbia.  Report  of  the  Sixtieth 
Meeting  o£  the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  571.  Loudon.  1S91. 

■•The  Thompson  Indians  of  British  Columbia.  Memoirs  of  the  .\merican  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  v.  2,  p.  272,  New  York,  1900. 


CULIN] 


STICK    GAMES  :   THOMPSON    INDIANS 


255 


carved  or  jiaiuted,  some  of  them  with  pictures  of  animals  or  birds  of  which  tlieir 
posssessors  had  dreamed.  Each  man  had  his  own  sticlis  and  carried  them  in  a 
buckskin  bag.  Two  of  the  sticks  were  marked  with  buckskin  or  sinew  thread 
or  with  a  painted  ring  around  the  middle.  I  do  not  know  e.xaetly  the  points 
which  each  stick  won.  The  players  kneeled  opposite  each  other,  and  each 
spread  out  in  front  of  him  his  gambling  mat  [figure  335],  which  was  made  of 
deerskin.  Each  had  a  bundle  of  dry  grass.  The  man  who  played  first  took  one 
of  the  sticks  with  the  ring,  and  another  one.  generally  one  representative  of  his 
guardian  spirit,  or  some  other  which  he  thought  lucky,  and  put  them  on  his  mat 
so  tliat  tlie  other  player  could  see  them.     Then  he  took  them  to  the  near  end  of 


H^ 


Fig.  334. 


Fig.  3X5. 


Fig.  33«. 
Pig.  334.    Stick  game;  length  of  sticks,  o^%  inches;  Thompson  Indians,  British  Coliunbia;  L-at  no. 

jif  5,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History,    a  and  /,  ska'kalamux,  man;  h,  screw  of  ramrod: 

f,  snake;  c/,  wolf;  c,  otter;  g,  eagle:  ft,  grizzly  bear;  i-h,  without  names:  c.  one  of  fifteen  sticks, 

without  marks. 
Fig.  335.    Gambling  mat  for  stick  game;  length,  31  inches;  Thompson  Indians.  British  Columbia; 

cat  no.  jJJi,,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Fig.  3.31).    Pointer  for  stick  game,  representing  a  crane:  length,  20  inches;  Thompson  Indians, 

British  Columbia:  cat  no.  ji^.  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

the  mat,  where  his  knee  was.  and  where  the  other  man  could  not  see  them,  and 
rolled  each  stick  up  in  dry  grass  until  it  was  completely  covered.  Then  he 
placed  the  grass-covered  sticks  down  on  the  mat  again.  The  other  man  then 
took  his  pointer  [figure  S.'iO]  and.  after  tap|)ing  each  of  the  grass-covered  sticks 
four  times  with  it.  moved  them  around  with  his  pointer  four  times,  following 
the  sun's  course.  Then  he  separated  one  from  the  other  by  pushing  it  with  his 
pointer  to  the  edge  of  the  mat.  Then  the  other  man  took  up  this  stick  and, 
drawing  it  back  and  loosening  the  grass  around  it,  shoved  it  back  into  the  center 
of  his  set  of  stick.s.  Then  he  took  up  his  sticks  and,  after  shaking  them  loosely 
in  his  hands  near  his  ear,  threw  them  down  on  the  mat,  one  after  another. 


25H  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  a.nn.  24 

After  all  had  been  thrown  down,  and  only  one  trump  or  ringed  stick  was  found 
among  them,  then  it  was  known  that  the  other  was  the  one  left  in  the  grass, 
and  therefore  that  the  other  player  had  left  the  winning  stick.  But  if  both 
trunii>s  came  out  when  the  sticks  were  thrown  down  then  it  was  known  that  he 
had  put  aside  the  winning  stick  and  left  the  other,  and  thus  lost.  Afterwards 
the  first  player  had  to  guess  his  opponent's  sticks  in  like  manner.  The  stake 
was  valued,  according  to  agreement,  at  so  many  counters,  and  so  many  counters 
a  chance.  If  a  man  lost  four  times  in  succession,  he  frequently  lost  the  stake. 
Each  player  had  his  own  set  of  sticks,  his  mat.  and  his  pointei-.  The  names 
of  the  designs  on  the  set  represented  in  the  figure  [."'.lU]  are  given  in  the  legend 
of  the  figure.  They  often  accompanied  the  game  with  a  song.  This  game  has 
been  out  of  use  for  many  years.  -  . 

TwAXA.     Washington. 

Rev.  Myron  Eells  «  says  they  have  three  methods  of  gambling — 
with  round  blocks  or  disks,  with  hones,  and  the  women's  game  (the 
beaver-teeth  dice  game).     He  gives  a  more  extended  account  of  these 
games  in  his  paper  on  the  Indians  of  AVashington  Territory.''     Con-  • 
cerning  the  game  with  disks  he  says: 

This  is  the  men's  game,  as  a  general  thing,  hut  sometimes  all  engage  in  it. 
There  are  ten  of  these  disks  in  a  set.  All  but  one  have  a  white  or  black  and 
white  rim.  Five  of  them  are  kept  under  one  hand  of  the  player  on  a  mat  and 
five  underneath  the  other  hand,  covered  with  cedar  liark  beaten  fine.  After 
being  shuffled  round  and  round  for  a  short  time,  one  of  the  opposite  party 
guesses  under  which  hand  the  disk  with  the  black  rim  is.  He  tells  this  without 
a  word,  but  with  a  peculiar  motion  of  oue  hand.  If  he  guesses  right,  he  wins 
and  plays  next ;  but  if  his  conjecture  is  incorrect,  he  loses  and  the  other  side 
continues  to  play.  The  two  rows  of  players  are  10  or  12  feet  apart.  Generally 
they  have  six  or  more  sets  of  these  blocks,  so  that  if.  as  they  suppose,  luck  does 
not  attend  one  set.  they  can  tr.v  another.  These  different  sets  are  marked  on 
tlie  edges  to  distinguish  them  from  other  sets.  Another  way  of  distinguishing 
them  is  by  having  them  of  slightly  different  sizes.  They  are  made  very  smooth 
of  hard  wood,  sandpapered,  and  then  by  use  are  worn  still  smoother.  In  this 
game  they  keep  tally  with  a  number  of  sticks  used  as  checks,  about  3  inches  long. 
The  number  of  these  varies  according  to  the  amount  bet.  twelve  of  them  being 
used,  it  is  said,  when  twenty  dollars  is  wagered.  I  have  never  seen  more  than 
forty  used.  They  begin  with  an  equal  nnmlier  of  checks  for  each  party,  and 
then  each  side  tries  to  win  all.  one  being  transferred  to  the  winner  each  time  the 
game  is  won.  If  there  is  a  large  number  used  and  fortune  favors  ^ach  part.v 
nearly  alike,  it  takes  a  long  time — sometimes  three  or  four  days — to  finish  a 
game.  This  game  is  sometimes  pla.ved  by  only  two  persons,  but  usually  there 
are  many  engaged  in  it.  In  the  latter  case,  when  one  player  becoiues  tired  or 
thinks  lie  is  in  bad  luck  another  takes  his  place. 

Another  form  of  this  game  is  called  the  tamanous  game.  A  large  number  of 
people  who  have  a  tamanous.  including  the  women,  take  part  in  it.  but  the  men 
oidy  shntTle  the  disks.  The  difference  between  this  form  of  tlie  disk  game  and 
the  other  form  consists  in  the  tamanous.  AVhile  one  m.in  plays  the  other  mem- 
bers of  his  party  beat  a  drum.  clas|)  their  hands,  and  sing;  each  one.  I  believe, 
singing  his  or  her  own  tamanous  song  to  invoke  the  aid  of  his  special  gu.irdian 
spirit.  I  was  lately  present  at  one  of  these  games  where  forty  tally  blocks 
or  checks  were  used,  and  which  lasted  for  fmn-  da.vs,  when  all  agreed  to  stop. 


°  BullPtin  of  the  United  States  (Jeolo^riial  Siirve.v.  v.  .'!.  ii.   1.  p.  .'<S.  WasliinKtmi.   1.S77. 
'.Annual  Uepurt  of  tlie  Smithsoniau  Institution  for  ISS".  |it.  1.  p.  G48.  1880. 


CfLi.v]  STICK    GAMES:    ACHOMAWI  257 

neither  party  having  won  the  ^auie.  Very  seldom  do  they  piny  for  mere  fun. 
There  ^s  generally  a  small  stake,  and  sometimes  from  one  hundred  to  two  Jiun- 
dred  dollars  is  bet. 

The  Indians  say  that  they  now  stake  less  money  and  spend  less  time  in  gaming 
than  formerly.  It  is  said  that  in  former  years  as  much  as  a  thousand  dollars 
was  sometimes  staked  and  that  the  players  became  so  infattiated  as  to  bet 
everything  they  had,  even  to  the  clothes  on  their  backs.  At  i)reseiit  they  sel- 
dom gamble  except  on  rain.v  days  or  when  they  have  little  else  to  do.  There 
is  no  drinking  in  connection  with  it.  Outside  i)artie.s  sometimes  l)et  on  the 
game  as  white  people  do.  There  is  a  tradition  that  when  DoUibatt  "  came,  a 
long  time  ago,  he  told  them  to  give  up  all  their  bad  habits  and  things,  these 
among  others  ;  that  he  took  the  disks  and  threw  them  into  the  water,  but  that 
they  came  back.  He  then  threw  them  into  the  fire,  but  they  came  out.  He 
threw  them  away  as  far  as  he  could,  but  they  returned :  and  so  he  threw  them 
away  five  times,  and  every  time  they  came  back  :  after  which  he  told  the  people 
that  they  might  use  them  for  fun  or  sport." 

SHAHAPTIAN    STOCK 

Klikitat.  Washington.  (Cat.  no.  51845,  Peabody  Mnsemii  of 
American  ArchteoIogA'  and  P^thnology.) 

Set  of  ten  wooden  disks,  2  inches  in  diameter,  vsith  raised  rims  and 
incised  marks  around  the  inner. edge.  T\vo  have  plain  wdiite 
edges,  six,  edges  partly  plain  and  partly  burned  black,  and  two 
burned  around  entire  circumference ; "  accompanied  by  four 
wrought  copper  pins  (figure  337),  11  inches  in  length,  said  to 
be  used  in  holding  down  the  mat  on  which  the  game  is  plaj'ed. 
Presented  by  Mr  A.  A^^  Kobinson. 


^^^^^^^ 


M" "i^^^^'^^^^^^ 


Fig.  .337.  Copper  pins  used  in  holding  down  gambling  mat  in  disk  game;  leuijth,  11  inches; 
Klikitat  Indians,  Washington;  cat.  no.  5184.5,  Peabody  Mnseum  of  American  Archieologj-  and 
Ethnology. 

.SHASTAN    STOCK 

AcHOMAWi.     Hat  Creek,  California,     (t^at.  no.  :r|-j-j,  American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History.) 


Fig.  338.    Stick  game;  length  of  sticks,  8J  inches;  Achomawi  Indians,  Hat  Creek,  California;  cat. 
no.  51x3.  American  Museum  uf  Natural  History. 

Nineteen  slender  sticks  (figure  338),  about  8i  inches  in  length. 

Collected  in  1903  by  Dr  Roland  B.  Dixon,  who  gave  the  name  a; 
tcupauwiya. 

".\s   usual,   the  disks   are   marked   with   small   punctures.     The   arrangement    is   as   fol- 
lows :  Two  with  three  marks  on  each  side;  three  with   three  marks  on  one  side,  two  on 
reverse ;  two  with  two  marks  on  each  side ;  three  without  marks. 
24  ETH — 05  M 17 


258  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  a.nn.  24 

Shasta.     Siletz  reservation,  Oregon.  (Cat.  no.    ^f  1^,  American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History. 
Fourteen  sticks  (figure  339).  7  inches  in  length,  two  plain  and  twelve 
painted   in   the  middle  with   a 

_ ,„ - In-oad    brown   band    and    black 

^"'■'iiiiiihiiiiii  bands     outside.     Collected     in 

■ '""■  —  1903  bv  Dr  Roland  B.  Dixon. 


li'imiiujii'.Tii 

■  [)llll[|iI1illlM 


SIOUAN    STOCK 

■ ^IHlfflllllllllllM -  ■> 

m\mu iii» 

-- i^  AssiNiBoiN.     Alberta. 

- - .         Rev.    John    Maclean "    says    the 

-"iiiNii ■-  Stonies    have    the    odd    and    even 

'  »"i'i" ii'i  game,  which  is  played  with  small 

—  sticks  or  goose  quills. 

CoNOAEEE.     North  Carolina. 

Fig.  339.    Stick  game:  length  of  stic-ks.  7  TIT  d     . 

inches;  Shasta  Indians,  Oregon;  cat.  no.  'JOllU   l^awson       SayS : 

^U,  American  Museum  of  Natural  His-  .p^^,    „.„,„pn    ,,.g,.^.  ^5,       f.^,„^^^a 

ill  gaming.     The  iiiinie  or  grounds  of  it  I 

could  not  learn,   though   I   looked  on   above  two  hours.     Their  arithmetic  was 

kept  with  a  heap  of  Indian  grain. 

Elsewhere.''  presumably  referring  to  the  above  game,  he  says: 

Their  chiefest  game  is  a  sort  of  arithmetic,  which  is  managed  by  a  parcel  of 
small  split  reeds,  the  thickness  of  ;i  small  bent;  these  are  made  very  nicely 
so  that  they  part,  and  are  tractable  in  their  hands.  They  are  flfty-one  in  num- 
ber, their  length  about  7  inches:  when  they  play  they  throw  part  of  them  to 
their  antagonist ;  the  cut  is  to  discover,  upon  sight,  how  many  you  have,  and 
what  you  throw  to  him  that  plays  with  yo\i.  Some  are  so  expert  at  their  num- 
bers that  they  will  tell  ten  times  together  what  they  throw  out  of  their  Jiands. 
Although  the  whole  play  is  carried  on  with  the  quickest  motion  it  is  possible  to 
use,  yet  some  are  so  expert  at  this  game  as  to  win  great  Indian  estates  by  this 
play.  A  good  set  of  these  reeds,  fit  to  pl:iy  withal,  are  valued  and  sold  for  a 
dressed  doeskin. 

Dakota  (Teton).     South  Dakota. 

Rev.  J.  Owen  Dorsey,  in  Games  of  Teton  Dakota  Children.''  de- 
scribes a  game  played  by  children  or  adults  of  either  sex : 

Chun  wiyushnan'pi.  odd  or  even.  Played  at  any  time  by  two  persons.  A  like 
number  of  green  switches  must  be  prepared  by  each  player.  Sumac  sticks  are 
generally  chosen,  as  they  are  not  easily  broken  by  handling:  hence  one  name  for 
sumac  stalks  is  "  Counting-stick  stalks,"  One  stick  is  made  tlie  odd  one.  prob- 
ably distinguished  by  some  mark.  When  they  begin,  one  of  the  pla.vers  seizes 
all  the  sticks  and  mixes  them  as  well  as  he  can.  Closing  his  e.ves.  he  divides 
them  into  two  piles,  taking  about  an  equal  number  in  each  hand.  Then  crossing 
his  hands,  he  says  to  the  other  player.  "  Come,  take  whichever  lot  you  choose." 


'  Canadian  Savage  Folk,  p.  26,  Toronto,  1896. 

"The  History  of  Carolina,  p.  27.  London,  1714;  p.  ,52,  Raleigh,  N.  C,  1860. 

'Ibid.,  p.   176,  London  ed.  ;   p.  288,  Raleigh  ed. 

"  The  American  Anthropologist,  v.  4,  p.  344,  1801, 


CULIN]  STICK    GAMES:    HATDA  259 

Both  players  are  seated.     The  other  makes  his  choice,  and  then  eacli  one  exam- 
ines what  he  has.     He  who  has  the  odd  stick  wins  the  game. 

Omaha.     Nebraska. 

Rev.  J.  Owen  Dorsey  "  gives  the  following  description  of  the  stick- 
counting  game  among  the  Omaha  : 

Ja'-ifilwa,  stick  counting,  is  played  b,\-  any  number  of  persons  with  sticks  made 
of  dcska  or  sidi'ihi.  Tliese  sticks  are  all  placed  in  a  heap,  and  then  tlic  players 
in  succession  take  up  some  of  them  in  their  hands.  The  sticks  are  not  counted 
till  they  have  been  taken  up,  and  then  he  who  has  the  lowest  odd  number  always 
wins.  Thus  if  one  pla.yer  had  5,  another  .■?,  and  a  third  only  1,  the  last  must  be 
the  victor.  The  highe.st  number  that  anyone  can  have  is  9.  If  10  or  more  sticks 
have  been  taken,  those  above  9  do  not  count.  With  the  exception  of  horses, 
anything  may  be  staked  which  is  playe<l  for  in  bauange-kide. 

SKITTAGETAX    STOCK 

Haida.     Skidegate.    Queen    Charlotte    islands.    British    Columbia. 
(Cat.  no.  37808,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania.) 
Set  of  forty-eight  sticks,  -i^  inches  in  .length  and  three-eighths  of  an 
inch  in  diameter,  marked  witli  bands  of  black  and  red  paint. 
Collected  in  1000  by  I)r  C.  F.  Newcombe,  who  describes  them  under 
the  name  of  sin.  or  hsin: 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  names  of  the  sticks  and  the  number  of  each: 
Shadow,  hike  haut,  3;  red  fish,  skeitkadagun,  3;  black  ba§s,  xasa,  3;  mirror  (of 
slate,  wetted),  xaus  gungs,  3;  sea  anemone,  xfings  kedans,  3;  dance  headdress. 
djilkiss,  3:  puffin,  koxana.  3:  black  bear,  tan,  ?,:  devil  fish,  nofi  kwun,  3;  guille- 
mot, skadoa.  3:  large  housefly,  dldun,  3;  halibut,  xagu,  3;  humpback  salmon, 
tsitan.  3:  dog  salmon,  ska'gi,  3:  centipede,  gotamega.  1  :  chiefs  who  kiss.  i.  e., 
rub  noses,  skunagesilai,  1  ;  supernatural  beings  of  liigh  rank,  dsil  or  djil,  4.  The 
last  are  trumps. 

Queen  Charlotte  islands,  British  Columbia.  (American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History.) 

Cat,  no.^%.  Set  of  sixty  maple  gambling  sticks,  5  J^  inches  in  length 
:;iid  seven-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  in  leather  pouch; 
all  marked  with  red  and  black  ribbons. 

Cat.  no.  ■^%.  Set  of  eighty-eight  wood  gambling  sticks,  5  inches  in 
length  and  five-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  in  leather 
pouch;  all  painted  with  red  and  black  ribbons;  two  sticks  carved 
at  one  end  with  human  heads,  one  having  right  arm  and  leg  of 
human  figure  lielow  and  the  other  their  complement;  ends  flat; 
a  single-pointed  paint  stick  in  the  pouch. 

Both  sets  were  collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Powell. 

"  Omaha  Sociology.     Third  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  338,  1884. 


260  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS     [eth.  anx.  24 

Haida.     Queen  Charlotte  islands,  British  Cohimbia. 
Francis  Poole  "  saj's : 

The  game  was  Odd  or  Even,  which  is  played  thus :  The  players  spread  a  tnat. 
made  of  the  inner  bark  of  the  yellow  cypress,  upon  the  ground,  each  party  being 
provided  with  from  forty  to  tifty  round  i)ins  or  pieces  of  wood,  5  inches  long 
by  one-eighth  of  an  inch  thick,  painted  in  black  and  blue  rings  and  beautifully 
polished.  One  of  the  players,  selecting  a  number  of  these  pins,  covers  them  up 
In  a  heap  of  bark  cut  into  fine  fiberlike  tow.  Under  cover  of  the  baiMv  he  then 
divides  the  pin.s  into  two  parcels,  and  having  taken  them  out,  passes  them  several 
times  from  his  right  hand  to  his  left,  or  the  contrary.  .While  the  player  shuffles 
he  repeats  the  words  i-e-ly-yah  to  a  low,  monotonous  chant  or  moan.  The 
moment  ho  finishes  the  incantation  his  opponent,  who  has  been  silentl.v  watch- 
ing him,  chooses  the  parcel  \\here  he  thinks  the  luck  lies  for  odd  or  even.  After 
which  the  second  player  takes  his  innings  with  his  own  pins  and  the  same  cere- 
monies. This  goes  on  till  one  or  the  other  loses  all  his  pins.  That  decides  the 
game. 

Ilaida   mission,  Jackson,   Alaska.      (Cat.   no.    T35'2ii.   United 

States  National  Museum.) 
Set  of  thirty-two  carved  polished  bircii-wood  sticks,  4f  inches  in 
lenirth  and  eight-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  the  ends  flat. 
Collected  in  1884  by  Mr  J.  Loomis  Gould.     The  designs  on  eight  of 
the  sticks  are  shown  on  plate  v. 

Queen  Charlotte  islands,  British  Columbia. 

Prof.  George  M.  Dawson  ''  says : 

Gambling  is  as  common  with  the  Ilaida  as  among  most  other  tribes,  which 
means  that  it  is  the  most  popular  and  constantly  practised  of  all  their  amuse- 
ments. The  gambler  frequently  loses  his  entire  iiroperty,  continuing  the  play 
till  he  has  nothing  whatever  to  stake.  The  game  generally  played  I  have  not 
been  able  to  understand  clearly.  It  is  the  same  with  that  of  most  of  the  coast 
tribes  and  not  dissimilar  from  gambling  games  played  by  the  natives  from 
the  Pacific  coast  to  Lake  Superior.  Sitting  on  the  ground  in  a  cii'cle,  in  the 
center  of  which  a  clean  cedar  mat  is  spread,  each  mm  produces  his  bundle  of 
neatly  smoothed  sticks,  the  values  of  which  are  known  by  the  markings  ui)on 
them.  They  are  shuffled  together  iu  soft  teased  cedar  bark  and  drawn  out  by 
chance. 

James  G.  Swan  ''  says : 

The  Haida,  instead  of  disks,  use  sticks  or  pieces  of  wood  4  or  ti  inches  long  and 
a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick.  These  sticks  are  rounded  and  beautifully  polished. 
They  are  made  of  yew,  and  each  stick  has  some  designating  mark  upon  it. 
There  is  one  stick  entirely  colored  aud  one  entirely  plain.  Each  player  will 
have  a  bunch  of  forty  or  fifty  of  these  sticks,  and  each  will  select  either  of  the 
plain  sticks  as  his  favorite,  just  as  in  backgammon  or  checkers  the  players 
select  the  black  or  white  pieces.  The  Indian  about  to  play  takes  up  a  handful 
of  these  sticks  and.  putting  them  under  a  quantity  of  finely  separated  cedar 
bark,  which  is  as  fine  as  tow  and  kept  constantly  near  him,  he  divides  the  pins 

°  Queen  Charlotte  Islands,   p.   .319,   London,   1872. 

*  Report  on  the  Queen  Charlotte  Islands.  Ceologioal  Surve.v  of  Canada.  Report  of 
Progress  for  1S78  79,  p.  129b,  -Montrea:.  ISSo. 

"  Smithsonian  Contributions  to  Knowledge,   no.   267,  p.   8,   1874. 


crLiN]  STICK    GAMES :    HAIDA  261 

into  two  parcels,  whieli  he  \vr;\]is  up  in  tlic  Inirlc,  and  passes  them  rapidly 
from  hand  to  hand  under  the  tow.  and  flnall.v  moves  them  round  on  the 
ground  or  mat  on  which  the  pla.vers  are  alwa.vs  seated,  still  wrapjied  in  the 
fine  bark,  but  not  covered  by  the  tow.  His  opponent  watches  every  move 
that  is  made  from  the  ver.v  first  with  the  eagerness  of  a  cat.  and  finally,  l}y  a 
motion  of  his  finger,  indicates  which  of  the  parcels  the  winning  stick  is  in. 
The  player,  upon  such  indication,  shakes  the  sticks  out  of  the  bark,  and  with 
much  display  and  skill,  throws  them  one  by  one  into  the  space  between  the 
players  till  the  piece  wanted  is  reached :  or  else,  if  it  is  not  there,  to  show 
that  the  game  is  his.  The  winner  takes  one  or  more  sticks  from  his  opi)onent's 
pile,  and  the  game  is  decided  when  one  wins  all  the  sticks  of  the  other.  As 
neither  of  the  players  can  see  the  assortment  of  the  sticks,  the  game  is  as  fair 
for  one  as  the  other,  and  is  as  simple  in  reality  as  "  odd  or  even  "  or  any  child's 
game.  But  the  ceremony  of  manipulation  and  sorting  the  sticks  under  the  l)ark 
tow  gives  the  game  an  appearance  of  as  much  real  importance  as  some  of  the 
skilful  combinations  of  white  gamblers. 

The  tribes  north  of  Vancouver  Island,  so  far  as  my  observation  has  extended, 
use  this  style  of  sticks  in  gambling,  while  the  Salisb  or  Flatheads  use  the  disks. 

Dr  J.  E.  Swanton  "  says  under  Games : 

The  great  gambling  game  of  the  Haida  was  the  same  as  that  used  on  neigh- 
boring parts  of  the  mainland.  It  was  pla.ved  with  a  set  of  cylindrical  .sticks, 
four  or  five  inches  long.  The  number  of  sticks  varies  in  the  sets  that  I  lia\e 
seen,  one  having  as  many  as  seventy.  Some  of  the  sets  were  made  of  bone,  but 
the  most  of  .yew  or  some  similar  kind  of  wood.  These  were  finely  polished,  and 
in  many  cases  elaboratel.v  carved  or  painted,  but  usually  were  simpl.v  divided 
into  sets  of  from  two  to  four  by  various  lines  drawn  around  them  in  black  and 
red.  One  of  the  sticks  was  left  blank,  or  nearly  so,  and  was  called  djil  [bait]. 
In  pla.ving,  two  men  sat  opposite  each  other  with  their  sticks  disposed  in  front 
of  them.  Then  one  rapidl.v  selected  one  set  of  sticks  and  the  d.iil.  shuffled 
them  up  concealed  in  fine  cedar  bark,  divided  the  sticks  into  two  parcels,  and 
laid  them  down,  one  on  each  side.  Sometimes  he  made  three  jiarcels.  The 
op))onent  had  now  to  guess  which  of  these  contained  the  d.iil.  If  he  were  .suc- 
ces.sful.  the  first  player  did  the  same  thing  again  with  another  set.  After  each 
guess  the  sticks  were  thrown  out  on  a  piece  of  hide  in  front  of  both  players. 
When  a  player  guessed  right,  he  in  turn  laid  out  his  sticks.  It  is  not  so  true 
to  say  that  cheating  was  fair  in  Ilaida  gambling  as  to  say  that  it  was  part 
of  the  game.  If  one  could  conceal  or  get  rid  of  the  d.iil  temporarily,  so  much  the 
better.  The  people  were  very  much  addicted  to  gambling,  and,  according  to 
the  stories,  whole  towns  were  in  the  habit  of  giving  them.selves  up  to  it ;  but  the 
chances  of  choosing  the  djil  were  so  great  that,  ordinarily,  one  could  not  lose 
ver,v  rapidly.  I  was  told  that  they  .sometimes  played  all  day  without  either 
side  winning.  On  the  other  hand,  stories  tell  of  how  whole  families  and  towns 
were  gambled  away. 

The  entire  gambling  outfit  was  quite  expensive.  There  were  the  gambling 
sticks  themselves ;  the  bag  in  which  they  were  carried  and  the  bag  in  which  sev- 
eral sets  were  carried,  the  skin  upon  which  the  sticks  were  laid  out,  the  mat  upon 
which  the  actual  gambling  was  done,  a  thick  piece  of  hide  about  a  foot  square 
upon  which  the  sticks  selected  by  the  opponent  were  thrown  so  that  all  could 
see  them  :  pencils  used  to  mark  lines  on  the  sticks.  A  stone  receptacle  with  two 
compartments  was  used  for  grinding  up  red  and  black  paint. 

"  Contributions  to  the  Ethnology  of  the  Haida.  Memoir.s  of  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  whole  series,  v.  8,  p.  58,  New  York,  1905. 


■262  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.axx.  24 

I  obtained  the  following  account  of  tlie  game  from  Henry  Moody.  in.\'  inter- 
preter in  Slvidegate. 

The  two  players  sat  opposite  each  other,  each  generally  provided  with  a  num- 
ber of  sets  of  gambling  sticks,  so  that  if  one  brought  him  no  luck  he  might  use 
another,  .just  as  white  men  change  packs  of  cards.  The  person  first  handling 
the  sticks  then  laid  his  set  out  in  front  of  himself,  and  rapidl.v  selected  one  set 
of  sticks,  i.  e..  one  set  having  similar  markings  on  them,  along  with  the  djil,  or 
Irump.  He  rolled  them  up  in  shredded  cedar  bark  and  separated  them  into  two 
bundles,  which  he  laid  down,  one  on  either  side  of  him.  The  other  player  then 
had  to  guess  in  which  bundle  the  djil  lay;  and  if  successful,  it  was  his  turn  to 
play.  If  he  was  unsuccessful,  his  oiiponent  scored  one  point,  and  played  as  before, 
.selecting  a  second  set  of  sticks.  A  very  skilful  manipulator  might  divide  his 
sticks  into  four  bundles  instead  of  two,  in  which  case  the  opponent  was  entitled 
to  select  two  out  of  them.  One  man  might  lose  continuall.v  and  the  other  gain 
up  to  seven  points,  and  these  points  (or  some  of  them)  received  different  names 
•entirely  distinct  from  the  ordinary  numerals,  first,  second,  third,  etc.  Thus  the 
sixth  point  was  called  mii'gAn  ;  and  the  seventh,  qo'ngu.  After  one  per.son  had 
reached  qo'ngu  an  eighth  count,  called  sqAl,  had  to  be  scored.  The  game  for  this 
score  was  played  in  the  following  manner  :  Four  bundles  were  made  of  one  stick 
eacli,  the  djil  and  three  other  sticks  being  used.  The  guesser  was  allowed  to 
pick  out  three  of  these,  and  the  player  won  only  in  case  the  fourth  bundle 
-contained  the  djil.  Otherwise,  they  began  all  over  again :  and  on  this  last 
■count  the  chances  were  so  greatly  in  favor  of  the  guesser  that  they  are  said 
■often  to  have  played  all  day  without  either  side  winning. 

The  method  of  reaching  count  seven  was  as  follows :  After  one  player  had 
made  three  points  the  other  was  obliged  to  make  ten  instead  of  seven — three 
to  score  off  his  opponent's  points,  and  the  usual  seven  points  besides.  And  so 
in  other  cases  tlie  i)la.ver  had  to  catch  up  witli  his  partner  before  starting  to 
make  his  seven. 

The  gambling  sticks  had  separate  names,  most  of  them  bearing  those  of 
animals.  While  many  sets  are  marked  exclusively  with  red  and  black  marks, 
the  more  elaborate  ones  are  ornamented  with  representations  of  the  animal 
figures  whose  names  they  bear. 

In  Miirchand's  Voyage  "  we  find  : 

Surgeoo  Roblet  remarked  that  the  natives  of  Cloak  Bay  have  a  sort  of  passion 
for  gaming.  They  are  seen  carrying  everywhere  with  them  thirty  small  sticks. 
three  or  four  inches  in  length  by  about  four  lines  in  diameter*  with  which 
the.v  make  a  party,  one  against  one.  in  the  following  manner;  Among  the  sticks 
there  is  one  distinguished  from  all  the  others  b.v  a  black  circle.  One  of  the  play- 
ers takes  this  single  stick,  joins  to  it  another  taken  from  among  the  twenty-nine 
common  ones,  mixes  the  two  together  without  seeing  them,  and  then  places- 
them  separately  under  a  bit  of  cloth.  That  which  the  adversary  chooses, 
merely  liy  jiointing  it  out,  is  mixed  without  looking  at  it.  with  all  the  others, 
and  the  adversary  wins  or  loses,  if  the  stick  confounded  in  the  mass,  in  case 
It  ha[ipens  to  be  the  only  stick,  is  a  shorter  or  longer  time  in  coming 
out.  I  admit  that  I  do  not  see  the  finesse  of  this  game:  perhaps  it  is  ill  ex- 
plained because  it  has  been  ill  understood.     I  presume,  however,  that  it  may  be 

■■  A  Voyage  round  the  World  Performed  during  the  Years  1790,  1791,  and  1792.  b.v 
fitienne  Marfhand,  v.  i,  p.  299,  London.  ISOl. 

'These  little  sticks  are  very  nicely  wrought,  perfectly  round  and  of  a  beautiful  polish: 
the  wood  of  which  they  are  made  appears  to  be  a  species  of  wild  plum-tree.  It  is  hard 
and  compact  although  very  light. 


CILIN]  STICK    GAMES:    MAKAH  2(')3 

susceptible  of  various  combinations,  whicb  must  have  escaped  an  observer  who 
does  not  understand  tbe  language  spoken  by  the  players.  I  judge  so  from  an 
assortment  of  these  small  sticks  which  Captain  Chaual  procured  and  brought  to 
France.  On  e.xaniining  them  are  seen  traced  on  some,  toward  the  middle  of 
their  length,  three  black  parallel  circles:  on  others,  the  three  circles,  brought 
close  to  each  other,  occupy  one  of  tbe  extremities.  Other  sticks  bear  two.  four, 
five.  six.  or  seven  black  circles,  distributed  lengthwise,  at  une<iual  distances,  and 
it  may  be  conceived  that  these  varieties,  in  tbe  number  and  disposition  of  the  cir- 
cles which  distinguish  one  stick  from  the  others,  may  produce  several  in  tbe  com- 
binations. Be  this  as  it  may.  the  time  and  attention  which  the  natives  of  Cloak 
Bay  give  to  this  game  prove  that  it  has  for  them  a  great  attraction,  and  that  it 
warmly  excites  their  interest. 

WAKA.SH.\N    .STOCK 

Bellabella.     British    Columbia.      ( American    Museum    of   Natural 
History.) 

Cat.  no.  J{'-^.  Set  of  seventy-two  wood  gambling  sticks,  5^^^  inches 
in  length  and  six-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  in  leather 
pouch,  all  marked  with  red  and  black  ribbons  and  burnt  totemic 
designs;  the  ends  hollowed:  paint"  stick  in  pouch. 

Cat.  no.  J/^.  Set  of  fifty-four  light-colored  wood  gambling  sticks 
about  4|f  inches  in  length  and  five-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in 
diameter,  lengths  slightly  irregular,  in  leather  pouch,  all  marked 
with  red  and  black  ribbons,  the  ends  flat :  double-pointed  paint 
sticks,  one  end  red,  the  other  black,  in  pouch. 
Both  sets  were  collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Powell. 

KwAKiuTL.     Nawiti,  British  Columbia. 

Dr  C.  F.  Newcombe  describes  the  stick  game  (called  by  the  Haida 

sin)  of  these  Indians  under  the  name  of  libaiu  : 

The  sticks  are  mostly  made  of  crab  apple,  yew,  vine,  maple,  and  birch.  Some 
were  inlaid  with  abalone  shell.  They  are  in  sets  of  two.  three,  or  four  alike, 
but  mostly  of  two.  Tbe  same  sets  of  names  occur  in  every  village.  They  were 
not  of  families,  tribes,  or  crests,  nor  of  animals  or  birds.  The  only  name 
secured  was  of  one  having  two  diagonal  bands,  which  they  call  k'elpstaie.  twisted 
stalk.  There  was  only  one  way  of  playing,  and  the  game  was  played  on  small 
eating  mats  raised  in  the  middle  and  sloping  toward  each  of  the  two  players. 

British  Columbia.     (Cat.  no.   19017,   Field  Columbian   Mu- 
seum.) 
Set  of  sixty-five  polished  wood  sticks,  -tf  inches  in  length :  variously 

colored,  ends  rounded.     Collected  by  Mr  George  Hunt. 
Makah.     Neah  bay,  Washington.     (Free   Museum   of   Science   and 

Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Cat.  no.  37.380.     Ten  plain  wooden  disks  (figure  .3-l0«).  2  inches  in 

diameter,  one  face  painted  with  from  eight  to  ten  dots  near  the 

edge,  the  other  with  a  painted  ring  near  the  edge.     Two  have  all 

black  edges  and  one  all  white. 


264 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


Cat.  no.  373S1.     Ten  plain  disks  with  hole  in  center  (figure  3-106)  ; 
diameter.  If  inches.    Thi'ee  have  all  black  edges  and  one  has  all 
white  edges. 
Cat.  no.  37381.     Ten  disks  with  raised  rim  and  nicks  around  the 
inner  edge    (figure  340c) ;  diameter,  1|  inches.     Two  have  all 
black  edges  and  one  all  white. 
Cat.  no.  373S2.     Ten  plain  disks  (figure  340f/),  2J  inches  in  diameter. 
One  has  all  black  edges  and  two  have  all  white.    Accompanied 
by  a  mass  of  shredded  cedar  bark  in  which  the  disks  are  manipu- 
lated. 
Collected  by  the  writer  in  1900. 
Dr  George  A.  Dorsey  "  thus  describes  the  game : 

Sacts-sa-whaik,  rolls  far.  This  is  the  most  common  and  perhaps  the  best- 
known  game  played  by  the  Indians  of  Washington.     It  is  played  with  ten  disks 

(huliak),  while  the  count  is  kept  with  twelve 
sticks  (katsake).  Four  sets  of  this  game 
ivere  collected,  two  of  them  being  made  of 
elder,  the  other  two  of  maple.  None  of  the 
sets  have  any  special  markings  to  distinguish 
them  from  the  ordinary  sets  of  this  region, 
except  that  in  one  set  one  side  of  the  disk  has 
eight  small  dots  near  the  edge  and  a  lilack 
band  near  the  edge  on  the  other  side.  In  all 
of  the  sets  seven  of  the  disks  have  perimeters 
half  white  and  half  black.  In  three  sets  two 
of  the  remaining  disks  have  a  perimeter  en- 
tirely white,  while  that  of  the  tenth  disk  is 
entirely  black.  In  the  fourth  set  the  peri- 
meter of  two  of  the  disks  is  entirely  black, 
while  that  of  the  third  disk  is  entirely  white. 
In  the  three  sets,  where  there  is  a  single  disk 
with  an  edge  entirely  black,  it  is  known  as  chokope,  or  man,  the  disks  with 
white  borders  being  known  as  hayop.  or  female.  In  the  fourth  set.  according 
to  this  nomenclature,  there  would  be  one  female  and  two  men.  I  was  informed 
by  Williams  that  the  object  of  the  game  is  to  guess  the  location  of  the  female, 
and,  as  the  nomenclature  was  given  him  by  me,  I  am  at  a  loss  to  reconcile  the 
fact  that  in  the  three  sets  collected  there  were  two  females  in  each  set.  It  is 
probable  that  in  sets  of  this  sort  the  black-edged  disk  may  be  designated  as  the 
female,  as  without  question  it  is  the  single  disk,  distinguished  from  all  others 
in  the  set.  which  is  the  one  sought  for  in  every  instance.  .  .  .  This  game 
is  played  only   liy   men. 

Charlie  Williams  informed  the  writer  that  the  Makah  play  this 
game  to  the  accompaniment  of  singing  and  drumming. 

J.  G.  Swan,'^  under  Gambling  Implements,  says: 

Of  these,  one  form  consists  of  disks  made  from  the  wood  of  a  hazel  which 
grows  at  Cape  Flattery  and  vicinity.  The  shrub  is  from  10  to  15  feet  high, 
and  with  limbs  from  2  to  .3  inches  in  diameter.     The  name  in  Makah  is  hul- 


PiG.  340  n,  b,  c,  d.  Gaming  disks;  di- 
ameters, 2,  Ij,  li,  and  2}  inches;  Ma- 
kah Indians,  Neah  bay,  Washington; 
cat.  nos.  I^rsso  to  37382.  Free  Museum 
of  Science  and  Art.  University  of 
Pennsylvania. 


°  Games  of  the  Makah  Indians  of  Neah  Bay.     The  American  Antiquarian,  v.  23,  p.  71, 
1901.  ' 

*  The    Indians   of   Cape   Flattery.      Smithsonian    Contributions    to    Knowledge,    no.    220, 
p.  44,  1870. 


cuLiN]  STICK    GAMES:    YUROK  265 

li-a-ko-hupt,  the  disks  hul-li;'Uc,  anil  the  game  hi-hul-him.  The  game  is  common 
among  all  the  Indians  of  this  territory,  and  is  called  in  the  jargon  la-hull. 
The  disks  are  circular,  like  checkers,  about  2  inches  in  diameter,  and  the  fourth 
of  an  inch  thick,  and  are  usually  smoothed  off  and  polished  with  care.  They 
are  first  cut  off  transversely  from  the  end  of  a  stick  which  has  been  selected 
and  properly  prepared,  then  smoothed  and  polished,  and  marked  on  the  outer 
edge  with  the  color  that  designates  their  value.  They  are  used  in  sets  of  ten, 
one  of  which  is  entirely  black  on  the  outer  edge,  another  entirely  white,  and  the 
rest  of  all  degrees  from  black  to  white.  Two  persons  play  at  the  game,  each 
having  a  mat  before  him,  with  the  end  next  his  opponent  slightl.v  raised  so 
that  the  disks  can  not  roll  out  of  reach.  Each  player  has  ten  disks  which  he 
covers  with  a  quantity  of  the  finely  beaten  bark  and  then  separates  the  heap 
into  two  equal  parts,  shifting  them  rapidly  on  the  mat  from  hand  to  hand.  The 
opposing  player  guesses  which  heap  contains  the  white  or  black,  and  on  making 
his  selection  the  disks  are  rolled  down  the  mat,  when  each  piece  is  separately 
seen.     If  he  has  guessed  right,  he  wins :  if  not,  he  loses. 


Pig.  341.    Stick  game;  length  of  .splints,  HJ  ini-hes;  Yurok  Indians.  Californiu;  cat.  no.  37257,  Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


WASHOAN    STOCK 

Washo.     Carson  valley  and  Lake  Tahoe.  Nevada. 

Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  the  following  game  under  the  name  of 
dtsudtsu : 

A  winnowing  basket  is  inverted  and  held  with  the  left  hand  while  nine  small 
sticks,  2i  inches  long,  are  held  in  the  right  and  a  number  of  them  hidden  under 
it.  The  opponent  guesses  whether  an  odd  or  even  number  was  hidden.  This 
is  a  man's  game. 

WEITSPEKAX    STOCK 

YuROK.     Klamath  river.  California.     (Cat,  no.  37257,  Free  Museum 

of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Set  of  ninety  fine  splints  (figure  341),  stained  yellow,  four  marked 
with  black  in  the  center,  ten  with  black  spiral  in  center,  and  ten 
with  black  spiral  at  the  ends;  length.  9i  inches.     Eleven  plain 
splints  in  the  bundle  are  8f  inches  in  length. 
Collected  by  the  writer  in  1900. 

The  .game  is  called  hauk-tsu,  the  sticks  eis-kok,  and  the  marked  stick,  or  ace, 
pai-kotz. 

Another  set,  cat.  no.  37258,  consists  of  forty-seven  coarse  splints,  two 
marked  with  black,  9  inches  in  length. 


26() 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.ann.  24 


WISHOSKAX   STOCK 


Batawat.     Humboldt  county,  California.      (Cat.  no.  37269,  Free  Mu- 
seum of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.)     ^ 
Bundle  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  fine  splints,  three  with  black  bands, 
8  inches  in  length,  and  two  hundred  and  six  fine  sjDlints,  three 
with  black  center,  two  with-  black  center  and  ends,  sixty-six  all 
black,  and  the  remainder  plain,  84  inches  in  length. 
These  were  collected  by  the  writer  in  1900.     The  sticks  are  called 

gutsapi,  the  trump,  schowowick,  and  the 
game,  bokoworis. 

Cat.  no.  37287.     Twelve  cylinders  of  hard 
polished  wood  (figure  342 ),4f  inches 
in  length,  and  five-sixteenths  of  an 
inch  in  diameter,  painted  as  follows: 
Five  with  broad  black  band  in  the 
middle,  five  with  band  at  the  end,  one 
with  bands  at  ends,  and  one  with  two 
bauds  nearly  midway  from  the  ends. 
These  si3ecimens  were  purchased  by  the 
writer  in  1900  at  Areata,  California,  and 
came  from  an  Indian  who  was  probably 
from  Klamath  river.     A  Mad  River  In- 
dian named  Dick,  at  Blue  Lake,  Califor- 
nia, recognized   these  sticks  and  said   it 
was  customary  to  play  with  six,  five  alike 
and  one  odd  one.     The  sticks  were  con- 
He  gave  the  same  vocabulary  as  that  re- 


FlG.  342.  Stick  game;  length  of 
sticks,  4J  inches:  Klamath  river, 
California;  cat.  no.  37287,  Free  Mu- 
seum of  Science  and  Art,  Univer- 
sity of  Pennsylvania. 


cealed  in  Ijundles  of  grass. 
corded  above  for  the  fine  sticks. 


ZUNIAN    STOCK 


ZuNi.     Zuni,  New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  4989,  Brooklyn  Institute  Mu 

seum.) 
Twenty -one  small  willow  sticks  (figure  343),  2J  inches  in  length. 

These  were  collected  by  the  writer  in 
1904  and  are  used  in  a  game  called  sawi- 
posiwai,  sticks  mixed  up. 

The  sticks  are  first  rolled  between  the  hands 
and  the  bundle  divided,  with  the  hands  behind  the 
bacl<.  The  hands  are  then  brought  forward  and 
the  other  pla.ver,  who  knows  the  total  number  ot 
sticks,  tries  to  guess  the  number  held  in  the  left 
hand  by  calling  out.  A  stake  is  put  up.  and  if  the  pla.ver  guesses  correctly  he 
becomes  the  winner.  The  game  is  no  longer  played,  and  was  recalled  with  diffi- 
culty by  an  old  man. 


Fid.  343.  Stick  game;  length  of 
sticks,  21  inches;  Zuni  Indians, 
Zuiii,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  4989, 
Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 


culinj  hand  game  267 

Hais'^d  Gajie 

This  game,  which  T  have  desig-nated  by  its  common  English  name, 
is  most  widely  distrilmted,  having  been  found  among  SI  tribes  be- 
longing to  28  different  linguistic  stocks.  This  extensive  distribution 
may  be  partially  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that,  as  it  was  played 
entirely  by  gesture,  the  game  could  be  carried  on  between  individuals 
who  had  only  the  sign  language  in  common. 

The  name  is  descriptive,  referring  to  the  lots  being  held  in  the  hand 
during  the  play.  The  game  has  been  designated  also  the  grass  game, 
from  the  custom  in  California  of  wrapping  the  lots  in  bundles  of  grass. 
The  lots  are  of  several  kinds.  The  commonest  consist  of  bone  cylin- 
ders, some  solid,  others  hollow,  between  2  and  ?>  inches  in  length. 
They  are  made  in  pairs,  one  or  two  sets  being  used.  One  piece  in 
each  pair  is  distinguished  from  the  others  by  having  a  thong  or 
string  tietl  about  the  middle.  The  unmarked  bone  is  sometimes 
designated  as  the  man  and  the  marked  bone  as  the  woman.  The 
object  is  to  guess  the  unmarked  one.  Instead  of  bones,  wooden 
cylinders,  one  of  each  pair  tied  with  cord  or  having  a  ring  of  bark 
left  about  the  center,  are  used.  The  Yankton  Dakota  use  two  small 
squared  sticks,  notched  differently.  In  a  degenerate  form  of  the 
game  the  players  use  little  strings  of  beads  or  a  bullet.  Tlie  Pinui 
employ  three  twigs  with  a  finger  loop  at  one  encl,  and  among  some  of 
the  tribes  of  Arizona  and  southern  California,  where  the  game 
receives  the  Spanish  name  of  peon,  the  lots  are  attached  to  the  wrist 
with  a  cord  fasteiied  to  the  middle.  This  is  done  to  prevent  the 
players  from  changing  them. 

The  four  bones,  two  male  and  two  female,  like  the  sticks  in  the 
four-stick  game,  probably  represent  the  bows  of  the  twin  War  Gods. 

The  game  is  commonly  counted  with  sharpened  sticks,  which  are 
stuck  in  the  ground  between  the  players.  These  are  most  connnonly 
twelve  in  number,  but,  five,  ten,  fifteen,  sixteen,  etc.,  are  used.  The 
arrow  derivation  of  these  sticks  is  illustrated  in  the  Wichita  game, 
page  27(5.  The  hand  game  is  one  for  indoors,  and  is  usually  played  in 
a  lodge  or  shelter.  Both  men  and  women  play,  but  usually  quite 
apart.  The  number  of  players  varies  from  two  to  any  number.  The 
opponents  seat  themselves  upon  the  ground,  facing  each  other,  the 
stakes  commonly  being  placed  between  the  two  lines.  The  side  hold- 
ing the  bones  sing  and  sway  their  hands  or  bodies.  The  guesser 
indicates  his  choice  by  swiftly  extending  his  hand  or  arm.  If  he 
guesses  correctly,  the  bones  go  over  to  his  side. 

The  bones  used  in  this  game  are  frequently  highly  valued,  being 
esteemed  luckv.  their  owners  thinking  that  their  luck  would  jDass  to 
the  person  who  acquired  these  bones. 


268  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  2+ 

ALGONQUIAX    STOCK 

Aeapaho.     Wind    River   reservation,   Wyoming.     (Cat.    no.    61722, 

Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Four  solid  bones.  33  inches  in  length,  smooth  and  yellow  with  age, 
two  wrapped  with  cloth,  black  with  dirt,  the  edges  stitched  with 
black  thread.     Collected  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey  in  1900. 
Arapaho.     Oklahoma. 

]\Ir  James  !Mooney  in  his  paper  on  the  Ghost-dance  Religion  "  gives 
an  account  of  the  gaqutit.  or  liunt-the-l)utton  game: 

This  is  a  favorite  winter  game  with  tlie  prairie  tribes.  ;ind  was  iirolialily  more 
or  less  general  throughout  the  eountrj  .  It  is  played  both  by  men  and  women,  but 
never  by  the  two  sexes  together.  It  is  the  regular  game  in  the  long  winter 
nights  after  the  scattered  families  have  abandoned  their  exposed  summer 
positions  on  the  open  prairie  and  moved  down  near  one  another  in  the  shelter 
of  the  timber  along  the  streams.  .  .  .  Freipiently  there  will  be  a  party  of 
twenty  to  thirty  men  gaming  in  one  tipi.  and  singing  so  that  tlieir  voices  can  be 
heard  far  out  from  the  camp,  while  from  another  tipi  a  few  rods  away  comes  a 
shrill  chorus  from  a  group  of  women  engaged  in  another  game  of  the  same 
kind.  The  players  sit  in  a  circle  around  the  tipi  fire,  those  on  one  side  of  the 
fire  playing  against  those  on  the  other.  The  only  requisites  are  the  button,  or 
ga'qaii.  usually  a  small  bit  of  wood,  around  which  is  tied  a  piece  of  string  or 
otter  skin,  with  a  pile  of  tally  sticks,  as  has  been  already  described.  Each 
party  has  a  "  button,"  that  of  one  side  being  painted  black,  the  other  being  red. 
The  leader  of  one  party  takes  the  button  and  endeavors  to  move  it  from  one 
hand  to  the  other,  or  to  pass  it  on  to  a  partner,  while  those  of  the  opposing  side 
keep  a  sharp  lookout,  and  try  to  guess  in  which  hand  it  is.  Those  having  the 
button  try  to  deceive  their  opi)onents  as  to  its  whereabouts  by  putting  one 
hand  over  the  other,  by  folding  their  arms,  and  by  putting  their  hands  behind 
them,  so  as  to  pass  the  ga'qaii  to  a  partner,  all  the  while  keeping  time  to  the 
rhythm  of  a  gaming  chorus  sung  by  the  whole  party  at  the  top  of  their  voices. 
The  song  is  very  peculiar  and  well-nigh  indescribable.  It  is  usually,  but  not 
always  or  entirely,  unmeaning,  and  jumps,  halts,  and  staggers  in  a  most 
surprising  fashion,  but  always  in  perfect  time  with  the  movements  of  the 
hands  and  arms  of  the  singers.  The  greatest  of  good-natured  excitement 
prevails,  and  every  few  minutes  some  more  excitable  player  claps  his  hands 
over  his  mouth  or  beats  the  ground  with  his  flat  palms  and  gives  out  a  regular 
war  whoop.  All  this  time  the  opposing  players  are  watching  the  hands  of  the 
other  or  looking  straight  into  their  faces  to  observe  every  tell-tale  movement 
of  their  features,  and  w-hen  one  thinks  he  has  discovered  in  which  hand  the 
button  is,  he  throws  out  his  ihumb  toward  that  hand  with  a  loud  "that!" 
Should  he  guess  aright,  bis  side  scores  a  oertain  number  of  tallies,  and  in  turn 
takes  the  button  and  begins  another  song.  Should  the  guess  be  wrong,  the 
losing  side  must  give  up  an  equivalent  number  of  tally  sticks.  So  the  play 
goes  on  until  the  small  hours  of  the  night.  It  is  always  a  gambling  game,  and 
the  stakes  are  sometimes  very  large. 

In  the  story  entitled  Split-Feather,  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey  ''  relates 
that  one  day  there  was  an  invitation  for  the  Star  society  to  go  to  the 
head  man's  tipi  to  f)lay  hand  game. 

"  Fourteenth  .Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  1008.  1896. 
'Traditions  of  the  Arapaho,  p.  269,  Chicago.  1903. 


CLLJNl  HAND    game:    CHEYENNE  269 

Blackfeet.     Fort  Mackenzie,  Montana. 
Maximilian.  Prince  of  Wied."  says: 

They  have  invented  many  games  for  their  amusement.  At  one  of  them  they 
sit  in  a  circle,  and  several  little  heaps  of  beads,  or  other  things,  are  piled  np.  for 
which  they  play.  One  takes  some  pelibles  in  his  hand,  moving  it  backward  and 
forward  in  measured  time,  and  singing,  while  another  endeavors  to  guess  the 
number  of  pelil>les.     In  this  manner  considerable  sums  are  lost  and  won. 


Montan: 


Dr  Georye  Bird  (irinnell  ''  says: 

Another  popular  game  was  what  with  more  soutliern  trilies  is  called  "  hands :" 
it  is  like  "Button,  button,  who's  got  the  button?"  Two  small  oblong  liones 
were  used,  one  of  which  had  a  lilack  ring  aroiuul  it.  Those  who  participated  in 
this  game.  nunil)ering  from  two  to  a  dozen,  were  divided  into  two  equal  parties, 
ranged  on  either  side  of  the  lodge.  Wagers  were  made,  each  person  betting  with 
the  one  directly  opposite  him.  Then  a  man  took  the  bones,  and,  by  skillfully 
moving  his  hands  and  changing  the  objects  from  one  to  the  other,  .sought  to  make 
it  impossible  for  the  person  op|iosite  him  to  decide  which  hand  held  the  marked 
one.  Ten  iioints  were  tlie  game,  counted  by  sticlvS.  and  the  side  which  first  got 
the  number  took  the  stakes.  A  song  always  accompanied  this  game,  a  weird, 
unearthly  air — if  it  can  be  so  called — but.  when  heard  at  a  little  distance,  very 
pleasant  and  soothing.  At  first  a  scarcely  audible  nuu'mvu'.  like  the  gentle 
soughing  of  an  evening  breeze,  it  gradually  iiuTease<l  in  volume  and  readied  a 
very  high  pitch,  sank  (luickly  to  a  low  bass  sound,  rose  and  fell,  and  gradually 
died  a\v;iy.  to  be  again  repeated.  The  person  concealing  the  bones  swayed  his 
body,  arms,  and  hands  in  time  to  the  air,  and  went  through  all  manner  of  grace- 
ful and  intricate  movements  for  the  purpose  of  confusing  the  guesser.  The 
stakes  were  sometimes  very  high,  two  or  three  horses  or  more,  and  men  have 
been  known  to  lose  everything  they  possessed,  even  to  their  clothing. 

Soutliern  AJberta, 

Rev.  John  Maclean  <"  says : 

Sometimes  the  hoys  and  young  men  of  the  camp  form  themselves  into  a  group 
and  play  a  game  of  guessing.  Two  or  more  persons  are  opposed,  each  to  each, 
or  one  side  against  the  other.  A  small  article  is  selected,  and  one  of  them, 
passing  it  from  one  hand  to  the  other,  holds  out  both  hands  for  his  opponent  to 
guess  the  hand  containing  the  article,  which  he  tries  to  do  l)y  placing  in  the 
closed  hand,  which  lie  supposes  is  the  right  one.  a  small  piece  of  wood.  If  he 
has  guessed  rightly,  it  becomes  his  turn  to  use  the  article  to  l)e  sought.  The 
small  sticks  are  kept  as  a  record  of  the  game,  until  one  of  tlie  contestants  has 
won  them  all  from  his  opponent.  During  the  whole  time  of  playing  the  one  who 
holds  the  thing  to  be  guessed  sways  his  body,  singing  and  praying  for  success. 

Cheyenne.     Montana. 

It  appears  from  Dr  Grinnell's  •*  acconnt  that  the  game  of  hand,  as 
played  b}^  the  Pawnee,  is  played  also  by  the  Cheyenne. 

"  Tr.ivels  in  the  Interior  of  North  .\merica.  translated  by  H.  Evans  Lloyd,  p.  254, 
London,  1843. 

"  Blackfoot  Lodge  Tales,  p.  184.  New  York.  1892. 

^  Canadian  Savage  Folk.  p.  56,  Toronto,  1S96. 

■<  The  Story  of  tlie  Indian,  p.  2S,  New  York,  1895. 


270  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.ann.  24 

Cree.     Wind  River  reservation,  Wyoming.      (Cat.   no.   37028,   Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

String  of  eight  yellow  glass  beads  in  two  rows,  tied  in  the  middle, 

and  a   string  of  small  white  and  blue  glass  beads  in  two 

rows,  one  white  and   one  blue,  tied  in  the  middle    (figure 

344) ;  length,  IJ  inches. 

These  were  collected  by  the  writer  in  1900  from  an  Indian  of  Riel's 

band,  who  gave  the  name  as  gaiinshwashkwak,  and  said  they  were 

used  in  the  hand  game.     Four  sticks  are  used  as  counters.     A  ring 

and  a  cartridge  are  also  employed. 

Muskowpetung    reserve,    Qu'appelle,    Assiniboia.     (Cat.    no. 

0100.5.  Field  Columbian  ]\Iuseum.) 

A  cartridge  shell  and  a  small  string  of  large  white  and  black  beads 
used  in  the  hand  game. 

•     These  were  collected  by  'Sir  J.  A.  Mitchell,  who  gives  the  following 

account  of  the  hand  game  under  the  name  of  meecheecheemetowaywin  : 

No  limit  as  to  numbers  or  sex  of  players.     The  object  is  so  to  manipulate  one 
of  the  two  pieces,  i.   e..  the  marked  cartridge  shell,  as  to  puzzle  the  player's 
opponent  as  to  the  hand  in  which  it  is  held.     Formerly 
an  oblong  marked  stick  was  used  instead  of  the  cartridge 
shell :  the  shell  is  now  used  almost  exclusively. 

This    is   one   of   the   most   common    Indian    gambling 

games,   and  is   valued   very   highly.     The  stake  usually 

played  for  is  a  pony,  or  sometimes  several  of  them.     The 

Fig.  344.   Beads  for  hand      count  is  kept  by  means  of  ordinary  pieces  of  stick,  which 

game:  length,  Umches;      ^^^  thrust  into  the  gi-ound  as  points  are  won,  and  added 

Cree    Indians,    Wyom- 

ing;  cat.  no.  37028,  Free     to  or  subtracted  from  by  each  playei-,  according  as  he 
Museum  of  Science  and      wins  or  loses,  at  each  guess. 

Art,  University  of  jj,  playing  for  a  horse,  the  value  of  the  animal  is  pre- 

^  ^  °  arranged  at  so  many  sticks,  which  are  then  played  for, 

either  one  at  a  time,  a  few  at  a  time,  or  all  at  one  stake,  as  the  holder  of  the 

sticks  may  see  fit.     Four  points  usually  count  for  one  game.     Playing  is  often 

kept  up  for  days  and  nights  at  a  time. 

Although  the  cartridge  shell  and  small  string  of  beads  seem  of  but  little  value, 
great  difficulty  is  encountered  in  getting  them  from  the  Indians,  and  then  only 
at  an  exorbitant  price,  as  they  have  an  impression  that  when  they  sell  a 
game  they  also  part  with  the  right  to  play  that  game  iu  the  future,  unless  with 
the  consent  of  the  buyer. 

^Manitoba. 


Rev.  H  A.  Watkins,  in  his  Dictionary  of  the  Cree  Language,"  gives 
the  following  definitions: 

Michiche  nstwatookwuk.   they  gamble,   from   niiehiche,   hand,   and  ustwatoo- 
wuk,  they  bet,  referring  to  the  game  of  hand. 

Grosventres.     Montana.     (American  Museum  of  Natural  History.) 

Cat.  no.  yifj.     String  of  eleven  brass  beads  and  one  red  glass  bead 

(figure  34.5ff)  and  another  of  seven  green,  one  blue,  and  one  red 

and  orange  glass  beads  (figure  345&),  about  1^  inches  in  length, 

»  London,  1865. 


cnuN] 


HAND    GAME  :    PI  EG  AN 


271 


and  12  counting  sticks  (figure  340),  willow  twigs  painted  red, 
18^  inches  in  length.  Collected  by  Dr  A.  L.  Kroeber  in  1001. 
Cat.  no.  -j-ffj.  Two  bones,  cone-shaped  (figure  347),  '2  and  2:}  inches 
in  length,  incised  with  rings  (one  with  twenty-four),  painted 
red ;  jierforatetl  at  tlic  larger  end,  through  which  a  tied  thong  is 
jiassed.  Collected  in  1001  by  Dr  A.  L.  Kroeber,  who  describes 
them  as  bone  hidinir  buttons. 


Fig.  345. 


Fig.  :«u. 


Fig.  :i47.  •  Fig.  34S.  Fig.  »49. 

Fm.'iiii,  a,  h.    Beads  for  hand  game;  length,  li  inches;   Grosventre  Indians.  Montana;  cat.no. 

T7ga.  American  Museum  of  Natural  Hi--<tor.v. 
Fig.  346.    Counting  sticks  for  hand  game;    length.  181  inches;  Grosventre  Indians.  [Montana; 

cat.  no.  ^~'^^,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Fig.  .347.    Bones  for  hand  game;  lengths,  2  and  2}  inches;  Grosventre  Indians,  Montana;  cat.  no. 

1931,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Fig.  .34,S.    Bone  fi)r  hand  game;    length,  2i  inches;    Grosventre   Indians,  Montana;    cat.  no. 

59rT,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Fig.  .349.     Bones  for  hand  game;  length,  2^   inche.s;    P*iegan  Indians,  Alberta;   cat.  no.  159354, 

Field  Columbian  Museum. 


Cat.  no.  xItt-  Flat  oval  bone,  highly  jDolished  and  painted  red  and 
incised  on  one  side,  as  shown  in  figure  348;  length,  2]  inches. 
Collected  in  1001  by  Dr  A.  L.  Kroeber,  who  describes  it  as  a 
hiding  button. 

PiEGAN.     Allierta.     (Cat.  no.  603.54,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Four  bones  for  hand  game   (figure  340),  solid,  with  rounded  ends, 

two  with  black  band  at  the  middle,  and  two  plain;    length,  2^ 

inches.     Collected  by  Mr  R.  M.  Wilson. 


272  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 

ATHAPASCAN    STOCK 

Chipewyan.     Athabasca. 

Father  Petitot "  gives  the  following  definition : 

Jeu  de  mains,  udzi. 

This  name,  lie  states,  is  general  to  all  the  dialects. 
Etchareottine.     Fort  Prince  of  Wales.  Keewatfn. 

Samuel  Hearne  '  says : 

They  have  another  simple  inrloor  game,  which  is  that  of  taking  a  bit  of  wood, 
a  button,  or  any  other  small  thing,  and,  after  shifting  it  from  hand  to  hand 
several  times,  asking  their  antagonist  which  hand  it  is  in.  When  playing  at 
this  game,  which  only  admits  of  two  persons,  each  of  them  htive  ten,  fifteen,  or 
twenty  small  chips  of  wood,  like  matches,  and  when  one  of  the  players  guesses 
right  he  takes  one  of  his  antagonist's  sticks  and  lays  it  to  his  own ;  and  he  that 
first  gets  all  the  sticks  from  the  other  in  that  manner  is  said  to  win  the  game, 
which  is  generall.y  for  a  single  load  of  powder  and  shot,  an  arrow,  or  some 
,other  thing  of  inconsiderable  value. 

Han  KtJTCHiN.     Alaska. 

Lieut.  Frederick  Schwatka,"  |J.  S.  Army,  figures  a  pair  of  bones 
for  the  hand  game  as  being  used  by  the  Aiyan  and  Chilkat.      (See 
p.  288.) 
Kawchodinne.     Mackenzie. 

Father  Petitot"  gives  the  following  definition: 

Jeu  de  mains,  udzi. 

KuTCHix.     Alaska  and  Yukon. 

Father  Petitot"  gives  the  following  definition: 

.Jeu  de  mains,  odzi. 

Sarsi.     British  Columbia. 

Rev.  E.  F.  Wilson  ''  describes  the  following  game: 

Two  men  squat  side  by  side  on  the  ground,  with  a  blanke't  over  their  knees, 
and  they  have  some  small  article,  such  as  two  or  three  brass  beads  tied  together, 
which  they  pass  froul  one  to  another  under  the  blanket:  and  the  other  side, 
which  also  consists  of  two  persons,  has  to  guess  in  which  hand  the  article  is 
to  be  found — very  much  like  our  children's  "  hunt  the  whistle." 

Takulli.     Stuart  lake,  British  Columbia. 
Reverend  Father  A.  G.  Morice  "  says : 

We  find  the  elegantly  carved  gambling  sticks  of  the  West  Const  tribes  replaced 
by  simple  polished  pieces  of  lynx  or  other  animal's  bones  without  any  particular 

"  Dictionnaiie  de  la   Langue  Dftnfe-Dindji^,   Paris.   1876. 

'A  Journey  from  Prince  ot  Wales's  Fori  in  Hudson's  Bay.  to  the  Northern  Ocean,  p. 
3.'?5,  London,  1795. 

*■  Alons  .Maslta's  Great  River,  p.  227,  New  York,  188.5. 

''  Fourth  Report  on.  the  North-Western  Tribes  of  Canada.  Report  of  the  Fifty-Eighth 
Meeting  of  the  British  Association  for  tlie  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  24(i,  London.   Issil. 

'  Notes  on  the  Western  Denfe.  Transactions  ot  the  Canadian  Institute,  v.  4,  p.  77. 
Toronto,   1S95. 


CLLIN] 


HAND    GAME  :    TAKULLI 


273 


design,  aiul  with  the  mere  addition  to  one  of  the  pair  of  the  sinew  wrapping 
necessary  to  determine  the  winning  stick.     The  Baliine  specimens  [figui'e  350] 
are  rather  large  and  must  prove  aw  kward  in  the  hand  of  the  gamhler.     But  they 
have  the  reputation  of  being  preventive  of  dishonesty, 
if  distinctions  between  the  honest  and  the  dishonest  can 
be  established  In   connection   with  such  a  pastime  as 
gambling.     Such  of  these  trinkets  as  are  hollow  have 
generally  both  ends  shut  with  a  piece  of  wood,  and  con- 
tain minute  pebbles  and  gravel,  which  produce  a  gentle 
rattling  sound  In  the  nand  of  the  native,  much  to  his 
own  satisfaction. 

Fignre  351  represents  the  TsiiKoh'tin  [Tsilkotin]  and 
figure  352  the  Tse"kchne  [Sekani]  equivalent  of  the 
Babine    gambling    sticks.     It    w'ill    be    seen    from    the 

latter  that  the  Tse'kchne,  who  are  the  most  primitive  and  uncultured  of  the 
three  tribes  whcse  technology  is  under  review,  are  again  the  only  people  who  in 
this  connection,  as  with  regard  to  their  spoons,  have  made  the  merest  attempt 
at  bone  carving. 

The  game  jilayed  with  these  bone  pieces  is,  I  think,  too  well  known  to  demand 
a  description.  The  jerking  movements  and  passes  of  hands  of  the  party  operat- 
ing therewitli.  as  well  as  the  drum  jjeating  and  the  singing  of  the  spectators  or 
partners,  are  practised  among  most  of  the  Indian  races,  es]iecially  of  the 
Pacific  coast,  which  have  occupied  the  attention  of  American  ethnologists.  The 
Abbe  Petitot  says  in  one  of  his  latest  publications  that  this  game  is  adventi- 
tious among  the  Eastern  Denes,  who  have  borrowed  it  from  the  Crees.     This 


Fir;.  35(1.  Bones  for  hand 
game;  length,  3  inches; 
Babine  Indians,  British 
Coinmbia;  from  Moi*ice. 


Pig.  351.  Pig.  a52. 

Pig.  351.    Bones  for  hand  game;  length,  3  inches;  Tsilkotin  Indians.  Britissli  Columbia;  from 

Morice. 
Pig.  353.     Bones  for  hand  game;    length,  3  inches;    Sekani  Indians,  British  C'olnmljia;  from 

Morice. 


remark  Is  no  less  apposite  with  regard  to  their  kinsmen  west  of  the  Rocky 
mountains.  Although  ni>  other  chance  game  possesses  to-day  so  many  charms 
for  the  frivolous  Western  Denes,  the  old  men  assure  me  that  it  was  formerly 
unknown  among  their  fellow-countrymen.  That  their  testimony  is  based  on 
fact  the  very  name  of  that  game  would  seem  to  indicate,  since  it  is  a  mere  verb 
in  the  impersonal  mood,  nat'saa.  "one  keeps  in  the  hand  while  moving,''  and 
is  therefore  of  the  fourth  category  of  Dene  noinis.  The  word  for  "  gambling 
sticks,"  such  as  used  in  connectinn  with  nafsri'a,  is  na'ta,  which  is  the  same 
verb  under  the  potential  form,  ami  me.-ins  "  that  which  can  lie  held  in  the  hand." 
Any  of  the  surrounding  races,  Tsimpsian,  Salishan,  or  Algonquin,  may  be  held 
responsible  for  its  introduction  among  the  Western  Denes,  for  they  are  all 
exceedingly  fond  of  it. 

The  original  counterpart  of  the  modem  net'so'a  was  the  atlih,"  which  in  times 
was  passionately  played  by  the  Carriers,  but  is  now  altogether  forgotten  except 
by  a  few  elder  men. 


"  Ma.v  be  translated  by  "  gambling  "  in  a  general  sense. 
24  ETH— 05   M 18 


274 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [ETH.  ANN.  24 


Elsewhere "  Father  Morice  contrasts  the  hand  game  with  the  stick 
game  as  being  played  silentlj',  while  a  tambour- 
ine or  some  appropriate  substitute,  such  as  a  tin 
pan,  is  continually  beaten  as  an  accompani- 
ment to  the  former. 
Umpqtja.     Oregon.     (Cat.  no.  3003,  Brooklyn 

Institute  Museum.) 
Two  hollow  bones    (figure  353),  3^  inches  in 
length  and  1^  inches  in  diameter,  both  with 
two  incised  lines  near  each  end  and  one 
with  two  bands  of  leather  set  in  grooves  around  the  middle. 


Fig.  3.>3.  Bones  for  hand 
game ;  length,  31-  inches; 
Umpqua  Indians,  Ore- 
gon; cat.  no.  .3003,  Brook- 
lyn Institute  Museum. 


CADDOAN  STOCK 

Pawnee.     Oklahoma.     (Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Cat.  no.  59411.     Set  of  eight  sticks  of  smoothed  natural  brown  wood, 

21  inches  in  length. 
Cat.  no.  59389.    Set  of  ten  stick  counters,  four  yellow  and  four  green, 

each  with  feather  tied  with  thong  at  top,  and  two  plain  sticks; 

all  164  inches  in  length. 
Cat.  no.  59416.     Long  bone  pipe  bead,  2^  inches  in  length,  and  eight 

counting  sticks,  17  inches  in  length,  four  painted  yellow  and 

four  blue,  feathered  like  arrows,  both  series  differently  (figure 

354). 


Fig.  354.  Fig.a». 

Pig.  354.    Bead  and  counting  sticks  for  hand  game;  length  of  bead,  2i  inches;  length  of  i.-ounters, 

17  inches;  Pawnee  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  51)41ti,  Field  Columbian  Mxiseum. 
Pig.  355.    Sticks  for  hand  game;  length,  1}  inches;  Pawnee  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  71654, 

Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Cat.  no.  71588.  Set  of  eight  sticks,  22  inches  in  length,  copies  of 
feathered  shafts  of  arrows,  four  painted  blue  and  four  painted 
red,  accompanied  with  a  short  slender  bow. 

Cat.  no.  71654.  Set  of  four  sticks  (figure  355),  If  inches  in  length, 
marked  in  pairs  alike,  one  pair  with  six  notches  on  one  side 

"The  Western  P<^n& — Their  M.inners  and  rustoms.      Proceedings  of  the  Canadian  In- 
stitute, third  series,  v.  7,  p.  154,  Toronto,  1889. 


CDLIN] 


HAND  game:   pawnee 


275 


and  one  notch  on  the  other,  and  the  other  with  incised  crosses, 
one  on  each  side  of  each  end  of  the  stick. 
Cat.  no.  71650.  Two  downy  crane  feathers,  one  faintly  painted  red, 
the  other  green.     Mounted  on  small  twigs;  total  length  about 
12  inches. 


Counting  sticks  for  baud  game:  length,  12  inches;  Pawnee  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat. 
no.  THJ47.  Field  Columbian  Museum. 


Cat. 


no.  71647.  Set  of  eight  sticks  (figure  356),  12  inches  in  length; 
painted  red,  with  a  small  cross  incised  near  the  top,  and  each 
having  a  hoop,  35  inches  in  diameter,  made  of  a  twig,  attached 
by  a  thong.  The  inner  half  of  each  hoop  is  wrapped  with  sinew, 
and  the  hoop  is  bisected  with  a  thong  of  buckskin  having  two 
feathers  tied  in  the  middle  and  one  on  each  side  of  the  rim. 

Cat.  no.'  71649.  Two  wooden  pins,  each  with  four  cut  feathers  tied  at 
top;  total  length,  12  inches. 

Cat.  no.  71603.  Cane  whistle.  16i  inches  in  length,  covered,  except 
near  the  mouth,  with  painted  buckskin  having  feathers  attached. 

Cat.  no.  71648.  Set  of  eight  counting  sticks,  peeled  twigs ;  16  inches  in 
length. 
All  the  foregoing  were  collected  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey. 


276 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMEEICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


Pawnee.     Oklahoma. 

Dr  George  Bird  Grinnell  °  says :  •  . 

Perhaps  no  gambling  game  Is  so  widespread  and  so  popular  as  that  known  as 
"  hands."  It  consists  in  guessing  in  which  of  the  two  hands  is  held  a  small 
marked  object,  right  or  wrong  guessing  being  rewarded  or  penalized  by  the 
gain  or  loss  of  points.  The  players  sit  in  lines  facing  each  other,  each  man 
betting  with  the  one  opposite  him.  The  object  held,  which  is  often  a  small 
polished  bone,  is  intrusted  to  the  best  player  on  one  side,  who  sits  opposite  to 
the  best  player  on  the  other.  The  wagers  are  laid — after  more  or  less  discus- 
sion and  bargaining  as  to  the  relative  value  of  things  as  unlike  as  an  otter- 
skin  quiver  on  one  side  and  two  plugs  of  tobacco,  a  yard  of  cloth,  and  seven 
cartridges  on  the  other — and  the  game  begins  with  a  low  song,  which  soon 
increases  in  volume  and  intensity.  As  the  singers  become  more  excited,  the 
man  who  holds  the  bone  moves  his  hands  in  time  to  the  song,  brings  them 
together,  seems  to  change  the  bone  rapidly  from  hand  to  hand,  holds  their 
palms  together,  puts  them  behind  his  back  or  under  his  robe,  swaying  his  body 
back  and  forth,  and  doing  all  he  can  to  mystify  tlie  player  who  is  about  to  try 
to  choose  the  bone.  The  other  for  a  time  keeps  his  eyes  steadily  fixed  on  the 
hands  of  liis  opponent,  and.  gradually,  as  the  song  grows  faster.  ben<ls  forward, 
raises  his  right  hand  with  extended  forefinger  above  his  head  and  holds  it 
there,  and  at  last,  when  be  is  ready,  with  a  swift  motion  lirings  It  down  to  rt 
horizontal,  pointing  at  one  of  the  hands,  which  is  instantl.v  opened.  If  it 
contains  the  bone,  the  side  which  was  guessing  lias  won,  and  each  man  receives 
a  stick  from  the  opposite  player.  The  bone  is  then  passed  across  to  the  oppo- 
site side,  the  song  is  renewed,  and  the  others  guess. 

In  a  letter,  referring  to  the  hand  game,  Dr  (irrinnell  writes: 
It  Is  popular  among  all  the  northern  tribes  of  which  I  have  any  knowledge 
and  has  a  wide  vogue  in  the  west.     I  have  seen  it  among  the  Arikara,  Assini- 
boin.    Grosrentres   of   the   Prairie,   the   three   tribes   of   the   Blaekfoot   Nation, 
Kootenai,   Shoshoni,  Ute,  Cheyenne,  Arapaho,  and  Pawnee. 

Wichita.     Oklahoma.     (Field  Columbian  Museum). 

Cat.  no.  59316.     Set  of  counting  sticks  for  hand  game  (figure  357)  ; 


Pig.  357.    Counting  sticks  for  band  game;  length,  20  inches;  Wichita  Indians,  Oklahoma:  cat. 
no.  59316,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 


»  The  Story  of  the  Indian,  p.  27,  New  York,  1898. 


culi.n] 


HAND   GAME:    WICHITA 


277 


twelve  unusually  ■n'ell-niade  arrows  about  20  inches  in  length, 
with  sharp  points;  the  feathering  regular  and  of  good  work- 
manship; six  painted  blue  and  six  yellow. 
Cat.  no.  59355.  Half  a  set  of  counting  sticks  (figure  358);  six 
arrows,  uniformly  painted  and  well  made,  with  sharpened  points 
that  show  evidence  of  having  been  repeatedly  thrust  into  the 


Fio.  358.  Counting  sticks  for  hand  Kami*;  length,  2(i  inches;  Wichita  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat. 
no.  59;j55,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

ground.  They  are  well  feathered  and  painted  blue  for  the  greater 
part  of  their  length.     The  portion  to  the  extent  of  about  2  inches 
nearest  to  and  including  the  feathering  is  painted  yellow. 
Cat.  no.  59346.     Set  of  counting  sticks  (figure  359);   eight  unpainted 
arrows,  24J  inches  in  length,  which  terminate  abru^^tly  in  blunt 


=aig! 


Fig.  859.  Counting  sticljs  for  hand  game;  length,  24;  and  14}  inches:  Wirhita  Indians,  Oklahoma; 
cat.  no.  59346,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

points;  the  feathering  is  well  done,  but  unusually  short;  also 
four  undecorated  wooden  shafts. 
Cat.  no.  59227.  Set  of  eight  counting  sticks,  20  inches  long,  with 
blunt  points  at  one  end  and  at  the  other  a  bunch  of  small  eagle 
feathers.  One  half  the  shafts  in  this  set  are  jjainted  blue  and 
the  other  half  red. 


278 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


Cat. 


Cat.  no.  59288.  Set  of  counting  sticks  (figure  360)  ;  eight  well-made 
shafts,  18  inches  in  length,  with  no  trace  of  feathering  or  points, 
and  four  similar  shafts,  12  inches  in  length;  all  painted  dark 
blue, 
no.  59266.  Set  of  counting  sticks  (figure  361)  ;  eight  plain 
shafts,  16  inches  in  length,  and  four  plain  shafts,  10  inches  in 

length ;  one  half  the 
~  number  of  each   are 

l^ainted  blue  and  the 
other  half  red. 
The  sets  were  collected 
by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey, 
who  described "  them  as 
they  are  arranged  above, 
as  illustrating  the  grad- 
ual transition  of  the  count- 
ing stick  used  in  the  hand 
game  from  the  actual 
practical  arrow  to  the 
simple  stick.  The  four  shorter  undecorated  sticks  are  explained  by 
the  collector  as  each  equivalent  to  eight  of  the  long  ones.  Doctor  Dor- 
sej'^  stated  that  the  bones  used  in  the  game  most  often  consist  of  two 
bone  tubes,  such  as  are  now  purchased  from  traders  for  use  in  tiie 


Fig.  360.  Counting  sticks  for  hand  game;  lengths.  18  and 
12  inches;  Wichita  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  .59288, 
Field  Columbian  Museiun. 


Fig.  361. 


Fig.  3IK. 


Pig.  361.    Counting  sticks  and  beads  for  hand  game;  lengths  of  sticks,  16  and  10  inches:  Wichita 

Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  59286,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Pig.  363.    Drum  used  in  hand  game;  diameter,  16  inches;  Wichita  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no. 

59317,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

manufacture  of  breast  ornaments,  and  that  he  was  informed  that  they 
use  at  times  even  a  bullet  or  some  equally  unpretentious  object. 
Cat.  no.  59317.  Small,  double-headed  drum  (figure  362).  4  inches 
deep  and  16  inches  in  diameter,  made  of  two  pieces  of  rawhide, 
carefully  and  evenly  stretched  over  a  circular  wooden  frame  and 
laced  along  the  median  line.  One  head  and  half  the  liody  are 
painted  blue,  the  other  half  being  painted  pink  with  a  large 
blue  circle  in  the  center  of  the  head. 

'  Ilnnd  or  Guessing  Game  among  the  Wichitas.     The  American  Antiquarian,  v.  23.  p. 
366,  1!)01. 


CILIN] 


HAND    GAME  :    WICHITA 


279 


This  was  collected  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey.  who  states  that  the 
peculiar  manner  of  painting  was  due  to  its  being  used  in  two  cere- 
monies, the  blue  side  being  used  in  the  War  dance,  while  the  use  of  the 
pink  side  was  confined  exclusively  to  the  Ghost  dance. 
Cat.  no.  59362.  Large  drum  (figure  363),  constructed  similarly  to  the 
preceding,  8  inches  deep  and  30  inches  in  diameter ;  accompanied 
by  four  forked  stakes,  upon  which  the  drum  is  suspended  at  some 
distance  from  the  ground,  when  in  use,  by  four  leather  thongs, 
which  extend  out  on  the  four  sides  from  the  center.  In  addition, 
the  drum  bears  on  the  upper  surface  a  braided  rawhide  handle. 
The  entire  surface  of  the  drum  is  painted  a  deep  blue,  both  sides 
containing  similar  symbols.  The  center  bears  a  red  circle  6  inches  in 
diameter,  upon  which  is  an  unusually 
good  drawing  of  an  eagle,  the  black- 
tipped  white  wing  and  tail  feathers 
being  drawn  with  great  fidelity ;  the 
body  is  of  com-se  black.  Surrounding 
this  red  sphere  is  a  narrow  blue  line 
from  which  radiates  a  white  line  5 
inches  in  length,  which  is  crossed  at 
right  angles  near  the  outer  end  by  a 
moon  symbol  in  red.  The  line  termi- 
nates in  a  five-pointed  blue  star.  Be- 
tween this  star  and  the  edge  of  the 
drum  is  drawn  in  white  a  pipe  with 
a  short  stem.  Running  diagonally 
across  near  the  outer  edge  of  the 
drum  is  a  yellow  star  with  a  pipe  in  white  similar  to  the  one  just 
mentioned.  The  two  diagonally  opposite  sides  ai-e  occupied,  one  by 
a  red  and  the  other  by  a  green  star.  This  specimen  was  collected  bj' 
Doctor  Dorsey,  who  states  that  he  was  informed  that  this  drum  was 
used  not  only  in  the  hand  game,  but  in  the  so-called  War  dance.  It 
is  used  also  in  rain  ceremonies,  but  concerning  the  latter  there  was  not 
time  to  get  any  detailed  information.  The  pipes  have  special  ref- 
erence, of  course,  to  the  use  of  the  drum  during  the  war  ceremony. 
He  gives  the  following  explanation  of  the  symbols: 

The  red  center  symbolizes  the  earth,  its  light  blue  boundary  being  the  firma- 
ment :  the  white  line  leading  from  the  firmament  to  the  blue  star  representing 
the  way  of  life  which  the  spirits  of  the  departed  travel  in  their  ,1ourney  to  the 
west,  as  blue  among  the  Wichitas  is  symbolic  of  the  west.  The  color  syml)olism 
of  the  three  remaining  stars  is  north  for  the  green,  east  for  the  yellow,  and 
south  for  the  red.  The  deep-blue  color  of  the  drum  itself  represents  the 
heavens. 

The  following  is  Doctor  Dorsey's  account  of  the  game : 

The  ceremony  about  to  be  described  took  place  on  the  afternoon  of  Sunday, 
the   16th   of   .June,    1901,    in   a    very   old    Witchita    grass   lodge,    about   7    miles 


Flo.  383.  Drum  used  in  hand  game;  di- 
ameter, 30  inches:  Wichita  Indians, 
Oklahoma:  cat.  no.  .iSBfK.  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum. 


280  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 

north  of  Anadarko,  Okla.  This  particuhir  bouse,  by  the  way,  I  was  informed 
had  long  been  the  scene  of  this  and  similar  ceremonies.  Indeed,  on  the  previous 
day  1  had  here  witnessed  the  ghost  dance.  Arriving  at  the  lodge  about  2  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  I  found  that  it  was  alread.v  thronged  with  people,  those  of  mid- 
dle or  advanced  age  ijredominating.  The  tloor  had  been  carefully  swept,  and 
both  the  east  and  west  doors  were  open.  Just  outside  of  the  lodge,  exjiosed  to 
the  full  rays  of  the  sun,  was  suspended  the  large  drum  above  described,  with 
its  four  supports.  I  was  not  able  to  learn  on  inquiry  whether  tlie  drum  was 
jilaced  in  this  position  ceremonially  or  whether  it  was  simply  for  the  purpose 
of  tightening  the  heads  through  the  action  of  heat.  From  the  use  of  the  drum, 
however,  later  in  the  ceremony,  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  this  first  exposure 
to  the  sun  was  ceremonial  in  character.  AVithin  the  lodge  the  occupants 
assumed  positions — some  on  one  side,  others  on  the  other — leaving  a  large 
open  space  about  the  fire  hearth  in  the  center.  Two  old  women  assumed  a  posi- 
tion halfway  between  the  hearth  and  the  western  side  of  the  lodge,  and  to  one 
of  them  was  passed  the  bundle  of  counting  sticks  previously  described  under 
no.  59288.  A  number  of  meu  then  gathered  to  their  left,  wheu  the  large  drum 
was  brought  in  and  placed  in  their  midst,  and  the  smaller  drum  was  placed 
in  the  hands  of  one  of  their  number.  The  drummers  then  began  a  slow  and 
measured  beating,  all  at  the  same  time  joining  in  a  sort  of  chant.  This,  I 
was  informed,  was  a  supplication  to  the  sun  that  the  game  might  proceed 
quietly  and  orderly,  and  that  whichever  side  lost  should  bear  no  ill  will  toward 
the  winning  side,  and  that  at  the  conclusion  of  the  ceremony  all  might  be 
happy.  That  this,  however,  does  not  represent  the  full  meaning  of  the  song 
is  entirely  probable.  The  old  women  then  came  forward  toward  the  center  of 
the  floor,  one  of  them  bearing  in  her  hands  two  small  bone  cylinders,  around 
one  of  which  was  fastened  a  black  thong.  With  arms  outstretched  aloft  she 
turned  toward  the  sun  and  uttered  a  prayer  which  lasted  over  a  minute,  all 
the  others  in  the  lodge  keeping  profound  silence.  She  then  passed  the  cylinders 
to  an  old  man  sitting  on  the  north  side  of  the  lodge,  who  immediately  placed 
one  in  each  hand  and  began  to  wave  his  arms  back  and  forth  in  front  of  the 
body,  the  members  on  his  side  beginning  to  sing  to  the  accompaniment  of  the 
beating  of  the  two  drums.  After  several  passes  he  signified  that  he  was  ready, 
when  the  other  of  the  two  women  occupying  the  center  of  the  lodge  guessed  at  the 
location  of  the  unmarked  cylinder.  Her  guess  proved  to  be  correct,  and,  as 
she  represented  the  faction  sitting  on  the  south  side  of  the  lodge,  a  red  arrow, 
symbolic  of  the  south,  was  thrust  into  the  ground  in  front  of  and  between  the 
two  tally  keepers.  The  cylinders  were  then  passed  to  one  of  the  members  of 
the  opposite  side,  who  repeated  the  performance  just  described,  when  the 
woman  who  represented  the  party  of  the  north  side  hazarded  a  guess.  Before 
she  did  this',  however,  she  touched  the  tips  of  the  fingers  of  both  hands  to 
the  side  of  the  hearth,  rubbed  her  hands  in  front  of  her  face,  and  then  out- 
stretched them  in  the  direction  of  the  sun.  Thus  the  game  was  continued  with 
varying  fortune  until  about  6  o'clock,  at  which  time  the  side  of  the  north  was 
in  possession  of  all  the  counters.  I  w'as  prepared  from  what  I  had  observed 
of  this  game  among  other  tribes  to  see  some  outbreak  of  joy  uiion  the  part  of 
the  victors.  Instead,  however,  the  game  seemed  one  of  intense  solemnity.  The 
cylinders  were  passed  back  to  the  woman  representing  the  gnesser  of  the  win- 
ning side,  who  held  them  aloft  as  before  and  uttered  a  prayer.  Next  she  took 
the  bundle  of  counting  sticks  and  went  through  the  same  performance,  at  the 
termination  of  which,  without  any  intimation,  both  sides  joined  in  a  song 
accompanied  by  the  low  beating  of  the  drum.  This  song  was  exceedingly 
beautiful  and  resembled  nothing  so  much  as  a  subdued  but  devout  hymn  of 


CI  LIN]  HAND    GAME  :    CHINOOK  281 

thanksgiving,  as  indeed  I  was  iiifdi-uied  that  it  was.  Tlie  song  lasted  for 
lierhaps  ten  minutes,  when  those  present  Ijegan  conversing  in  low  tones,  which 
^ery  soon  became  more  animated,  and  they  Ijegau  to  leave  the  lodge  and  assem- 
ble on  the  south  side  of  the  lodge  at  a  level  space  cleared  of  all  vegetation, 
where  they  gathered  in  one  great  circle.  The  large  drum  was  then  brought 
out  by  one  of  the  leaders,  who  held  it  toward  the  sun,  uttered  a  prayer,  and 
again  all  sang  a  song,  which  was  of  the  same  general  character  as  the  one  just 
described.  The  drum  was  then  returned  to  its  former  position  just  outside 
the  lodge.  Five  of  the  older  men  now  began  a  disti-ibution  of  food,  consisting 
of  meat,  bread,  and  coffee,  to  all  those  present,  and  the  ceremony  was  at  an  end. 
The  contrast  between  this  sedate  and  dignified  performance  and  the  loud, 
boisterous,  weird  all-night  performances,  such  as  are  conducted,  for  example, 
by  the  Kootenays.  was  profound,  and  no  one  could  have  witnessed  this  game 
without  becoming  convinced  that  a  deej)  religious  significance  underlies  at  least 
one  of  the  games  of  the  American  aborigines. 

AA^'icHiTA.     Oklahoma. 

In  the  story  of  "  The  Thunderbird  and  the  Water  Monster."  as 
related  by  Dr  George  \.  Dorsey,"  the  hand  game  is  described  as  the 
great  gambling  game  of  the  people  of  these  times.  The  wagers  were 
generally  large,  people  sometimes  betting  their  lives  and  weapons, 
in  the  former  case  the  winners  taking  the  lives  of  the  losers. 

CHIMMESYAN    STOCK 

XiSKA.     Xass  river.  British  Columbia. 

Dr  Franz  Boas  "  describes  the  following  game : 

Leha'l :  the  guessing  game,  in  which  a  bone  wrapped  in  cedar-bark  is  hidden 
in  one  hand.     The  player  must  guess  in  which  hand  the  bone  is  hidden. 

CHINOOKAX    STOCK 

Chinook.    Shoalwater  bay.  Washington. 
James  G.  Swan  "  says : 

Another  game  is  played  by  little  sticks  or  stones,  which  are  rapidly  thrown 
from  hand  to  hand  with  the  skill  of  experienced  jugglers,  accompanied  all  the 
while  by  some  song  adapted  to  the  occasion,  the  winning  or  losing  the  game 
depending  on  being  able  to  guess  correctly  which  hand  the  stick  is  in.  This 
game  can  be  played  by  any  number  of  jiersons  and  is  usually  resorted  to  when 
the  members  of  two  different  tribes  meet,  and  is  a  sort  of  trial  of  superiority. 
Before  commencing  the  game  the  betting  begins,  and  each  article  staked  is 
put  before  the  winner,  and  whoever  wins  takes  the  whole  pile. 

Chinook.     Xear  Fort  Vancouver.  Washington. 

.Paul  Kane  ''  says : 

The  one  most  generally  played  consists  in  holding  in  each  hand  a  small  stick, 
the  thickness  of  a  goose  quill  and  about  an  inch  and  a  half  in  length,  one  plain 

-  The  Mythology  of  the  Wichita,  p.  102.  Washinston.  1004. 

"  Fifth  Report  on  the  Indians  of  British  Columbia.  Report  of  the  Sixty-fifth  Meeting  of 
the  British  .Association  for  the  .Advancement  of  Science,  p.  582,  London.  1S95. 

■•  The  Northwest  Coast,  p.  158,  New  York.  1857. 

''Wanderings  of  an  .Artist  among  the  Indians  of  North  America,  p.  189,  London,  1S59; 
also  the  Canadian  Journal,  v.  iii,  no.  12,  p.  2TG,  Toronto,  July,  1S53. 


282  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 

and  the  other  distinguished  by  a  little  tliread  wound  round  it,  the  opposite  party 
beiug  required  to  guess  in  which  hand  the  niarl;ed  stitlc  is  to  be  found.  A 
Chinooli  will  play  at  this  simple  game  for  days  and  nights  together,  until  he  has 
gambled  away  everything  he  possesses,  even  to  his  wife. 

Chinook.     Columbia  river,  Oregon. 
John  Dunn  "^  says : 

One  of  their  usual  games  is  this  :  One  man  takes  a  small  stone,  which  he 
shifts  from  hand  to  hand  repeatedl.v,  all  the  while  hninming  a  low,  monotonous 
air.  The  bet  being  made,  according  as  the  adversary  succeeds  in  grasping  the 
hand  which  contains  the  stone  he  wins  or  loses.  The  game  is  generally  played 
with  great  fairness. 

Ross  Cox  "  says : 

Their  common  game  is  a  simple  kind  of  hazard.  One  man  takes  a  small  stone, 
which  he  changes  for  some  time  from  hand  to  hand,  all  the  while  humming  a 
slow,  monotonous  air.  The  bet  is  then  made,  and  according  as  his  adversary 
succeeds  in  guessing  the  hand  in  which  the  stone  is  concealed,  he  wins  or  loses. 
They  seldom  cheat,  and  submit  to  their  losses  with  the  most  philosophical  resig- 
nation. 

Clatsop.     Month  of  the  Cohimliia  river,  Oregon. 
Lewis  and   Claris;''  give  the   following  account: 

The  games  are  of  two  kinds.  In  the  first,  one  of  the  company  assumes  the 
office  of  banker  and  plays  against  the  rest.  He  takes  a  small  stone  about  the 
size  of  a  beau,  which  he  shifts  from  one  hand  to  the  other  with  great  dexterity, 
repeating  at  the  same  time  a  song  adapted  to  tlie  game,  which  serves  to  divert 
the  attention  of  the  company ;  till,  having  agreed  on  the  stake,  he  holds  out  his 
hands,  and  the  antagonist  wins  or  loses  as  he  succeeds  or  fails  at  guessing  in 
which  hand  is  the  stone.  After  the  banker  has  lost  his  money,  or  whenever  he 
is  tired,  the  stone  is  transferred  to  another,  who  in 
turn  challenges  the  rest  of  the  company. 

Wasco.      Hood     river,     Oregon.      (Cat.     no. 

60471,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Four  bone   cylinders    (figure   364),    from   leg 

bones,  yellow  and  polished  fi-om  use  and 

age,  3  inches  in  length;  two  wrapped  in 

Fig.  364.  Bones  for  hand  two  places  bv  a  buckskin  thong  in  a  groove 

^o  tH^s:'^^::.  ^hich  has  been  cut  in  for  the  reception  of 

cat.  no. 60471.  Field  Coium-  the   band.     On   each   end   of   the   marked 

bian  Museum.  i  c         ^  i  ... 

bones  are  five  deep,  sharp  incisions. 
These  were  collected  in  1900  by  Dr  George  xV.  Dorsey,  who  says: 

The  game  is  tlukuma.  The  unmarked  bone  is  cola,  "  man."  and  the  marked 
bone,  skaguilak,  "  woman."  The  marks  on  the  end  of  bones  are  yakimutema. 
The  counters,  wowuk.  were  burned  upon  the  death  of  the  owner's  brother. 

"  The  Oregon  Territor.v,  p.  93,  Philadelphia,  1845. 
'The  CoIiimbi.T   River,  vol.  1.  p.  W2.  London.  1S31. 

""  History  of  Ihe  Expedition  under  the  Command  of  Lewis  and  Clarli,  v.  2,  ii.  7S4,  New 
York,  1803. 


Li  lis] 


HAND    GAME  :    CALAPOOYA 


2  S3 


COPEHAX    STOCK 


\ViXTUN.     Califoruia.     (Cat.  no.  ^^  ,  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History. ) 

Four  bones  (figure  305).  21  inches  in  length,  two  tied  in  the  middle 
with   cord   and   two   plain.     Collected   in    1902 
by  Mr  Howard  Wilson,  who  gives  the  name      ("        ^^== 
as  dam. 

COSTANOAX    STOCK 

EuMSEN.     Monterey.  California. 
J.  F.  G.  de  la  Perouse «  says : 

The  other  game.*  named  toussi.   is  more  easy ;  they 

play  it  with  four,  two  on  each  side;  each  in  his  turn 

hides  a  piece  of  wood  in  his  hands,  whilst  his  partner 

malces   a    thousand   gestures   to   take  ofif   the   attention 

of  the  adversaries.     It  is  curious  enough  to  a  stander-by 

to  see  them  s(iuatted  down  oi)i)OSite  to  each  other,  keep- 
ing  the   most   i)rofound   silence,    watching   the   features 

and  most  minute  circumstances  which  may  assist  them 

in    discovering   the    hand    which    conceals   the   piece    of 

wood;  they  gain  or  lose  a  point  according  to  their  guess- 
ing right  or  wrong,  and  those  who  gain  it  have  a  right  to  hide  in  their  turn; 
the  game  is  5  points,  and  the  common  stake  is  beads,  and  among  the  independent 
Indians  the  favors  of  their  women. 


Fig.  :^'i.  Bonesforhand 
game;  lengrt^h,  2i  inches; 
Wintun  Indians.  Cali- 
fornia: cat.  no.  jjq-, 
American  Museum  of 
Natural  History. 


ESKIMAIAN    STOCK 

Eskimo  (Labrador).     Ungava. 

Mr  Lucien  M.  Turner  "  says : 

The  yonng  girls  often  play  the  game  of  taking  an  object  and  secreting  it 
within  the  closed  hand.  Another  is  called  upon  to  guess  the  contents.  She 
makes  inquiries  as  to  the  size,  color,  etc.,  of  the  object.  From  the  answers  she 
gradually  guesses  what  the  thing  is. 

KALAPOOIAN    STOCK 


Calapoota.  Siletz  reservation.  Oregon.  (Cat.  no.  63605.  Field  Co- 
lumbian Museum.) 

Four  bones  (figure  366).  3J  inches  in  length  and  1  inch  in  diameter 
at  ends,  two  with  a  leather  band  around  the  middle  and  two 
plain.  Ten  counting  sticks  of  willow.  8f  inches  in  length, 
pointed  at  one  end,  with  a  black  burned  band  at  top. 

°  a  Voyage  round  the  World  in  the  years  1785.  1786,  1787.  and  1788,  v.  2,  p.  224, 
I^ondon.  1798. 

"See  p.  472. 

'Ethnology  of  the  Ungava  District.  Eleventh  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnol- 
ogy, p.  255,  189-J, 


284 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMEEICAN    TNDIAKt 


[ETH.  ANN.  24 


These  were  collected  by  T.  Jay  Biifort,  who  gives,  under  the  name 
of  ithlacum,  the  following  account  of  the  game :  • 

Any  number  of  players  come  together,  at  which  time  two  captains  choose 
sides.  Then  the  captains  ilivide  the  bones,  each  talking  one  white  and  one 
marlied  bone.     The  players  sit  facing  each  other  with  the  counting  sticks  lying 

between  tbem.  By  lot  they 
decide  which  side  sliall  play 
first.  The  successful  man  will 
talie  a  In  me  in  each  band, 
holding  them  in  front  of  him, 
and  will  exchange  them  so 
rapidly  that  the  bystanders 
are  supposed  not  to  know 
which  hand  has  the  marked 
bone.  Then  holding  l>oth 
hands  still  in  front  of  him, 
exposing  the  ends,  an  opposite 
man  makes  a  guess  by  point- 
ing at  the  hand  which  he 
thinks  contains  the  white 
bone.  The  hands  are  then 
opened,  exposing  tlie  bones  to 
full  view.  If  the  gncsser  has 
pointed  to  the  marked  bone,  he  loses,  and  one  of  the  markers  is  inunediately 
placed  to  the  credit  of  the  player.  If  be  guesses  the  white  l)one,  he  wins,  and 
one  of  the  markers  is  placed  to  his  credit.  Then  he  proceeds  to  shuffle  the  bones 
for  the  opposite  side  to  guess. 

The  amount  of  the  stake  played  for  is  generally  arranged  on  a  series  of 
12  games,  each  side  putting  up  the  amount  collectively,  and  the  winning  side 
dividing  at  the  end  of  the  game.  This  does  not  prohibit  anyone,  however,  from 
betting  on  a  single  game  or  on  one  band,  which  is  often  done  as  the  game 
proceeds. 

Kiowa.     Oklahoma. 

Mr  James  Mooney  " 
follows : 


Pig.  366.  Bones  and  counting  sticks  for  hand  game;  length 
of  bones,  3i  inches:  length  of  sticks,  81  inches;  Calapooya 
Iu4ians,  Siletz  reservation,  Oregon;  cat.  no.  63605,  Field 
Columbian  Museum. 


KIOWAN    STOCK 


lescril)es   tli<'   liaiid   yanic  of  the   Kiowa    as 


The  name  do-a  signifies  the  tiiii  game;  from  do,  tipi  or  house,  and  "a,"  a 
game,  because,  unlike  most  of  their  games,  it  is  played  inside  the  tipi,  being 
essentially  a  game  for  the  long  nights  when  the  whole  trilie  is  assembled  in  the 
winter  camp.  A  similar  game  is  found  among  nearly  all  our  wild  tril)es ;  it  is 
played  by  both  sexes,  but  never  together.  In  its  general  features  it  resembles 
our  game  of  "  hunt  the  button."  the  pla.vers  forming  a  circle  around  the  fire  of 
the  tipi,  one-half  of  them  playing  against  the  others,  sitting  facing  tliem  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  fire.  The  leader  of  one  party  then  takes  the  k'fiibo,  or 
button,  a  short  piece  of  stick  wrapped  around  the  middle  with  a  strip  of  fur, 
and  small  enough  to  be  concealed  in  the  hand.  Tutting  his  closed  hands 
together,  he  raises  his  arms  above  his  head,  clasps  them  across  his  chest,  or 
lints  them  behind  his  back,  endeavoring  to  pass  the  k'lilbo  from  one  hand  to 
iinother,  or  from  his  own  hand  to  that  of  his  next  partner,  without  being  per- 


"  Calendar  Hlstor.y  of  the  Kiowa  Indians, 
American  Ethnology,  p.  348,  1898. 


Seventeenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of 


CULiN]  HAND    GAME  :    KUTENAI  285 

ceived  by  any  of  the  opposite  party,  all  tlie  while  keei>inf!;  time  to  the  luoveiuents 
of  his  hands  with  one  of  the  iiecuiiai'  <l6-a  songs,  in  which  the  members  of  his 
party  join. 

When  the  opposing  player  thinlvS  he  has  detected  in  which  hand  the  other 
has  concealed  the  stick,  he  indi<'ates  it  with  a  peculiar  .lerk  of  his  tlunub  and 
index  finger  in  that  direction,  with  a  loud  Tsoq !  (Comanche  for  "That!")  ;  if 
he  has  guessed  correctly,  he  scores  a  certain  number  of  points,  the  account  being 
kept  by  means  of  a  bundle  of  greeu-painted  tally  sticks.  He  then  takes  the 
k'lilbo  and  begins  a  similar  set  of  movements  In  time  to,  another  song,  in  which 
his  partners  join  ;  so  the  game  goes  ou  far  into  the  night,  until  the  contest 
is  decided  and  the  stakes  won  by  one  side  or  the  other.  It  is  a  most  animated 
and  interesting  game,  of  which  they  are  very  fond,  and  frequently  at  night  in 
the  winter  camp  the  song  chorus  nia.v  be  heard  from  several  games  in  progress 
simultaneously,  tlie  high-pitched  voices  of  the  women  in  one  tipi  making  a 
pleasing  contrast  to  the  deeper  tones  of  the  men  in  another. 

Mr  Mooney  gives  a  picture  of  the  doa  game  from  a  Kiowa  calendar 
[figure  3(JT],  which  lie  describes  as  follows: 

Winter  1881-82.  Imdadoil-de  Saia.  'Winter  when  they  played  the  do-A. 
medicine  game."  This  winter  is  noted  for  a  great  do-S  game  played  under  the 
auspices  of  two  rival  leaders,  each  of  whom  claimed  to 
have  the  most  powerful  "medicine"  for  tlie  game.  The 
game  was  played  in  the  winter  camp  on  the  Washita,  near 
the  mouth  of  Hog  Creek,  the  Kiowa  leader  being  Pa-tepte, 
"  Buffalo-bull-coming-out,"  alias  Diitekan.  now  dead,  .  .  . 
while  bis  opponent  was  tlie  Apache  chief  and  medicine 
man  Diiveko.  The  Kiowa  leader  was  recognized  distinc- 
tivel.v  as  liaving  "  medicine "  for  this  game,  and  it  was 
said  that  he  could  do  w;onderful  things  with  the  "  button," 
making  it  pass  invisibjy  from  one  hand  to  another  while  he 
held  his  hands  outstretched  and  far  apart,  and  even  to 
throw  it  up  into  the  air  and  cause  it  to  remain  there  sus- 
pended invisibly  until  lie  was  read.v  to  put  out  his  hand 
again  and  catch  it :  in  other  words,  he  was  probably  an 
expert  sleight-of-hand  performer.  His  Apache  rival.  Dii- 
veko, is  known  as  a  medicine  man  as  well  as  a  chief,  and  Fig.  asT.  Hand  game; 
is  held  in  considerable  dread,  as  it  is  believed  that  he  can  kill  ^iowo-  Indians.  Okla- 
.         ,       a..         .       .   .,_  t       -t      ^     ^  -1-   ^  .    ^      ^.       .     -,  homa:  from  a  Kiowa 

by  shooting  invisible  darts  from  a  distance  into  the  body      „„i„„j„„.     *,.„„ 

of  an  enemy.  On  this  occasion  he  had  boasted  that  his  Mooney. 
medicine  was  superior  for  the  do-ii  game,  which  did  not 
prove  to  be  the  case,  however,  and  as  the  Kiowa  medicine  man  won  the  victory 
for  his  party,  large  stakes  were  wagered  on  the  result  and  were  won  by  the 
liiowa.  It  is  said  that  this  was  a  part  of  Pa-tepte's  effort  to  revive  the  old 
customs  and  amusements  on  a  large  scale.  The  game  was  witnessed  by  a  large 
concourse,  all  dressed  and  painted  for  the  occasion.  The  picture  on  the  Set-fan 
calendar  is  very  suggestive. 

KITUNAHAX  STOCK 

KuTENAi.     Bonners  Ferry.  Idaho.     (Cat.  no.  51878.  Field  Columbian 

Museinn.) 
Two  sets  of  bones  (figure  368),  one  '2i  inches  in  length  and  the  other 
2f  inches  in  length ;  both  about  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  diam- 


286 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


D 


eter,  hollow,   and   with   square  ends.     In  each  set  one  bone  is 
wrapped  around  the  middle  with  a  leather  band. 
These  were  collected  in  1897  by  D.r  Cieorge  A.  Dorsey,  who  bought 
them  from  a  Kutenai  who  belongs  to  a  little  rene- 
gade band  living  at  Bonners  Ferry.    Doctor  Dorsey 
writes : 

This  Indian  told  me  that  among  the  ^Kutenai,  or  at  any 
rate  among  his  people,  whenever  they  played  this  game 
they  always  had  two  .sets,  thus  obviating  the  necessity  of 
passing  the  set  bacli  and  forth  from  side  to  side,  as  would 
be  the  case  if  they  played  with  but  one  set.  In  connection 
with  these  two  Kutenai  sets  I  send  you  some  photographs  I 
took  of  some  Kutenai  playing  this  game,  taken  on  the 
Bitter  Root  river,  near  Flathead  lake,  Mont,  [figures  .369, 
370].  I  saw  the  game  played  by  several  different  parties  among  the  Flathead 
Indians,  with  whom  this  band  of  Kutnai  is  more  or  less  intimately  associated. 

Kutenai.     British  Columbia. 

Dr  A.  F.  Chamberlain  "  says : 

The  Lower  Kootenays  are  very  much  in  love  with  gambling,  which  vice,  through 
the  efforts  of  the  missionaries,  has  been  entirely  suppressed  amongst  the  Upper 


Fig.  368.  Bones  for 
hand  game;  length, 
2j  inches;  Kutenai 
Indians,  Idaho;  cat. 
no.  .51878,  Field  Co- 
lumbian Museum. 


F](..  ;^<i'.).    Kutenai  Indians  playing  hand  game;  Montana;  from  photugl-aph   by  Dr  George  A. 

Dorsey. 


Kootenays.     In   the  gambling  dance  they   chant  Hal  ya !   hai   ya !   hai   ya  lie, 
repeated  an  infinite  number  of  times,  interspersed  with  yells  of  ho  ho !  ha  ha ! 

»  Report  on  the  Kootenay  Indians  of  South-Eastern  British  Columbia.  Report  of  the 
Sixty-second  Meeting  of  the  British  .Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  ."iGl. 
London,  1893. 


CCLIN] 


HAND    GAME  :    CHILKAT 


287 


he  be  bai  hail  hf-  he  hai  hai  !  bn  hii  I  etc.     Another  gambling  refrain  is  i  i  i! 
ya  e  e  e  '. 

The  gambling  consists  in  guessing  in  wbicli   liand  one    (on  wbicli  a  ring  of 
barlj  is  left)   of  two  sticks  of  wood  is  hidden.     The  players  sit  in  two  rows 


Fig.  370.    Kutenai  Indians  playing  hand  game;  Montana;  from  photograph  by  Dr  George  A. 

Dorsey. 

facing  each  other,  and  a  number  of  them  keep  beating  on  a  log  in  front  of  them 
with  sticks  while  the  sticks  are  passed  from  hand  to  hand.  From  time  to  time 
some  of  the  players  sing  or  contort  their  limbs  in  various  ways. 


KOLUSCHAN    STOCK 

Chtlkat.     Alaska. 

Lieut.  Frederick  Schwatka,  U.  S.  Army,"  says: 

The  gambling  game  which  they  called  la-hell  was  the  favorite  during  the 
trip  over  the  Chilkoot  trail,  although  I  understand  that  they  have  others  not 
so  complicated.  This  game  requires  an  even  number  of  players,  generally 
from  four  to  twelve,  divided  into  two  parties  which  face  each  other.  These 
"  teams  "  continue  sitting  about  2  or  3  feet  apart,  with  their  legs  drawn  up 
under  them,  a  la  Turque,  the  place  selected  being  usually  in  sandy  ground 
under  the  shade  of  a  grove  of  poplar  or  willow  trees.  Each  man  lays  a  wager 
with  the  person  directly  opposite  him,  with  whom  alone  he  gambles  as  far  as 
the  gain  or  loss  of  his  stake  is  concerned,  although  such  loss  or  gain  is  deter- 
mined by  the  success  of  the  team  as  a  whole.  In  other  words,  when  a  game 
terminates  one  team,  of  course,  is  the  winner,  but  each  player  wins  only  the 

"Along  Alaska's  Great  River,  p.  70,  New  York,  188.5. 


288  GAMES    OF    THK    NORTH    AMEKICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 

stake  put  up  by  his  vis-;i-vis.  A  liiuiilful  of  willow  sticks,  3  or  -1  inches  long, 
and  from  a  dozen  to  a  score  in  number,  are  thrust  in  the  sand  or  soft  earth 
between  the  two  rows  of  squattint;  saniblers.  and  by  means  of  these  a  sort  of 
runninj;;  record  or  tally  of  the  game  is  keirt.  The  implements  actually  employed 
in  f;ambling  are  merely  a  coui)le  of  small  bone  bobbins,  as  shown  [in  lifjure  MTIJ. 
of  about  the  size  of  a  lady's  penknife,  one  of  which  has  one  or  more  bands  of 
black  cut  around  it  uear  its  center  and  is  called  the  king,  the  other  being  pure 
white.  At  the  commencement  of  the  game  one  of  the  pla.vers  picks  up  the  bone 
bobbins,  changes  them  rapidly  from  one  hand  to  the  other,  sometimes  behind 
his  back,  then  again  under  an  .ipnm  or  hat  resting  on  his  lap,  during  all  of 
which  time  the  whole  assembly  are  singing  in  a  low  measured  melody  the 
words,  ■■  Oh !  oh !  oh !  Oh.  ker-shoo,  ker-shoo !  "'  which  is  ke|)t  up.  with  their 
elbows  flapping  against  their  sides  and  their  heads  swaying  to  the  tune,  until 
some  player  of  the  opposite  row,  thinking  he  is  inspired,  and  singing  with 
unusual  vehemence,  suddenly  points  out  the  hand  of  the  juggler  that,  in  his 
belief,  contains  "  the  king."  If  his  guess  is  correct,  his  team  picks  up  one  of 
the  willow  sticks  and  places  it  on  their  side,  or  if  the  jug- 
gler's team  has  gained,  any  one  of  their  sticks  uuist  be  re- 


/r j-j gier  s  team  uas  gaineu.  any  one  or  ineu'  sucks  umsr  ne  re- 

IJ O U  placed  in  the  reserve  at  the  center.     If  he  is  wrong  then,  the 

. other  side  tallies  one  in  the  same  wa.v.     The  bone  "  king  and 

U y  queen  "  are  tlieu  handed  to  an  Indian  in  the  other  row  and 

Fig.  371.    Bones  for  the  same  ])erformance  re]ieated,  although  it  may  be  twice  as 

hand  game:  length.  ]„„„    ,,i.  i,.,if  ,,<,  short,  as  no  native  attempts  to  discern  the 

2in(:hes:  Chilkat  In-  ,            ,        ^       ^  ^i       ,.  ,  ■        ,,        x-,  ,       ^     ,     ,       i                       ,    i_. 

,.     .    '     ,    . .  whereabouts  of  the     king     until  he  feels  he  has  a  revelation 

Schw'atka.  t"  tl^^t  effect,  produced  by  the  incantation.    A  game  will  last 

anywhere  from  half  an  hour  to  three  hours.  Whenever  the 
game  is  nearly  concluded  and  one  party  has  gained  almost  all  the  willow  sticks, 
or  at  any  other  exciting  point  of  the  game,  they  have  methods  of  "  doubling  up  " 
on  the  wagers  by  not  exchanging  the  bobbins,  but  holding  both  in  one  hand  or 
leaving  one  or  both  on  the  ground  under  a  hat  or  apron,  and  the  guesses  are 
about  both  and  count  double,  treble,  or  quadruple,  for  loss  or  gain.  They 
wager  the  caps  off  their  heads,  their  shirts  off  their  backs,  and  with  many  of 
them,  no  doubt,  their  prospective  pay  for  the  trip  was  all  gone  before  it  was 
half  earned. 

Again,  he  says: " 

Another  article  freely  orouglit  to  us  was  the  pair  of  small  bone  gambling 
tools  so  characteristic  of  the  whole  northwest  country.  They  have  been 
described  when  speaking  of  the  Chilkat  Indians,  and  I  saw  no  material  differ- 
ence in  their  use  by  this  particular  trilie. 

Tlinoit.  Alaska.  (Cat.  no.  ^?-j.  American  Mnseiim  of  Natural  His- 
tory.) 

Set  of  four  Ijones  (figure  372) ,  solid  and  very  old  and  stained,  1| 
inches  in  length,  not  entirely  round,  hut  with  a  raised  strip  on 
one  side.  On  two  this  strip  has  a  fluted  edge,  ornamented  with 
four  circles,  with  interior  dots.  One  of  these  is  plain  and  the 
others  are  cut  to  receive  a  hand  in  the  middle.  One  has  a  plain 
strip  with  two  circles  with  interior  dots  and  is  perforated  at  one 
end,  and  the  fourth  a  strip  cut  awaj'  at  the  sides  near  the  ends, 

"Along  Alaska's  Great  River,/ p.  227,  New  York,  1885. 


CULIN] 


HAXD  game:  pomo 


289 


with  four  dots.  The  latter  has  two  perforations  at  right  angles 
and  is  cut  to  receive  a  band.  Collected  by  Lieut.  George  T.  Em- 
mons, U.  S.  Xavy,  who  desci-ibes  the  specimens  as  part  of  the 
paraphernalia  of  a  shaman. 


Flo.372 


Bones  for  hand  game:  length.  1;  inihes:  Tlingit  Indians.  Alaska:  cat.  no.  j^^ 
Museum  of  Natural  HistoiT. 


KULAXAP.\X    .STOCK 

GuALALA.     Sonoma  county.  California. 
Mr  Stephen  Powers  "  says : 

While  nnioiig  tlieGuahila  I  h:ul  an  e.xfellent  opportmiitj- of  witnessing  the  gam- 
blint;  game  of  wi  and  tep,  ami  a  description  of  the  same,  with  slight  variations, 
will  answer  for  nearly  all  the  tribes  in  central  and  southern  California.  .  .  . 
They  gamble  with  four  cylinders  of  bone  about  2  inches  long,  two  of  which  are 
plain  and  two  marked  with  rings  and  strings  tied  around  the  middle.  The 
game  is  conducted  by  four  old  and  experienced  men,  frequently  gray-heads,  two 
for  each  party,  squatting  on  their  l<uees  on  opposite  sides  of  the  tire.  They 
have  before  them  a  quantity  of  fine  dry  grass,'  and,  with  their  hands  in  rapid 
and  juggling  motion  before  and  behind  them,  they  roll  up  each  piece  of  lx)ue  in 
a  little  bale,  and  the  opposite  party  i)resently  guess  in  which  hand  is  the  marked 
bone.  Generally  only  one  guesses  at  a  time,  which  lie  does  with  the  word  "  tep," 
marked  one,  "  wi."  plain  one.  If  he  guesses  right  for  both  the  players,  they 
simjily  toss  the  bones  over  to  him  and  his  partner,  and 
nothing  is  scored  on  either  side.  If  he  guesses  right  for 
one  and  wrong  for  the  other,  the  one  for  whom  he  guessed 
right  is  '■  out,"  but  his  partner  rolls  up  the  bones  for  an- 
other trial,  and  the  guesser  forfeits  to  them  one  of  the 
twelve  counters.  If  he  guesses  wrong  for  both,  they  still 
keep  on,  and  he  forfeits  two  counters.  There  are  only 
twelve  counters,  and  when  they  have  been  all  won  over  to 
one  side  or  the  other  the  game  is  ended.  Each  Indian  then 
takes  out  of  the  stake  the  article  which  he  or  she  deposited, 
togetlier  with  that  pbiced  on  it.  so  that  every  one  of  the 
winning  party  comes  out  with  double  the  amount  he  staked. 


-^zzi^a 


Fig.  3T3.  Bones  for 
hand  game;  length. 
2J  inches:  Pomo  In- 
dians, California, 
cat.  no.20ll295.  United 
States  National  Mu- 
seum. 


Pomo. 


200295, 


Hopland,    California.     (Cat.    no. 
United  States  National  Museum.) 
Set  of  four  bones  (figure  373).  25  inches  in  length 
and  one-half  inch  in  diameter:  interior  hollow:  two  tied  with 
thread  about  the  middle  and  two  plain. 


»  The  Tribes  of  California. 
Washington.  1.S77. 


Contributions  to  North  American  Ethnology,  v.  3.  p.   1S9, 


24  ETH- 


-19 


290 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMEKICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  an.\.  24 


(I_ 

) 

{] 

) 

0 

If   ) 

0  - 

-ii!rr-  ■) 

Collected  by  Mr  C.  F.  Briggs,  who  states  that  they  are  used  by  the 
Pomo  and  all  other  Indians  in  that  part  of  California. 

PoMO.     Ukiah.  California.      (Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Cat.  no.  61144.     Four  cylindrical  bones    (figure  374)    from  legs  of 
mountain  lion,  3  inches  in  length ;  two  bound  with  native  twine, 
which  passes  through  the  tube  and  back  under 
wrapping  on  outside  of  bone.     Smooth  and 
highly  polished. 
The  above  specimens  were  collected  in  1900  by 
Dr  George  A.  Dorsey,  who  states  that  the  native 
name  is  shoduwia. 

Sho  equals  "  east :  "  du-wi  equals  "  night."     The  game  is 
played  by  fire  light  in  sweat  houses. —  (J.  W.  II.) 

Cat.   no.   61192.     Four  very  old  and   highly  pol- 
ished bones (  figure  375),  2^  inches  in  length, 
from   the   foot  of  the   mountain   lion.     Two 
unmarked  bones  have  on  the  side  a  row  of  excavated  pits,  9  on 
one,  6  on  the  other.     The  other  two  bones  are  bound  in  the  middle 
with  native  cordage,  which  passes  also  inside  and  outside  the 
bone.     Each  of  these  latter  has  a  circle  of  black  dots  near  one 
end,  one  composed  of  7  and  the  other  of  9  dots. 
These   specimens   were   collected   by   Ur   J.    W. 
Hudson  in  1900,  who  gives  the  native  name  as  coka, 
eastern.     Doctor  Hudson  informed  the  Avriter  that 
the  pits  or  dots  on  the  bones  represent  the  king- 
fisher, bidama  chata,  the  patron  of  the  gamblers. 


Fig.  374.  Bones  for 
hand  game;  length, 
3  inches;  Pomo  In- 
dians, California: 
cat.  no.  fill44,  Field 
Columbian  Museum. 


Ukiah  valley,  Mendocino  county,  California. 


G 


Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  shoka    (coka),  east- 
ern game,  the  usual  liaiul  or  grass  game. 

The  guesser,  when  calling  tep.  guesses  that  the  plain 
bone  is  in  the  hand  in  front  of  the  player.  If  correct  he 
takes  the  bones.  When  calling  \vi,  he  means  the  bound 
bone  is  in  the  hand  in  front.  This  tribe  always  keep  one 
of  their  hands  in  front  and  one  behind  when  juggling  the  bones.  ,\  caller  can 
call  ko,  both,  which  means  that  he  guesses  at  both  opiiouents,  and  the  hands  are 


Fig.  375.  Bones  for 
band  game:  length, 
2i  inches:  Pomo  In- 
dians, C'alifornia;  cat. 
no.  61192,  Field  Co- 
lumbian Museum. 


thus 


aa 


The  call  tso'-lo-pa,  flicker-head  band,  means 


A  "  ko,"  or  tso'-lo-pa.  if  correct,  wins  both  opponents'  bones.  "  Tep,"  or  "  wi  " 
call  refers  to  the  opponent  pointed  at  only,  and  the  other  partner  must  win  back 
the  bones  lost  before  the  game  can  proceed  in  the  orthodo.x  way  or  lose  his  play. 
The  following  archaic  calls  are  very  rarely  heard  in  the  hand  game : 

U'yu  equals  the  high  one,  the  wi  bone,  or  kai-ye' ;  or  nau-wa-tca-tcim  equals 
sit-behind-hlm.    Ka-tu'-shel  equals  the  short  one,  the  tep  bone. 


CI  LIN]  HAND    game:    KLAMATH  291 

PoMo.  Nabatel  village,  Mendocino  county.  California.  (Cat.  no. 
54472,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Four  highly  polished  cylindrical  bones,  2|  inches  in  length,  fi'om 
the  foot  of  the  mountain  lion ;    two  bound  in  the  center  by  ten 
or  more  wraps  of  native  cord,  which  there  passes  in  each  direc- 
tion and  enters  the  hollow  of  the  bone. 
This  is  the  most  highly  j^olished  set  ever  seen  by  the  collector, 

Dr  George  A.  Dorsey  (1899),  who  gives  the  native  name  as  coka, 

eastern.     Another  set   (cat.  no.  54473),  similar  to  the  above,  is  2^ 

inches  in  length. 

Upper   Lake,    Lake    county,    California.      (Field    Columbian 

Museum.) 

Cat.  no.  54468.  Two  bone  cylinders  (figure  376),  3  inches  in  length, 
one  an  eagle  bone,  wrapped  with  cordage  which  jjasses  through 
and  back  outside  the  bone.  The  unmarked  bone  is  one  from  a 
mountain  lion's  foot.  Both  bones  are  highly  polished  and  very 
smooth. 

Cat.  no.  54470.  Two  bone  cylinders,  2f  inches  in  length,  similar  to 
above. 

Cat.  no.  54469.     Two  eagle-bone  cylinders,  3  inches  in  length,  one 
wrapped  with  native  cordage,  nine  wraps,  which 
passes  through  and  back  to  center  over  ends.  f)  ) 

Cat.  no.  54471.     Foui'  cylindrical  bones,  2|  inches       

■  in   length,   from   the   legs   of   wildcats.     Two     '^  *~~ 

'^ ,         -,,       .      .  .  .  J.    ,  4  1,    Fio.  376.     Bones  for 

wrapped   with  twine  in  center  or  bone.     All     hand  game;  length, 
highly  polished  and  worn  smooth.  3  ii'<=i»e^;  P°"o  !«■ 

.,,»■,,  .  ■11  •  1         dians,  California: 

All  01  the  above-described  specimens  were  col-  cat.  no.  54468,  Field 
lected  in  1899  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey.  who  gives  Columbian  Mu- 
the  native  name  as  duweka  at  Ukiah. 

Upper  Lake,  Lake  coimty,  California.     (Cat.  no.  61215,  Field 

Columbian  Museum.) 
Two  Ijones,  eagle-wing  tubes,  each  about  3  inches  in  length,  one  of 
them  wrapped  as  follows:  Eight  times  around  the  center  with 
native  cord,  which  also  passes  out  to  the  end  of  the  tube  and 
back  to  the  other  end,  then  inside  the  tube  and  back  to  the  center 
on  the  outside. 
These  were  collected  in  1900  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  from  Captain 
Jim  Bucknell,  a  noted  Indian  character. 

LUTUAMIAN    STOCK 

Rlamath.  Upper  Klamath  lake,  Oregon.  (Cat.  no.  37496,  Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsjdvania.) 

Four  solid  bones  (figure  377),  3  inches  in  length,  two  wrapped  about 
the  middle  with  cord  cemented  with  black  gum ;  six  willow 
counting  sticks    (figure  378).  pointed  at  one  end   and   painted 


292 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


red;     length,    7    inches.     Collected    in    I'JOO    by    Dr   Cieurge    A. 
Dorsey. 


Fig.  377. 


Fig.  378. 


Pig.  377.    Bones  for  hand  game:  leugtli,  3  inches:  Klamath  Indians,  Oregon:  cat.  no.  37496,  Free 

Maseum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Pig.  37H.    Counting  sticks  for  hand  game;  length,  7  inches;  Klamath  Indians,  Oregon;  cat.  no. 

37496,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Klamath.  Upper  Klamath  lake,  Oregon.  (Cat.  no.  fiUllG,  p^ield 
Columbian  Museum.) 

Pour  solid  bones  (figure  379),  3  inches  in  length,  and  tapering  to 
each  end.  Two  of  the  bones  have  wound  about  their  centers 
several  wrappings  of  a  buckskin  thong;  all  of  them  are  deco- 
rated, the  two  plain  ones  having  on  one  side  of  one  end  a  double 
cross,    while    the   marked    bones   have    at    one    end    an    incision 


Pig.  379.    Bones  for  hand  game;  length,  3  inches;  Klamath  Indians,  Oregon;  cat.  no.  61616,  Field 
Columbian  Museum;  from  Dorsey. 

running  around  the  bones,  from  which  spring  two  parallel  in- 
cised spirals,  terminating  under  the  wrappings.  The  set  of 
bones  is  accompanied  with  twelve  neatly  made  decorated  wooden 
pins,  8J  inches  long. 
Collected  in  1900  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey,  who  describes  the  game 
under  the  name  of  loijaas : " 

The  two  marked  bones  are  known  as  skfltash,  tied  around,  or  hfshuaksh. 
male,  while  the  unmarked  bones  are  solsas.  female.  The  twelve  sticks  serve 
as  counters,  kshesh. 

"  Certain  Gambling  Games  of  the  Klamath  Indians.  American  .\nthropologlst,  u.  s., 
T.  3,  p.  22,  1901. 


CCLIN]  HAND    GAME  :    YOKUTS  293 

Continuing,  Doctoi-  Dorsey  says: 

In  connection  with  the  hand  game  there  should  be  mentioned  a  lozenge-shaped 
stone  [figure  3S0],  me;isuriiig  2^  inelies  lung  by  li  inches  in  breadth  and  an 
inch  in  thicliness.  This  stone,  with  several  others  similar  in  shape,  was  found  at 
Klamath  falls,  near  the  foot  of  Klamath  lake,  and  was  obtained  by  me  from  a 
merchant  as  I  was  leaving  the  reservation.  The  person  from  whom  I  procured 
the  specimen  said  that  a  number  of  Klamath  Indians  had  seen  the  stone  and 


Fig.  'Ml    Stones  for  hand  game;  lengths,  1 !  to  2J  inches:  Klamath  Indians,  Oregon;  cat.  no.  61772,. 
Field  Columbian  Museum;  from  Dorsey. 

bad  unanimously  declaretl  that  it  was  formerly  used  in  playing  the  hand  game. 
It  was  not  possible  for  me  to  verify  this  .statement,  but  from  the  shape  of  the 
stone  and  from  my  inability  to  see  to  what  other  use  it  could  have  been  put,  I 
am  inclined  to  the  Ijelief  that  it  had  been  used  in  the  hand  game. 

Modoc.     Yainax    subagency,    Klamath    reservation,    Oregon.     (Cat. 

no.  61814,  I-i'ield  Columbian  Museum.) 
Two  slender,  tapering  wood  pins   (figure  381),  (if  inches  in  length, 
one  marked  with  two  burnt  bands  and  the  other  plain. 


^E^:^ 


Fig.  381.    Sticks  for  hand  game;  length,  6}  inches;  Modoc  Indians,  Oregon;  cat.  no.  61814,  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 

They  were  collected  by  Mr  R.  C.  Spink,  who  describes  them  as  used 
in  the  hand  game  under  the  name  of  seloogoush  and  schme. 

MARIPOSAN    STOCK 

YoKUTS.     Little  Sandy  creek,  Fresno  county,  California.     (Cat.  no. 

70866,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Four  hollow  bones,  3  inches  long,  two  wrapped  with  cord  about  the 
middle  and  two  plain. 


294  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 

These  were  collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson,  who  describes  them  as 
used  in  the  grass  game. 

YoKUTS.     Tule  River  reservation,  Tulare  county,  California.     (Cat. 

no.  70379,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Four  sticks,  If  inches  long  and  one-fourth  inch  in  diameter,  two 
plain  and  two  painted  black,  with  loops  for  tying  to  the  fingers, 
and   ten    unpeeled   maple   counting   sticks,    9    inches    in    length 
(figure  382). 
These  were  collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson,  who  describes  them  as 
used  in  the  game  called  tatat : 

Played  by  two  persons,  each  of  whom  has  a  pair  of  sticks,  one  white  and  one 
blacli  ;  one  player  puts  his  hands  behind  him  and  rings  two  of  the  four  Augers 
on  his  right  hand  with  the  cords  attached  to  the  two  sticks.     He  then  brings 


Pig.  382.  Sticks  and  counters  for  hand  game;  length  of  sticks,  I3  inches;  length  of  counters,  9 
inches:  Yokuts  Indians,  Tule  River  reservation,  Tulare  county,  California;  cat.  no.  70379,  Field 
Columbian  Museum. 

out  his  hand,  covering  the  fingers  with  his  left  hand.  The  opposite  player 
endeavors  to  guess  whether  the  black  or  white  stick  is  nearest  the  thumb  or 
whether  the  two  sticks  are  attached  to  adjoining  or  separated  fingers. 

MOQUELUMNAN    STOCK 

Chowchilla.     Grant  Springs,  Mariposa  county,  California. 

Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  these  Indians  as  playing  the  hand 
game  under  the  name  of  hinawu : 

The  bound  bone  is  called  ti-yii-u-ni  (female)  ;  the  plain,  nQng-a  (man). 
Ten  counting  sticks,  hO-hO,  are  used.     The  call  gesture  is  net,  "  there  !  " 

They  also  play  a  game  called  hu'-sa,  in  which  one  guesses  which  hand  hides 
a  bidden  seed  or  nut. 

TopiNAGDGiM.     Big    creek,    Tuolumne    county,    California.     (Field 

Columbian  Museum.) 
Cat.  no.  70216.     Four  bones   (figure  383),  3f  inches  in  length,  two 

wrapped  with  leather  thongs  and  two  plain. 
Cat.  no.  70217.     Three  bones  (figure  384).  ^  inches  in  length,  two 

wrapped  with  thongs  and  one  plain;  incomplete  set. 


CCLIN] 


HAND    GAME  :    PIMA 


295 


Cat.  no.  70232.    Ten  counting  sticks  of  peeled  wild  cherry,  sharpened 
at  one  end,  15  inches  in  length. 
All  collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson,  who  describes  them  as  used  in 
the  ofrass  eame.    Each  side  has  ten  counting  sticks. 


Fig.  .383. 


Fig.  384. 


Fig.  385. 


Fig.  383.    Bone3  for  hand  game;  length,  3^  inches;  Topinagugim  Indians,  Tuolumne  county, 

California;  cat.  no.  7U21(i.  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  :fe4.    Bones  for  band  game;  length,  3^  inches;  Topinagugim  Indians,  Tuolumne  county, 

California;  cat.  no.  70217,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  385.    Bones  for  hand  game;  length,  2J  inches;  Topinagugim  Indians,  Tuolumne  county, 

California:  cat.  no.  70218,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Topinagugim.     Big  creek,  Tuolumne  county,  California.     (Cat.  no. 

70-218,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Four  bones   (figure  385),  split  panther  femur,  2|  inches  in  length, 

two  bound  with  thongs. 
These   were   used  by   women.     They   were 
collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson. 


Fig.  386.  Sticks  for  peon;  length, 
3i  inches;  Papago  Indians,  Ari- 
zona; cat.  no-  63521,  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum. 


PIJIAX    STOCK 


Papago.  Mission  of  San  Xavier  del  Bac, 
Pima  county,  Arizona.  (Cat.  no. 
63521,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Implements  for  peon  game  (figure  386), 
consisting  of  three  slender  sticks,  3f 
inches  in  length,  painted  red,  black, 
and  yellow,  each  with  a  finger  loop  of  colored  cloth,  the  red  with 
a  black  loop,  the  black  with  a  white  loop,  and  the  yellow  with  a 
red  loop.    Collected  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms. 

Pima.  Gila  River  reserve,  Sacaton  agency,  Pinal  county,  Arizona. 
(Cat.  no.  63300,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Implements  for  a  guessing  game  (figure  387),  consisting  of  three 
slender  round  sticks,  about  13i  inches  in  length,  each  with  a 
loop  of  cotton  cloth  tied  to  one  end,  and  the  other  end  painted 


296 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.ann.  24 


black  for  a  distance  of  -ii  inches;  accompanied  with  twenty  count- 
ers, fragments  of  twigs,  about  2i  inches  in  length. 
These  were  collected  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms,  who  gives  the  name  of  the 
game  as  wahpetah.  and  states  that  it  is  jilayed  by  six  persons,  three 
on  each  side.  The  players  on  one  side  conceal  the  sticks  under  their 
arms,  putting  a  finger  into  each  loop,  the  other  side  guessing  whether 
they  have  the  sticks  under  the  right  or  the  left  arm. 


Fig.  387.    Sticks  for  wahpetah;  length,  13}  inches;  Pima  Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  63300,  Field 

Columbian  Museiim. 

PiMA.     Arizona. 

Dr  Frank  Russell "  describes  the  following  game: 

Viiputta. — Any  miinlK'r  (jf  playtTs  may  pai-tioipate.  hut  they  ave  under  two 
leaders  who  are  selected  hy  toss.  Each  draws  up  his  men  hi  line  so  that  they 
face  their  opponents.  A  goal  about  50  yards  distant  is  inarlied  out.  and  the 
game  l)egins.  A  small  oh.lect,  usually  a  circular  piece  of  pottery  such  as  are  so 
common  about  the  ruins  of  the  Southwest,  is  carried  around  behind  the  line  by 
a  leader  and  placed  in  the  hands  of  one  of  his  men.  The  opposite  leader  guesses 
which  man  holds  the  object.  If  he  guesses  wrong,  the  man  at  the  end  of  the 
line  in  which  the  object  is  held,  who  stands  farthest  from  the  goal,  runs  and 
jumps  over  the  upheld  leg  of  the  man  at  the  opposite  end  of  his  line.  This 
moves  the  winning  line  the  width  of  one  man  and  the  length  of  a  jump  toward 
the  goal.  If  the  first  guess  is  correct  the  object  is  passed  to  him  and  there  is 
no  jumijing  until  a  guess  fails.'' 


PUJUNAN    STOCK 

KoNKAU.    California.     (Cat.  no.  ^^j,  American  Museum  of  Natural 

History. ) 

Four  bones  (figure  388).  hollow,  two  closed  with  wooden  plugs  and 

wound  in  the  middle  with  cord,  the  other  two  plain;    length,  2f 

to  3  inches.    Collected  by  Dr  Roland  B.  Uixon. 

Mr  Stephen  Powers '  relates  a  myth  of  the  Konkau  in  which  their 

culture  hero,  Oankoitupeh    (the  Invincible),  overcame  Haikutwoto- 

peh  at  gambling  in  a  guessing  game,  and  won  back  his  grandfather's 

»  In  a  forthcoming  memoir  to  he  piililished  by  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology. 
''  The  object  is  called  rs.'iiki,  slave.      It  is  40  or  .jO  mm.  in  diameter,  is  pitted  in  the  cen- 
ter '•  to  prevent  cheating,"  and  may  he  of  either  pottery  or  stone. 

'  Contributions  to  North  American  Ethnology,  v.  3,  p.  298,  Washington,  1877. 


ClLlNl 


HAND    GAME  :    MAIDU 


297 


tiibe,  which  the  hitter  had  lost  to  Haikiitwoto)3eh  thruiig:h  trickery. 
The  original  game  is  described  as  follows: 

They  had  four  short  pieces  of  bone,  two  plain  and  two  marlied.     They  rolled 
them  up  in  little  halls  of  dry  grass;    then  one  of  the  players  held  up  one  of 


Pig.  38X.    Bones  for  liand  trame:  length.  2)  to  3  inches;  Konkau  Indians,  California;  cat.  no.  jfSi. 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

them  in  each  hand,  and  the  other  held  up  his.  If  he  matched  them  he  counted 
2;  if  he  failed  to  match  them  the  other  counted  1.  There  were  sixteen  bits  of 
wood  as  counters,  and  when  one  got  the  sixteen  he  was  the  winner. 

Maidu.     California.     (Cat.  no.  tuS^q?  American  Museum  of  Natural 

History. ) 
Four  hones  (figure  389),  2i  inches  in  length,  two  plain  and  hollow, 
and  two  tied  around  the  middle  with  thongs  and  plugged  at  the 
ends.     Collected  by  Dr  Roland  B.  Dixon  in  1903. 
Dr  Dixon  refers  to  the  game  with  bones  in  his  Maidu  Myths."  and 
describes  the  adventures  of  two  ^youths,  the  sons  of  a  girl  and  Cloud- 
Man,  created  out  of  two  bunches  of  feathers,  and  called  Always- 
eating,  and  Conqueror,  or  Winner.    After  a  series  of  exploits,  killing 


Fig.  389.    Bones  for  band  game:  length,  2}  inches:  Maidu  Indians,  Califoi-nia:  cat.  no.  jSgj, 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

rattlesnakes,  wood  bugs,  elk,  and  eagles.  Conqueror  gambles  with  an 
opponent,  who  has  a  passage  through  his  body  and  can  pass  the 
gambling  bones  through  this  from  one  hand  to  the  other.  Conqueror 
with  the  help  of  the  Sun  closes  this  passage,  and  opens  one  in  his  own 
body,  thus  winning  back  his  people,  who  have  been  lost  to  his  oppo- 
nent.   At  the  opening  of  the  game  the  stakes  are  the  players'  eyes. 

In  another  story,  a  variation  of  the  preceding,  the  person  with 
whom  the  hero  plays  is  designated  as  Old-North-Wind.  The  stakes 
are  eyes  and  hearts.     The  hero  wins  as  before. 

"  Bulletin  of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  v.  17,  pt.  2,  p.  51,  New  Yorls, 
1902. 


298  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS        [eth.  ann.  24 

Maiuu.     Slitters  fort,  Sacramento  valley.  California. 
Edwin  Bryant "  says : 

The  game  which  they  most  generally  play  is  as  follows  :  Any  number  which 
may  be  concerned  In  it  seat  themselves  crosslegged  on  the  ground  in  a  circle. 
They  are  then  divided  into  two  parties,  each  of  which  has  two  champions  or 
players.  A  ball,  or  some  small  article,  is  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  players  on 
one  side,  which  they  transfer  from  hand  to  hand  with  such  sleight  and  dex- 
terity that  it  is  nearly  impossible  to  detect  the  changes.  When  the  players 
holding  the  balls  make  a  ])articular  motion  with  their  hands,  the  antagonist 
players  guess  in  which  hand  the  balls  are  at  the  time.  If  tlio  guess  is  wrong, 
it  counts  1  in  favor  of  the  playing  jtarty.  If  the  guess  is  right,  then  it  counts 
1  in  favor  of  the  guessing  party,  and  the  balls  are  transferred  to  them.  The 
count  of  the  game  is  kept  with  sticks.  During  the  progress  of  the  game  all  con- 
cerned keep  up  a  continual  monotonous  grunting,  with  a  movement  of  their 
bodies  to  keep  time  with~lheir  grunts.  The  articles  which  are  staked  on  the 
game  are  placed  in  the  center  of  the  ring. 

NiSHiNAM.     Mokolumne  river.  Eldorado  county.  1"2  miles  south  of 
Placerville,  California. 
Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  the  grass  game  playetl  hy  this  tribe 
under  the  name  of  helai  (hele=maternal  cousin) .  or  tep  and  wo : 

The  bones  are  made  of  the  ulna  of  a  panther.  Jlai'dulv  (man I.  the  liound 
bone;  kii'-le  (woman),  the  plain  bone;  team'-he-lai  (maternal  third  cousins). 
the  ten  stick  counters,  each  of  which  represents  a  value  fixed  upon  them  before 
playing.     Hat !  the  gesture  and  call. 

In  Todd  valle}'  Doctor  Hudson  found  the  game  played  under  the 
same  name  in  the  usual  manner,  but  the  plain  bone  was  called  toloma, 
penis,  and  the  ])ound  bone,  pekon.  vulva. 
■ California. 

Mr  Stephen  Powers  "  says : 

The  most  common  mode  of  gambling  (hi'-lai),  used  by  both  men  and  women. 
is  conducted  by  means  of  four  longish  cylinders  of  bone  or  wood,  which  are 
wrapped  in  pellets  of  grass  and  held  in  the  hand,  while  the  opposite  party 
guesses  which  hand  contains  them.  These  cylinders  are  carved  from  several  ma- 
terials, but  the  Indians  call  tlieni  all  bones.  Thus  they  have  the  phrases 
pol'-loani  hi'-lai  bin.  toan'-cni  bi'-lai  bin.  du'-iiem  hi'-lai  bin.  gai'-a  hi'-lai  Inn, 
which  means,  respectively,  to  gamble  with  buckeye  bones,  pine  bones,  deer  bones, 
and  cougar  bones.  There  is  a  subtle  difference  in  tlieir  minds  in  the  quality  of 
the  game,  according  to  the  kind  of  bones  employed,  but  what  it  is  I  can  not 
discern.  This  game,  with  slight  variations,  prevails  pretty  much  all  over  Cali- 
fornia, and  as  I  had  opportunitj'  of  seeing  it  on  a  much  larger  scale  on  Gualala 
creek,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  chapter  on  the  Gualala  [see  p.  2891. 

The  su'-toh  is  the  same  game  substantially,  only  tlie  pieces  are  shaken  in  the 
hand  without  being  wrapped  in  tlie  grass.     .     .     . 

The  ti'-kel  ti'-kel  is  also  a  gambling  game  for  two  men,  played  with  a  l>it  of 
wood  or  a  [lebble,  which  is  shaken  in  the  hand,  and  then  the  Iiand  closed  upon  it. 
The  oi)ponent  gues.ses  whicli  finger  (a  thumb  is  a  finger  with  them)  it  is  under, 
and  scores  1  if  he  hits,  or  the  other  scores  if  he  misses.  They  keep  tally  with 
eight  counters. 

«  What  I  Saw  in  California,  p.  268,  New  Yoik,  1848. 

'Contributions  to  North  American  Ethnology,  v.  3,  p.  332.  Washington,  1877. 


ciLiN]  HAND  game:  nisqualli  299 

Ololopa.    California. 
A.  Delano"  says: 

Another  is  with  two  small  pieces  of  bone,  one  of  which  is  hollow.  These  they 
roll  iu  a  haudful  of  grass,  aud  to.ssiug  them  in  the  air  several  times,  accompanied 
with  a  monotonous  chant,  they  suddenly  pull  the  ball  of  grass  in  two  with  tlie 
hands,  and  the  antagonist  guesses  which  hand  the  hollow  bone  is  in.  They 
have  small  sticks  for  counters,  and,  as  they  win  or  lose,  a  stick  is  passed  from 
one  to  the  other  till  the  close  of  the  game,  when  he  who  has  the  most  sticks  is 
the  winner.     They  will  sometimes  play  all  day  long,  stopping  only  to  eat. 


SALISHAN   STOCK 


Bellacoola.     British  Columbia.     (Cat.  no.  18396, 

18397,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Two  bones  from  two  sets,  S^^  inches  in  length, 

and  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  diameter  at 

the  middle:  rounded  at  ends.     Neither  bone    ^'°-  f"-    ^on^s  for 

hand  game;  length, 

is  marked   (figure  390).     Collected  by  Capt.      3^  inches:  Beiiacoo- 

SamUelJaCObsen.  "  la    Indians,    British 

Columbia;    cat.    no. 

Clallam.     Washington.         ,  18396 18397  Field Co- 

^  ...  lumbian  Museum. 

A  Clallam  boy,  John  Raub,  described  this  tribe 
as  playing  the  hand  game  with  four  bones,  under  the  name  of  slahal. 

The  four  bones  are  used,  two  plain  and  two  with  a  black  mark  around  the 
middle.     The  former  are  called  swai-ka,  "  man,"  and  the  latter  sla-ni.  "  woman." 

NisQUALLi.     Washington. 
George  Gibbs'  says: 

There  are  several  games,  the  principle  of  which  is  the  same.  In  one  a  small 
piece  of  bone  is  passed  rapidly  from  hand  to  hand,  shifted  behind  the  back,  etc.. 
the  object  of  the  contending  party  being  to  ascertain  in  which  hand  it  is  held. 
Each  side  is  furnished  with  five  or  ten  small  sticks,  which  serve  to  marlc  the 
game,  one  stick  being  given  by  the  guesser  whenever  he  loses,  and  received  when- 
ever he  wins.  On  guessing  correctly,  it  is  his  turn  to  manipulate.  When  all 
the  sticks  are  won.  the  game  ceases,  and  the  winner  receives  the  stakes,  consist- 
ing of  clothing  or  any  other  articles,  as  the  play  may  be  either  high  or  low,  for 
simple  amusement,  or  in  eager  rivalr.v.  The  backers  of  the  party  manipulating 
keep  up  a  constant  drumming  with  sticks  on  their  paddles,  which  lie  before 
them,  singing  an  incantation  to  attract  good  fortune.  This  Is  usually  known  as 
the  game  of  hand,  or,  in  jargon,  It-lu-kam.  .  .  .  Each  species  of  gambling 
has  its  appropriate  tamahno-iis.  or.  as  it  is  called  upon  the  Sound.  Skwolalitud. 
that  is,  its  patron  spirit,  whose  countenance  is  invoked  by  the  chant  and  noise. 
The  tamahno-us  of  the  game  of  hand  is  called  by  the  Nisqually,  Tsaik  ;  of  the 
disks,  Knawk'h.  It  would  seem  that  this  favor  is  not  merely  solicited  during 
the  game,  but  sometimes  in  advance  of  it.  and  perhaps  for  general  or  continued 
fortune. 

"Life  on  the  Pl.ains.  p.  307,  Auburn,  1854. 

'Tribes  of  Western  Washington  and  Northwestern  Oregon.  Contributions  to  North 
American  Ethnology,  v.   i.  p.  ^06,  Washington,   1877. 


300  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMEKICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 

In  his  Dictionary  of  the  Nisqualli  he  gives  hihal  or  slahal  as  the 
name  of  both  the  game  of  hand  and  that  played  with  disks.  Again, 
olahal,  or  olahalub,  means  to  play. 

Okinagax.     AVashington. 
Capt.  Charles  Wilkes "  says : 

The  chief  amusement  of  the  Okonagan  tribes  of  Indians  in  the  winter  and 
during  the  heat  of  the  day  in  summer,  ^fhen  they  are  prevented  from  talking 
saimon,  is  a  game  called  by  the  voyageurs  "  Jeu  de  main,"  equivalent  to  our 
odd-and-even. 

Alexander  Ross  '>  says : 

The  principal  game  is  called  tsill-all-a-eome,  differing  but  little  from  the  chall- 
chall  played  by  the  Chinoolis  or  Indians  along  the  seasoast.  This  game  is  played 
with  two  small  oblong  polished  bones,  each  2  inches  long,  and  half  an  inch  in 
diameter,  with  twenty  small  sticks  of  the  same  diameter  as  the  bones,  but  about 
9  inches  long. 

The  game  does  not  set  any  limits  to  the  numl)er  of  players  at  a  time,  provided 
both  sides  be  equal.  Two.  four,  or  six.  as  may  be  agreed  upon,  play  this  game; 
but,  in  all  large  bets,  the  last  number  is  generally  adopted.  When  all  is  ready 
and  the  property  at  stake  laid  down  on  the  spot,  the  players  place  themselves 
in  the  following  manner:  the  parties  kneel  down,  three  on  one  side  and  three 
on  the  other,  face  to  face  and  about  S  feet  apart ;  and  in  this  position  they 
remain  during  the  game.  A  piece  of  wood  is  then  placed  on  the  ground  between 
them ;  this  done,  each  player  is  furnished  with  a  small  drum-stick,  about  the 
size  of  a  rule,  in  his  right  hand,  which  stick  is  used  for  beating  time  on  the 
wood,  in  order  to  rivet  attention  on  the  game.  The  drumming  is  always  accom- 
panied with  a  song.  The  jilayers,  one  and  all,  muffle  their  wrists,  fists,  and 
fingers  with  bits  of  fur  or  trapping,  in  order  the  better  to  elude  and  deceive  their 
opiionents.  Each  party  then  takes  one  of  the  two  small  polished  bones,  and  ten 
of  the  small  sticks,  the  use  of  which  will  hereafter  be  more  fully  explained.  In 
all  cases  the  arms  and  body  are  perfectly  naked,  the  face  painted,  the  hair 
clubbed  up,  and  the  head  girt  round  with  a  strap  of  leather.  The  party  is  now 
ready  to  begin  the  game,  all  anxious  and  on  the  alert :  three  of  the  players  on 
one  side  strike  up  a  song,  to  which  all  keep  chorus,  and  this  announces  the  com- 
mencement. The  moment  the  singing  and  drumming  begin  on  one  side  the 
greatest  adept  on  the  other  side  instantly  takes  the  little  polished  bone,  con- 
ceals it  in  one  of  his  fists,  then  throws  it  into  the  other,  and  back  again,  and  .so 
on  from  one  fist  to  the  other,  nimbly  crossing  and  recrossing  his  arms,  and 
every  instant  changing  the  position  of  his  fists.  The  quickness  of  the  motions 
and  the  mufRing  of  the  fists  make  it  almost  impossible  for  his  opponents  to 
guess  which  hand  holds  the  bone,  and  this  is  the  main  point.  While  the  player 
is  maneuvering  in  this  manner,  his  three  opponents  eagerly  watch  his  motions 
with  an  eagle's  eye,  to  try  and  discover  the  fist  that  contains  the  bone ;  and  the 
moment  one  of  them  thinks  he  has  discovered  where  the  bone  is,  he  points  to  it 
with  the  quickness  of  lightning :  the  player  at  the  same  time,  with  equal  rapid- 
ity, extends  his  arm  and  opens  his  fist  in  the  presence  of  all ;  if  it  be  empty,  the 
player  draws  back  his  arm  and  continues,  while  the  guesser  throws  the  pla.ver 
one  of  the  little  sticks,  which  counts  1.  But  if  the  guesser  hits  upon  the  fist 
that  contains  the  bone  the  player  throws  a  stick  to  him  and  ceases  playing,  his 

"  Naii-ative  of  the  United  States  Esplorins  Expedition,  v.  i,  p.  462,  Philadelphia,  1.S4.5. 
<•  Adventures  of  the  First  Settlers  on   the  Oregon  or  Columbia  River,  p.  308,  London, 
1849. 


CCLIS] 


HAND    GAME  :    PENELAKUT 


301 


opponent  now  going  through  the  same  operation  :  every  miss  counts  a  stifle  on 
either  side.  It  is  not  the  best  of  tln-ee.  i)ut  three  times  running:  all  the  stieUs 
must  be  on  one  side  to  finish  the  game.  I  liave  seen  them  for  a  wliole  week  at 
one  game  and  then  not  conclude,  and  I  have  known  the  game  decided  in  six 
hours. 

It  sometimes  happens,  however,  that  after  .some  days  and  nights  are  spent  in 
the  same  game,  neither  party  gains :  in  that  case  the  rules  of  the  game  provide 
that  the  number  of  players  be  increased  or  diminished ;  or,  if  all  the  players  be 
agreed,  the  game  is  relinquished,  each  party  taking  up  what  is  put  down :  but 
so  intent  are  they  on  this  favorite  mode  of  passing  theij-  time,  that  it  seldom 
happens  that  they  separate  before  the  game  is  finished :  and  while  it  is  in 
progress  every  other  consideration  is  sacrificed  to  it :  and  some  there  are  who 
devote  all  their  time  and  means  solely  to  gambling;  and  when  all  is  lost,  which 
is  often  the  case,  the  loser  seldom  gives  way  to  grief. 

Penelakut    (Lilmalche).     Kiiper  island,  southeast  of   Vancouver 
island,  British  Columbia.      (Cat  no.  IV  A  2375,  Berlin  Mu- 
seum f  iir  Volkerkunde. ) 
Two  bone  cylinders,  2f  inches  in  length,  with  incLsed  patterns,  as 
shown  in  figure  391;    both  wrapped  with  fine  cord  about  the 
middle. 


Fig.  391.  Fig.  392.  Fig.  393. 

Fig.  391.    Bones  for  hand  game;  length,  3i  inches;  Penelakut  Indians.  Kuper  island,  British 

Columbia;  cat.  no.  IV  A  237.5,  Berlin  Museum  fiir  Volkerkunde. 
Fig.  392.    Bones  for  hand  game:  length,  2}  inches;  Penelakut  Indians,  Kuper  island,  British 

Columbia;  cat.  no.  IV  A  2:i76,  Berlin  Museum  fiir  Volkerkunde. 
Fig.  393.    Bones  for  hand  game;  length,  2)   inches;  Penelaknt  Indians,  Kuper  island,  British 

Columbia;  cat.  no.  IV  A  2377,  Berlin  Museum  fiir  Volkerkunde. 


Kuper  island,  southeast  of  Vancouver  island,  British  Colum- 
bia.    (Cat.  no.  IV  A  2376,  2377,  Berlin  Museum  fiir  Volk- 
erkunde.) 
Two  sets  of  bone  cylinders : 
Cat.  no.  237G.    Two  cylinders  (figure  392),  24-  inches  in  length,  with 
incised  rings,  central  dot  at  the  ends,  and  one  incised  line  around 
the  middle. 
Cat.  no.  2377.    Two  cylinders  (figure  393),  2f  inches  in  length,  both 
with  incised  rings  with  central  dot  at  ends,  and  one  with  central 
band  of  similar  rings,  with  incised  lines  on  both  sides. 
All  these  specimens  were  collected  by  Capt.  Samuel  Jacobsen,  who 
gave  the  anme  of  the  game  as  slahall. 


302 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS 


[ETH.  ANN,  24 


PuYALLUP.  Cedar  river.  Washington.  (Cat.  no.  55923,  55924,  55933, 
5593-1:,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Four  .sets  of  gambling  bones  of  two  each  (figure  394  a,  6,  c,  d),  2f 
inches  long  and  an  inch  in  greatest  diameter,  one  in  each  set  hav- 
ing incised  lines  painted  black  around  the  middle,  and  all 
marked  with  incised  circles  painted  red  and  black.  Collected 
by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey. 


'1 

1    ■"■•;,■ 

;©  ■.■■4 
I-  .pi 

■■V*J         [1.-, I 


o  & 


Fig.  394  a,  b,  c,  d.    Bones  for  hand  game:  length,  2}  inches;  Puyallup  Indians,  Cedar  river, 
Washington;  cat.  no.  55923,  359^.  35933.  S.W:}!,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Shf.swap.     Kamloops,  British  Columbia. 

Dr  Franz  Boas  "  says  they  play  the  well-known  game  of  lehal. 

SoNGiSH.     Near  Victoria,  British  Columbia. 
Commander  R.  C.  Mayne  ^  says : 

I  liave  only  seen  two  games  played  by  them,  in  both  of  which  the  ob.iect  was  to 
guess  the  spot  where  a  small  counter  happened  to  be.  In  one  of  these  games 
the  counter  was  held  in  the  player's  hands,  which  he  kept  swinging  backwards 
and  forwards.  Every  now  and  then  he  would  stop,  and  some  one  would  guess  in 
which  hand  he  held  the  counter,  winuing,  of  course,  if  he  guessed  right.  The 
calm  intensity  and  apparent  freedom  from  excitement  with  which  they  watch 
the  progress  of  this  game  is  perfect,  and  you  only  know  the  intense  anxiety  they 
really  feel  by  watching  their  faces  and  the  twitching  of  their  limbs. 

The  other  game  consisted  of  two  blankets  spread  out  upon  the  ground,  and 
covered  with  sawdust  about  an  inch  thick.  In  this  was  placed  the  counter,  a 
piece  of  bone  or  iron  about  the  size  of  half-a-crown,  and  one  of  the  players 
shuffled  it  about,  the  others  in  turn  guessing  where  it  was.  These  games  are 
usually  played  by  ten  or  twelve  men.  who  sit  in  a  circle,  with  the  property  to  be 
staked,  if,  as  is  usual,  it  consists  of  blankets  or  clothes,  near  them.  Chanting  is 
very  commonly  kept  up  during  the  game,  probably  to  allay  the  excitement.  I 
never  saw  women  gamble. 

Thompson  Indians.     British  Columbia. 

Mr  James  Teit  <"  says : 

Another  very  common  game,  played  principally  by  men,  was  the  "  guessing 
game  "  (known  to  the  whites  as  "  lehal  "'  I.  Many  Spences  Bridge  women  used  to 
play  it,  and  had  a  dilferent  song  for  it  from  that  of  the  men.     Lower  Thompson 

°  Sixth  Report  on  the  Northwest  Tribes  of  Canada.  Report  of  the  Sixtieth  Meeting  of 
the  British  .\ssociation  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  641,  London.  1891. 

'' Fcmr  Yciirs  in  British  Columbia  and  \'ancouver  Island,  p.  275.  London.  1862. 

'  The  Thompson  Indians  of  British  Columbia.  Memoirs  of  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  v.  2,  p.  275,  New  York,  1000. 


CILIX] 


HAND    GAME  :    TWANA 


303 


Pig.  395.  Bones  for  hand 
game;  length,  3  inches; 
Thompson  Indians,  British 
Columbia;  cat.  no.  rh^t, 
American  Mu.seum  of  Natu- 
ral History. 


women  seldom  or  never  played  this  game.     The  players  knelt  in  two   rows, 

facing  one  another.     Each  side  had  two  short  bones  [figure  .395],  one  of  which 

had  a   sinew  thread  tied  around  the  middle.     The  side  playing  passed   these 

bones  through  their  hands,  the  opposite  side  having 

to  guess  the  baud  of  the  player  which  held  the  plain 

bone.     The  side  playing  sang  a  "  lehal  "  song  to  the 

accompaniment     of     drums.     They     generally     kept 

time  by  beating  sticks  on  the  floor  or  on  a  board. 

Sometimes  neither  drums  nor  sticks  were  used,  but 

they  simply  sang.     Many  of  the  players  wore  over 

their  knuckles  pieces  of  weasel  or  other  skin,  from 

which    bung   many    thin   strips   of   buckskin    [figure 

39(j].     Some  of  these  skin  covers  reached  up  to  the 

wrist,  where  they  were  fastened.     Other  players  used 

strings  set  with  fawn's  hoofs  around  the  wrists  to 

make  a  rattling  noise.     This  game  is  still  often  pla.ved  by  the  young  men. 

A  note  continues : 

The  stake  was  generally  valued  at  12  counters,  which  were  represented  by 
12  sticks.  Each  party  had  6  of  these  counters.  When  one  party  guessed  wfong 
they  forfeited  a  counter,  which  was  thrown  over  to  the  party  opposite.  When 
one  uf  the  parties  guessed  right,  the  gambling  bones  were  thrown  over  to  them, 

;ind  it  was  their  turn  to  sing  and  to  hide 
the  bones.  When  one  party  won  all  the 
counter.-i.  the  game  was  at  J'.n  end.  When 
:i  large  numlier  of  gaml)lers  toi>k  part  in 
the  game,  two  pairs  of  gambling  bones 
were  used. 

Mr  Charles  Hill-Tout  '■  says : 
Gambling  was  also  a  favorite  pastime 
here  as,  elsewhere.  The  game  known 
as  rtplq  was  that  commonly  practiced. 
Much  betting  went  on  among  the  pla.vers. 
and  all  bets  were  made  and  "  booked  ' 
lief  ore  the  game  commenced.  The  method 
of  "  booking "  was  primitive.  The  ob- 
jects staked  were  simply  tied  or  fastened 
iiame  was  over,  the  winner  then  taking  his 


Fig.  396.  Knucklt'-cuvering  for  hand-game 
players:  length.  6  inches;  Thompson  In- 
dians, British  Columbia;  cat.  no.  jjl^. 
American  Museum  of  Natural  Historv. 


together  and  set  on  one  side  till  the 
own  and  his  opponent's  property. 

TwANA,  Washington.  (Cat.  no.  19T48,  19749,  Field  Columbian 
Museum.) 

Set  of  two  bones  (figure  397).  2J  inches  in  length  and  1^  inches  in 
diameter  at  the  middle,  the  ends  flat.  The  hollow  interior  of 
the  bones  is  plugged  with  wood.  One  has  a  line  of  incised  dots 
encircling  it  at  each  end,  and  the  other  (the  marked  one)  similar 
lines  of  dots  at  the  ends  and  three  lines  of  dots  around  the  mid- 
dle. On  one  side  the  head  of  an  animal  is  incised  on  the  opposite 
sides  of  the  line.     Collected  by  Rev.  Myron  Eells. 

"  Notes  on  the  N'tlaka'pamuq  of  British  Columbia.     Report  of  the  Sixty-ninth  Meeting 
of  the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  507.  London,   1900. 


304  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMEKICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  24 

Mr  Eells"  describes  a  game  among  the  Twana  jilayed  with  one  or 
two  small  bones  as  follows : 

The  young  men  and  older  boys  play  this  most.  The  players  sit  opposite  each 
other  about  C  feet  apart,  from  one  to  six  or  more  on  a  side,  each  party  in  front 

of  a  long  pole.  Then  one  person  takes  one  or 
both  of  the  bones  in  his  hands  and  rapidly 
changes  them  from  one  hand  to  the  other.  One 
person  on  the  opposite  side  guesses  in  yhlch 
hand  one  is.  If  only  one  bone  is  used,  he 
guesses  which  hand  it  is  in.  and  if  both  are 
used,  he  guesses  in  which  hand  a  certain  one  is. 
If  he  guesses  aright,  he  wins  and  plays  next; 
but  if  not.  he  loses,  and  the  other  continues  to 
Fig.   397.    Bones  for    hand    game;        ^  y^.^^^^^  ^.^^^   ^^^   j^   playing,   the   rest   of 

length,  3t  inches;  Twana  Indians, 

.Washington;   cat.  no.  19748,  19749,      '"*    P^'^^i'    t'eat    with    a    small    stick    upon    the 
Field  Columbian  Museum.  larger  one   in   front  of  them,   and   keep   up  a 

regular  sing-song  noise  in  regular  time.  Small 
sums  are  generally  bet  in  this  game,  from  50  cents  to  $1.50.  Different  ones 
play  according  as  they  are  more  or  less  successful.  Sometimes  they  grow  so 
expert,  even  if  the  guess  is  right,  that  the  one  playing  can  change  the  bone  to  the 
other  hand  without  its  being  seen. 

Elsewhere  ^  Mr  Eells  says : 

The  tally  is  usually  kept  by  two  of  the  players,  one  for  each  side,  with  sticks 
8  or  10  inches  long,  sharpened  at  one  end  and  stuck  in  the  ground.  These 
sticks  are  moved  according  to  the  success  of  either  party.  A  modifietl  form  of 
this  game  is  played  by  using  two  larger  bones  or  pieces  of  wood.  One  of  these 
is  marked  in  some  way,  either  with  a  string  tied  around  the  middle  of  it,  a 
carved  circle,  or  if  it  be  of  wood  the  bark  may  be  removed  except  in  the  middle, 
where  a  zone  is  left.  When  the  small  bones  are  used,  it  is  optional  whether 
one  or  two  be  employed,  but  when  they  play  with  the  larger  ones  it  is  neces- 
sary that  both  be  used,  for  if  the  player  has  but  one  it  would  plainly  be  seen 
in'  which  hand  it  was. 

SHAHAPTIAN  STOCK 

Nez  Perces.     Idaho. 

It  is  related  by  Lewis  and  Clark :  "■ 

The  Indians  divided  themselves  into  two  parties  and  began  to  play  the  game 
of  hiding  a  bone,  already  described  as  common  to  all  the  natives  of  this  country, 
which  they  continued  playing  for  beads  and  other  ornaments. 

Cai^t.  B.  L.  E.  Bonneville ''  gives  the  following  account : 
The  choral  chant,  in  fact,  which  had  thus  acted  as  a  charm,  was  a  kind  of 
accompaniment  to  the  favorite  Indian  game  of  "  Hand."  This  is  played  by  two 
parties  drawn  out  in  opposite  platt)ons  before  a  blazing  fire.  It  is  in  some 
respects  like  the  old  game  of  passing  the  ring  or  the  button,  and  detecting  the 
hand  which  holds  it.     In  the  present  game  the  object  hidden,  or  the  cache  as  it 

°  Bulletin  United  States  Geological  and  Geographical  Survey,  v.  3,  p.  89,  Washington, 
1877. 

'The  Twana,  Chemakum.  and  Klallam  Indians  of  Washington  Teriitor.v.  Annual  Report 
of  the  Smithsonian  Institution  tor  1887,  p.  648,  1889. 

*■  History  of  the  Expedition  under  the  Command  of  Lewis  and  Clark,  v.  3,  p.  1008. 
New  York.  1893. 

**  The  Adventures  of  Captain  Bonneville,  V.  S.  A.,  by  Wasliiugton  Irving,  p.  376,  New 
York,  1860. 


cuLix]  HAND    game:    UMATILLA  305 

is  called  by  the  trappers,  is  a  small  splint  of  wood  or  other  diiiiinntivo  article. 
that  may  be  concealed  in  the  closed  hand.  This  is  passed  backwards  and  for- 
wards among  the  party  "  in  hand,"  while  the  party  "  out  of  hand  "  guess  where  it 
is  concealed.  To  heighten  the  excitement  and  confuse  the  guessers,  a  number  of 
dry  poles  are  laid  before  each  jjlatoou,  upon  which  the  members  of  the  party  "  in 
hand  "  beat  furiously  with  short  staves,  keeping  time  to  the  chural  chant  already 
mentioned,  which  waxes  fast  and  furious  as  the  game  proceeds.  As  large  bets 
are  staked  upon  the  game,  the  excitement  is  prodigious.  Each  part.v  in  turn 
burst  out  in  full  ch<irus,  beating  and  yelling  and  working  themselves  up  into 
such  a  heat  that  the  perspiration  rolls  down  their  naked  shoulders,  even  in  the 
cold  of  a  winter  night.  The  bets  are  doubled  and  trebled  as  the  game  advances, 
and  all  the  worldly  effects  of  the  gamblers  are  often  hazarded  upon  the  position 
of  a  straw. 

Nez  Perces.  Lapwai  reservation,  Idaho.  (Cat.  no.  60-147,  Field 
Columbian  Museum.) 

Four  bones    (figure  398),  3  inches  in  length,  highly   polished  and 
yellow  with  age,  two  with  a  leather  band  one-half  inch  wide. 
The  bones  are  hollcw  and  resemble  a  shaft  of  a  human  fenuir. 
These  were  collected  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey,  who  gives  the  native 

name  as  lokhom. 

Southern  Alberta. 

Rev.  John  Maclean  "  says : 

The  Xez  Perces  have  a  game  which  I  have  oftentimes  seen  played  among  the 
Blackfeet.  although  not  in  the  same  fashion,  which  is  guessing  with  a  small 
piece  of  wood.  Instead  of  a  single  pair,  as  among  the 
Blackfeet,  the  Nez  Perces  arrange  themselves  in  two 
parties,  sitting  opposite  to  each  other,  and  a  small 
piece  of  wood  is  passed  from  hand  to  hand  of  the 
other  party,  the  members  of  which  guess,  until  when 
rightly  guessed,  they  become  the  possessors  of  the 
article.  While  the  game  is  in  motion,  the  parties  and 
those  not  engaged  in  the  game  are  betting,  and  some 
of  these  bets  are  quite  large.  Meanwhile  the  contest- 
ants sing  a  weird  chant,  beating  on  any  article  with 
short  sticks  which  will  produce  a  noise.  Singing,  ^^  398.  Bones  for  hand 
beatmg  time,  guessing,  rolling  and  swaying  the  body,  game;  length, 3  inches;  Nez 
in  a  continual  state  of  excitement,  the  game  proceeds  Perce  Indiana,  Idaho;  cat. 
until  the  one  party  defeats  the  other  members  op-  ""•  ^^'''  ^^"^^  Columbian 
posed  to  them.     The  onlookers,  whites  and  Indians, 

become  deeply  interested  in  the  game,  and  share  in  the  excitement,  watching  it 
eagerly,  and  animated  by  the  furious  motions  of  the  parties  in  the  game. 

Umatilla.  Umatilla  reservation,  Oregon.  (Cat.  no.  37536,  37537, 
Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania.) 

Four  bone  cylinders  (figure  399),  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  diam- 
eter  and   3    inches   in   length,   slightly    tapering   to   ends,    two 

"  Canadian  Savage  Folk,  p.  42,  Toronto,  1896. 
24  ETH— 05  M 20 


306 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


wrapped  with  a  thong  in  the  niitklle.     Twenty  willow  counting 
sticks  (figure  400),  jjointed  at  one  end,  10  inches  in  length. 
These  were  collected  by  the  writer  in  1900. 

The  bones  are  called  tsko-ma ;  the  marked  one  wa-laki-ki,  and  the  unmarked 
wa-lak-i-kus. 

The  game  was  observed  by  the  author  at  the  Fourth  of  July  camp 
on  the  Umatilla  reservation  in  1900." 

In  the  center  of  the  open  space  was  a  large  square  pavilion  Imilt  on  posts, 
covered  with  green  boughs,  and  sheltertd  on  one  side  from  the  sun  by  .voung 
evergreen  trees  stuck  in  the  ground.  .     .     The  women  sat  in  two  rows  facing 

each  other,  up  and  down  one  side  of  the  lodge,  the  remaining  space  being  occupied 
by  groups  of  men  playing  cards  and  by  spectators.  The  stakes,  consisting  of 
blankets,  silk  handkerchiefs,  sti-ings  of  glass  beads,  and  money  in  considerable 


Fig.  am. 


Fig.  4IK). 

Fig.  ;^99.  Bones  for  hand  game;  lengtli,  '^  inches:  Umatilla  Indians.  Umatilla  reservation, 
Oregon:  cat.  no.  37.586,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Fkj.  4<)().  Counting  sticks  for  hand  game;  length,  10  inches;  Umatilla  Indians,  Umatilla  reser- 
vation, Oregon:  cat.  no.  87.5.37,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

amounts  were  deposited  in  a  pile  between  the  rows.  There  were  12  women  on 
each  side.  Four  bones,  about  3  inches  long,  two  having  a  black  band  around  the 
center  and  two  plain,  were  manipulated  by  one  of  the  youngest  and  most  vigor- 
ous of  the  women  who  occupied  the  center  on  each  side.  The  side  holding  the 
bones  would  sing  and  sway  their  arms  and  hands  rhythmically  in  unison.  The 
two  sides  sang  different  son.gs  and  not  alwa.vs  the  same  one.  The  refr:iiii  was 
very  pleasing.  .  .  .  The  object  seemed  to  be  to  guess  which  player  along  the 
line  had  the  lioncs.  the  oiiposite  side  leader  indicating  her  choice  by  a  sudden 
sideway  motion  of  her  hand.  The  counts  were  kept  with  20  sticks,  each  side 
having  10.  which  were  stuck  in  the  ground  in  two  rows  before  the  princip;)! 
player.  .\11  the  participants  bet  on  the  result,  and  at  the  close  of  the  game,  one 
or  the  other  side  having  gained  the  entire  20  sticks,  the  winner  would  divide  the 
winnings  according  to  the  indi^-idual  bets.  The  game  seemed  interminable,  first 
one  side  winning  and  then  the  other,  and  throwing  over  one  or  more  willow 
counting-sticks.     The  men  card  players  used  small  sticks  as  counters. 

°A  Summer  Trip  Among  the  Western  Indians.     Bulletin  of  the  Free  Museum  of  Science 
and  Art.  v.  3.  p.  100.  Philadelphia,  1901. 


ciLiN]  HAND  game:  bannock  3U7 

Yakima.     AVashingtoii. 

Jack  Long  informed  the  writer  that  the  Yakima  call  the  hand 
game  paliote,  and  that  the  Klikitat  use  the  same  name,  while  the 
Dalles  Indians  call  it  pesoguma.  The  Yakima  call  the  marked  bone 
walakaki  and  the  white  one  plush,  while  the  Klikitat  call  them 
gouikiha  and  tgoj^e,  respectively. 

Pandosy "  gives  the  following  definition : 

To  play  with  the  hand,  pa-li-osha. 

SHA8TAN    STOCK 

AcHOMAWi.     Hat  creek,  California.     (Cat.  no.  yxfi,  American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History.) 
Four  very  small  sticks   (figure  401)   about   1-J  inches  in  length,  one 

plain   and  the  other  three  marked  with   very  fine  lines  in  the 

middle. 
These  were  collected  in  1903  by  Dr  Roland  B.  Dixon,  who  gives  the 
name  as  yiskukiwa,  and  says  they  are  used  the  same  as  the  bones  or 
sticks  in  the  regidar  grass  game.     Dr  J.  W.  Hud- 
son gives  the  name  of  the  hand  game  played  by 
these  Indians  as  ishkake,  and  describes  the  game  as 
played  with  one  plain  bone  and  three  marked  bones. 

Fall  river,  Shasta  county,  California.  _      ,„,     _..  ,     , 

'  •  Pio.  401.     sticks  fop 

Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  the  following  game:       hand  game;  length, 

U  inches;  Achomawi 

An  ovoid  stone  (bam,  stone),  .3  inches  long,  is  hidden  in        Indians,  Hat  creek, 

the  hand  behind  the  bacl<  b.v  either  of  two  men,  and  the        California;  cat.  no. 

location    in   one  of  the  four   hands   is   guessed   at  by   the        *■"■  American  Mu- 
™.  .       .  .  ,,.,.,.         .  ,  seum     of     Natural 

opposing  side.     This  stone  is  used  to  juggle  m  the  air,  and        History 

is  also  considered  an  amulet  of  great  power.     The  game  is 

played  by  men.     In  every  male  grave  eairn  is  found  one  or  more  sets  of  these 

stones.     Women  are  afraid  of  them. 

SHOSIIONEAN    STOCK 

Bannock.     Rossfork  agency,  Idaho. 

Mr  Thomas  Blaine  Donaldson  in  a  letter ''  to  the  writer  described 
the  Bannock  playing  the  game  of  hand,  as  witnessed  by  him  on 
Thanksgiving  Day  in  1890. 

You  may  see  the  willow-sticli  counters  and  the  betares,  or  "  beaters,"  with 
which  the.v  marked  time  on  the  sai)l!ngs  liefore  them  as  they  chanted  a  song 
when  the  time  came  for  the  selected  Indian  to  guess  the  "  right  hand  "  of  his. 
opponent. 

Fort  Hall  reservation,  Idaho.     (Cat.  no.  37062,  Free  Museum 

of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

"  Grammar  and  Dictionary  of  the  Yakama  Language,  New  York,  1862. 
»  February  25,  1901. 


w= — "- 

-T- 

*^ 

m 

=T^ 

-    I 

1^-, 

^ 



V 

9 - 



-      — 

-      > 

308 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


Four  bones   (figure  402),  1  inch  in  diameter  and  3  to  3{  inches  in 
length;  two  wrapped  with  a  broad  leather  band. 

Cat.  no.  37064.     Twenty  willow  sticks   (figure  403),  pointed  at  one 
end,  14  inches  in  length,  used  as  counters. 
These  were  collected  by  the  writer  in  1900.     The  bones  are  called 

tipo. 


Fig.  403. 


Fig.  403. 

Fio.  402.    Bones  for  hand  game;  length,  3  to  3i  inches;  Bannock  Indians,  Idaho;  cat.  no.  37062,  Free 

Musetun  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Pig.  403.    Counting  sticks  for  hand  game;  length,  14  inches;  Bannock  Indians,  Idaho;  cat.  no.  :i70(i4. 

Free  Mu-senm  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Ban  NOOK.  Fort  Hall  reservation,  Idaho.  (Cat.  no.  60926,  Field 
Columbian  Museum.) 

Four  solid  bones,  4|  inches  in  length,  beautifully  polished  from  long 
use  and  yellow  with  age;  two  wrapped  in  the  center  with  a 
piece  of  calico,  black  with  dirt,  and  sewed  with  black  thread.  All 
the  bones,  near  one  end,  have  a  constriction  as  the  result  of  exca- 
vation when  they  were  fashioned.  At  each  end  are  two  incised 
bands,  like  the  cut  of  a  sharp  instrument.  Accompanied  with 
a  long  buckskin  pouch  case,  with  drawstring  and  fringe,  the 
drawstring  long  enough  to  be  fastened  in  belt.  Collected  by 
Dr  George  A.  Dorsey,  who  gives  the  native  name  as  niowin. 
Another  set  in  the  same  collection  (eat.  no.  60925)  consists  of 
four  leg  bones,  2J  inches  in  length  and  1  inch  in  diameter.  The 
bones  are  cut  off  square  and  much  worn  and  polished.  Two 
are  wrapped  in  the  middle  with  a  piece  of  buckskin,  black  from 


CLLiN]  HAND    game:    COMANCHE  309 

usage.      Acconijjaiiied   by   twenty    uiidecorated   counting  sticks, 

made  of  cottonwood,  three-eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter  and 

13  inches  long. 
Bannock    and    Shosiioni.     Fort    Hall    agency,    Idaho.      (Cat.    no. 

22284,  United  States  National  Museum.) 
Set  of  two  bones  (figure  404),  2J  inches  in  length,  solid  and  tajiering 

at  ends,  one  wrapped  with  thread   for  a  length  of   1^   inches. 

Collected  by  W.  H.  Danilson,  Indian  agent. 

Comanche.     Texas. 

Robert  S.  Neighbors"  says: 

Their  principal  game  is  the  same  as  all  the  northern 
bands,  called  "  bullet."  "  button,"  etc.,  which  consists 
in  changing  a  bullet  rapidly  from  one  hand  to  the 
other,  accompanied  by  a  song  to  which  they  keep  time 
with  the  motion  of  their  arms,  and  the  opposite  party  p,c  404  Bones  for  baud 
guessing  which  hand  it  is  in.  They  sometimes  stake  game;  length,  2}  inches; 
all  they  possess  on  a  single  game.  BannockandShoahoni In- 

dians, Fort  Hall  agency. 

Col.    Richard    Irving    Dodge''    describes    a       ^^<^^°'    "^^t-    ""■    ^284, 

1  1-1       1  -1        1         1-  ■  1   •    .  United    States   National 

game  somewhat  like  hide-the-slipper,  in  which       Museum. 
an  almost  unlimited  number  may  take  part : 

Two  individuals  will  choose  sides,  by  alternate  selection  among  those  who 
wish  to  play,  men  or  women.  All  then  seat  themselves  in  the  parallel  lines 
about  8  feet  apart,  facing  each  other.  The  articles  wagered  are  piled  between 
the  lines.  All  being  ready,  the  leader  of  one  side  rising  to  his  knees  holds  up 
the  gambling  bone,  so  that  all  may  see  it.  He  then  closes  it  in  the  two  hands, 
manipulating  it  so  dexterously  that  it  is  impossible  to  see  in  which  hand  it  is. 
After  a  minute  or  more  of  rapid  motion  he  suddenly  thrusts  one  or  generally 
both  hands,  into  the  outstretched  hands  of  the  person  on  the  right  and  left. 
This  marks  the  real  commencement  of  the  game,  no  guess  of  the  other  wateh- 
ing-side  being  permitted  until  after  this  movement.  He  may  pass  the  bone 
to  one  or  the  other,  or  he  may  retain  it  himself.  In  either  case,  he  continues 
his  motions  as  if  he  had  received  it :  passing  or  pretending  to  pass  it  on  and  on 
to  the  right  and  left,  until  every  arm  is  waving,  every  hand  apparently  passing 
the  bone  and  every  player  in  a  whirl  of  excitement.  All  this  while,  the  other 
line  is  watching  with  craned  necks  and  strained  eyes  for  the  slightest  bungle 
in  the  manipulation,  which  will  indicate  where  the  bone  is.  Finally  some 
one  believes  he  sees  it  and  suddenly  points  to  a  hand,  which  must  be  instantly 
thrust  out  and  opened  palm  up.  If  the  bone  is  in  it  the  watching  party  wins 
one  point,  if  not  it  loses.  The  other  side  then  takes  the  bone  and  goes  through 
the  same  performance.  If  during  the  manipulations  the  bone  should  be  acci- 
dentally dropped,  the  other  side  takes  a  point  and  the  bone.  The  game  is  usually 
21  points,  though  the  players  may  determine  on  any  number. 

"  Schoolcraft's    Information    respecting   the   History.    Condition,    and    Prospects    of    the 
Indian  Tribes  of  the  United  States,  pt.  2,  p.  1.33,  Philadelphia,  1852. 
"  Our  Wild  Indians,  p.  329,  Hartford,  1882. 


310 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [kth  anx.  24 


Kawia.     Indio,    Riverside    county.    Califoniia.      ( Cat.    no.     63591, 

Field  Columbian  Museum. ) 
Four   bones    (figure  405),   3   inches   in   length,   carved   with    inci'^ed 
lines,  and  four  pieces  of  asphaltiun  of  similar  size,  all  having 
thongs  of  deerskin  with  a  loop,  attached  at  the  end. 
Collected  h\  Mr  S.  C.  Simms.  who  describes  them  as  used  in  the 
game  of  peon. 


Pig.  405.    Bones  and  sticks  for  peon;  Kawia  IndiaQS,  Indio,  Riverside  (■<.>unty,  California:  cat.  no. 
6.S591.  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Mono.     Hooker  cove,  Madera  county,  California.     (Cat.  no.  71-143, 

71444,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Two  sets  of  four  bones  each,  in  one  set  3  inches  and  in  the  other  3^ 
inches  long,  with  two  bones  in  each  set  plain  and  two  with  bands 
of  asphaltum. 
Collected  by  Dr  J.  AV.  Hudson,  who  describes  them  as  used  in  the 
grass  game,  hana. 

Big  Sandy  creek,  Fresno  comity,  California.      (  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum.) 
Cat.  no.  71227.     Four  willow  wood  cylinders  (figure  4(»(i).  2J  inches 
in  length ;   two  with  black  cloth  strip  in  middle. 


Pig.  4i»i.  Pig.  407. 

Fio.  4()*i.    Stick.s  for  hand  game:  length.  21  inches:  Mono  Indians,  Fresno  county,  California:  cat. 

no.  71Ji27,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fiu.  407.    Beads  and  counters  for  hand  game:  Mono  Indians.  Fresnn  county,  California:  cat.no. 

711H0,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Collected  by  Dr  J.  AV.  Hudson,  who  describes  them  as  used  in  the 
grass  game,  and  says  that  they  call  the  marked  bone  male,  contrary  to 
the  usual  custom  in  California. 


cfLix]  HAND  game:  paiute  311 

Cat.  110.  71180.     Two  strings  of  glass  beads,  one  of  five  beads,  four 
wliite  and  one  blue,  and  the  other  of  six  beads,  four  white  iiud 
two  blue,  with  ten  counting  sticks  (figure  407). 
These  specimens  were  collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson,  wlio  described 

them  as  used  only  by  women  in  a  game  called  niiiikwibi,  the  object 

being  to  guess  which  hand  contains  the  beads: 

One  string  is  held  by  each  of  the  two  partners.     The  beads  are  called  o-\ve'-a, 
literally,  "' excitement."     Originally  dyed  acorns  were  nsed. 

Paiute.     Pyramid  lake,  Nevada.      (Cat.  no.  37154,  Free  Museum  of 

Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Four  bones  of  mountain  slieep  (figure  408),  3^  inches  in  length  and 
three-fourths  of  an   inch    in   diameter:   two  wound   with   black 
thread. 
Collected  by  the  writer  in  1900.     The  bones  are  called  quoip.  mean- 
ing ■■  mountain  sheep."     The  game  is  called  tuipo. 


Fig.  4n».  Fig.  4(19. 

Fig.  408.    Bones  for  hand  game;  length,  3^  inches;   Paiute  Indians,  Pyramid  lake.  Nevada:  cat. 

no.  371.54,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  409.    Bones  for  hand  game:    length,  3^  inches:   Paiute  Indians,  southern  Utah;  cat.  no. 

10982.  United  States  National  Museum. 

Pyramid  lake,  Nevada.      (Field  Columbian  Museum.) 


Cat.  no.  ()14!)0.  Four  billets  of  elk  antler,  3f  inches  in  length,  pol- 
ished and  worn  smooth ;  two  bound  in  the  center  with  a  band  of 
black  leather  one-half  of  an  inch  wide. 

Cat.  no.  (il504.  Four  solid  bones,  4  inches  in  length,  beautifully  pol- 
ished with  use:  two  bound  with  a  black  leather  band. 

Cat.  no.  ()150(').  Four  solid  bones,  'i^  inches  in  length;  similar  to 
next  preceding. 

Cat.    no.    (>lol4.     Eight    sliarpened   cottonwood    counting   sticks,    1-2 
inches  long  and  one-half  of  an  inch  in  diameter. 
All  the  above  specimens  were  collected  in  1900  by  Dr  George  A. 

Dorsey,  who  gives  the  native  name  of  the  game  as  nayukpui  and  that 

of  the  counting  sticks  as  semewawak.     The   players  guess  for  the 

white  lione  (sumuyu). 

Southern  Utah.     ( Cat.  no.  10956,  10959,  109Ci2,  10963,  10968, 

10969,  10970,  10975,  United  States  National  Museum.) 

Sets  of  bones  of  two  each  (figure  409),  from  2^  to  4  inches  in  length, 
the  ends  sharply  pointed:    one  bone  in  each  set  wrapped  with 
sinew  or  buckskin. 
These  were  collected  b}^  Maj.  J.  W.  Powell. 


312 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


Mr  J.  K.  Hillers.  who  was  a  member  of  Major  PowelPs  expedition.^ 
has  furnished  the  writer  the  following  account  of  the  game  played 
with  the  above-mentioned  bones  and  counters: 

It  is  called  ne  aiig-puki,  meauing  to  kill  the  bone  (pu-ki  means  to  kill ;  aug 
or  ong  being  the  bone,  and  ne  probably  a  personal  prefix  for  my.  the  whole 
name  being  equivalent  to  "  my  bone  to  kill  ").  The  "  banker '"  takes  two  bones, 
one  with  a  string  wound  round  the  middle  and  the  other  plain,  and  places  his 
hands  behind  his  back.     His  side  then  chants  for  a  minute  or  two,  durin?  which 


Fig.  410.    Paiute  Indians  playing  hand  game;   southern  Utah;  from  photograph  by  Mr  .1.  Z. 

Hillers.  a 

time  he  shifts  the  bones  from  one  hand  to  the  other.  On  "  call."  he  brings 
both  hands  to  the  front,  and  crosses  them  on  his  breast.  The  callers  now 
begin  their  chant.  Suddenly  one  will  extend  his  arm  and  point  to  the  hand  in 
whi<h  he  thinks  the  banker  holds  the  marked  bone,  at  the  same  time  hitting  his 
breast  with  the  (jther  hand.  If  the  guess  is  correct,  the  guesser  takes  the  bones 
after  the  "  rake  down."  and  the  game  continues  until  one  side  or  the  other  has 
all  the  counters. 


"  Reproduced   (fig.  4t»t  without  text  reference  in  .\Iaj.  J.  W.  Towell's  Exploration  of  the 
Coioradf^i  liivei-  of  the  West.  Washington.  1875. 


CL'LlN] 


HAND    GAME  :    SHOSHONI 


313 


Sabuba.     California.      (Cat.  no.  61939,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Four  hollow  bones  (figure  411),  2f  inches  in  length,  each  having  a 

cord,  with  a  loop  at  the  end,  attached  to  a  hole  in  the  middle, 

and  four  pieces  of  charred  twig,  with  similar  cords  tied  around 

the  middle. 

Collected  by  Mr  Edwin  Minor,  who  describes  them  as  used  in  the 

game  of  peon : 

Peon  is  a  very  exciting  game,  played  by  four,  six,  or  eight  men,  seated  in  two 

<iI)|X)sing    lines.     Eacb    line    holds    a    blanket    in    front. 

usually  in  the  players'  teeth,  to  hide  the  hands  and  the 

manipulation  of  the  cylinders.     Each  player  has  looped 

lo  each  hand  one  bone  and  one  wood  cylinder.    The  game 

is  to  guess  in  which  hand  the  bone  cylinder  is  fixed. 

When   a   correct   guess    is   made   the   cylinder   must   be 

passed  over  to  the  one  guessing.     When   all   the  bone 

f-ylinders  are  secured  by  one  side  the  game  is  won. 

All  the  men  who  are  being  guessed  at  keep  up  a  con- 
tinual noise  and  make  hideous  grimaces  to  mystify  their 

manipulations.      Interested    women    stand   by    and   sing 

fanta.stic  and  weird  songs  to  encourage  their  friends. 

This  game  is  often  continued  all  night  before  either  side 

wins. 


^*j> 


Fig.  411.  Bones  and  sticks 
for  peon;  Saboba  In- 
dians,   California;    c-at. 

■  no.  6193H,  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum. 


Shoshomi.     \\  ind  River  reservation,  Wyoming. 
(Cat.  no.  60751.  Field  Columbian  Mu- 
seum.) 
Four  solid  bones,  5  inches  in  length,  much  used 
and    yellow    with    age.    two    wrapped    with 
coarse  black  thread ;  also  twenty  counting  sticks  of  cherry  wood. 
18    inches    long,    with    one    end    cut    square    off   and    the    other 
sharpened  to  a  long  tapering  point. 
These  were  collected  in  1900  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey.  who  gives 
the  name  of  the  game  as  tenzok;  of  the  marked  bone  as  peganata.  tie 
with  string:  of  the  unmarked  bone,  tesaivik,  white  one:  of  the  coun- 
ter, tohok. 

Wind  River  reservation.  Wyoming.      (Free  Museum  of  Science 

and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 


Pig.  412.    Bones  for  hand  game;  length,  3]  mt  lies,   Shoshoni  Indians,  Wyoming;  eat.no.  36871, 
Free  Museum  of  Stuence  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Cat.  no.  36869.  Two  polished  bones,  one  covered  in  the  middle  for  a 
third  of  its  length  with  a  band  of  buckskin;   length,  3J  inches. 

Cat.  no.  36871.  Two  polished  bones  (figure  412).  one  wrapped  in 
the  center  with  a  leather  thong:  length,  3f  inches. 


314 


GAMES    OP    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  24 


Cat.  no.  36872.     Set  of  twenty  counting  sticks   (figure  -413),  peeled 

willow  twigs.  18i  inches  in  length,  sharpened  to  a  point,  with 

the  bark  left  at  the  toiD  for  a  distance  of  4  inches. 

All  these  were  collected  in  1900  by  the  writer.     The  name  of  the 

game  is  tinsok;    to  play  the  hand  game,  nyahwint:    the  white  bone, 

tonatat :  the  marked  bone, 
tosabit.  The  counting  sticks 
are  called  tohuc. 

Shoshoni.     Idaho. 

Granville  Stuart "  gives  un- 
der the  term  for  "  gamble  or 
gambling,"  nyawitch : 

They  take  two  pieces  of  bone 
made  for  the  purpose,  about  2J 
iiicbes  loug  and  a  fourth  of  an  inch 
in  thickness,  one  of  which  is  cov- 
ered with  some  dark  skin,  except 
about  half  an  inch  at  each  end. 
Each  jiarty  then  takes  a  certain 
number  of  short  pieces  of  willow 
sharpened  at  one  end,  which  they 
stick  in  the  ground  and  use  to  count 
the  game.  They  take  the  pieces  of 
bone  one  in  each  hand  and  shift 
them  about  rapidly  with  various 
contortions  :nid  twisting  about,  ac- 
companied witli  a  kind  of  monoto- 
nous song  which  they  sing  in  chorus, 
while  some  of  them  generally  beat 
time  with  a  stick  on  a  dry  pole. 
The  opposite  party  (it  is  played  by  any  number,  seated  in  two  rows  facing  each 
other)  guesses  which  hand  contains  the  black  bone  (or  the  white  one  as  they 
agree  at  the  commencement  of  the  game).  If  they  guess  right,  they  get  the 
bones,  and  wrong  they  give  the  other  side  a  stick,  who  keep  hiding  the  bones  till 
It  is  guessed,  when  the  ojiposite  party  takes  it.  and  goes  tlu'ougli  the  same  proc- 
ess:  whoever  wins  all  the  sticlvs  wins  the  game. 

ToBiKHAR  (  (tabrielenos ) .     Los  Angeles  county,  California. 
Hugo  Ried  ''  says: 

Few  games,  and  of  a  gambling  nature.  The  principal  one  was  called  chur- 
ehflrki  (or  peon.  Spanish).  It  consists  in  guessing  in  wliich  hand  a  small  piece 
of  stick  was  held  concealed,  by  one  of  the  four  persons  who  composed  a  side  who 
sat  opposite  to  each  other.  They  had  tlieir  singers,  who  were  paid  by  the  victo- 
rious party  at  the  end  of  the  game.  Fifteeen  pieces  of  stick  were  laid  on  each 
side,  as  counters,  and  a  person  named  as  umpire,  who.  besides  keeping  account, 
settled  the  debts  and  i)revented  cheating,  and   held  the  stakes.     Each  person 

"  Montana  as  It  Is.  p.  71.  New  York.  1865. 

'  Hugo  Ried's  Atcount  of  tlie  Indians  ol  Los  Angeles  Co.,  C'al.  Bulletin  of  the  Essex 
Institute,  V.   17,  p.   17.  Salem,   1885. 


Fig.  413.  Counting  sticks  for  hand  game;  length, 
18i  inches;  Shoshoni  Indians,  Wyoming:  eat.  no. 
36872.  Free  Museum  of  .Science  and  Art,  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania. 


CDLis]  HAND    game:    YAMPA    t'TE  .315 

had  two  pieces  of  wood,  oue  black  and  one  white.  The  white  alone  countetl.  the 
black  being  to  prevent  fraud,  as  they  had  to  change  and  show  one  in  each  hand. 
The  arms  were  crossed  and  the  hands  hidden  in  the  lap :  they  kei)t  changing 
the  pieces  from  one  hand  to  the  other.  Should  they  fail  to  guess  right,  he  lost 
his  peon  and  counters  allotted  to  the  otliers.  and  so  on  until  the  corners  were 
gone  or  all  the  peons  killed,  when  the  others  had  a  trial.  They  bet  almost 
everything  they  possess.  The  umpire  provided  the  fine  and  was  i)aid  by  the 
night. 

Uinta  Ute.     "UTiite  Rocks,  Utah.      (Cat.  no.  37113.  Free  Museum  of 

Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Four  slender,  highly  polished  bones  (figure  41-1).  3i  inches  in  length. 

Two  bound  with  a  strip  of  leather  in  the  middle.     Collected  by 

the  writer  in  I'JOO. 


Flii.  414.  Bones  for  hand  gami' :  length,  31  inches:  Uinta  Ute  Indians.  White  Rocks.  Utah  ;  cat. 
no.  .S711H.  Free  Mu-seum  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Yampa  Ute.     Northwest  Colorailo. 
Mr  Edwin  A.  Barber  "  says : 

A  row  of  players,  consisting  of  five  or  six  or  a  dozen  men  is  arranged  on  either 
side  of  the  tent,  facing  each  other.  Before  each  man  is  i)hKed  a  l)undle  of 
small  twigs  or  sticks,  each  fi  to  8  inches  in  length  and  pointed  at  one  end. 
Every  tete-a-tete  couple  is  provided  with  two  cylindrical  bone  dice,  carefully 
fashioned  and  highly  polished,  which  measure  about  2  inches  in  length  and  half 
an  inch  in  diameter,  one  being  white  and  the  other  black,  or  sometimes  orna- 
mented with  a  black  band.  At  the  rear  end  of  the  apartment,  opposite  the 
entrance,  several  musicians  beat  time  on  rude  parchment-covered  drums.  The 
whole  assembly,  sitting  "  Turk  fashion  "  on  the  ground,  then  commence  opera- 
tions. The  pledges  are  heaped  up  near  the  players,  and  each  couple  soon 
becomes  oblivious  of  all  the  rest.  One  of  the  gamblers  incloses  a  die  in  each 
hand.  and.  placing  one  above  the  other,  allows  the  upi)er  bone  to  pass  into  the 
lower  hand  with  the  other  die.  This  process  is  reversed  again  and  again, 
while  all  the  time  the  hands  are  shaken  up  and  down  in  order  to  mystify  the 
partner  in  the  passing  of  the  dice.  The  other  man.  during  the  iierformance. 
hugs  himself  tightly  by  crossing  his  arms  and  placing  either  hand  under  the 
opposite  arm,  and.  with  a  dancing  motion  of  the  body,  swaying  to  and  fro. 
watches  the  shuffling  of  the  dice  with  the  closest  attention.  When  this  has  gone 
on  for  a  few  minutes  the  latter  suddenly  points  with  one  arm  at  the  opijosite  arm 
of  his  partner  and  strikes  himself  under  that  arm  with  the  other  hand.  Which- 
ever hand  of  his  rival  he  chooses  is  to  be  opened,  and  if  the  dice  are  in  it,  the 
guesser  takes  them  and  proceeds  in  the  same  manner.  If.  however,  he  misses, 
and  the  dice  are  not  there,  he  forfeits  one  counter,  and  this  is  taken  from  his 
bundle  and  stuck  into  the  ground  in  front  of  the  other.  Thus  the  game  con- 
tinues until  one  or  the  other  has  gained  every  stick,  when  he  is  proclaimed  the 
winner  and  carries  off  the  stakes.     During  the  entire  game  the  players,  as  >vell 

"Gaming  among  the  Utah  Indians.  The  American  Naturalist,  v.  11.  p.  K51.  Boston, 
1877. 


316 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [etii.  ann.  24 


as  the  niusioians,  keep  time  to  the  aecompaniment  in   their  movements,   and 
chant  tlie  while  a  weird,  monotonons  tune  (?■»,  which  runs  in  this  wise: 


With;  agitation. 


t- 


^#J^#^#  J"- 


'm 


Ab,   ah,    ah,  ah,        ah,      ah.    ah,  ah,  ah,    ah,  ah, 


^ 


A 


fee 


Ah,    ah,    ah,    ah,    ah,  ah.     ah. 


ah,  all, 


i 


im 


Ah,      ah, 


ah,    ah, 


ah,    ah, 


ah. 


\o  words  are  sung.  Init  the  s.yHal)le  "  ah  "  is  pronounced  in  a  winning,  nasal 
tone  for  every  note.  The  entire  part.v  Iceep  excellent  time,  and  are  always  to- 
gether, rising  and  falling  in  the  scale  with  wonderful  precision,  since  the  tune 
itself  is  so  devoid  of  melody  that  it  is  often  difficult  for  a  white  man  to  acquire 
it.  This  monotonous  chant  is  kept  up  for  hours  and  even  days,  and  the  competi- 
tors seem  never  to  grow  weary. 

SIOUAN    STOCK 

AssiNiBOiN.  North  Saskatchewan  river,  near  Carlton,  Saskatchewan. 
Mr  Charles  Alston  Messiter  informs  me  that  the  Assiniboin  and 
Cree  Indians  of  the  Saskatchewan  river,  during  his  residence  with 
them  from  18G2  to  1864,  constantly  played  the  game  of  hand,  using  a 
bit  of  wood,  pebble,  or  any  small  object.  The  man  who  held  the 
pebble  sang,  but  not  those  who  played  against  him.  Those  in  the 
audience,  however,  sang.  There  was  no  drumming.  The  score  was 
kept  by  a  row  of  wooden  pegs  2  to  21  inches  in  length,  which  were  stuck 
in  the  ground  in  front  of  each  player.  Each  peg  represented  a  skin. 
He  had  seen  men  lose  horses,  wife,  and  children  on  the  game. 

Fort  Union,  Montana. 

Mr  Edwin  T.  Denig "  says : 

Ordinary  gambling  for  small  articles,  such  as  beads,  vermilion,  rings,  knives, 
arrows,  kettles,  etc.,  is  carried  on  by  playing  the  game  of  hand,  which  consists 
in  shuttling  a  pebble  from  one  hand  to  the  other  and  guessing  in  which  hand 
the  pebble  is.  They  all  sit  in  a  ring  on  the  ground,  each  with  whatever  stake 
they  choose  to  put  up  before  them.  Both  men  and  women  join  in  the  game, 
and  a  song  is  kept  up  all  the  time  by  the  whole,  with  motions  of  the  hands  of 
him  who  holds  the  pebble,     .\fter  singing  about  five  minutes  a  guess  is  macV  by 


°  Report  to  Hon.  Isaac  1.  Stevens  on  the  Indian  Tribes  of  the  Upper  Missouri, 
lished  manuscript  in  the  library  of  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology. 


Unpub- 


COLIN]  HAND    game:    DAKOTA  317 

one  of  the  parties  as  to  which  hand  the  pebble  is  in,  and  both  bands  are  opened. 
If  the  guess  has  been  correct,  the  one  holding  the  pebble  is  obliged  to  pay  ail 
the  rest  an  equivalent  to  the  stake  before  them,  but  if  the  baud  not  containing 
the  pebble  be  picked  upon,  all  the  ring  forfeit  their  stakes  to  him.  Either  one 
man  can  thus  play  against  the  whole,  or  he  has  it  in  his  power  to  pass  the 
pebble  to  the  next,  he  betting  like  the  others.  This  is  a  Tery  common  game,  and 
a  great  deal  of  property  by  it  daily  changes  hands,  though  seldom  such  large 
articles  as  guns,  horses,  or  women. 

Maximilian.  Prince  of  Wied,"  says : 

Many  games  are  in  use  among  these  Indians  ;  one  of  these  is  a  round  game,  in 
which  one  holds  in  his  hand  some  small  stones,  of  which  the  others  must  guess 
the  number  or  pay  a  forfeit.     The  game  is  known  also  to  the  Blackfoot. 

Crows.     Montana. 

Mr  Charles  Alston  Messiter ''  describes  their  favorite  game  of  hand : 
The  game  consists  in  holding  a  shell  in  one  hand,  then  placing  both  bands 
under  a  buffalo-robe,  which  is  lying  in  front  of  all  the  players,  who  kneel  in  a 
circle,  moving  the  hands  about  rapidly,  changing  the  shell  from  one  to  the  other 
and  then  holding  them  both  up  closed,  your  adversary  having  to  say  in  which 
of  them  the  shell  is,  losing  a  peg  if  he  is  wrong.  A  row  of  pegs  stands  in 
front  of  each  man,  who  either  takes  one  from  or  gives  one  to  his  opponent 
according  to  his  loss  or  gain.  These  pegs  represent  so  much,  and  everything 
an  Indian  possesses  is  valued  at  so  many  pegs — a  wife  so  many,  a  horse  so  many, 
and  so  on. 

Dakota  (Yankton).     Fort  Peck,  Montana.     (Cat.  no.  37G0.5,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Implements  for  hiding  game.  Two  sticks,  cut  square,  If  inches  in 
length,  one  painted  red,  with  two  notches,  the  other  black,  with 
four  notches  (figure  415)  ;  accompanied  by  eight  counting  sticks 
(figure  416),  peeled  twigs,  5^  inches  in  length,  painted  black, 
one  with  two  and  one  with  four  notches,  the  others  plain. 
These  were  collected  by  the  writer  in  1900. 


Fig.  41.5.  Fig.  416. 

Pig  .  415.    Sticks  for  hand  game;  length,  1 }  Inches ;  Yankton  Dakota  Indians,  Fort  Peck,  Montana; 

cat.  no.  37605,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  416.    Counting  sticks  for  hand  game  ;  length,  5J  inches;  Yankton  Dakota  Indians,  Fort  Peck, 

Montana;  cat.  no.  37605,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

The  game  is  called  han'-pa-a-pe-e-con-pe,  that  is,  "  moccasin  game."  The 
stick  with  two  notches  is  called  non-pa-pa,  and  the  one  with  four  notches, 
to-pa-pa  ;  the  counting  sticks,   can   i-ya'-wa.     The  sticks   are  concealed   in   the 

"Travels  in  the  Interior  of  North  America,  translated  by  H.  Evans  Lloyd,  p.  196, 
London,  1843. 

"Sport  and  Adventures  among  the  North-American  Indians,  p.  316.  Londou.  1890. 


318  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 

liands  and  the  players  bet  on  the  red  stick  with  two  notches.     The  game  is  also 
played  by  concealing  the  sticks  under  moccasins. 

The  following  particulars  about  this  game  were  furnished  by  Dr 
George  A.  Dorsey : 

Name  of  game,  humpapachaiii ;  stick  with  two  notches,  nnpahopi ;  ^stick  with 
four  notches,  topapahopi :  general  name  for  both  as  a  .^et,  hakenuchkcimi. 

HiDATSA.     Fort  Atkinson,  North  Dakota. 

Henry  A.  Boiler "  says : 

Sometimes  they  gambled,  playing  their  favorite  game  of  Hand,  in  which  they 
would  get  so  excited  that  time  passed  unheeded. 

SKITTAGETAN    STOCK 

Haida.      British    Columbia.      (Cat.    no.    53007,    Field    Columbian 

Museum.) 
Set  of  two  bones  (figure  417),  2^  inches  in  length,  oval  in  section 
(five-sixteenths  by  nine-sixteenths  of  an  inch),  one  with  a  deep, 
incised  cut  in  the  middle  wrapped  with  dark-colored  thread,  and 
the  other  plain. 
These  were  collected  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey  from  a  Haida  Indian 
at  Rivers  inlet,  British  Columbia.     Doctor  Dor- 
sey writes: 

This  is  the  set  of  which  I  have  already  spoken  to  you 
as  being  of  the  greatest  interest,  inasmuch  as  one  of  the 
bones  is  so  constructed  that  it  can  be  made  to  show  up 
either  white  or  black.  I  saw  the  Haida  playing  this 
game  at  Rivers  inlet,  but  I  did  not  see  this  set  in  use. 

The  false  bone  is  made  in  two  pieces,  one  of  which 

slides  on   a   shoulder   over  the  other.     When   they   are 

_        ,,,      „  partly  slipped  apart,  this  shoulder,  wrapped  with  dark 

Pig.    417.      Bones  (one  •.'■■! 

false)  for  hand  game;  thread  is  revealed,  giving  the  api)earance  of  the  marked 

length,2s  inches;  Haida  bone. 

Indians,  Britisli  Cohim- 

wa;  cat.  no. ij3097,  Field     Queeu  Charlotte  islands,  British  Colum- 

Columbian  Museum.  u- 

Dr  J.  R.  Swanton  ^  describes  "  doing  secretly  inside  of  blankets: " 
K  litga'  sLlgAfi. — The  players  formed  two  sides,  stationed  some  distance 
apart;  and  the  captain  of  one  party,  wearing  a  blanket  over  liis  shoulders  so  as 
to  conceal  his  movements,  passed  down  his  line  of  players  and  dropped  a  wooden 
or  stone  ball  inside  of  the  blanket  of  one  of  them.  He  did  this  in  such  a  way  as 
not  to  excite  the  suspicions  of  his  opponents.  After  that  he  went  away  to  some 
distance  and  lay  down,  so  as  not  to  cast  suspicious  glances  at  the  one  who  had 
the  ball.  Then  one  of  the  opposite  party  who  was  good  at  reading  character 
tried  to  discover  from  the  players'  faces  who  had  it.  When  he  had  chosen  one  he 
said,  "  You  throw  that  out:  "  and  if  he  guessed  correctly  his  side  got  it,  and  all 
of  them  cried  "A'  ga,  a'  ga !  "     If  he  missed,  the  same  thing  was  done  over  again. 

"Among  the  Indians:  EiRlit  years  in  the  Far  West,  1838-1866,  p.  106,  rhiladelphia, 
1868. 

'Contributions  to  the  Ethnology  of  the  Haida.  Memoirs  of  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  whole  series,  v.  8,  p.  60,  New  York,  VMir*. 


CL'LIN] 


HAND    GAME  :    KWAKIUTL 


319 


WAKASHAN    STOCK 

Clayoqtjot.     Vancouver  island,  British  Columbia.     (Berlin  Museum 

fiir  Volkerkunde.) 
Cat.  no.  IV  A  1486.     Two  bones  (figure  418),  3  inches  in  length,  one 

wrapped  with  thong. 
Cat.  no.  IV  A  1492.     Two  similar  bones  (figure  419),  3^  inches  in 

length. 


Fig.  418. 


Fig.  419. 


Fig.  42(). 


Fig.  418.    Bones  for  hand  game;  length.  3  ini'hes;  Clayoquot  Indians,  Vanconver  island,  British 

Columbia;  cat.  no.  IV  A  14.%,  Berlin  Museum  fiir  Volkerkunde. 
Fig.  419.    Bones  for  hand  game;  length,  3;  inc^hes;  Clayoquot  Indians,  Vancouver  island,  British 

Columbia;  cat.  no.  IV  A  1492,  Berlin  Museum  fiir  Volkerkunde. 
FlQ.  43(1,    Bones  for  hand  game;  length,  3  and  31  inches;  Clayoquot  Indians,  Vancouver  island, 

British  Columbia;  cat.  no.  IV  A  1493,  Berlin  Museum  fiir  Volkerkunde. 

Cat.  no.  IV  A  1493.  Two  bones  (figure  420),  one  flat  at  ends  and  the 
other  with  rounded  ends  marked  with  dice  eyes,  both  unwrapped ; 
length,  3  and  3:^  inches.  Collected  by  Capt.  Samuel  Jacobson, 
who  gives  the  name  as  zoetjeh. 

KwAKiuTL.  Fort  Rupert,  Vancouver  island,  British  Columbia. 
(Cat.  no.  21403.  21404.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art, 
University  of  Pennsylvania.) 


Fig.  481. 


Fig.  422. 


Fig.  421.    Bones  for  hand  game;  length,  2i  inches;  Kwakiutl  Indians.  Fort  Rupert,  Vancouver 

island,  British  Columbia;  cat.  no.  21403,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of 

Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  422.    Bones  for  hand  game;  length,  2}  inches;  Kwakiutl  Indians,  Fort  Rupert,  Vancouver 

island,  British  Columbia:  cat.  no.  21404,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of 

Pennsylvania. 


Two  sets  of  bone  cylinders,  composed  of  two  each,  one  (21403)  2f 
inches  long  and  If  inches  in  diameter  in  the  middle,  rounded 
toward  the  ends.  The  orifices  of  the  bone  are  plugged  with  wood. 
One  is  marked  with  three  encircling  lines  in  the  middle  and  the 
other  is  plain  (figure  421),     The  other  set  (figure  422,  cat.  no. 


32(J 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       Tkth.  ann.  24 


21404)  is  of  the  same  length,  1  inch  in  diameter  at  the  middle, 
and  about  the  same  at  the  ends,  and  somewhat  flat  on  four  sides. 
One  bone  is  wrapped  with  thread  at  the  middle,  where  an  in- 
cision is  provided  to  receive  it,  and  has  thirty-two  large  incised 
rings  arranged  in  pairs  on  opposite  sides  of  the  bands  at  equal 
distances  around  the  bone.  The  other  bone  has  no  central  band, 
and  corresponding  pairs  of  incised  rings  are  arranged  around  it 
near  the  ends. 

These  specimens  were  collected  by  Mr  Harlan  I.  Smith,  who  gives 
the  following  account  of  the  game  : 

Two   rows  of  players  sit   facing  eacli  otlier   [figure  42."].     Each  side  has  a 
drnm  nnci  all  sing,  to  which  many  lieep  time  by  pounding  a  board  with  sticks. 


Fig.   42:3.     Kwakiutl   liifliaus  ]jl;iyiiig  band    game;    Fort    Rupert,   Vaiieoiiver    island,   British 
Columbia;  from  photograph  by  Mr  Harlan  I.  Smith. 

The  latter  is  done  by  the  row  that  hides  the  bones,  while  the  others  rest  and 
watch.  One  man  shuffles  the  bones,  and  at  last  one  of  the  other  side  guesses  in 
which  band  he  holds  the  niarlied  bone.  A  correct  guess  is  counted  with  a 
sharp  sticl;,  and  the  other  side  talies  the  bones.  When  the  guessers  fail  to 
guess  correctly,  I  believe  they  go  on  without  a  change.  They  bet  on  the  game 
a  pile  of  clothes  jtlaced  in  the  center. 

Dr  Franz  Boas "  gives  the  following:  i 

A'laqoa.  the  well-known  game  of  lehal.  or  hiding  a  bone;  played  with  twenty 
counters. 


"  Si.tth   Report  on  the  Indians  of  British  Columbia.      Report  of  the  Sixt.v  sixth  Meeting 
of  the  British  Association  for  the  .Advancement  of  Science,  p.  578,  London,  1896. 


cuLiN]  HAND  game:  makah  321 

KwAKiUTL.     British  Columbia. 

Dr  C.  F.  New  combe  gives  the  name  of  the  hand  game  as  alaxwa," 
of  the  bones  as  alaxwaxin.  and  of  the  counters  as  kwaxkhiwi.  The 
nuirked  bone  is  called  kilgiuiala  and  the  unmarked  or  winning  bone, 
kegia. 

Tlipi'p  nre  two  sides,  generally  a  tribal  or  family  division.  Those  not  manip- 
ulatiiif;  tlie  bones.  Init  lielonging  to  tbe  side  which  is,  sing  and  drum.  The 
guessing  side  is  quiet  until  they  win  all  the  bones.  Each  side  chooses  a  man  to 
guess,  and  be  watches  the  two  opponents  and  endeavors  to  notify  where  tbe  two 
plain  bones  are  concealed.     The  following  gestures  are  employed  in  guessing: 

Two  arms  rapidly  sejiarated  means  that  the  plain  bones  are  held  in  the  outer 
hands  of  tbe  pair  working  tlieni. 

The  right  hand  with  tlie  forefinger  extended,  waved  to  right,  means  that  tbe 
l)lain  bones  are  held  in  bands  toward  right  of  guesser's  person,  thus — 

a 

H 
D 

B 

Tlic  riglit  band  with  forefinger  extended  waved  to  left  means  that  tbe  plain 
bones  are  held  in  bands  toward  left  of  guesser's  person,  thus — 

B 
D 

B 

D 

The  right  hand  with  forefinger  extended,  carried  with  a  downward  sweep 
between  the  two  players,  means  that  the  plain  bones  are  held  in  tbe  inner 
hands,  one  in  tbe  right,  and  the  other  in  the  left  hand  of  the  players  working 
them. 

Seven  or  ten  counters  are  used.  If  tbe  guesser  indicates  correctly  both 
plain  bones,  both  are  thrown  to  his  side,  but  no  markers,  and  the  opposite  side 
now  does  tbe  guessing.  If  be  guesses  one  bone  correctly  it  is  thrown  to  him  by 
its  iilayer.  but  tbe  guesser  has  to  pay  1  marker  for  every  guess.  If  he  indi- 
cates wrongly  both  bones,  the  guesser  pays  the  2  sticks.  The  game  goes  on  until 
all  the  sticks  are  won  by  either  one  side  or  the  other. 

The  following  note  on  the  Kwakiutl  bones  was  made  by  Doctor 
Newcombe  at  Alert  bay : 

There  is  no  idea  of  sex  in  regard  to  these  bones.  That  marked  with  a  central 
zone  is  called  kenoiaule.     The  plainer  one  is  called  lutzuianle. 

Makah.  Neah  bay.  Washington.  (Cat.  no.  37379.  Free  Museum  of 
Science  and  Art,  Univer.sity  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Two  hollow  bones  (figure  4-24),  3  inches  in  length  and  li  inches  in 
diameter,  with  decoration  consisting  of  incised  rings  with  ceur 
tral  dot  painted  red,  in  two  rows  of  14  each  at  both  ends.     One 

"  Ale  =  seek  :  xwa  =  gamble  (with  bone)  ;   xak  =  bone. 
24  ETH— 05  M 21 


322 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


bone  is  wrapped  with  u  broad  band  of  black  leather.     Collected 
by  the  writer  in  1900. 
Dr  George  A.  Dorsey  "  describes  the  game  as  follows : 

Soktis. — This  is  the  well-liuovvn  hand  or  grass  game, 
of  which  two  sets  were  collected.  One  set  consists  of 
four  bone  cylinders  2*  inches  long  and  three-quarters  of 
an  inch  in  diameter.  Two  of  them  have  a  groove  about 
the  centpr,  one-half  inch  in  width,  which  has  been  tilled 
with  nian.v  wrappings  of  black  thread.  The  other  set  con- 
sists of  two  bones,  the  same  length  as  those  in  the  pre- 
ceding set.  l)Ut  with  a  diameter  not  quite  as  great.  Both 
of  the  bones  of  this  set  are  plugged  at  the  end  with  a 
piece  of  wood,  while  into  the  other  a  rifle  cartridge  has 
been  thrust.  One  of  the  bones  has  two  grooves  one- 
quarter  of  an  inch  in  width  and  situated  from  each  other 
about  three-eighths  of  an  inch.  The  center  of  the  bone 
l.ving  between  these  grooves  is  occupied  by  a  l)and  of 
nine  circles,  each  one  having  a  hole  in  the  center.  This 
set  is  beautifully  polished  from  long  handling  and  is 
yellow  with  age.  The  marked  pieces  in  the  Makah  game 
are  known  as  chokope  or  men,  the  unmarked  being  hayop 

or  female.     In  playing  they  always  guess  for  the  female.     The  count  is  kept 

with  twenty  sticks  (katsak). 

NooTKA.    British  Columbia. 

Dr  Franz  Boas  *  says : 

A  guessing  game  is  frequently  played  between  two  parties,  who  sit  in  two  rows 
opposite  cacli  otlicr.  One  party  hides  a  stone,  the  men  ])a'ssing  it  from  liand  to 
hand.  The  other  party  has  to  guess  where  it  is  (t'ef  et  Ek'tlis).  The  following 
song,  although  lielimging  originally  to  Cape  Klattcry.  is  used  all  along  the  west 
coast  of  Vancouver  island  in  pla.ving  the  game  lehnl: 


Pig. 424.  Bonesforhand 
game;  length,  8  inches; 
ilakah  Indians,  Neah 
bay,  Washington:  eat. 
no.  37370,  Free  Museum 
of  .Science  and  Art, 
University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 


fe 


tzJE^ 


T 


=3=i^ 


=q^-^7s: 


:=i--i)=i'rpr=jv: 


::i=i:=^=:q=: 


A 

A 


la     wia 
la     wia 


la   -   wia  -  6        a 
as    -    qo  -  dak     a 


la   -    will 
la   -    wia 


i 


4b — ^-"=^^1 — N^^^^F^^**^ 


WiS-- 


=?^=^ 


^ir:^-^ 


^-- 


# 


:5«il: 


Eii 


a  -  la  -  wia  -  6     a 
Nac  -  wi  -  to  -  ah    a 


a  -  la  -  wia  -  o        a  -  la  •  wia  -  6        a  -  la  -  wia  -  6. 
a  -  la  -  wia  -  6        a  -  la  -  wia  -  6        a  -  la  ■  wia.  -  Or 


I.e.,  I,  Nacwitoah,  have  missed  it. 


WASHOAN    STOCK 


Washo.     Carson  valley  and  Lake  Tahoe,  Nevada. 

Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  says: 

The  hand  game,  hi-nai-yau-kia,  is  played  by  any  number,  generally  six  to  a 
side.     The  plain   bone  is  called  tek-ye'-e'-mi,   and  the  bound  bone  ta-tai'-i-ta. 


"  Games  of  the  Makah  Indians  nf  Neah  nay.  The  American  Antiquarian,  v.  23,  p.  71, 
lilOl. 

"Second  Oeneral  Report  on  the  Indians  of  British  Columbia.  Report  of  the  Sixtieth 
Meeting  of  the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  590,  London,  1891. 


cuLiN]  HAND  game:   diegiteno  323 

Each  side  has  five  counters,  me'-tem.     The  only  signal  is  ha!  and  is  directed  to 

the  opponent's  hand,  which  is  supposed  to  hold  the  telv-ye'-e'-nii,  or  plain  l)one. 

Ta-tai'-i-ta,  the  male  bone,  is  merely  negative,  being  fumbled  with  the  plain  bone 

only  to  confuse  the  guesser.     At  the  beginning  both  pairs  of  bones  are  held  on 

one  side,  who  begin  to  sing  and  slap  sticks 

(their  assistants  and  partners  do  the  latter) 

on  a  board  before  them.     Two  only  of  the 

group   manipulate  the   bones.     The  guessing 

opponents  are  silent,   intently   regarding  the 

singers.     At     last     one     of     the     opponents 

stretches  forth  an  arm  and  often  with  sev- 

,    ,  .     ,  .  ■        1      ,  ii  FlO.425.    Bones  for  hand  game;  length, 

eral  frenzied  gestures  cries  ha!  at  the  same        gjinehes;  Huehnomludians.Eelriver, 
time  waving  his  hand  to  indicate  the  location        California;  cat.  no.zi:j94.  United  States 
of  the  plain  bone.     If  successful,  he  takv.s  the       National  Museum. 
bones,    and    if    he    guesses    both    opponents' 

hands  correctly,  not  only  the  pair  of  bones  are  given  him.  but  counters  also.  If 
a  guesser  happens  to  guess  both  plain  bones,  he  receives  two  counters,  and  if  he 
guesses  right  on  one  only,  the  one  lie  waves  his  hand  at.  he  gets  but  one  counter. 
If  he  misses  both,  he  and  his  partner  forfeit  two  counters. 


YIKI.iX    STOCK 

HucHNOJi.     South  fork  of  Eel  river,  California.      (Cat.  no.  21394, 

United  States  National  Museum.) 
Four  bones   (figure  425),  3J  inches  in  length,  highly  polished  with 
use,  two  wrapped  with  cord  about  the  middle  and  two  plain. 
The.se  were  collected  by  Mr  Stephen  Powers,  who  describes  them  as 
tep  and  we;  tep,  marked  ones;  we,  plain  ones. 

These  are  rolled  up  in  pellets  of  dry  grass,  and  the  adversary  guesses  in 
which  hand  is  the  marked  one.  They  Sf|uat  on  opposite  sides  of  a  tire,  and 
keep  up  a  continual  chanting,  with  strange  hissing  sounds,  which  confuse  the 
beholder.  All  the  spectators  bet  on  the  game  if  they  wish ;  when  one  bets  he 
la.vs  down  the  article,  and  the  one  who  accepts  his  bet  covers  it  with  articles  of 
equal  value,  so  when  the  game  is  done  everyone  in  the  victorious  party  has 
twice  as  much  a.s  he  had  at  the  beginning.  The  same  names  exist  for  these 
pieces  in  many  tribes  [see  page  289]. 

YTTMAN    STOCK 

DiEGUENO.  San  Diego,  California.  (Cat.  no.  19757,  United  States 
National  Museum.) 

Four  hollow  bones,  2^  inches  long,  to  which  are  attached  a  thick 
coi-d  about  13  inches  in  length,  terminating  in  a  slip  noose,  and 
four  wooden  twigs,  2^  inches  in  length,  to  which  is  tied  a  simi- 
lar noosed  cord  (figure  426).  In  the  case  of  the  bones  the  cord 
passes  through  a  hole  in  one  side  and  is  secured  with  a  knot. 
Also,  fourteen  counting  sticks  (figure  427)  of  grease  wood, 
about  18  inches  in  length. 


324 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS 


I  ETH.  AXX. 


These  objects  were  collected  by  Dr  Edward  Palmer,  who  describes 
them  as  used  in  the  game  of  peon. 

The  following  account  of  this  game,  as  played  by  the  Luisiiio 
Indians  at  Agua  Caliente,  from  the  Escondito  Time*;.  September  26, 
1888,  was  kindly  furnished  me  by  Doctor  Palmer : " 

In  the  evening  we  again  visited  the  camp.  The  cooking,  eating,  and  games 
were  in  full  swing.  Candles  were  lit  and  stucli  ai-ound  in  the  most  available 
places.  Nearly  all  the  white  follis  who  were  tenting  or  living  at  the  springs 
were  there  to  see  the  games,  and  especially  the  great  game  of  I'eone.  which  we 
were  told  would  lie  played  that  evening.  This  g.uue  is  intensely  interesting 
and  a  great  favorite  with  this  tribe.  Each  lieeper  of  the  game  is  elected  by  the 
tribe,  the  same  as  we  would  a  justice  of  the  peace.  When  a  game  is  to  be 
made  up  he  announces  it  in  a  loud  voice.  It  takes  eight  players,  four  on  a  side, 
and  as  soon  as  the  bets  are  made  the  keeper  sits  down  in  front  of  a  small 
brush  fire,  takes  the  money  from  each  side,  carefully  counting  it  o\er.     Thev 


Fig.  42B. 


Fig.  427. 
Fig.  436.    Stick.s  and  hones  for  peon:  length  of  sticks.  2J  inches:  of  hones,  2i  inches:  Dieguefio 

Indians,  San  Diego,  California;  cat.  no.  lllT.'jT.  United  States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  4"27.    Counting  .sticks  for  peon:  length,  is  inches:  Dieguefio  Indians.  San  Diego,  California: 

cat.  no.  19757,  United  States  National  Museum. 


usually  bet  from  two  to  three  dollars  each,  making  the  fnll  amount  from 
twenty  to  thirty  dollars.  When  the  keeper  is  satisfied  that  each  side  has  ptit 
in  an  equal  amount,  he  goes  over  it  carefully,  holds  it  up  so  all  are  satisfied, 
ties  it  up  in  a  handkerchief,  and  puts  it  inside  of  his  shirt.  Then  he  takes 
up  twenty  bamboo  sticks,  a  foot  long,  counts  them  over  carefull.v ;  then  takes 
eight  pieces  of  bone,  about  an  inch  long,  four  white  and  four  black  :  to  each 
is  attached  a  leather  thong  with  a  slip  noose  at  the  other  end  large  enough 

"Doctor  P,Tlmer  writes  (in  a  person.il  letter.  June  2.  1890)  :  "The  church  fathers  in 
forming  the  mission  of  San  Luis  Key  gathered  the  Indians  from  various  trilies.  In  time 
they  became  known  as  the  San  Luisifio  Indians.  .Vfterward  in  establishing  the  mission  at 
Agua  Caliente,  in  southern  California,  the  fathers  took  the  Indians  from  the  mission  of 
San  Luis  Key  <  the  Luislnos),  who.  with  the  Dieguefio  Indians.  living  near,  were  formed  into 
a  new  mission.  As  the  former  predominated,  their  name  was  retained.  This  accounts  tor 
both  playing  the  sjime  game."  Doctor  I'almer  continues  :  ".\s  members  of  all  the  tribes 
of  southern  California  were  mixed  in  forming  the  mission  settlements,  their  respective 
games  became  common,  to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  among  them  all.  The  fathers  kept 
them,  as  far  as  possible,  at  work,  and  some  curtailed  or  entirely  prohibited  the  use  of 
their  native  games,  as  they  were  considered  as  part  of  their  heathen  worship,  whi'-h 
could  not  be  tolerated.  They  were  thus  compelled  to  discard  their  tribal  games,  which 
are  now  seldom  played." 


CULIN]  HAND    GAME:    MISSION  325 

to  go  over  the  wrist.  The  point  in  the  game  is  for  one  side  to  guess  in 
which  hand  of  each  phiyer  of  the  other  side  the  white  bone  is.  The  sides 
arrange  themselves  opposite  each  other.  They  toss  to  see  which  has  the 
innings.  The  umpire  gives  the  bones  to  the  successful  side  and  commences  to 
sing.  The  squaws  of  each  side  arrange  themselves  behind  the  players ;  all  are 
kneeling  or  sitting  on  their  feet.  Each  side  has  a  blanket  stretched  in  front  of 
their  knees.  The  side  having  the  bones  grasp  the  side  of  the  blanket  in  their 
teeth ;  it  thus  forms  a  curtain,  and  behind  it  they  slip  the  leathers  over  their 
wrists,  without  the  opposite  side  seeing  which  hand  the  white  bone  is  in.  As 
they  take  the  blanket  in  their  teeth  they  join  in  the  song  with  the  umpire, 
swaying  their  bodies  and  making  all  sorts  of  grimaces  with  their  faces.  The 
squaws  sing  and  keep  time  with  them.  The  opposite  side  watches  every  motion, 
chatter  and  talk  to  each  other,  and  the  game  becomes  exciting  as  the  four  drop 
the  blanket  from  their  mouths  and  join  in  the  song,  in  a  louder  key.  with  the 
squaws.  They  have  their  arms  crossed,  with  their  hands  under  their  armjjits. 
The  other  side  at  once  commences  making  all  sorts  of  motions  at  them,  pointing 
to  each  one,  sometimes  with  one  finger,  then  two,  when  finally  one  of  them 
announces  which  hand  the  white  bone  is  in  of  each  of  the  four.  If  they  guess 
them  all.  the  umpire  gives  them  four  of  the  bamboo  sticks  as  counters;  and  if 
they  only  guess  one  or  two,  then  the  ones  they  have  not  guessed  go  through  the 
same  motions  until  all  are  caught,  when  the  other  side  takes  the  bones,  and  the 
performance  goes  on  until  one  side  gets  all  the  counters,  and  the  game  is  ended 
with  a  regular  jubilee  of  the  squaws  and  bucks  of  the  winning  side.  The 
umpire,  who  has  watched  the  game  all  thnnigh  and  whose  decision  on  any  dis- 
puted point  is  law,  hands  over  the  money  to  the  winners,  who  are  nearly 
exhausted,  for  it  takes  from  three  to  five  hours  to  play  the  game.  During  all 
that  time  they  are  singing  and  in  motion  alternately.  They  divide  the  money 
amongst  themselves  and  the  squaws  of  their  side.  The  umpire  decides  at  the 
top  of  his  not  feeble  voice  that  he  is  ready  to  start  another  game. 

We  should  like  to  be  able  to  picture  the  intense  interest  the  visitors  took  in 
the  game,  the  wild  antics  of  the  players,  the  umpire  stolid  and  watching  every 
motion,  the  fire  burning  between  the  players,  lighting  up  their  faces  and  bring- 
ing out  in  bold  relief  every  expression  of  disgust  or  pleasure,  making  up  a 
picture  long  to  be  remembered.  To  anyone  wishing  to  break  himself  of  the 
fascinating  game  of  poker,  we  should  reconmiend  Peone. 

The  g.ime  of  Peone,  described  last  week,  was  kept  up  until  about  2  o'clock 
Sunday  morning. 

Mission.     Mesa  Grande,  California.     (Cat.  no.  62538,  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum.) 


Fig.  428.    Bones  for  peon;  length,  21  inches;  Mis.sion  Indians,  Mesa  Grande,  CaUfornia;  cat.  no. 
625.38,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Four  pieces  of  bone  (figure  428),  '2i  inches  in  length,  two  tied  with 
cords  and  two  without  cords;  one  perforated  and  the  others 
notched. 


326 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAK    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  24 


Collected  by  Mary  C.  B.  Watkins,  who  describes  them  as  used  in 
the  peon  game. 

Mohave.     Colorado  river,  Arizona.      (Cat.  no.  10333,  United  States 

National  Musfiuu. ) 
Five  hollow  worked  bones,  2f  inches  in  length  and  one-fourth  of  an 
inch  in  diameter  (figure  429).     The  catalogue  calls  for  six  speci- 
mens. 
These  specimens  were  collected  by  Dr  Edward  Palmer,  who  fur- 
nished the  writer  the  following  account : 

These  bones  are  made  of  the  leg  bones  of 
the  white  crane.  Six  pieoes  constitute  the  set, 
tlioro  being  two  sides  witli  three  pieces  on  a 
side,  of  diiiferent  lengths.  The  game  is  to  guess 
tlie  length  of  the  pieces  held  in  the  hands  of 
the  players.  A  very  small  end  protruded 
throngli  the  fingers.     As  the  opposite  sides  guess  it  is  an  animated  game. 

Doctor  Palmer  adds : 

These  bones  are  also  used  by  the  Yuma  (Arizona)  and  the  Cocopa  (Sonora, 
Mexico),  and  the  game  is  pla.ved  by  them  also  the  same  as  b.v  the  Mohave.  One 
side  takes  eighteen  or  twenty  sticks  as  counters.  One  side  has  white  and  the 
other  black  bones.     The  game  is  to  guess  in  which  hand  the  bones  ai'e  held. 


Pig.  429.  Bone  for  hand  game;  length, 
2g  inches;  Mohave  Indians,  Arizona; 
cat.  no.  10333,  United  States  National 
Museum. 


Colorado  river,  Arizona, 
tional  Museum.) 


(Cat.  no.  24179,  United  States  Na- 


■■^^>.. 


Fig.  430. 

Fig.  430.    Sticks  for  peon;   k-ngth,  SJ  inches;  Mohave  Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  241T!),  United 

States  National  Museum. 
Fio.  431.    Cloth-covered  sticks  for  hand  game;  length,  3}  inches;  Mohave  Indians,  Arizona;  cat. 

no.  63337,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 


Two  worked  twigs  (figure  430),  ^  inches  in  length  and  nine-six- 
teenths of  an  inch  in  diameter,  one  painted  black  and  the  other 
unpainted,  each  having  a  cord  attached,  ending  in  a  slip  noose. 
This  cord  passes  into  a  hole  in  the  middle  of  each  stick.  A  hole 
runs  longitudinally  also  through  the  stick. 
Collected  by  Dr  Edward  Palmer.     A  similar  pair  of  sticks,  also 

collected  by  him,  is  in  the  Peabody  Museum  (cat.  no.  10093). 


cllin] 


FOUR-STICK    GAME 


327 


Mohave.     Parker,  yunia  county,  Arizona.      (Field  Columbian  Mu- 
seum. ) 
Cat.  no.  G3338.     Four  bone  cylinders,  -^^l  inches  in  length,  and  four 
black  wooden  cylindrical  sticks,  all  with  strings  with  loop  at  end, 
attached. 
Collected  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms,  who  describes  them  as  u.sed  in  the 
game  of  peon. 

Cat.  no.  63337.     Two  cylindrical  sticks    (figure  431).  3i   inches  in 
length,  covered  with  cotton  cloth,  one  red  with  black  ends,  and  the 
other  black  with  red  ends. 
Collected  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms,  who  gives  the  name  as  toothula. 
Yuma.     Colorado  river,  California. 

Maj.  S.  P.  Heintzelman,  U.  S.  Army,"  said  in  1833: 
Another  game  is  with  short  sticks  or  pebbles,  which  one  hides  in  his  hands, 
and  another  guesses. 

Fort  Yuma,  San  Diego  county,  California.      (Cat.  no.  G3331, 

Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Four  small  cylinders  (figure  432)  made  of  twigs,  2J  to  2i  inches  in 
length,  uncolored  and  with  ends  hollowed  out,  and  four  similar 
cylinders,  burned  black,  with  flat  ends,  all  with  cords  having 
loop  at  end,  attached. 
These  were  collected  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms,  who  describes  them  as 
used  in  the  game  of  peon,  or  hohquito. 


Pio.  i:ti.    sticks  tor  peon;  length,  2}  to  2}  inches;  Yuma  Indians,  California;  cat.  no.  6.3SJ1,  Field 

Columbian  Musetim. 

FouR-STicK  Game 

Unlike  almost  all  of  the  other  Indian  games,  the  four-stick  game 
is  confined  to  a  very  limited  number  of  tribes:  The  Klamath  and 
Modoc  (Lutuamian),  the  Achomawi  (Shastan),  the  Paiute  (Sho- 
shonean),  the  Washo  (Washoan),  and  possibly  the  Chinook.  The 
Klamath  and  Paiute  play  in  much  the  same  way.  As  in  the  hand 
game,  the  count  is  kept  with  pointed  sticks,  which  are  stuck  into  the 
ground.  Doctor  Hudson  records  the  sticks  as  being  regarded  as 
divinities. 


"House  of  Representatives,  Executive  Document  76.  Thirty-fourth  Congress,  third  ses- 
sion, p.  49,  Washington,  1857. 


328 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


The  four  sticks  may  be  referred  to  the  War  Gods  and  their  bows. 
The  implements  for  a  prehistoric  game  from  a  cliff-dwelling  in  the 
Canyon  de  Chelly,  Arizona,  which  may  have  been  played  like  the 

four-stick  game  are  i-epresented  in  figure 
433.  These  objects  consist  of  eleven  wooden 
billets,  7  inches  in  length,  rounded  at 
the  ends,  and  polished  by  use.  They  are 
painted  to  correspond  with  the  stick  dice 
and  the  tubes  for  the  guessing  game. 


CHINOOKAN    STOCK 

Clackama.      Mouth    of    the    Willamette 
river,  Oregon. 
Paul    Kane "    describes    the    following 
game : 

Two  were  seated  together  on  skins,  and  im- 
mediately opposite  to  tlieni  sat  two  ottiers,  sev- 
eral trinkets  and  ornaments  being  placed  be- 
tween them  for  which  they  played.  The  game 
consists  in  one  of  them  having  his  hands  cov- 
ered with  a  small  round  mat  resting  on  the 
ground.  He  has  four  small  sticks  in  his  hands, 
which  he  disposes  under  the  mat  in  certain 
positions,  requiring  the  opposite  party  to  guess 
how  lie  has  placed  them.  If  he  guesses  right, 
the  mat  is  handed  round  to  the  ne.xt,  and  a  stick 
is  stuck  up  as  a  counter  in  his  favor.  If  wrong, 
a  stick  is  stuck  up  on  the  opposite  side  as  a  mark  against  him.  This,  like  almost 
all  the  Indian  games,  was  accomiianied  with  singing;  but  in  this  case  the  sing- 
ing was  particularly  sweet  and  wild,  possessing  a  harmony  I  never  heard  before 
or  since  amongst  Indians. 

LT7TUAMIAN    STOCK 

Klamath.  Upper  Klamath  lake,  Oregon.  (Cat.  no.  61537,  Field 
Columbian  Museum.) 

Four  hardwood  sticks  (plate  vi),  12  inches  in  length.  Two  of  the 
sticks,  skutash,  are  less  than  one-half  inch  in  diameter  and  are 
closely  covered  with  wrappings  extending  from  end  to  end  of  a 
buckskin  thong,  which  has  been  painted  bhick;  the  other  two 
sticks,  mu  meni,  or  solses,  are  one-half  inch  in  diameter  at  the 
ends  and  an  inch  at  the  center,  and  the  extremities  have  been 
blackened  by  being  charred  with  a  hot  iron.  Toward  the  center 
of  these  sticks  are  two  bands,  2  inches  apart,  which  have  been 
burnt  in.  Connecting  the  two  bands  are  four  i^arallel  spirals, 
also  made  l)y  burning.  There  are  also  six  small  sticks.  8  inches 
in   length,  sharpened   at  one  end   and   painted   red;  these   are 

»  Wanderings  of  an  Artist  among  the  Indians  of  Nortli  America,  p.  196,  London,  LSn9. 
See  also  the  Canadian  Journal,  p.  276,  Toronto,  June,  1855. 


Fig.  4:ffl.  Billets  for  game:  length, 
7  inches;  cliff-dwelling.  Canyon 
de  Chelly,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  12061, 
Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 


BUREAU  OF  AMERICAN   ETHNOLOGY 


TWENTY-FOURTH  ANNUAL  REPORT     PL.   VI 


I 


FOUR-STICK     GAME;     KLAMATH     INDIANS,     OREGON;     CAT.     NO.     6153 
FIELD    COLUMBIAN     MUSEUM;     FROM     DORSEY 


CI'LIN]  FOUR-STICK    game:    KLAMATH  329 

counters,  ksliesh.  which,  at  the  beginning  of  the  game,  are  in 
possession  of  one  or  the  other  sitle  and  lie  flat  on  the  ground. 
As  points  are  won  by  one  or  the  other  side,  they  are  taken  up 
and  thrust  into  the  ground  in  front  of  the  winner,  according  to 
the  number  of  points  gained. 
These  specimens  were  collected   by   Dr  Cxeorge   A.   Dorsey."   who 

describes   the   game   under   the   names   of   shulsheshla.   spelshna,   or 

shakla : 

In  playing  this  game  the  four  long  sticlis  are  arranged  in  one  of  a  number  of 
possible  combinations,  the  players  hiding  them  under  a  lilanlcet  or  large  basket 
tray. 

A  taking  the  counters  on  his  side  makes  the  first  guess.  I?  manipulating  the 
sticks  under  a  blanket  or  mat.  Should  A  guess  correctly  the  position  of  the 
sticks,  he  wins  and  thrusts  in  tlie  ground  one  or  two  counters,  according  to 
the  value  of  his  guess,  and  B  .igain  arranges  the  sticks  under  the  blanket. 
Should  \  guess  wrongl.v  he  forfeits  one  counter  and  guesses  again,  but  in  this 
case  B  conceals  onl.v  two  of  the  sticks,  that  is,  one  large  and  one  small 
wrapped  one. 


Fig.  434.    Possible  combinations  of  large  and  small  sticks  in  the  four-stick  game;  Klamath 
Indians,  Oregon;  from  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey. 

If  A  wins,  or  guesses  correctly,  the  sticks  are  passed  to  him,  when  he  manipu- 
lates them  under  the  blanket  and  B  guesses.  But  if  .V  loses,  he  forfeits  a 
counter  and  B  again  manipulates  the  single  pair  of  sticks.  In  guessing,  when 
they  wish  to  designate  the  small  wrapped  sticks,  the  index  and  middle  finger 
are  used ;  for  the  thick  sticks,  the  inde.x  finger  alone.  In  expressing  the  guess 
at  positions  numbered  1  ffignre  4.S4]  and  2  (vuish),  they  move  the  hand  side- 
wise  one  way  or  another  as  they  desire  to  indicate  the  positions  as  expres.sed  in 
numbers  >  or  2.  To  nii.ss  the  gue.-;s  when  "  vuish  is  laid,"  neither  side  lo.ses  nor 
wins,  nor  is  there  an.v  changing  to  the  other  opponent  of  the  sticks  ;  liut  when 
the  position  .3  or  4  is  laid,  with  A  guessing  and  winning,  the  sticks  must  be 
passed  to  him  for  manipulating  and  he  wins  no  counters.  When  the  sticks  are 
laid  in  positions  5  or  6  and  A  guesses,  using  two  fingers,  he  oLriousl.v  loses 
doubly,  and  two  counters  are  passed  to  B. 

Another  set  (cat.  no.  G1724)  is  exactly  similar  to  the  preceding, 
except  that  the  buckskin-wrapped  sticks  are  not  painted  black, 
while  the  two  large  sticks  are  not  painted  alike,  one  having  two 
burnt  bands  about  the  center  '2  inches  apart,  from  each  side  of 
which  a  row  of  zigzag  lines  extends  entirely  around  the  stick. 
On  both  of  the  large  sticks  of  this  set  there  are  four  parallel 
bands,  equidistant  from  the  burnt  ends  of  the  stick,  the  j^aii's 
being  connected  by  parallel  spirals. 

A  third  set  (cat.  no.  61723)  has  two  small  sticks  wrapjied  with  raw- 
hide which  has  been  painted  red;  the  large  sticks  are  charred  at 

<>  Certain  Oambling  Games  of  the  Klamath  Indians,  American  ADthropologist,  n.  s.,  t. 
3,  p.  23,  1901. 


330 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ANN.  24 


each  end  to  the  extent  of  about  an  inch,  while  in  the  center 
are  two  parallel  black  bands.  The  intervening  portions  of  thesse 
two  sticks  are  painted  red.  This  set  is  U;^  inches  long  and  is 
accompanied  with  six  painted  sharpened  counting  sticks. 

Klamath.     Upper  Klamath  lake,  Oregon.     (Cat.   no.  37495,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Four  sticks  (figure  435),  two  of  heavy  wood  tapering  from  middle 

to  ends  and  oi-namented  with  burnt  designs,  12^  inches  in  length, 


Fig.  4.3.5.    Four-stkk  game;  lengths  uf  sticks,  lij  and  11{  inches;  Klamath  ludian.s,  Oregon;  cat. 
no.  3749.5,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

and  two  smaller  sticks,  llj  inches  in  length,  wound  with  buck- 
skin.    Collected  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey  in  1900. 

Klamath  agency,  Oregon.     (Cat.  no.  24132,  United  States  Na- 
tional Museum.) 
Two  wooden  rods  (figure  43(5).  12  inches  in  length  and  seven-eighths 
of  an  inch  in  diameter  at  the  middle,  tapering  to  the  ends,  and 


Fig.  437. 

Fio.  436.    Four-stick  game;  lengths  of  sticks,   12  and  Hi  inches:  Klamath   Indians,   Klamath 

agency,  Oregon;  cat.  no.  241:^2,  United  States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  437.    Counting  sticks  for  four-stick  game;  lengths,  6i,  Hi,  and  194  inches;  Klamath  Indians, 

Klamath  agency,  Oregon;  cat.  no.  24132,  United  States  National  Museum. 

marked  with  burnt  designs,  as  shown  in  figure  436.  These  arc 
designated  as  solchise.  Two  smaller  rods,  11|  inches  in  length  and 
five-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  wrapped  with  a  strip  of 


culin] 


FOUR-STICK    (iAME  :    KLAMATH 


331 


K 


rawhide  three-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  width  except  at  the  ex- 
treme ends.     These  are  called  skotus.     In  addition  there  are  six 
counting  sticks,  one  a  forked  twig,  19i  inches  in  length,  marked 
with   burnt  spots    (as  shown   in   figure  437)    called   teowtis;   a 
pointed  stick,  11^  inches  in  length,  also  marked  witli  burnt  lines, 
called  watch ;  and  four  pegs  or  pins,  kice,  6J  inches  in  length, 
accompanied   by   a   flat   basket    (cat.  no.   2-1:113,  figure  438),   18 
inches  in  diameter,  with  ornamental  patterns  in  brown  and  with 
a  bunch  of  deer  thongs  tied  in  the  middle  on  the  convex  outer 
side.     Collected  by  L.  S.  Dyar,  Indian  agent. 
The  following  description  is  given  by  tlie  collector : 
Gambling  outfit,  luck-ulse.  thirteen  ]iieees.     This  game  is  pl.ayed  li.v  two  per- 
sons, wbo  sit  upon  the  ground  facing  each  other.     The  round  mat.  pnli-lah,  is 
used  as  a  cover  to  hide  the  four  rods,  two  each  of  sol-chise  and  skotus.     The 
person     performing     witli 
these  places  them  side  by 
side  on  the  ground  under 
the    mat.    and    the    other 
guesses  their  relative  po 
sitions,  whether  the  lari.'i 
ones  are  on  the  outside  <ir 
in  the  middle,  or   if  tliey 
alternate,     etc..     and      his 
guess  is  indicated  b.v  cer- 
tain motions  of  the  hand 
and    fingers.      After    one 
guesses  a  certain  number 
of  times  he  takes  tlie  mat 
and  another  guesses.     The 
small  sharp  sticks,  kice.  are  used  for  the  same  purpose  as  points  or  buttons  in 
billiards,  and  the  other  two  sticks,  te-ow-tis,  are  stuck  in  the  ground  and  used 
to  indicate  the  progress  of  the  game.     The  package  of  youcks.  medicine,  is  used 
as  a  charm  and  was  formerly  considered  of  umch  value. 

Commenting  on  the  above  description.  Doctor  Gatschet  writes : 

The  game  to  which  the  four  sticks  belong  is  the  shu'lshesh  game,  and  the  two 
thicker  sticks  are  also  called  shu'lshesh,  while  the  two  slender  ones  are  sivo'tas. 
sku'tash,  wrapped  up  (in  buckskin).  A  blanket  is  also  called  sku'tash,  sko'- 
tash,  beeanse  it  wraps  up  a  iiers(;n.  The  small  kice  sticks  were  called,  when 
1  Inquired  for  their  name,  kshesh,  counting  sticks,  to  count  gains  and  losses,  or 
checks  used  like  our  red  and  white  ivory  disks  used  in  card  games.  Watch  is 
wa'kash.  a  bone  awl  :  wa'tcb  would  l)e  a  house.  Te-ow-tis  is  a  word  1  never 
heard,  but  it  must  be  te'-utish,  stuck  in  the  ground  repeatedly,  or  "  stuck  in  the 
ground  fur  each  one  "  of  the  gamesters,  for  te'wa  means  to  plant,  to  stick  up. 
The  round  mat  is,  in  fact,  a  large  tray,  called  pa'la,  or  pa"hla,  because  used  for 
drying  seeds  by  the  camp  fire  or  in  the  sun.  Luck-ulse  is  false  for  sha'kaloh. 
(1)  gambling  outfit  for  these  sticks  and  also  (2)  the  game  itself.  "  The  package 
of  youcks  is  used  as  a  charm."  Yes:  that  is  so,  because  ya'uks  (for  ya'-ukish) 
means  (1)  remedy,  drug  used  as  a  medicine,  and.  in  a  wider  sense,  (2)  spiritual 
remedy  of  the  conjurer,  consisting  in  witchcraft,  dreams.  Shamanic  songs.  The 
verb  of  it  is  ya'-uka,  to  treat  in  sickness,  and  to  heal  or  cure. 


Fig.  438.  Basket  for  four-stick  game:  diameter,  18  inches; 
Klamatli  Indians,  Klamath  agency,  Oregon;  cat.  no.  24113, 
United  States  National  Museum . 


832  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 

Referring  to  a  set  of  four  sticks  collected  by  him  at  the  Klamath 
agency  in  1887,  which  he  says  are  almost  identical  with  those  in  the 
National  Museum,  Doctor  Gatschet  writes: 

The  two  sUu'lshesh  sticks  are  carefully  whittled  from  the  luountaiu  mahogany 
(Cerocarpus  ledif alius) . 

In  his  work  on  the  Klamath  "  Doctor  (xatschet  has  described  this 
game,  as  jjlayed  by  the  Klamath  lake  people,  under  the  names  of 
spelshna,  shulsheshla,  shakla,  shakalsha,  with  four  sticks  about  one 
foot  in  length.  There  are  two  thick  sticks  and  two  slender  sticks,  the 
latter  wrapped  in  narrow  strips  of  buckskin  leather.  They  indicate 
the  supposed  location  of  the  four  game  sticks  lying  under  a  cover  by 
putting  forward  fingers.  They  guess  the  slender  sticks  with  the  in- 
dex and  middle  finger;  the  thick  sticks  with  the  index  finger  alone, 
and  the  thicker  sticks  coupled  on  one  side,  and  the  thinner  ones  on  the 
other,  vu'ish,  with  a  side  motion  of  tiie  hand  and  thumb.  By  the 
last,  vu'ish.  they  win  one  counting  stick;  with  index  and  middle 
finger,  two  counting  sticks. 

The  name  spelshna   is  derived   from   speiluish,   the  index   finger. 
The  coiniting  sticks,   of  which   six   are   commonly   used,   are  called 
kse'sh,  kshi'sh,  from  k.shena,  to  carry  off. 
Modoc.     Fail  river.  Shasta  county,  California. 

Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  a  game  played  by  women,  under  the 
name  of  ishkake: 

Three  marked  sticks  and  one  plain  are  iise<l,  and  their  relative  position  in  the 
hidden  hand  gruessed  at. 

SHASTAN    STOCK 

AcHOMAWi.     Hat  creek,  California.     (Cat.  no.  -f^^-g,  American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History.) 


Ptg.  439.    Four-stick  game:  lengths  of  sticks,  10  and  61  inches;  Achomawi  Indians,  Hat  creek. 
CaUforaia:  cat.  no.  .jf  Jr,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

Two  sticks,  tapering  to  ends   (figure  439),  10  inches  in  length,  and 
two  smaller,  thinner  sticks,  about  6f  inches  in  length. 
Collected  in  1903  by  Dr  Roland  B.  Dixon,  who  gives  the  name  as 
teisuli.     Doctor  Dixon  writes : 

The  game  is  played  with  the  aid  of  one  of  the  large  flat,  soft  basket  ))laques, 
under  which  the  sticks  are  shifted. 


"  The    Klamath    Indians    of   Southwestern    Oregon.      Contributions    to    North    American 
Ethaolog.v,  V.  2,  pt.  1,  p.  79,   Washington,   1800. 


Cl'HN] 


FOUR-STICK    GAME  :    PAIUTE 


333 


AcHOJiAwi.     Fall  river,  Shasta  county,  California. 

Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  the  following  game"  under  the  name 
of  tikali : 

Four  rods,  two  bound.  7  inches  in  leniitli,  called  tcok'-teii.  and  two  plain,  i) 
inclios  in  length,  called  ta-ko'-li,  are  .juggled  behind  a  large,  flexible  basket 
plai|ue.  tii-ko'-ll  tsu-ti'-]).i,  .and  the  relative  position  of  the  rods  guessed  at.  The 
game  is  counted  with  ten  counters. 


SHOSHONEAN    STOCK 

Paiute.      Pyramid    lake,    Nevada.      (Cat.    no.    61.505.    61519,    Field 

Columbian  Museum. ) 
Four  billets  of  wood.  (')  inches  in  length,  two  of  them  1  inch  and  two 

one-half  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  accompanied  by  ten  cottonwood 

counting  sticks.  7  inches  in 

length,    sharpened     at     one 

end.    the    upper    two-thirds 

of  each   stick  23iiiiited    with 

a  .spiral  band  of  red. 
These    were   collected    by    I)r 
George    A.    Dorsey.    who    gives 
t!ie  name  of  thegame  as  witutzi. 

of    the    larger    billets    as    biebpe.     ^"'-  ■**■    Four-stick  game;  length  of  sticks,  6J 
,,  1       j:  i.1  n  inches;  Paiute  Indians,  Pyramid  lake,  Nevada; 

mother,   and   of  the   smaller   ones        cat.  no.  1904t,  United  states  National  Museum. 


^  arc  arranged  undci-  ;i   lai'ge. 
no.   VM)U.  United  States  Na- 


as   duaa.   young.      The   coiuiters 

are  called  tohu.     In  playing,  the  sticl' 

Hat  basket. 

Pyramid  lake,  Nevada.      (Cat. 

tional  Museum.) 

Two  c-ylindrical  billets  of  wood  (figure  440).  6^  inches  in  length  and 
1^  inches  in  diameter,  and  two  smaller  ones  of  the  same  length 
and  three-eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter.     The  four  sticks  are 


Fig.  441.    Counting  sticks  for  four-stick  game;  length,  Sj  inches;  Paiute  Indians,  Pyramid  lake. 
Nevada;  cat.  no.  IHW.i.  United  States  National  Museum. 

uniformly  painted  red,  and  one  has  two  tubes  of  corn  stalk 
slipped  over  each  end.  Accompanied  with  ten  willow  counting 
sticks  (figure  441),  8f  inches  in  length  (cat.  no.  19045). 

"  The  same  game.  v?ith  slight  dialectic  and  local  variations,  is  played  by  the  following 
tribes,  who  live  on  Pit  river,  Sliasta  county  :  Lutwfimi,  Basi'wi,  Amits'tci,  Pakfimali. 
HamoSwi.  Hadiwlwi,  and  Sasteitei. —  (J.  W.  II.) 


334 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


Collected  by  Mr  Stephen  Powers,  who  describes  them  as  follows : 

Wuhtatseen.  gambling  pieces,  two  large  round  sticks  painted  red  and  two 
small  ones,  manipulated  by  a  player  who  sits  on  the  ground  and  holds  a  willow- 
work  tray  before  him  to  conceal  what 
he  does.  The  other  guesses  on  wliich 
side  of  the  large  stick  the  small  ones 
are.     ^There  are  ten  counters. 


Paidte.  Southern  Utah.  (United 
States  National  Museum.) 

Cat.  no.  14661.  Two  cj'lindrical 
billets  of  willow  wood  (fig- 
ure 442),  6^  inches  in  length 
and  seven-eighths  of  an  inch 


Fig.  442.  Pour-stick  game;  length  of  sticks, 
6i  inches;  Paiute  Indians,  southern  Utah; 
cat.  no.  14661,  United  States  National 
Museum. 


in  diameter,  and  two  similar 
sticks,  the  same  length  and  one-half  of  an  inch  in  diameter. 
The  ends  of  the  larger  billets  are  painted  blue  with  a  red  band 
in  the  middle,  while  the  small  ones  have  red  ends  and  a  blue  band  in 
the  middle. 


■m 


Fig.  443.    Paiute  playing  four-stick  game;  southern  Utah;  from  photogi-aph  by  J.  K.  Hillera. 

Another  (incomplete)  set,  catalogued  under  the  same  number,  con- 
sists of  three  similar  billets,  unpainted.  One  of  the  larger  sticks  is 
missing. 


CULIN]  HIDDEN-BALL    GAME  335 

Cat.   no.   14fi5-l.     Five  twigs  of  willow,  about  12  inches  in  length, 

pointed  at  one  end. 
Cat.  no.  146o5.     Seven  twigs,  about  12  inches,  in  length,  similar  to 

the  above. 
Cat.  no.  14660.     Seven  twigs,  about  12  inches  in  length,  similar  to 

the  above. 
These  last  three  numbers  are  the  accompanying  coimting  sticks. 
All  were  collected  by  Maj.  J.  W.  Powell.  The  above  implements 
iire  evidently  intended  for  the  preceding  game,  ilr  J.  K.  Hillers 
writes  that  they  were  used  in  a  game  (figure  443)  played  by  Indians 
on  tlie  iluddy  reservation,  a  game  of  odd  or  cA-en.  The  sticks  are 
])laced  under  cover  in  two  jjlaces.  Then  a  chant  begins,  as  in  ne  ang- 
]5uki.     The  guessing  is  done  in  the  same  way. 

WASHOAN    STOCK 

Pao.     Carson  valley.  Nevada. 

Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  the  following  game  jjlayed  by  men 
under  the  name  of  tsutsu : 

A  imi-tal'  basket  is  inverted  and  held  witli  the  left  hand  toiicliing  the  ground, 
while  nine  small  sticks  are  held  in  the  right  hand.  The  player  slips  a  certain 
number  of  these  nine  sticks  under  the  plaque  while  juggling  and  singing.  The 
opponent  guesses  at  the  number  (even  or  odd)  of  sticks  under  the  basket. 

Washo.     Carson  valley  and  Lake  Tahoe,  Nevada. 

Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  the  following  game  under  the  name 
of  it-dtsu-dtsu : " 

Four  sticks  are  employed,  two  large,  10  inches  long,   bound  with  buckskin, 

rf^arded  as   female,  aijd  called   it-tai-ta,  and  two  plain.   7* 

E 
inches  long,  regarded  as  male,  and  called  it-dtsu-dtsu.     The      " 


r 


buckskin  binding  on  the  longer  sticks  prevents  noise  when 
they  are  hidden.  The  four  sticks  are  .juggled  under  a  win-  |b 
nowing  basket,  mu-tal',  and  then  relative  positions  guessed 
at  by  the  opponent.  The  three  positions  (figure  4+4)  in 
which  the  sticks  may  be  placed  receive  the  following  names : 
0,  ke-hel-kul :  b.  l<a-ha-tsup :  c.  kum-de-we,  deer,  or  kum-da- 
mu.  The  four  sticks  are  placed  in  one  of  these  positions 
under  the  basket  while  its  holder  is  singing  and  invoking 
Tu-li-shl.  the  wolf,  at  the  same  time  violently  vibrating  the 
basket  against  the  ground.  If  guessed  right,  the  sticks  are 
forfeit.  An  incorrect  guess  forfeits  a  counter.  Eight  count- 
ers, me-te-em,  are  used.  Pig.M4.  Position  of 

sticks  iu  four-stick 

Hidden-ball  Game,  or  Moccasin  ^r,-^:;  "^^lIZ 

A  game   of  hiding  something  in   one  of  several       from  sket<^^h  by  Dr 

,         *=  11       -c  ^1  ^  ■  1  J.W.Hudson. 

places,  usually  tour,  the  opponents  guessing  where 
it  is  concealed.     The  implements  employed  are  of  two  kinds:   (a) 
cane  tubes  or  wooden  cups  derived  from  the  canes,  and  (b)  moccasins. 
The  cane  tubes,  in  their  original  forms,  bear  the  characteristic  marks 
of  the  arrows  of  the  four  directions,  precisely  like  the  canes  used  in  the 

"  Compare  Kularapan,  tsu,  arrow  ;   tsu-tsu.  arrows. 


336 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  24 


.<>^^%, 


Zuni  game  of  sholiwe.     They  jjass  bj'  easy  transitions  into  wooden 
tubes  marked  with  the  same  bands,  wooden  cups  similarly  marked, 

and  wooden  cups  marked 
or  carved  with  symbols  re- 
ferring to  the  world  quar- 
ters. Finally  we  have  four 
plain  tubes,  which  at  last 
disappear  in  a  game  which 
consists  in  hiding  a  bean 
or  other  small  object  in  one 
of  four  heaps  of  sand.  It 
may  be  inferred  from  the 
sholiwe  that  the  original 
tubes  were  butts,  or  shaft- 
ments,  of  cane  arrows. 
The  object  hidden  consists  of  a  small  cylindric  stick,  sometimes 
painted  with  bands  of  color,  a  bean,  or  a  stone.     Among  tlie  Papago 


Fig.  445.  Sacrificial  tubes  for  hiding  game:  height,  2J 
inches:  Zuni  Indians,  Zuiii,  New  Mexico:  cat.  no.  2'2t')^2. 
Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania. 


Fig.  446.    Drab  Flute  (Macilenya)  altar;  Hopi  Indians,  Mishongnovi,  Arizona;  from  Fewkea. 

the  tubes  are  filled  with  sand,  which  the  guesser  empties  out.  Else- 
where, as  in  Zuni,  we  find  the  tubes  stuck  in  hillocks  of  sand.  In 
Zuni  the  guesser  used  a  rod  to  point  to  the  tubes.     The  counters  con- 


BUREAU   OF  AMERICAN    ETHNOLOGY 


TWENTY-FOURTH   ANNUAL  REPORT     PL.   VII 


S^^j^     ^->{S52YAL    ALTAR;    HOPI     INDIANS,    WALPI,    ARIZONA;     FROM     FEWKES 


CfLIN] 


HIDDEN -BALL    GAME 


337 


sist  of  beans  or  sticks,  and  ntnnber  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  and 
two,  or  one  hundred  and  four. 

As  mentioned  in  the  introduction,  the  hidden-ball  game  was  one  of 
the  five  games  sacrificed  on  the  altar  of  the  "War  God  in  Zuiii.  A  set  of 
cups  (figure  445)  for  this  purjDose  in  the  museum  of  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania  (cat.  no.  '2'2G82).  collected  by  the  writer  in  Zuiii  in 
1902,  consists  of  four  wooden  tubes,  each  li  inches  in  diameter  and  25 
inches  in  height.  They  are  painted  white,  with  black  tops,  and  have 
pink  plume  feathers  stuck  in  the  top  of  each.  As  also  noted,  similar 
cups,  surmounted  with  effigies  of  birds,  are  seen  on  the  Hopi  Oiiqol 


Fig.  447.    Blue  Flute  (Cakwalenya)  altar:  Hopi  Indians,  Mishongnovi,  Arizona;  from  Fewkes. 

altar  (figure  1).     They  occur  also  on  the  Soyaluna  altar'  at  Walpi, 
plate  VII,  as  figured  by  Doctor  P^ewkes." 

Four  flowerlike  wooden  cups — yellow,  green,  red.  and  white — appear 
at  the  base  of  the  effigy  on  the  altar  of  the  Drab  Flute  at  Oraibi, 
while  sixteen  cups  of  the  four  colors  are  stuck  like  flowers  on  two 

"  The  Winter  Solstice  Ceremony  at  Walpi.  Tile  American  Anthropologist,  V.  11,  p.  79, 
1898. 

24  ETH— 05  M 22 


338 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


uprights  on  each  side  of  the  figure.  On  the  Mishongnovi  Drab  Fhite 
altar  (figure  446)  there  are  two  upright  logs  of  wood,  rounded  at 
the  top  and  pierced  with  holes,  in  which  are  stuck  similar  flowers. 
Doctor  Fewkes,  who  has  figured  this  altar,  says  that  these  logs  corre- 
spond with  the  mounds  of  sand,  covered  with  meal,  of  other  Flute 
altars,  and  were  called  talactcomos."  The  sand  mounds  stuck  with 
flowers  occur  in  the  altar  of  the  Blue  Flute  (figui-e  447)  at  Mi- 
shongnovi. These  sand  mounds ''  should  be  compared  with  the  sand 
mountains  into  which  the  cane  tubes  are  stuck  in  the  Zufii  game. 

The  Flute  altar  at  Shumojaavi  (figure  448)  has  the  flower  cups  on 
upright  sticks,  as  at  Oraibi,  while  on  that  at  Shipaulovi  (figure  449) 
they  are  stuck  in  sand  mounds.     Mention  has  already  been  made  of 


Fig.  448.    Flute  altar,  Hopi  Indians,  Shumopavi,  Arizona;   from  photograj)!!  by  Sumner  "W. 

Matteson.  August  :il,  1301. 

the  gaming-cup  flower  headdress  (figure  569)  of  the  Flute  jjriest  at 
Oraibi.  The  Sohu  or  Star  katcina  has  similar  wooden  cups  in  the 
hair.     Dr  J.  Walter  Fewkes  <■  writes : 

The  Tusayan  Tewa  of  Ilanoki,  East  inesa,  call  the  .Tanuar.y  moon  E'lop'o, 
wood-cup  moon,  referriug  to  the  e"lo,  wooden  enps,  used  by  tlie  Tcukuwympkiya 
or  clowns,  in  their  ceremonial  games. 


"  Journal  of  American  Folk-Lorc.  v.  9,  p.  245,  1806. 

^  These  mounds  admit  of  tlie  following  explanation.  In  many  stories  of  the  origin  of 
societies  of  priests  which  took  place  in  the  under  world,  the  first  members  are  represented 
as  erecting  their  altars  Ijeforc  the  "  flower  mound  "  of  MiiiyinwO.  This  was  the  case  of 
the  Flute  youth  and  maid,  progenitors  of  the  Flute  Society.  These  mounds,  now  erected  on 
earth  before  the  figurine  of  Miiiyinwft  in  the  Flute  chambers,  symbolize  the  ancestral 
mounds  of  the  under-world,  the  wooden  objects  Inserted  in  them  representing  flowers. — 
Journal  of  American  Folk-Lore,  v.  9.  p.  St.'j,  note.  1S90. 

"  In  a  letter  to  the  author,  dated  January  27,  1899. 


CULIN]  HIDDEN-BALL    GAME  339 

The  four  cups  or  tubes,  whether  wood  or  cane,  may  be  regarded 
as  representing  or  referring  to  the  twin  War  Gods  and  their  female 
counterparts  or  associates,  who  preside  over  the  four  world  quarters. 
In  the  case  of  the  marked  and  carved  tubes,  this  agreement  is  suggested 
at  every  point:  In  the  banded  markings  (Hopi,  Keres,  Papago,  Pima, 
Tarahumare.  Tewa,  Maricopa),  in  the  burned  devices  (Hopi),  in 
the  cloud  terrace  and  flower  symbols  carved  at  the  top  (Hopi),  and 
in  the  sex  designation  (Papago,  Pima). 

The  moccasin  game  was  played  by  the  Algonquian  tribes  and  is 
found  among  the  Dakota  and  the  Xavaho.  Two,  three,  four.  six.  or 
eight  moccasins  are  used,  but   four  is  the  standard  number.     The 


Fig.  449.    Flute  altar,   Hopi  Indians,  Shipanlovi.  Arizoua;  from  pliotogi-apli  by  Sumner  W. 

Matteson,  September  7,  laOl. 

objects  hidden  vary  from  one  to  four,  and  consist  either  of  bullets, 
stones,  or  little  billets  of  wood.  The  players  among  some  tribes  indi- 
cate their  choice  by  pointing  with  a  rod.  The  count  is  kept  with 
sticks  or  beans.  20,  50,  100,  or  102.  ^Mittens  are  sometimes  used 
instead  of  moccasins,  and  the  game  was  borrowed  by  the  whites  and 
played  by  them  under  the  name  of  "'  bullet."'  Moccasin  was  a  man's 
game.  It  was  played  as  a  gambling  game  to  the  accompaniment 
of  singing  and  drumming.  In  the  east  it  retains  little  of  its  former 
ceremonial  character.  The  writer  regards  it  as  a  direct  modification 
of  the  hidden-ball  game,  the  Xavaho  game,  \Vith  its  nodule  and  strik- 
ing stick,  furnishing  a  connecting  link. 


34U 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  Ann.  24 


ALGOXQUIAN    STOCK 

Chippewa.  Minnesota.  (Cat.  no.  153033,  United  States  National 
Museum. ) 

Set  of  four  buckskin  moccasins;  four  bullets,  one  plain  and  three 
covered  with  twisted  wire  (figure  450)  ;  and  twenty  counting 
sticks,  peeled,  unpainted  twigs  ,  13^  inches  in  length  (figure  451), 
catalogued  as  accompanied  with  a  jjouch  to  contain  them.  Col- 
lected bv  Dr  Walter  J.  Hoffman. 


Fig.  45(1. 


Fig.  451. 

Fig.  4.y).    Bullets  for  moccasin  game;  diameter,  ys  inch;  Chippewa  Indians,  Minnesota;  cat.  no. 

15.303:3,  United  States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  451.    Counting  sticks  for  moccasin  game:  length,  13^  inches:  Chippewa  Indians,  Minnesota; 

cat.  no.  153033,  United  States  National  Museum. 


Bois   fort,   near    Rainy    river,   Minnesota.     (Cat. 
American  Museum  of  Xatural  History.) 


no. 


Four  bullets  (figure  452).  one  of  white  lead,  three-eighths  of  an  inch 

in  diameter. 

They  were  collected  in  1903  by  Dr  William  Jones,  who  describes 

them  as  hidden  in  the  moccasin  game,     ^loc- 

casins  are  used,  and  tlie  game  has  the  same 

name  as  at  Turtle  mountain. 

Mille  Lacs,  Minnesota. 


Fig.  4.52.  Bullets  for  mocca- 
sin game:  diameter,  three- 
eighths  of  an  inch;  Chippewa 
Indians,  Bois  fort,  Minne- 
.sota:  cat.  uo  jStfi^  American 
Museum  of  Natural  History. 


Mr  D.  I.  Bushnell.  jr.  describes  a  mocca- 
sin game  (figure  453)  which  he  witnessed  at 
Mille  Lacs  in  1900 : 


The  game  lasted  thirty-six  hours.  The  stakes 
were  two  hadly  worn  neckties.  It  was  played  with 
four  metal  balls,  throe  of  coiiper  and  one  of  lead. 
The  ."  moccasins  "  were  four  pieces  of  tiuckskin  cut  in  the  shape  of  moccasin 
soles.  It  was  played  to  the  beating  of  a  drum,  which  was  passed  from  side  to 
side. 


CVLIN] 


HIDDEN-B.YLL    GAME  :    CHIPPEWA 


3il 


Chippewa.     Wisconsin. 
Prof.  I.  I.  Ducatel "  says : 

Their  favoi-ite  game  is  the  miiliesiiinah  dahdewog.  or  moccasin  garue.  It  is 
played  with  four  bullets  (oue  of  which  is  jagged  i  and  four  moccasins.  The 
four  bullets  are  to  be  hid,  one  under  each  moccasin,  by  the  first  player,  whose 
deal  is  decided  by  throwing  up  a  knife  and  letting  it  fall  on  the  blanket,  the 
direction  of  the  blade  indicating  the  person  who  is  to  hide  firet.  The  four 
bullets  are  held  in  the  right  hand,  and  the  left  hand  is  kept  moving  from  one 
moccasin  to  the  other:  whilst  the  player,  with  a  peculiar  manner  calculated  to 
divert  the  attention  of  the  one  with  whom  he  is  jilaying,  and  with  an  incessant 
chant,  accompanied  by  a  swinging  motion  of  the  head  and  trunk,  passes   bis 


''fH^SK^^'^^X^'^'^^ 

"'"^^^S^*^^ 

■'-"^^        ■^?!?v'^*^3KK  "**^  -^teg 

,,  ,^. 

^^*i^^^'  "'JBfi^^ESP^* 

/M^^ks- 

\                 ^ij^hL^flU 

■^      m  -^^  *  "Ty^ 

litahrtfi'  ''vsnn 

|-      ^^^ 

*<f'^^t^tbf^Sa 

BHHjnB 

ki   "~'i£3iBul^l9pm^ 

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Kk    ^^Bie^^^dBHll^ 

Rk-  ^SB^W"''  ^  '^gMP 

■^y   JaSt 

■i^H^^E 

^..^L^^ 

r^lvifwk*W^ 

tpHNfe&l 

,  4S^^.T  ,'■■'  il^p^^'"',    jB 

■^        'Tlvi  "W ' 

■J^y'              ^^^I^^^SIII^H 

"j^                     ■^vaT'*»'^HI 

BiMnffHlM^^^i^^K            3^ 

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^^^^..^d^-                   i^            ^p^BKy..-1^^^L.*.>aB 

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^'^SSf               ^l^HH 

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^HL     ,  Jh 

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1H 

Flo.  453.    iVluccasin  game;  Chippewa  Indians,  MiUe  Lacs,  Minnesota:  from  photograpli  by  Mr 

D.  I.  Bushuell,  jr. 

bullet  hand  under  the  moccasins,  depositing  a  bullet  under  each.  The  other  is 
to  guess  where  the  jagged  bullet  is,  but  not  at  the  first  trial ;  for  if  he  strike* 
upon  it  the  first  time,  he  loses  4  sticks — there  being  20  altogether,  that  are  used 
as  counters ;  if  the  second  time  he  makes  a  similar  guess,  then  he  loses  3 
sticks ;  but  if  he  guess  the  situation  of  the  jagged  bullet  the  third  time,  then  he 
gains  4  sticks ;  finally  should  the  bullet  remain  inuler  the  fourth  moccasin, 
the  guesser  loses  4  sticks.  The  game  continues  until  the  twenty  sticks  have 
passed  from  one  band  to  the  other.  At  this  game,  of  which  they  are  very  fond, 
they  stake  everything  about  them  and  sometimes  come  away  literally  stripped. 
The  groups  that  are  thus  collected  jiresent  the  most  characteristic  of  Indian 

°  A  Fortnight  among  the  Chippewas  of  Lake  Superior.  The  Indian  Miscellan.v.  edited  l>y 
W.  W.  Beach,  p.  .367,  Alhany,  1877.  Reprinted  from  the  United  States  Catholic  Magazine 
Baltimore,  Januar.v  and  February,  ls4tj. 


342 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


habits.  There  will  be  twenty  sitting  down  and  as  many  standinf;  round,  intent 
upon  the  progress  of  the  game,  wliifli  is  carried  on  in  silence,  except  on  tlie  part 
of  the  hider. 

Another  game  of  chance,  and  perhaps  the  only  other  after  cards,  and  the 
one  just  described,  is  the  pahgehsehwog  or  pan-play,  which  consists  in  guessing 
at  any  thing,  or  number  of  things,  enclosed  between  two  pans. 

Chippewa.     Turtle  mountain,  North  Dakota.     (Cat.  no.  j-ffn -^"^^r- 

ican  Museum  of  Xatm-al  History.) 
Implements  for  moccasin  game  (figure  454)  :  Four  black-cloth  pads, 
8  inches  wide,  with  edges  Ijound  with  red ;  eleven  counting  sticks 

(saplings"),      painted 

red,    IS    inches   long, 

and   a   striking  stick 

(a    slender    rod), 

jjaiated  red,  oG  inches 

in  length. 

These  were  collected  in 

1903    by    Dr    William 

Jones,  who  gives  the  name 

as   makesenatatiweni,   or 

moccasin  game. 


Fig.  454.  Moccasiu  ganxt-:  pads,  coiiuters,  and  striking 
8tick;  widtli  of  pads,  8  inclies;  length  of  counters,  18 
inches;  length  of  striking  stick,  36  inches;  Chippewa 
Indians,  Turtle  mountain.  North  Dakota;  cat.  no.  5^?^, 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 


The   game    is    played   with 
three  beads  and  a  bullet,  the 
Either  moccasins  or  the  pads  are  used. 


bullet  being  trump. 

Cree.     Muskowpetung   reserve,    Qu'appelle,   Assiniboia.     (Cat.    no. 

61996,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
A  small  tinned  iron  ring,  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  used 
in  the  moccasin  game,  which  is  described  as  follows  by  the  col- 
lector, Mr  J.  A.  Mitchell,  under  the  name  of  muskisinastahtowin, 
concealing  an  object  in  a  moccasin: 
This  game  is  conspicuously  a  gambling  game,   and   is  iiuite  similar  to  the 
sleight-of-hand  games  of  the  whites.     The  objects  are  concealed  either  together 
under  one  of  four  inverted  moccasins  or  separately  under  two  moccasins,  all 
being  placed  in  a  line  before  the  manipulator,  who  passes  bis  hands  under  each 
moccasin  in  order  to  confuse  the  opponents.     If  the  pieces  are  placed   apart 
from  each  other  under  separate  moccasins,  the  player  making  the  guess  has  the 
right  to  another  guess  should  be  find  one  of  the  pieces  at  his  first  guess.     Failure 
at  first  guess  counts  him  out,  and  the  play  goes  to  the  next  player. 

Delawares.     Indiana. 

I  am  informed  by  Mr  George  S.  Cottman,  of  Irvington,  Indiana, 
that  the  following  is  drawn  from  two  articles  in  a  local  newspaper," 
the  principal  of  which  was  by  Robert  Duncan,  "  one  of  our  earliest 
pioneers,  now  dead  " : 

Moccasin  was  a  gambling  game  much  practised  among  the  Delaware  Indians, 
and  was  borrowed  of  them  by  the  white  settlers.     As  originally  played,  a  deer 


«  Indianapolis  News,  July  22,  24,  1879. 


CULIX]  HIDDEN-BALL    GAME  :    MENOMINEE  343 

skin  was  spread  upon  the  ground  and  a  half  dozen  upturned  moccasins  arranged 
in  a  semicircle  within  easy  reach  of  the  player.  The  latter,  holding  to  view  a 
good-sized  hullet,  then  quickly  thrust  his  hand  under  each  moccasin  in  turn, 
leaving  the  bullet  under  one  of  them.  This  was  done  so  skillfully  as  to  leave 
the  onlooker  in  doubt,  and  the  gambling  consisted  in  betting  where  the  bullet 
was.  This  was  called  moccasin.  Subsequently  the  whites  modified  the  game 
slightly  by  placing  caps  on  the  table,  and  the  game  became  changed  to  bullet. 
It  was  played  so  extensively  among  the  pioneers  as  to  become  a  recognized  evil, 
and  on  the  early  statutes  stands  a  law  making  gambling  at  bullet  a  finable 
offense. 

Mr  Cottman  writes : 

On  page  104  of  the  Laws  of  Indiana  Territory,  as  revised  by  John  Rice  .Tones 
and  John  Johnson,  publislied  in  1.S07,  I  find  a  statute  forbidding  various  gam- 
bling games,  among  them  that  of  bullet,  the  penalty  fixed  for  practising  them 
being  five  dollars  and  costs. 

Mr  Cottman  states  also  that  in  the  diary  of  John  Tipton,  one  of  the 
commissioners  to  locate  the  Indiana  capital,  is  the  following  entry : 

After  dinner  we  went  to  the  Indian  huts,  found  the  men  playing  a  favorite 
game  which  they  call  mockuson,  which  is  played  with  a  bullet  and  four  mocku- 
sons. 

The  locality  was  near  Conner's  station,  some  16  miles  north  of  the  site  of 
Indianapolis,  and  there  can  hardly  be  any  doubt  that  they  were  Delaware 
Indians,  as  this  was  the  Delaware  country.  The  Miami  occupied  the  Wabash 
region,  and  the  Potawatomi  were  yet  farther  north. 

Menominee.     Wisconsin. 

I)r  Walter  J.  Hoffman "  describes  the  moccasin  or  bullet  game,  as 
follows : 

Another  game  that  was  formerly  much  played  by  the  Menomini  [plate  vui] 
was  the  moccasin,  or  bullet,  game,  which  was  probably  learned  from  their 
Ojibwa  neighbors.  Five  persons  participate  in  this  game,  four  being  active  play- 
ers, while  the  fifth  acts  as  musician.  l)y  using  the  tambourine-drum  and  singing, 
the  players  usually  joining  in  the  latter.  .  .  .  The  articles  necessary  to 
play  this  game  consist  of  four  bullets,  or  balls  of  any  hard  substance,  one  of 
which  is  colored,  or  indented,  to  readily  distinguish  it  from  its  fellows ;  four 
moccasins  also  are  required,  as  well  as  thirty  or  forty  stick  counters,  similar 
to  those  used  in  the  preceding  [bowl]  game,  though  uncolored.  A  blanket  also 
is  used,  and  in  addition  a  stick,  about  3  feet  long,  with  which  to  strike  the  moc- 
casin under  which  the  bullet  is  believed  to  be  hidden.  When  the  game  is  com- 
menced, the  players  are  paired  off  by  two's,  who  take  their  places  on  each  of  the 
four  sides  of  the  outspread  idanket  [plate  viir].  The  winner  of  the  toss  takes 
the  moccasins  before  him  and  lays  them  upside  down  and  about  6  inches  apart 
with  the  toes  pointing  forward.  The  object  now  is  for  the  pla.ver  to  lift,  with  his 
left  hand,  each  moccasin,  in  succession,  and  put  a  bullet  under  it,  making  many 
pretenses  of  hiding  and  removing  the  bullets,  in  order  to  confuse  the  opponents, 
who  are  eagerly  watching  for  some  slip  of  the  performer  whereb.v  they  may 
obtain  a  clue  of  the  moccasin  under  which  the  marked  bullet  may  be  placed. 
While  this  Is  going  on,  the  drummer  is  doing  his  duty  by  singing  and  drumming, 

•»  The  Menomini  Indians.  Fourteentli  Annu.il  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  242, 
1896. 


344  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 

to  which  the  others  are  noisily  Iceepiug  time.  When  the  bullets  are  all  hidden, 
the  player  will  suddenly  call  out,  "  Ho  l  "  in  a  high  note,  when  the  singing  drops 
to  a  mere  murmur,  and  the  striker  of  the  opposing  side  raises  the  stick  threaten- 
ingly over  the  several  moccasins,  as  if  to  strike  them,  but  each  time  withdraws 
as  if  in  doubt.  Fiuall.v,  he  will  place  the  end  of  a  long  stick  under  a  moccasin, 
and  turn  it  over.  Should  the  marked  bullet  be  disclosed,  he  is  regarded  as 
successful ;  if  he  fails  the  first  time  he  has  another  trial,  but  if  the  bullet 
is  found  only  at  the  second  trial,  the  coiuiters  to  which  he  is  entitled  will  be 
fewer  than  if  he  finds  the  bullet  the  tirst  time.  In  event  of  the  opponent  making 
a  successful  guess  of  the  moccasin  under  which  the  marked  bullet  has  been 
placed,  the  former  player  relinquishes  the  moccasins  and  bullets  and  takes  his 
turn  at  guessing.  The  game  is  decided  when  all  the  sticks  oii  the  blanket 
are  won,  those  winning  the  nia.iority  taking  the  bets  previously  made.  The  scor- 
ing depends  on  the  agreement  previously  formed. 

Miami.     Indiana. 

Mr  George  S.  Cottman  obtained  for  me  (July,  1899),  from  Mr 
J.  H.  B.  Novvland,  the  Indianapolis  pioneer,  the  following  account 
of  the  moccasin  game  as  he  saw  it  played  among  the  Miami.  T'ota- 
watomi,  and  Shawnee  at  an  Indian  village  which  stood  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Mississineva  river,  when  at  the  treaty  of  1832  he  was  secretaiy 
to  Governor  .Icnnings: 

The  player,  seated  on  the  ground  with  six  moccasins  arranged  in  two  rows 
before  him  and  a  little  painted  stick  in  his  hand,  would  sing  an  incantation  to 
divert  attention  from  his  action,  and,  thrusting  his  hand  under  the  various 
moccasins,  secretly  and  skillfully  deposit  the  stick.  The  spectators  then  bet  on 
the  moccasin, 

MissiSAUGA.     Rice  lake,  Ontario. 
G.  Copway "  says : 

The  Moccasin  play  is  simple,  and  can  be  played  by  two  or  three.  Three 
moccasins  are  used  for  the  purpose  of  hiding  the  bullets  which  are  employed 
in  the  game.  So  deeply  interesting  does  this  pla.v  sometimes  become,  that  an 
Indian  will"  stake  first,  his  gun  ;  next,  his  steel-traps ;  then  his  implements  of 
war ;  then  his  clothing ;  and,  lastly,  his  tobacco  and  pipe,  leaving  him,  as  we 
say,  "  Nah-bah-wan-yah-ze-yaid,"  "  a  piece  of  cloth  with  a  string  around  his 
waist." 

NiPissiNG.     Forty  miles  above  Montreal,  Quebec. 
J.  A.  Cuoq ''  gives  the  following  definition : 
Kwate  hewin,  sorte  de  jeu  de  cachette :   kazotage.  jouer  a  la  cachette. 

Ottawa.     Manitoba. 
John  Tanner ''  thus  describes  the  game : 

.  .  ,  played  by  any  number  of  persons,  but  usually  in  small  parties.  Four 
moccasins  are  used,  and  in  one  of  them  some  small  object,  such  as  a  little  .stick 
or  a  small  piece  of  cloth,  is  hid  by  one  of  the  iietting  parties.  The  moccasins 
are  laid  down  beside  each  other,  and  one  of  the  adverse  party  is  then  to  touch 

'  The  Traditional  History  and  Characteristic  Sketches  of  the  OJlbway  Nation,  p.  54, 
Boston,  1851. 

'■  Lexlque  de  la  Langue  Algonquine,  Montreal,  1886. 

"■  A  Narrative  of  the  Captivity  and  Adventures  of  .Tohn  Tanner,  p.  114,  New  York,  1830. 


ciLix]  HIDDEN-BALL    GAME:    APACHE  345 

two  of  the  moccasins  with  his  tinker,  or  a  stick.  If  the  one  he  first  touches  has 
the  hitUlen  thing  in  it.  the  pla.ver  loses  8  to  the  opposite  party;  if  it  is  not  iu  the 
second  lie  touches,  but  in  one  of  the  two  passed  over,  he  loses  2.  If  it  is  not 
in  the  one  he  touches  first,  and  is  in  the  last,  he  wins  8.  The  Crees  play  this 
game  differently,  putting  the  hand  successively  into  all  the  moccasins,  endeavor- 
ing to  come  last  to  that  which  contains  the  article ;  but  if  the  hand  is  thi'ust 
first  into  the  one  containing  it,  he  loses  8.  They  fix  the  value  of  articles  staked 
by  agreement :  for  instance,  they  sometimes  call  a  beaver  skin,  or  a  blanket,  10 ; 
sometimes  a  horse  KXl.  With  strangers,  they  are  apt  to  play  high :  in  such 
cases,  a  horse  is  sometimes  valued  at  10. 

Sauk  and  Foxes.     Iowa.     (Cat.  no.  -jfto-j  American  Museum  of  Nat- 
ural History.) 
Twelve  peeled  willow  twigs,  12  inches  in  length,  and  a  pointed  peeled 
willow  stick,  26  inches  in  length  (figure  455). 
These  were  collected  by  Dr  William  Jones,  who  describes  them  as 
counters  and  pointing  stick  for  the  moccasin  game,  mama  kesa  hi 
waiii.     Four  moccasins  are  used  and  a  bullet  is  hidden. 


Fig.  4.55.  Counting  sticks  and  pointer  for  moccasin  game ;  length  of  counters,  12  inches :  length 
of  pointer,  26  inches ;  Sauk  and  Fox  Indians,  Iowa :  cat.  no.  ^iSnt  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History. 

.vtiiapascan  stock 

Apache  (Jicarilla).     Northern  New  Mexico. 

yir  James  Mooney,"  in  his  account  of  the  Jicarilla  genesis  myth, 
describes  the  game  as  follows : 

It  was  dark  in  the  under-world,  and  they  used  eagle  plumes  for  torches.  The 
people  and  the  animals  that  go  about  by  day  wanted  more  light,  but  the  night 
animals — the  Bear,  the  Panther,  and  the  Owl — wanted  darkness.  They  disputed 
long,  and  at  last  agreed  to  play  the  kjiyon'ti  game  to  decide  the  matter.  It  was 
agreed  that  if  the  day  animals  won,  there  should  be  light,  hut  if  the  night 
animals  won,  it  should  l)e  always  dark. 

The  game  began,  but  the  Magpie  and  the  (Juail.  which  love  the  light  and  have 
sharp  e.ves.  watched  until  they  could  see  the  button  through  the  thin  wood  of 
the  hollow  stick,  and  they  told  the  people  under  which  one  it  was.  The  morning 
star  came  out  and  the  Black-bear  ran  and  hid  in  the  darkness.  They  played 
again,  and  the  people  won.  It  grew  bright  in  the  east,  and  the  Brown-bear  ran 
and  hid  himself  in  a  dark  place.  They  played  a  third  time,  and  the  people  won. 
It  grew  brighter  in  the  east  and  the  Mountain-lion  slunk  away  into  the  darkness. 
They  played  a  fourth  time,  and  again  the  people  won.  The  Sun  came  up  in  the 
east,  and  it  was  da.v,  and  the  Owl  flew  away  and  hid  himself. 

In  a  footnote  Mr  Mooney  describes  the  game  of  kayoiiti : 
A  sort  of  "  thimble  and  button  "  game,  in  which  one  part.v  hides  the  button 
under  one  of  several  closed  wooden  cups  or  thimbles,  and  the  other  tries  to  guess 
under  which  thimble  it  is.     There  is  a  score  of  104  tally  sticks. 


"The  .\merican  Anthropologist,  v.  11.  p.  198,  189S. 


346 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  asx.  24 


Fig.  456.  Moccasin  game;  diameter  of  ball,  11 
inches;  length  of  counters,  8  inches;  length  of 
club,  13  inches;  Navaho  Indians,  Arizona;  cat. 
no.  63.T34.  Field  Columbian  Museum. 


Navaho.     Keams  canyon,  Arizona.     (Cat.  no.  62534.  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum.) 
Implements  for  moccasin  game  (figure  456),  consisting  of  a  ball  of 

sandstone,   1^   inches  in  diame- 


ter, marked  on  one  side  with  a 
cross,  with  one  line  painted  red 
and  the  other  black ;  also  one 
hundred  counting  sticks,  8  inches 
in  length,  made  of  yucca,  and  a 
club  of  Cottonwood,  slightly 
curved,  13  inches  in  length. 
These  specimens  were  collected 
by  Mr  Thomas  V.  Keam. 
New  Mexico.  (Cat.  no.  74741,  United  States  National  Mu- 
seum.) 

Set  of  10'2  splints  (figure  457),  SJ  inches  in  length,  made  of  the  root 
leaf  of  the  yucca. 
Two  are  notched  on  the  margins  to  represent  a  snake,  called  the 

grandmother  snake.     These  were  collected  by  Dr  Washington  Mat- 
thews, IT.  S.  Army,  and  described  as  counting  sticks  for  the  game  of 

kescite. 

Doctor  Matthews  "  describes  the  game  of  kesitce  ''  as  follows : 
This  is,  to  some  extent,  sacred  in  its  nature,  for  the  playins;  is  confined  to  the 

winter,  the  only  time  when  their  mytlis  may  lie  told  and  their  most  importan'- 

ceremonies  conducted.     It 

is    practiced    only    during 

the  darli  hours.     The  real 

reason  for  this  is  probably 

that  the  stone  used  in  the 

game   can   not   be   hidden 

successfully   by   daylight; 

but  if  you  ask  an  Indian 

why   the   game   is  played 

only  at  night,  he  will  ac- 
count for  it  by  referring 

you  to  the  myth  and  saying 

that  he  on  whom  the  sun 

shines  while  he  is  engaged 

in  the  game  will  be  struck 

blind.     I  have  heard  that  on  some  occasions,  when  the  stakes  are  heavy  and 

the  day  begins  to  dawn  on  an  undecided  contest,  they  close  all  the  aiierturea 

of  the  lodge  with  blankets,  l>lacken  the  skin  around  their  eyes,  place  a  watcU 

outside  to  prevent  intrusion,  and  for  a  short  time  continue  their  sport. 
The  implements  of  the  game  are  eight  moccasins :  a  roundish  stone  or  pebble 

about  an  inch  and  a  half  in  diameter ;  a  blanket  used  as  a  screen  ;  a  stick  with 


Fig.  457.  Counting  sticks  for  moccasin  game;  length,  8} 
inches;  Navaho  Indians,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  74741,  United 
States  National  Museum. 


°  Navaho  Gambling  Songs.     The  American  Anthropologist,  v.  2.  p.  2.  1889. 
"  From  ke,  moccasins,  and  sitce,  side  b.v  side,  parallel  to  one  another  in  a  row. 


CCLIX]  HIDDEN-BALL    GAME  :    NAVAHO  347 

which  to  strike  the  mocrasins ;  a  chip  lilaclvenetl  on  one  side  that  they  toss  up  to 
decide  which  party  shall  begin  the  game :  and  one  hundred  and  two  counters, 
each  about  9  inches  long,  made  of  a  stiff,  slender  root-leaf  of  the  Yucca  angusti- 
folia.    Two  of  these  counters  are  notched  on  the  margins. 

The  moccasins  are  buried  in  the  ground  so  that  only  about  an  inch  of  their 
tops  appear  and  they  are  filled  to  the  ground  level  with  powdered  earth  or  sand. 
They  are  placed  side  by  side  a  few  inches  apart  in  two  rows,  one  on  each  side 
of  the  fire.  The  players  are  divided  into  two  parties,  each  controlling  one  row 
of  moccasins.  When,  by  tossing  up  the  chip,  the.v  have  decided  which  party 
shall  begin,  the  lucky  ones  hold  up  a  screen  to  conceal  their  operations  and 
hide  the  ball  in  one  of  the  moccasins,  covering  it  well  with  sand.  When  all  is 
ready  they  lower  the  screen  and  allow  that  person  to  come  forward  whom 
their  opponents  have  selected  to  tind  the  ball.  He  strikes  with  a  stick  the 
moccasin  in  which  he  supposes  the  ball  to  lie.  If  his  guess  is  correct  he  takes 
the  stone,  his  comrades  become  the  hiders  and  his  opponents  the  seekers :  but 
if  he  fails  to  indicate  the  place  wherein  the  pebble  is  hid  the  hiders  win  some 
of  the  counters,  the  number  won  depending  on  the  position  of  the  moccasin 
struclv  and  the  position  of  the  one  containing  the  stone.  Thus  each  part.v  is 
always  bound  to  win  while  it  holds  the  stone  and  alwa.vs  bound  to  lose  while 
its  opponent  holds  it. 

The  system  of  counting  is  rather  intricate,  and  though  I  perfectly  compre- 
hend it  I  do  not  consider  a  full  description  of  it  in  this  connection  as  neces- 
sary to  the  proper  understanding  of  the  myth.  It  will  suffice  to  say  that  the 
number  of  counters  lost  at  any  one  unsuccessful  guess  can  only  be  either  4.  6, 
or  10 ;  these  are  the  only  "  counts  "  in  the  game.  When  the  game  begins  the 
counters  are  held  by  some  uninterested  spectator  and  handed  to  either  side 
according  as  it  wins.  When  this  original  holder  has  given  all  the  counters 
out.  the  winners  take  from  the  losers.  Wlien  one  side  has  won  all  the  counters 
the  game  is  done.  The  original  holder  parts  with  the  two  notched  counters, 
called  "  Grandmothers."  last.  One  of  the  party  receiving  them  sticks  them  up  In 
the  rafters  of  the  hogan  (lodge)  and  says  to  them.  "  Go  seek  your  grandchildren  " 
(i.  e..  bring  the  other  counters  back  to  our  side).  The  possession  of  the  "  grand- 
mothers "  is  supposed  to  bring  good  luck. 

A  good  knowledge  of  the  songs  is  thought  to  assist  the  gamblers  in  their  work, 
probably  under  the  impression  that  the  spirits  of  the  primeval  animal  gods  are 
there  to  help  such  as  sing  of  them.  A  song  begun  during  an  '■  inning  "  ( to  borrow 
a  term  from  the  field)  must  be  continued  while  the  inning  lasts.  Should  this 
inning  be  short  it  is  not  considered  luck.v  to  sing  the  same  song  again  during  the 
game. 

The  following  is  an  epitome  of  the  myth  of  the  kesitce: 

In  the  ancient  days  there  were,  as  there  are  now.  some  animals  who  saw  better, 
could  hunt  better,  and  were  altogether  hapiiier  in  the  darkness  than  in  the  light ; 
and  there  were  others  who  liked  not  the  darkness  and  were  happy  only  in  the 
light  of  day.  The  animals  of  the  night  wished  it  would  remain  dark  forever 
and  tlie  animals  of  the  day  wished  that  the  sun  would  shine  forever.  At  last 
they  met  in  council  in  the  twilight  to  talk  the  matter  over  and  the  council  re- 
solved they  should  play  a  game  liy  hiding  a  stone  in  a  moccasin  (as  in  the  game 
now  called  kesitce)  to  settle  their  differences.  If  the  night  animals  won  the 
sun  should  never  rise  again,  if  the  day  animals  .succeeded,  nevermore  should  it 
set.     So  when  night  fell  they  lit  a  fire  and  commenced  the  game. 

In  order  to  determine  which  side  should  first  hide  the  stone  they  took  a  small 
weather-stained  fragment  of  wood  and  rubbed  one  side  with  charcoal.     They 


348  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN  ■  INDIANS       [eth.  an.\.  24 

tossed  it  up :  if  It  fell  with  the  black  side  up,  the  nocturnal  party  were  to  begin, 
but  it  fell  with  the  gray  side  up  and  those  of  the  diurnal  side  took  the  stone. 
These  raised  a  blanket  to  conceal  their  operations  and  sang  a  song,  which  is  sung 
to  this  day  by  the  Navajos  when  they  raise  a  screen  in  this  game  .  .  .  and 
the  game  went  on. 

'Phey  commenced  the  game  with  only  one  hundred  counters  but  a  little  whitish, 
odd-looking  snake  called  llc-bitcoi,  i.  e.,  maternal  grandmother  of  the  snakes, 
said  they  ought  to  have  two  more  counters.  Therefore  they  made  two,  notched 
them  so  that  they  would  look  like  snakes,  and  called  them  biteoi,  maternal 
grandmothers,  which  name  the  two  notched  counters  used  in  the  game  still  hear. 

The  cunning  coyote  would  not  cast  his  lot  permanently  with  either  side.  He 
usually  stood  between  the  contending  parties,  but  occasionally  went  over  to  one 
side  or  the  other,  as  the  tide  of  fortune  seemed  to  run. 

Some  of  the  genii  of  those  days  joined  the  anima.ls  in  this  contest.  On  the  side 
of  the  night  animals  was  the  great  destroyer  Yeitso,  the  best  guesser  of  all,  who 
soon  took  the  stone  away  from  the  day  animals.  Whenever  the  latter  found  it  in 
the  moccasins  of  their  moon-loving  enemies  they  could  not  hold  it  long,  for  the 
shrewd-guessing  Yeitso  would  recover  it.  They  lost  heavily  and  began  to 
tremble  for  their  chances,  when  some  one  iiroposed  to  them  to  call  in  the  aid  of 
the  goi)her.  nasizi.  He  dug  a  tunnel  under  the  moccasins  leading  from  one  to 
another  and  when  Yeitso  would  guess  the  right  moccasin  the  gi.pher.  unseen 
by  all.  would  transfer  the  stone  to  another  place  .  .  .  Thus  was  Y'eitso 
deceived,  the  day  party  retrieved  their  losses  and  sang  a  taunting  song  of 
him     .     .     . 

But  when  they  had  won  back  nearly  all  the  counters,  luck  appeared  to  again 
desert  them.  The  noctivagant  beasts  came  into  possession  of  the  pebble,  and 
kept  it  so  long  that  it  seemed  as  if  their  opponents  could  never  regain  it.  Guess 
as  cleverly  as  they  might,  the  stone  was  not  to  be  found  in  the  moccasin  indi- 
cated by  those  who  longed  for  an  eternal  day.  Then  the  owl  sang  a  song 
expressive  of  his  desires  .  .  .  and  when  he  had  done,  one  of  the  wind-gods 
whispered  into  the  ear  of  one  of  the  diurnal  party  that  the  owl  held  the  stone  in 
his  claws  all  the  time,  and  never  allowed  it  to  be  InnMed  in  the  moccasin.  So, 
when  ne.xt  the  screen  was  withdrawn,  the  enlightened  day  animal  advanced,  and. 
instead  of  striking  a  moccasin,  struck  the  owl's  claws,  and  the  hidden  stone 
dropped  out  on  the  ground. 

After  this  the  game  proceedetl  with  little  advantage  to  either  side,  and  the 
animals  turned  their  attention  to  composing  songs  about  the  personal  peculiari- 
ties, habits,  and  history  of  their  opponents,  just  as  in  social  dances  to-day  the 
Navajos  ridicule  one  another  in  song.  Thus  all  the  songs  relating  to  animals 
.     .     .     which  form  the  great  majority  of  the  songs  of  the  Kesitce,  originated. 

Later  the  players  began  to  grow  drowsy  and  tired  and  somewhat  indifferent 
to  the  game,  and  again  the  wind-god  whispered — this  time  into  the  ear  of  the 
magpie — and  said.  "  Sing  a  song  of  the  morning,"  whereat  the  magpie  sang  his 
song  ...  As  he  uttered  the  last  words,  "  Qa-yel-kfi !  Qa-yel-kA !  "  (It 
dawns!  It  dawns!)  the  players  looked  forth  and  beheld  the  pale  streak  of  dawn 
along  the  eastern  horizon.  Then  all  hastily  picked  up  their  counters  and 
hIaiUsets  and  fled,  each  to  his  pro])er  home — one  to  the  forest,  another  to  the 
desert,  this  to  the  gully,  that  to  the  rocks. 

The  bear  had  lent  his  moccasins  to  be  used  in  the  game.  They  were,  there- 
fore, partly  buried  in  the  ground.  In  his  haste  to  be  off  he  put  them  on 
wrong — the  right  moccasin  on  the  left  foot,  and  vice  versa  ;  and  this  is  why 
the  bear's  feet  are  now  misshapen.  His  coat  was  then  as  black  as  midnight, 
but  he  dwelt  on  top  of  a  high  mountain,  and  was  so  late  in  getting  back  to  his 


cri.iN]  HIDDEN-BALL    GAME:    ONONDAGA  849 

lair  that  the  red  beams  of  the  rising  sun  shou^  upon  him.  imparting  their  ruddy 
hue  to  the  tips  of  his  hairs,  and  thus  it  is  that  the  bear's  hair  is  tipped  with 
red  to  this  day. 

The  home  of  the  wood-rat.  letso,  was  a  long  way  o£f.  and  he  ran  so  far  and  so 
fast  to  get  there  that  he  raised  great  blisters  on  his  feet,  and  this  accounts  for 
the  callosities  we  see  now  on  the  soles  of  the  rat. 

So  the  day  dawned  on  the  undecided  game.  As  the  animals  never  met  again 
to  play  for  the  same  stakes,  the  original  alternation  of  day  and  night  has 
never  been  changed. 

Mr  A.  M.  Stephen,  in  his  unpublished  manuscript,  gives  a  lively 
account  of  a  game  of  the  kesitce  which  he  witnessed  on  January  23. 
188".  The  name  he  gives  as  keisdje.  He  describes  it  as  played  with 
one  hundred  and  two  yucca-leaf  counters,  cut  off  at  the  taper  end. 
called  ketan,  a  small  sandstone  nodule,  tonalsluci.  and  a  pihon  club 
about  6  inches  long,  j^edilsicli : 

The  game  was  played  in  a  hogan  erected  for  a  ceremony.  Two  shallow  jiits. 
about  2  feet  long,  were  dug  on  the  north  and  south  sides  of  the  fire.  They 
were  just  long  enough  to  hold  four  moccasins  each,  two  pairs,  set  in  alternately. 
Both  pits  were  covered,  only  showing  the  aperture.  The  moccasins  were  then 
filled  with  sand.  These  operations  were'  performed  very  leisurely,  with  no 
ceremony  apparent.  The  stakes  were  then  discussed  and,  after  much  general 
talk,  produced  and  laid  on  both  sides  of  the  lire  beside  the  Imricd  shoes. 
They  consisted  of  saddle,  bridle,  leggings,  buttons,  manta.  prints,  blankets. 
A  young  man  sat  on  each  of  the  covered  side  pits.  There  was  much  apparent 
difficult.ii-  in  the  appraisement  of  the  stakes,  but  this  accomplished  they  were 
divided  and  thrown  on  each  side  of  the  players.  After  an  hour  one  side  held 
a  blanket  between  them  and  the  fire  and  sang,  then  dropped  the  blanket,  and  one 
from  the  other  side  struck  the  shoe  and  tried  to  find  the  nodule.  The  side 
failing  to  find  the  nodule  gives  up  to  the  opposing  side  six  or  ten  counters  from 
the  bundle.  The  sides  were  about  equal  in  numbers,  but  this  is  of  little  cou- 
seciuence.  A  piece  of  corn  shucl<.  black  on  one  side,  was  tossed  up.  This  was 
attended  with  much  excitement.  In  striking,  one  of  the  jilayers  spat  on  the  stick 
to  hoodoo  it  for  the  strikers.  There  was  much  droll  bypla.v  as  the  game  proceeded. 
One  player,  whose  side  appeared  victorious,  tried  to  copulate  with  the  fire. 
Another,  winning,  covered  his  head  with  his  blanket  and  imitated  the  cry  of 
the  owl(?i.  One  side  had  a  red  and  the  other  a  black  blanket.  Much  .iesting 
prevailed.  One  player  went  around  the  fire  as  an  old  man.  followed  by 
another  as  a  Te,  imitating  masks,  etc,  amid  great  fun  and  uproar.  The  player.s 
tumbled  and  rolled  in  the  fire  in  the  roughest  kind  of  horseplay. 

To  win  the  maximum  number  of  counters  (10.  I  think  i  the  seeker  slionld 
strike  two  shoes  and  dig  them  out.  i.  e..  scratch  out  their  contents,  and  find 
nothing:    then,  on  striking  the  third  shoe,  find  it  contains  the  nodule. 

IROQUOIAX  STOCK 

Onondaoa.     Xew  York. 

Rev.  W.  M.  Beauchamp "  says : 

A  bell  is  hidden  in  one  of  three  shoes,  by  the  Onondagas.  and  the  opposing 
part.v  must  guess  in  which  of  these  it  is. 


'  Iroquois  Games.     Journal  of  American  Follj-Lore,  v.  9.  p.   275,  189G. 


350  GAMES    OF    THE    XORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  24 

Seneca.     Ontario. 
Mr.  David  Boyle "  describes  the  wak^  game  as  follows: 

When  friends  and  ueigbhors  are  assembled  at  a  wake,  it  is  customary  for  them 
to  engage  in  a  game  to  comfort  in  some  measure  the  bereaved  ones.  and.  to  a 
certain  extent,  as  a  mere  iiastime.  It  may  be  premised  that  in  so  doing  there 
is  no  desire  that  either  side  engaged  should  win,  and  the  whole  of  the  proceed- 
ings are  conducted  with  seriousness.  If.  during  the  progress  of  the  game  a 
young  person  should  forget  himself,  the  Head  Man,  or  master  of  ceremonies, 
takes  occasion  to  point  out  that  at  such  times  light  behavior  is  unseemly. 

As  many  players,  men  and  women,  may  engage  as  there  is  room  to  accommo- 
date when  the  two  sides  sit  face  to  face.  The  game  consists  in  the  hiding  of 
a  pebble  (a  marble,  or  a  bullet  is  now  often  used)  in  one  of  four  moccasins  or 
mittens  held  in  the  lap  of  the  hider  for  the  time  being,  the  other  side  trying 
to  guess  in  which  of  these  the  object  has  been  placed. 

The  Head  Man  makes  a  long  .speech  to  the  jila.vers. 

A  singer  having  been  appointed  he  sets  the  pace,  accompanied  by  his  drum,  by 
giving  one  of  the  three  Wake  Songs  .  .  .  and  it  is  to  be  noted  that  these 
are  the  only  wake  songs,  and  are  never  used  for  any  other  purpose,  or  at  any 
other  time.  Indeed,  so  careful  are  the  people  in  this  respect,  that  Dab  kah-he- 
dond-yeh,  who  supplied  this  account  of  the  game  gives  this  as  the  reason  why 
children  are  not  allowed  to  attend  wakes — hearing  the  songs,  they  might  be 
tempted  to  sing  them  thoughtlessly  in  the  course  of  play. 

The  singer  for  the  time  being  may  be  seated  anywhere  on  his  own  row.  but 
the  hiding  must  begin  at  one  end,  and  the  guessing  at  the  far  away  end  of  the 
opposite  row.  To  enable  the  guessers  to  point  out  the  mocassin  supposed  to  con- 
tain the  object,  a  stick  or  switch,  about  a  yard  long  is  provided  and  passes  from 
hand  to  hand.  When  the  hider  has  done  his  part  the  moccasins  are  placed  on 
the  floor,  and  guessing  goes  on.  As  soon  as  a  particular  moccasin  is  pointed 
out  some  one  who  is  nearest  picks  it  up  and  gives  it  a  rap  on  the  floor.  Should 
the  sound  indicate  that  the  stone  or  marble  is  in  the  moccasin,  one  stick  is 
taken  from  a  pile  of  a  hundred  splints  about  the  size  of  Inciter  matches,  and  is 
placed  to  the  credit  of  the  successful  guesser's  side.  If  the  guesser  desires  to 
make  two  points  in  the  game,  he  first  lays,  one  above  another,  the  three  moccasins 
he  takes  to  be  empty.  Should  the  remaining  one  be  found  to  contain  the  object, 
his  side  gains  2.  On  the  other  hand,  a  failure  on  his  part  entails  the  loss  of  2. 
As  soon  as  a  correct  guess  is  made  the  singer  ceases  his  performance  and  one 
on  the  winning  side  takes  it  up,  and  thus  the  game  goes  on,  each  man  or  woman 
hiding  and  guessing  in  turn. 

At  midnight  the  Head  Man  stops  the  game  until  a  meal  has  been  served  in 
the  usual  way,  and  consi.sting  of  the  usual  kinds  of  food.  On  ceasing  to  play,  the 
tw<j  men  whose  duty  it  is  to  keep  count,  arrange  everything  to  av.'^d  confusion 
or  disimte  when  the  game  is  resumed.  Each  puts  the  little  sticks  used  as 
counters  and  won  by  his  side  into  one  of  the  moccasins ;  the  remaining  sticks 
into  a  third,  and  the  stone  or  the  marble  into  a  fourth. 

Before  play  begins  after  the  meal  the  head  man  repeats  his  introductory 
ritual.  Should  one  side  win  all  the  counters  liefore  daylight,  he  puts  them  again 
into  one  heap  as  at  the  beginning,  and  pla.v  goes  on,  but  as  soon  as  daylight 
gives  the  first  sign  of  appearance  he  makes  a  change  in  the  manner  of  conduct- 
ing the  game  by  ajipointing  two  men  to  act  for  each  row  of  players,  and  for 
the  purpose  of  still  further  shortening  it,  he  ma.v  leave  only  two  moccasins  in 
their  hands.     Hiding  and  finding  now  follow  each  other  quickly,  but  the  sticks 

°  .\rchffiolosical  Report,  1899,  p.  SS,  Toronto,  1900. 


CULIN-]  HIDDEN-BALL    GAME:    KEKES  351 

no  longer  go  to  show  which  side  wins,  for  they  are  thrown  liy  the  head  man  inlo 
the  Hre.  and  the  hiding  and  guessing  are  kept  up  hy  the  same  sides  ( i.  e..  without 
interchange)  until  all  the  counters  are  burnt.  The  same  official  then  breaks 
the  pointing  sticks,  which  are  also  put  into  the  Are,  and  he  even  treats  the 
drumstick  in  the  same  way,  having  taken  it  from  the  hands  of  the  singer. 
Last  of  all,  he  pulls  the  leather  cover  off  the  drum,  puts  it  inside  the  drum,  and 
replaces  the  hoop.  The  instrument  should  remain  in  this  condition  until  it  is 
to  be  again  used. 

Before  the  people  <lisperse  to  their  homes  in  the  morning  a  gun  is  tired  off 
outside  of  the  door. 

Wyandot.     Michigan. 

Mr  William  E.  Connelly "  gives  the  following  description  of  the 
moccasin  game  in  an  account  of  a  game  between  a  Wyandot  and  a 
Chippewa  at  Detroit  in  1773  : 

Two  only  can  play  at  this  game.  They  are  .seated  face  to  face  on  a  buffalo 
or  deer  skin.  Four  new  moccasins  and  a  rifle  ball  make  up  the  implements 
employed  in  the  game.  The  moccasins  are  placed  nearly  equidistant,  like  a 
four-spot  on  a  ijlaying  card.  The  players,  .seated  crosslegged,  facing  each 
other,  now  toss  up  for  the  ball,  or  first  "  hide."  The  winner,  taking  the  ball 
between  his  thumb  and  two  fingers,  proceeds  with  great  dexterity,  shuffling  his 
hand  under  the  first,  second,  third,  and  fourth  moccasins,  and  humming  a  ditty, 
accompanied  by  some  cabalistic  words  invoking  the  aid  of  his  patron  deity. 
It  now  comes  to  the  op[)osing  player  to  "find"  at  the  first,  second,  or  third  "lift." 
If  at  the  first,  it  counts  a  given  number  in  his  favor. — say  4:  if  at  second.  'J: 
and  the  third,  1.  The  latter  player  now  takes  the  ball  and  goes  thi-ough  the 
same  process.  Ten  usually  constitutes  the  game,  but 
the  number  is  as  the  players  may  agree. 


r^ 


KERESAX    STOCK 

Kerbs.     Acoma.  New  Mexico.      (Cat.  no.  4073.     fig.  438.  Tubes  for  hidin- 

T       ,-.      .       ^,  .  game;    height,   6J   inches; 

lirOOlvlyn   Institute  Museum.)  Keres  Indians,   Aoma, 

Four  cylinders  of  Cottonwood  (figure  458),  CA       New Mesi.„;  cat.  no.  wra, 

.      ■,  ....  .  ,   ,  ,      ,  ,  Brooklyn    Institute     Mu- 

mches  in  height,  painted  black  on  the  top       geum. 

and  the  bottom  and  having  a  black  band 

around    the   middle.     They   were   made    for    the    writer   by    an 

Acoma  Indian  named  James  IT.  sillier   (Kamitsa),  at  Zuni,  in 

1904.     He  gave  the  name  of  the  tubes  as  aiyawaliotai.     A  small 

stone  ball,  yownikototei,  is  hidden. 

Laguna,  New  Mexico.  (Cat.  no.  ()1S17.  Fiekl  Columbian  Mu- 
seum.) 

Four  cane  tubes  (figure  459),  4^  inches  in  height;  a  small  stick,  1^ 
inches  in  length;  a  bundle  of  one  hundred  splint  counting  sticks, 
4g  inches  in  lengtlt;  and  five  individual  counting  sticks,  four  of 
them  notched  at  one  end,  7if  inches  in  length  (figure  460). 

Cat.  no.  G1818.     Another  set  of  tubes,  3^  inches  in  height. 

"Wyandot  Folklore,  p.  112,  Topeka.  1S99.  Mr  Connelly  in  a  note  states  that  the  story 
of  the  ^'ame  was  published  in  the  Gazette,  of  Kansas  City,  Kansas,  by  Governor  William 
Walker,  some  time  in  the  sixties  or  early  in  the  seventies. 


352 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [ktii.  ann.  24 


Both  sets  were  collected  by  Dr  C.  E.  Lukeiis,  who  fuinished  the 
following  account  of  the  game  under  the  name  of  iyawacutaej'ae,  to 
hide  away  over  and  over : 

The  game  is  played  with  four  small  tubes,  closed  at  one  end ;  one  little  piece  of 
wood  or  pebble,  small  enough  to  hide  in  one  of  the  tubes,  and  a  bunch  of  one 
hundred  small  sticks  and  one  larger  one,  which  are  counters.  These  counters 
are  at  first  tlie  common  pi'operty  of  both  sides,  until  paid  out  as  forfeits  :  then 
each  side  must  pla.v  with  the  sticks  the.v  have  won.  ^yhen  one  side  loses  all 
their  sticks,  they  can  take  the  larger  one,  called  the  na-<-atz,  scalp,  which  is 
common  property,  and  play  with  it  four  times.  If  they  yet  lose,  the  other  side 
wins  the  game. 

In  beginning  pla.v  the  leaders  of  the  two  sides  toss  up  for  turns,  one  side 
hidin.g  the  little  object,  the  other  seeking  it,  B  takes  the  bundle  of  one  hundred 
counters  and  goes  out.  A  hides  the  little  object  in  one  of  the  tubes  and 
arranges  them  so  as  to  deceive  the  seeker,  placing  them  on  end  or  side  or  in 
fantastic  ways.  B  enters  and  chooses  a  tulie ;  if  he  chooses  the  full  one — that 
with  the  object  in   it— first,  he  forfeits  ten  sticks  to  A,  wlio  begins  a   private 


.^m 


ZL.-^^^'—  —^'-. 


Fig.  4.")!l. 


Fig.  4(ili. 


Pig.  4.59.    Tubes  for  hiding  game:  height,  4|  inches:  Keres  Indians.  Lugun.i.  New  Mexico:  eat. 

no.  6lS17,  Field  Columliian  Museum. 
Fig.  4(50.    Counting  sticks  for  hiding  game;  lengths,  4:  and  7 j  inches:   Keres  Indians.  Laguna, 

New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  61S17,  Field  Ct>lumbian  Museum. 

bunch  with  them  for  his  future  use.  Then  A  goes  out  while  B  hides  the  object 
A  enters:  if  he  chooses  one  eni])ty  and  next  the  full  one,  he  iiays  B  0  sticks 
forfeit :  if  he  chooses  three  empty  and  then  the  full  one.  he  forfeits  4  sticks,  and 
goes  out  again.  But  if  A  should  li;ive  chosen  two  empty  and  next  the  full  one, 
then  they  change  sides;  B  takes  what  is  left  of  the  original  one  hundred  .-iticks, 
leaving  those  he  has  gained  in  his  bank,  and  goes  out  while  A  hides  the  object. 
A  hides  the  object  and  B  seeks,  jiaying  forfeits  from  the  Ijunch  :is  A  did,  and 
with  these  forfeits  A  begins  a  private  bunch.  When  B  chooses  t\\o  empty  ones 
and  one  full  one,  they  change  sides  as  before.  When  the  original  bundle  is  all 
paid  out,  they  begin  on  their  private  store — i.  e,,  the  forfeits  they  have  gained. 

When  one  side  loses  all  his  sticks  he  takes  up  the  one  large  stick,  the  scalp, 
and  has  four  chances  without  paying  forfeits.  If  he  is  lucky  enough  to  guess 
so  ;is  to  change  sides,  he  may  win  more  forfeits,  and  the  game  goes  on  inter- 
minably ;  but  if  he  loses  all  of  the  chances  he  loses  the  game,  and  his  opponent 
takes  the  wager.  If  one  side  should  lose  four,  six,  or  ten,  and  have  only  two 
with  which  to  pay,  the  two  must  answer  the  debt.  During  tlie  guessing  the 
opposing  side  sings  and  dances  ;ind  prays  that  the  siiirits  will  so  deceive  the 
guessers  as  to  make  them  lose. 


CULIX] 


HIDDEN-BALL    GAME  :    PAPAGO 


353 


Kerbs.    Sia,  New  Mexico.    ( Cat.  no.  (i089T,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Set  of  four  paper  tubes,  lij  inches  in  height,  open  at  both  ends  and 

marked  with  ink,  as  shown  in  figure  461.    Collected  by  Annie  M. 

Sayre. 

Sia,  New  Mexico. 


n 

p 

f1 

f  ■ 

r 

j 

_v 

1  ■ 

Fig.  461.  Paper  tubes  for 
hiding  game:  height,  2} 
inches:  Keres  Indians, 
Sia,  New  Mexico;  cat. 
no.  60897,  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum. 


Mrs  Matilda  Coxe  Stevenson  "  describes  the  following  game  of  this 
type,  as  played  b}'  Poshaiyanne,  the  Sia  culture  hero,  in  his  gambling 
contest  with  the  tribal  priest  : 

Four  circular  sticks,  some  8  inches  long,  with  hollow  ends,  were  stood  in  line 
and  a  blanket  thrown  over  them ;  the  ti'iimoni  then  put 
a  round  pebble  into  the  end  of  one,  and  removing  the 
lil:inket  a.sked  Po'shai.viinne  to  choose  the  stick  contain- 
ing the  pebble.  "  Xo,  my  father,"  said  Po'shaiyilnne, 
"you  first.  What  am  I  that  I  should  choose  before  yovi?  " 
But  the  ti'amoni  replied,  "  I  placed  the  stone ;  I  know 
where  it  is."  Then  Po'shaiyilnne  selected  a  stick  and 
raising  it  the  peblile  was  visible.  Po'shaiyilnne  then 
threw  the  blanket  over  the  sticks  and  placed  the  stone 
in  one  of  them,  after  which  the  ti'iimoni  selected  a  stick 
and  raised  it,  but  no  stone  was  visible.  This  was  re- 
peated four  times.  Each  time  the  ti'amoni  failed  and 
Po'shaiyilnne  succeeded. 

In  the  third  contest  the  ti'iimoni  made  four 
little  mounds  of  sand,  and,  throwing  a  blanket  over  them,  placed  in 
one  a  small  round  stone.  The  game  proceeded  in  the  same  manner, 
Poshaiyiinne  placing  the  stone  four  times  and  the  ti'iimoni  failing 
each  time.  At  the  seventh  and  last  contest  the  game  of  the  pebble 
and  four  hollow  sticks  was  repeated  with  the  same  result. 

PI3IAX    STOCK 

Papago.     Mission  of  San  Xavier  del  Bac,  Pima  county,  Arizona. 

(Field  Columbian  Mu.seum.) 
Cat.  no.  63539.     Four  cane  tubes,  closed  at  one  end  with  natural  joint, 
with  etched  designs  filled  in  with  colors,  as  shown  in  figure  -l:6-2 ; 
height,  <S|  inches. 
Cat.  no.  63511.     Four  cane  tubes,  similar  to  the  above,  Init  with  in- 
cised marks  in  checker  pattern   (figure  463)  :    height  9^  inches. 
These  specimens  were  collected  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms,  who  gives  the 
name  of  the  game  as  wahpetah,  and  describes  it  as  follows : 

This  is  a  game  of  four  wooden  cups,  in  which  something  is  concealed.  One 
may  use  any  convenient  thing ;  beans  or  corn  will  do.  After  the  object  is 
concealed,  the  cups  are  filled  with  sand  and  handed  to  one's  opi)oneut.  If  he 
first  hands  you  back  the  one  containing  your  bean.  ,vou  gain  10 :  if  the  bean 
is  in  the  second,  you  gain  G :  if  in  the  third,  -1 ;  but  if  in  the  last  one  .vou  lose 
your  turn   and   he  conceals  the  bean.     As   soon   as  you  gi^e   him   the  cup   he 

'■  The  Sia.     Eleventh  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  61,  1894. 
24  ETH— 0.5  11 23 


354 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  24 


empties  it  and  conceals  tlie  bean  again.     The  score  is  50.  the  loser  paying  from 
a  pile  of  fifty  beans. 

Pap  AGO.     Pima  county,  Arizona.     (Cat.  no.  74517,  United  States  Na- 
tional Museum.) 
Four  single  joints  of  reed   {Phragmitis  communis),  each  about  7^- 
inches  in  length  and  1  inch  in  diameter,  having  one  end  open,  and 
the  other  closed  by  the  natural  diaphragm  of  the  joint  (figure  464) . 
They  are  marked  with  small  squares,  cut  in  simple  patterns  in  the 
faces  of  the  cylinders.     By  these  designs  they  are  separated  into 
pairs,  called  the  "  old  people  "  and  the  "  yotmg  people."'    Scarlet  chila- 
cayote  beans  also  belong  to  the  game,  each  jjlaj'er  usually  possessing 
his  private  bean  and  one  hundred  grains  of  corn,  or  a  greater  number^ 
as  may  be  determined  by  the  players  prior  to  the  game. 


M 


'^^«» 


Fig.  462. 


Fig.  463. 


Fig.  462.    Cane  tubes  for  liiding  game;  height,  8^  inches:  Papago  Indians.  Pima  county,  Arizona; 

cat.  no.  63.j;^,  Field  Columljian  Museum. 
Fig.  46.3.    Cane  tubes  for  hiding  game;  height,  9i  inches;  Papago  Indians,  Pima  county,  Arizona; 

cat.  no.  63511,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

The  four  marked  tubes  receive  the  following  names:  Aks,  old 
woman  ;  kii  li,  old  man ;  ho  tes  juk,  made  black ;  mii  ok  ju  ool  (merely 
a  name). 

These  specimens  were  collected  by  Dr  W  J  McGee  and  Mr  William 
Dinwiddle  in  1894.  The  following  description  is  given  by  the  col- 
lectors under  the  name  of  wapetaikhgut : 

This  is  a  gambling  game  much  in  vogue  among  the  Papago  Indians.  Two  con- 
testants usually  engage  in  the  play,  though  any  number  may  enter  the  same 
game.  Before  the  game  proper  begins  there  is  an  initiatory  struggle  between 
the  two  players  to  gain  possession  of  the  reeds.  Each  of  the  contestants  takes 
a  pair  of  reeds,  and,  holding  them  vertically,  with  the  opening  up,  in  one  hand, 
rapidly  passes  the  other,  in  which  a  chilaeayote  bean  is  held,  over  the  opening, 
dropping  it  into  one  of  them  when  he  considers  the  adversary  sufficiently  con- 
fused by  the  motion.  Each  fills  his  reeds  full  of  sand  from  a  small  heap  col- 
lected for   the  purpose,   and  throws  them   down   before   his  opponent.     Each 


CILIN] 


HIDDEN-BALL    GAME  :    PIMA 


355 


n 


chooses  one  of  the  other's  prostrate  reeds — the  one  thought  to  coutaiu  the  bean. 
If  both  fail,  or  both  succeed,  in  finding  the  bean  in  the  same  throw,  the  hiding 
oper.ition  is  repeated.  If  one  succeeds  and  tlie  otlier  fails,  the  four  reeds  go  to 
the  fortunate  finder,  and  the  game  begins. 

The  possessor  of  all  the  reeds  repeats  the  shuffling  of  the  bean  over  their 
open  tops,  filling  them  with  sand,  and  throwing  them  in  fi'ont  of  his  antago- 
nist, who  separates  them  into  pairs,  usuall.v  the  "old 
people  "  and  "  .roung  people."  though  it  is  not  compulsory 
so  to  pair  them.  He  next  crosses  a  pair  by  placing  one 
above  the  other  at  right  angles,  selects  one  of  the  un- 
crossed reeds  of  the  other  pair — the  one  thought  to  con- 
tain the  bean — and  pours  the  sand  from  it.  If  he  succeeds 
in  finding  the  bean  in  tliis  reed,  all  the  reeds  inmiediately 
go  to  him.  and  he  in  turn  performs  the  operation  just 
described,  his  opponent  doing  the  guessing.  If  he  fails 
to  do  so,  the  position  of  the  reed  containing  the  beans 
counts  so  many  grains  of  corn  to  the  man  who  places  the 
bean,  the  top-crossed  reed  being  worth  10.  the  under- 
crossed  6,  and  the  single  reed  4. 

The  counters,  or  grains  of  corn,  are  first  placed  on  one 
side,  all  together,  and  each  player  draws  his  winnings 
from  this  pile,  or  banlj.  until  it  is  exhausted;  then  tlie 
exchange  is  made  directly  from  the  winnings  of  the  players  until  one  or  the 
other  has  lost  all  his  corn.  The  possessor  of  all  the  grain  becomes  tlie  winner 
of  the  game. 

So  long  as  the  pla.ver  attempting  to  name  the  reed  containing  the  bean  fails 
to  do  so.  his  opponent  is  winning  and  holds  possession  of  the  reeds,  repeating  the 
operation  of  placing  the  bean  and  filling  the  reeds  with  sand  until  the  proper 
reed  is  guessed. 


Fio.46t.  Canetubesfor 
hiding  game:  length, 
"i  inches;  Papago  In- 
dians, Pima  connty, 
Arizona:  eat. no. 74517* 
United  States  Na- 
tional Museum. 


Fig.  4(».    Papago  Indians  playing  hiding  game;  Arizona:  from  photograph  by  William  Dinwiddle. 

Pima.     Gila  River  reservation,  Sacaton  agency,  Pinal  county,  Ari- 
zona.    (Cat.  no.  63289,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Four  cane  tubes  (figure  466),  6f  inches  in  length,  tops  closed  with 
natural  joints,  faces  marked  with  transverse  cuts,  painted  black, 
arranged  diflerently  to  distinguish  the  tubes. 
Collected  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms,  who  gives  the  name  of  t!ie  game  as 
wakpethgoodt. 


35(> 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMKRICAX    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


Pima.     Arizona.     (Cat.  no.  218043.  Uniti'd  States  National  Museum.) 
Four  joints  of  reed  (figure  4()7)  engraved  witli  marks,  8i  inches 
in  length.     These  \Yere  collected  hv  the  late  Dr  Frank  Russell,  who 
describes  the  game  played  with  them  as  follows:" 

Vapfltai,  "  Lay."     A  guessing  game  in  wliicli  n  nuuilier  of  players  act  as  assist- 
ants to  two  loaders.     A  small  bean  i  is  used  by  tlio  I^apago  and  a  ball  of  black 
niesquite  gum   by   the   Pima.     It   is  placed   in   one   of 

P^^  {^^  ^^  ^"^^'  joints  of  reed.  The  reeds  are  then  filled  with 
III  I'lw  Kilo  sand,  all  being  concealed  under  a  blanket,  and  the 
opponents  guess  which  reed  contains  the  ball.  The 
reeds  are  called  vapntakut.  "  laying  iniiilcmonts." 

Iteed  no.   1.  called  knli.  "did  man."  has  17  longitu- 
dinal rows  of  s  si)ots  each. 

Reed  no.  2,  aks,  "  old  woman,"  is  unmarked. 
Reed  no.  '^.  hota  stcok,  "  middle  black,"  has  G  longi- 
tudinal rows. 

Heed  no.  4.  ma-atcovoit.  lias  ."  rows  around  the  ojien 
end. 

One  hundred  grains  of  corn  are  placed  between  the 
players  in  a  hole,  from  which  it  is  taken  as  won  and 
]ilaced  in  a  hole  in  front  of  each  player.  When  a 
player  wins  all  the  corn  he  puts  up  a  stick  in  the 
s'and.  The  number  of  the  sticks  may  be  from  1  to  10, 
as  determined  beforehand.  Each  player  cancels  one 
of  his  opponent's  sticks  when  he  wins  one  himself. 
Two  players  confine  their  attention  to  the  guessing ;  one  on  each  side  fills  the 
reeds ;  one  on  each  side  watches  tlic  counting.  Four  men,  one  at  each  corner, 
hold  the  blanket  under  which  the  filling  is  done,  and  sometimes  offer  suggestions 
to  the  leaders.  The  "old  people,"  thi-  jilain  and  the  marked  reeds,  are  kejit  to- 
gether, and  the  "  young  jioople  "  are  useil  liy  the  opponents.  When  the  two  pairs 
ai'e  filled  with  sand  and  a  bean  or  ball  is  concealed  in  each  pair,  the  blanket 
is  dropped  and  the  reeds  are  laid  in  the  center,  each  filU'r 
handing  his  pair  over  to  the  side  of  his  opponent.  If  .1 
guesses  \vrong  and  B  right,  they  exchange  reeds  and  liegin 
again.  If  both  guess  right,  there  is  no  count.  When  one 
guesses  right  he  takes  the  four  reeds  and  places  his  biiU  in 
one,  and  the.  opponent  then  decides  which  pair  it  is  in  by  lay- 
ing one  reed  across  the  other  in  the  jiair  which  he  think.s 
does  not  contain  it.  Then  he  pours  t)ut  the  sand  of  first  one 
then  the  other.  If  he  has  guessed  right  he  does  not  score, 
but  contiuues  the  play  by  filling  and  offering  to  his  op- 
ponent. If  he  guesses  wrong,  the  opponent  scores  4  and  6 
additional  if  the  ball  is  in  the  under  reed:  1(»  if  it  is  in  the 
upper. 

Cheating  is  done  in  various  ways,  but  there  is  re.ison  to  believe  that  this  prac- 
tice has  arisen  since  they  have  come  in  contact  with  the  whites. 

ZtJAQUE.     Rio  Fuerte,  Sinaloa,  Mexico. 

Mr  C.  V.  Hartman  informs  me  that  a  gue.ssing  game  is  played  by 


Fui.  46«.  Cane  tubes  for 
hiding  game;  length,  6,i 
inches;  Pima  Indians, 
Arizona;  cat.  no.  63289, 
Field  Columbian  Mu- 
seum. 


12  3  4 
Pia.467.  Tubes  for 
hiding  game;  Pi- 
ma Indians,  Ari- 
zona; cat. no.  21Kt43, 
United  States  Na- 
tional Museum. 


"  In  a  memoir  to  be  published  by  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology. 
'  Obtained   from   Sonora  from  the  tree  called   paowi  by   the   I'ima  and  chllicoti  by  the 
Mexicans. 


CCLIN] 


HIDDEX-IJALL  GAME  :    HOPI 


357 


oiiical  sand  heaps  which  they 


these  Indians  on  the  river  l)ank>  in  u 
form  for  the  purpose. 

It  is  a  game  with  four  liollow  pieces  of  reed  and  a  bean  [figure  408].  el  juego 
de  eanulos  y  chilieote.  The  four  hollow  reed  pieces  are  filled  with  sand,  and  in 
one  of  these  the  red  ehilacayote  bean  is  hidden.  The  four  reeds  are  then  placed 
in  the  sand  heap  and  guesses  are  made  for  the  bean. 
But  the  reeds  are  also  marked  with  numbers  that 
are  counted  and  have  their  value  for  the  players. 
When  a  game  is  finished,  the  iiarty  who  have  lost 
have  to  sing  the  song  of  this  SJinie.  wliile  the  win- 
ners fill  the  reeds  anew  with  sand  and  bide  the 
bean.  The  song  begins  :  "  Wa'-ka-tii'-nahi'-a,  sa-na'- 
na-na-j.i ."  The  bean  is  of  a  small  tree.  I^rythrina 
cniaUoide-  (D.  C).  and  has  the  peculiar  property,  as  a  Tarahumare  Indian 
showed  me.  of  becoming  burning  hot  if  rubbed  only  for  a  second  against  a  some- 
what rough  stone.  The  bean  is  poisonous  and  is  used  by  the  Tarahumare  for 
poisoning  dogs.  etc. 

SHOSIIOXEAN    STOCK 


Fig.  46.S  ehilacayote  beans  for 
hiding  game:  Zuaque  Indians, 
.Sinaloa.  Mexico. 


Hopi.  Walpi,  Arizona.  (Cat.  no.  16671.5,  United  States  National 
Museum. ) 

Set  of  four  unpainted  cottonwood  cylinders  (figure  469),  6  inches  in 
height  and  2J  inches  in  diameter,  with  cylindrical  opening  at 
one  end,  1^  inches  deep  and  1  inch  in  diameter;  marked  with 
burned  lines,  and  'having  a  down  feather  stuck  in  the  top  of 
each,  as  shown  in  figure  4()i>.  Collected  by  Mr  James  Mooney  in 
1892. 


Fig.  my  Pig.  470. 

Fig.  4«9.    Wooden  tube.s  for  hiding  game;  height,  i;  inches:  Hopi  Indians,  Walpi.  Arizona:  cat. 

no.  16671.5.  United  States  National  Museum. 
Fk;.  47n.     Wooden  tubes  for  hiding  game:  height,  3J  inches:  Hopi  Indians,  Arizona:  cat.  no, 

21R28.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Arizona.     ( Cat.  no.  21828.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art, 

University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Four  Cottonwood  cups,  2  inches  in  diameter  and  ?A  inches  in  height, 
with  rounded  tops,  and  marked  with  burnt  lines,  having  conical 
holes  1^  inches  in  diameter  and  1^  inches  in  depth  in  the  bottom, 
one  cup  having  an  additional  mark,  as  shown  in  figure  470.  . 


358 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN     INDIANS       [eth.  an-j.  24 


Collected  by  Mr  Thomas  V.  Keam.  of  Keams  canyon.  Arizona, 
who  furnished  the  followino;  account : 

Name  of  tubes,  sho-se-vah ;  name  of  game,  sho-sho-tukia.  The  game  consists 
of  10  iM)ints.  It  is  played  during  the  winter  month  of  January  in  the  liivas 
(estufas)  by  two  or  more  individuals.  When  the  tubes  are  being  placed  over 
the  object  they  are  hidden  from  the  view  of  the  contesting  iiarty  by  a  blanliet. 
A  small  round  sandstone  pebble  is  the  object  used.  It  is  placed  under  one  of 
the  tubes,  and  the  contesting  side  calls  out  the  figure  marked  on  the  tube  under 
which  the  pebble  is  supposed  to  be,  and  at  the  same  time  lifts  the  tube.  If  it 
exposes  the  pebble  and  is  done  with  the  right  hand,  it  counts  2  points;  if  done 
with  the  left,  it  counts  1.  Should  he  turn  three  and  not  find  the  pebble,  it 
counts  1  against  him.  When  the  10  points  are  won  by  the  outs,  they  take  the 
stake  and  assume  control  of  the  game,  which  is  sometimes  prolonged  during 
the  night. 

Hopi.  Walpi.  Arizona.  (Cat.  no.  41885.  United  States  National 
Museum. ) 

Set  of  four  wooden  cylinders,  3|  inches  in  length  and  -2  inches  in 
diameter,  with  hemispherical  opening  three- fourths  of  an  inch 
deep  and  1  inch  in  diameter ;  marked  with  bands  of  white  paint. 
Collected  by  Col.  James  Stevenson  in  1884. 

AValpi.  Arizona.     (Cat.  no.  55380,  Field  Columbian  Mu.seum.) 

Four  cone-shaped  Cottonwood  cups,  63  inches  in  height,  with  rounded 
tops,  marked  with  burned  bands  and  symbolic  designs,  as  shown 
in  figure  471.  They  are  an  ancient  set  and  came  from  the  Pow- 
amu  altar.     Collected  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey. 


Fig.  471. 


Wooden  tubes  for  hiding  game:  height,  6f^  inches;  Hopi  Indians,  Walpi,  Arizona;  cat. 
no.  55380,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 


■Oraibi,  Arizona. 

Museum. ) 


(Cat.  no.   ■2-2550,  United   States  National 


Set  of  four  nnpainted  wooden  cylinders  (figures  472-475).  6  inches 
in  height  and  2^  inches  in  diameter,  \vith  hemispherical  charred 
opening  at  one  end,  seven-eighths  of  an  inch  deep  and  \\  inches 
in  diameter.     Collected  by  Maj.  J.  W.  Powell  in  1876. 


CULIN'l 


HIDDEN-BALL  GAME  :    HOPI 


359 


The  external  surfaces  are  marked  with  burned  designs  of  rain 
cloud  and  five-pointed  star,  eagle  and  butterfly,  bear's  paw,  and  eagle 
and  Sho-tuk-nung-wa,  the  Heart  of  the  Sky  god. 
Hopi.  Oraibi,  Arizona.  (Cat.  no.  67056,  Field  Columbian  Mu- 
seum.) 
Set  of  four  wooden  cylinders,  li  inches  in  diameter,  tlaree  of  tliem 
3^  inches  in  height,  with  top  carved  to  represent  a  cloud  terrace. 


Fig.  472. 


Fisr.  473. 


Fig.  474. 


Fig.  475. 


Fig.  472-475.    Wooden  tubes  for  hiding  game;  height,  6  inches;  Hopi  Indians,  Oraibi,  Arizona; 
cat.  no.  22550,  United  States  National  Museum. 

and  one  3  inches  in  height,  with  a  deep  groove  cut  near  the  upper 
part,  within  which  is  tied  a  string  of  beads,  thirty-four  of  blue 
glass  and  five  of  coral  (figure  -iTfi).  This  last  cylinder  has  a 
hemispherical  opening  at  both  top  and  bottom,  while  the  others 
have  such  an  opening  only  at  the  bottom.  Collected  by  Rev. 
H.  R.  Yoth. 
Oraibi.  .Arizona.  (Cat.  no.  67055,  Field  Columbian  Mu- 
seum. ) 


360 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


Set  of  four  Cottonwood  cylinders  (figure  477).  new  and  unpainted, 

two  of  them  3  inches  high  and  li  inches  in  diameter,  and  two  2| 

inches  high  and  1}  inches  in  diameter. 

All  have  deep  conical  orifices  at  the  Ijottom  and  have  tops  carved 

with   lieads  representing  masks,  the   Koyemsi   ivatcina.     They   were 

collected  by  Rev.  H.  R.  \'oth.  who  gave  the  following  description: 


Fig.  476.    Woodeu  tubes  for  hiding  game;  heights,  3  and  .9i  inches:  Hopi  Indians,  Oi-aibi,  Ari- 
zona; cat.  no.  67056,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Although  this  is  principiilly  ii  woman's  game,  men  occasionally  take  part  in  it. 
The  font'  wooden  objects  are  hollow  at  the  end  which  is  set  in  the  ground.  The 
form  of  the  upper  end  differs  in  different  sets:  sometimes  it  represents  the 
Hopi  terraced  cloud  symbol,  sometimes  that  of  a  particular  kateina  mask,  as  iu 
the  present  example,  and  sometimes  each  of  the  four  blocks  in  a  set  represents 


Fig.  477. 

Fig.  477.  Wooden  tubes  for  hiding  game;  heights,  2;  and  3  inches;  Hopi  Indians,  Oraihi,  Ari- 
zona; cat.  no.  670.5.").  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Fig.  47.'<.  Wooden  tubes  and  countini:  sticks  for  hiaing  game:  height,  4i  inches;  Hopi  Indians, 
Oraibi,  Arizona:  cat.  no.  .3x614,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

a  different  kateina.  In  playing,  two  opposing  sides  are  chosen,  each  of  which 
may  consist  of  several  members.  The  blocks  are  then  placed  on  the  tioor  and 
a  small  ball,  a  bean,  or  similar  object  is  hidden  in  a  dexterous  manner  under 
one  of  the  blocks.  The  opposite  side  is  then  challenged  to  guess  the  block 
under  which  the  object  is  hidden.     If  a  corre<t  guess  is  made,  the  guessing  side 


Cl'LIN] 


HIDDEN-BALL  GAME  :    HOPI 


361 


plays ;  if  not,  the  other  side  asain  hides  the  object,  and  so  on.     The  object  in  the 
game,  as  well  as  the  details  in  playing  it,  have  not  yet  been  studied. 

HoPi.  Oraibi,  Arizona.  (Cat.  no.  38614.  Free  Museum  of  Science 
and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Four  Cottonwood  cylinders  (figure  478),  with  carved  tops,  two  alike, 
with  cloud  terrace  at  top  painted  red,  the  body  of  the  cylinder 
being  blue:  and  two  with  a  kind  of  inverted  cone  at  top  painted 
blue,  the  body  being  red;  height,  4i  inchas;  accompanied  by 
fifty  counting  sticks.    Collected  by  the  writer  in  1901. 

The  game,  bakshiwu,  is  played  by  women.  A  ball,  piliata.  nodule,  is  hidden 
under  one  of  the  four  cups,  and  the  object  is  to  guess  under  which  it  is  con- 
cealed. The  game  is  counted  with  fifty  sticivs,  mori,  beans.  In  guessing  the 
cup  is  knocked  down  with  the  hand,  and  the  game  proceeds  in  rhythm  with  a 
song.  The  cups  with  the  cloud  terrace  at  top  are  called  kopachakitaka,  head- 
dress man,  and  the  others  with  inverted  cones  like  flowers,  flute  blossom. 

"Waipi.   Arizona.      (Cat.    no.    GSSTi,   United    States   National 

Museum.) 

Set  of  four  cottonwood  cylinders  (figure  479),  two  surmounted  with 
cloud  terrace  symbols,  2J  and  3J  inches  in  height,  and  two  plain, 
formerly  with  a  jjrojecfion  at  the  top  that  has  been  cut  off,  2^ 


inches  in  height. 


Collected  by  Col.  James  Stevenson. 


Flu.  479.    Wooden  tubes  for  biding  game;  heights,  2J  and  3i  inches;  Hopi  Indians,  Walpi,  Ari- 
zona; o^t.  uo.  6^874.  United  States  National  Museum. 

Arizona. 


Dr  J.  Walter  Fewkes  writes  as  follows  in  a  personal  letter:" 

Although  I  have  not  given  special  attention  to  the  Hopi  games.  I  was  .able  to 
make  a  few  observations  on  a  cup  game  which  the  Tewa  of  Hano  call  peniei ; 
the  Walpi,  cocotukwi.  During  the  month  Pamiiyawii.  or  .January  and  part  of 
February,  1900,  it  was  played  almost  constantly,  both  in  and  out  of  the  kivas, 
in  the  three  towns  on  the  East  mesa.  The  cones  used  had  various  markings, 
and  those  at  Hano  had  bands  called  by  the  following  names  [figtire  4S01  ;  a.  with 
three  bands  on,  poyopeni ;  h.  with  two  bands,  wihipeni ;  c,  with  one  band  around 
top,  kepeni;  d,  with  one  median  band,  penopeni.  The  game  was  played  for  sev- 
eral consecutive  days  in  the  plaza  of  Siehomovi  by  women  of  different  clans, 
the  two  sides — one  from  Hano.  the  other  from  Siehomovi — standing  opposite 
each  other  or  seated,  as  the  case  may  be.  Both  parties  h,id  a  wooden  di'um, 
and  the  ijarty  having  the  cones  sang  vigorously  and  beat  their  drums  with  great 


•July,  1902. 


362 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


glee.  The  party  not  holding  cones  were  silent.  The  cones  were  arranged  in  a  row. 
as  shown  in  the  figure  [481].  When  the  stone  or  marble  was  placed  nnder  one  of 
the  cones,  all  the  members  of  the  party  owning  the  cones  crowded  about  them 
and   held  up  their  blankets  to  prevent  the  opposite  side  seeing  under  which 

cone  the  stone  was  placed.  Certain  mysterious 
passes  were  made  when  the  stone  was  placed 
below  the  cone.  The  women  then  seated  them- 
selves in  a  row  and  invited  their  opponents  to 
play,  or  to  find  the  stone  concealed  under  one 
of  the  cones.  The  party  then  sang  loudly,  and 
a  man  beat  the  drum  as  tlie  representative  of 
the  opposite  party  advanced  to  lift  the  cone 
under  which  he  supposed  the  stone  was  hidden. 
There  were  loud  jeers  and  much  bantering  back  and  forth.  Bets  were  made 
on  the  game,  and  it  became  very  exciting,  at  times  lasting  the  whole  afternoon. 
The  details  of  winning  were  not  noted,  but  if  the  one  of  the  opposite  party 
uncovered  the  stone  at  the  first  trial,  the  cones  went  to  the  party  to  which  he 
belonged.  The  winners  then  set  up  the  cones,  sang  songs,  and  beat  their  drum 
as  their  opponents  before  them  had  done  when  they  held  the  cones.  Figure 
[481]  shows  the  members  of  one  side  with  the  cones  before  them  and  the  drum- 
mer on  one  side,  made  from  a  group  in  the  plaza,  January  12,  1900. 

Cocotukwi  was  played  in  tlie  Walpi  kivas  almost  continuously  from  .lanuary 
12  to  February  3;  after  I'owamfl  began,  it  was  not  noted,  and  it  was  said  to  be 


abed 
FiQ.  4S0.    Tubes  for  hiding  game; 
Tewa    Indians,   Hano,   Arizona; 
from  sketch   by   Dr  J.  Walter 
Fewkes. 


Fio.  481.    Plaza  cocotukwi  at  Sichomovi,  Arizona;  from  photograph  by  Dr  J.  Walter  Fewkes, 


a  game  of  Pamuyanfl — January  moon.  It  always  took  place  at  night,  never  in 
two  kivas  on  the  same  night,  and  followed  in  rotation  from  the  Monkiva  to  the 
Alkiva.  The  men  gathered  first  in  the  kiva  and  the  women  came  to  the  hatch 
and  called  down  to  those  within  that  they  wanted  firewood.  The  men  re]>lied : 
"Come  down  and  gamble  for  it  at  cocotukwi."  In  the  kiva  cocotukwi  men  and 
^^■omen  were  on  opposite  sides.  If  tlie  men  lost,  they  had  to  "  get  firewood,"  but 
1  did  not  hear  what  would  be  the  penalty  if  the  women  lost.  I  followed  the 
game  one  night  (.January  12)  in  the  Monkiva.  After  all  were  seated,  Kakapti, 
chief  of  the  Sand  clan,  brought   in  a  bag  of  sand  and  emptied  it  before  the 


Cl'LIN] 


HIDDEN-BALL  GAME  :    HOPl 


3(53 


O' 


B 


Fig.  482.  Plan  of  kiva  hiding  game:  Hopi 
Indians,  Walpi.  Arizona:  from  sketcli  by 
Dr  J.  Walter  Fewkes. 


fireplace.  He  took  a  stick  and  in  a  field  of  this  sand  whicli  had  been  carefully 
spread  on  the  floor  made  a  rectansiular  figure,  across  wliicli  he  dre\\  a  iiair  of 
lines  making  a  central  rectangle,  on  each  side  of  which  he  made  five  parallel 
grooves  [figure  482],  In  the  smaller  central  rectangle  he  made,  unknown  to 
me,  cabalistic  figures,  tracing  them  in  the  sand,  laughingly  referring  to  their 
names  as  he  did  so,  the  assembled  players  joking  with  him  or  making  sugges- 
tions. In  counting,  two  short  twigs  were  used,  and  these  were  advanced  from 
one  to  the  other  of  these  sand  gi-ooves  in  much  the  same  way  that  sticks  are 
used  in  pachtli.o  Each  side  had  a  stick  and  Kakapti  kept  account.  The  mode 
of  counting,  as  I  rememlier,  resembled  that  of  pachtli.  The  sticks  were  ad- 
vanced as  one  side  or  the  other  won.  VV'heu  the  party  which  uncovered  the 
stone  did  not  e.vpose  it  after  two  trials  it 
remained  with  the  side  which  held  the 
cones ;  to  uncover  at  the  first  trial 
counted  more  than  at  the  second  at- 
tempt. Different  cones  seemed  to  have 
different  values.  The  cones  used  were 
not  marked  like  those  at  Hauo.  I)ut  were 
of  wood  and  of  about  the  same  shape. 
There  was  the  same  singing,  sliouting, 
and  laughter  as  in  the  plaza  game. 

I  have  found  one  of  these  cones  made 
of  lava  stone  in  one  of  the  Little  Colo- 
rado ruins,  and  Dr  Frank  Russell  has 
shown  me  another  which  he  found  in  the 
Gila  region.  I  believe  that  some  of  the 
small  stone  marbles  found  in  the  ruins 

liad  to  do  with  this  game.  To  relieve  the  monotony  of  the  long  vigils  in  the 
kivas  between  the  ceremonies  I  have  sometimes  played  an  informal  game  of 
cocotukwi  with  some  youth  who  was  there,  picking  up  the  cones  from  the  l)an- 
quette  and  trying  to  see  how  many  times  each  of  us  could  uncover  the  stone 
in  the  same  number  of  trials.  Once  or  twice  I  have  seen  joung  men  play  a 
private  game  of  cocotukwi  in  this  way.  but  not  often. 

Mr  A.  M.  Stephen  in  an  unpublished  manuscript  gives  the  Hopi 
name  of  a  game  played  -with  a  stone  nodule  concealed  under  one  of 
four  cups  as  socotiikiiya  and  again  as  sociitukiyufnvuh  : 

The  game  is  played  by  two  parties  of  grown  persons,  each  usually  composed 
of  a  large  number,  seated  and  facing  each  other  a  short  distance  apart.  The 
implements  used  are  four  cylindric  wooden  cups  somewhat  resembling  large 
diceboxes,  a  small  stone  nodule,  and  a  stout  wooden  club.  After  tossing  a 
corn  husk  or  a  leaf  with  a  blackened  side  to  decide  which  shall  begin,  the  party 
which  wins  the  toss  set  the  four  cups  in  a  line  in  front  of  their  group  and 
conceal  them  from  the  opposite  side  by  holding  a  blanket  up  as  a  screen,  and 
then  they  hide  the  nodule  under  one  of  the  cups.  The  blanket  being  witlidrawn, 
a  person  from  the  challenged  side  walks  across  and  takes  the  club  in  his  hand, 
and  after  much  deliberation  turns  over  one  of  the  cups  with  the  club.  If 
the  nodule  is'  not  exposed,  he  turns  over  another,  and  the  nodule  not  being 
found,  the  crisis  of  his  play  is  reached,  for  the  object  is  to  uncover  the  nodule 
at  the  third  attempt.  If  then  found,  his  party  scores  a  count,  and  they  take 
the  implements  to  their  side,  and  conceal  the  nodule  as  the  first  party  had 
<ione.     If,  however,  the  player  uncovers  the  nodule  before,  or  fails  to  find  it 


"  Tewa  game,  correspondiug  to  patolli. 


364 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [etii.  anx.  24 


at  his  third  attempt,  the  ohallengiiig  party  scores  a  count  and  again  repeats 
the  conceahnent.  The  concealing,  or  challenging,  side  continue  to  sing  vigor- 
ously as  long  as  they  contimie  to  gain,  ceasing  only  when  they  lose,  when  the 
other  side  talces  up  the  songs.  These  are  very  numerous  and  of  special  interest, 
as  they  are  wholly  of  a  mythologic  character. 


8I0UAN    .STOCK 

Dakota  (Oclala).     Pine  Ridge  reservation,  Sontli  Dakota.     (Cat. 
no.  2211-1:  to  '22116,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania.) 
A  ijiece  of  shaved  horn   (figure  483),  nearly  round,  three-eighths  of 
an  inch  in  diameter  and  IJ  inches  in  length;  two  sharpened 
sticks  of  cedar   (figure  -1:81:),  one  light  and  one  dark,  s},  inches 
in  length;  bundle  of  twelve  counting  sticks  (figure  185),  cuwin- 
yawa,  peeled  saplings,  painted  red,  15  inches  in  length. 


Fig.  4a5. 

Pig.  48a.    Hitliug  horn  fur  moccasin  game;  length,  1  j  inches;  Oglala  Dakota  Indians,  Pine  Ridge 

reservation,  South  Dakota;  cat.  no.  22114,  Free  Museum  of  .Science  and  Art,  University  of 

Pennsylvania. 
Fir;.  484.    Pointing  sticks  for  moccasin  game;   length,  8t  inches;  Oglala  Dakota  Indians,  Pine 

Ridge  reservation.  South  Dakota;  cat.  no.  22115,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University 

of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  48,5.    Counting  sticks  for  moccasin  game;  length,  1.5  inches;  Oglala  Dakota  Indians,  Pine 

Ridge  reservation.  South  Dakota;  cut.  no.  2211(i,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University 

of  Pennsylvania. 

These  oltjects  are  described  hy  the  collector.  ^Ir  Louis  L.  Meeker," 
as  implements  used  in  the  guessing  game,  hanpapecu,  i.  e.,  moccasin 
game : 

A  small  bit  of  horn  [figure  4S8]  is  concealed  in  (Jiie  or  the  other  of  one 
player's  hands,  and  the  other  player  guesses  which  hand :  or  the  same  object 
is  concealed  in  one  of  two,  three,  or  foiu-  moccasins,  and  the  other  player 
guesses  which  one  contains  the  horn.  Should  he  have  doubts,  he  can  draw  the 
game  by  guessing  which  does  not  contain  it.  and  guess  on  the  remaining  two 
for  a  chance  for  the  ne.xt  play. 

Two  sliarpened  sticl;s  of  cedar,  cuwiiiy.-iw;!  I  figure  4S4|.  niic  of  llic  light 
sapwood,  the  other  of  dark  lieartwood,  are  held  by  the  guesser,  though  but  one 
is  his.  If  he  uses  his  own  to  jiull  a  moccasin  toward  him.  he  means  that  the 
object  concealed,  is  in  it.     If  he  uses  his  partner's  stick  he  pushes  the  object 


"  Ogalala  Oames. 
delphla,  1901. 


Bulletin  of  the  Free  Museum  of  Science  .'ind  Art,  v.  3,  p.  29,  Phila- 


CILIS]  HIDDEN-BALL    GAME  :    IOWA  365 

from  him.  indicating  that  tbe  olijeot  is  not  concealed  in  that  moccasin.  The 
counters  are  sticl^s  [flj;ure  4.S."i|.  soiuftiuies  used  to  phiy  odd  (jr  even. 

Recently  this  game  became  so  popular  upon  the  Pine  Ridge  agency  that  it  waa 
neces.sary  to  prohibit  it  entirely. 

The  moccasin  player  observes  certain  physiognomical  signs  which  he  regards 
as  indicating  which  of  the  moccasins  contains  the  bit  of  horn  or  "  bullet."  The 
Ogalala  dialect  contains  a  long  list  of  words  like  our  smile,  sneer,  squint, 
frown,  etc..  applied  to  the  twitching  of  the  muscles  of  the  limbs  as  well  as  to 
those  of  the  face.  It  is  said  that  English  will  not  express  all  or  even  the 
greater  part  of  these  terms.  They  seem  to  have  arisen  from  the  necessities 
of  the  game. 

Dakot.v   (Santee).     ilinnesota. 

]Mr  Philander  Prescott  describes  tlie  game  in  Schoolcraft"  as 
follows : 

The  iilay  of  moccasins  is  practised  by  the  men.  and  large  bets  are  made.  In 
this  game  they  take  sides;  one  party  playing  against  the  t)ther.  One  side  will 
sing,  whilst  one  man  of  the  other  party  hides  the  ball  in  a  moccasin. 

There  are  three  moccasins  used  for  the  purpose.  The  man  takes  the  ball  or 
stick  between  his  thumb  and  forefinger,  and  slips  it  from  one  moccasin  to  another 
several  times,  and  leaves  it  in  one  of  them  and  then  stops,  something  like  thim- 
lile-play.  The  party  that  have  been  singing  have  to  guess  in  which  moccasin  the 
ball  is:  for  which  purpose  one  man  is  chosen.  If  he  guesses  where  the  ball  is 
the  first  time,  he  loses.  Should  the  ball  not  be  in  the  moccasin  that  he  guesses 
the  first  time,  he  can  try  again.  He  has  now  two  moccasins  for  a  choice.  He 
has  now  to  guess  which  one  the  ball  is  in.  If  he  is  successful,  he  wins :  if  not, 
he  loses.  So  they  have  only  one  chance  in  two  of  winning.  When  one  side 
loses,  the  other  side  give  up  the  moccasins  to  the  other  party  to  try  their  luck 
awhile  at  hiding  the  ball.     They  have  no  high  numbers  in  the  games. 

Rev.  E.  D.  Neill  ^  says : 

One  of  their  games  is  like  "  Hunt  the  Slipper ;  "  a  bullet  or  plum  stone  is 
placed  by  one  party  in  one  of  four  moccasins  or  mittens  and  sought  for  by  the 
opposite. 

Riggs '■  gives  the  following  definition: 

Ha?/'-pa-a-pe,  ha';'pa-a-pe-don-pi — a  game  in  which  a  bullet  is  hid  in  one  of 
four  moccasins  or  mittens,  and  sought  for  by  the  opposite  party  :  han'-iia,  moc- 
casins. 

Iowa.     Missouri. 
George  Catlin ''  describes  the  game  as  follows: 
Ing-kee-ko-kee  (Game  of  the  Moccasin). 

"  Take  care  of  yourself — shoot  well,  or  yovi  lose. 

You  warned  me.  but  see  !      I  have  defeated  you  ! 
I  am  one  of  the  Great  Spirit's  children, 
Wa-konda  I  am  I      I  am  Wa-konda  !  " 

This  song  is  sung  in  this  curious  and  most  exciting,  as  well  as  fascinating 
game,  which  is  played  by  two,  or  four,  or  six — seated  on  the  ground  in  a  circle, 

"  Inffirmation  respecting  the  History,  Condition,  and  Prospects  of  the  Indian  Tribes  of 
the  United  States,  pt.  4,  p.  C.4.  Philadelphia.  lS,^j4. 

'Dakota  Land  and  Dakota  Life  1 18531.  Minnesota  Historical  Collections,  v.  1.  p.  2S0, 
St.  Paul.  1872. 

*"  Dakota-English  Dictionary.      Contributions  to  North  American  Ethnology,  v.  7.  p.  1-14, 
Washington,  l.sno. 
-     "  The  George  Catlin  Indian  Gallery,  p.  151,  Washington,  1886. 


366  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [etii.  ann.  24 

with  thi-ee  or  four  moccasins  Ijiug  on  the  ground;  when  one  lifts  each  moccasin 
in  turn,  anil  suddenly  darts  his  right  hand  under  each,  dropping  a  little  stone, 
the  size  of  a  hazelnut,  under  one  of  the  moccasins,  leaving  his  adversary  to  hit 
on  one  or  the  other,  and  to  take  the  counter  and  the  chance  if  he  chooses  the 
one  under  which  the  stone  is  dropped.  This  is,  perhaps,  one  of  the  silliest- 
looking  games  to  the  spectator,  hut  it  all  goes  to  music,  and  in  perfect  time,  and 
often  for  hours  together  without  intermission,  and  forms  one  of  the  principal 
gambling  games  of  these  gambling  people. 

Omaha.     Nebraska. 

Rev.  J.  Owen  Dorsey "  describes  the  following  game : 

I"'-uti°',  Hitting  the  stone,  is  a  game  played  at  night.  Sometimes  there  are 
twenty,  thirty,  or  forty  players  on  each  side.  Four  moccasins  are  placed  in  a 
row,  and  a  member  of  one  part.v  covers  them,  putting  in  one  of  them  some  small 
object  that  can  be  easily  concealed.  Then  he  says,  "Come!  hit  the  moccasin  in 
which  ,vou  think  it  is."  Then  one  of  the  opposite  side  is  chosen  to  hit  the  moc- 
casin. He  arises,  examines  all,  and  hits  one.  Should  it  be  empty,  they  say, 
"(pingee  ha,"  it  is  wanting.  He  throws  it  far  aside  and  forfeits  his  stakes. 
Three  moccasins  remain  for  the  rest  of  his  friends  to  try.  Should  one  of  them 
hit  the  right  one  (uska°'ska°  uti"'  or  uka°'ska  uti°'),  he  wins  the  stakes,  and 
his  side  has  the  privilege  of  hiding  the  ob,ject  in  the  moccasin.  He  who  hits  the 
right  moccasin  can  hit  again  and  again  until  he  misses.  Sometimes  it  is  deter- 
mined to  change  the  rule  for  winning,  and  then  the  guesser  aims  to  avoid  the 
right  moccasin  the  first  time,  but  to  hit  it  when  he  makes  the  second  trial. 
Should  he  hit  the  right  one  the  first  time  he  loses  his  stakes.  If  he  hits  the 
right  one  when  he  hits  the  second  moccasin,  he  wins,  and  his  side  has  the  right 
to  hide  the  object.  They  play  till  one  side  or  the  other  has  won  all  the  sticks 
or  stakes.  Sometimes  there  are  players  who  win  back  what  they  have  lost. 
He  who  takes  the  right  moccasin  wins  four  sticks,  or  any  other  number  which 
may  be  fi.xed  upon  by  previous  agreement. 

Eight  sticks  win  a  blanket ;  four  win  leggings ;  one  hundred  sticks,  a  full- 
grown  horse ;  sixty  sticks,  a  colt :  ten  sticks,  a  gun  ;  one,  an  arrow ;  four,  a 
knife  or  a  pound  of  tobacco  ;  two,  half  a  pound  of  tobacco.  Buffalo  robes  ( meba ) , 
otter  skins,  and  beaver  skins  are  each  equal  to  eight  sticks.  Sometimes  they 
stake  moccasins. 

When  one  player  wins  all  his  party  yell.  The  men  of  each  party  sit  in  a  row, 
facing  their  opponents,  and  the  moccasins  are  placed  between  them. 

Mr  Francis  La  Flesche  described  the  same  game  to  the  writer  under 
the  name  of  i-u-teh,  strike  the  stone: 

Pour  men  play,  two  against  two,  sitting  on  the  ground  vis-a-vis,  and  using 
four  moccasins  and  two  balls  of  buffalo  hair  about  half  an  inch  in  diameter. 
One  side  hides  and  the  opponents  guess,  the  hiders  singing  songs,  of  which  there 
are  several.  The  game  is  al.so  played  with  the  hands  by  four  players,  one  of 
whom  tosses  the  ball  from  one  hand  to  the  other. 

Winnebago.     AVisconsin. 

Mr  Reuben  G.  Thwaites ''  oixes  the  following  account,  from  an 
interview  with  Moses  Paquette : 

The  moccasin  game  is  the  chief  one.  It  somewhat  resembles  three-card 
monte,  except  that  I  do  not  think  there  is  any  cheating  about  it.     The  players 

"Oiiiiihn  Sociolog.v.      Third  Anniiiil  lieport  of  the  Bni-eau  of  Ethnology,  p.  339.  1884. 
"  Tlip   Wisconsin   Winnehat'oes.     Collections  of  the  State  Historical   Society  of  Wiscon- 
sin, V.  12,  p.  425,  Madison,  1892. 


COLIN  1 


HIDDEN-BALL    GAME  :    TEWA 


367 


squat  oil  the  .trroiiiul  in  two  Lrrdups.  facing  eaoli  other:  any  number  may  be  on  a 
side — one  or  a  dozen — and  the  sides  need  not  lie  eiiual  in  numbers.  On  the 
ground  between  the  two  groii|is.  tour  mocoasins  are  phiced  in  a  row.  Tlie  leader 
of  the  side  that  has  the  "  deal,"  so  to  speak,  takes  a  small  bead  in  his  right  hand 
and  deftly  slides  the  hand  under  each  moccasin  in  turn,  pretending  to  leave  the 
bead  under  each  one  of  them  ;  he  finally  does  leave  the  bead  under  one,  and 
the  leader  of  the  opposition  side,  watching  him  closely,  is  to  guess  which  moc- 
casin covers  the  bead.  The  opposition  leader  then  takes  a  slender  stick  and 
lifts  up  and  throws  off  the  three  moccasins  under  which  he  thinks  nothing  has 
been  left,  leaving  the  one  under  which  he  guesses  the  bead  has  been  left. 
Should  the  bead  be  discovered  under  one  of  three  which  he  throws  off,  then  he 
loses  4  points  for  his  side ;  should  he  be  correct  in  his  guess,  and  the  bead 
found  under  the  one  moccasin  left,  he  gains  4  for  his  side.  Ten  small 
tW'igs  or  chips  are  conveniently  at  hand,  and  as  each  side  wins  at  a  play,  the 
leader  takes  4  from  the  pile.  When  the  ten  are  all  taken,  by  either  or  both 
sides,  the  game  is  ended,  the  side  having  the  most  sticks  being  the  winner. 
Usually  five  such  games  are  played,  the  side  getting  the  greater  number  taking 
the  stakes,  which  are  commonly  goods — although  once  in  a  while  they  gamble 
for  mone.v. 

TANO.\N    STOCK 

Tewa.     Hano.  Arizona. 

Mr  A.  M.  Stephen  in  his  unpublished  manuscript  gives  the  Tewa 

name  of  the  game  witli  a  stone  nodule  con- 
cealed under  one  of  four  cups  as  tibi  clua, 
tibi  meaning  game. 

Nambe.    New    Mexico.     (Cat.    no. 

17775,     Field     Columbian     Mu- 
seimi. ) 
Four  wooden  tubes,  S  inches  in  heigiit  and 
1|   inches  in  diameter,  marked   with 
lines  as  shown  in  figure  486. 
These  were  collected  by  Mr  L.  M.  I^amp- 
son,  who  describes  them  as  employed   in 
the  game  of  angea,  or  caiiute."  played  by 
two  parties,  each  composed  of  any  number 
of  players. 

To  begin  the  game,  two  of  the  cups,  in  one  of 
which  a  nail  is  placed,  are  laid  down  with  the 
open  ends  covered.  A  player  from  one  side  chooses  a  cup,  and  if  tlie  nail  is  in 
the  first  one  chosen  the  cups  go  to  his  side.  The  object  of  each  party  of  players 
is  to  secure  and  keep  the  caiiates  as  long  as  possible. 

A  bowl  containing  one  hundred  and  four  beans  is  placed  in  charge  of  two 
men.  who  act  as  cashiers  for  their  respective  sides.  Two  heaps  of  earth  are 
placed  in  a  room  at  opposite  sides  and  surrounded  by  the  memliers  of  the 
opposing  parties,  A  player  from  the  side  which  is  in  possession  of  the  cups, 
with  his  arms  concealed  under  a  blanket,  places  the  nail  in  one  of  them  and 
covers  the  open  ends  of  all  of  them  with  earth. 

A  player  comes  over  from  the  other  side  and  endeavors  to  select  at  his  third 
choice  the  cup  in  which  the  nail  is  hidden,  with  the  following  result:    If  found 
in  the  first  cup  taken  up,  the  cashier  for  his  party  must  pay  to  the  opposing 
"  Spanish  caDuto,  part  of  a  cane  from  knot  to  knot. 


FiG.4«{>.  Woodentubesforhidmg 
game;  height,  8  inches:  Tewa 
Indians,  Nambe,  New  Mexico; 
cat.  no,  17775,  Field  Columbian 
Museum. 


368  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 

party's  cashier  10  beans :  if  in  the  second,  (1  beans :  if  in  the  fourth.  4  beans ; 
but  if  in  the  third,  the  phi.ver  returns  to  his  own  side  with  the  cups,  which  are 
retained  by  his  party  until  they  are  won  from  them  in  the  manner  described. 

The  cashiers  on  both  sides  pay  the  10.  6.  or  4  beans  which  may  be  lost  by  their 
players  finding  the  nail  in  any  cup  but  the  third  one.  from  the  common  pool 
until  the  one  hundred  and  four  beans  have  been  exhausted,  after  which  they 
must  pay  from  their  winnings  until  one  side  or  the  other  obtains  the  whole 
nimiber  and  thereby  wins  the  game,  which  is  usually  played  for  a  stake. 

The  cups  are  named  indiviilually  according  to  the  marUing  on  the  ends,  as 
follows : 

I.  one;   II.  two;    +  mulato;    :■  cinchado.  girded. 

These  names  do  not  signify  different  values,  but  are  used  in  the  songs  which 
the  party  in  possession  of  the  cups  sing  during  the  game. 

Tewa.     Santa  Clara,  Xew  Mexico.      (Cat.  no.  176706.  Ignited  States 

National  Museum.) 
Four  hollow  cylinders  of  wood,  closed  at  one  end,  9^  inches  long  and 
1^  inches  in  diameter,  with  an  internal  bore  of  eleven-sixteenths 
of   an    inch.     Thej-   are   marked   by   burning   with   the   designs 
shown    in    figure    487.     The    closed    ends    are    also    differently 
marked,  as  in  the  figure.     They  are  accompanied  with  a  small, 
round,  unpainted  stick  '2i  inches  in  length. 
Another  set  in  the  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Pennsylvania    (cat.  no.  21585)  are  11  inclies  in  length  and 
1^  inches  in  diameter,  and  are  similarly  marked    (figure  488). 
The  stick  accompanying  them,  2^  inches  in  length,  varies  in  be- 
ing painted  with  bands  of  the  colors  green,  red,  black,  j'ellow, 
green,  yellow,  black,  red.  green. 
Mr  Thomas  S.  Dozier.  of  Espanola.  New  Mexico,  who  collected 
both  the  above-mentioned  sets,  writes  in  reference  to  the  latter  that  it 
was  made  for  him  by  an  Indian.     He  was  unable  to  purchase  old  sets, 
because  the  Mexicans  and  Indians  who  own  them  place  an  excessive 
value  on  them  from  superstitious  motives.     Mr  Dozier  furnished  the 
following  account  of  the  game : 

Cailute  is  a  winter  game  and  is  played  usually  at  night  and  within  doors. 
The  implements  are  the  four  liollciw  tubes  of  wood,  the  small  stick  which  passes 
readily  in  and  out  of  the  hollow  tulies,  a  large  cup  holding  an  agreed  number 
of  grains  of  corn,  beans,  or  pea.s.  and  two  small  cups,  held  by  opposing  players, 
which  are  empty  when  the  game  begins. 

Two  small  heaps  of  loose  dry  earth,  perhaiis  half  a  bushel  each,  are  erected 
at  each  end  of  the  room,  about  which  the  opposing  liettors  sit  or  stand.  Tlie 
small  stick  is  inserted  sjecretly  in  one  of  tlie  tubes,  and  then  all  are  buried  in 
that  pile  of  dirt  which  belongs  to  the  side  secreting  the  stick.  A  player  from 
the  ii]>posing  side  is  then  chosen  liy  his  side  to  draw  the  sticks.  The  counts  are 
as  follows:  If  the  stick  is  found  in  the  Krst  tulie  drawn.  10  grains  are  taken 
from  the  large  cup  and  placed  in  the  cup  of  the  side  drawing  the  tubes  ;  if  found 
in  the  second  tube.  6  grains  ;  and  if  found  in  the  fourth  tube.  4  grains  are 
taken ;  but  if  the  stick  be  found  in  the  third  tube,  then  the  tubes  are  taken  to 
the  opposite  pile  of  dirt,  where  the  opposing  side  will  bury  the  tubes,  and  the 
others  must  draw.  Thus  the  tubes  are  moved  from  one  side  to  the  other,  as 
the  sides  are  lucky  or  unlucky.     The  players  hiding  the  stick  are  supposed  to 


CULIN] 


HIDDEN-BALL    GAME  :    TIGUA 


369 


have  the  advantage.  There  is  no  count  when  the  tubes  are  changed.  lu  draw- 
ing the  tubes,  sometimes  the  drawer  announces  bis  choice  liefore  lie  draws.  In 
this  case  he  announces  that  the  stick  will  be  found  in  such  and  such  a  tube, 


/ 


m 


(00®^    ®  (D 


s 


s 


Fig.  487.  Fig.  488. 

Pig.  487.  Wooden  tubes  for  hiding  game;  height,  9f  inches;  Tewa  Indians,  Santa  Clara,  New 
Mexico;  cat.  no.  176706,  United  States  National  Museum. 

Fio.  488.  Wooden  tubes  for  hiding  game;  height,  11  inches;  Tewa  Indians,  Santa  Clara,  New- 
Mexico;  cat.  no.  21585,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

naming  the  tube.  The  names  of  the  tubes,  which  are  distinguished  by  their 
marliings,  are  pin-do-e  (pin-do-tsl-ki),  Spanish  cinchado.  girthed:  sen-do',  Sp. 
viejo,  old  ;  we-pl',  Sp.  uno,  one ;  we'-gi,  Sp.  dos,  two.  This  is  only  an  incident  in  the 
game,  the  draws  and  counts  proceeding  always 
in  accordance  with  the  rules  given.  This  ac- 
count might  be  prolonged  greyly  by  the  relation 
of  mere  incidents,  such  as  tlie  singing,  the  hiding 
of  the  stick,  some  peculiar  ceremonies  antecedent 
to,  and  some  following  after,  the  game.  This  is 
undoubtedly  an  Indian  game,  though  it  can  not 
have  originated  among  the  Tewan  pueblos.  It  is 
known  among  them  as  Canute,  a  name  certainly 
coming  from  the  Spanish  caiia,  a  reed.  This  same 
name  obtains  among  the  Utes  and  Apaches,  trilies 
closely  associated  with  the  Pueblos.  The  Santa 
Claras  sometimes  call  the  game  kii-ku'-wa-e-pfe, 
meaning  the  inclosed  or  shut  up  (tapado)  stick  ; 
it  does  not  mean  exactly  "  the  hidden  stick." 
Ka-ku-wa  means  to  inclose,  shut  up,  Spanish 
tapar.  This  is  a  mere  designation,  however  ap- 
propriate it  may  sound,  there  being  other  desig- 
nations of  a  like  appropriate  nature  among 
other  Tewan  pueblos  and,  for  that  matter, 
among  the  Santa  Claras  themselves. 

TiGDA.    Taos,  New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  21593,  Free  Museum  of  Science 

and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. ) 
Four  hollow  cylinders  of  wood  closed  at  one  end.  6|  inches  in  height 
and  1§  inches  in  dianieter,  with  an  intcnuil  bore  of  three-eight  lis 
of  an  inch ;  marked,  b_y  burning,  with  the  designs  shown  in  fig- 
ure 489. 
24  ETH— 05  M 24 


1 

^ 

Fig.  489.  Wooden  lubes  for  hiding 
game;  height,  t>g  inches;  Tigua 
Indians,  Taos,  New  Mexico; 
cat.  no.  2159a,  Free  Museum  of 
Science  and  Art,  University  of 
Pennsylvania. 


370 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [etii.  ann.  24 


The  closed  ends  are  also  differently  marked.  Except  for  the  slight 
variations  in  the  markings  they  are  identical  with  the  preceding  sets 
from  Santa  Clara.  They  are  described  l>y  the  collector  and  donor, 
Dr  T.  P.  Martin,  of  Taos,  as  used  in  the  game  of  cahute. 

The  sticks,  in  the  same  order  as  tlie  preiwliiis  ones,  receive  tlie  following 
names:  Cinchow  (colloquial  for  cinchado).  girthed;  mulata  (mulato).  tawny; 
una,  one;  dos,  two. 

The  ohject  concealed  is  a  small  stick  or  .sometimes  a  nail.  Au  Indian  takes 
the  four  sticks  and,  placing  them  under  his  blanket,  conceals  the  small  stick  in 
one  of  the  openings.  He  then  withdraws  them  and  lays  them  on  the  ground 
with  the  openings  either  buried  in  a  pile  of  dirt  or  pointed  toward  him.  An 
opposing  player,  who  sits  opposite  the  one  who  conceals  the  object,  then  chooses 
one.  If  he  selects  the  tube  on  his  right  and  it  contains  the  ob.1ect,  he  pays  the 
dealer  10  grains  of  corn,  lieads,  or  \5;Iiatever  the  game  is  playsd  for.  If  he  selects 
the  second  and  it  contains  the  ol).iect.  he  pays  0  to  the  dealer.  If  he  selects  the 
chinchow  and  it  contains  the  ob.1ect.  the  dealer  pays  him  4.  If  he  selects  the  mu- 
Jata  and  finds  the  object,  he  takes  up  the  sticks  and  becomes  the  dealer ;  the 
former  dealer  becomes  the  plaj-er,  and  the  game  continues. 

WAKASIIAN    STOCK 

KwAKiuTL.     Vancouver  island,  British  Columbia. 
Dr  Franz  Boas"  describes  a  game  called  mokoa : 
This  game  was  introduced  from  the  Nootka.     It   is  played  between  tribes. 

An  object  is  given  to  a  member  of  one  tribe,  who  hides  it.     Then  four  members 

of  another  tribe  must  guess  where  it  is.     They  are  allowed  to  guess  four  times. 

If  they  miss  every  time,  they  have  lost.     This  game  is  played  for  very  high 

stakes. 

YUMAN    STOCK 

Maricopa.     Arizona.     (Cat.  no.  2923,  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum.) 
Four  cane  tubes,  9^  inches  in  length,  with  closed  joint  at  one  end.  cut 
and  painted  (figure  490).  and  small  wooden  ball  painted  black. 


Pig.  49(1.    Cane  tubes  for  hiding  game;  length,  9}  inches;  Maricopa  Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  no. 
2923,  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 

'  Sixth  Keport  on  the  Indians  of  British  Columbia.     Report  of  the  Sixt.v-si.tth  Meeting  of 
the  British  Association  tor  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  578,  London,  1896. 


crLiN]  HIDDEN-BALL    GAMK  :    WALAPAI  371 

Collected  in  1904  by  Mr  Louis  L.  Meeker,  who  describes  this  game 
under  the  name  of  ta-thiilsh  : 

The  speckled  reed  is  called  kota-aks,  old  man.  and  the  blank  feed,  ako-ash, 
old  woman.  The  reed  marked  in  the  center  is  called  tok-gum-yorsh,  and  the 
one  marked  at  the  end  (mouth  marks)  hiya  (juimyorsh.  The  ball  is  called 
ne  hatch,  pet  or  live  stock. 

The  ball  is  concealed  In  one  of  the  reeds,  and  the  opponent  endeavors  to 
guess  iu  which  one  it  is  hidden.  If  he  fails,  the  other  player  shows  which 
contains  the  liall.  and  tlic  original  guesser  tries  once  again. 

Mr  Meeker  describes  a  similar  game  as  follows : 

Ch-alh,  stick  in  sand.  A  stick  is  concealed  in  one  of  four  heaps  of  sand 
or  dust,  and  the  opponent,  who  has  absented  himself,  returns  and  guesses  which 
heap  contains  the  stick, 

Walapai.     Walapai    reservation,   Arizona.      (Cat,    no,    63210.    P'ield 

Columbian  Museum,) 
Implements  (figure  491)  for  the  game  of  nawfa.  consisting  of  a  ball 
and  counting  sticks. 
Collected  by  Mr  Henry  P.  Ewing,  who  furnished  the  following 
account  of  the  game : 

The  game  of  nawfa  is  played  with  si.xtecn  stems  of  the  soap  weed,  or 
Spanish  bayonet    {Yucca  filamentosa),   cut   in   equal   lengths   and  tied   loosely 


FIG.4H1.    Hidinj;  ball  and  counting  sticks;  diameter  of  ball,  25  inches;  length  of  sticks,  18j  inches; 
Walapai  Indians,  Ariztma;  cat.  no.  (J3210,  Field  Columbian  Museum, 

together  with  a  wisp  of  fibers  of  the  same  plant,  and  a  small  ball  cut  out  of 
the  root  of  the  same  plant  called  me-nat  ka-ta-u-ta-ga,  short  yucca,  me-nat 
being  the  Walapai  name  for  the  Spanish  bayonet,  and  the  katautaga  meaning 
short,  little.     The  stems  serve  as  counters  and  are  called  sa-hu-ua-ga. 

To  play  the  game,  two  persons  or  two  sides  select  a  place  where  the  soil  la 
soft  and  sandy  and  dig  up  with  a  stick  or  the  hands  two  trenches  or  holes 
about  3  or  4  feet  long  and  about  C  or  8  inches  deei>  and  a  foot  wide.  The 
loose  soil  or  sand  is  left  iu  the  trench,  and  one  of  the  players  takes  the  ball, 
while  the  bundle  of  counters  is  placed  between  the  two  trenches  on  the  ground. 
The  player  with  the  ball  takes  it  in  his  left  hand  and  buries  it,  hand  and  all, 
in  the  loose  sand  at  one  end ;  then  he  draws  his  hand  back,  at  the  same  time 
piling  the  sand  over  the  buried  hand  with  the  other.  He  gradually  withdraws 
the  baud  to  the  far  end  of  the  trench,  all  the  time  piling  up  the  sand  over  the 
trench.  When  he  has  withdrawn  the  hand  from  the  trench  the  ball  is  missing, 
he  having  hid  it  somewhere  in  the  loose  earth.  lie  divides  the  earth  in  the 
ditch  into  four  piles  by  piling  it  up  with  his  hands.  One  of  his  opponents  now 
runs  his  haml  into  one  of  the  piles.  If  he  finds  the  ball  there,  be  takes  it  and 
hides  it  in  his  trench.  If  he  misses,  sometimes  the  hider  will  say  :  "  Sik  a  yu 
cha  " — guess  again.     Of  course  there  are  hut  three  chances  against  him  this 


372 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       Teth.  ANN.  24 


time,  while  before  there  were  four,  aud  he  nearly  always  guesses  again  when 
allowed  to.  If  he  misses  his  guess,  the  hider  takes  one  of  the  counters  and 
puts  it  in  his  pile  and  hides  the  ball  again.  After  playing  a  while  the  counters 
are  usually  in  possession  of  the  two  sets  of  players,  and  when  there  are  no 
more  counters  in  the  bundle  the  man  who  misses  his  guess  has  to  give  one  out 
of  his  pile  to  his  opponents.  When  the  counters  are  all  in  one  pile,  the  game 
is  won.  There  is  much  merriment  indulged  in  while  playing  the  game.  A 
bystander  will  sometimes  rush  in,  put  his  hand  in  the  trench  and,  as  the 
guesser  stands  undecided  which  pile  to  guess,  will  say  :  "  Here  it  is  in  this 
pile;  I  am  not  lying;"  but  tlie  wary  guesser  seldom  believes  him.  Sometimes 
the  hider  will  tell  the  gue.sser  what  pile  it  is  in ;  he  may  tell  him  right  or 
wrong.  This  game  is  the  jocular  game  of  the  tribe  and  is  always  a  source  of 
great  amusement,  and  when  being  played  always  attracts  a  crowd  of  onlookers, 
who  laugh,  and  joke  the  players  continually. 


ZUNIAN    STOCK 

ZuNi.     Zuni,  New  Mexico.     (United  States  National  Miisemn.) 
Cat.  no.  09468.     Set  of  four  wooden  cylinders.  9  inches  in  height  and 
2  inches  in  diameter,  with  cylindrical  cavity  at  one  end,  1^  inches 
deep  and  1^  inches  in  diameter,  the  upper  ends  charred  for  a 
distance  of  about  1  inch. 
These  specimens  were  collected  by  Col.  James  Stevenson,  and  cata- 
logued as  articles  used  in  the  game  of  hidden  ball,  one  of  the  sacred 


PlO.  49B.    Wooden  tabes  for  hiding  game;  height,  12i  inches;  Zuni  Indians,  Zu".  ,  New  Mexico; 
cat.  no.  69:i51,  United  States  National  Museum. 

games  of  the  Gods  of  War,  played  in  spring  and  early  summer.    One 

of  the  cylinders  in  this  set  is  distinguished  from  the  others  by  being 

nicked  around  the  edge  at  the  top. 

Cat.  no.  69351.  Four  wooden  cylinders  (figure  492),  12J  inches  in 
height  and  3  inches  in  diameter,  with  a  cylindrical  cavity  in  one 
end  2f  inches  deep  and  2^  inches  in  diameter,  the  other  end 
charred  for  a  distance  of  1^  inches,  the  rest  of  the  external  sur- 
face painted  white. 


CULINj 


HIDDEN-BALL    GAME:    ZUNI 


373 


|L^ 


IG.  4'.ia.  Wooden  tubes  for  hiding  game; 
height,  Sj  inches;  Zuni  Indians,  ZuSi,  New 
Mexico;  cat.  no.  69268,  United  States  Na- 
tional Museum. 


Collected  by  Col.  James  Stevenson  and  designated  as  an  especial 

hereditary  set  of  the  tribe. 

Cat.  no.  69268.  Four  wooden  cylinders  (figure  493),  8f  inches  in 
height  and  2j  inches  in  diameter,  with  a  cylindrical  cavity  in 
one  end  2  inches  deep  and  If  inches  in  diameter,  the  other  end 
charred  for  a  distance  of  IJ  inches,  the  other  external  surface 
originally  painted  white;  accompanied  with  a  stone  ball,  a  white 
concretion."  1\  inches  in  diam- 
eter. Collected  by  Col.  James 
Stevenson. 

Cat.  no.  69269.  Four  wooden  cyl- 
inders, 6;^  inches  in  height  and 
If  inches  in  diameter,  with  a 
cylindrical  cavity  in  one  end 
11  inches  in  diameter,  the  up- 
])erends  blackened  to  the  depth 
of  one-fourth  of  an  inch,  the 
body  whitewashed.  Collected 
by  Col.  James  Stevenson. 

Cat.  no.  69270.  Four  wooden  cyl- 
inders, 7  inches  in  height  and 
1  i  inches  in  diameter,  with  a  cylindrical  cavity  in  one  end  1^  inches 
deep  and  1^  inches  in  diameter,  the  upper  ends  painted  black  to  a 
depth  of  about  1  inch.     Collected  by  Col.  James  Stevenson. 

Cat.  no.  69271.  Four  wooden  cylinders,  6^  inches  in  height  and  If 
inches  in  diameter,  with  a  cylindrical  cavity  in  one  end  1  inch 
deep  and  1^  inches  in  diameter,  the  upper  ends  blackened  to  a 
depth  of  one-half  of  an  inch ;  accompanied  with  a  bundle  of 
counting  straws  of  broom  grass.  Collected  by  Col.  James 
Stevenson. 

Cat.  no.  69272.  Four  wooden  cylinders,  6  inches  in  height  and  If 
inches  in  diameter,  with  a  conical  cavity  in  one  end,  the  upper 
ends  painted  black  to  the  depth  of  If  inches.  Collected  by  Col. 
James  Stevenson. 

Zdni.     Zuni,  New  Mexico.      (Cat.  no.  32599,  Free  Museum  of  Science 

and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Four  wooden  tubes.  2f  inches  in  diameter  and  12J  inches  in  height, 
painted  black  at  the  top,  the  body  of  the  cylinder  showing  traces 
of  white;  accompanied  with  a  stone  ball  (figure  494)    li  inches 
in  diameter  and  a  bundle  of  counting  straws   (figure  495)    14^ 
inches  in  length.     Collected  by  the  writer  in  1902. 
This  set  is  similar  to  one  in  the  United  States  National  Museum 
(cat.  no.  69351). 


"  Quartz  grains  cemented  together  by  calcium  carbonate,   lilie  so-called  Fontainebleau 

limestone. 


374  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  axn.  1'4 

Mr  Frank  Hamilton  dishing"  first  described  the  game,  as  follows: 

Eight  players  went  into  a  Ici-wi-tsin  to  fast,  aud  four  days  later  issued  forth, 
bearing  four  large  wooden  tubes,  a  ball  of  stone,  and  a  bundle  of  thirty-six 
counting  straws.  With  great  ceremony,  many  prayers  and  incantations,  the 
tubes  were  deposited  on  two  mock  mountains  of  sand,  either  side  of  the 
"  grand  plaza."  A  crowd  began  to  gather.  Larger  and  noisier  it  grew,  until  it 
became  a  surging  clamorous  black  mass.  Gradually  two  piles  of  fabrics — ves- 
sels, silver  ornaments,  necklaces,  embroideries,  and  symbols  representing  horses, 
cattle,  and  sheep — grew  to  laige  proportions.  Women  gathered  on  the  roofs 
around,  wildly  stretching  forth  articles  for  the  betting ;  until  one  of  the  presid- 
ing priests  called  out  a  brief  message.  The  crowd  became  silent.  A  booth  was 
raised,  under  which  two  of  the  players  retired ;  and  when  it  was  removed,  the 
four  tubes  were  standing  on  the  mound  of  sand.  A  song  and  dance  began. 
One  by  one  three  of  the  four  (-pposing  i)layers  were  summoned  to  guess  under 
which  tube  the  ball  was  hidden.  At  each  gue.ss  the  cries  of  the  opposing  parties 
became  deafening,  and  their  mock  struggles  approached  the  violence  of  mortal 
combat.  The  last  guesser  found  the  ball  :  and  as  he  victoriously  carried  the 
latter  and  the  tubes  across  to  his  own  mound,  his  side  scored  10.  The  process 
was  repeated.     The  second  guesser  found  the  ball ;  his  side  scored  15.  setting 


Kig.  4H4.  Fig.  4!).") 

Pig.  494.    Stone  ball  for  hiding  game;  diameter,  li  inches:  Zuni  Indians,  Zuni,  New  Mexico:  cat. 

no.  32599.  Free  Museum  of  Scieu<'e  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  495.    Counting  straws  for  hiding  game;  length,  Ul  inches;  Zuni  Indians,  Zuiii,  New  Mexico; 

cat.  no.  32599,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

the  others  back  5.  The  counts  numbered  100 ;  but  so  complicated  were  the  win- 
nings and  losings  on  both  sides,  with  each  guess  of  either,  that  hour  after  hour 
the  g.ime  went  on  and  night  closed  in.  Fires  were  built  in  the  plaza,  cigarettes 
lighted,  but  still  the  game  continued.  Noisier  iind  noisier  grew  the  dancers,  more 
and  incire  insulting  and  defiant  their  songs  and  epithets  to  the  opposing  crowd, 
until  they  fairly  gnashed  their  teeth  at  one  another,  but  no  blows'.  Day 
davi-necl  en  the  still  uncertain  contest:  nor  was  it  until  the  sun  again  touched 
the  western  horizon,  that  the  hoarse,  still  defiant  voices  died  away,  and  the 
victorious  party  bore  off  their  "  mountains  of  gifts  from  the  gods." 

Subsequently  Mr  Cushing.  in  reply  to  my  inquiries,  kindly  fur- 
nished me  the  following  notes  on  the  game  with  the  four  tubes: 

I'-yan-ko-lo-we  is  one  of  the  principal  tribal  games  of  the  Zuni.  As  a  public 
function  it  is  their  le;i(ling  g.-\nie.  It  is  ])la.ved  by  two  i)arties.  one  representing 
the  East,  the  other  representing  the  West,  or,  one  representing  the  North,  the 
other  representing  the  South.  Each  party  is  made  up.  therefore,  from  members 
of  the  clans  of  its  section,  region,  or  direction.  But  it  is  to  be  noted  in  this 
connection  that  the  g;mie  is  played  with  various  motives,  all  more  or  less 
divinatory  in  ob.iect— that  is.  It  is  a  game  of  prognostication  by  victory.  As 
the  war  dance  is  a  sort  of  pi-eliminary  as  well  as  reminiscent  battle,  dramatic- 
ally fought  beforehand,  to  determine  victory,  so  this  game  is,  while  celebrating 


'  The  Century  Magazine,  v.  20.  p.  37.  May.   188:!. 


«"N]  HIDDEN-BALL    GAME:    ZTNI  375 

mythic  arbitrations  between  the  gods — the  wind  gods  and  the  water  gods  par- 
tifularly — a  means  of  questioning  fate  as  to  which  side  shall  prevail ;  whether, 
for  example,  when  the  game  is  iilayed  just  before  the  opening  of  spring"  the 
wind  gods  or  the  water  gods  shall  control,  whether  it  shall  be  a  wet  season  or  a 
dry  season  and,  by  the  relative  scorings  of  the  game,  how  wet  and  how  dry  in 
relation  to  the  growth  of  the  corn  that  is  about  to  be  iilanted.  It  will  be  seen 
that,  since  the  players  on  the  one  side  represent  North  and  Winter,  the  windy 
and  barren  season,  those  on  the  other  side  South  and  Summer,  the  season  of 
summer  showers  and  fertility,  the  players  on  the  northern  side  would  repre- 
sent wind  and  drought,  those  on  the  southern  side  moisture  and  growth.  Thus, 
according  to  the  scores  of  the  game,  the  corn  would  be  planted  deep  and  in 
well-watered  places  if  the  wind  men  won  or  throughout  various  stages  of  the 
game  "  carried  the  luck." 

This  will  indicate  that  the  game  may  be  played  for  any  variety  of  purposes, 
but  as  a  tribal  game  played  annuall.v  in  the  February-March  moon  <•  it  has  the 
above  significance.  This  is  because  in  the  myth  of  the  trial  of  strength  between 
the  wind  gods  and  the  water  gods,  when  they  raced  one  another,  the  "  racer  of 
the  wind  gods  "  was  a  stick,  the  arrow  billet,  that  of  the  water  gods  a  stone,  the 
thunder  ball  (?).  Thus  i'-yan-ko-lo-we  becomes  the  water  game,  just  as  mo'-ti- 
kwa-we  is  the  wind  game,  of  the  Zuni,  and  takes  its  place  as  one  of  the  four 
element  games  of  the  tribe.  th(>  instrumentalities  of  which  arc  annually  sacri- 
ficed or  deposited  with  the  effigies  of  the  War  Gods  A'haiyuta  and  Ma'tsailema.* 
It  follows  that  there  is  a  tribal  set  of  the  tubes,  etc.  In  fact,  there  are  two,  for 
it  must  be  explained  in  this  connection  that  i'-yan-ko-lo-we  is  the  sho'-li-we 
(war-arrow  game)  of  the  water  or  peace  people,  just  as  for  the  wind  or  war 
people  sho'-li-we.  or  rather  ti'-kwa-we,  its  world  or  outdoor  form,  is  the  i'-yan- 
ko-lo-we  of  them.selves  and  their  gods,  so  that  in  one  sense  all  the  foiu-  tribal 
games  are  one.  Thus  i'-yan-ko-lo-we  ma.v  be  used  for  war  ]irognostications,  in 
which  case  the  tribal  tubes  of  oak,  or  weapon  timber,  are  used.  But  it  is  almost 
always  used  for  peace  prognostications,  in  which  the  tribal  tubes  of  cottonwood 
or  water  timber  are  used. 

The  simple  name  i'-yan-ko-lo-we  means  hidings  and  seekiugs  or  two  and  fro 
hidings,  from  i'-an,  from  one  another ;  ya'-na-wa.  to  divine,  guess ;  ko-lo-a,  to 
hide,  cover  secretly  or  by  burial ;  and  we,  plural  sign,  I'-yan-ko-lo-we  i'-k'osh- 
na-ne  is  the  game  or  play  of  i'yan-ko-lo-we ;  i  is  reciprocal  or  antithetical 
action  ;  k'o'-sha,  to  wash,  bathe,  or  to  play.  Tlay  is  so  named  because  it  is 
^supposed  to  refresli  or  renew  as  does  a  bath ;  hut  the  primitive  sense  of  these 
expressions  must  be  kept  in  mind,,  and  the  actual  fact  that  none  of  the  games 
involving  tribal  pai'ticipation  or  contention  are  played  without  recourse  to 
baptism  or  bathing  of  the  face,  that  the  e.ves  and  other  senses  may  be  cleared 
and  quickened.  It  ma.v  be  noted  that  this  strictl.v  corresponds  to  the  constant 
".going  to  water"  of  hall  players  among  the  southern  Indians  and  some  tribes  of 
the  Mississippi.     The  idea  of  renewing  or  changing  personality  is  also  present. 

The  sacred  name  is  an'-hai-ta  i'-yan-ko-lo-we.  b.v  commandment,  or  appoint- 
ment i'-yan-ko-lo-we,  fi-om  an'-to,  belonging  to  or  by,  and  hai-tosh-nan-ne,  to 
point  out  a  ceremonial  or  the  date  or  mode  or  regulation  thereof.  These 
appointments  are  made  by  divine  command  through  the  prie.sts  by   virtue  of 


"  The  regulation  game  of  February-March  is  always  played  in  spring  before  the  plant- 
ing, the  deer  chase,  and  the  tribal  billet-race  of  the  priesthood  of  the  Bow.  When  the 
game  is  pln.ved  with  a  special  motive  or  reason  and  for  a  particular  prognostication,  it 
is  "  called  "  or  "  commanded  "  by  the  House  priesthood  :  l)nt  in  such  case  called  only  in 
its  appropriate  season. 

''These  gods  are  its  chief  divinities,  but  A'haiyuta  is  holder  of  the  tul)es  and  l)all.  as 
Ma'tsaileraa  is  holder  of  the  mo'-ti-kwa-we  :  yet  both  games  belong  to  both,  because  one 
could  not  play,  of  course,  without  the  other. 


37(i  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 

retuniing  dates  and  are  obligatory,  as  the  seasons  seem  to  be,  but  may  be  a 
little  earlier  or  a  little  later,  as  the  seasons  seem  to  be.  exact  dates  being 
determined  by  the  priests  as  keepers  and  diviners  of  the  calendar  of  rites. 
Another  sacred  name  is  i'-yan-ko-lo-we  te'sh-kwi-ne,  from  te',  space,  sh' 
direction  of  or  throughout,  and  k'wi'-na.  dark,  black,  made  void  by  darkness — 
that  is,  secret,  mysterious.  The  word  is  api>lied  not  only  to  secret  and  sacred 
observances,  but  also  to  taboos,  forbidden  persons  or  things,  places,  altars,  or 
precincts. 

A  seuiisacred.  seminiythic  name  is  ku-lu-lu-na-k'ya-al  i'-yan-ko-lo-we  (thunder 
stone  hide-seek  game),  from  ku-lu-lu,  to  rumble,  thunder,  k'ya,  that  which  is  for 
or  which  does,  and  a'ale,  stone. 

There  are  other  names  more  or  less  allegorical,  chiefly  interesting  as  indica- 
tive of  the  importance  of  the  game  and  the  wealth  of  lore  connected  with  it. 

The  name  of  the  tubes  is  i'-yau-ko-lo-\ve-kya  to'-ma-we,  tom'-ma,  meaning 
tulie  or  hollowed  wooden  billet,  and  we  being  the  plural  ending.  Of  these 
tubes  there  are  four,  usually  plain,  though  sometimes  differentiated  by  band- 
ings, precisely  as  are  the  arrows  or  cane  cards  of  war.  to  assign  them  sepa- 
rately to  the  four  quarters,  or  "  mountains,"  and  sometimes  carved  to  make 
them  rudely  and  very  conventionally  representative  of  the  rain  or  dance  gods 
(A-ka-ka)  of  the  four  quarters,  or  rather  of  their  masks  or  face  personalities. 
The  banded  tulies  are  generally  made  of  oak.  one  of  the  "  weapon  woods,"  and 
generally  pertain  to  the  game  as  played  l)y  the  warriors.  The  carved  tubes 
are.  liowever,  made  almost  invariably  of  cottonwood,  tlie  "  wood  of  water  "  or 
of  life  substance,  and  pertain  to  the  game  as  played  by  the  clans  at  the  appointed 
time  in  spring  or  very  early  summer,  just  before  planting.  The  war  play  of 
this  game  is  not  played  annually,  but  only  when  "  called,"  and  it  is  scarcely 
ever  called  at  any  other  season  than  during  the  '"  crescents,"  or  months  of  the 
greater  and  lesser  sand  storms  (April  and  May),  It  then  immediately  follows 
the  great  annual  war  race  of  the  kicked  stick  or  running  billet,  which  is  per- 
formed in  April  liy  the  entire  priesthood  of  the  P.ow.  totemically  painted;  and 
it  thus  immediately  i)recedes  the  annual  play  of  the  game  by  the  Seed-and- 
Water,  or  Windand-Soil,  clan  leaderships.  Usually  the  mere  fact  that  a  tribal 
set  of  the  tubes  is  made  of  "weapon  wood"  (oak  or  mountain  mahogany)  suf- 
fices to  relegate  it  without  further  indication  (as,  by  binding)  to  war  plays,  while 
if  made  of  cottonwood  or  willow  the  set  is  as  effectually  identified  with  the  peace 
jilays  of  the  game.  Both  kinds  of  tubes  are  said  to  have  been  used,  one  (hard 
wood)  by  the  war  party,  the  other  (soft  wood)  by  the  peace  party,  when  ques- 
tions of  war  or  peace  were  submitted  to  divination  by  means  of  the  game.  In 
all  other  plays,  to  be  described  in  due  course,  only  a  single  set  of  the  tubes 
was  used. 

The  individual  tubes  in  a  set  are  with  one  exception.  I  believe,  named  pre- 
cisely as  are  the  canes  of  sho'-li-we — ko'-ha-kwa.  k'wi'-na.  pathl-to-a,  and  not 
a'-thlu-a,  but  al'-u-Ia,  the  all-container  or  the  container  of  the  stone  par  excel- 
lence. But  the  tubes  also  take  their  names  from  their  "  mountains,"  as  desig- 
nated by  color  rather  than  by  region  or  place  names:  that  is.  the  yellow,  the 
blue,  the  red.  the  white.  Again,  if  the  game  is  a  strictly  sacred  or  ceremonial 
peace  game,  the  tubes  become  the  four  Ka-kfi  gods  of  the  four  regions ;  or  rather, 
as  occasion  re(|uires  or  as  the  priestly  membership  of  the  clans  participating  in 
the  game  determines,  four  of  the  many  Ka-ka  gods  of  tlie  four  regions. 

The  tubes  are  more  often  plain  than  marked,  though  sometimes  they  are 
distinguished  by  bandings  of  marks  incised  and  burnt,  or  simply  scorched  around 
I  hem.  precisely  as  are  the  bands  across  the  four  sho'-li-we  canes  or  slips. 

Then  I  have  seen  one  set  on  which  the  four  principal  medicine-anim.'il  men 
or  gods  were  represented,  with  their  appropriate  cosmical  elements,  or  rather. 


ciLiN]  HIDDEN-BALL    GAME;    ZUNI  377 

the  symbols  of  paraphernalia  representing  these,  attached.  But,  unfortunately, 
I  noted  only  that  the  Bear  (He  of  the  West)  as  God  of  Thunder  and  the 
Eagle-Serpent  ( He  of  the  Upper  Underworld :  but  here,  of  Day,  therefore  of  the 
East)  God  of  Lightning,  were  represented.  I  never  saw  the  game  played  with 
these  tubes,  and  can  not  tell  from  observation  what  specilic  form  of  the  game 
they  were  designed  for.  I  only  know  that  tlie  tubes  were  those  of  one  of  the 
particular  clan  brotherhoods  vaguely  known  as  the  Badgers  (not  the  totemie 
Badgers,  but  the  ijriestly  associates  of  the  high-priest  of  the  Badgers,  himself, 
of  course,  the  elder  and  house  priest  of  the  Badger  totem).  But  these  par- 
ticularly and  indelibly  marked  tubes  are  never  used  for  any  other  than  their  one 
particular  form  of  the  game,  or  by  others  than  their  otDcial  holders.  This 
explains  why  the  tribal  sets  are  left  plain.  Like  the  parts  or  post  slats  of  the 
rain  altars  that  correspond  to  them,  they  are  painted  afresh  for  each  occasion 
on  which  they  are  used.  Ordinarily  all  are  painted  with  white  kaolin  slip  and 
then  differentiated  by  bandings  of  black,  in  lieu  of  the  colors  they  stand  for. 
But  when  the  tubes  become  gods  of  the  Ka-ka,  they  are  distinguished  by  face 
delineations,  very  crude  and  conventional,  in  their  appropriate  colors.  In  such 
cases  the  tubes  are  merely  the  timber  flesh,  ready  to  be  made  this  set  of 
gods  or  that  other  set  of  gods  that  is  opened  to  incantation  or  influence  by  them 
through  the  kind  of  masks  represented  on  them. 

The  paint  used  on  the  tubes  is  always  sacred.  The  white  is  the  he-k"o-ha-kya, 
paint  to  white  make,  kaolin  slip ;  the  black,  the  he'-tethl-a-kya,  paint  to  desig- 
nate (black)  make.  Both  kinds  are  made  from  kaolin  or  coal  from  particular 
or  sacred  places.  The  ii.-iint  is,  as  said  almve,  renewed  during  preparation  for 
the  occasion  (the  retirement  and  fasting  period  of  the  participants),  and  at  the 
end  of  the  game  is  washed  off  and  drunk  by  the  olficiators,  those  who  lost  sjm- 
ing  it.  however  (so  I  was  told,  but  the  man  who  told  me  wSs  a  winner  and 
may  have  been  "crowing").  When  onl.v  one  tube  in  the  set  is  painted,  I  sup- 
pose it  becomes  the  "  all-container  "  for  that  special  set. 

A  common  name  for  the  hidden  ball-  is  i'-yan-ko-lo-kya  u'-li-ne.  the  content, 
or  i'-yan-ko-lo-kya  mo'l-u'-li-ne,  or  ball  for  placing  within,  compounded  of 
i'-yan-ko-lo-kya  and  mo-o-le,  ball,  rounded  object  of  wood  or  other  substance, 
u-li,  to  place  within,  and  n'ne.  that  which  is.  or  instrument  for.  Other  names 
are  i'-yan-ko-lo-kya  a'l'-u-li-ne  or  i'-yan-ko-lo-kya  a'-kya-mo-li-aij  u'-li-ne,  the  first 
from  i'-yan-ko-lo-kya,  a'l.  a  stone.  |)eblile.  and  u'-li-ne,  and  the  second  from  i'-.van- 
ko-lo-kya,  a'a,  a  stone  (shaped),  kya,  by  water,  mo-li-a.  rounded  by,  ne,  that 
which  is,  and* u'-li-ne.  The  archaic  and  highly  sacred  name  of  fhe  hiding  stone, 
when  consisting  of  a  perfectly  rounded  pebble  or  concretion  found  iu  rain  torrent 
beds  or  in  pot  holes,  either  those  of  the  wind  on  high  mesas  or  those  of  the 
water  in  mountain  torrents,  is  ku-lu-lu-na-kya-al  u'-li-ne  or  ku-lu-lu-na-kya 
n'-kya-mo-li-a  tsan  u'-li-ne,  little  thunder-stone  ball  content. 

The  counters  are  called  ti-we  or  ti'-po-a-ne.  Ti  stands  for  ti'-i-le,  a  counting 
straw,  from  ti-na,  to  stand  or  represent,  as  in  or  of  a  procession  or  grouji.  The 
second  name  is  composed  of  ti  and  i)0-na-ne,  a  bundle,  bunch,  from  po-a,  to 
place  or  lean  together.  An  entire  bunch  of  counters  for  the  game  is  com- 
posed of  one  hundred  and  two  straws.  Of  these  one  hundred  are  made  of  clean 
broom  straws ;  those  used  in  the  game  of  peace  being  taken  preferably  from  a 
mealing-trough  brush  or  whisk ;  those  used  in  the  war  phases  of  the  game 
being  preferably  taken  from  hair  brushes  of  the  enemy  made  of  broom  grass. 
There  are  also  iu  each  complete  bunch  of  counters  two  counters  made  of 
flat  splints  of  yucca  blades  notched  at  the  ends  on  opposite  sides  to  represent 
the  feathering  of  arrows,  one  retaining  the  natural  spine  at  the  point  of 
the  leaf  and  called  father,  tim-ta-tchu,  or  master  counter,  ti'-mo-so-na.  the  other 
plain,    made   of   an    inner   portion   of   the    leaf,    and    called   a-wa-tsi-ta,    their 


378  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  24 

miitlier.  or  lio'-ta.  matenuil  Kramliuotlier.  Tliis  is  ;i  play  on  words  as  well 
as  a  syrubolio  name,  ho  being  the  yucca,  and  Ho'-tethl-oliya  being  the  god- 
dess of  yucca  fiber  and  of  the  primeval  bowstrings.  It  may  therefore  safely 
be  inferred  that  these  two  yucca  splints  represent  respectively  the  arrow  and 
the  bow.  and  that  the  Imnch  of  straw  sjilints  represents  the  tribal  bunch  or 
quiver  of  arrows. 

In  addition  to  the  above-mentioned  objects  there  are  the  staffs  of  direction, 
or  the  feeling  staifs  or  divining  wands,  one  of  which  is  <-.-irried  by  the  represent- 
ative or  guesser  of  either  side.  The  name  of  one  of  these  staffs  is  te'-hiithl-na- 
kya  thlam-me.  from  te.  region,  direction,  hiithla.  to  seek  understanding,  or  breast 
feeling,  and  thlam-me.  slat  or  wand  made  for.  These  wands  are  now  simple 
slender  round  rods  or  sticks,  between  2  and  4  feet  in  length,  very  slightly  flat- 
tened, and  bent  near  the  tip.  Formerly,  however,  they  were  more  elaborately 
formed,  somewhat  longer,  more  flattened  and  bent  at  the  tips,  and  quite  elabo- 
rately scored,  or  else  wrapped  with  a  continuous  platting  of  fine  rawhide,  and 
were  intended,  it  would  seem,  to  represent  ceremonially  surviving  forms  of  the 
atlatl.  The  guesser.  when  pa.ssing  to  and  fro  between  the  two  stations,  carries 
one  of  them  in  the  right  hand,  held  oblicpiely  over  the  left  arm  in  which 
the  tubes  and  counters  are  chisped  in  tlie  corner  of  his  mantle.  Wlien  using 
it.  he  holds  it  extended  over  the  tubes,  moving  its  tip  rapidly  over  first  one 
and  then  another  of  these  tubes,  in  time  to  the  song  of  the  hiding  shamans, 
until  he  and  it  together  decide  which  tube  to  upset  with  a  sudden  sidewise  stroke 
or  flip  of  the  wand.  There  is  still  another  use  to  which  these  staflis  are  put, 
indicating  their  supijosedly  conscious  nature.  While  the  guesser  for  the  time 
being  is  feeling  with  his  staff,  his  opponent,  who,  as  aid  of  tlie  official  hider  of 
the  content,  knows  under  which  of  the  tubes  it  is  hidden,  similarly  sways  his 
staff  over  the  tubes,  thus  seeking  to  mislead  and  confuse  the  movements  of  the 
other. 

Belonging  properly  to  the  movable  parts  of  the  game,  for  it  is  sometimes  car- 
ried to  and  fro  between  the  two  stations,  is  the  pa'-u-nu.kya-wem'-ma,  covering 
robe,  the  mantle  of  invisibility.  It  is  a  buffalo  robe  or  a  very  large  serape, 
which  is  held  over  the  hider  by  four  assistants,  also  official,  of  his  side,  when  he 
places  the  four  tubes  on  their  respective  mountains  of  sand  and  within  one  of 
them  hides  the  ball  or  other  content. 

In  endeavoring  to  guess,  the  youth  either  makes  a  great  variety  of  passes  over 
the  tubes  with  his  slat  or  staff  of  direction,  poising  it  over  one  or  another  as 
though  to  divine  with  it,  or  lieating  the  air  with  it  over  the  tops  of  the  tubes, 
both  in  time  and  out  of  time,  though  regularly,  to  the  hiding  incantation,  until, 
so  suddenly  that  his  motion  can  scarcely  be  seen,  he  switches  one  of  the  tubes 
over.  If  his  guess  prove  wrong,  he  continues  the  motion  uninterruptedly  until 
he  decides  to  tip  another  tube  over.  Or.  again,  he  may  simply  liold  his  staff 
over  his  arm  :  may  stand  gazing  intently  and  motionless,  muffled  up  to  his  chin 
in  his  serape.  now  and  then  making  a  feint  at  knocking  one  of  the  fulies  over 
with  his  foot,  until  he  finally  spurns  the  one  he  has  decided  on  with  the  toe  of 
his  right  foot ;  then,  if  wrong,  he  proceeds  as  lief'ore. 

If  the  first  tuiie  toppled  over  contains  ^he  ball,  a  sweejiing  sfal;e  is  won,  the 
full  count  of  all  the  tubes,  which  is  the  same  as  the  full  count  of  all  the  canes 
in  the  sho'-li-we  game,  and  the  side  of  the  fortunate  guesser  is  allowed  to  retain 
the  tubes  and  have  another  guess. 

If  he  fails  at  the  first  and  wins  the  second  guess,  lie  wins  the  count  of  the  par- 
ticular tube  overturned,  minus  that  of  the  tube  lie  overturned  without  finding 
the  ball,  and  .so  on  ;  so  that,  unless  his  second  guess  h;ippens  to  catch  the  ball 
in  a  tube  of  high  count,  he  generally  forfeits  instead  oi"  winning;    and  his  case 


COLIN] 


HIDDEN-BALL    GAME:    ZUNI 


879 


is  of  course  worse  still  with  the  tliinl  and  fourtli  guesses,  for  lie  is  compelled  to 
continue  guessing  until  tlic  bull  is  found. 

The  parties  which  play  the  game  are.  of  course,  two.  and  they  talie,  year  after 
year,  the  same  stations  on  the  eastern  and  western  sides  of  the  great  central 
plaza  of  the  town,  under  the  walls ;  and  these  stations  are  called  i'-yan-ko-lo-we 
te'-hua-we,  from  te',  space ;  aha,  to  seize,  take  by  choice ;  ua,  or  ula,  within 
(some  place,  the  plaza  in  this  case). 

Immediately  in  front  of  either  i>arty  are  its  four  mountains.  ya'-Ia-we.  of 
sand,  symliolic  of  the  four  regions  and  mountains  beyond  the  plane  of  this 
world.     The.v  are  disjiosed.  contiguously  to  oue  another,  in  a  square  [figure  497], 


NORTH  EASTERM 
COVERED  "WAY 


'^fyyy;^yyy/yyy^>^A    Vyy/7/y^A^. 


1 


Donee 
Mas  It  r 

AccounEmt  J^t 
Sorigr  Master 
Erumjner 
Stahe  Holder 


'(■Wot)  £ntei-mg-. 


Dance  J-V»5tfei 

with   druTTV 


Cu«sser  it 
Place  Keeper 

content 


'  r; 


^,-PQT\ce  Dram 

«  Players  of  the  South 


B' 


/ 


and   CutMS 


r4i§ht  SUN 


»B 

\ 


FroncisCAn 

enure h 

MissK*'!  of 
De  ly  5  S  de 
Cuodelovtpe 


e 


/      *  Ouesoer 
Place  Keeper 


South  Western 


*       Southern   cn- 
SumrnCT-  party 
<Cori-i)   j^etirin^ 


A-StaKe  Holder 

B- Accountant 

(holding  robe  ciwer 

Guesser  and  Place. 

Keeper  J 


Fi(i.  496.    Plan  of  hiding  gume;   Zuiii  Indiana.  Zuiii,  New  Mexico:  from  sketch  by  Mr  Frank 

Hamilton  Cashing. 


each  being  aliout  a  foot  in  diameter  and  some  9  inches  high.  The  northernmost 
mountain  is  called  ya'-la  thlup-tsi-na.  mountain  yellow :  the  western,  ya'-la 
thli-a-na.  mountain  blue;  the  southern  ya'-la  a-ho-na,  mountain  ruddy:  and  the 
eastern,  ya'-la  k'o'-ha-na,  mountain  white. 

Sometimes  only  a  single  sand  mound  is  raised  [figure  498],  but  in  such  ease 
it  is  still  the  fourfold  mountain  height,  or  a-wi-ten  te'-.val-la-ne.  As  indicated 
in  the  figures,  the  tubes  are  set  leaning  slightly  toward  their  respective  quarters 
when  the  gnesser  and  the  keeper  of  the  tubes  retire  together  uniler  the  mantle 
or  robe  before  described. 


380  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 

In  the  two^  parties  to  the  play  there  are  but  two  actual  players,  if  the  ana-wa- 
kwe.  guessers,  may  be  exclusively  so  called.  They  are  chosen  from  their  appro- 
priate clans  by  the  clan  priests  (if  the  game,  hut  are  generally  experienced  old 
hands  or  pla.vers.  and  whether  middle-aged  or  young,  they  are  always  known  as 
the  tsa-wa-ki,  youths  of  the  game.  They  carry  the  tubes,  and  counters  drawn,  to 
and  fro  between  the  stations.  When  one  side  loses,  the  youth  of  the  other  side 
who  has  come  over  and  made  the  winning  guess,  takes  the  tubes  up  in  the 
corner  of  his  mantle  or  in  his  left  arm,  grasps  the  counters  won  and  yielded 
by  the  accountant,  in  his  left  hand,  and,  bearing  his  staff  of  direction  in  the 
right  hand,  held  over  all,  proceeds  very  deliberately  to  his  own  side,  where, 
with  the  accountant,  or  keeper,  of  his  side,  who  botli  keeps  count  and  remembers 
under  which  tube  the  ball  of  his  side  is  hidden,  he  is  concealed  under  the  robe 
of  invisibility  or  hiding,  while  together  they  set  the  tubes  up  in  the  sand 
mountain  or  mountains  and  secrete  under  one  of  them  the  ball.  The  robe  is 
held  over  them  by  the  two  drum  masters,  and  meanwhile  the  priest  shaman  of 
the  game,  who  is  himself  an  old  and  celebrated  player,  makes  the  invocations 
and  with  his  assistants  sings  the  incantations  of  this  part  of  the  game.  In 
addition  to  these  functionaries,  who  are  the  owners  or  guardians  of  the  game  for 
their  clans  (I  believe  for  life),  there  is  a  party,  usuall.v  ver.v  large,  of  singers 
and  dancers  for  each  side.  They  are  composed  of  all  sorts  of  .voung  or  lusty 
middle-aged  members  of  the  clans  of  their  respective  sides,  and  they  sing,  shout. 


Fig.  497.  Pig.  498. 

Fig.  497.  Sand  mounds  with  hiding  tui^es:  Zuiii  Indians.  Zuui,  New  Mexico;  from  sketrh  by 
Mr  Frank  Hamilton  Gushing. 

Flo.  49h.  Sand  mound  with  hiding  tubes:  Ziuii  Indians.  Zuiii.  New  Mexico:  from  sketch  by- 
Mr  Frank  Hamilton  Gushing. 

dance  frantically,  yell  defiance,  and  taunt  and  jeer  their  opponents  while  the 
guessing  is  going  on.  trying  to  confuse  the  guessers  or  to  make  the  stone  stay 
hidden.  When  one  side  is  gaining,  the  dancers  of  that  side  generally  succeed  in 
driving  those  of  the  opposite  side  out  of  the  jjlaza  ;  but  when  the  tides  of  the 
game  vary,  both  sides  are  usually  drumming,  dancing,  singing,  shouting,  and.  not 
infrequently,  fighting  at  once.  The  game  begins  at  about  2  or  3  o'clock  of  the 
appointed  day — that  is,  the  fourth  da.y  from  the  final  announcement,  the  fourth 
day  of  the  retirement  of  the  functionaries  of  the  game  and  of  their  fasting 
and  purging.  It  usually  lasts  all  the  afternoon,  all  night,  and  not  infrequently 
until  late  in  the  forenoon  of  the  day  following;  but  these  dance  parties,  small 
at  first,  are  continually  augmented,  and  keep  up  their  activity  and  pandemo- 
nium luitil  forced  from  sheer  exhaustion  to  give  up.  Some  of  the  strongest 
endure  throughout,  but  at  the  end  can  scarcely  S[ieak  al)ove  dry  whisperings 
and  are  cadaverous  and  so  exhausted  that  their  feet  have  to  be  .ierked  from 
the  griiund  in  dancing.  The  songs  simg  and  the  taunts  .veiled  are  not  all 
traditional,  but  most  of  them  are.  and  they  are  always  allusive  to  the  myths 
of  the  game  and  affairs  that  were  connected  with  it.  There  are  many  myths 
regarding  the  game.  Each  tribal  division  possessing  an  i'-yan-ko-Io-we  has 
its  own  account  of  its  own  form  of  the  game,  while  the  general  myths  of  its 
origin  are  involved  in  the  tradition  of  all  the  four  tribal  games  played  at 
creation  times  by  The  Two,  each  as  played  in  some  particular  manner,  as  the 


CULINl 


HIDDEN-BALL    GAME:    ZUNI 


381 


thunder-ball  game  of  the  water  gods  and  water  people-animals  ( i'-yan-Uoio -wei. 
and  the  kicked-billet  game,  or  race,  of  the  wind  gods  and  wind  people,  birds, 
insects,  etc..  the  mo-ti-kwa-we.  stick -ball  game. 

The  game  is  not  played  by  women  or  children.  It  is  sometimes  mimicked  by 
the  latter,  although  they  are  not  provided  with  toys  for  the  purpose,  nor  can 
the.v  properly  lilay  it  as  a  game,  for  the.v  are  not  taught  the  rules  or  counts, 
and  can  therefore  only  pretend  to  play  the  game. 

In  reply  to  a  direct  inquiry  of  the  writer  whether  he  considered 
that  the  game  was  borrowed  or  regarded  it  as  a  fundamental  tribal 
ceremonial.  Mr  Cushing  answered : 

It  is  certainly  this  latter — more  of  a  function  than  any  other  game,  for  it  is 
accompanied  by  song  and  dance  and  gibes  and  public  betting  of  the  most 
extravagant  nature,  is  most  elaboratel,v  and  scrupulously  prepared  for,  and 
seems  not  to  have  been  played  by  others  than  by  authorized  persons.  It  is  cer- 
tainly derived  b.v  the  Zuui  from  their  ancestors,  both  those  of  the  Chaco  region 
and  those  of  the  farther  southwest  and  was  ver.v  ancient  among  them,  almost 
as  ancient  as  sho'-li-we. 

Mrs  Matilda  Coxe  Stevenson  gives  the  following  account  of  the 
game  under  the  name  iankolowe : " 

Implements. — Small  stone  disk,  less  than  2  inches  in  diameter,  colored  black 
on   one  side;   four   cups,   a   ball,   and  straws.     "In   the  old,   a   grain   of   corn 


Fig.  499.    Arrangement  of  tubes  before  playing  hiding  game;  Zuni  Indians.  Zuni,  New  Mexico; 

from  Mrs  Stevenson. 

was  used  instead  of  the  ball ;  "  and  the  corn  is  still  used  when  the  game  is 
offered  to  the  Gods  of  War.  The  four  cups  are  placed  on  their  sides  close 
together  in  a  row,  the  openings  to  the  east.  The  disk,  ball,  and  bunch  of 
straws  are  laid  on  top  of  the  cups  [figure  499].  This  arrangement  before  play- 
ing the  game  is  observed  by  all  men  of  any  standing  in  the  tribe,  "  for  it  was 
.so  with  the  Gods  of  War." 

Each  party  chooses  a  side  of  the  disk  before  it  is  thrown.  The  side  up 
designates  the  starter  of  the  game,  who  represents  the  side  of  the  elder 
God  of  War.  He  sits  facing  south  and  forms  a  square  with  the  four  cups 
before  him.  The  ball  is  secreted  in  one  of  the  cups.  The  elder  God  of 
War  always  placed  his  cups  in  the  form  of  a  square.  The  other  party,  who 
sits  facing  north,  chooses  from  the  cup  nearest  to  him,  taking  the  one  to 
the  west.     If  the  chosen  cup  contains  the  ball,  he  must  pay  10  straws  to  the 

"■  Zuni  Games.     American  Anthropologist,  n.  s..  v.  5,  p.  487,  1903.       • 


382 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


starter,  who  again  arranges  the  cups,  and  the  oiip  to  the  east  and  in  line 
nearest  the  chooser  is  taken.  Should  this  cup  not  contain  the  ball,  the  chooser 
lays  it  with  open  end  to  the  east  and  selects  an- 
other cup.  Should  this  cup  contain  the  ball,  he  for- 
feits 0  straws,  when  the  starter  again  arrange.s  the 
cups.  When  a  cup  containing  the  ball  is  chosen,  6 
straws  must  be  paid.  Should  tlie  first,  second,  and 
third  cups  selected  be  minus  the  ball,  they  are  laid  with 
the  open  ends  to  the  east ;  the  fourth  cup.  containing 
the  ball,  is  allowed  to  stand,  4  straws  are  forfeited, 
and  the  cups  are  rearranged.  Should  the  third  cup 
chosen  contain  the  ball,  no  payment  is  made,  and  the 
arranging  of  the  game  passes  to  the  other  party,  who 
represents  the  side  of  the  younger  God  of  War.  He 
forms  three  points  of  a  triangle  with  three  cups  and 
jilaces  tlie  extra  cup  to  the  eastern  point.  "  for  so  the 
younger  God  of  War  placed  his  game."  Wiien  all  the  straws  have  passed  to 
one  party,  the  game,  upon  which  heavy  wagers  are  often  made,  is  won. 

ZuNi.     Zufii,  New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  3028,  Brooklyn  Institute  Mu- 
seum.) 
Sandstone  disk  (figure  500),  4|  inches  in  diameter,  the  edge  beveled. 

One  side  shows  traces  of  red  paint.     Collected  by  the  writer  in 

1903. 

It  was  said  to  be  thrown  into  the  air  to  decide  which  side  should  start  the 
hidden-ball  game.     The  name  was  given  as  itapiauonnai. 


Flo.  500.  Stone  disk  used 
to  decide  which  side 
plays  first  in  hiding 
game;  diameter,  4i 
inches;  Zuni  Indians, 
Zuni,  New  Mexico:  cat. 
no.  3028,  Brooklyn  In- 
stitute Museum. 


GAMES   OF  DEXTERITY 


The  various  games  of  dexterity  liave  been  briefly  revieweil  in 
the  introduction.  In  one  of  them — the  game  of  hoop  and  pole — 
there  are  forms  in  which  chance  enters,  but  this  is  exceptionah  and 
in  general  the  class  may  be  regarded  as  homogeneous  with  respect  to 
the  skill  required  in  playing  the  game. 

ARCHERY 

I  have  classified  undei-  archery  games  played  with  arrows,  darts, 
or  analogous  objects  which  are  shot  or  tossed  at  a  mark,  excepting 
the  lioop-and-pole  or  ring-and-dart  game,  to  which  the  majority  of 
other  archery  games  appear  to  be  related.  Simple  archery,  or  shoot- 
ing at  a  mark,  does  not  hold  a  very  .conspicuous  place  among  the 
Indian  games  with  the  bow  and  arrow,  and  liut  three  examples  (Mon- 
tagnais.  Hopi,  Omaha)  are  found  among  the  following  descriptions. 
The  target  is  usually  an  important  feature  and  among  several  tribes 
is  allied  to  the  ring  of  the  ring-and-dart  game.  This  is  especially  true 
of  the  grass  targets  used  by  the  (Jrosventres,  Crows,  and  Tetons,  and 
probably  also  of  that  used  by  the  Zuni.  The  Potawatomi  game  in 
which  a  bark  target  is  buried  is  similar  to  the  Zuni  game.  The  yucca 
ball  of  the  Xavaho,  the  bundle  of  hay  or  bark  of  the  Shuswap,  and  the 
kelp  of  the  Makah  apparently  belong  to  the  same  category.  The 
Eskimo  game  in  which  darts  are  thrown  at  a  hole  in  a  wooden  tar- 
get is  probably  a  related  form.  Anothei-  common  target  is  an  arrow 
(Tarahumare,  Assiniboin,  Teton)  or  a  stick  set  upright  (Western 
Eskimo).  In  other  games  a  shot  arrow  is  the  target  (Slinswap, 
Thompson,  Oglala).  or  arrows  are  shot  out  of  a  ring.  The  Omaha 
thoot  to  dislodge  arrows  shot  into  a  tree.  Cacti,  buffalo  lights,  and 
moccasins  furnish  other  targets  (Omaha).  In  another  type  of 
arrow  game,  arrows  or  darts  are  tossed  (Apache,  Eskimo,  Ilopi, 
Tewa,  Zuni)  or  shot  (Pawnee.  Ponca)  at  an  arrow  tossed  or  shot 
to  the  gi'ound  so  that  they  fall  one  across  the  other,  usually  so  that 
the  feathered  ends  cross.  Thi^  game  may  lie  regarded  as  tlie  antetype 
of  the  Zuiii  sholiwe,  and  possibly  of  all  the  Indian  dice  games. 

383 


384  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 

ALGONQUIAN    STOCK 

Aeapaho.     Oklahoma. 

In  the  story  entitled  "  Found-in-Grass,"  related  by  Dr  George  A. 
Dorsey,"  the  twins,  Spring-Boy  and  By-the-Door,  corresponding 
with  the  War  Gods,  are  discovered  playing  a  game  of  arrows. 
Winning  appears  to  be  determined  by  one  arrow  touching  another. 

Cheiexne.  Che_venne  reservation,  Montana.  (Cat.  no.  69981.  Field 
Columbian  Museum.) 

Six  arrows,  29  inches  in  length,  with  bulging  ends  weighted  by 
being  wound  with  wire.  Two  are  blunt  and  four  have  wire-nail 
points.  These  arrows  are  in  pairs,  distinguished  by  bands  of 
blue  paint,  differenth'  arranged  on  shafts.  Collected  by  Mr 
S.  C.  Simms  in  1901.  ^ 

Gkosventres.  Montana.  (Cat.  no.  xlfsr,  American  Museum  of  Nat- 
ural History.) 

Wisp  of  grass  (figure  501),  wound  with  sinew.  9  inches  in  length. 
Collected  in  1901  by  Dr  A.  L.  Ivroeber,  who  describes  it  as  an 
arrow  target. 


Fuj.  Wl.    Arrow  target;  length,  9  inches:  <TroMvi'ntre  Indians.  Montana;  cat.  no.  tseb.  American 

Museum  of  Natural  History. 

MoNTAGNAis.     Camp  Chateau,  Labrador. 

George  Cartwright  *  says: 

The  Indian.s  were  diverting  themselves  with  sliooting  at  a  marlc  with  their 
arrows ;  but  I  can  not  say.  that  I  thinli  them  good  archers,  although  their  bows 
are  constructed  on  an  excellent  principle ;  for  by  the  assistance  of  a  baelv-string 
the  bow  preserves  its  elastic  power,  and  by  slackening  or  tightening  this  string 
it  is  rendered  weak  enough  for  a  child  of  6  years  old.  or  strong  enough  for  the 
most  powerful  man  amongst  them.  As  there  is  something  jiarticular  in  their 
sport  of  to-day.  I  shall  endea\or  to  <lescrii)e  it.  They  jirovide  two  targets  of  4 
feet  square,  made  of  sticks  and  covered  with  deerskins.  These  they  fix  on  [loles 
about  8  feet  high,  and  at  50  yards  distance  from  each  other.  The  men  dividing 
themselves  into  two  parties,  each  party  shoots  twenty-one  arrows  at  one  of  the 
targets,  standing  by  the  other.  That  party  which  puts  the  most  arrows  into  the 
target,  gains  the  honor,  for  they  have  not  the  least  idea  of  gaming.  The  victors 
immediately  set  up  shouts  of  mockery  and  derision  at  the  conquered  party ; 
these  they  continue  for  some  time,  when  the  wives  and  daughters  of  the  con- 
querors join  in  the  triumph  and  walking  in  procession  round  the  targets,  sing 

»  Traditions  of  the  Arapaho,  p.  364,  Chicago,  1903. 

*  A  .Tournal  of  Transactions  and  Events  during  a  Residence  of  Nearly  Sixteen  Years  on 
tlie  Coast  of  Labrador,  v.  1,  p.  238,  Newarlt,  1792. 


ctLix]  aechery:  navaho  385 

a  song  upon  tbe  occasion,  priding  themselves  not  a  little  with  the  defeat  of 
their  opponents,  who  at  length  join  in  the  laugh  against  themselves,  and  all  are 
friends  again,  without  any  offense  (seemingly)  being  either  given  or  taken. 

PoTAWATOMi.     Kansas. 

Mr  Wells  M.  Sawj-er  communicated  to  me  the  following  account 
secured  by  him  from  an  Indian  interpreter: 

Ta-te-wan  (gambling).  Four  players,  A,  B  and  C.  D,  each  with  n  bow  and 
two  arrows,  jilay  partners.  Two  strips  of  bark  aliout  4  inches  wi<le  are  placed 
in  piles  of  earth  shaped  up  like  a  little  grave,  the  mounds  being  about  2U(i  feet 
apart.  One  player  of  each  side  takes  his  place  near  each  mound.  A,  C  and  B,  D, 
The  arrows  of  A,  C  are  shot  toward  the  target  B,  D,  If  A  strikes  near  the 
target,  but  misses  with  both  arrows,  and  C  falls  to  strike  nearer  than  A,  the 
latter  counts  1,  If  either  of  C's  arrows  come  nearer  than  A's,  C  .scores  1.  If 
either  hits  the  target,  he  scores  5,  and  if  both  arrows  of  A  or  C  hit,  the  game 
is  won  (10  being  out).  If  both  A  and  C  hit  the  target,  neither  c-ounts.  The 
arrows  are  returned  by  B,  D. 

ATHAPASCAN    STOCK 

Apache  (Chiricahfa).     Arizona. 

Mr  E,  W.  Davis  communicated  to  the  writer  the  following  account 
of  a  game  jjlayed  by  Geronimo's  band  at  St  Augustine,  Florida, 
in  1889: 

The  game  which  interested  me  most,  and  one  which  requireil  considerable 
skill,  consisted  in  tossing  arrows,  point  first,  at  a  mark  about  10  feet  away. 
As  I  recollect,  the  first  man  to  throw  his  arrow  was  required  to  land  on  the 
mark.  If  he  did  so,  he  got  his  arrow  back.  His  first  throw  was  his  misfor- 
tune, and  the  best  he  could  do  was  to  lose.  He  had  no  chance  to  win.  Once  an 
arrciw  in  the  field,  however,  the  object  of  the  next  player  was  to  toss  his  arrow 
so  that  it  should  cross  the  first  thrown,  and  so  on  through  the  crowd.  I  have 
seen  as  many  as  six  play,  and  often  all  would  toss  around  without  any  one 
winning.  In  this  case  the  arrows  on  the  ground  remained  in  the  pot,  so  to 
speak.  The  play  went  on,  each  player  winning  as  many  arrows  as  he  could 
succeed  in  crossing  with  his  own,  until  the  whole  number  were  removed. 

Chipewyan.     Fort  Prince  of  Wales,  Keewatin. 
Samuel  Hearne "  says : 

They  have  but  few  diversions ;  the  chief  is  shooting  at  a  mark  with  bow  and 
arrows;  and  another  outdoor  game  called  IIoll.  which  in  some  measure  resem- 
bles pla.ving  with  quoits:   only  it  is  done  with  short  clubs,  sharp  at  one  end. 

Xavaho.     St  Michael,  Arizona, 

Rev.  Berard  Haile  describes  the  following  game  in  a  letter  of  June 
27.  1902: 

Sii-si"  oldo  (he  shoots  the  yucca).  Ba.vonet-shaped  .yucca  leaves  are  placed 
in  hot  ashes  to  make  them  flexible  and  moist.  Strings  of  them  are  then  made 
and  wound  around  bark  or  something  similarly  soft.     A  string  of  buckskin  is 

"  A  Journe.v  from  Prince  of  Wales's  Fort  in  Hudson's  Bay  to  the  Northern  Ocean,  p.  333, 

London,  179.". 

24  ETH — 05  M 25 


386 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  A.SN.lil 


wound  iu  with  the  bull  when  it  has  nearly  the  required  size.  A  small  piece  of 
an  oak  twig  is  fastened  to  the  end  of  the  string,  and  the  "  yucca  "  is  finished. 
The  shape.  I  think,  would  be  shown  in  the  accou)panying  sketch  [figure  .502]. 
The  stick  and  ball  are  thrown  into  the  air,  and  the  stick,  being 
heavier,  has  a  tendency  to  steady  the  ball  as  it  falls  to  the 
gniund.  While  it  is  thus  falling,  the  player  shoots  at  it  with 
bow  and  arrows,  scoring  if  he  is  successful. 

CADDOAN    .STOCK 


o 


BALL 


STICK 


STRING 

Pawnee.     Nebraska. 
John  B.  Dunbar "  says : 

There  were  also  frequent  games  played  with  arrows.  One 
person  shot  an  arrow  so  that  it  should  fall  upon  the  ground 
at  a  distance  of  from  40  to  60  paces.  The  players  then  in 
succession  endeavored  to  shoot  so  that  their  arrows  should 
f.ill  inunediatel.v  across  this  arrow.  Whoever  succeeded  took 
.•ill  the  arrows  discharged.  If  no  one  lodged  an  arrow  upon 
it  the  player  whose  arrow  lay  nearest  took  all.  Another 
game  was  for  several  players  to  take  an  arrow  between  the 
thumb  and  forefinger  of  the  right  hand  and  throw  it  so  that 
it  should  strike  in  the  ground  20  or  .SO  paces  in  advance,  the 
feather  end  of  the  shaft  sloping  back  toward  the  thrower. 
Then  stepping  forward  another  was  thrown  by  each,  so  as  to 
strike  4  or  .">  feet  beyond  the  first.  Each  arrow  that  failed  to 
strike  fast  in  the  ground  entailed  a  forfeit. 

Wichita.     Oklahoma. 

In  tlie  story  of  "  The  Deeds  of  After-birth  Boy.''  as  related  by  Dr 
George  A.  Dorsey.''  reference  is  made  to  tln'  two  brothers  playing  an 
arrow  game  called  "  shooting-a-small-plaitcd-sinew-on-the-fly,"'  lia- 
kukcs.     The  game  was  played  for  arrows. 


Pig.  502.  Airow 
target:  Navaho 
Indians,  St 
Michael,  Ari- 
zona; from 
sketch  by  Rev. 
Berard  Haile. 


ESKIMAUAX    STOCK 

EsKuro   (Western).     Point  Barrow,  Alaska. 

Mr  Joliii  Murdoch  ''  says: 

These  people  have  onl.v  one  game  which  appears  to  be  of  the  nature  of  gam- 
bling. It  is  played  with  the  twisters  and  marline  spikes  used  for  backing  the 
bow,  and  already  described,  though  Lieut.  Ray  says  he  has  seen  it  played  with 
any  bits  of  stick  or  bone.  I  never  had  an  opportunity  of  watching  a  game  of 
this  sort  pla.ved,  as  it  is  not  often  played  at  the  village.  It  is  a  very  popular 
amusement  at  the  deer-hunting  camps,  where  Lieut.  Ray  often  saw  it  played. 
According  to  him  the  players  are  divided  into  sides,  who  sit  on  the  ground  about 
3  yards  apart,  each  side  sticking  up  one  of  the  marline  spikes  for  a  mark  to 
throw  the  twisters  at.  Six  of  the  latter,  he  believes,  make  a  complete  set.  One 
side  tosses  the  whole  set  one  at  a  time  at  the  opposite  stake,  and  the  points  which 
they  make  are  counted  up  by  their  opponents  from  the  position  of  the  twisters  as 
they  fall.     He  did  not  learn  how  the  points  were  reckoned,  except  that  twisters 

"  The  Pawnee  Indians.  Magazine  of  American  History,  v.  S.  p.  7.50.  New  York.  Nov., 
1882. 

'The  M.vtholog>-  of  the  Wichita,  p.  92,  Washington.  HI04. 

'  Ethnological  Results  of  the  Point  Barrow  Expedition.  Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the 
Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  364,  1802. 


CULINJ  ARCHEBY  :    ESKIMO  387 

with  a  mark  on  them  counted  differentl.v  from  the  iihiin  ones,  or  how  long  the 
game  lasted,  each  side  talving  its  turn  of  casting  at  the  opposite  stake. 
He,  however,  got  tlie  impression  that  the  winning  side  kept  the 
twisters  Iielonging  to  their  opponents.  Mr.  Nelson  informs  me  in  a 
letter  that  a  similar  game  is  played  with  the  same  implements  at 
Norton  sound. 

I     Eskimo  (Western).     St  Michael,  Alaska. 

Mr  E.  W.  Nelson  "  describes  the  following  games :  /  ; 

A  round  block  about  6  inches  long  i.s  cut  into  the  form  of  a  large  ; 

spool,  but  with  the  flaring  rim  of  one  end  replaced  by  a  sharpened  point.  ! 

The  top  is  from  2J  to  3  inches  across  and  has  a  deep  hole  in  the  center.  ; 

This  spool-like  object  is  planted  in  the  tloor  of   the  kashim  with  the  large  j 

end  upward,  and  an   indefinite  nmnber  of  players  gather  around  it  , 

seated  crosslegged  on  the  floor.     Near  the  spool  is  a  small  pile  of  ; 

short  sticks,  of  uniform  size,  used  as  counters.     These,  with  a  small.  ; 

pointed  wooden  dart,  in  size  and  shape  almost  exactly  like  a  sharp-  j 

ened   lead  pencil,   compose  the   implements  of  the  game.     The  first  J 

player  takes  the  butt  of  the  dart  between  the  thumb  and  forefinger,  i 

with  its  point  upward  and  his  hand  nearly  on  a  level  with  the  spool.  j 

Then  he  gives  the  dart  a  deft  upward  toss,  trving  to  cause  it  to  take  a  ! 

curved  course,  so  that  it  will  fall  with  the  point  downward  and  remain  ' 

fast  in  the  hole  at  the  toi>  of  the  spool.     If  he  succeeds  he  takes  one  of  < 

the  coiuiting  sticks  from  the  pile  and  tries  again ;  when  he  misses,  the  ; 

dart  is  passed  to  the  next  player,  and  so  on,  until  the  counters  are  all  j 

gone,  when  the  players  count  up  and  the  one  having  the  most  count-  S 

ers  Is  the  winner.     Ordinarily  this  game  is  i)laved  bv  men,  women,  i 

or   children    merely   for   pastime,   but   sometimes   small   articles   are  ^ 

staked  ujion  the  outcome.     It  is  a  source  of  much  siiort  to  the  players,  i 

who  banter  and  laugh  like  school  children  at  each  other's  bad  play.  • 

/        Dart-throwing  (yokh'-whilk)     .     .     .     This  is  played  in  the  kashim  j 

by  two  or  more  persons,  usually  for  a  prize  or  stake.     The  darts  are  \ 

small,  short,  and  made  of  wood,   largest  at  the  point  and   tapering  i 

backward  toward  the  butt,  in  which  is  fastened  a  bird  quill  for  guid-  < 

ing  the  dart  in  Its  flight.     In  the  large  end  of  the  dart  is  fastened  a  J 

sharp  spike  of  bone,  horn,  or  sometimes  of  ivory.     The  target  is  a  I 

small,   upright  stick  of  some  soft   wood  planted   in   the  floor.     This  i 

may  be  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  room  and  the  players  divided  into  I 

two   parties,   seated   on   opposite  sides   of   the   target,   or   it   may   be  ! 

placed  on  one  side  of  the  room  and  the  players  seated  together  on  the  '■ 

other.     In  the  former  ca.se  a  man  is  appointed  from  each  side  to  return  ; 

the  darts  to  the  throwers  and  to  give  each  player  a  counter  when  a  j 

point  is  made.    Each  player  has  two  darts,  which  he  throws  one  after  j 

the  other,  and  a  score  is  made  when  a  dart  remains  sticking  into  the  I 

target.    Ten  small  wooden  counting  sticks  are  placed  on  the  floor  by  the  i 
target,  and  one  of  these  is  given  for  each  score ;  the  side  gaining  the 
most  of  these  counters  takes  the  prize,  and  the  game  begins  again. 

At  Cape  Nome,  south  of  Bering  strait,  a  similar  dart  game  was  seen, 
but  there  the  target  was  a  square  board-like  piece  of  wood  with  a  dark- 
colored  bull's-eye  painted  in  the  lenter.  This  was  set  up  in  the  kashim 
and  the  men  and  boys  threw  their  darts  at  it.  scoring  when  they  hit 
the  bull's-eye.     The  wooden  portion  of  the  darts  used  in  this  game, 

"  The  Eskimo  about  Bering  Strait.     Eighteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  American 
EthDolo!.'.v,  p.  .3.32,  1899. 


388  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  24 

both  at  rape  Nome  and  St  Michael,  was  from  5  to  G  inches  hi  length  and  from 
three-fourths  of  an  Inch  to  an  inch  in  diameter  at  the  larger  end.  Figure  [503] 
represents  a  dart  from  Cape  Nome,  used  for  throwing  at  a  square  l)oard  target 
with  a  round  blad^  Inill's-eye  painted  on  its  center.  The  players  place  the  target 
on  one  side  of  the  kasliim  and  stand  U|ion  the  other  side  to  throw,  scoring  1  for 
each  dart  that  sticks  in  tlie  bull's-eye.  These  darts  are  nearly  2  feet  in  length 
and  have  a  tajiering  wooden  handle,  largest  at  the  front,  with  an  ivory  point 
fastened  in  the  lower  end  b.v  a  tapering,  wedge-shape  point,  which  is  inserted  in 
the  split  end  aud  lashed  firmly.  The  uii|ier  end  of  the  shaft  tapers  to  a  small, 
round  point,  on  which  is  fastened  the  end  of  a  feather  from  a  cormorant's  tall, 
which  serves  to  guide  the  dart  in  its  flight.  —J 

KERESAN    STOCK 

Kerbs.     Acoma,  New  Mexico. 

An  Acoma  Indian  at  Zuni,  named  James  H.  Miller,  informed  the 
writer  that  the  Acoma  Indians  have  an  arrow  game  in  which  they 
shoot  at  grass  tied  up. 

KIOWAN    STOCK 

KiowA.     Oklahoma.      (Cat.  no.  159913.  United  States  National  Mu- 
seum.) 
jSix  arrows  made  of  a  single  piece  of  maple  wood,  29^  inches  in  length 
(plate  IX ). 

The  heads  are  carved  and  painted.  According  to  the  collector,  Mr 
James  Mooney,  the  arrows  are  thrown  with  the  hand,  like  a  javelin, 
and  the  player  who  throws  farthest,  wins.     It  is  a  man's  game. 

The  incised  designs,  painted  red,  yellow,  green,  and  blue,  are  in 
part  easily  recognizable  as  the  calumet  with  iDrimer.  bow,  and  arrow, 
the  lightning,  and  the  symbols  of  the  four  directions  on  the  upper- 
most arrow,  which  are  painted  from  left  to  right  with  the  colors  reti, 
green,  blue,  and  yellow,  Mr  Gushing  identified  others  as  the  war 
f-taff,  or  standard,  and  shield — day  or  dawn  signs  with  turkey  tracks; 
day  signs  with  stars;  horse  tracks  and  the  man  sign.  Mr  Mooney, 
in  reply  to  my  inquiry,  informed  me  that  the  Kiowa  attach  no  special 
significance  to  these  carved  arrows,  and  were  unable  to  explain  the 
designs. 

MOQUELUSINAN    .STOCK 

ToPiNAGUGiM.     Big  creek,   -i   miles   north   of   Ciroveland.  Tuolumne 
county,  California. 
Dr  Hudson  describes  these  Indians  as  playing  also  a   game  of 
shooting  at  an  arrow  set  up,  under  the  name  of  thuyamship. 

The  two  conte.stants.  armed  with  bows  and  blunt  arrows,  stand  beside  an 
arrow  stuck  in  the  ground  and  shoot  alternately  from  a  distance  of  about  170 
feet.  Two  other  players  stand  near  the  arrow  targets  and  mark  the  shots. 
The  players  shoot  back  aud  forth  until  one  of  the  two  arrow  targets  is  struck 
and  broken. 


BUREAU   OF  AMERICAN    ETHNOLOGY  TWENTY-FOURTH   ANNUAL   REPORT      PL.    IX 


GAMING    ARROWS;     KIOWA    INDIANS,    OKLAHOMA;    CAT.     NO.     159913,'     "^  '■'  '5^ 
UNITED    STATES    NATIONAL    MUSEUM  '■'A' 


ciLix]  aecheey:  tarahumare  389 

PIMAX    STOCK 

Pima.     Arizona. 

The  late  Dr  Frank  Russell  "  described  the  following  boys'  games : 

Vatamumulitc  hukoyoliwia. — The  players  stand  in  a  circle  while  a  boy  runs 
around  the  outside,  dragging  at  the  end  of  a  string  a  bundle  of  rags.  When 
the  play  begins  each  boy  deposits  an  arrow  in  a  heap,  and  the  one  who  trans- 
fixes the  bundle  as  it  flies  past  is  entitled  to  the  pile  of  arrows.  At  the  end 
the  best  marksman  may  have  nearly  all  the  arrows.  The  same  runner  con- 
tinues throughout  the  game,  and  receives  a  few  arrows  as  compensation  for 
his  services. 

Okmaitceke. — A  bundle  of  grass,  called  woliwikke,  is  tied  with  willow  bark 
so  that  it  is  about  125  mm.  long  and  50  mm.  in  diameter.  The  player  tosses 
the  bundle  upward  with  his  left  hand  while  holding  the  bow  in  his  right,  ready 
to  shoot  the  bundle  before  it  can  strike  the  earth.  When  the  bundle  is  thrown 
forward  instead  of  upward,  it  is  called  tcomiilt  maitceke,  "  to  shoot  the  bundle 
low." 

Xaof  towe  kukrsa,  •■  prickly-pear  standing  opposite." — There  are  usually  four 
players,  though  sometimes  two  engage  in  this  shooting  game.  Trickly-pear 
leaves  are  set  up  opposite  each  other  at  a  distance  of  about  30  yards.  The 
game  is  to  pierce  the  leaf  with  an  arrow,  and  when  four  are  playing  the  two 
partners  share  equally  the  winnings  or  losses.  Arrows,  bows,  and  such  siftiilar 
property  as  these  ragged  urchins  possess  are  wagered.  A  bow  is  considered 
worth  from  ten  to  twenty  arrows,  according  to  quality. 

Kuorsa. — Either  two  or  four  may  iilay.  The  game  consists  in  shooting  an 
arrow  so  that  it  will  lie  on  the  ground  at  a  distance  of  aliout  100  feet  and 
then  shooting  two  more  arrows  with  the  intention  of  casting  them  across  the 
first. 

TARiVHTMARE.     Chihuahuu.  Mexico. 
Dr  Carl  Lumholtz  ^  says : 

Very  common  is  It  to  see  two  young  men  amusing  themselves  with  shooting- 
matches,  shooting  arrows  at  an  arrow  which  has  licen  shot  out  into  the  ground 
scinic  '<>>  yards  off  as  a  mark.  This  arrow,  as  well  as  the  game  itself,  is  called 
in  Mexican  Spanish  lechuguilla.  In  Tarahumare  the  game  is  called  chog'irali. 
and  the  target  arrow  chogira.  The  arrow  coming  nearest  the  chogira  counts 
1  point ;  and  if  it  comes  within  four  fingers'  width  of  the  aim,  it  counts  4.  The 
game  is  for  12  points.  The  distance  is  not  measured  from  the  points  of  the 
arrows,  but  from  the  winged  parts,  one  man  measuring  for  all.  If  a  shot  strikes 
so  as  to  form  a  cross  with  the  chogira,  it  counts  4.  If  it  only  touches  the  point 
of  the  latter  in  the  ground,  it  coimts  2.  If  two  arrows  happen  to  form  crosses, 
neitlier  counts. 

Instead  of  arrows,  three  sticks  may  lie  employed.  One  is  thrown  out  at  a 
distance  and  is  the  chogira,  and  the  other  two  sticks  are  thrown  toward  it  and 
count  in  a  similar  way  as  the  arrows.  Often  while  traveling,  the  Tai-ahuniare 
play  this  game,  in  either  form,  as  they  go  along  the  road,  perhaps  for  the  entire 
distance.     Two  or  three  pairs  may  play  together. 

**  In  a  memoir  to  be  published  l>,v  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology. 
'Unknown  Mexico,  v.  1,  p.  276,  New  Yorlj,  1902. 


390  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [htui.  ann.  24 

SALISIIAN    STOCK 

8injswAP.     Kamloops.  British  Columbia. 
Dr  Franz  Boas  «  says : 

Shooting  matches  are  frequently  arranged.  An  arrow  is  shot,  and  then  the 
archers  try  to  hit  the  arrow  which  has  been  shot  first.  Or  a  bundle  of  hay  or  a 
piece  of  bark  is  thrown  as  far  as  possible,  and  the  men  shoot  at  it. 

Thompson  Indians  (Ntlakyapamuk).     British  Cohimbia. 
Mr  James  Teit  *  says : 

A  shooting  game  was  played  as  follows :  A  steep  sandy  bank  was  generally 
chosen.  Each  player  had  two  arrows.  An  extra  arrow  was  fired  at  the  bunk  by 
one  of  the  party,  to  remain  there  as  a  target.  Each  player  in  turn  flred  liis  ar- 
rows at  this  target.  The  person  who  struck  the  notched  end  of  the  arrow-shaft  or 
target,  thereby  splitting  it  in  two,  won  the  greatest  number  of  points.  The  man 
who  shot  his  arrow  so  that  it  stuck  into  the  bank  alongside  of  the  arrow  target, 
touching  the  latter  all  along  the  shaft,  won  the  next  highest  number.  A  man  was 
stationed  near  the  target  to  call  out  the  name  of  the  shooter  and  the  place  where 
the  arrows  struck.  The  distance  chosen  to  shoot  from  was  according  to  the 
wishes  of  the  archers,  generally  from  40  to  100  yards.  In  another  game  one 
man  shot  his  arrow  as  far  as  he  could,  the  others  trying  to  shoot  as  near  to  it 
as  possible,  and  the  game  was  repeated.  The  man  that  could  shoot  the  farthest 
and  truest  generall.y  won.  A  large  open  space  with  rather  soft  ground  was  best 
suited  for  this  game. 

The  Indians  used  to  gather  at  a  bluft"  close  to  Nicola  river,  and  aljout  10  or  12 
miles  from  Spences  Bridge.  Here  they  tried  to  shoot  their  arrows  over  the  top 
of  the  blufC  and  passers-by  did  the  same.  Only  the  strongest  shooters  could 
shoot  easil.y  over  the  bluff. 

SHOSHONEAN    STOCK 

Hopi.     Mi.shongnovi,  Arizona. 

Mr  Charles  L.  Owen  describes  the  following  game : 

The  players  throw  up  two  sloping  embankments  at  a  distance  of  200  feet 
apart.  These  are  4  feet  long  and  IG  to  18  inches  high.  In  the  center  of  each  is 
placed  a  conspicuous  mark,  such  as  a  piece  of  cotton  cloth  or  a  piece  of  bright 
tin,  at  which  boys  and  girls  shoot  their  arrows.  The  closest  shot  secures  the 
shooter  the  first  shot  at  the  other  target. 

Mr  A.  M.  Stephen,  in  his  unpublished  manuscript,  gives  soya 
nanuveya  as  the  Hopi,  and  ihiitiii  as  the  Tewa  name  for  casting 
throwing-sticks  on  the  ground  in  imitation  of  a  game  where  they  cast 
arrows  on  the  ground,  the  player  trying  to  cause  the  fletc'.iing  ol  his 
arrow  to  lie  upon  his  opponent's  in  a  certain  place.  The  following  are 
term.s  of  the  game : 

Na-na'-vii-ya,  to  bet ;  na-na'-vii-lau-wfl,  betting,  gambling ;  ho-hiih  ak  na-na'- 
vu-ya,  to  bet  arrows ;  ho'-hii,  arrow ;  pa-vaf-nai-ya,  throwing  sticks  from  a  short 
distance  to  make  them  lodge  in  a  rock  crevice. 

»  Second  General  Report  on  the  Indians  of  British  Columbia.  Report  of  the  Sixtieth 
Meeting  of  the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  (141.  London,  1891. 

»The  Thompson  Indians  of  British  Columbia.  Memoirs  of  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  v.  2,  p.  279,  New  York,  1900. 


CELIN] 


ARCHERY  :   DAKOTA 


391 


SIOTTAN    STOCK 

AssiNiBoiN.     Fort  Union,  Montana. 

Edwin  T.  Denig "  says : 

Another  game  is  played  by  the  boys  and  young  men  which  consists  of  plant- 
ing an  arrow  in  the  sno\\-  or  ground  and  each  throwing  other  ari'ows  at  it  until 
struck,  and  he  who  strikes  the  [ilanted  arrow  is  winner  of  all  the  arrows  then 
on  the  ground. 

CV.dWs.     Crow  reservation.  Montana.      (Cat.  no.  690-1:9.  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum.) 


Fig.  504.    Arrow  targret;  length,  12  inches:  Crow  Indians,  Montana:  cat.  no,  89649.  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum. 


Arclierj'  target  (figure  504),  a  wisp  of  sweet  grass  bent  over  in  the 
middle  and  wound  with  sinew;  length,  12  inches. 
This  specimen  was  collected  in  1901  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms,  who  de- 
scribes the  game  as  follows: 

The  target  is  placed  40  feet  away  from  the  archer  and  shot  at  with  an  arrow 
from  an  ordinary  bow.  If  he  hits  it,  he  takes  up  the  target,  and  placing  it  be- 
tween the  index  and  second  finger  of  his  left  hand,  cross- 
ing and  resting  on  the  arrow  which  is  made  ready  to 
shoot,  but  pointed  toward  the  ground.  [Figure  50.5.] 
Raising  the  bow  and  arrow,  with  the  wisp  still  resting 
on  it,  the  wisp  is  released  and  the  arrow  discharged  at 
it.  If  he  hits  it  in  tlie  air,  he  scores  an  arrow.  It  is 
thus  used  in  gambling,  and  is  played  in  the  spring  by 
boys  and  men.     The  game  is  called  bah-but-te'-de-o. 

Dakota     (Oglala).     Pine     Ridge    reservation. 

South  Dakota.     (Cat.  no.  22130,   Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University 

of  Pennsylvania.) 

Toy  bow  and  arrow  (figure  506),  the  bow  rudely 

cut  from  hardwood,  with  a  single  curve  and 

a  sinew  string,  30  inches  in  length,  and  the 

arrow  made  of  a  sapling,  with  a  blunt  head. 

18  inches  in  length. 

Collected   by   Mr  Louis  L.   Meeker,   who   de- 


FiG.  505.  Crow  Indian 
playing  grass  -  target 
game,  Montana:  from 
photograph  by  Mr  S.  C. 
Simms. 


"  Report  to  Hon.  Isaac  I.  Stevens  on  the  Indian  Tribes  of  the  Upper  Missouri, 
lished  manuscript  in  the  library  of  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology. 


Unpub- 


392  GAMES    OP    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 

scribes  them  under  the  name  of  hoksila   itazipa.     Speaking  of  the 
boys,"  he  says: 

They  play  at  duels,  and  the  targets  for  art-hery  are  arrows,  cactus  phints,  or 
the  dead  body  of  a  small  animal. 


Fig.  506.  Toy  bow  and  arrow;  length  of  bow,  30  inches;  length  o(  arrow,  IS  inches;  Oglala 
Dakota  Indians.  Pine  Bidge  reservation,  Sonth  Daljota;  cat.no.  22130,  Free  Museum  of  Science 
and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Dakota    (Teton).     Pine  Ridge  reservation,  South   Dakota.     (Cat. 

no.  jIItj,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History.) 
Bow   and   five   arrows  with   wooden   points,  collected  bv   Dr  J.   R. 
Walker. 

One  arrow  is  painted  black,  and  is  shot  upward  so  that  it  falls  point  down. 
The  player  then  shoots  at  it  with  his  other  arrows,  having  four  trials. 

Doctor  Walker "  describes  the  game  of  coat  shooting,  waskate  ogle 
cekutepi,  as  played  by  men  in  which  an  arrow  painted  black  or 
wrapped  with  a  black  strip  of  buckskin,  or  having  a  tag  attached  to 
it,  called  ogle,  coat,  is  shot  higli  into  the  air  so  that  it  will  fall  from 
50  to  75  yards  away.  Then  the  players  stand  and  shoot  at  it  with 
bow  and  arrow. 

South  Dakota. 


Rev.  J.  Owen  Dorsey  "^  describes  the  following  archery  games : 

Chun'kshila  wanhin'kpe  un'pi.  Game  with  bows  and  small  arrows. — These 
arrows  are  made  of  green  switches,  before  the  leaves  fall  in  the  autumn.  The 
end  of  each  switch-arrow  is  charred  to  a  point,  and  when  it  hits  the  bare  skin  it 
gives  pain.  The  boys  used  to  shoot  these  arrows  at  the  dogs  when  they  went  for 
water.     Pla.ved  by  boys  in  autumn. 

Tachaghu  yuha  shkfltapi.  Game  with  buffalo  lights. — The  boys  used  to  assem- 
ble .'it  the  place  where  they  killed  the  liuCfalo.  and  one  of  them  would  take  a  strip 
of  green  hide,  to  which  the  lights  w(>re  attached,  and  drag  the  latter  along  the 
ground  to  serve  as  a  mark  for  the  rest.  As  he  went  along,  the  others  shot  at 
the  lights.  Sometimes  the  boy  stood  still,  grasping  a  long  withe  fastened  to 
the  lights,  which  he  sw^ung  round  and  around  his  head  as  he  passed  around  the 
circle  of  players,  who  shot  at  the  lights.  Now  and  then,  when  a  boy  sought  to 
recover  his  arrow,  the  other  bo.v  would  strike  him  on  the  head  with  tlie  lights, 
covering  him  with  blood,  after  which  he  would  release  the  player.  Sometimes 
the  boy  holding  the  lights  would  break  off  all  the  arrows  which  were  sticking 
therein,  instead  of  allowing  their  owners  to  reclaim  them. 

Pezhi  yuskil'skil  kutepi.  They  shoot  at  grass  tied  tightly  in  bunches.  Played 
by  the  larger  lioys.  Grass  is  wrapped  around  a  piece  of  bark  till  it  assumes  an 
oval  shape,  both  ends  of  the  grass  being  secured  together.     The  grass  ball  thus 

"  Ogalala  Games.  Bulletin  of  the  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  v.  .3.  pp.  3-1,  43, 
Philadelphia,  1901. 

*•  Sioux  Games.       .Tournal  of  .American  Kolk-Lore,  v.  19.  p.  32,  190*t. 

'  Games  of  Teton  Dakota  Children.  The  American  Anthropologist,  v.  4,  pp.  337,  339, 
340,  341,  1891. 


CULIN]  archery:    OMAHA  393 

made  is  tbrown  into  the  air,  and  all  shoot  at  it,  trying  to  hit  it  before  it  reaches 
the  ground ;  when  it  is  hit,  the  arrow  generally  penetrates  the  object  very  far, 
leaving  only  a  small  part  of  the  feather  end  visible.  The  one  who  sends  his  arrow 
near  the  heart  or  mark  on  the  grass  ball  has  the  right  to  toss  the  ball  up  into 
the  air ;  but  he  who  hits  the  heart  on  the  ball  throws  the  ball  on  the  ground, 
and  then  throws  it  where  he  pleases,  when  all  shoot  at  it.  The  game  is  generally 
played  till  dark,  but  there  are  no  stakes  put  up. 

T'likchela  kutepi,  Shooting  at  the  cactus.  This  game  is  always  played  for 
amusement,  never  for  gain.  On  the  appointed  day  the  boys  assemble  on  the 
prairie.  One,  who  must  be  a  swift  ruuuer,  takes  a  cactus  root  into  which  he 
thrusts  a  stick  to  serve  as  a  handle.  Grasping  the  cactus  by  this  handle,  he 
holds  it  aloft  as  he  runs,  and  the  others  shoot  at  it.  During  this  game  the 
swift  runner  himself  is  regarded  as  having  become  the  cactus ;  so  when  one 
of  the  boys  hits  the  cactus  they  say  that  it  enrages  the  boy-cactus,  who  there- 
upon chases  the  others.  Whenever  the  boy -cactus  overtakes  a  player  he  sticks 
his  cactus  into  him,  turns  around,  and  returns  to  his  former  place.  Again  the 
cactus  is  held  aloft  and  they  slioot  at  it  as  before,  and  again  the  players  are 
chased.     The  game  is  kept  up  till  the  filayers  wish  to  stop  it. 

Ogleche  kutepi.  Shooting  at  an  arrow  set  up.  Some  boys  back  their  favorites 
among  the  players  by  furnishing  them  with  articles  to  be  put  down  as  .stakes. 
On  each  side  of  a  hill  there  is  an  arrow  stuck  upright  in  the  ground  to  serve  as 
a  mark.  The  players  on  one  side  shoot  at  the  arrow  set  up  on  the  other ;  the 
players  at  the  front  shoot  at  the  arrow  in  the  rear,  and  then  the  players  in  the 
rear  shoot  at  the  arrow  set  up  at  the  front.  The  nearer  a  player  sends  his 
arrow  to  the  mark,  the  more  it  counts.  Sometimes  one  of  the  arrows  set  up  Is 
withdrawn  temporarily  from  its  place  to  be  used  for  shooting  at  the  other  arrow. 
Only  arrows  are  staked. 

Mandan.     North  Dakota. 

Catlin  "  describes  a  favorite  amusement  which  they  call  the  game 
of  the  arrow  (figure  507)  : 

The  young  men  who  are  the  most  distinguished  in  this  exercise,  assemble  on 
the  prairie  at  a  little  distance  from  the  village,  and  having  paid,  each  one,  his 
entrance  fee,  such  as  a  shield,  a  robe,  a  pipe,  or  other  article,  step  forward  in 
turn,  shooting  their  arrows  into  the  air,  endeavoring  to  see  who  can  get  the 
greatest  number  flying  in  the  air  at  one  time,  thrown  from  the  same  bow.  For 
this,  the  number  of  eight  or  ten  arrows  are  clenched  in  the  left  hand  with  the 
bow,  and  the  first  one  which  is  thrown  Is  elevated  to  such  a  degree  as  will 
enable  it  to  remain  the  longest  time  possible  in  the  air,  and  while  it  is  flying, 
the  others  are  discharged  as  rapidl.v  as  possible ;  and  he  who  succeeds  in  getting 
the  greatest  number  up  at  once,  is  best,  and  takes  the  goods  staked.   \ 

Omaha.     Nebraska. 
Rev.  J.  Owen  Dorsey  *  describes  the  following  games : 

Shooting  arrows  at  a  mark  is  called  ma°klde.  The  mark  (nacabeg(fe  te)  may 
be  placed  at  any  distance  from  the  <-onteslants.  There  must  be  an  oven  numlier 
of  persons  on  each  side.  Men  play  with  men  and  boys  with  boys.  Arrows  are 
staked.  Sometimes  when  an  arrow  bits  squarely  at  the  mark  It  wins  eight 
arrows   or   perhaps    ten,   according   to   previous    agreement.     When    no   arrow 

"  The  Manners,  Customs,  and  Condition  of  the  North  American  Indians,  v.  1,  p.  141, 
London,  1841. 

'  Omaha  Sociology.     Third  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  339,  1884. 


394 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  asn.  24 


liits  the  mark  scjuarely  and  one  touches  it,  that  arrow  wins.  And  if  there  is 
neither  an  arrow  that  hits  the  marii  squarely  nor  one  that  barely  touches  it,  then 
the  nearest  arrow  wins.  Should  tliere  be  no  arrow  that  has  gone  nearly  to  the 
mark,  but  one  that  has  gone  a  little  beyond  it  and  descended,  that  one  wins. 
Whichever  one  is  nearest  tlie  mark  alwa.vs  wins.  If  there  are  two  arrows  equi- 
distant from  the  mark  which  belong  to  opi>osite  sides  in  the  game  neither  one 
wins:  but  if  the  equidistant  arrows  are  on  the  same  side,  both  win.  Sometimes 
they  say  :  "  Let  us  tinisli  the  game  whenever  anyone  hits  the  mark  squarely." 
Then  he  who  thus  hits  the  mark  wins  all  the  arrows  staked. 

Shooting  at  a  moccasin. — IIi°be  klde  is  a  boy's  game.  An  arrow  is  stuck  in 
the  ground  and  a  moccasin  is  fastened  to  It.  Each  boy  rides  swiftly  by  and 
shoots  at  the  moccasin.     The  game  resembles  the  preceding  one. 


Flii.  :M:.     L-iaiin'  "1  111.' 


3I;anliiu  ludiiLns,  North  Dakota;  trum  Catlin. 


Ma"-nulqpe,  The  game  of  dislodging  arrows,  is  common  to  the  Omahas,  Poncas. 
lowas,  Otos,  and  Missouris.  Arrows  are  shot  up  into  a  tree  till  they  lodge 
among  the  branches ;  then  the  players  shoot  up  and  try  to  dislodge  them. 
Whoever  can  bring  down  an  arrow  wins  it.  There  are  no  sides  or  opposing  par- 
ties. Any  number  of  boys  can  play.  The  game  has  become  obsolete  among  the 
Omahas,  as  there  are  no  arrows  now  In  use. 

Ma°-gadaze  is  a  game  unknown  among  the  Omahas,  but  practised  among  the 
Poncas,  who  have  learned  it  from  the  Dakotas.  It  is  played  b.v  two  men.  Each 
one  holds  a  bow  upright  in  his  left  hand  with  one  end  touching  the  ground, 
and  the  bowstring  toward  a  heap  of  arrows.  In  the  other  hand  be  holds  an 
arrow,  which  he  strikes  against  the  bowstring,  which  reltounds  as  he  lets  the 
arrow  go.  The  hitter  flies  suddenly  toward  the  heap  of  arrows  and  goes  among 
them.  The  player  aims  to  have  the  feather  on  his  arrow  touch  that  on  some 
other  arrow  which  is  in  the  heap.  In  that  case  he  wins  as  many  arrows 
as  the  feather  or  web  has  touched,  but  if  the  sinew  on  his  arrow  touches  another 
arrow,  it  wins  not  only  that  one,  but  all  in  the  heap. 


CULIN]  ARCHERY  :    MAKAH  395 

SKITTACiETAN     STOCK 

FLviDA.     British  Columbia. 
Dr  J.  R.  Swanton  "  describes  the  following  game : 

"Arrows  stuck  up"  (Sq  lajna'da  I.  Some  one  shot  au  arrow  up  into  the 
branches  of  a  tree  near  the  town  until  it  stuclv  there.  Then  all  would  try  to 
shoot  it  down,  and  generally  succeeded  in  setting  more  up.  He  who  knocked  an 
arrow  down  owned  it. 

TANOAN    STOCK 

Tewa.     Santa  Clara,  New  Mexico. 
Mr  ^.  S.  Dozier  ''  writes  as  follows : 

On  the  liringing  in  of  the  corn  and  after  the  dance  in  honor  of  that  event  the 
first  game  of  the  season  begins.  Then  the  boys,  fi-om  the  smallest  tot  able  to 
walk  to  well  grown  up  ones,  and  the  younger  men  ma.v  be  seen  at  different  places 
about  the  pueblo  with  the  ah  (bowl  and  tsu  (arrow).  As  you  go  by  you  ask: 
"  Hum-bi-o  ■■  (what  are  you  doing?)  and  they  reply  "  I-vi-tsu-ah-wa  "  (playing 
the  arrow).  The  game  is  a  very  simple  one,  as  played  by  the  Tewa.  the  bows 
not  being  the  stronger  ones  formerly  used,  nor  the  very  excellent  ones  now 
made  by  the  Apache,  Navaho.  and  Ute.  .\  ring,  varying  in  diameter  from  5  to  6 
inches  to  2  or  3  feet,  is  made  on  the  ground,  and  the  arrows  are  placed  upright 
in  the  earth.  The  players  take  places  around  the  ring  and  shoot  for  position. 
The  ones  coming  nearest  the  place,  generally  marked  by  a  stone  or  a  piece  of 
wood,  from  which  the  arrows  will  be  shot  at.  will  shoot  first  in  their  order. 
The  shooting  then  begins,  and  in  order  to  win,  the  arrow  must  be  thrown 
entirely  from  the  ring,  and  the  ones  winning  the  most  arrows  take  positions  in 
the  next  shooting  and  go  on  until  the  arrows  in  the  ring  are  exhausted. 

WAKASHAN    STOCK 

Makah.     Neah  bay,  Washington. 

Dr  George  A.  Dorsey  ''  describes  the  following  games: 
Tlitsaktsaudl :  This  game  (shoot-arrow)  is  also  played  by  young  men  and, 
generally,  in  the  spring  of  the  year.  Two  goals  are  made,  situated  from  2.5  to 
30  yards  apart.  As,  from  the  nature  of  these  goals,  no  specimen  could  be 
collected,  a  description  must  suffice.  Five  pieces  of  kelp  are  thrust  into  the 
earth  in  a  row,  the  center  piece  being  about  IJ  feet  high,  the  outer  pieces  about 
3  inches  high,  and  the  two  intermediate  pieces  midway  between  the  center  and 
outer  pieces.  Over  these  is  placed  another  piece  of  kelp,  which  is  bent  in  a 
semicircular  shape,  with  its  extremities  thrust  into  the  earth  about  2  feet  apart. 
From  two  to  six  play,  all  standing  in  front  of  one  goal  and  shooting  at  the  goal 
opposite,  the  object  being  to  hit  any  one  of  the  upright  pieces  of  kelii.  If  the 
representative  of  one  side  or  the  other  shoots  and  strikes  the  goal,  he  shoots 
again.  Should  he  miss,  one  of  the  opjionents  takes  the  arrow  with  which  he 
shoots.  Should  he  make  a  liit.  he  retains  the  arrow.  The  ob.iect  of  this  .  .  . 
game  is  to  win  arrows  (quilah). 

"  Contributions  to  the  Ethnology  of  the  Haida.  Memoirs  of  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  whole  series,  v.  8.  pt.  1.  p.  01.  New  York.  1905. 

''  Some  Tewa  Games.  Unpublished  manuscript  in  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology, 
May  8,   1896. 

*■  Games  of  the  Makah  Indians  of  Neah  Bay.  The  American  .\ntiquariau.  v.  -o,  ji.  70. 
1901. 


396  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [etii.  ANN.  24 

Tatauas.  In  this  game  a  goal  is  also  made  of  kelp,  but  instead  of  arrows 
short  spears  of  red  huckleberry,  from  3  to  4  inches  in  length,  are  used.  This 
game  is  played  by  two  boys,  each  one  sitting  down  on  tlie  beach  facing  his 
opponent,  but  at  one  side  of  him.  B  takes  a  piece  of  kelp  stalk  (wal'k-a-at) 
and  thrusts  it  into  the  ground  at  his  left  side,  at  which  A  tlien  hurls  his  spear. 
Failing  to  strike  the  goal.  B  takes  A's  spear  and  passes  his  piece  of  kelp  to 
A,  who  then  thrusts  it  into  the  ground  by  his  left  side,  when  B  hurls  the  spear. 
In  case  he  is  successful  he  retains  the  spear,  otherwise  the  kelp  is  returned 
to  B  and  thrown  at  by  A,  and  the  game  goes  on  as  before.  The  object  of  the 
game  is  to  win  all  the  spears  of  the  opponent, 

WASHOAN    STOCK 

Washo.     Carson  valley,  Nevada. 

Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  the  following  game  under  the  name  of 
tsohotumpesh : 

An  arrow  is  stuck  in  the  ground  slanting  toward  the  marksman,  who,  GO  feet 
away,  casts  at  it  a  3-foot  blunt  arrow.  One  or  more  opponents  take  their 
turn,  standing  in  the  flr.st  caster's  tracks.  The  object  is  to  strike  the  leaning 
arrow,  or  knock  away  an  opponent's  arrow.  Either  counts  1.  To  dislodge  the 
target  counts  5,  or  coup.  Several  can  play,  each  using  any  number  of  darts 
agreed  upon. 

YTIMAN    STOCK 

Maricopa.     Arizona. 

Mr  Louis  L.  Meeker  describes  a  game  of  grass  shooting  in  which 
a  wisp  of  grass  is  put  upon  the  arrow  where  it  crosses  the  bow. 
The  bow  is  drawn  and  the  wisp  tossed  up  and  shot  in  the  air  or 
the  arrow  is  forfeited. 

ZUNTAN    stock 

ZuNi.     Zuni,  New  Mexico. 

Mr  John  G.  Owens "  describes  the  following  game : 
Sho-we-es-to-pa.  The  number  of  players  is  unlimited.  Each  one  has  several 
arrows.  One  throws  an  arrow  on  the  ground  8  or  10  feet  in  front  of  him, 
the  others  follow  in  turn,  and,  should  the  arrow  thrown  by  any  one  cross  that 
of  another  at  the  beginning  of  the  feathers,  lie  takes  it.  The  limits  of  success 
are  very  small,  and  skillful  throwing  is  required  to  win  the  arrows  of  another. 
This  game  is  Imt  little  played  at  present,  and  I  am  doubtful  whether  the 
younger  men  of  the  tribe  know  how  to  pla,v  it.  .  .  .  The  decline  of  the  game 
is  jirobably  due  to  the  decline  of  the  use  of  the  bow  and  arrow,  but  I  think  it 
has  left  a  descendant  in  lo-p6-che-wa.  This  is  played  only  by  the  boys.  Instead 
of  arrows  they  use  pieces  of  bone  2  or  3  inches  long  with  feathers  tied  to  them. 
You  may  see  five  or  six  boys  playing  this  game  in  all  parts  of  the  pueblo  at 
any  time  during  the  summer.  They  generally  touch  the  Ijone  to  the  tongue 
before  throwing  it,  to  make  it  stick.  The  principle  of  the  game  is  the  same 
as  that  of  the  one  just  described. 

Mrs  Matilda  Coxe  Stevenson  *  describes  the  preceding  game  as  fol- 
lows: 

»  Some  Games  of  the  Zuni.     Popular  Science  Monthly,  v.  39,  p.  40,  New  York,  1891. 
"  Zuni  Oames.     American  Anthropologist,  n.  s.,  v.  5,  p.  490,  1903. 


CDLINl 


archery:  zuni 


397 


Sh6wialtowe  may  be  played  by  any  number  i<(  persons,  each  one  beini;  iiro- 
vided  with  several  arrows.     Holding  it  between  his  index  and  middle  finger  and 


Fig.  608.    Method  of  holding  arrows  in  playing  shuwialtowe;  Zuni  Indians,  Zuiii,  New  Mexico; 

from  Mrs  Stevenson. 

thumb,  the  first  iilayer  throws  an  arrow  a  distance  of  some  10  or  12  feet  [fignre 
508].    Then  a  second  player  throws,  aiming  to  have  the  feathers  on  his  arrow- 


FiG.  .509.    Plumed  stii-ks  used  in  playing  lapochiwe;  Zuiii  Indians,  Zuiii,  New  Mexico:  from  Mrs 

Stevecson. 


shaft  touch  those  of  the  one  already  on  the  ground.     If  he  is  successful   he 
takes  both  arrows  and  makes  another  throw,  when  the  next  player  aims  at  the 


898 


GAMES    (IF    THE    XOKTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       fETii.  axx.  24 


nrrow  on  the  ground:  if  he  f:iils.  the  arrows  remain  in  place  and  another  ])la.ver 
throws  :  and  so  on.  each  man  taliinj;  the  arrows  wliieli  are  tonehed  h.v  his  own. 
fSonietinies  considerable  dispute  arises  as  to  whether  the  feathers  ai'e  really  in 
contact,  the  men  stooping  and  examining  the  arrows  with  the  closest  scrutiny. 

If  the  arrow.s  fall  apart,  each  player  tal^es  his  own  from  the  ground,  and  a 
new  game  is  begun.     The  taker  of  the  full  number  of  arrows  wins  the  game. 

L.lpochlwe. — Implements  [figure  509],  three  pencil-like  sticks;  three  reeds 
the  length  of  the  sticks,  one  of  them  with  a  sharpened  stick  pro.ieoting.  and  one 
longer  reed  (designated  the  chief)  having  a  pointed  stick  attached  to  the  end. 
Two  fluffy  feathers  are  attaclied  to  ea<-h  reed  and  stick. 

Three  sometimes  play  with  the  number  of  reeds  and  sticks  mentioned.  Init 
when  more  than  two  play  it  is  usual  to  increase  the  number  of  sticks,  although 
in  the  genuine  game  of  the  Gods  of  War  the  number  can  not  exceed  seven. 

The  one  proposing  the  game  divides  the  si.x  smaller  reeds  and  sticks  between 
his  opponent  and  himself,  and  throws  "  the  chief."  The  game  is  played  like 
showiiiltowe.  except  that  the  players  are  seated  and  throw 
a  comparatively  short  distance.  Lapoehiwe  is  one  of  the 
favorite  indoor  games. 

ZuNi.     Zufii.  New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  3093,  Brook- 
lyn Institute  Museum.) 
Twelve  feathered  darts,  made  of  slips  of  twig  (fig- 
ure 510),  about  2^  inches  in  length,  each  with 
three  feathers  inserted;   total  length.  8^  inches. 
The  set  was  collected  by  the  writer  in  1903.     The 
name  given  was  lapoehiwe. 

Zuiii.  New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  3065,  Brook- 
lyn Institute  Museum.) 
Miniature  bows.  18i  inches  in' length,  two  arrows, 
and  a  target  made  of  grass,  54  inches  in  length 
(figure  511).     Collected  by  the  writer  in  1903. 


§x( 


Pio.510.  LApochiwe; 
length  of  darts, 
about  8v  inches; 
Znui  Indians,  Zuiii, 
New  Mexico;  cat. 
no.  3093,  Brooklyn 
Institute  Museum. 


The  name  of  the  game  was  given  as  hapoanpiskwalwe, 
from  ha-po-an,  bunch  of  grass,  and  pis-kwai-we,  shooting. 
Two  men  or  two  boys  play  it  in  sunuuer  in  tlie  cornfields. 
The  target  is  covered  with  sand,  which  is  smoothed  over  so  that  the  ha-po-an 
does  not  show.  They  shoot  in  turn,  leaving  the  arrows  in  the  ground.  Then 
they  pull  out  the  arrows  together,  and  if  neither  has  pierced  the  target,  it  is 
bad  luck ;  but  if  one  has  hit  the  target  and  lifts  it  out  on  his  arrow,  he  is  sure 
to  kill  deer.  The  arrows  are  old  style,  not  feathered  and  made  of  cane  with 
hard-wood  foreshafts. 

Mrs  Matilda   Coxe  Stevenson "  describes  hapoanne  pihlkwanawe : 

Implements. — Bow  and  arrows:  an  oval  roll  of  green  cornhusks. 

Any  number  may  play  this  game.  A  hii'poantie  (roll  of  husks)  is  placed  upon 
the  ground  and  arrows  are  shot  at  it  from  a  distance  of  40  or  50  feet.  The  first 
player  to  strike  the  roll  covers  it  with  a  mound  of  earth,  very  much  larger  than 
the  roll  itself,  while  the  others  turn  their  backs.  The  one  who  places  the 
hii'poiinne  is  almost  sure  to  mark  the  exact  location  of  it.  hence  he  resorts  to 
various  devices  to  mislead  the  players.     A   favorite  deception  is  to  leave  the 


°  Zuiii  Games.     American  Anthropologist,  n.  s.,  v.  5,  p.  488,  1903. 


cdlin] 


SNOW-SNAKE 


399 


mounil  liiw  where  the  roll  is  ju-tunlly  buried,  having  it  more  elevated  at  some 
other  point.  The  players  aim  to  shoot  their  arrows  into  the  ha'poiinne.  and  the 
one  who  strikes  wins  the  game.  The  winner  draws  the  husk  from  beneath 
the  earth  with  the  arrow.  When  the  arrow  strikes  the  mound,  but  does  not 
touch  the  ha'poiinne.  it  is  removed  by  the  one  who  secretes  the  object,  and  a 


Pit;.  .511.    Target  and  bow  and  arrows;  length  of  target,  5i  inches:  length  of  bow.  IK^  inches; 
Zuiii  Indians,  Zuni.  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  .3065,  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 

second  player  shoots  his  arrow.  Each  player  takes  his  turn  until  the  ha'poiinne 
is  struclv,  the  one  having  the  arrangement  of  it  being  the  last  one  to  shoot,  and 
he  is  naturally  the  most  frequent  winner.  This  game  affords  great  amusement 
to  the  younger  men. 


SNOW-SNAKE 

I  have  included  under  the  general  name  of  snow-snake  all  that  class 
of  games  in  which  darts  or  javelins  are  hurled  along  snow  or  ice  or 
free  in  the  air  in  a  competition  to  see  whose  dart  will  go  the  farthest. 
They  appear  to  be  confined  to  the  northern  range  of  tribes,  within  the 
limit  of  ice  and  snow. 

There  are  three  principal  types:  First,  the  snow-snake  proper,  in 
which  a  long  polished  rod  is  made  to  glide  on  the  snow  or  ice ;  second, the 
bone  slider,  in  which  a  ])iece  of  bone  or  horn,  stuck  with  two  feathers, 
is  made  to  slide  along  tlie  ice:  third,  a  game  in  which  a  javelin,  some- 
times feathered  and  commonly  tippeci  witli  liorn,  is  made  to  slide 
along  the  ground  or  to  dart  through  the  air,  after  being  made  to 
glance  by  .striking  the  earth  or  some  other  obstacle. 

The  game  of  snow-snake  is  played  with  rods  up  to  10  feet  in  length, 
round  or  flat,  usually  highly  polished,  and  not  infrequently  carved 
at  the  end.  Shorter  sticks,  simple  javelins  or  darts  with  carved  heads, 
are  also  used.  They  are  made  to  slide  along  the  frozen  crust,  or  in  a 
rut  in  the  snow.  Sides  are  chosen  and  stakes  bet  upon  the  result,  a 
snake  which  outdistances  all  on  the  opposite  side  counting  a  point. 
Snow-snake  is  distinctly  a  man's  game,  but  special  forms  exist  for 
women. 

As  suggested  Iw  the  Omaha  game,  the  first  form  appears  to  have 
been  originally  a  game  of  sliding  bows,  and  these  may  be  referred  to 
the  two  bows  of  the  twin  War  Gods.  The  hurled  snakes  may  be 
referred  to  their  war  clubs.     The  bone  sliders  which  have  been  col- 


400  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  axn.  24 

lected  from  :i  numher  of  tribes — Algonqiiian.  Kiowaii.  and  Sioiian — 
remain  lUR'xplained.  They  are  all  alike,  with  two  feathers  stuck  on 
pegs,  and  suggest  a  bird  in  their  form.  The  third  form  of  darts  is 
probably  derived  from  arrows. 

ALGONQUIAX    STOCIC 

Arapaho.     Cheyenne  and  Arapaho  reservation.  Oklahoma. 

Mr  James  INIooney "  says : 

The  bati'qtaba  (abbreviated  ti'qtup)  game  of  the  Arapaho  and  other  prairie 
tribes  somewhat  resembles  the  Iroiiuois  game  of  the  suow-smike,  and  is  played 
by  children  or  grown  persons  of  both  sexes.  It  is  a  very  sinijile  game,  the  con- 
testants merely  throwing  or  sliding  the  sticks  along  the  ground  to  see  who  can 
send  them  farthest.  Two  persons  or  two  parties  play  against  each  other, 
boys  sometimes  playing  against  girls,  or  men  against  women.  It  Is.  however, 
more  especially  a  girls'  game.  The  game  sticks  (batiqta'wa)  are  slender  willow 
rods,  about  -i  feet  long,  peeled  and  painted,  and  tipped  with  a  |ioint  of  buffalo 
horn  to  enable  them  to  slide  more  easily  along  the  ground.  In  throwing,  the 
player  holds  the  stick  at  the  upper  end  with  the  thumb  and  fingers,  and,  swing- 
ing it  like  a  i>endulum,  throws  it  out  with  a  sweeping  motion.  Young  men  throw 
jirrows  about  in  the  same  way,  and  small  boys  sometimes  throw  ordinary  reeds 
or  weed  stalks. 

Cheyenne.     Oklahoma.     (Cat.  no.  21943.  Free  Museum  of  Science 

and  Art,  l^niversity  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Feathered  bone  (figure  512)   for  throwing  on  the  ice.  called  hekone- 
natsistam.  or  bone  game,  consisting  of  a  piece  of  buffalo  or  beef 
rib,  7  inches  in  length,  with  two  sticks  fitted  at  one  end,  each 
bearing  a  hawk  feather,  dyed  red :   total  length,  2.5  inches. 
It  was  collected  by  ^Ir  Louis  L.  Meeker,  who.  has  kindly  furnished 
the  following  particulars: 
The  thumb  is  placed  on  one  side  of  the  bone,  the  forefinger  between  the  sticks, 

with  the  end  against  the  end  of  the 
bone,  and  the  other  three  fingers  op- 
posed to  the  thumb  ngainst  the  other 
side  of  the  ril>,  the  convex  side  of 
which  is  down.  It  is  then  thrown 
down  luid  forward  against  a  smooth 
surface,  preferably  ice,  so  that  it 
glances  forward  as  throwing-sticks 
and  snow-snakes  do. 
FiG^  512.    Feathered  bone  slider:  length,  7  inches;  rp,,p  „,jjj.,„  ^^^.^^^^^  „„  t,^p  ^„,„p  rep- 

Cheyenne    Indians,  Oklahoma;    cat.  no.  21!)48, 

Free  Museum  of  Scienceaud  Art,  University  of       ''«'*"'"*   '^    horned   toad,   a    tarantula, 
Pennsylvania.  the  milky  way,  and  the  moon.     The 

four  marks  invoke  the  four  winds, 
while  the  six  legs  of  the  tarantula  represent  up  , and  down  and  the  cardinal  points. 

Oklahoma.      (Cat.  no.  f)7358,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Dart  points,  made  of  polished  horn  3|  inches  in  length,  mounted  on 

sticks  34  and  32  inches  in  length.     The  shorter  one  is  notched  at 

the  end  like  an  arrow. 


"The  Ghost-dance  Religion.      Pourteeutli    .\nnu;il    Keport    of   the   Bin-eiui  of  Ethnology, 
p.  1007,  1896. 


crr.iN] 


sxow-sxake:  chippewa  401 


Collected  by  Rev.  H.  R.  Votli  in  1890.  who  gave  the  following  in- 
formation : 

The  points  are  of  buffalo  liorn  and  are  employed  as  points  for  sticks  from  4  to 
<;  feet  long.  The  arrows  thus  formed  are  used  in  a  game  in  which  a  number  of 
girls  shoot  or  hurl  the  darts  along  the  road  or  other  smooth  ground.  The  object 
of  the  contest  is  to  determine  who  can  make  the  dart  go  farthest. 

Cheyenne.     Cheyenne    reservation,    Montana.     (Field    Columbian 

Museum. ) 
Cat.  no.  09985.     Javelin,  with  conical  bone  head.  5  inches  in  length, 
and  wooden  shaft  painted  blue;  total  length,  6G  inches. 
This  was  collected  in  1901  by  Mr.  S.  C.  Simms,  who  describes  it  as 
used  in  a  woman's  game,  played  on  the  ice  or  hard  crust  of  snow  and 
called  majestum. 

Cat.  no.  69984.     Arrow  tipped  with  a  conical  bone  point.  4  inches  in 
length,  with  wooden  shaft,  painted  yellow,  and  having  feathers 
tied  at  the  end :  total  length,  27i  inches. 
This  was  collected  in  1901  i)v  Mr  S.  C.  Simms.  who  describes  it  as 
used  in  a  man's  game. 

The  stick  is  seized  b.v  one  end.  whirled  rapidl.v  around  with  a  vertical  mo- 
tion, and  released  when  it  gains  momentum.  The  object  is  to  make  it  go  as 
far  as  possible. 

Chippew.a.     Apostle  islands.  AVisconsin. 

J.  G.  Kohl  "  says : 

The  Indians  are  also  said  to  have  many  capital  games  on  the  ice,  and  I  had 
the  opiiortunit.v.  at  any  rate,  to  inspect  the  instruments  employed  in  them, 
w'hich  they  called  shoshinian  (slipping  sticks).  These  are  elegantl.v  carved  and 
prepared;  at  the  end  they  are  slightly  bent.  like  the  iron  of  a  skate,  and  form 
a  heavy  knob,  while  gradually  tapering  down  in  the  handle.  They  cast  these 
sticks  with  considerable  skill  over  tlie  smooth  ice.  In  order  to  give  them 
greater  impulsion,  a  small,  gentl.v  rising  incline  of  frozen  snow  is  formed  on 
the  ice,  over  which  the  gliding  sticks  liound.  In  this  way  they  gain  greater 
impetus,  and  dart  from  the  edge  of  the  snow  mound  like  arrows. 

Wisconsin. 

Prof.  T.  I.  Ducatel ''  says: 

They  have  their  shosehman,  or  snow  stick,  about  the  length  of  a  common 
walking  cane,  cut  out  in  the  shape  of  a  sledge,  which  they  cause  to  slide  over 
the  snow  or  ice. 

Mille  Lacs.  Minnesota.     (Cat.  no.  204597.  United  States  Xa- 

tional  Museum.) 

A  wooden  club,  26^  inches  in  length,  flat  on  one  side  aiid  round  on 
the  reverse,  one  end  wedge-shaped,  with  its  upper  face  burned 
and  marked  with  incised  lines  painted  red  and  yellow,  as  shown 
in  figure  513.     Collected  by  Mr  G.  H.  Beaulieu. 


»  Kitchi-Gami.  Wanderings  round  Lake  Superior,  p.  90,  London,  1860. 

"  A  Fortnight  among  the  Chippewas.     The  Indian  Miscellany,  p.  368.  Albany,   1877. 

24  ETH— 05   M 2C 


402 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 


This  object  is  stated  by  the  collector  to  be  a  rabbit  club,  which  is 
glanced  or  thrown  along  the  surface  of  tlie  sno^Y  to  kill  the  animal, 
"  like  a  snow-snake." 


Pig.  513.    Snow-snake;  length,  26i  inches;  Chippewa  Indians,  Mille  Lacs,  Minnesota:  cat.  no. 
204597,  United  States  National  Museum. 

Chippewa.    Bear  island.  Leech  lake,  Minnesota.     (American  IMuseum 
of  Natural  History.) 


Cat.  no. 


Snow-snake  (figure  514a),  a  straight  stick,  pointed 


at  one  end,  26  inches  in  length. 

Cat.  no.  jt^.     Snow-snake   (figure  ol4&),  curved  upward  and  ex- 
panding at  the  farther  end,  29^  inches  in  length. 
These  specimens  were  collected  in  1903  by  Dr  William  Jones,  who 

describes  them  as  played  on  the  snow  and  called  shoshiman,  sliders. 


Fig.  514  o,  b.    Snow-snakes;  lenjrths.  26  and  291  inches;  Chippewa   Indians,  Bear  island,  Leech 
lake,  Minnesota;  cat.  no.  J733, 1735,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 


Fio.  515.    Snow-snakes;  length,  12}  inches;  Chippewa  Indians,  Bear  island.  Leech  lake,  Minne- 
sota; cat.  no.  .,*;„  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

Cat.  no.  ^fj.     Six  snow-snakes  (figure  515),  121  inches  in  length, 
with  fore  ends  turned  upward  and  carved  difterently. 
Collected  by  Dr  William  Jones,  who  describes  them  under  the  name 
of  shoshiman,  sliders: 

A  small  boy's  same.     Encli  luis  an  equal  iiumhcr.     ria.ved  on  a  ridge  of  snow, 
down  wUic-U  a  little  groove  is  made.     The  object  is  to  send  the  stieli  tbe  farthest. 


CULIN] 


SXOW-SNAKE  :    CBEE 


403 


Chippewa.  Bois  fort,  near  Rainy  river,  ilinnesota.  (Cat.  no.  jttti 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History.) 

Wooden  club  (figure  516),  made  of  white  cedar,  tapering  to  the  point 
and  l)nrn('(l  l)]ark:  22  inches  in  length.  Collected  by  Dr  Wil- 
liam Jones  in  1903. 


Fig.  516.    Srow-SQake;  length,  2-  iuches;  Chippewa  iLnlian:^,  Bui.^  tuit,  Minnesota;  cat.  no.  if?j, 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 


Turtle  mountain.  North  Dakota. 
Museum  of  Xatui-al  History.) 


( Cat.   no. 


TT3T? 


American 


Wooden  club  (figure  .517) .  21}  inches  long,  e.xpanded  at  the  upjicr  end 
and  painted  red. 
Collected  in  liKK'  by  Dr  AA'illiam  Jones,  who  describes  it  as  thrown 
on  the  .snow  with  a  wrist  movement  and  gives  the  name  as  kwashkwa- 
shiman.  bounding  slider. 


Pig.  .517.    Snow-snake;  length,  21*  inches;  Chippewa  Indians.  Turtle  mountain.  North  Dakotaj 
cat.  no.  1?;,,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

Cree.     ^luskowpptung  reserve.  Qu"appelle.  Assiniboia.     (Field  Co- 
lumbian Museum.) 
Cat.  no.  01989.     Wooden  dai-t  (figure  .518).  TJ  inches  in  length,  the. 
shaft  decorated  with  a  burnt  design;  described  by  the  collector, 
under  tlie  name  of  puckitseeman. 

Played  by  any  number  of  jiersons.  of  either  sex  or  any  age,  either  singly  or  by 
partners.  ■  A  narrow  track  is  made  down  the  side  of  a  Hill  covered  with  snow 
for  a  distance  of  fiO  feet  or 
more.  This  track  is  iced.  The 
puck  is  started  at  the  top  of  the 
track ;  it  is  not  shoved,  but 
must  start  off  b.v  its  own  weight. 
The  track  is  barred  at  four 
points,  about  10  feet  apart,  by 

snow  barriers.     The  object  is  to  pass  the  puck  through  as  many  as  possible  or 
all  of  the  four  barriers,  and  at  the  same  time  to  have  it  not  leave  the  track.    ' 

To  win,  the  dart  must  be  passed  through  all  four  barriers  four  times  by  the 
same  person  or  partners.  Count  is  kept,  however,  according  to  the  number  of 
barriers  passed  through.  Considerable  skill  is  acquired  in  this  game  in  the 
handling  of  the  puck. 

Cat.  no.  61991.  Wooden  dart  (figure  519).  similar  to  the  preceding, 
but  longer :  length.  18 J  inches. 

This  is  described  by  the  collector,  under  the  name  of  shooceemau, 
throwing  to  slide : 

Played  by  men  only,  either  singly  or  in  partnership.  Four  barriers  of  loose 
snow  are  constructed  at  distances  of  a  few  feet  apart  and  immediately  behind, 
each  other. 


> 


Fu;..51-^.  Snow-dart  ipuckitseemati);  length,  7  J  iuches; 
Cree  Indians.  Assiniboia;  cat.  no.  61989,  Field  Colum- 
bian Mufreum.  1 


404  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 

The  players  stand  about  ten  feet  distant  from  the  nearest  barrier,  and  the 
stick  is  thrown,  as  in  underhand  bowling,  directly  at  the  nearest  barrier,  which 
it  approaches  with  a  gliding  motion.  The  object  of  the  game  is  to  pass  the 
stick  through  the  entire  set  of  barriers  at  one  throw,  which  wins  the  game ; 
[loints  may  be  counted,  however,  according  to  the  number  of  barriers  penetrated 
by  the  dart. 

In  the  case  of  a  tie  between  players,  tlie  winner  in  the  ])lay-()ff  must  pass  his 
dart  through  all  barriers  four  times. 


Fig.  519.    Snow  dart  (sliooceeman) ;  length,  IS}  inches;  Cree  Indians,  Assiuibi.iia;  cat.  no.  61991, 

Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Cat.  no.  61990.     Flat  stick  (figure  520),  one  end  pointed  and  curved 
upward:  length,  14]  inches. 
It  is  described  by  the  collector  under  the  name  of  esquayopuckit- 
seeman : 

Game  played  by  women  exclusively.  Similar  to«game  cat.  no.  61989,  except 
that  the  ice  path  is  made  with  numerous  turnings  and  is  not  impeded  by 
barriers.  The  ice  path  is  also  made  umch  narrower,  being  but  little  wider  than 
the  dart  itself.  The  passage  of  the  dart  around  the  several  turnings  is  equiva- 
lent to  the  passing  of  the  dart  through  the  snow  barriers  in  the  men's  games. 


Fio.520.    Snow-dart  (esquayopueliitseeman);  length,  Ul  inches;  Cree  Indians,  Assiniboia:  cat. 
no.  61990,  Field  Columbian  Musetun. 

All  of  the  iirecedinp  specimens  were  collected  by  Mr  J.  A.  Mitchell. 
Grosventres.     Fort  Belknap.  Montana.     (Cat.  no.  -j-lfj,  American 

Museum  of  Natural  History.) 
End  of  beef  rib.  having  two  wooden  pegs  inserted  at  one  end.  upon 
which  feathers  are  stuck;    length,  24  inches.     A  model  collected 
by  Dr  A.  L.  Kroeber. 

Menominee.     Wisconsin. 

Dr  Walter  J.  Hoffman  "  describes  the  following  game : 

Another  game  for  both  amusement  and  gambling  was  termed  the  snow-snake, 
and  was  undoubtedly  derived  from  the  Ojibwa.  It  was  played  during  the 
winter,  either  in  the  snow  or  on  the  ice,  and  the  only  article  necessary  con- 
.sisted  of  a  piece  of  hard  wood,  from  5  to  6  feet  long  and  from  one-half  to  three- 
fourths  of  an  inch  thick.  The  head  was  bulb-like  and  shaped  like  a  snake,  with 
e.ves  and  a  cross  cut  to  denote  the  mouth.  This  rounded  end  permitted  it  to 
pass  over  slight  irregularities  in  its  forw;ir(l  movements.  The  player  would 
grasp  the  end,  or  tail,  of  the  snake  by  putting  the  index  finger  against  the  end 
and  the  thumb  on  one  side,  opposite  to  which  would  be  the  remaining  three 
fingers;   then  stooping  toward  the  ground  the  snake  was  held  horizontally  from 


1896 


"  The  Menomini  Indians.     Fourteenth  Annual  Ueport  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  244, 


Cl'LINl 


SNOW-SNAKE  :    MISSISAVGA 


405 


right  to  left  and  forced  forw.ird  in  tbe  direction  of  the  head,  skiramiug  along 
rapidly  for  a  considerable  distance.     [See  figure  521.1 

The  Ojibwa  play  the  game  in  a  similar  numuer,  but  they  sometimes  place  a 
ridge  of  snow  slightly  inclined  away  from  the  player  in  order  to  give  the 
snake  an  upward  curve  as  it  leaves  the  hands,  thus  propelling  it  a  consideral)Ie 
distance  before  touching  the  snow  or  ice. 


Fin.  521.    Menominee  Indian  holding  snow-snake  preparatory  to  throwing;  Wisconiiin;  from 

Hoffman. 


MissiSAUGA.     New  Credit,  Ontario. 
Rev.  Peter  Jones  "  says : 

Their  principal  play  during  the  winter  season  is  the  snow-snake,  which  is 
made  of  hard  smooth  timber,  about  G  feet  long,  having  eyes  and  mouth  like  a 
snake.  The  manner  of  playing  is  to  take  the  snake  by  the  tail,  and  throw  it 
along  the  snow  or  ice  with  all  their  strength.  Whoever  sends  his  snake  the 
farthest  a  certain  number  of  times  gains  the  prize. 

<•  History  of  the  Ojebway  Indians,  p.  134,  London,  1861. 


406  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  2-t 

NoRKiDGEwocK.     Norridgewock.  Maine. 
Easles «  gives,  under  joiiets  des  enfans : 
SShe,  c'est  uu  bois  plat  qu'ils  font  glisser  sur  la  nege.  glace. 

Passamaquoddy.    Maine. 

Mrs  W.  W.  Brown  ''  describes  the  following  game  (figure  .522)  : 

T'so-ha-ta-ben,  or  t'so-be-ac,  requires  more  skill,  botb  in  construction  and  play- 
ing, tbau  other  outdoor  g.unes.  It  is  played  on  the  crust  or  bard-drifted  snow  of 
the  hillside.  If  this  is  the  game  spoken  of  by  other  writers  as  snow-snakes, 
there  is  nothing  in  the  name  to  so  indicate.  Each  player  is  supposed  to  supply 
himself  with  the  required  few  t'so-be-ac,  sticks.  In  that  case  all  the  sticks  are 
bunched  and  thrown  up.  except  five  sticks,  though  it  sometimes  haiipens  that 
quite  a  number  will  join  in  the  game,  each  contestant  catching  what  he  can  as 
they  fall.     These  sticks  have  different  values,  and  as  distance  is  what  is  aimed 

at,  the  one  going  furthest  wins  all  the  others  of 
,,  ■  .^^--==?  the  same  kind.     They  are  set  In  motion  by  that 

b    ^  "  '  '     -     ■  ■  '    '  '-^  peculiar  movement  which  boys  use  in  skipping 

stones  on  the  water.     The  shouts  of  the  players, 
as  the  stick  flies  over  the  snow  to  the  goal  of 
success,  or  buries  itself  in  the  drift  of  defeat. 
Fig.  522.    Snow  darts:  («)  m-quon,      are  deafening.     As  the  sticks  are.  one  by  one, 
the  spoon;  (^)at-ho-sis,  the  snake;  .    .  ,.  ,,  ,  .  „,,..*, 

(c)  ske-ga-weis,  the  wart;  (d,  ^^t  HI  motion,  the  player  smgs  la-ha-wa,  la- 
p't'gukwhol-iik;  (•<•!  be-dupk-t-s,  ha-wa,"  calling  the  stick  by  name,  and  this, 
the  duck;  Passamaquoddy  In-  echoed  and  reechoed  from  the  valley,  is  not  al- 
dians,  Maine;  from  Mrs  W.  W.  together  unmusical.  The  sticks,  or  fso-he-ac. 
Brown. 

are  named  m-quon,   at'ho-sis,   p-tqQk   whol-eik, 

ske-ga-weis,  and  be-dupk-ts.  M'quon.  the  spoon,  is  about  2  feet  long,  flat  at 
top  and  bottom,  with  one  end  concave  like  the  bowl  of  a  spoon.  A-fho-sis, 
the  snake,  is  long,  slender,  and  round,  one  end  resembling  a  snake's  head,  the 
other  pointed.  Ske-ga-weis  is  flat  underneath,  round-  on  top.  about  2  feet  in 
length,  one  end  notched  to  resemble  its  name  of  wart.  P't'gflk-whol-uk  is  the 
largest  of  all.  From  5  to  7  feet  long  and  nearly  round,  both  ends  raised  slightly 
and  pointed,  going  with  great  force  and  speed,  it  drives  in  and  out  through  the 
snow,  causing  mucli  merriment  and  noisy  betting.  Be-dupk't's.  the  duck,  is  about 
3  feet  [long],  flat  on  top,  .round  underneath,  with  an  end  like  the  head  of  a  duck. 
Sometimes  the.se  t'so-he-ae  are  clever  imitations,  the  coloring  being  also  effective. 
Though  this  game  is  not  played  as  much  as  formerly,  even  the  young  boys  seem 
to  understand  whittling  the  sticks  into  a  recognizable  resemblance  to  the  duck. 

Penobscot.     Oldtown,  Maine.     (Cat.  no.  48233  to  48235,  Peabody 

Museum  of  American  Archa'ology  and  Ethnology.) 
Three  carved  sticks,  flut  on  the  under  side  and  curving  upward  in 
front,  one  (48233),  snake  head.  21  inches  in  length  (figure  523a) ; 
another  (48234),  spoon  mouth,  18  inches  in  length  (figure  5236)  ; 
and  the  third  (48235),  14i  inches  in  length  (figure  523c). 
These  specimens  were  made  by  Big  Thunder  and  collected  by  Mr 
■  C-  C.  Willoughby,  who  furnished  the  following  account  of  the  game, 
which  is  called  suha; 


"■  Memoirs  of  the  American  Academy  of  Arts  and  Sciences,  n.  s.,  v.  1,  p.  472,  Cam- 
bridge, 1833. 

'Some  Indoor  and  Outdoor  Games  of  the  Walianaki  Indians.  Proceedings  and  Transac- 
tions of  the  Royal  Society  of  Canada,  v.  6,  sec.  i.  p.  44,  Montreal,  1889. 


CDLix]  SNOW-SNAKE  :    SAUK    AND    FOXES  -±07 

When  a  man  wanted  to  play  this  game  he  took  a  number  of  his  su-ha  sticks 
and  went  through  the  village  calling  "  su  ha!  su  ha!"  One  or  more  of  the 
players  would  take  a  boy  by  the  feet  and  drag  him  down  some  incline,  thus 
making  a  track,  or  path,  in  the  snow.  Down  this  path  each  player  in  turn, 
calling  out  "  su  ha !  "  threw  one  of  his  sticks,  as  a  spear  is  thrown.  To  mark 
the  distance  this  stick  was  stuck  up  in  the  snow  beside  the  path,  opposite  the 


<^ 


jM-vvv-vwawJi.-.- 


'^^^^^^^^^m 


Pro.  523  a,b,c.    Snow-snakes:  lengths,  21,  18,  and  14}  inches;  Penobscot  Indians,  Oldtown,  Maine; 
cat.  no.  48233  to  4S235,  Peabody  Museum  of  American  Archeology  and  Ethnology. 

place  where  it  stopped.  When  all  the  sticks  had  been  thrown,  they  became  the 
property  of  the  man  whose  stick  had  covered  the  gi-eatest  distance.  He  would 
gather  them  all  up  and  selecting  such  as  he  wanted,  calling  out  at  the  same 
time  "  su  ha !  "  throw  the  others  up  in  the  air.  and  they  became  the  property 
of  those  strong  and  quick  enough  to  secure  them.  This  game  has  not  been 
played  since  1842. 

Sauk  and   Foxes.     Iowa.     (Cat.   no.    -j^fr'  American   Museum   of 

Natural  Historj'.) 
Slender  stick  of  hard  wood  (figure  524), 25J  inches  in  length,  with 
an  egg-shaped  end  hardened  by  fire. 
Collected  bj-  Dr  William  Jones,  who  describes  it  as  snow-snake. 
Prof.  Frederick  Starr  informed  the  writer  that  it  was  swung  by  the 
small  end  to  give  it  impetus. 


Pig.  524.    Snow-snake:  length,  25*  inches;  Sauk  and  Fox  Indians,  Iowa:  cat.  no.  njgj,  American 

Museum  of  Natural  History. 

Iowa.     (American  Museum  of  Natural  History.) 

Cat.  no.  ^-j.     Three  jiointed  sumac  sticks,  46  to  52  inches  in  length. 
Collected  by  Dr  William  Jones,  who  gives  the  name  as  shoskwihani, 
sliders. 


Fig.  .525.    Snow-snakes:  length.  .SO  inches;  Sauk  and  Fox  Indians,  Iowa;  cat.  no.  ^1^85,  American 

Museum  of  Natural  History. 

Cat.  no.  y|fj.    Two  narrow,  flat  sticks  (figure  525),  rounded  on  the 
upper  side,  30  inches  in  length;    one  burned  black  for  the  entire 
length  on  the  upper  side,  the  other  burned  only  at  the  head. 
Collected  by  Dr  William  Jones,  who  gives  the  name  as  manetowagi, 

snakes. 


408 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 


They  are  played  ou  the  ice  or  frozen  ground  by  men,  iuid  are  thrown  with  a 
wrist  movement,  flat  side  down,  so  that  they  glide  along  (or  a  great  distance. 

Cat.  no.  xlffTj  tIoo-    Two  sets  of  sticks,  one  of  each  white  and  the 

other  black,  one  (figure  .5'26ff)  having  an  ovate  head,  31  inches  in 

length,  and  the  other  (figure  5266)  a  conical  head,  33J  inches  in 

length. 

These  were  collected  by  Dr  William  Jones,  who  gives  the  name  of 

both  as  miskwapi  and  states  that  tliey  are  jjlayed   on  the   frozen 

ground  or  on  the  ice. 

In  throwing  they  are  whirled   around   the   liead,   and   when   played  on   the 
ground  are  made  to  glance  from  an  incline. 


^1.- — :nit»~-v_ 


<«ii«i«itfcJ'-"^ 


Pig. 526a, /i.    Snow-snakes;  lengths,  31  and  33^  inches:  Sauk  and  Fox  Indians.  Iowa:  cat.no.  ^g^i, 
3b8dt  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

Sauk  and  Foxes.  Iowa.  (Cat.  no.  3H7,  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History.) 

Two  darts  (figure  527),  26  inches  long,  with  flat  wooden  heads,  one 
painted  blue  and  the  other  plain,  with  a  stick  2-li  inches  long, 
having  a  bark  cord  attached  with  which  the  darts  are  slung. 
Collected  by  Dr  William  Jones. 


^ 


FlQ.  .'i27  a,  I).    Slinging-darts  and  stick;  length  of  darts,  2ti  inches;  length  of  stick,  2+1  inches;  Sauk 
and  Fox  Indians,  Iowa;  cat.  no.  jfj^,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

A  summer  game.     The  one  whose  dart  goes  farthest  wins.     The  game  is  called 
nanesliwapuehuweni,  and  the  darts  naneskwapuchi. 

Tama,  Iowa.     (Cat.  no.  36756,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and 

Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Two  peeled  saiDlings  of  box  elder,  661  inches  in  length. 

These  were  collected  by  the  writer  in  1900,  and  described  to  him  as 
javelins  for  a  game  under  the  name  of  maskwapihok. 


CI  LiNj  SNOW-SXAKE  :    HURON  409 

ATIIAI'ASCAX    STOCK. 

Takulli.     Stuart  lake.  British  Columbia. 
Reverend  Father  A.  G.  Morice"  describes  a  game  called  tetquh: 

A  rod  [figure  ,528]  5  or  0  feet  long  ...  is  thrown  through  the  air  so  as  to 
fall  as  far  as  possible  from  the  initial  point  of  launching,  the  clistance  reached 
determining  the  measure  of  success  attained.  This  game  ...  is  now  oliso- 
lescent. 

A  great  rival  is  ii9zaz,  which  is  played  \^^ith  sticks  of  almost  the  same  shape 
[figure  529],  though  much  stouter  near  their  fore  end.  As  they  do  duty  on  the 
frozen  surface  of  the  snow,  the  finest  polish  possible  Is  aimed'  at  in  their  prep- 


Fm.  .Vis.    efaine  dart  i,tdtquh  i:  Takuili  Indians.  .Stuart  lake,  British  Columbia;  from  Morice. 


Fk;.  .')X*^i.    Snow-snake  (nazaz.t;  TakuUi  Indians.  Stuart  lake,  British  (.'olumbia;  tr<.)m  Morice. 

aration.  These  sticks  vary  in  length  from  3  to  6  or  7  feet,  according  to  the 
strength,  possessed  or  assumed,  of  the  player.  The  Carriers  are  to-day  pas- 
sionately fond  of  this  game,  which  is  played,  as  a  rule,  by  adverse  hands,  the 
stake  going  over  to  the  party  which  first  attains  the  fixed  number  of  points.'' 

CADl)t)AN    .STOCK 

Pawnee.     Oklahoma. 

Dr  George  A.  Dorsey  ''  saj's : 

In  former  times,  a  game  was  in  vogue  among  the  boys  somewhat  similar  to 
the  so-called  "  snow-snake,"  common  in  the  central  region  of  the  United  States. 
The  prize  in  this  game  was  the  javelin  itself;  and  when  an  individual  had  won 
a  sufficient  number  of  these  long  willow  javelins  they  were  made  up  into  a 
mat  for  him  by  his  grandmother. 

IROQUOIAN    STOCK 

Huron.     Ontario. 

Bacqueville  de  la  Potherie ''  says : 

Girls  play  with  spindles  (fuseaux),  which  they  shove  beneath  a  small  piece 
of  wood  raised  above  the  ground.  The  game  is  to  push  the  spindle  the  farthest. 
There  are  games  for  the  winter  and  games  for  the  summer.  Those  for  all 
seasons  are  fruit  stones  and  straws;  those  for  winter  are  spindles  for  children. 
The  boys  add  a  tail  two  feet  and  a  half  long  to  the  latter,  while  the  girls 
use  actual  spindles.  They  moisten  them  with  saliva  or  put  them  in  freeziiig 
water,  so  that  they  are  covered  with  a  slippery  coat,  and  then  they  push  them 
down  the  slope  of  a  frozen  hill  that  they  may  go  far.  They  also  use  for  this 
purpose  long,  flat  sticks.     They  paint  both  the  spindles  and  the  sticks. 

"  Notes  on  the  Western  Dgn&.  Transactions  of  the  Canadian  Institute,  v.  4,  p.  112, 
Toronto.  1895. 

*•  See  also  The  Western  D6nes.  Proceedings  of  the  Canadian  Institute,  3d  ser.,  v.  7,  p.  154, 
Toronto,  1SS9. 

■■  Traditions  of  the  Skidi  Pawnee,  p.  xvi,  New  York.  1904. 

"  Histoire  de  I'Amfirlque  Scptentrionale,  v.  3,  p.  23,  Paris.  1753. 


410  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 

Seneca.     New  York. 

Morgan  "  describes  the  game  of  gawasa,  or  snow-snake,  as  follows : 

Among  the  amusements  of  the  winter  season  in  Indian  life  was  the  game  with 
snow-snalves  [figure  530].  It  was  priniarily  designed  as  a  diversion  for  the 
young ;  but  it  was  occasionally  made  a  public  game  between  the  tribe.s  like  the 
other,  and  aroused  a  great  degree  of  spirit  and  the  usual  amount  of  betting. 
The  snake  was  thrown  with  the  hand,  by  placing  the  forefinger  against  its 
foot  and  supporting  it  with  the  thumb  and  remaining  fingers.  It  was  thus 
made  to  run  upon  the  snow  crust  with  the  speed  of  an  arrow,  and  to  a  much 
greater  distance,  sometimes  running  60  or  80  rods.  The  success  of  the  player 
depended  upon  his  dexterity  and  uniscular  strength. 

The  snakes  were  made  of  hicliory,  and  with  the  most  perfect  precision  and 
finish.  They  were  from  .5  to  7  feet  in  length,  about  a  fourth  of  an  inch  in 
thickness,  and  gradually  diminishing  from  about  an  inch  in  width  at  the  head 
to  about  half  an  inch  at  the  foot.  The  head  was  round,  turned  up  slightly, 
and  pointed  with  lead  to  increase  the  momentum  of  the  snake.  This  game, 
like  that  of  ball,  was  divided  into  a  number  of  separate  contests ;  and  was 
determined  when  either  party  had  gained  the  number  of  points  agreed  upon, 
which  was  generally  from  7  to  10.  The  players  were  limited  and  select,  usu- 
ally not  more  than  six.  A  station  was  determined  upon,  with  the  line,  or  gen- 
eral direction  in  which  the  snake  was  to  be  thrown.     After  they  bad  all  been 


Fig.  530.    Snow-snako;  Seneca  Indians,  New  York;  from  Morgan. 

thrown  by  the  players  on  both  sides,  the  next  question  was  to  determine  the 
count.  The  snake  which  ran  the  greatest  distance  was  a  point  for  the  side 
to  which  it  belonged.  Other  points  might  l5e  won  on  the  same  side,  if  a  second 
or  third  snake  was  found  to  l>e  ahead  of  all  the  snakes  uiiun  the  adverse  side. 
One  count  was  made  for  each  snake  which  outstripped  all  upon  the  adverse  side. 
These  contests  were  repeated  until  one  of  the  parties  had  made  the  requisite 
number  of  points  to  determine  the  game. 

With  the  snow  boat  [da-ya-no-ta-yen-da-qua]  was  played  one  of  the 
Avinter  games  of  the  Iroquois,  in  which  the  object  was  to  discover  which 
boat  would  run  the  farthest  in  an  iced  trench  or  path.  The  boat 
was  about  15  inches  in  length,  and  made  of  beech  or  other  hard  wood, 
something  in  the  fashion  of  a  canoe.  It  was  solid,  with  the  exception 
of  an  oblong  cavity  in  the  center,  designed  to  suspend  bells  or  other 
rattles  ui^on.  In  the  stern  of  this  little  ves.sel  a  white  feather  was 
inserted  for  a  flag,  by  which  to  follow  it  in  its  descent.  On  the 
bottom  the  boat  was  rounded,  but  with  a  slight  wind  lengthwise,  as 
shown  in  the  figure  [531],  to  give  it  a  true  direction.  'A  side  hill, 
with  an  open  plain  below,  was  the  kind  of  place  selected  to  try  the 
speed  of  the  boats.  Trenches  in  a  straight  line  down  the  hill,  and 
about   a   foot  wide,  were  made  by  treading  down   the  snow;   after 

<■  League  of  the  Iroquois,  p.  303,  Rochester,  1851, 


CCLIN-] 


SNOW-SNAKE  :    SENECA 


411 


Pio.  531.    Snow  boat;  Seneca  Indians,  New  York; 
from  Morgan. 


which  water  was  poured  into  them  that  it  might  freeze  and  line  the 
trenches  throughout  their  whole  extent  with  ice.  These  trenches  to 
the  number  of  a  dozen,  side  by  side,  if  as  many  individuals  intended 
to  play,  were  finished  with  the  greatest  care  and  exactness,  not  only 
down  the  hillside,  but  .to  a  considerable  distance  across  the  plain 
below.  At  the  same  time  the  boats  themselves  were  dipped  in  water, 
that  they  might  also  be  coated  with  ice. 

The  people  divided  by  tribes  in  playing  this,  as  in  all  other  Iroquois 
games,  the  Wolf.  Bear.  Beaver,  and  Turtle  tribes  playing  against 
the  Deer,  Snipe,  Heron,  and  Hawk.  At  the  time  appointed  the 
people  assembled  at  the  base 
of  the  hill  and  divided  off  by 
tribes,  and  then  commenced 
betting  on  the  result,  a  cus- 
tom universally  practised  on 
such  occasions.  The  game 
was  played  by  select  players 
Avho  were  stationed  at  the  top 
of  the  hill,  each  with  two  or 
three  boats,  and  standing  at  the  head  of  his  own  trench.  When  all 
was  in  readiness  the  boats  were  started  off  together  at  the  appointed 
moment,  and  their  rapid  descent  was  watched  witii  eager  interest  by 
the  people  below.  ...  If  the  game  was  20  it  would  be  con- 
tinued until  one  side  had  made  that  number  of  points.  A  count  of 
one  was  made  for  every  boat  which  led  all  upon  the  adverse  side,  so 
that  if  there  were  six  players  upon  a  side  it  was  possible  for  that 
number  to  be  made  at  one  trial.  On  the  contrary,  if  all  the  boats  but 
one  upon  one  side  were  in  advance  of  all  but  one  on  the  adverse  side, 
and  the  latter  was  in  advance  of  all,  this  head  boat  would  win  and 
count  one.  The  principles  of  the  game  are  precisely  the  same  as  in 
the  snow -snake  game. 

Morgan  says  also : " 

There  was  anotber  game  of  javelino,  ga-ga-da-yan'-cUik.  played  by  shooting 
them  through  the  air.  In  this  game  the  .iavelin  used  was  made  of  sumae, 
because  of  its  lightness,  and  was  of  the  same  length  and  size  as  in  the  former 
[see  page  410].  This  game  was  divided  into  contests,  as  the  ball  game,  and  was 
won  Ity  the  party  which  first  made  the  number  agreed  upon.  The  game  was 
usually  from  15  to  20,  and  the  number  of  players  on  a  side  ranged  from  five  to 
ten.  When  the  parties  were  ready,  the  one  who  had  the  first  throw  selected  the 
object  upon  which  the  javelin  was  to  be  thrown,  to  give  it  an  upward  flight,  and 
also  its  distance  from  the  standing  point.  If,  for  example,  it  was  a  log.  at  the 
distance  of  a  rod.  the  player  placed  his  forefinger  against  the  foot  of  the  javelin, 
and,  supporting  it  with  his  thiuub  and  second  finger,  he  threw  it  in  such  a 
manner,  that  it  would  strike  the  upper  part  of  the  log,  and  thus  be  thrown  up 
into  the  air,  and  forward,  until  its  force  was  spent.     In  this  manner  all  the 


"League  of  the  Iroquois,  p.  301,  Rocliester,  1851. 


412  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 

players,  in  turn,  threw  their  javelins.  The  one  which  was  thrown  the  greatest 
distance  won  a  point.  If  atiotlier  upon  the  same  side  was  in  advance  of  all 
upon  the  opposite  side,  it  counted  another,  and  so  on  for  every  one  which  led  all 
those  upon  the  opposite  side.  In  the  next  contest,  the  second  party  chose  the 
object  over  which  to  throw  the  javelin,  and  the  distance.  The  game  was  thus 
continued,  until  the  number  of  points  were  gained  which  were  agreed  upon 
for  the  game. 

Seneca.    Seneca  reservation,  Cattaraugus  county.  New  York, 

Dr  Walter  Hough "  published  the  following  account  from  infor- 
mation furnished  by  Andrew  John.  jr.  a  member  of  the  tribe: 

The  game  of  kow-a-sa,  or  snow-snake,  the  national  game  of  the  Iroquois 
it  may  be  called,  is  still  played.  A  straight  well-beaten  road  is  now  usually 
chosen,  though  sometimes  it  is  played  in  the  open,  as  formerly.  The  snakes 
are  brought  out.  to  the  great  glee  of  the  boys,  whose  ears  are  on  the  alert,  when 
some  one  says,  "  dan-di-wa-sa-ye,"  "  let's  pla.v  snow-snake,"  because  they  have 
the  honor  to  run  and  bring  back  for  the  throwers.  The  snake  is  a  tliin  rounded 
strip  of  hard  wood,  from  7  to  10  feet  long  and  IJ  inclies  wide  at  most,  made 
very  smooth,  shod  at  the  forward  end  with  a  pewter  nose  piece,  and  not  ciu'ved 
upward,  Mr  John  says.  It  is  balanced  on  the  left  hand  and  held  by  the  tail 
in  the  right  hand,  the  fingers  being  beneath  and  the  thumb  above.  Holding  it 
thus,  the  pla,ver  runs  3  or  4  rods  and,  just  before  he  throws  he  jumps.  The 
stick  skips  away  over  the  snow  like  an  arrow,  or  iierhaps  one  could  better  say 
like  a  snake.  The  skill  in  the  game  is  in  delivering  the  snake  at  the  best  slant, 
so  that  none  of  the  original  impetus  given  li.v  the  powerful  right  arm  is  lost. 
The  game  is  usually  of  four  snakes — that  is,  the  best  three  throws  in  four. 
When  skillful  players  contend,  the  excitement  is  very  great  among  the  In- 
dians, and  there  is  much  betting,  sometimes  for  high  stakes ;  in  fact,  the  game 
is  for  betting  purposes  entirely. 

New  York.     (Cat.  no.  52241,  Peabody  Museum  of  American 

Archaeology  and  Ethnology.) 

Snow-snake,  consisting  of  a  highly  polished  hickory  sapling,  7  feet 
8  inches  in  length,  the  forward  end  tipped  with  lead. 

This  specimen  was  formerly  owned  by  Chief  Two  Guns,  who  won 
several  prizes  with  this  snake,  and  whose  totem,  a  fish,  is  cut  on  one 
face.     Collected  by  Mr  John  W.  Sanborn, 

Another  specimen  in  this  collection  (cat,  no.  .52242),  made  by  In- 
dians, has  not  been  used. 

Grand  Eiver  reserve,  Ontario.  (Cat.  no.  55798,  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum.) 
Snow-snake,  made  of  polished  hickory  sapling.  7  feet  11  inches  in 
length,  shod  with  lead  at  forward  end  for  a  length  of  4i  inches. 
Collected  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms,  who  gives  the  following  account  of  the 
method  of  play : 

The  snake,  gii-wa-sa,  is  thrown  along  a  narrow  shallow  rut  in  the  snow,  made 
by  the  dragging  of  a  log.  The  player  grasps  the  end,  or  tail,  of  the  snake  by 
putting  the  index  finger  against  the  end  and  the  thumb  to  one  side,  opposite  to 


"  Games  of  Seneca  Indians.     The  American  Anthropologist,  v.  1,  p.  134,  1888. 


CILIN] 


SNOW-SNAKE  :  POMO 


413 


which  would  be  the  remaining  three  fingers ;  then,  stooping  toward  the  ground, 
the  snake  is  held  horizontally  over  the  rut  in  the  snow,  and  with  a  few  quick 
short  steps  is  thrown  with  considerable  force  along  the  rut.  Sides  are  chosen 
to  plaj-  the  game.  The  snake  which  runs  farthest  wins,  and  a  count  is  made  by 
each  snake  which  leads  all  upon  the  opposite  side. 

TuscAEORA.     New  York.     (Cat.  no.  16340,  Free  Museum  of  Science 
and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Four  sticks  of  hard  wood,  shaved  to  a  point,  411  inches  in  length ; 
designated  as  throwing  sticks,  ka-te  nyii-ta. 

KIUWAN    STOCK 

Kiowa.  Oklahoma.  (Cat.  no.  1.52906,  United  States  National  Mu- 
seum.) 
Bone  slider,  consisting  of  a  piece  of  rib  bone  (figure  532),  4-J  inches 
in  length,  the  upper  concave  face  marked  with  small  holes,  having 
two  feathers  stuck  on  wooden  pegs  in  one  end;  total  length,  17 
inches.     Collected  by  Mr  James  Mooney. 


Fig.  532.    Feathered  bone  slider:  leiif^th,  IT  inches:  Kiowa  Indians,  Oklahoma:  cat.  no.  152906, 
United  States  National  Museum. 

kulanapan  stock 

PoMO.     Seven  miles  south  of  Ukiah,  Mendocino  county,  California. 
(Cat.  no.  70945,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 


Fig.  5.^.    Ground-coasting  arrows:  average  length,  3  feet;  Porno  Indians,  Mendocino  county, 
California:  cat.  no.  70945,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 


Thirteen  sticks   (figure  533).  with  butt  ends  marked  in  pairs  with 
burned  devices;  average  length,  3  feet. 
Collected  bj'  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson,  who  describes  them  as  ground- 
coasting  arrows,  called  mului,  a  name  also  applied  to  a  process  of 


iU 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  axn".  24 


etching  a  rod  by  holding  it  in  a  blaze  after  it  is  bound  or  protected  in 
part  by  withes  of  another  material,  as  grapevine,  hazel,  etc. 

The  darts  are  about  the  size  of  arrows.  Distance  only  counts.  There  are 
ijve  distinct  mulu'-i  symbols  placed  on  the  darts,  all  named  for  or  as  symbols  for 
certain  animals. 

MARIPOSAN  STOCK 

YoKUTS.    Tule  River  reservation,  Tulare  county,  California.     (Cat. 

no.  70405,  Field  ColiinilHan  Museum.) 

Lance  of  peeled  sapling  (figure  534),  GCti  inches  in  length.     It  is 

described  by  the  collector,  Dr  J.  AV.  Hudson,  as  a  snow-snake  or 

ground  dart.     The  butt  is  weighted  by  being  wound  with  iron  wire. 


Fig.  534.     Snow-snake;    length,  66}  inches;    Yokuts  Indians,  Tule  River  reservation,  Tulare 
county,  California;  oat.  no.  704(),5,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

MOQDELUMNAN    STOCK 

ToPiNAGUGiM.  Big  creek,  Tuolumne  county,  California.  (Cflt.  no. 
702.30,  70231,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Two  flat,  tapering  sticks  of  wild  cherry  (figure  535),  38  inches  in 
length,  with  tips  burned  with  two  rings;  and  whip,  with  buck- 
skin thong  and  stock,  3H  inches  in  length. 


FiQ.  .535.  Throwing-  or  whipping-sticks,  with  whip  and  lash;  length  of  sticks,  .38  inches;  length 
of  whipstock,  3n  inches;  Topinagugim  Indians,  Tuolumne  county,  California;  cat.  no.  7023(1. 
TOiSjl,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson,  who  describes  them  as  throwing- 
or  whipping-sticks  used  in  a  game  called  kuitumsi  (kuitu,  farthest 
one). 

The  lance,  la-raa-ku-yi-ta.  is  one-fourth  of  an  inch  in  diameter  at  the  butt, 
expanding  to  five-eighths  of  an  inch  at  the  tip.  The  different  ones  are  marked 
to  distinguish  them.  A  buckskin  thong,  pe-hu-na-ha-a-ta  (buckskin  to  whip), 
is  tied  to  a  wooden  handle.    The  farthest  cast  wins. 


COLIN]  snow-snake:    DAKOTA  415 

Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  also  these  Indians  as  casting  along  the 
ground  sticks,  4  feet  long,  made  of  willow  or  calacanthus.  Each 
player  has  one  cast.  The  one  throwing  the  farthest,  wins.  The 
loser  is  thumped  on  the  head  with  the  l^nuckles.  The  game  is  called 
pakumship ;  pakiir,  lance. 

SIOUAN    STOCK 

AssiNiBOiN.     Fort  Union,  Montana. 
Mr  Edwin  T.  Denig"  says: 
The  women  slide  long  sticks  on  the  snow. 

Crows.     Crow  reservation,  Montana.     (Field  Columbian  iluseum.) 

Cat.  no.  69657.     Feathered  dart,  a  piece  of  beef  rib.  painted  red  and 

incised  with  crossed  lines,  6^  inches  in  length,  having  two  long 

twigs  inserted  at  the  squared  end,  upon  which  feathers  dyed  red 

are  stuck;  total  length,  ■ill  inches. 

Collected  in  1901  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms,  who  describes  it  as  played 

by  boys  on  the  ice. 


Fia.  536.    Game  dart;. length, :«}  inches;  Crow  Indians,  Montana;  <-at.  no.  K%.>3,  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum. 

Cat.  no.  69653.    Javelin  (figure  536),  a  thin  sapling,  painted  red  and 
tipped  with  horn ;  length,  32A  inches. 
Collected  in  1901  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms,  who  describes  it  as  used  in  a 
man's  game. 

The  stick  is  seized  by  the  end,  whirled  rapidly  with  a  vertical  motion,  and 
released  when  it  gains  momentum.  The  object  is  to  make  it  .go  as  far  as 
possible. 

Dakota  (Oglala).     Pine  Ridge  reservation.  South  Dakota.     (Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 


Fig.  537,    Feathered  bone-sUder;  length,  25  inches;  Oglala  Dakota  Indians,  Pine  Ridge  reservation. 
South  Dakota;  cat.  no.  22129.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania, 

Cat.  no.  22129.  A  fragment  of  beef  rib  (figure  537).  8  inches  in 
length,  witli  feathers  stuck  on  two  wooden  pegs  inserted  in  one 
end  of  the  bone:  total  length.  25  inches. 

"  Unpublished  manuscript  in  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology. 


416  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  24 

Collected  by  Mr  Louis  L.  Meeker,"  who  descrilies  the  implement 
under  the  name  of  jaaslo  hanpi,  as  thrown  by  boys  on  the  ice. 
Cat.  no.  22128.     A  thin  straight  dart    (figure  538),  29-^   inches  in 

length,  tipped   with  a   cone  of  horn   and  having  a   bunch  of 

feathers  secured  with  sinew  at  the  shaftment. 


Flo.  .5-38.  Boys'  throwing-aiTow:  length,  29$  inches;  Oglala  Dakota  Indians.  Pine  Ridge  rest-rra- 
tion.  South  Dakota:  cat.  no.  22128,  Free  Museum  of  .Scienco  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

Described  by  the  collector,  Mr  Louis  L.  Meeker.''  under  the  name 
of  pte  heste,  as  thrown  underhand  by  boys  against  the  ground  to 
glance  to  a  gi-eat  distance.  The  one  whose  stick  goes  farthest  takes 
all  the  other  sticks.  This  game  is  described  by  Dr  J.  R.  Walker  " 
among  the  Tetons  under  the  name  of  woskate  pte  heste,  game  of  the 
young  cow. 

.\ny  number  of  per.sons  m.a.v  play.  Eacli  pinyer  may  have  any  nuniher  of 
arrow.'!,  but  all  players  should  have  the  same  number.  Two  parallel  lines  are 
(Ir.-nvn  from  20  to  XO  foet  ajiart.  The  playors  take  their  position  on  one  side  of 
these  lines.  A  player  must  throw  his  horned  arrow  so  that  it  may  strike  be 
tween  the  two  lines  and  slide  beyond  them.  The  [ilayers  throw  alternately 
until  all  the  arrows  are  thrown.  At  the  end  the  player  whose  arrow  lies 
farthest  from  the  lines  wins  the  game. 

Cat.  no.  22132.     A  slender  sapling  (figure  539)   tipped  with  a  h<u-n 
point,  63  inches  in  length. 
Described  by  the  collector,  Mr  Louis  L.  Meeker.'^  under  th(>  name  of 
winyanta  paslo  hanpi,  the  girls"  tliiowing-stick. 

The  sticks,  held  by  the  extreme  end,  with  forefinger  behind,  are  east  high 
in  the  air.  The  game  is  played  for  small  stieks  al)0ut  the  size  of  lead  pencils,  or 
larger,  the  same  as  are  \ised  for  eounters  by  the  men  in  the  moccasin  game. 

This  game  is  described  liv  Dr  J.  R.  Walker '  under  the  name  of 
woskate  hepaslohanpi,  game  of  horned  javelins,  and  the  implement 
he  gives  as  hewahukezala,  horned  javelin. 

The  g.-inie  is  played  by  throwing  the  .javelin  so  that  it  will  strike  and  slide  on 
the  snow  or  ice,  and  the  one  whose  .javelin  slides  the  farthest  wins. 

Dakota  (Teton).  Pine  Ridge  reservation.  South  Dakota.  (Ameri- 
can Museum  of  Natural  History.) 

Cat.  no.  TTST.  Two  pairs  of  sticks  (figure  5-10),  flat  on  one  side  and 
rounded  on  the  other,  slightly  expanded,  and  turned  up  at  the 
end,  one  .set  48  inches  and  the  other  44  inches  in  length ;  one  set 
plain  and  the  other  with  three  dragon  flies  painted  on  the  upper 

"  Ogalala  Oaraes.  Bulletin  of  the  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  v.  3,  p.  35,  Phila- 
delphia, moi. 

<•  Iliid.,  p.  .■54. 

-■  Sioux  flames.     .Journal  of  American  FolkLore,  v.  19,  p.  32,  1006. 

''Osalala  (lames.  Bulletin  of  the  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  .\rt,  v.  H,  p.  .'!r.,  I'hila- 
delpliia,  1!)01. 

'Sioux  Oames.     .Tournal  of  .Vmerican  Foll<-I,ore,  v.  10,  p.  'M.  lilOO. 


CDLI.NJ  SNOW-SNAKE:    DAKOTA  417 

face.  Collected  by  Dr  J.  E.  AValker,  who  describes  them  under 
the  name  of  canpaslohanpi.  used  in  the  game  of  throwing  sticks, 
woskate  canpaslohanpi." 


Fig.  5:W.  Girls'  throwing-stick;  length,  ti3  inches;  Oglala  Dakota  Indians,  Pine  Ridge  reserva^ 
tion,  South  Dakota:  cat.  no,  221.S2,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

Each  player  has  but  one  throwing  stick.  Any  number  of  person.s  may  play. 
The  same  is  phiyed  by  grasping  the  stick  at  the  smaller  end,  between  the  thumb 
and  second,  third,  and  fourth  fingers,  with  the  first  finger  across  the  smaller 
end,  the  flat  side  of  the  stick  held  uppermost.  Then  by  swinging  the  hand 
below  the  hips  the  javelin  is  shot  forward  so  that  it  will  slide  on  the  snow  or 
ice.     Tlie  game  is  to  see  who  can  slide  the  stick  farthest. 


Fit;.  .540,    Snow-snakes;  length,  44  inches;  Teton  Dakota  Indians,  Pine  Ridge  reservation.  South 
Dakota;  cat.  no.  jjSo,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

Dakota  (Teton).     South  Dakota. 

Rev.  J.  Owen  Dorsey  ^  describes  the  following  games  as  played 
by  boys  in  winter : 

Pteheshte  un'pi.  buffalo  horn  game :  The  boys  assemble  at  the  corral  or  some 
other  place  where  the  cattle  have  been  slaughtered,  and  gather  the  horns  which 
have  been  thrown  away.  They  kindle  a  fire  and  scorch  the  horns,  noticing  how 
far  each  horn  has  been  burnt.  That  part  of  the  horn  is  cut  off,  as  it  is  Ijrittle, 
and  they  make  the  rest  of  the  horn  ver.v  smooth  b.v  rubbing.  They  cut  off  all 
the  small  and  pliable  branches  and  twigs  of  a  plum  tree  and  insert  the  root  end 
into  a  hole  in  the  born,  tightening  it  li.v  driving  in  several  small  wedges  around  it. 
At  the  small  end  of  the  plum  stock  they  fasten  a  feather  by  wrapping  deer  sinew 
round  and  round  it.  The  pteheste  is  then  thrown  along  the  surfaie  of  the  snow, 
or  it  often  goes  under  the  surface,  disappearing  and  reappearing  at  short  inter- 
vals. Sometimes  they  make  it  glide  over  the  ice.  Stakes  are  frequently  put  up 
by  or  foi-  the  players. 

Itiizipa  kaslohan  iyeya  echun'pi.  making  the  bow  glide  by  throwing.  They  do 
not  use  real  bows,  but  some  kind  of  wood  made  flat  by  cutting  with  an  ax,  with 
a  horizontal  curve  at  the  lowest  part,  and  sharpened  on  the  other  side,  SX  the 
head  a  snake's  head  is  usually  made,  or  else  the  head  of  some  other  object. 
At  the  other  end  the  player  grasps  it  and  hurls  it,  making  it  glide  rapidly  over 
the  snow  or  grass.  This  is  a  game  of  chance,  but  the  "  bows "  are  never 
staked,  as  the.v  are  too  expensive.  It  takes  so  long  to  make  one  that  the  owner 
does  not  sell  it,  preferring  to  keep  it  as  long  as  possible. 

The  following  is  played  by  boys  and  young  men : " 
In  the  winter  the  boys  collect  the  good  ribs  of  animals  that  are  near  the 
village.     They  make  gashes  across  them,   and  on   one  side  of  each  rib  they 


"  Sioux  Games.     Journal  of  American  Folk-Lore,  v.  19,  p.  32.  1906. 

"  names  of  Teton  Dakota  Children.     The  American  Anthropologist,  v.  4,  p.  338,  1891, 

'  Ibid.,  p.  343. 

24  ETH— 0.5  M 27 


418  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 

make  a  hole  in  which  they  insert  two  plum  sticks.  The  small  end  of  each 
plum  stick  they  insert  into  tlie  hole  of  a  quill  featlier  of  some  bird.  The  small 
end  of  each  plum  stick  is  bent  backwards.  Just  at  the  fork  of  the  two  plum 
sticks  the  player  grasps  the  toy.  called  hutanachute.  making  it  glide  over  the 
snow  or  ice.  Stakes  are  put  down  when  desired,  but  sometimes  they  play  just 
for  amusement.     Occasionally  young  men  join  the  boys  in  this  game. 

The  following  is  an  aiitiinmal  game  of  the  Ikivs  or  women  : 

Paslohanpi,  they  shove  it  along.  The  boys  play  this  game  when  the  leaves 
become  a  rusty  yellow.  They  go  to  a  place  where  the  smallest  kind  of  willow 
abounds,  and  there  they  make  a  fire.  They  cut  down  the  straightest  of  the 
willows,  shaving  off  the  bark  with  knives.  Some  color  the  willow  in  stripes. 
Others  change  the  willows  into  what  the.v  call  chan  kablaskapi,  i.  e..  wood  flat- 
tened by  beating,  but  what  these  are  B>ishotter  does  not  explain.  Much  of  this 
text  is  very  obscure.  Sometimes  the  young  women  play  the  game,  at  other  times 
the  men  do :  but  each  sex  has  its  peculiar  way  of  making  the  paslohanpi  glide 
along.     Sometimes  they  play  for  stakes. 

Dr  J.  R.  "Walker"  gives  the  following  rules  for  the  game  with 
■winged  bones,  woskate  hutanacute ; 

Any  number  may  play.  Each  player  may  have  from  two  to  four  winged 
bones,  but  each  player  should  have  the  same  number.  A  mark  is  made  from 
which  the  bones  are  thrown.  The  bones  are  thrown  so  that  they  may  strike 
or  slide  on  the  ice  or  snow.  The  players  throw  alternately  until  all  the  bones 
are  thrown.  When  all  the  bones  are  thrown  the  player  whose  bone  lies  the 
farthest  from  the  mark  wins  the  game. 

Doctor  Walker  describes  woskate  paslohanpi  as  the  game  of  jave- 
lins (wahnkezala)  jjlayed  by  Sioux  boys  in  the  springtime,  and  states 
that  there  are  two  ways  of  throwing:  One  to  lay  the  javelin  across 
something,  as  the  arm,  or  the  foot,  or  another  javelin,  or  a  stump  of 
log,  or  a  small  mound  of  earth,  or  anything  that  is  convenient,  and 
grasping  it  at  the  smaller  end,  shoot  it  forward ;  the  other  way  is  to 
grasp  the  javelin  near  the  middle  and  throw  it  from  the  hand. 

Dakota  (Yankton).     Fort  Peck,  Montana.     (Free  Museum  of  Sci- 
ence and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Cat.  no.  37610.     Three  peeled  saplings,  burnt  near  the  larger  end 
with  spiral  bands  and  marks ;  length,  46^  inches. 
Collected  by  the  writer  in  1900.    The  name  is  pasdohanpi.* 


Fig.  .541.  Feathered  bone  slider;  length,  21  inches;  Yankton  Dakota  Indians.  Fort  Peck,  Mon- 
tana; cat.  no.  37612,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Cat.  no.  37G12.  Two  pieces  of  beef  rib.  fJJ  inches  in  length,  each  with 
two  feathers  inserted  on  pegs  in  one  end;  total  length,  21  inches. 
One  bears  incised  marks,  as  shown  in  figure  541. 


»  Sioux  Games.     Journal  of  American  Folk-Lore,  v.  19,  p.  31,  1906. 
"  From  pa-sdo'-han,  to  push  or  shove  along. 


CDLIN] 


SNOW-SNAKE  :    OMAHA 


419 


Collected  in  1900  Viy  the  writer,  to  whom  they  were  designated  as ' 
hutinacute." 
Mandan.     Fort  Clark,  North  Dakota. 

Maximilian.  Prince  of  Wicd.''  says: 

The  children  of  tlie  Maudans  :ui<l  Manitaries  play  with  a  piece  of  stag's  horn 
[figure  542],  in  which  a  cou|i!c  of  feathers  are  inserted:  this  is  thrown  forward,  , 
the  piece  of  horn  being  foremost. 


FiQ.  542.    Feathered  horn  dart;  Mandan  Indians,  Nortli  Dak»jta;  trom  Maximilian,  Pi-iuce  of 

Wied. 

Omaha.     Nebraska. 

Mr  Dorse}' "  describes  the  following  games : 

Ma''(|;i'''-bagi,  •walii-gasniig'-i(t:e  (Omaha  names),  or  ma"-ibagi'  (Ponca  name)  is  a 
game  played  by  an  even  number  of  boys.  The  tall  sticks  of  the  red  willow  are 
lield  in  the  hand,  and  when  thrown  towards  the  ground  so  as  to  strike  it  at  an 
acute  angle,  the.v  glance  off,  and  are  carried  by  the  wind  into  the  air  for  some 
distance.  Wliiiliever  one  can  throw  his  stick  the  furtliest  wins  the  game, 
but  nothing  is  staked.  Man  de-gasimg'-ice  is  a  gam<^  similar  to  ma°(ti°'-bagi.  but 
bo«s  are  used  instead  of  the  red  willow  sticks,  and  arrows  are  staked,  there 
being  an  even  number  of  players  on  each  side.  Each  bow  is  unstrung,  one  end 
being  nearly  straight,  the  other  end,  which  is  to  hit  the  ground,  being  slightly 
curved.  When  snow  is  on  the  ground,  the  bows  glide  very  far.  Sometimes 
the  liow  reliounds  and  goes  into  the  air,  then  alights  and  glides  still  further. 
The  prize  for  each  winning  bow  is  arranged  before  each  game.  If  the  num- 
ber be  two  arrows  for  each  aud  three  bows  win,  six  arrows  are  forfeited  by 
the  losing  side;  if  four  bows  win,  eight  arrows  are  lost.  If  three  arrows  be 
the  prize  for  each,  when  two  I)ows  win,  si.\  arrows  are  forfeited  ■  when  three 
win,  nine  arrows;  and  so  on. 

I°'-ti°buta,  a  boy's  game  among  tlie  Omalias,  is  played  in  winter.  It  is  playedi 
by  tw'o,  three,  or  four  small  boys,  each  having  a  stick,  not  over  a  yard  long, 
shaped  like  the  figure  [543],  The  stakes  are  necklaces  and  earrings;  or,  if 
they  have  no  stakes,  they  agree  to  hit  once  on  the  head  the  bo.v  whose  stick  goes: 
the  shortest  distance.     The  sticks  are  thrown  as  in  ma"i!i°'-bagi. 


Fig.  .54:1    Game  dart;  Omaha  Indians,  Nebraska;  from  Dorsey. 


Mr  Francis  La  Flesche  described  a  game  to  the  writer  under  the  • 
name  of  "  wahegusiingithae,''  or  bone  sliders,  in  which  a  bone  with  a  ' 


"■  A  long  stick  with  a  large  head  which  the  Dakotas  make  slide  on  the  snow  or  ice. 
(Riggs.)  Also,  hu-ta'-na-ku-te,  v.  n.,  to  play  with  the  hntina(5ute  ;  to  throw  a  stick  so 
as  to  make  it  slide  along  on  the  snow,  hutanawaknte.  i 

'Travels  in  the  Interior  of  North  America,  translated  by  H.  Evans  Lloyd,  p.  358, 
London,  1843.  ' 

'  Omaha  Sociology.     Third  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  340,  1884. 


420  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ax.n.  24 

feather  stuck  in  it  is  slid  along  the  ice.  He  said  also  another  game  is 
played  in  summer,  to  which  the  same  name  is  given,  with  sticks  about 
3  feet  long  by  one-half  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  which  are  peeled  and 
burned.  They  are  forcibly  thrown  down  on  the  ground  and  fly  a 
great  distance.  Mr  La  Flesche  described  also  a  game  played  by 
Omaha  boys  under  the  name  of  intimbuta,  in  which  a  stick  of 
hickory,  scraped,  polished,  and  whittled  down,  is  thrown  on  the 
frozen  ground  so  that  it  flies  like  an  arrow. 

HOOP  AND  POLE 

The  game  of  hoop  and  pole,  like  the  dice  game,  was  played  through- 
out the  entire  continent  north  of  Mexico.  It  consists  essentially  in 
throwing  a  spear,  or  shooting  or  throwing  an  arrow  at  a  hoop  or 
ring,  the  counts  being  determined  by  the  way  in  which  the  darts  fall 
with  reference  to  the  target. 

The  game  is  remarkable  for  the  wide  diversity  in  the  form  of  the 
implements  employed,  as  well  as  in  the  method  of  play.  A  number 
of  distinct  types  may  be  recognized,  of  which  as  many  as  three  are 
found  at  the  present  day  among  the  same  tribe.  The  essential  unity 
of  all  of  these,  however,  is  plainly  manifest. 

The  implements  for  hoop  and  pole  consist  of  the  hoop  or  target,  the 
darts  or  poles,  and,  in  some  instances,  especially  made  counting  sticks. 
A  common  and  most  widelj'  distributed  form  of  the  hoop  is  twined 
with  a  network  resembling  a  spider  web,  the  counts  being  determined 
by  the  particular  holes  which  are  penetrated  by  the  darts.  In  another 
hoop  the  net,  with  the  exception  of  an  inner  ring,  which  is  attached 
by  cords  to  the  hoop,  has  disappeared.  In  still  others,  among  the  Ta- 
kulli,  "Wasco,  Omaha,  and  Tigua,  there  remain  only  four  radial  spokes 
Of  strands.  In  the  Apache  game  these  are  reduced  to  a  single  median 
thong  or  cord,  but  notches  on  the  hoop  suggest  the  points  of  contact 
of  the  thong  lashings.  One  of  the  Siouan  hoops,  Jvnown  also  to  the 
Arapaho,  has  four  sets  of  equidistant  notches  on  its  circumference. 
These  notches  agree  with  the  marks  of  the  world  quarters  on  the  cane 
dice  and  on  the  tubes  of  the  hidden-ball  game. 

In  another  group  of  the  hoop  games  we  find  a  small  ring  with  beads 
of  different  colors  set  at  equidistant  points  around  its  inner  side. 
Different  values  are  attributed  to  these  beads,  which  count  accord- 
ingly. On  other  small  rings,  as  among  the  Pawnee,  a  single  small 
beaci'  is  threaded  on  the  interior  of  the  ring.  Marks  indicating  the 
quarters  are  found  upon  some  hoops,  while  others  are  entirely  plain. 

The  materials  of  the  rings  are  equally  varied.  The  netted  hoop 
usually  consists  of  a  sapling  lashed  with  rawhide.  Other  hoops  are 
twined  with  cord  (Mohave)  or  beads  (Ute),  and  still  others  have  a* 


CILIN]  HOOP    AND    POLE  421 

central  core  wrapped  with  rawhide  (Xavaho,  Shoshoni,  Tigua)  i>r 
witli  bark  (Umatilla,  Kwakiutl,  Makah).  The  Hopi  have  rings  uf 
com  husks.  Again,  there  are  rings  of  stone  (Santa  Barbara,  Choctaw, 
Muskogee,  Bellacoola,  Mandan.  Kwakiutl),  some  of  rough  lava,  as 
among  the  tribes  of  the  Pacific,  and  others  of  finely  finished  quartzite, 
as  in  the  states  of  the  south  Atlantic  and  Gulf  coasts.  These  stone 
rings  are  both  with  and  without  perforations,  and  among  the  Chero- 
kee we  read  of  them  being  flat  on  one  side  and  convex  on  the  other. 
The  diameter  of  the  hoop  also  varies,  from  25  inches  among  the 
Oglala  to  23  inches  among  the  Paiute. 

The  darts  emj^loj'ed  are  of  several  varieties.  Arrows  shot  from  a 
bow  or  thrown  By  hand  are  common.  Simple  straiglit  shafts  are 
frequenth'  used,  as  well  as  plain  long  poles  made  of  a  single  piece. 
The  Hopi  and  the  Thompson  have  feather  darts.  For  the  netted 
hoop,  a  sajjling  with  a  forked  end  is  commonly  employed.  The 
Apache  have  long  jointed  poles,  the  ends  marked  with  rings,  whicli 
count  in  accordance  with  the  way  they  fall  upon  the  hoop.  The 
Navaho  use  similar  jointed  poles  with  a  thong  attached,  the  divided 
ends  of  which  count  as  they  catch  in  the  ring.  Among  the  Tigua 
(Isleta),  the  Keres  (Laguna),  and  the  Mandan  the  darts  had  thongs 
which  cauglit  in  the  ring.  In  an  Omaha  game  there  is  a  curved  Istrip 
of  rawhide  forming  a  kind  of  trident  at  the  end  of  the  pole.       ' 

Two  short  darts  attached  in  the  middle  bj"  a  thong  were  used] with 
the  large  hoop  of  the  Dakota,  and  in  a  game  played  bj'  the  Cacldoan 
and  Siouan  stocks  the  throwing  sticks  were  complicated  with  arcs 
and  crossbars. 

The  game  was  always  played  by  males.  There  is  no  record  of 
women  participating.  The  number  of  players  varied  from  two 
upward,  but  two  appears  to  have  been  the  primal  number.  In  the 
ceremonial  forms  of  the  game  a  complete  set  of  implements  con- 
sisted of  a  single  ring  and  two  poles.  The  latter  may  be  explained 
in  many  instances  as  the  bows  of  the  twin  War  Gods.  The  jointed 
poles  of  the  Navaho  and  the  Ajiache  may  be  regarded  as  the  two  bows 
tied  together,  and  the  same  explanation  may  be  offered  for  the  tied 
darts  used  with  the  large  hoop  by  the  Dakota.  The  implement  used 
by  the  Caddoan  tribes  is  explained  by  them  as  representing  a  buffalo, 
the  jirojecting  curved  head  symbolizing  the  masculine  organ.  In 
playing,  the  long  poles  were  ordinarily  tlirown  after  the  moving  ring 
by  the  two  contestants:  the  beaded  ring  was  commonly  rolled  against 
some  kind  of  barrier.  In  the  Delaware.  Seneca,  and  Xiska  game§ 
the  players  stood  in  two  parallel  lines,  shooting  at  the  hoop  as  it  rolled 
between  them.     Among  the  Makah  the  lines  converge. 

For  the  playing  field  a  level  jilace  was  selected,  and  among  some 
tribes  especially  prepared.    Among  the  Mandan  we  read  of  timber 


422 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


floors  150  feet  long.     The  Apsiche  pliiy  on  a  level  ground,   100  feet 
long,  with  a  rock  in  the  center,  from  which  the  poles  are  hurled. 

The  Creeks  had  large  inclosed  courts  with  sloping  sides,  on  which 
the  spectators  were  seated.  Among  the  Apache  and  the  Navaho,  the 
direction  of  the  track  is  from  north  to  south.  In  reference  to  the 
season  of  the  game,  we  learn  that  among  the  Wasco  it  is  played  at  the 
time  I  if  tlie  first  run  of  salmon,  and  among  the  Umatilhi  in  the  spring. 


Fiii 


544.     Pottery    bowl    with   spider-web    decoration;    diameter,  '.i;    iiir-hes:    Hopi    Indians, 
MishongnoYi,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  75766,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 


Morgan  describes  it  as  played  between  different  communities  among 
the  Iroquois. 

Information  concerning  the  counts  is  meager.  The  Arapaho  used 
one  hundred  and  the  Shoshoni  six  tally  sticks.  Among  the  Apache  it 
is  the  principal  gambling  game.  It  is  commonly  played  for  stakes  of 
value,  but  not  infrequently  for  the  arrows  and  darts  used  in  the  play. 

The  explanation  of  the  origin  and  significance  of  the  game  of 
lioop  and  pole  rests  largely  upon  the  identification  of  the  hoop.  The 
netted  gaming  hoop  is  readily  seen  to  be  the  same  as  the  netted  shield, 
■one  of  the  attributes  of.  the  twin  War  Gods,  Ahaiyuta  and  Matsailenia, 


CUHN]  HOOP    AND    POLE  423 

of  Zuni  mythology.  Mr  Gushing  had  explained  this  shield  as  a 
fi-amework.  once  padded  with  cotton,  and  anciently  used  by  the  Zuiii 
as  an  actual  shield  in  warfare."  Upon  the  basis  of  this  account  the 
writer  assumed  that  the  game  arose  from  the  emplo3'ment  of  this 


Pig.  .')4-').    Pottery    bowl    with  spider-web  decoration;    diameter,  HP    inches;    Hopi    Indians, 
MishongnoTi,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  ToBTo,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

practical  shield  in  connection  with  the  arrow  or  javelin.  A  passage 
in  Cushing's  Zuiii  Folk  Tales,''  where  this  netted  shield,  made  only  of 
nets  and  knotted  cords,  is  described  as  the  kiaalan,  water  shield,  a 

"  The  warrior  carried  also  targets  or  sliields  of  yucca  or  cotton  cord,  closely  netted 
across  a  strong,  round  hoop  frame  and  covered  with  a  coarser  and  larger  net,  which  was 
only  a  modification  of  the  carrying  net  (like  those  still  in  use  by  the  Papago.  Pima,  and 
other  Indians  of  southern  Arizona),  and  which  was  turned  to  account  as  such,  indeed,  on 
hunting  and  war  expeditions.  (Outlines  of  Zuui  Creation  Myths.  Thirteenth  Annual  Re- 
port of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  358,  1896.)  Elsewhere  (A  Zuiii  Folk  Tale  of  the 
Underworld.  .Journal  of  American  Folk-Lore,  v.  .">,  p.  52)  Mr  Cushing  speaks  thus  of 
their  shields  ; 

"Cord  shields. — Pf-a-la-we  (cord  or  cotton  shields),  evidently  an  ancient  style  of 
shield  still  surviving  in  the  form  of  sacrificial  net  shields  of  the  priesthood  of  the  Bow. 
But  the  shields  of  these  two  gods  [the  twin  War  Oods]  were  supposed  to  have  been 
spun  from  the  clouds,  which,  supporting  the  sky-ocean,  that  in  turn  supported  the  sky- 
world  as  this  world  is  believed  to  be  supported  by  under  waters  and  clouds,  were  hence 
possessed  of  the  power  of  floating — upward  when  turned  up.  downward  when  reversed." 
This  refers  to  the  War  Gods  covering  their  heads  with  their  cord  shields  when  descend- 
ing into  the  under-world. 

'P.  337.  3TU.  New  York,  1901. 


424 


GAMES    OF    THE    HOBTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [bth.  an.n.  24 


magical  implement,  led  the  writer,  however,  to  reconsider  tlie  probable 
identity  of  this  object,  with  the  resulting  conclusion  that  it  was  never 
used  as  a  means  of  physical  defense ;  that  it  was,  in  fact,  an  adaptation 


Pig.  546. 


Fig.  547. 


Fig.  M». 


Fig.  546.    Netted  siiield,  bow,  and  arrows  attaclied  to  plume  offering;  diamet«r  <>f  shield,  2f 

inches;  Zuiii  Indians,  Zuiii,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  22678,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art, 

University  of  Pennsylvania. 
FiQ.  547.    Plume  offering;  length,  21  inches;  Zuni  Indians,  Zuni,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  32878, 

Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  548.    Baho  stand  with  netted  shield;  length,  5J  int^hes:  Hopi  Indians,  Oi-aibi,  Arizona;  cat. 

no.  38790,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

of  the  magical  spider  wel^  spun  by  the  8i)ider  Woman,  the  mother  of 
the  Twins,  the  symbol  of  her  protection.  Bowls  painted  with  a  web 
are  not  uncommon  among  the  ancient  fictile  ware  of  the  Hopi  in  Ari- 
zona, as  shown  in  figures  544,  545,  from  Mishongnovi.     The  net  some- 


CULIN] 


HOOP    AND    POLE 


425 


times  appears  more  or  less  regularly  dotted  with  spots."  Such  figures 
I  regard  as  representing  the  spider  web  with  the  dew  upon  it.  The 
"water  shield  '"  of  Ahai^'uta,  from  which  he  shook  the  torrents,  was 
suggested,  no  doubt,  by  dew  on  the  web. 

A  miniature  netted  shield,  with  or  without  a  tiny  bow  and  arrows, 
is  of  frequent  occurrence  on  objects  employed  in  Zufii  ceremonials. 
Such  a  shield  with  arrows  is  represented  in  figure  516  on  a  plume 
offering  secured  by  the  writer  in  1902  from  the  shrine  of  the  War  God 
on  Corn  mountain.  As  descrilied  in  the  introduction,  a  similar  netted 
shield  is  also  seen  associated  with  a  male  baho  attached  to  each  of  the 
four  baho  stands  (figure  548)  placed  upon  the  Hopi  Powalawu  altar'' 
and  the  effigy  of  Pookong,  the  lesser  War  God  on  the  Oraibi  snake  altar, 
has  a  netted  shield  on  his  back.     Featlier  darts,  precisely  like  those 


Fig.  549.    Sacrificial  feather  darts  from' altar  of  War  God:  length,  18  inches;  Zuiii  Indians.  Zu3i, 
New  Mexico:  cat.  no.  2268'i,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

used  in  connection  with  a  ring  of  corn  husk  among  the  Hopi  (figure 
648),  are  sacrificed  upon  the  altar  of  the  Zuni  War  God.  Figure  549 
represents  a  set  of  four  made  for  the  writer  in  Zuiii  in  1902,  identical 
with  those  he  saw  upon  the  shrine  on  Corn  mountain.  In  the  Hopi 
Oaqol  ceremony  at  Oraibi,  the  manas  discharge  corncob  feather  darts 
at  a  netted  wheel,*^  and  in  the  Oraibi  Marau  ceremony  women  shoot 
arrows  in  a  similar  way  into  a  bundle  of  vines.''     Figure  552  repre- 

»  These  two  bowls  were  excavated  from  ancient  Hopi  graves,  at  Mishongnovi,  by  Mr 
Charles  L.  Owen,  in  1900.  In  one  this  web  is  inclosed  in  a  brolien  circle  of  brown  paint 
and  divided  into  two  segments  by  a  median  line  of  similar  brown  paint.  On  one  side 
there  are  eleven  brown  strokes  in  the  first  set  of  spaces  nearest  the  center,  and  on  the 
other  nine  red  strokes  in  the  corresponding  spaces. 

''Mr  Voth  states  that  this  particular  netted  sliield  is  asserted  to  represent  simply  a 
wheel  (ngoUa)  and  the  feather  with  the  wheel  also  serves  as  a  protection  against  the 
destructive  sand  storms.  It  is  called  liukulitsi,  sand  storm  shutter.  (The  Oraibi  I'o- 
wamu  Ceremony,  p.  77,  Chicago.  1001.) 

'  See  H.  R.  Voth,  The  Oraibi  Ofiiiol  Ceremony,  p.  23  and  42.  Chicago,  190.3.  Mr  V.jth 
relates  that  on  the  fifth  day  of  the  OfiqOl  ceremony,  MasAtoiniwa.  the  chief  priest,  held 
a  netted  wheel,  about  12  inches  in  diameter,  of  the  same  pattern  as  the  wheels  used  on 
the  last  day  by  the  two  OAcjol  manas  [figure  5.50],  consisting  of  a  wooden  ring,  about 
three-quarters  of  an  inch  thick,  which  was  tilled  with  a  network  of  small  meshes.  This 
is  called  b&chaiyanpi,  water  sieve,  because  the  cloud  deities  have  such  strainers  through 
which  they  sift  or  drop  the  rain. 

**  Doctor  Fewkes,  in  descriliing  this  ceremony  at  Walpi,  says  a  '*  small  package  of 
cornhusks."  The  two  women  who  shoot  the  package  are  called  Waiihitaka,  and  their  act 
of  shooting  is  said  to  typify  lightning  striking  in  the  cornfield,  an  event  which  is 
regarded  as  the  acme  of  fertilization.  (Hopi  Basket  Dances.  .lournal  of  .American  Folk- 
Lore.  V.  12,  p.  91,  1899.) 


426 


GAMES    OF    THE    JTOETH    AMERICAJT    I^TDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


sents  four  Marau  arrows,  Marau  hohohu,  in  the  Free  Museum  of 
Science  and  Art  of  the  Univei'sity  of  Pennsylvania  (cat  no.  38810). 
They  are  made  of  reed,  ISJ  to  21  inches  in  length,  with  wooden  points ; 
the  feathers  are  obtained  from  the  wing  of  the  golden  eagle.  These 
arrows  are  described  by  the  collector.  Rev.  H.  R.  Voth,  as  follows : 

These  arrows  are  made  in  the  kiva  on  the  8th  clay  of  the  JIarau  ceremony  by 
a  man  belonging  to  the  Pakat  (Reed)  clan.  In  the  public  ceremony,  ou  the  ninth 
day.  tljey  are  used  by  two  of  the  JIarau  talvas,  who  act  as  arcliers  in  the  plaza. 
The  arrows  are  shot  into  the  bundle,  consisting  of  squash,  niolon,  bean,  cotton, 


Fig.  55U.    iS'L'Ut.'ii  iiuups  iiud  loiitiiL-r  diirta  uscil  by  tliu  (Jtnioi  ukuki??.  idupi  ludiiins,  Uniiln.  Ari- 
zona; from  H.  R.  Voth. 

and  other  vines.  At  the  close  of  tlie  ceremony  they  are  deposited  in  a  shrine 
north  of  the  village,  in  whicli  four  old  stone  Piiokong  fetiches  are  sitting  on 
projecting  rocks. 

Again,  in  the  Lalakonti  ceremony,  as  witnessed  by  the  writer  at 
Walpi  in  the  summer  of  1901,  the  Lakone  mana  threw  feather  darts, 
made  of  ears  of  corn,  into  cloud  symbols  which  the  priest,  or  Lakone 
taka.  traced  with  meal  upon  the  ground." 


"  See  Dr  J.  Walter  Fewkes.  Hopi  Basket  Dances.  Journal  of  American  Folk-Lore.  v.  12, 
p.  81.  1890.  Doctor  Fewkes  describes  corncobs,  instead  of  ears  of  corn,  stuck  with  eagle 
feathers  as  used  in  the  I..'iIakouti  ceremony  at  Waliii  in  ISOS.  lie  witnessed  also  the  cere- 
mony at  Orailti.  mentioning  corncobs  as  used  there,  and  the  one  at  Shipaulovi,  where  two 
halves  of  corncobs  were  employed. 


CCLIN] 


HOOP    AND    POLE 


427 


Similar  ceremonies  or  games  were  i>ractised  by  the  clirt'-dwellers, 
as  is  attested  by  a  number  of  objects  from  Mancos  canyon.  Colorado, 
in  the  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art  of  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. Figure  553  represents  a  corncob  shuttlecock  stuck  with  a 
grouse  feather;  figure  554  a  feather  dart,  with  a  hard-wood  point  to 
which  a  hawk  feather  is  secured  by  a  wrapping  of  yucca  fiber;  and 
figure  555  a  ball  of  coarse  j'ucca  stems,  the  latter  identified  by  Mr 
Gushing  as  used  in  the  "  arrow-spearing  game.''  all  from  this  localitj'. 


Fig.  551.    Oaqol  manas  throwing  darts  into  netted  hoops;  Hopi  Indians,  Oraibi,  Arizona;  from 

H.  R.  Voth. 

The  use  of  the  miniature  netted  shield  as  a  protective  amulet  is 
widely  distributed.  J.  G.  Kohl "  describes  a  wooden  ring  over  which 
thongs  are  drawn  as  a  cradle  amulet  among  the  Chippewa  at 
Apostle  islands,  "Wisconsin,  and  an  actual  cradle  charm  from  the 
Chip2)ewa,  exhibited  in  the  Columbian  Exposition  at  Chicago,  was 
practically  identical  with  the  miniature  netted  shields  of  the  Zufii 
and  the  Hojii.     The  Ilupa  employ  a  similar  charm   (figure  556)   on 

"  Kitehi-Gami,  Wanderings  round  Lake  Superior,  p.  S,  London,  1860. 


428 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


their  wicker  cradles,  a  small  hexagonal  object  made  by  twisting 
white  and  black  straw  around  three  sticks  placed  crosswise,  with 
ends  equidistant.    Netted  shields  are  also  common  among  the  amulets 


Fig.  552.    Marau  arrows;  length,  18i  to  21  inches;  Hopi  Indians,  Oraibi,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  38810, 
Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


Pig.  553.    Corncob  feather  dart;  length,  7}  inches:  •■lilt -dwolhng,  Mancos  canyon,  Colorado; 
Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


Fig. 551.    Feather  ilart;  Inigtli,  liu  inches;  clifE-dwelling,  Mancos  canyon,  Colorado;  Free  Mu- 
seum of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

and  personal  adornments  of  many  of  the  Plains  tribes.  Figure  557 
represents  a  hair  ornament  collected  by  Rev.  H.  E.  Voth  from  the 
Cheyenne  of  Oklahoma,  in  the  United  States  National  Museum  (cat. 


Fig.  5.55. 


Fig.  556. 


Fig.  557. 


Fig.  555.  Yucca  ball;  diameter,  2j  inches;  cliff-dwelling,  Mancos  canyon,  Colorado;  Free  Mu- 
seum of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Fig.  556.  Cradle  charm;  diameter,  3  inches;  Hupa  Indians,  Hupa  valley,  California;  cat.  no. 
37186,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Fig.  557.  Hair  ornament  (netted  hoopt;  diameter,  4  inches;  Cheyenne  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat. 
no.  165859,  United  States  National  Museum. 

no.  165859),  and  figure  558  a  similar  object  from  the  Crows  of  Mon- 
tana, in  the  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art  of  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania  (cat.  no.  38505).     The  latter  lias  a  flint  arrowhead  and 


CDLIN] 


HOOP    AND    POLE 


429 


a  long  down  feather  attached  to  the  face  of  the  net.  Of  two  sunilar 
charms  from  the  Grosventres  (Algonquian)  of  Fort  Belknap,  Mon- 
tana, in  the  Field  Columbian  Museum  (cat.  no.  60337,  60334),  one  is 
netted  (figure  559),  while  the  other  is  a  simple  hoop  (figure  560) 
with  buckskin  thongs  crossing  at  right  angles.  These  are  described 
by  Doctor  Dorsey,  the  collector,  as  hachieb,  formerly  much  worn  on 
the  head  and  hair  as  a  protection  against  dangers  of  various  sorts. 
Analogous  hoops  are  attached  to  two  "medicine  cords"  (figures 
561,  562)  from  the  Chiricahua  Apache,  figured  by  Capt.  John  G. 
Bourke."* 


Fig.  558. 


Pig.  560. 


Fig.  558.    Hair  ornament  (netted  hoop);  diameter,  2|  inches;  Crow  Indians,  Montana;  cat.  no. 

38505,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  5.59.    Protective  amulet  (netted  hoop);  diameter,  2J  inches;  Grosventre  Indians,  Montana; 

cat.  no.  60337,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  56U.    Protective  amulet  (hoop);  diameter,  2  inches;  Grosventre  Indians,  Montana;  cat.  no. 

60334,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 


Small  rings  of  twisted  grass  are  used  as  amulets  by  the  Navaho,  as 
illustrated  by  specimens  collected  by  Dr  Edward  Palmer  (figure  563 
a,b),  in  the  United  States  National  Museum  (cat.  no.  9539).  Sim- 
ilar illustrations  of  netted  hoops  and  related  rings  might  be  multiplied 
almost  indefinitely,  and  specimens  may  be  found  in  every  considerable 
collection  of  modern  Indian  ceremonial  costume.  From  a  sugges- 
tion made  by  Mr  Louis  L.  Meeker,  some,  if  not  all,  of  these  objects 
may  be  identified  with  gaming  rings.  He  writes  that  the  Cheyenne 
in  Oklahoma  use  a  hair  ornament,  consisting  of  a  small  ring,  which 


■■  The  Medicine  Man  of  the  Apache. 
p.  551,  1S92. 


Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology, 


i30 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       Ietii.  anx.  24 


they  wear  as  a  token  of  prowess  in  a  game  called  hohtsin,  in  which  a 
rolling  target,  consisting  of  a  netted  wheel,  is  used.  Later  he  trans- 
mitted to  the  writer  from  the  Oglala  of  Pine  Ridge  reservation, 
South  Dakota,  such  a  hair  ornament,  tahosmu,  which  the  Indians  of 
this  tribe  wear  as  a  token  of  prowess  in  the  elk  game,  kaga  woskate. 
It  consists  of  a  ring  of  bent  twig  (figure  564),  2|  inches  in  diameter, 
wrapped  with  colored  jiorcupine  quills,  with  an  internal  cross,  and 
thongs  for  fastenins." 


Fig.  561. 


Fig,  dtiiiu. 


Fig.  5(J3ii. 


Fig.  oe:J. 

Fig.  561.    Four-strand  medicine  cord;  Chiricaliua  Apache  Indians,  Arizona;  from  Bourke. 
Fig.  562.    Three-strand  medicine  cord;  Chiricahiia  Apache  Indians,  Arizona;  from  Bourke. 
Fig.  563a.  ft.    Amulets  of  scented  grass;  diameters,  ]}and  Is  inches:  Navaho  Indians,  New  Mexico; 
cat.  no.  9.5.39,  United  States  National  Museum. 

An  examination  of  two  similar  hair  ornaments  collected  by  the 
writer  in  1900  from  the  Arapaho  of  the  AA^ind  River  reservation, 
Wyoming,  reveals  the  fact  that  they  are  miniature  gaming  hoops,  one 
(figure  565:  cat  no.  37003,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art  of  the 

"  Mr  Charles  L.  Owen  informs  the  writer  that  the  miniature  gaming  hoops  in  the  Field 
Columbian  Museum,  collected  by  hira  from  the  White  Mountain  Apache  in  Arizona  in  1904, 
were  worn  b.v  men  who  played  the  pole  game,  as  amulets  to  secure  success  in  that  game. 


CC'LIN] 


HOOP    AND    POLE 


481 


University  of  Pennsylvania)   a  simple  hoop  with  notches,  like  that 
used  by  the  Oglala  and  Yankton  Dakota,  and  the  other  (figure  566; 


Fig.  .564. 


Fig.  .5ti5. 


Fig.  566. 


Fig.  564.  Hair  ornameut;  diameter,  2J  inches;  Oglala  Dakota  Indians,  Pine  Ridge  reservation. 
South  Dakota;  cat.  no.  21042,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Fig,  565.  Hair  ornament;  diameter,  -H  inches;  Arapaho  Indians,  Wind  River  reservation.  Wyo- 
ming; cat.  no.  3T00:i,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Fio.  .566.  Hair  ornament;  diameter,  .S  inches:  Arapaho  Indians.  Wind  River  reservation.  Wyo- 
ming; cat.  no.  .37004,  Free  Museum  of  .Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

cat.  no.  37004)    with  a  median  cord,  like  the  gaming  hoop  of  the 
Apache,  and  having  the  two  darts  secured  on  the  rim. 


432 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMEBICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


The  ring  and  feather  dart,  the  netted  hoop,  and  the  Large  buck- 
skin ring  constantly  recur  in  the  masks  used  in  the  Hopi  and  Zuiii 
ceremonials.  The  nose  and  mouth  of  the  Hopi  Hehea  uncle  katcina 
(figure  567)  may  be  regarded  as  the  dart  and  ring,"  and  the  large 
painted  rings  which  surround  the  base  of  so  many  masks  are  to  be 
identified  with  the  leather-wrapiDcd  gaming  hoop. 


Pig.  567.  Fig.  am. 

Fig.  5*i7.    Mask  of  Hehea  tahaamu,  or  Hehea  uncle  katcina;  Hopi  Indians.  Arizona;  cat.  no. 

6H4.52,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  568.    Deerskin  plume  worn  with  head  ring;  length,  18  inches:  Hnpa  Indians,  Hupa  valley, 

California:  cat.  no.  37213,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

We  discover  a  similar  object  in  the  heavy  ring  covered  with  buck- 
skin  and   red   woodpecker  crests,   worn   on   the  head  by  the  Hupa 

°  It  is  not  an  unreasonable  conclusion  that  the  corn-husk  rings  which  supply  the  place 
of  mouths  on  other  masks,  as,  for  example,  the  Qiitca  mana  (cat.  no.  56288,  Field  Co- 
lumbian Museum),  are  also  gaming  rings.  Again,  the  ring  of  network  forming  part  of 
the  IIopl  ceremonial  head  tablet  (cat.  no.  16093,  Field  Columbian  Museum)  may  be 
identified  with  the  netted  wheel,  and  the  checkered  bands  at  the  base  of  the  Ilopl  face 
masks,  such  as  that  of  the  Ana  katcina  (cat.  no.  66286,  Field  Columbian  Museum),  with 
the  simple  ring  which  exists  entire  at  the  base  of  the  other  ZuiSI  and  Hopi  masks. 


CULIN] 


HOOP    AND    POLE 


433 


(Athapascan)  in  northern  California.  Its  derivation  from  the 
gaming  ring  is  further  borne  out  by  the  two  long  plumes,  covered 
with  white  deerskin  and  woodpecker  crests,  on  wooden  fore  shafts 
(figure  568)  that  are  stuck  on  either  side  in  front  of  the  ring. 

The  Flute  priests  at  Oraibi  wear  a  headdress  consisting  of  a  corn- 
husk  ring  (figure  .569),  i^ierced  with  two  wooden  darts,  baho,  and 
with  four  pins,  on  the  ends  of  which  are  fastened  four  gaining  cups  of 
four  colox's." 


^^HBp*^2 

Wi 

■ 

7m^ 

^|H 

(jf^S*^  «2  1 

JIe'^H 

WM 

H^i 

mm 

H 

^^H^^^^ViH^^B^ 

^<9\;^;;i'x3^^^^?9|^^K 

^^^B.V^^^^^H 

M^^l  ' '                      n^H^ 

"^'j^^Si^^^l 

^^^^^^'i^ 

^ 

Fig.  56S.    Flute  priest's  headdress;  Hopi  Indians,  Oraibi,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  65789,  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum. 


Before  returning  to  the  final  discussion  of  the  significance  of  the 
hoop-and-jjole  game,  let  us  consider  some  of  the  ceremonial  uses  of 
rings  analogous  to  the  gaming  ring.  One  of  the  most  notable  is  the 
conjurer's  hoop  (figure  570)  of  the  Oglala  Dakota.  A  specimen  in  the 
Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania 
(cat.  no.  22241)  consists  of  a  hoop,  cangleska,'' spotted  wood,"  made  of 

"Worn  at  the  fall  ceremony  of  the  Flute  society.     The  cup-shaped   objects  symlmlize 
blossoming,  hence  the  headdress  is  sometimes  called  lansi.  "  flute  blossoms."     This  head- 
dress is  worn  also  by  the  Flute  katcina  and  by  a  few  others. 
24  ETH — 05  M 28 


434 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  24 


a  peeled  branch  about  half  an  inch  in  diameter,  tied  with  sinew,  to  form 
a  ring  10  inches  in  diameter,  and  jaainted  in  four  segments — yellow, 
red,  blue,  and  black.  It  is  accompanied  with  four  sticks,  11^  inches 
in  length,  painted  like  the  hoop,  one  yellow,  one  red,  one  blue,  and  one 
black.  A  small  calico  bag.  painted  to  correspond  with  the  stick  and 
containing  tobacco,  is  tied  at  the  blunt  end  of  each  stick.  These 
objects  were  made  for  the  donor.  Mr  Louis  L.  Meeker,  by  Cangleska 
Luta,  or  Red  Hoop,  an  Indian  or  mixed  Cheyenne  and  Kiuksa  Oglala 
parentage.     I  append  Mr  Meeker's  "  account : 

According  to  Indian  belief  tlie  hoop  represents  the  ecliptic,  or  zodiac,  or,  as 
the  Indian  would  say,  the  circle  of  day  and  night.  -The  yellow  segment  repre- 
sents the  part  between  the  eastern  horizon  and  the  zenith,  over  which  the  suu 

seems   to   pass   between   sunrise   and 


^ 


noon.  The  red  segment  represents 
the  part  between  the  western  horizon 
and  the  zenith,  over  which  the  sun 
seems  to  pass  from  noon  to  sunset. 
The  blue  represents  the  part  from  the 
western  horizon  to  the  nadir,  the  sup- 
posed course  of  the  sun  from  sunset 
to  midnight.  The  black  represents  the 
part  from  the  nadir  to  the  horizon,  the 
supposed  path  of  the  sun  from  mid- 
night to  sunrise.  The  colors  ordina- 
rily used  are  yellow,  from  the  .iuice  of 
the  prickly  poppy ;  red,  from  blood  or 
red  clay  ;  blue,  from  blue  earth ;  and 
black,  from  charcoal.  Each  color  rep- 
resents a  quarter  of  the  globe,  or,  as 
an  Indian  would  sa.v,  the  colors  de- 
note the  places  of  the  four  winds.  If 
the  hoop  is  set  up  perpendicularly, 
with  the  juncture  of  the  red  and  yel- 
low above,  the  former  to  the  west  and 
the  latter  to  the  east  on  the  plane  of 
the  ecliptic,  each  color  will  be  in  its 
proper  position,  as  above  described.  If  the  hoop  is  laid  upon  the  ground  in  a 
horizontal  position,  with  the  .iuncture  of  the  yellow  and  red  to  the  north,  it  will 
give  each  of  the  four  winds  its  proper  color — from  north  to  east  will  be  yellow  : 
east  to  south,  black  ;  south  to  west,  lilue :  and  west  to  north,  red. 

Each  stick  belongs  to  one  of  the  four  winds,  as  indicated  by  its  color.  In  csrse 
of  sickness,  the  hoop,  sticks,  and  tobacco  borne  by  the  sticks  are  offered  in  the 
following  manner  to  secure  recovery :  The  hoop  is  laid  in  the  center  of  the 
lodge  or  on  the  ground  in  the  position  described  above.  The  performer  takes 
each  stick  and  sets  it  upon  its  color  on  the  hoop,  point  down,  at  the  same  time 
chanting  the  syllables  he  and  e,  he  e,  she,  and  e  e,  with  or  without  improvised 
words  of  his  own,  relating  to  morning  or  forenoon,  hanhanna  ;  dawn,  anpao ; 
noon,  wicokala ;  evening,  htayetu :  midnight,  hancokaya ;  and  tate,  wind, 
with  or  without  the  name  of  the  color  of  the  stick — zi,  yellow ;  sa,  red ;  to, 
blue ;  and  sapa,  black. 


Fio .  570.  Conjurer's  hoop  and  sticks;  diameter 
of  hoop,  10  inches;  Oglala  Dakota  Indians, 
South  Dakota;  oat.  no.  32341,  Free  Museum  of 
Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


«  Bulletin  of  the  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  v.  3,  p.  252,  Philadelphia,  1902. 


CILIN]  HOOP    AND    POLE  435 

Chant 

Hi  ya  ye,  hi  ye  ye,  hi  ya  ye.  ya-hi  ye  ye. 
Hi  ya  ye.  hi  ye  ye,  hi  ya  ye,  ya-hi  ye  ye. 

Hi  ya  ya,  hi  ye  ye,  hi  ya  ye,  ya-hi  ye  ye. 
Hi  ya  ya,  hi  ye  ye,  hi  ya  ye,  ya-hi  ye  ye, 

hnprovisatioii 

Ta  te  zi,  hi  ya  ye.  ta  te  sa,  ya-hi  ye  ye. 
Ta  te  to,  hi  ye  ya,  ya  hi  ye,  ta-te  sa  pa. 

An  pa  o,  hi  ya  ya,  haii  han  lui.  wi-t-o  kn  la.  . 

Hta  ye  tii,  hi  ya  ya,  ya  hi  ya.  han-co  lia  ya. 

Both  chorus  and  improvisation  are  repeated  and  continued  at  pleasure.  The 
scale  is  in  a  minor  key  and  the  chant  rises  and  falls,  beginning  low,  becoming 
higher,  and  again  low.  The  pupils  in  the  schools  say  the  syllables  hi  ya  ye 
and  hi  ye  ye  are  correctly  rendered  in  English  by  the  kindergarten  chorus, 
"  Hence  this  way,  hence  that  way."  I  believe,  however,  that  "  Hence  this  one, 
hence  that  one "  is  more  nearly  correct,  if,  indeed,  they  have  any  meaning. 
Most  Indians  say  they  have  none. 

Two  of  the  sticks  laid  across  the  hoop  are  from  nortli  to  soutli ;  the  others 
from  east  to  west.  A  light-colored  stick  is  laid  from  aorth  to  south,  and  a 
dark -colored  one  from  east  to  west,  either  red  and  black,  or  yellow  and  blue.  If 
red  and  blue  are  used,  and  recovery  does  not  take  place,  red  and  black  will  bo 
used  when  the  ceremony  is  repeated.  The  other  two  sticks  are  held  in  the 
hand  of  the  performer,  who  continues  to  chant  he  and  e  with  variations  until 
well-nigh  exhausted.  The  hoop  and  sticks  are  then  carried  away  and  left  on 
some  hill  as  far  away  from  all  forms  of  animal  life  as  possible. 

According  to  their  explanations,  the  Indians  believe  the  four  winds  carry 
incense  to  the  four  powers  of  the  universe.  The  efficacy  of  the  rite  is  supposed 
to  depend  upon  the  mysterious  i)ower  of  the  performer,  the  weirdness  and 
length  of  the  chant,  and  the  height  and  solitude  of  the  place  where  the  ofTering 
is  left.  Remains  of  these  hoojis  may  be  found  on  the  tops  of  remote  and  lonely 
hills  in  every  Indian  community  where  I  have  been  stationed. 

The  account  here  given  describes  the  most  common  use  of  the  hoop.  I  have 
learned  that  it  is  used  in  many  ceremonies  by  the  medicine  men.  In  .Inly 
last  I  saw  one  of  the  hoops  and  supjiosed  it  was  used  in  a  game.  Evasive 
answers  were  given  to  my  inquiries,  but  there  was  a  young  man  on  his  death-i 
bed,  and  month  after  month  many  hoops  were  required.  In  order  to  obtain 
coloring  matter  for  them  it  was  at  last  admitted  that  the  hoops  v.-ere  for  the 
benefit  of  tlie  invalid,  and  I  at  last  saw  the  perforniiince.  which  took  place  at 
night.  The  Indians  are  unwilling  to  tell  their  customs,  partly  becau.se  the 
medicine  men  do  not  approve,  and  partly  because  they  do  not  care  to  have 
their  sacred  customs  made  the  object  of  ridicule. 

The  Navaho  make  rings  which  Col.  James  Stevenson  refers  to  as 
gaming  rings  (figure  571),  on  the  first  day  of  the  ceremony  commonly 
called  Yebitchai.  performed  as  a  healing  rite  for  a  member  of  the 
tribe.  He  gives  the  following  account "  of  a  performance  which  he 
witnessed  in  October,  1888,  at  Keams  canyon,  Arizona : 

"  Ceremonial  of  Hasjelti  Dailjis  and  Mythical  Sand  Painting  of  the  Navajo  Indians. 
Eighth  Annnal  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  237,  1891, 


436  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [ETH.  ANN.  24 

During  the  afternoon  of  the  12th  those  who  were  to  take  part  in  the  cere- 
monial received  orders  and  instructions  from  the  song  priest.  One  man  went  to 
collect  twigs,  with  which  to  make  twelve  rings,  each  G  inches  in  diameter.  These 
rings  represented  gaming  rings,  which  are  not  only  used  b.v  the  Xavajo,  but  are 
thought  highly  of  by  the  genii  of  the  rocks.  [Figure  571.]  Another  man 
gathered  willows  with  which  to  make  the  emblem  of  the  concentration  of  the 
four  winds. 

The  square  was  made  by  dressed  willows  crossed  and  left  projecting  at  the 
corners  each  1  inch  beyond  the  next.  The  corners  were  tied  together  with  white 
cotton  cord,  and  each  corner  was  ornamented  with  the  under  tail  feather  of  the 
eagle.  These  articles  were  laid  in  a  niche  behind  the  theurgist,  whose  perma- 
nent seat  was  on  the  west  side  of  the  lodge  facing  east.  The  night  ceremony 
commenced  shortly  after  dark.  All  those  who  were  to  iiarticipate  were  imme- 
diate friends  and  relatives  of  the  invalid,  excepting  the  theurgist  or  song  priest, 
he  being  the  only  one  who  received  direct  compensation  for  his  professional  serv- 
ices. The  cost  of  such  a  ceremony  is  no  inconsiderable  item.  Not  only  the 
exorbitant  fee  of  the  theurgist  must  be  paid,  but  the  entire  assemblage  must  be 

fed  during  the  nine  days'  cei'emonial  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  invalid,  assisted  b.v  his  near  relatives. 
A  bright  fire  burned  in  the  lodge,  and  shortl.v 
after  dark  the  invalid  appeared,  and  sat  upon  a 
blanket,  which  was  placed  in  front  of  the  song 
priest.  Previously,  however,  three  men  had  pre- 
pared themselves  to  pex-sonate  thegods — Hasjelti, 
Host.ioghon,  and  Host.iobokou — and  one  to  per- 
sonate the  goddess,  Host.loboard.  They  left  the 
lodge  carrying  their  masks  in  their  hands,  went 
a  short  distance  away,  and  put  on  their  masks. 
Then  Ilasjelti  and  Host.ioghon  retiirned  to  the 
lodge,  and  IIas.ielti,  amid  hoots,  "hu-hoo-hu-huh  I" 
Pro.  671,  Gaining  ring  used  in  -  ,.,,,^(1  ^1,^  square  which  he  carried,  over  the  in- 
the  ceremony  called  Yebitchai;  .      ,        ,  ,    ,,        .      ,  ,       , 

Navaho  Indians,  Arizona;  from       valid  s    head,    and    Host.ioghon    shook    two    eagle 
James  Stevenson.  wands,  one  in  each  hand,  on  each  side  of  the  in- 

valid's head  and  body,  then  over  his  head,  mean- 
while hooting  in  his  peculiar  way,  "  hu-u-u-u-uh !  "  He  then  followed  Has- 
jelti out  of  the  lodge.  The  men  representing  Hostjobokon  and  Hostjoboard 
came  in  alternately.  Hostjobokon  took  one  of  the  rings,  which  had  been  made 
during  the  afternoon,  and  now  lay  upon  the  blanket  to  the  right  of  the  invalid, 
and  placed  it  again,st  the  soles  of  the  feet  of  the  invalid,  who  was  sitting  with 
knee.s  drawn  up,  and  then  against  his  knees,  palms,  breast,  each  scapula,  and 
top  of  his  head;  then  over  his  mouth.  While  touching  the  different  parts  of  the 
body  the  ring  was  held  with  both  hands,  but  when  placed  to  the  mouth  of  the 
invalid  it  was  taken  in  the  left  hand.  The  ring  was  made  of  a  reed,  the  ends 
of  which  were  secured  by  a  long  string  wrapped  over  the  ring  like  a  slip  noose. 
When  the  ring  was  placed  over  the  mouth  of  the  invalid  the  string  was  pulled, 
and  the  ring  dropped  and  rolled  out  of  the  lodge,  the  long  tail  of  white  cotton 
yarn,  with  eagle  jjlume  attached  to  the  end,  extending  far  behind.  Hostjoboard 
repeated  this  ceremony  with  a  second  ring,  and  so  did  Hostjobokon  and  Hostjo- 
board alternately,  until  the  twelve  rings  were  disjiosed  of.  Three  of  the  rings 
were  afterward  taken  to  the  east,  three  to  the  south,  three  to  the  west,  and 
three  to  the  north,  and  deposited  at  the  base  of  piuon  trees.  The  rings  were 
placed  over  the  invalid's  mouth  to  give  him  strength,  cause  him  to  talk  with  one 
tongue,  and  to  have  a  good  mind  and  heart.  The  other  portions  of  the  body  were 
touched  with  them  for  physical  benefit.     When  the  rings  had  all  been  rolled  out 


CILIX] 


HOOP    AND    POLE 


437 


TTfJffTfT-y-v. 


of  the  lodge  Hasjeiti  entered,  followed  by  Hostjoghon.  He  passed  the  sr|uare 
(the  concentrated  winds)  four  times  over  the  head  of  the  invalid  during  his 
hoots.  Hostjoghon  then  waved  his  turlcey 
wands  about  the  head  and  body  of  the  in- 
valid, and  the  first  day's  ceremony  was  at 
an  end. 

A  stone  ring  from  the  Cheyenne  of 
Okhihonia.  in  the  United  States  Na- 
tional Museum  (cat.  no.  1('>()029)  is 
described  by  the  collector,  Rev.  II.  R. 
Voth,  as  a  medicine  wheel  ( figure 
572) .  It  consists  of  a  flat  ringof  lime- 
stone, 4i  inches  in  diameter,  painted 
red,  and  inscribed  with  deep  grooves, 
sinndating  wrappings,  extending  around  it 
a  star  and  opposite  to  it  a  moon.    Th 


Fig.  .572.  Stone  medicine  ring;  diame- 
ter, -ti  inches:  Cheyenne  Indians,  Okla^ 
homa;  cat.  no.  Ifi6029,  United  States 
National  Museum. 


On  the  face  are  engraved 
1  ring  serves  to  illustrate  the  trans- 
formation of  the  cloth-  or  buckskin-wrapped  ring  into  one  of  stone. 


Fig.  57;1    Gaming  wheel  and  sticlcs  u.'ied  in  Ghost  dance;  Dakota  Indians.  South  Dakota;  from 

Mooney. 

Actual  practical  game  rings  are  used  ceremonially  at  the  present 
day.     The  writer  saw  a  j^nictical  netted  hoop  worn  on  the  back  of 


438 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ans.  24 


a  Yanktonai  Dakota  at  a  grass  dance  at  Fort  Peck.  Montana,  in  the 
summer  of  1890.  Mr  James  Mooney  "  also  relates  several  instances 
in  his  account  of  the  Ghost  dance  among  the  Sioux. 

At  a  Ghost  dance  at  No  Water's  camp,  near  Pine  Ridge  .  .  .  four  arrows, 
headed  with  bone  in  the  olden  fasliion.  were  shot  np  into  the  air  from  the  center 
of  the  circle  and  afterward  gathered  up  and  hung  upon  the  tree,  together  with 
the  bow,  a  gaming  wheel  and  sticks  [figure  573],  and  a  staff  of  peculiar  shape. 


Fig.  574.    Arapaho  Sun  Dance  altar  with  wheel,  Oklahoma;  i  !■•  nn  1  )■  r>.  > 

Elsewhere  ''  he  says : 

In  the  Gho.st  dance  at  Rosebud  and  Pine  Ridge,  as  usually  performed,  a  young 
woman  stood  in  the  center  of  the  circle,  holding  out  a  pipe  toward  the  messiah 
In  the  west,  and  remained  thus  throughout  the  dance,  .\uother  young  woman 
usually  stood  beside  her  holding  out  a  baqati  wheel  ...  in  the  same  way. 
This  feature  of  the  dance  is  said  to  have  been  introduced  by  Short  Bull. 

Mr  Mooney  '  states  further : 

It  is  said  that  the  medicine  man  of  Big  Foot's  band  carried  such  a  hoop 
with  bini  in  their  flight  from  the  north,  and  displayed  it  at  every  dance  held 
by  the  band  until  the  fatal  day  of  Wounded  Knee.  ...  To  the  Indian  it 
symbolizes  the  revival  of  the  old-time  games. 

The  ring,  or  v^-heel,  plays  a  very  considerable  part  in  the  ceremony 
of  the  Sun  dance  among  the  Plains  tribes.     Dr  George  A.  Dorsey  * 


«  The  Ohost^Jance  Religion.     Fourteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  o(  Ethnology,  p. 

si.'i,  i.sne. 

'  Ibid.,  p.   1064.        '  Ibid.,   p.   1075.         '  The  Arapaho  Sun  Dance,  p.  12,  Chicago,  UHKi. 


CULIN]  HOOP    AND    POLE  489 

describes  it  as  the  object  esteemed  next  after  the  gi-eat  tribal  medicine, 
the  flat  pipe,  among  the  northern  Arapaho.  The  wheel  used  by  them 
in  their  Sun  dance  is  described  by  him  as  follows : 

The  object  (hehotti)  is  about  18  iuches  iu  diameter  [figure  574].  It  is  made 
of  a  rectangular  piece  of  wood,  one  end  of  which  tapers  like  the  tail  of  a  ser- 
pent, the  other  being  rudely  fashioned  to  represent  a  serpent's  head.  Near  the 
head  of  the  serpent  are  several  wrappings  of  blue  beads,  which  have  replaced 
small  red  berries  which  formerly  occupied  this  place.  At  four  opposite  sides  of 
the  wheel  are  incised  designs,  two  of  them  being  in  the  form  of  crosses,  the  other 
two  resembling  the  conventionalized  Thunderbird.  These  designs  are  similar 
to  those  found  on  gaming  wheels,  used  Ijy  Arapaho  and  other  Plains  tribes. 
Attached  by  means  of  short  buckskin  thongs  are  also  four  complete  sets  of  the 
tail  feathers  of  an  eagle.  The  .spacing  of  the.se  feathers  is  not  now  uniform, 
but,  according  to  Hawkan,  they  should  have  been  grouped  in  equal  numbers 
near  the  four  incised  markings  on  the  wheel.  As  an  eagle  tail  has  12  feathers, 
there  would  thus  be,  in  all,  48  feathers  on  the  wheel.  At  times,  however, 
the  wheel  does  not  possess  such  a  large  number  of  eagle  tail  feathers,  but  a 
single  tail  is  divided  into  four,  and  there  are  thus  three  feathers  for  each 
marking.  .  .  .  The  feathers  on  the  wheel  at  the  present  time  number  24, 
there  being  thus  two  eagle  tails  represented,  with  six  feathers  to  each  marking. 
The  inside  of  the  wheel  is  painted  red,  while  the  outer  periphery  is  stained 
black. 

Referring  to  the  symbolism  of  the  wheel,  Doctor  Dorsey  says: 

According  to  HAwkan  and  one  or  two  other  authorities,  the  disk  itself  repre- 
sents the  sun,  while  the  actual  band  of  wood  represents  a  tiny  water-snake, 
called  henige,  and  which  is  said  to  be  found  in  rivers,  in  lakes,  near  ponds, 
and  in  buffalo  wallows.  Later  in  the  ceremony,  this  lake  or  pool  of  sweet 
water  is  represented,  while  near  by  on  a  forked  stick,  is  the  owner  of  the  pool, 
a  little  bird.  .  .  .  This  serpent  is  said  to  be  the  most  harmless  of  all  snakes. 
The  wheel  thus,  representing  this  snake,  has  a  derived  meaning,  and  represents 
the  water  which  surrounds  the  earth.  The  additional  idea  was  also  put  forth  that 
while  the  wheel  represents  a  harmless  snake,  all  snakes  are  powerful  to  charm, 
and  hence  the  wheel  is  a  sign  of  gentleness  and  meekness.  The  blue  beads 
around  the  neck  of  the  snake  represent  the  sky  or  the  heavens,  which  are  clean 
and  without  blemish  ;  the  color  blue  among  the  Arapaho  is  also  typical  of  friend- 
ship. The  four  inside  markings  (hftanni)  on  the  wheel  represent  the  Pour-Old- 
Men  who  are  frequently  addressed  during  the  ceremony,  and  who  stand  watch- 
ing and  guarding  the  inhabitants  of  this  world.  The  Four-Old-Men  may  also 
be  called  the  gods  of  the  four  world  quarters  and  to  them  the  Sun  Dance  priest 
often  makes  supplication  that  they  may  live  to  a  great  age.  The  Four-Old-Men 
are  also  spoken  of  as  the  Thunderbird,  having  power  to  watch  the  inhabitants, 
and  in  their  keeping  is  the  direction  of  the  winds  of  the  earth.  They  therefore 
represent  the  living  element  of  all  people.  If  the  wind  blows  from  the  north, 
it  is  said  to  come  from  the  Old-Man-of-the-North,  who  controls  the  wind 
of  that  end  or  (|uarter  of  the  world.  Another  priest  states  more  definitely  that 
the  Four-Old-Men  are  Summer,  Winter,  Day,  and  Night,  who  though  they 
travel  in  single  file,  yet  are  considered  as  occupying  the  four  cardinal  points. 
Thus,  according  to  direction  and  the  Arapaho  color  scheme.  Day  and  Summer 
are  the  Southeast  and  Southwest,  respectively,  and  are  black  In  color,  while 
Winter  and  Night  are  the  Northwest  and  Northeast,  respectively,  and  are 
red  in  color.  Inasmuch  as  Sun  is  regarded  as  the  grandfather  of  the  Fonr-Old- 
Men,  it  is  more  than  likely  that  the  wheel  may  be  regarded  as  the  emblem  of  the 


440  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 

Sun.  The  Four-Old-JIen  ;ire  considered  as  ever-present,  ever-watching  sentinels, 
always  alert  to  guard  the  people  from  harm  and  injury.  The  same  word, 
httanni.  Is  also  applied  to  certain  markings  used  in  the  Old-Woman's  lodge, 
the  meaning  of  which  is  given  variously  as  the  four  elements  of  life,  the  four 
courses,  the  four  divides.  Thus  it  is  said  that  when  one  traveling  the  trail  of 
life  gets  over  the  fourth  divide  he  has  reached  the  winter  of  old  age.  The 
Morning  Star  is  the  messenger  of  the  Four-Old-Men.  as  are  also  the  young  men 
during  ceremonies. 

The  four  clusters  of  feathers  also  represent  the  Four-Old-Men.  The  feathers 
collectively  represent  the  Thunderhird.  which  gives  rain,  and  they  therefore 
represent  a  prayer  for  rain,  consequently  for  vegetation.  .  .  .  The  wheel,  as  a 
whole,  then,  may  be  said  to  be  symbolic  of  the  creation  of  the  world,  for  it 
represents  the  sun.  earth,  the  sky,  the  water,  and  the  wind.  In  the  great 
Sun  Dance  dramatization  the  wheel  itself  is  represented  in  the  person  of  the 
grandfather  of  the  Lodge-Maker,  or  the  "  Transferer  "  as  he  is  called. 

In  the  course  of  the  same  paper  Doctor  Dorsey  tells  how  the  vsheel 
is  wrapped  in  calico  and  buckskin  and  suspended  on  a  pole  or  tripod 
at  the  back  of  the  lodge  of  the  owner  or  keeper.  It  is  his  duty  to 
preserve  the  wheel  inviolably  sacred.  The  wheel  under  certain  cir- 
cumstances may  be  unwrapped  by  the  keeper.  This  is  usually  done  at 
tlie  instance  of  some  individual  who  lias  made  a  vow.  A  new  Mfa])- 
per  must  be  furnished  by  the  person  making  the  vow ;  hence  the  term 
"  wrap  the  wheel  "  applied  to  the  ceremony.  A  detailed  account  is 
given  of  this  performance.  Stories  are  told  of  the  miraculous  move- 
ments of  the  wheel.  On  one  occasion  it  was  seen  flying,  and  changed 
into  an  eagle," 

The  wheel  was  first  kept  in  the  Rabbit  tipi.''  On  the  second  day  of 
the  ceremony  the  wheel  was  carried  into  the  sweat  lodge  and  placed 
to  the  west  of  the  fireplace,  the  head  of  the  snake  facing  the  east.'' 
Later  it  was  carried  back  to  the  Rabbit  tipi.**  Here  it  -was  placed  on 
its  support,  a  small  willow  stick,  sharpened  at  one  end  and  split  at 
the  other  to  form  a  crotch.''  While  it  was  in  the  Rabbit  tipi  a  heal- 
ing ceremony  w^as  performed  by  its  aid.'  On  tlie  fifth  day  it  was 
placed  on  its  support  behind  the  buffalo  skull  on  the  sod  altar  (figure 
574).''  Here,  on  the  seventh  day,  it  was  held  up  to  the  center  pole 
during  the  dance,  and  placed  over  the  head  of  one  of  the  chief  partic- 
ipants.* In  the  origin  myth  of  the  wheel  '  the  maker  of  the  original 
is  said  to  have  painted  it  and  placed  the  Four-Old-Men  at  the  cardinal 
points.  Notonly  were  these  Old-Men  located  upon  the  wheel,  but  also 
the  morning  star  (cross)  ;  a  collection  of  stars  sitting  together,  per- 
haps the  Pleiades;  the  evening  star  (Lone  Star)  ;  chain  of  stars 
(seven  buffalo  bulls)  ;  five  stars  called  a  "hand,"  and  a  chain  of  stars 
which  is  the  lance;  a  circular  group  of  seven  stars  overhead,  called 
the  "old  camp;  "  the  smi,  moon,  and  Milky  AVay. 

"The  Arapaho  Sun  Dance,  p.  21,  Cblcago,  1903.  ''  Ibid.,  p.  49.  '  Ibid.,  p.  122. 

"Ibid.,  p.  38.  •■  Ibid.,  p.  68.  »  Ujid..  p.  142, 

<■  Ibid,  p.  47.  '  Ibid.,  p.  87.  *  Ibid.,  p.  205. 


crLiN]  HOOP    AND    POLE:    AKAPAHO  441 

Taking  into  consideration  all  the  above  facts  concerning  the  hoop 
or  ring,  the  writer  regards  the  gaming  hoop  as  referable  to  the  netted 
hoop,  which  in  turn  may  be  regarded  as  the  net  shield  of  the  twin 
War  Gods.  This  object,  which  the  Twins  derived  from  their  grand- 
mother, the  Spider  Woman,  is  naturally  employed,  with  or  without 
the  bows  or  darts,  as  a  protective  amulet.  The  hoop  or  ring  stands 
as  the  feminine  symbol,  as  opposed  to  the  dart  or  arrows,  which  are 
masculine.  The  implements  of  the  game  together  represent  the 
shield  and  the  bows  or  darts  of  the  War  (iods. 

ALGONQUIAN    STOCK 

Arapaho.     Wind  River  reservation,  Wyoming.     (Free  Museum  of 

Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Cat.  no.  36927.    Hoop  of  sapling  (figure  575),  10  inches  in  diameter, 


Fig.  575. 


^ 


Fig. STfi. 


Fig.  515.    Netted  hoop;  diameter,  10  inches;  Arapaho  Indians,  Wyoming;  cat.  no.  36927,  Free  Mu 

seum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania, 
Fig.  576.    Darts  for  netted  hoop;  length,  42  inches;  Arapaho  Indians,  Wyoming;  cat.  no.  :-^6973, 

Free  Museum  of  .Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

covered  with  a  network  of  rawhide,  which  passes  over  the  edge  of 
the  hoop  forty -five  times.     The  hoop  has  been  painted  blue ;  an 
old  specimen. 
Cat.  no.  36973.     Darts  (four),  consisting  of  willow  sajjlings  (figure 
576)  forked  at  the  end;  length,  about  42  inches. 
Collected  by  the  writer  in  1900. 


442  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 

Arapaho.     Cheyenne  and  Arapaho  reservation,  Oklahoma. 

Mr  James  Mooney "  describes  the  game  of  the  biiqati,  wheel,  among 
tlie  Arapaho,  which,  he  says,  "  was  practically  obsolete  among  the 
Prairie  tribes,  but  which  is  being  revived  since  the  advent  of  the 
Ghost  dance.  As  it  was  a  favorite  game  with  the  men  in  the  olden 
times,  a  great  many  of  the  songs  founded  on  these  trance  visions  refer 
to  it,  and  the  wheel  and  sticks  are  made  by  the  dreamer  and  carried 
in  the  dance  as  they  sing." 

The  game  is  plaj'ed  with  a  wheel  (bii'qati,  large  wheel)  and  two 
pairs  of  throwing-sticks  (qa'qa-u'nutha) .  The  Cheyenne  call  the 
wheel  a'ko'yo  or  akwi'u,  and  the  sticks  hoo'isi'yonots.  It  is  a  man's 
game,  and  there  are  three  jalayers,  one  rolling  the  wheel,  while  the 
other  two,  each  armed  with  a  pair  of  throwing  sticks,  run  after  it 
and  throw  the  sticks  so  as  to  cross  the  wheel  in  a  certain  position. 
The  two  throwers  are  the  contestants,  the  one  who  rolls  the  wheel 
being  merely  an  assistant.  Like  most  Indian  games,  it  is  a  means  of 
gambling,  and  high  stakes  are  sometimes  wagered  on  the  result.  It  is 
common  to  the  Arapaho,  Cheyenne,  Sioux,  and  probably  to  all  the 
northern  Prairie  tribes,  but  is  not  found  among  the  Kiowa  or  the 
Comanche  in  the  south. 

The  wheel  is  about  18  inches  in  diameter,  and  consists  of  a  flexible 
young  tree  branch,  stripped  of  its  bark  and  painted,  with  the  two  ends 
fastened  together  with  sinew  or  buckskin  string.  At  equal  distances 
around  the  circumference  of  the  wheel  are  cut  four  figures,  the  two 
opposite  each  other  constituting  a  pair,  but  distinguished  by  different 
colors,  usually  blue  or  black  and  red,  and  by  lines  or  notches  on  the 
face.  These  figures  are  designated  simply  by  their  colors.  Figures 
of  birds,  crescents,  etc.,  are  sometimes  also  cut  or  painted  upon  the 
wheel,  but  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  game. 

The  sticks  are  light  rods,  about  30  inches  long,  tied  in  jDairs  by  a 
peculiar  arrangement  of  buckskin  strings,  and  distinguished  from  one 
another  by  pieces  of  cloth  of  different  colors  fastened  to  the  strings. 
There  is  also  a  pile  of  tally  sticks,  usually  a  hundred  in  number, 
about  the  size  of  lead  pencils  and  painted  green,  for  keeping  count 
of  tlie  game.  The  sticks  are  held  near  the  center  in  a  peculiar  man- 
ner between  the  fingers  of  the  closed  hand.  When  the  wheel  is  rolled, 
each  player  runs  from  the  same  side,  and  endeavors  to  throw  the 
sticks  so  as  to  strike  the  wheel  in  such  a  way  that  when  it  falls  both 
sticks  of  his  pair  shall  be  either  over  or  under  a  certain  figure.  It 
requires  dexterity  to  do  this,  as  the  string  has  a  tendency  to  strike 
the  wheel  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  one  stick  fall  under  and  the  other 
over,  in  which  case  the  throw  counts  for  nothing.     The  players  assign 

» The  Ghost-dance  Religion.  Fouiteentli  Annual  Kepoit  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology, 
p.  994,  1896. 


ciLixi  HOOP  AND   pole:    BLACKFEET  44'H 

their  own  value  to  each  figure,  the  usual  value  being  5  points  for  one 
and  10  for  the  other  figure,  with  double  that  number  for  a  throw 
Avhich  crosses  the  two  corresponding  figures,  and  100  tallies  to  the 
game. 

The  wheel-and-stick  game,  in  some  form  or  another,  was  almost  uni- 
versal among  our  Indian  tribes.  Another  game  among  the  Prairie 
tribes  is  played  with  a  netted  wheel  and  a  single  stick  or  arrow,  the 
effort  being  to  send  the  arrow  througii  the  netting  as  nearlj'  as  possi- 
ble to  the  center  or  bull's-eye.  This  game  is  called  ana'wati'n-hati, 
playing  wheel,  by  the  Arapaho. 

In  a  myth  entitled  "  Light-Stone."  related  t)y  Dr  George  A  Dorsey," 
the  following  wheel  games  are  enumerated :  Big  wheel,  rumiing- 
wheel,  and  medicine-wheel. 

In  the  story  of  '■  The  White  Crow,"  related  by  Dr  A.  L.  Kroebei-.* 
there  is  the  following  reference  to  the  wheel  game: 

Close  to  the  camp  the  people  were  playing  with  the  sacred  arrows  and  the 
sacred  wheel.  Two  young  men  threw  the  wheel  towards  an  obstacle  and  then 
followed  it  just  as  if  they  were  running  a  race. 

In  Doctor  Dorsey's "  story,  entitled  ''  Found-in-Grass,"  are  two 
twins,  Spring-Boy  and  By-the-Door,  who  correspond  with  the  twin 
War  Gods.     Spring-Boy  is  blown  away  by  a  terrific  wind  and  is 
found  by  an  old  woman,  who  names  him  Found-in-Grass.     He  in- 
duces her  to  make  him  a  bow  and  arrows  and  a  netted  wheel.     She 
went  out  and  cut  a  green  stick  and  bent  it  into  a  ring,  and  also  cut 
rawhide  into  small  strips.     From  these  articles  she  made  a  small 
netted  wheel.     One  morning  he  gave  his  netted  wheel  to  his  grand- 
mother and  directed  her  to  roll  it  toward  him  and  say  that  a  fat 
buffalo  cow  was  running  toward  him.     Sure  enough  there  came  run- 
ning to  him  a  red  cow.     This  cow  he  shot  with  his  arrows.     The 
operation  was  repeated,  resulting  in  his  shooting  a  fat  buffalo  steer 
and  a  big  fat  bull ;  in  this  way  a  supply  of  meat  was  procured. 
Blackfeet.     Blood    reserve.   Alberta.     (Cat.    no.    .51641.    Field    Co- 
lumbian Museum.) 
Ring,   3   inches   in    diameter,   covered    with    buckskin,   painted    red, 
with  eight  spokes  attached  inside  the  rim  at  equidistant  points, 
four  being  spirals  of  brass  wire  and  four  alternate  ones  of  beads. 
Of  the  latter,  one  consists  of  two  beads,  one  red  and  one  blue; 
another  of  three,  two  green  and  one  brass;    and  the  third,  of 
three,  one  red,  one  blue,  and  one  red;    and  the  fourth  of  three 
red.     Collected  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey. 

Montana.     (Cat.  no.  22768,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art, 

University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Ring   (figure  577),  2|  inches  in  diameter,  wrapped  with   buckskin 
painted  red,  and  having  six  interior  spokes,  three  consisting 

«  Traditions  o(  the  Arapaho,  p.  181,  Chicago,  1903.       "  Ibid.,  p.  275.       ^  Ibid.,  p.  364. 


444  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [bth.  an'X.  24 

of  two  dark-blue  glass  beads  with  a  bead  of  spiral  brass  wire 
next  the  center,  and  three  consisting  of  pyramidal  spirals  of  brass 
wire,  two  with  I'ed  glass  beads  and  one  with  a  yellow  glass  bead 
.    next  the  center. 

This  specimen  was  collected  in  1900  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey.  who 
states  that  the  game  is  played  with  two  iron-pointed  arrows  shot  from 
a  bow  toward  the  ring,  the  count  being' determined 
by  the  proximity  of  the  arrow  to  the  ring. 

Blackfeet.     Montana. 

Dr  George  Bird  (Trinnell"  says: 


A  favorite  pastime  in  the  day  was  gambling  with  a 
small  wheel  called  it-se'-wah.  This  wheel  was  about  4 
inches  in  diameter,  and  had  five  spokes,  on  which  were 

K,..n,      Tammsring.  j;fr^,„c;  different-colored  be.ids.  made  of  bone  or  horn.     A 
diameter.    3J    inches; 

Blackfoot   Indians,  level,  smooth  piece  of  ground  was  selected,  iit  each  end  of 

Montana: cat. no.22768.  which  was  placed  ;i  log.     At  each  end  of  the  course  were 

Free  Museum  ot  Sci-  |^.f,    ,))pn     who    gambled    against    each    other.     A    crowd 

ence  and  Art,  Univer-  ,                               i    ,  ii,          ,    i^-               i,         •  ,           m,          i,      i 

..       ,  „          ,       .  alwavs  surrounded  them,  betting  on  the  sides.     The  wheel 

sjty  of  Pennsylvania.  •                                                          -^ 

was  rolled  along  the  course,  and  each  man  at  the  end 
whence  it  started,  darted  an  arrow  at  it.  The  cast  was  made  just  before  the 
wheel  reached  the  log  at  the  opposite  end  of  the  track,  and  points  were  counted 
according  as  the  arrow  passed  between  the  spokes,  or  when  the  wheel,  stopped 
by  the  log.  was  in  contact  with  the  arrow,  the  position  and  nearness  of  the 
different  beads  to  the  arrow  representing  a  certain  number  of  points.  The 
player  who  first  scored  10  points  won.  It  was  a  very  difficult  game,  and  one 
bad  to  be  very  skillful  to  win. 

Southern  Alberta. 

Rev.  John  MacLean  ''  describes  the  hoop-and-arrow  game  as  fol- 
lows : 

A  board,  8  or  10  inches  In  width.  Is  placed  on  its  edge  upon  the  ground. 
held  in  place  by  small  stakes  driven  into  the  ground ;  and  another,  in  the  same 
fashion,  about  12  feet  distant.  The  contestants  play  in  pairs.  Each  holds  In  his 
right  hand  an  arrow,  and  one  of  them  a  small  wheel,  having  fastened  to  it  a 
bead,  or  special  mark  placed  upon  it.  Standing  at  one  end  and  inside  the 
board,  they  run  together  toward  the  other  board.  The  contestant  having  the 
wheel  rolls  it  on  the  ground,  throwing  it  with  such  force  that  it  strikes  the  board. 
As  the  two  men  run  the.v  throw  their  arrows  against  the  board,  and  as  near 
the  wheel  as  they  can.  When  the  wheel  falls,  they  measure  the  distance  between 
the  point  of  the  arrows  and  the  bead  or  special  mark  on  the  wheel,  and  the 
arrow  which  lies  nearest  to  this  point  has  won  the  throw.  They  continue  this 
running  and  throwing  until  the  one  who  has  reached  the  number  agreed  upon  as 
the  end  of  the  game  has  won.  The  number  of  points  made  by  the  contestants 
are  kept  by  means  of  small  sticks  held  in  the  hands.  Several  pairs  of  contest- 
ants sometimes  play  after  each  other,  and  for  days  they  will  continue  the  game, 
surrounded  by  a  large  number  of  men.  old  and  young,  who  are  eagerly  betting 
upon  the  result. 

»  Blackfoot  Lodge  Tales,  p.   183,   New  York,  1892. 
"Canadian  Savage  Folk,  p.  55,  Toronto,  1896. 


CULIN] 


HOOP    AND    pole:    CHEYENNE 


445 

Cat.    no.    -20378!).    United 


Cheyenne   and    Aeap.aho.     Oklahoma. 
States  National  Museum.) 

Hoop  (figure  578),  12  inches  in  diameter,  laced  with  rawhide,  the 
leather  passing  forty-eight  times  around  the  edge.  Half  the  net 
on  one  side  of  the  princij)al  division  is  painted  blue  and  the 
other  half  red:  the  colors  are  reversed  on  the  opposite  side. 
Collected  bv  E.  Granier. 


Fig.  578. 


Fig.  579. 


Pio.  578.    Netted  hoop;  diameter,  12  inches;  Cheyenne  and  Arapahc  >  Indians.  Oklahoma;  cat.  no. 

203789,  United  States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  579.    Netted  hoop;  diameter.  13J  inches;  Cheyenne  Indians.  Oklahoma:  i-at.  no.  ISS.'H.'J,  United 

States  National  Museum, 

Cheyenne.     Oklahoma.     (Cat.  no.  165845.  United  States  National 

Museum.) 
Hooi5,  a  bent  sapling  laced  with  a  net  of  rawhide,  as  shown  in  figure 
579 ;  diameter,  13i  inches ;  the  thong  passes  over  the  edge  thirty- 
six  times.     Collected  by  Rev.  H.  R.  Voth. 
Two  other  Cheyenne  gaming  hoops  in  the  United  States  National 
Museum  (cat.  no.  152814),  diameters,  12  and  13  inches,  collected  by 
Mr  Mooney,  appear  to  be  models.     The  net  is  irregular,  and  does 
not  seem  to  be  put  on  with  the  system  and  care  that  characterize  the 
old  hoops. 

Darlington,   Oklahoma.      (Cat.    no.    18735.    Free   Museum  of 

Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Hoop,  a  bent  sapling  7  inches  in  diameter,  with  a  network  of  raw- 
hide.    A  red  down  feather  is  attached  to  the  hoop  by  a  sinew. 
Apparently  a  model.     The  netting,  which  is  coarse,  passes  over 
the  hoop  eighteen  times.     Collected  by  Mr  George  E.  Starr. 

Oklahoma. 

Mr  Louis  L.  Meeker  thus  descriljes  the  hoop  game,  ha-ko-yu-tsist: 


446  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 

The  player  holds  a  stick,  and  thrusts  it  through  a  wheel  with  four  spokes. 
made  of  very  light  material,  and  so  notched  that  different  counts  are  made  by 
thnisting  in  different  places. 

Cheyenne.     Oklahoma. 

Dr  A.  L.  Kroeber "  in  his  Cheyenne  Tales  gives  the  following 
account : 

There  was  a  large  camp  near  a  spring  called  Old-woman's  spring.  The 
people  were  amusiui;  themselves  liy  games,  and  were  playing  the  "buffalo 
game  "  with  rolling  hoops.  Two  young  men  were  standing  by.  watching.  They 
were  painted  alike  and  dressed  alike  and  wore  the  same  headdresses,  and  both 
wore  buffalo-robes.  Finally  one  of  them  told  the  people  to  call  every  one  and 
that  all  should  watch  him  :  that  he  would  go  into  the  spring,  and  bring  back 
food  that  would  be  a  great  help  to  the  people  ever  after.  The  other  young  man 
also  said  that  he  would  bring  them  food.  There  was  an  entrance  to  the  spring, 
formed  by  a  great  stone,  and  by  this  the  two  young  men  descended  into  the 
spring,  both  going  at  the  same  time.  They  found  an  old  gray-headed  woman 
sitting,  and  she  showed  them  on  one  side  fields  of  corn,  and  on  the  other  herds 
of  buffalo.  Then  one  of  the  young  men  brought  back  corn,  and  the  other  buffalo 
meat,  and  the  people  feasted  on  both.  And  that  night  the  buffalo  came  out  of 
the  spring ;  and  there  have  been  herds  of  them  ever  since,  and  corn  has  been 
grown  too. 

Chippewa.     Turtle  mountain,  North  Dakota.     (Cat.  no.  ^^fj,  Ameri- 
can Museum  of  Natural  History.) 


iiS*^ 


n 


Fig.  ni^i.  Nerteil  hoop  and  dart;  diameter  of  hoop,  llj  inches;  length  of  dart. .%  inches;  Chip- 
pewa Indiana.  Turtle  mountain,  North  Dakota;  cat.  no.  j^Si,  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History 

Hoop  (figure  580),  llf  inches  in  diameter,  netted  with  buckskin 
thongs,  the  thongs  painted  red,  the  edge  of  the  hoop  wrapped 
with  black  cloth,  a  square  orifice  in  the  center  of  the  thongs 
wrapped  with  red  cloth:  accompanied  by  a  straight  dart  made 
of  a  sapling  3  feet  long,  painted  red,  with  a  black  band,  and  a 
feather  tied  to  the  handle  end. 
This  specimen  was  collected  in  1903  by  Dr  William  Jones,  who 

gives  the  name  of  the  game  as  tititipanatuwanagi,  rollers,  and  says 

that  it  is  played  by  anyone. 

Delaware.s.     Ontario. 

Dr  Daniel  G.  Brinton  ^  gives  the  following  account  from  conversa- 
tions with  Rev.  Albert  Seqaqkind  Anthony : 

"  .Touinal  of  American  Folk  Lore.  v.  13,  p.  16.^.  Boston.  1900. 

'' Folk-lore  of  the  Modern  Lenape.    Essays  of  an  Americanist,  p.  186,  Philadelphia,  1890, 


CULIN] 


HOOP    AND    POLE  :    PIEGAN 


447 


A  very  popular  sport  was  with  a  booi),  tautmusq,  and  spear  or  arrow, 
alluuth.  The  players  arraiiKed  themselves  in  two  parallel  lines,  some  40  feet 
apart,  each  one  armed  with  a  reed  spear.  A  hoop  was  then  rolled  rapidly  at  an 
equal  distance  between  the  lines.  Each  pla.yer  hurled  his  spear  at  it,  the  object 
being  to  stop  the  hoop  by  casting  the  spear  within  its  rim.  When  stopped,  the 
shaft  must  lie  within  the  hoop,  or  the  shot  did  not  count.  -_ 

Gkosventres.     Fort  Belknap  reservation,  Montana.     (Cat.  no.  ('>03.50, 

Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Hoop  (figure  581),  a  bent  sapling  10  inches  in  diameter,  netted  with 
hide,  which  passes  over  the  ring  thirty-four  times. 
Collected  in  1900  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey,  who  describes  it   as 
employed  in  the  game  of  hatchieb. 

In  playing,  the  wheel  is  rolled  forward  on  the  ground,  when  the 
players  hurl  toward  it  slender  spears,  or  darts,  the  object  being  to 


Figr.  .581. 


Fig.  5S2. 


Fig.  .581.    Netted  hoop;  diameter,  10  inches;  Grosventre  Indians,  Montana;  cat.  no.  Bn:i5(i,  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 
Pig.  582.    Netted  hoop;  diameter,  16i  inches;  Piegan  Indians,  Alberta;  cat.  no.  8935a,  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 

pierce  one  of  the  holes  formed  by  the  buckskin  lacing  of  the  wheel. 
These  holes  vary  in  size,  and  each  has  its  own  proper  name  and  value ; 
the  latter,  however,  could  not  be  learned.  The  holes  are  named  as 
follows:  Large  hole  in  center,  ita,  or  heart;  holes  inclosed  within  the 
parallel  lines  crossing  at  right  angles,  anatayan,  or  buffalo  bulls; 
large  holes  outside  the  parallel  lines,  behe,  or  buffalo  cows ;  small  tri- 
angles formed  at  points  of  cross  lacing,  wuuha,  or  buffalo  calves; 
large  holes  next  to  the  wooden  ring,  chadjitha,  or  wolves;  small  holes 
formed  by  the  crossing  of  the  thongs  next  to  the  wooden  ring,  caawu, 
or  coyotes. 

This  game  is  played  by  men  and  formerly  stakes  of  much  value 
were  wagered  on  the  result. 

Piegan.     Alberta.     (Cat.  no.  69353,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Hoop  of  cherry  sapling  (figure  582),  16i  inches  in  diameter,  laced 
with  a  network  of  rawhide,  which  passes  around  the  edge  twenty- 


448 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 


eight  times.  Collected  by  Mr  R.  N.  Wilson.  In  another  similar 
specimen  in  the  same  museum,  cat.  no.  69352,  the  thong  passes 
thirty  times  around  the  edge. 

PiEGAN.     Alberta.      (Cat.   no.   64350,   Field    Co- 
lumbian Museum.) 
Ii-on   ring    (figure   583),  3^  inches  in  diameter, 
wrapjjed    with   l)uckskin   and   having  eight 
rows  of  colored  glass  beads  of  three  each,  ar- 
ranged within,  like  the  spokes  of  a   wheel. 
The  beads  are  of  different  colors,  as  follows: 
Three  white ;  three  red ;  two  black  and  one 
dark  blue;  two  green  and  one  black;  three 
yellow ;  three  light  blue ;  two  black  and  one 
red;  two  green  and  one  lilue.     Collected  by 
Mr  R.  N.  Wilson,  who  describes  it  as  used  in  a  ring-and-arrow  game. 

Sauk  and  Foxes.     Iowa.     (Cat.  no.  yfxl^,  American  Museum  of  Nat- 
ural History.) 
Four  rings  of  elm  bark    (figure  584),  2,  2^-,  3,  and  3^   inches  in 
diameter,  and  a  little  bundle  of  elm  bark  (figure  585),  3  inches 


Fig.  oSi.  Beaded  ring; 
diameter,  3^  inclies; 
Piegan  Indians.  Al- 
berta; cat.  no.  643.50, 
Field  Columbian  Mur 
seiim. 


Fig.  586, 
Pkj.  .584.    Game    rings;  diameters,  3A,  3,  2.i,  and  3  inches;  Sauk  and  Fox  Indians,  Iowa;  cat. 

no.  ^^(U^  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Pig.  58,5.    Bundle  of  elm  barli  used  as  tar;^et;  length,  3  inches;  Sauk  and  Fox  Indians,  Iowa; 

cat.  no.  HKnT,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History 
Fig.  .580.    Bow  and  arrows  used  in  nng  game:  length  of  bow,  .38  inches;  length  of  ai-rows,  2.5 

inches;  Sauk  and  Fox  Indians,  Iowa;  cat.  no.  nf:8T,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

long.     Bow    (figure  586).  3  feet  2  inches  in  length,  with  two 

bands  of  rabbit  fur,  designated  by  its  color  as  the  property  of 

the  Blacks,  one  of  the  two  divisions  of  the  people  (White  and 

Black)  ;  four  arrows,  25  inches  in  length. 

The  players,  men  or  boys,  divide  into  two  sides,  each  side  having 

four  rings  and  each  player  four  arrows.     The  rings  are  I'olled,  and 

shot  at  with  the  arrows;  each  arrow  must  pierce  the  ring  and  hang 


COLIN]  HOOP    AND    POLE  :    APACHE  449 

on.  The  side  that  hits  all  the  rings  first  has  the  right  to  roll  the  rings 
at  the  arrows.  The  arrows  that  have  been  shot  are  stuck  up  in  a  row, 
and  the  winning  side  rolls  the  rings  at  them.  Each  time  that  the 
ring  hits  an  arrow  it  wins  that  arrow. 

The  little  bundle  of  bark  is  held  with  the  guiding  forefinger  on  the 
bow,  tossed  into  the  air,  and  shot  at  in  lieu  of  the  ring.  In  another 
form  of  the  game  the  bundle  of  elm  bark  or  the  rings  are  buried  in 
the  sand  and  shot  at  with  arrows.  The  game  is  to  hit  the  concealed 
bundle  or  ring  so  that  the  arrow  shall  be  held  by  it.  The  game  is 
called  topagahagi.  rings;  the  little  bundle  of  bark,  otawahi ;  the  bow, 
metaha,  and  the  arrows,  owipanoni. 

T*he  game  is  played  about  the  house.  People  believe  there  is  a 
spirit  of  sickness.  Apenaweni,  always  hovering  alwut  to  get  into  the 
lodges,  and  this  game  is  encouraged  in  order  to  keep  it  away. 

ATHAPASCAN   STOCK 

Apache  (Chkicahua).     Arizona. 

Mr  E.  W.  Davis  gave  the  writer  the  following  account  of  a  game 
played  by  Geronimo's  band  at  St  Augustine,  Florida,  in  ISSO : 

,\nother  game  which  interested  me  was  played  with  hoops  and  poles,  and,  as 
I  remember,  always  by  two  men.  The  hoops  were  ordinary  pieces  of  flexible 
wood,  tied  into  a  circle  of  about  12  inches  with  leather  thongs,  and  the  poles 
were  i-eeds  10  or  12  feet  long.  A  little  heap  of  hay  was  placed  on  the  ground 
and  parted  in  the  center.  The  players  stood  about  1.5  feet  away,  and  each  in 
his  turn  would  roll  his  hoop  into  the  little  valley  in  the  hay  mound.  Waiting 
until  the  hoop  had  nearly  reached  the  hay  he  would  to.ss  the  staff  through  the 
hay,  the  object  being  to  pass  the  hoop  so  that  it  might  encircle  the  end  of  the 
pole  when  the  hoop  reached  the  hay.  This  game  was  very  diffleult,  and  misses 
were  more  frequent  than  scores. 

Apache  (Jicarilla).     Northern  New  Mexico. 

Mr  James  Mooney,"  in  The  Jicarilla  Genesis,  describes  the  wheel- 
and-stick  game  as  having  been  made  by  Yolkaiistsun,  the  White-bead 
woman,  for  her  two  sons,  children  by  her  of  the  Sun  and  the  Moon. 
She  told  them  not  to  roll  the  wheel  toward  the  north.  They  played 
for  three  days,  when  the  Sun's  son  rolled  the  wheel  toward  the  east, 
south,  and  west.  His  brother  then  persuaded  him  to  roll  it  toward 
the  north.  An  adventure  with  an  owl  follows,  and  the  two  boys  were 
set  to  perform  a  succession  of  dangerous  feats,  which  accomplished, 
Ihey  went  to  live  in  the  western  ocean. 
Apache  (Mescalero).     Fort  Sumner.  New  Mexico. 

Col.  John  C.  Cremony  *  says : 

There  are  some  games  to  which  women  are  never  allowed  access.  Among 
these  is  one  played  with  the  poles  and  a  hoop.     The  former  are  generally  about 

"The  American  Anthropologist,  v.  11.  p.  201.  1S9.S. 

"  Life  Among  the  Apaches,  p.  302.  San  Francisco,  1868. 

24  ETH— 0.5  M 29 


450  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ANN.  24 

10  feet  in  length,  smooth  ami  gradually  tapering  like  a  lance.  It  is  [sic]  marked 
with  divisions  throughout  its  whole  length,  and  these  divisions  are  stained  in 
different  colors.  The  hoop  is  of  wood,  about  (5  inches  in  diameter,  and  divided 
like  the  poles,  of  which  each  player  has  one.  Only  two  persons  can  engage  in 
this  game  at  one  time.  A  level  place  is  selected,  from  which  the  grass  is 
removed  a  foot  in  width,  and  for  25  or  30  feet  in  length,  and  the  earth  trodden 
down  firmly  and  smoothly.  One  of  the  players  rolls  the  hoop  forward,  and 
after  it  reaches  a  certain  distance,  both  dart  their  poles  after  it,  overtaking 
and  throwing  it  down.  The  graduation  of  values  is  from  the  point  of  the  pole 
toward  the  butt,  which  ranks  highest,  and  the  object  is  to  make  the  hoop  fall 
on  the  pole  as  near  the  butt  as  possible,  at  the  same  time  noting  the  value  of 
the  ijart  which  touches  the  hoop.  The  two  values  are  then  added  and  placed  to 
the  credit  of  the  i)layer.  The  game  usually  runs  up  to  a  hundred,  but  the  e.xtent 
is  arbitrar.v  among  the  players.  While  it  is  going  on  no  woman  is  permitted  to 
approach  within  a  hundred  yards,  and  each  person  present  is  compelled  to  leave 
all  his  arms  behind.  I  inquired  the  reason  for  these  restrictions,  and  was  told 
that  they  were  required  b.v  tradition ;  but  the  shrewd  old  Sons-in-jah  gave  me 
another,  and,  I  believe,  the  true  version.  When  people  gamble,  said  he,  they 
become  half  crazy,  and  are  very  apt  to  quarrel.  This  is  the  most  exciting  game 
we  have,  and  those  who  play  it  will  wager  all  the.v  jiossess.  The  loser  is  apt 
to  get  angry,  and  fights  have  ensued  which  resulted  in  the  loss  of  many  war- 
riors. To  prevent  this,  it  was  long  ago  determined  that  no  warrior  should  be 
present  with  arms  upon  his  per.son  or  within  near  reach,  and  this  game  is  always 
played  at  some  distance  from  camp.  Three  prominent  warriors  are  named  as 
judges,  and  from  their  decision  there  is  no  appeal.  They  are  not  suffered  to  bet 
while  acting  in  that  capacity.  The  reason  why  women  are  forbidden  to  be 
present  is  l>ecause  they  always  foment  troubles  between  the  players,  and  create 
confusion  by  taking  sides  and  provoking  dissension. 

Apache  (San  Carlos).  San  Carlos  agency,  Gila  county,  Arizona. 
(Cat.  no.  63535.  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Hooj)  of  sajjling,  9f  inches  in  diameter,  painted  red,  divided  in  half 
with  thong  wound  with  buckskin  cord,  and  having  four  equi- 
distant notches  on  both  faces  on  opposite  sides  of  the  median 
thong.  Collected  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms,  who  describes  it  as  used  in 
the  game  of  nahlpice  (figure  587). 

Apache  (White  Mountain).     Arizona.     (Cat.  no.  61246,  Field  Co- 
lumbian Museum.) 
Two  jointed  jDoles  in  three  pieces,  14  feet  and  15  feet  4^  inches  in 
length,  and  a  hoop  made  of  sapling,  95  inches  in  diameter,  the 
latter  having  a  thong  wound  with  cord  stretched  across  the  mid- 
dle.    Collected  by  Rev.   Paul   S.  ]\Iayerhoff,  who  describes  the 
game  under  the  name  of  na-a-shosh. 
The  game  is  played  with  two  poles,  each  of  which  is  made  up  in 
three  sections,  and  a  hoop.     The  butt  end  of  each  pole  is  marked  off 
into  nine  divisions  or  counters.     The  ring  also  has  marked  on  its 
circumference  eleven  divisions  or  counters.     The  spoke  bisecting  the 
hooj)  and  wrapped  with  cord  is  also  used  in  counting,  tlierc  being  f)ne 
hundred  and  four  winds  of  cord,  or  plus  the  knot  or  bead  in  the 


CULIN] 


HOOP    AND    POLE  :    APACHE 


451 


center,  one  hundred  and  five  in  all.  The  total  number  of  points  on 
pole  and  hoop  is  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  in  the  average  game, 
but  exceeding  that  in  some.  The  two  poles  represent  the  two  sexes — 
yellow  representing  the  male,  red  the  female.  They  are  called 
mbashgah.  Their  three  sections  are,  respectively :  Butt,  egie-she  des- 
tah-nee;  middle  section,  indee  des-tah-nee;  tip,  billah  tah  she  des-tah 
nee.     The  joints  are  made  by  wrapping  with  sinew. 


^aii  Liiriijs  Aijacin-  Indians  iilayni^;  imop  aiifl  ixplr:  ^an  ^.'arlos  agt-ucy,  Ariztnia;  from 
photograph  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms. 

The  hoop  is  called  bah  say;  the  bead  on  the  center  of  the  bisecting 
spoke,  bah  say-bi-yo.  The  playground  (figure  588)  is  7.5  to  100  feet 
long;  the  home  goal  (do-thee'-shay-tsay-nee-say-ah)  is  marked  by  a 
flat  rock  midway  between  the  two  ends  (do-thee'-shay-his-tso). 

The  ends,  toward  which  the  game  proceeds  alternately,  are  so  built 
up  by  means  of  hay  or  gi-ass  that  three  parallel  ridges,  8  to  10  feet 


© 


Flo.  ^ii'S.    Plan  of  pole  grounds;  White  Mountain  Apache  Indians,  Arizona. 

in  length,  are  formed.  The  hoop  and  poles  mu.st  be  propelled  in 
such  a  way  as  to  pass  into  the  depressions  between  the  ridges  and 
come  to  a  stop  before  they  have  passed  to  the  extreme  ends  of  the 
ridges.  The  throw  counts  only  when  the  hoop  falls  upon  the  marked 
butt  of  the  pole.  In  playing,  one  of  the  two  opponents  rolls  the 
hoop  forward  from  the  home  goal  toward  one  of  the  ends;  just  as  it 


452 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 


begins  to  lose  its  inertia  the  opponents  throw  forward  their  poles  so 
that  they  will  slide  along  into  the  depression  in  which  the  hoop  has 
rolled.  The  same  proceeding  is  repeated  in  the  opposite  direction. 
Then  comes  the  next  jsair  of  players,  and  so  on  until  all  have  had 
their  turn,  when  the  first  set  takes  its  turn  once  more,  the  rotation 
keeping  up  until  the  agreed  number  of  points  has  been  made  by  one 
opponent  or  one  side. 

The  method  of  counting  is  simple,  every  mark  or  counter  on  pole 
or  hoop  counting  but  one.  If  the  hoop  falls  against  the  extreme 
l>utt  of  the  pole  so  that  they  just  touch,  it  counts  1 ;  if  it  falls  on  the 


Fi(i.  5H9.     San  Carlos  Apache  ludians  playinif  hoo])  aiiil  polo,  Arizona:  from  a  phot.<if:rraph. 


butt,  as  many  points  are  counted  as  are  inclosed  by  the  hoop;  e.  g.,  if 
it  touches  the  first  mark  above  the  butt  end,  it  counts  2;  the  ne.xt 
higher,  3 ;  the  next,  4,  etc. 

Should  marks  on  the  circumference  of  the  hoop  touch  the  jiole, 
points  are  added  to  the  enclosed  points  on  the  butt  of  the  pole,  1  point 
if  one  mark,  2  if  two  marks,  dtc.  ^-Vniere  the  spoke  of  the  hoop  also 
crosses  the  pole,  as  many  points  are  added  to  the  throw  as  it  takes 
winds  of  the  cord  to  cross  the  thickness  of  the  butt.  If  the  hoop 
falls  u])oii  the  pole  so  that  the  bar  or  sjioke  in  it  lies  exactly  above 
and  parallel  with  the  pole,  covering  all  the  counters  on  the  pole,  such 
a  throw  wins  the  game. 


crLiN] 


HOOP    AND    POLE  :    APACHE 


453 


The  game  has  a  religious  character  with  the  Apache  Indians,  no 
festivity  being  complete  without  it,  and  is  played  with  gi-eat  fervor 
and  persistency.  Only  those  medicine  men  (called  Dee-yin)  deeply 
versed  in  their  folklore  and  traditions  can  give  a  minute  explana- 
tion of  the  original  meaning  and  symbolism  of  this  game,  and  they 
are  very  reluctant  to  part  with  their  knowledge.  Tradition  says 
that  one  of  the  Ghons  (the  minor  deities  to  whom  these  Indians  ascribe 
their  instruction  and  knowledge  in  handicrafts  and  arts,  as  tilling  the 
soil,  raising  crops,  preparing  food,  weaving,  and  manufacturing  im- 
plements and  utensils  for  camp,  chase,  or  war,  the  use  of  medicines, 
etc.)  taught  their  forefathers  the  game,  with  its  symbolism. 


Fig.  590.    White  Mountain  Apache  Indians  playing  hoop  and  pole,  Arizona;  from  photograph 

by  George  B.  Wittick. 

Theie  are  several  short  prayers  or  charms,  sonie  sung,  some  spoken, 
Vtsed  by  players  to  neutralize  the  efforts  of  their  oioponents  and  bring 
success  to  themselves.     The  following  may  be  given  as  an  example : 

IllUchee  be-tii  ha  bis  ee. 

Hill  cbeS  sba-6-Ka'-sbay  niib-ee-gay  yfll-tliithl. 
Dee-djay  i-des-a-go  shi-d:iy  gush ; 
Nil-go-tiay-go  Ka-sbay-day-iih. 

[Translation.] 

The  wind  will  malje  it  miss  yours ; 
The  wind  will  turn  it  on  my  pole. 
To-day  at  noon  I  shall  win  all ; 
At  night  again  to  me  will  it  fall. 


454 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


Ai'AciiB  CWiiiTE  jVIouxtain).     AAliite  river.  Arizona. 

Mr  Albert  B.  Reagan  gave  the  following  account  of  the  game  in  a 
communication  to  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology  in  1901 : 

The  pole  game  is  the  Apache  national  game.     It  is  pla.ved  by  the  men  every 
day  from  early  morn  to  late  in  the  afternoon ;  sometimes  to  pass  the  time  only, 


Pio.  591.  Plan  of  pole  ground;  White  Mountain  Apache  Indians,  Arizona;  from  sketch  by 
Albert  B.  Reagan.  A,  base;  B  B,  sliding  grounds,  length  9  steps;  C  C,  counting  fields,  length, 
3  steps,  width  h  feet;  spaces  between  counting  fields  and  end  of  playground,  1-2,  7-S,  length,  6 
steps;  total  length,  1-S,  .36  yards;  width,  9-10,  6  yards. 

sometimes  for  "  medicine."  liut  almost  always  for  gain.     They  sometimes  bet  all 
they  have  on  it,  in  former  times  even  their  women  and  children. 

The  pole  ground  is  a  level  space  36  yards  long  and  0  wide,  laid  off  in  tlie 
directions  north  and  south  [figure  5011.  In  its  center  is  the  base,  usunlly  a 
rock,  from  which  the  poles  are  hurled.  Nine  yards  from  this  base,  both 
north  and  south,  are  three  hay-covered  ridges,  the  center  ridge  lying  on  the 


Pia.592.  Cross  section  of  counting  field  in  pole  game;  White  Mountain  Apache  Indians,  Arizona; 
from  sketch  by  Albert  B.  Reagan.  A  A,  furrows  into  which  the  wheel  nins;  B  B  B,  ridges  on 
sides  of  furrows;  C  C  C,  earth;  D,  hay  or  straw. 

center  line  of  tlie  pole  ground  [figure  .592].  Tliese  ridges  are  3  yards  long,  with 
a  total  width  of  5  feet.  There  are  two  narrow  furrows  between  the  ridges,  into 
which  the  wheel  is  rolled. 

The  two  poles  arc  willow,  about  15  feet  long,  made  in  three  sections,  which 
are  spliced  and  tied  witli  sinew.  They  taper  from  the  butt  to  a  point,  being 
about  li  inches  in  diameter  at  the  butt  end.     The  first  9  inches  of  the  butt, 


Fio.  .593.    Counting  end  of  pole  for  pole  game:  White  Mountain  Apache  Indians,  Arizona;  from 

sketch  by  Albert  B.  Reagan. 


called  the  "counting  end"  [figure  593],  is  marked  with  grooves.  The  counts 
on  this  butt  are  nine  in  number :  The  little  circular  knot,  A ;  the  edge,  B,  of  the 
pole;  the  lightly  cut  groove,  C;  the  lightly  cut  groove,  D;  the  space  between 
the  two  lieavily  cut  grooves,  E  F ;  the  space  between  the  two  heavily  cut 
grooves,  G  H  ;  the  lightly  cut  groove,  I :  the  lightly  cut  groove,  J :  the  space 
between  the  two  heavily  cut  grooves,  K  L.  The  hoop  or  wheel  [figure  504]  Is 
made  of  willow,  about  a  foot  in  diameter,  the  ends  being  bound  with  sinew.     A 


CCLIN] 


HOOP    AND    pole:    APACHE 


455 


buckskin  thong,  stretched  across  the  ring,  is  wound  its  entire  length  with  cord. 
The  center  wrap  is  made  hirger  tliaii  the  others.  These  wraps  are  called  beads, 
because  originally  beads  were  used  instead  of  the  wrapping  cords.  These  beads 
are  counted  to  50  in  descending 
order  on  each  side  of  the  center. 
Sometimes  there  are  more  than 
fifty  turns,  but  only  this  number 
is  counted.  They  are  not  touched 
by  the  hand  in  counting,  but  are 
pointed  to  with  a  straw  by  the 
player.  They  are  always  counted 
by  twos.  With  the  center  bead 
the  fifty  beads  on  each  side  make 
101  counts  on  the  diameter  of  the 
wheel.  The  edges  on  both  sides 
of  the  circumference  of  the  hoop 
are  notched  with  nine  cuts, 
which,  with  the  two  sinew  wrap- 
pings, are  used  in  counting.  The 
space.  A-B,  between  the  places 
where  the  ends  are  lashed  counts 
1 ;  and  each  of  the  notches,  2,  .S, 
4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9,  10,  11,  around  the 
ring,  1 ;  making  11  counts,  or  a 
total  of  112  counts  on  the  hoop. 


Fto.  594.  Hoop  for  pole  game;  White  Mountain 
Apache  Indians,  Arizona:  from  sketch  by  Albert.  B. 
Reagan. 


With  the  9  counts  on  the  butt  there  is  a  total 
of  121  counts  in  the  game ;  the  players  learn  to  count,  most  of  them  being  able 
to  count  to  1,000  in  their  own  language.  In  rolling  the  hoop,  it  is  held  verti- 
cally between  the  thumb  and  second  finger  of  the  right  baud,  resting  ou  the 


FlG..'>95.    Counting  points  in  pole  game;  White  Mountain Ai)ache Indians,  Arizona;  fromsketch 

by  Albert  B.  Reagan. 

extended  index  finger,  over  which  it  rolls  when  it  is  dispatched.  If  it  is  seen 
to  be  rolling  wide  of  the  furrows,  it  is  sometimes  guided  to  its  place  by  one  of 
the  poles.  On  entering  a  furrow  the  loose  hay  retards  its  speed  and  it  falls 
over,  only  to  be  slid  under  the  hay  by  the  well-directed  poles.     If  it  fails  to 


456 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  asx.  24 


enter  a  furro\y,  which  is  called  a  lireak  in  the  game,  it  is  brought  back  and 
rolled  again.  It  is  always  rolled  first  to  the  south  and  then  to  the  north,  and 
so  on  for  hours  until  the  game  is  finished. 

In  throwing  the  poles,  they  are  iiropelled  by  the  right  hand  and  guided  with 
the  left,  the  index  finger  of  the  right  hand  being  placed  against  the  end  of  the 
pole,  which  is  held  between  the  thumb  and  index  finger.  The  pole,  if  hurled 
successfully,  slides  into  the  furrow  beneath  the  wheel,  and  stops  with  its  butt 
beneath  it.  If  it  passes  entirely  through  the  furrow, or  goes  to  the  side  this  is 
also  called  a  break  in  the  game,  and  the  poles  are  taken  back  to  the  base  and 
hurled  again,  the  wheel  being  rolled  as  before.  It  takes  long  practice  and  much 
skill  to  hurl  the  poles  successfully. 

In  carrying  back  the  poles  after  they  have  been  hurled  they  are  thrown  over 
the  right  shoulder.  They  are  then  stood  on  end  upon  the  ground  for  a  moment 
only,  then  hurlec)  as  before. 

In  counting,  all  points  on  each  pole  that  fall  on  or  withni  the  rim  of  the 
hoop  are  counted,  also  all  the  points  on  the  rim  of  the  hoop  and  all  the  beads  on 

the  cord  which  fall  within  the  edges  of  the 
pole.  The  points  being  counted,  the  game 
proceeds  as  before.  This  Is  continued  for 
hours,  until  one  side  or  the  other  gets  the 
immber  of  points  agreed  upon  as  deciding 
the  game.  There  may  be  any  odd  number 
from  37  to  1.001.  The  game  is  sometimes 
played  for  the  best  two  out  of  three  or  three 
out  of  five  rounds,  etc.,  two  hurls  south  and 
one  north  constituting  a  play. 

Vocabulary :  Ba-ua'-e-j6sh',  let  us  play 
pole ;  bas'-sa,  or  pas'-sa,  the  hdoi) ;  bas'-sa- 
heii',  the  counting  end  of  the  pole :  bas'-sa- 
hewk',  hoop  heads,  the  closely  wrapped 
cord ;  da'-des-kish',  the  points  on  the  hoop 
rim ;  klo-ho-ka'-nil'-dish,  the  counting  field, 
the  three-ridged  space ;  na'-ejosh',  the  pole ; 
na'-C'-j6sh'-ka.  the  pole  ground ;  sfi  ko'-she- 
wal'-chel-kot.  the  base,  or  center,  of  the  pole  ground,  from  which  the  hoop  is 
I'olled  and  the  iHiles  are  burled  ;  uk,  one  of  the  wraps  (beads)  on  the  cord  :  uk'- 
cho,  the  center  bead  on  the  cord. 

Apache  (White  Mountain).     Arizona.      (Cat.  no.  ISfilS,  Free  Mu- 
seum of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Hoop  of  sapling  (figure  596),  10  inches  in  diameter,  painted  red,  the 
overlapping  ends  lashed  with  cords,  with  a  thong  lashing  be- 
tween.    A  thong  wound  with  cord  is  fastened  across  the  middle 
of  the  ring,  the  outer  circumference  of  which  is  notched  with 
eleven  notches  equally  disposed  in  the  space  between  the  lashings. 
Collected  by  the  late  Capt.  C.  N.  B.  Macauley,  U.  S.  Army,  who 
described  the  game  to  the  writer  under  the  name  panshka,  pole  game : 
Two  men  play.     The  ground  is  leveled  and  covered  with  hay  or  dried  grass. 
One  rolls  the  wheel  and  both  throw  their  poles,  jioints  first,  along  the  ground 
beside  it,  endeavoring  to  make  the  wheel   fall  on   the  butt   of  the  i>ole.     The 
counts  are  most  intricate,  depending  upon  the  way  in  which  the  jjole  falls  in 


Fig.  596.  Hoop  for  pole  Kame;  diameter, 
10  inches:  White  Mountain  Apache 
Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  18B1S,  Free 
Musenra  of  Science  and  Art,  Univer- 
sity of  Pennsylvania. 


CULIN] 


HOOP    AND    POLE  :    NAVAHO  457 


reference  to  the  wheel,  the  i)eriphery  of  which  is  marlced  with  rings  of  sinew. 
The  <letails  are  so  complicated  that  no  civilized  game  nearly  compares  in  com- 
plexity with  this  apparently  simple  sport. 

CoLViLLE  (Chualpay).     Fort  Colvi lie,  Washington. 

Paul  Kane  »  says : 

The  principal  game  here  is  called  Al-kol-lock,  and  requires  considerable  skill. 
A  smooth  level  piece  of  ground  is  chosen,  and  a  slight  barrier  of  a  couple  of 
sticks,  placed  lengthwise,  is  laid  at  each  end  of  the  chosen  spot,  being  from  40 
to  50  feet  apart  and  only  a  few  inches  high.  The  two  players,  stripped  naked, 
are  armed  each  with  a  very  slight  spear  about  3  feet  long,  and  finely  pointed 
with  bone ;  one  of  them  takes  a  ring  made  of  bone,  or  some  heavy  wood,  and 
wound  round  with  cord;  this  ring  is  about  3  inches  in  diameter,  on  the  inner 
circumference  of  which  are  fastened  six  beads  of  different  colors  at  equal  dis- 
tances, to  each  of  whicli  a  separate  luunerical  value  is  attached.  The  ring  is 
then  rolled  along  the  ground  to  one  of  the  barriers,  and  is  followed  at  a  distance 
of  2  or  3  yards  l)y  the  players,  and  as  the  ring  strilies  the  barrier  and  is  falling 
on  its  side  the  spears  are  thrown,  so  that  the  ring  may  fall  on  them.  If  only 
one  of  the  spears  should  be  covered  by  the  ring,  the  thrower  of  it  counts  accord- 
ing to  the  colored  bead  over  it.  But  it  generally  happens,  from  the  dexterity 
of  the  iilayers,  that  the  ring  covers  both  spears,  and  each  counts  according  to 
the  color  of  the  beads  above  liis  spear ;  they  then  play  towards  the  other  barrier, 
and  so  on  until  one  party  has  attained  the  number  agreed  upon  for  game. 

Navaho.  Keams  canyon,  Arizona.  (Cat.  no.  62535,  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum.) 

Ring  (figure  597)  wrapped  with  sheep  hide,  6^  inches  in  diameter, 
and  two  poles  (figure  598),  about  9  feet  in  length,  made  in  two 
pieces  lashed  together  with  hide,  the  sticks  overla2)ping  about  a 
foot,  and  the  ends  of  the  lashing  (figure  599)  having  crosspieces 
of  hide  fastened  to  them  by  bands  of  sheepskin.  Collected  by 
Mr  Thomas  V.  Keam. 

■ — St  Michael,  Arizona. 

The  Reverend  Father  Berard  Haile  writes  in  a  personal  letter : 

Na'azhozh,  stick  and  hoop.  The  pole  is  decorated  with  l)uckskin  strings, 
called  "  turkey  feet."  The  hoop  is  set  in  motion  and  the  stick  thrown  through 
the  rolling  hoop.  Points  score  as  the  sticlc  falls  on  the  turkey  feet.  Some  sticks 
are  decorated  with  claws  of  wildcats  or  of  the  mountain  lion,  bear,  eagle,  etc., 
which  are  attached  to  the  strings,  and  as  the  claws  catch  the  hoop  a  point  is 
scored. 

Later  Father  Berard  writes : 

I  find  that  there  were  four  different  forms  of  nfl,'azhozh :  First,  nS,'azh6zh 
aqa'dest'loni.  bound  together,  in  which  the  stick  or  pole  was  cut  in  two  and  tied 
with  buclvskin.  allowing  the  ends  of  the  string  to  hang  down ;  second,  na'azhozh 

"  Wanderings  of  an  Artist  among  tlie  Indians  of  North  America,  p.  310,  London,  1859. 

See  also  The  Canadian  Journal,  p.  276,  Toronto,  June,  1855,  where  Kane  describes  this 
game  in  about  tlio  same  words  under  tlie  name  of  al-ltol*loch  as  one  that  is  universal 
along  the  Columbia  river.  There  is  a  good  picture  of  this  game  in  Kane's  collection,  no. 
65,  at  Toronto.     The  original  sketches  were  made  at  Fort  Colville, 


458 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


dilko"!,  slick  or  jjolisbed,  in  wliicti  tlie  pole  was  left  intact  and  iirovided  with 
three  strings,  one  at  the  point  and  two  at  the  butt ;  third,  nii'azhozh  dit'loi, 
strung  profusely,  in  which  the  pole  was  profusely  decorated  with  strings,  etc. ; 
fourth,  na'azliozh  dilko',  polished,  in  which  the  hoop,  or  wheel,  was  only  about 
an  inch  in  diameter  and  thrown  toward  a  mark  or  point.  The  players  were 
each  provided  with  a  stick,  each  the  length  of  an  arm.  In  a  stooped  position 
they  strive  to  throw  the  stick  through  the  ring.  tIow  many  iioints  the  winner 
had  to  score  I  could  not  ascertain,  as  Jlr  Big  Goat,  my  informant,  claims  that  in 


Pig.  598. 


Fig.  597. 


Fig.  599. 

Fig.  597.    Ring  for  pole  game;  diameter,  6i  inches;  Navaho  Indians,  Reams  canyon,  Arizona; 

cat.  no.  625;i'j,  Field  Columbian  Mu.seum. 
Pig.  598.    Pole  for  pole  game;  length,  about  9  feet:  Navaho  Indians,  Keams  canyon,  Arizona; 

cat.  no.  63535,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  599.    Ends  of  lashing  of  pole  for  pole  game;  Navaho  Indians.  Keanis  canyon,  Arizona;  (-.'.t. 

no.  62535,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

all  these  games  the  points  were  agreed  upon  beforeliand,  and  a  variation 
naturally  took  place  according  to  the  value  of  the  article  put  at  stake.  To 
distinguish  the  first  from  the  fourth  game  here  mentioned,  they  also  called 
the  latter  laaze',  which  means  as  much  as  that  the  pole  was  varnished  (with 
juice  of  yucca  and  paint). 

This  game  is  intimated  by  Dr  Washington  Matthews  in  his  Navaho  Legends 
[page  219]  where  he  mentions  dilkon.  pla.ved  with  two  sticks,  each  the  length  of 
an  arm,  as  among  the  four  games  which  the  Navaho  brought  with  them  from  the 
lower  world. 


cuLiN]  HOOP  AND  pole:   navaho  459 

Concerning  another  game  mentioned  by  Doctor  Matthews  in  this 
connection,  atsa,  jjlayed  with  foi'ked  sticks  and  a  ring,  Father  Berard 
writes  : 

Atsa  also  uieaus  an  eagle,  whilst  tsa'  signifies  a  needle,  awl.  or  anything 
similar,  ergo,  forked  sticks?  (ts'a.  basket).  It  was  impossible  for  me  to  find 
any  clue  to  this  game,  unless  we  assume  that  it  is  another  form  of  na'azhozh. 
Many  of  the  games  of  the  legends  of  the  Navaho,  they  say,  are  purely  mythical 
or  artificial  and  have  not  been  played  by  them. 

Navaho.     Arizona,  New  Mexico. 

Dr  AYashington  IVIatthews "  refers  to  the  game  of  nanzoz,  as  played 
by  the  Navaho,  as  mucli  the  same  as  the  game  of  chiingivee  played  by 
the  Mandan.  described  and  depicted  by  Catlin  (see  p.  512). 

A  hoop  is  rolled  along  the  ground,  and  long  poles  are  thrown  after  it.  The 
Mandan  pole  was  made  of  a  single  piece  of  wood.  The  jtole  of  the  Navaho  is 
made  of  two  pieces,  usually  alder,  each  a  natural  fathom  long :  the  pieces 
overlaii  and  are  bound  together  by  a  long  branching  strap  of  hide  called  tli&gi- 
bike,  or  turkey -flaw. 

Nanzoz  was  the  second  of  the  four  games  played  by  young  Hastse- 
hogan  with  the  divine  gambler  or  Gambling  god  named  Nohoilpi,  or 
'^  He  Who  Wins  Men  "  (at  play). 

Doctor  Matthews ''  says  that  the  game  is  played  with  two  long 
sticks  or  poles  of  peculiar  shape  and  construction,  one  marked  with 
red  and  the  other  with  black,  and  a  single  hoop.  A  long,  many-tailed 
string,  called  the  "  turkey  claw,"  is  secured  to  the  end  of  each  pole. 
In  this  contest  the  Great  Snake  came  to  the  assistance  of  young 
Hastsehogan.     Nanzoz  was  played  out  of  doors. 

The  track  already  prepared  lay  east  and  west,  bvit,  prompted  by  the  Wind  (Jod. 
the  stranger  insisted  on  having  a  track  made  from  north  to  south,  and  again, 
at  the  bidding  of  Wind,  he  chose  the  red  stick.  The  son  of  Hastsehogan 
threw  the  wheel ;  at  first  it  seemed  about  to  fall  on  the  gambler's  pole,  in  the 
"  turkey  claw "  of  which  it  was  entangled ;  but  to  the  great  surprise  of  the 
gambler  it  extricated  itself,  rolled  farther  on,  and  fell  on  the  pole  of  his 
opponent.  The  latter  ran  to  pick  up  the  ring,  lest  Nohollpi  in  doing  so  might 
hurt  the  snake  inside ;  but  the  gambler  was  so  angry  that  he  threw  his  stick 
away  and  gave  up  the  game,  hoping  to  do  better  in  the  next  contest,  which 
was  that  of  pushing  down  trees. 

Elsewhere ''  Doctor  Matthews  describes  the  personator  of  Hatdast- 
sisi  as  carrying  on  his  back  a  ring  about  1'2  inches  in  diameter, 
made  of  yucca  leaves,  and,  suspended  from  this  by  the  roots,  a  com- 
plete plant  of  the  Yucca  baccata.  The  ring  is  like  that  used  in  the 
game  of  nanzoz  and  indicates  that  the  god  is  a  great  gambler  at 
nanzoz. 

"  Navaho  Legends,  note  76,  Boston,  1S97. 
"  Ibid.,  p.  85. 

^  The  Nijrht  Chant,  a  Navaho  Ceremony.  Memoirs  of  the  American  Museum  uf  Natiir.".! 
History,  whole  series,  v.  6,  p.  15,  New  York,  1902. 


460  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  24 

Speaking  of  the  Navaho.  Maj.  E.  Backus,  U.  S.  Army,  wrote  as 
follows,  ill  Schoolcraft : " 

Tbeir  favorite  game  consists  iii  tlirowiug  a  lance  or  pole  at  a  rolling  lioop, 
in  which  they  are  said  to  exhibit  much  skill.  I  have  never  seen  the  game 
played  and  can  not  describe  its  details. 

Saesi.     British  Columbia. 

Rev.  E.  F.  Wilson  ''  gives  the  following  account : 

The  Sareees.  like  most  other  wild  Indians,  are  inveterate  gamblers.  Tliey  will 
gamble  everything  away —ponies,  teepees,  blankets,  leggings,  moccasins — till 
they  have  nothing  left  but  their  breech-clout.  In  my  report  of  the  Blackfoot 
last  year  I  mentioned  the  use  of  a  little  hoop  or  wheel  for  gambling  purposes. 
I  find  that  the  Sarcees  also  use  this,  and  two  of  them  showed  me  how  they  play 
the  game.  A  little  piece  of  board,  if  procurable,  or  two  or  three  Hattened 
sticks,  laid  one  on  the  other,  are  ]mt  for  a  target,  at  a  distance  of  18  or  20 
feet  from  the  starting-point,  and  the  two  players  then  take  their  places  beside 
each  other;  one  has  the  little  wheel  in  his  left  hand,  an  arrow  in  his  riglit ; 
the  other  one  has  only  an  arrow.  The  play  is  to  roll  the  wheel  and  to  deliver 
the  two  arrows  simultaneously,  all  aiming  at  the  mark  which  has  been  set  up. 
If  the  wheel  falls  over  on  one  of  the  arrows,  it  counts  so  many  points,  according 
to  the  number  of  beads  on  the  wire  spoke  of  the  wheel  that  touch  the  arrow. 
Nothing  is  counted  unless  the  little  wheel  falls  on  one  of  the  arrows.  The 
articles  for  which  tliey  play  are  valued  at  so  many  points  each.  A  blanket  is 
worth,  iierha[>s.  10  points,  a  pony,  50,  and  so  on. 

Takulli.  Stuart  lake,  British  Colum- 
bia. 
The  Reverend  Father  A.  G.  Morice " 
describes  the  gkme  of  keilapes,  encir- 
cling willow,  or  arrow  target-shoot- 
ing, named  from  the  implement  re- 
(|uired  for  its  performance: 

This  is  a  sort  of  open  work  disk  or  wheel 

I  tigure  600],  principally  made  of  willow-bark 

strings,    though   the   frame   of   the   hoop   is 

composed   of   three   or    four    switches   very 

closely  fitting  each  other  and  kept  in  posi- 

„,     ..,.,     o        <•  m  ,    ,1-  T        tion   bv   a   strong   lacing  of  strips  of  bark. 

Fig.  OUO.    Hoop  for  game;   Takulli  In-  •  o  »  i 

dians,  Stuart,  lake,  Bi-itish  Columbia;     Kadiating   from   the  a.xis,   or   heart,   as   it  Is 
from  Morice.  called,   are  four  cords  of  similar  material. 

stretched  so  as  to  form  ;i  cross.  As  this 
was  formerly  the  great  national  game  of  the  Carriers,  I  may  be  jjardoned  for 
giving  its  rules  in  full. 

A  team  of  five  or  six  men  was  matched  against  another  of  presumed  equal 
force,  and  after  each  player  had  been  provided  with  a  given  number  of  pointed 
arrows,  the  disk  was  set  wheeling  away  by  one  team  to  the  cry  of  tlep!  flep! 

"  Information  respecting  the  History,  Condition,  and  Prospects  of  the  Indian  Tribes 
of  the  United  States,  pt.  4.  p.  214.   Philadelphia.  18,'5G. 

'  Fourth  Report  on  the  North-Western  Tribes  of  Canada.  Report  of  the  Fifty-eighth 
Meeting  of  the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  240,  London.  1K8'.). 

"■  Notes  on  the  Western  Denfe.  Transactions  of  the  Canadian  Institute,  v.  4,  p.  113, 
Toronto,  1895, 


•  TLiN]  HOOP  AND  pole:  akikaea  461 

This  was  the  signal  for  the  other  to  shoot  at  it  while  it  was  iu  motion. 
Should  they  fail  to  hit  it.  it  was  returueil  rolling  to  the  first  team,  .so  as  to  give 
them  an  equal  ohance  of  making  at  it  with  their  arrows.  As  soon  as  the  disk 
had  been  shot,  the  real  eouipetitive  game  conmienced.  The  arrows  which  had 
hit  it,  two,  three,  or  more,  became  the  stake  for  the  rival  team  to  win  over.  For 
this  purpose  the  disk  was  hung  upon  a  short  stick  planted  in  the  ground  near 
the  team  who  had  succeeded  in  sending  home  the  arrows,  and  it  was  aimed  at 
successively  by  each  member  of  the  opposite  partj'.  Should  anyone  be  lucky 
enough  to  shoot  it  with  his  first  arrow,  the  stake  played  for  became  his  irrev- 
ocable property.  When  the  target  was  hit,  but  on  a  subsequeut  attempt  of 
the  marksman,  the  stake  was  thereby  won  over,  subject  to  its  being  redeemed 
by  any  member  of  the  opposing  team  performing  the  same  feat.  In  this  ease  the 
game  became  a  draw  :  the  wheel  was  set  rolling  anew,  and  the  nature  of  the 
stake  was  determined  as  in  the  first  instance. 

I  have  never  seen  "keilapes  jilaycd  by  other  than  children  and  yonng  men. 
But  in  times  past  it  had  a  sort  of  national  importance,  inasmuch  as  teams  from 
distant  villages  were  wont  to  assemble  in  certain  localities  more  favorable  to 
its  performance  in  good  style.  Indeed,  until  a  few  years  ago  the  sporting  field 
of  some  was  literally  dotted  with  small  cavities  resulting  from  the  fall  of  the 
arrows. 

CADDOAN    STOCK 

Arikara.     South  Dakota. 
John  Bradbury"  says: 

We  amused  ourselves  some  time  by  watching  a  party  who  were  engaged  in 
plaj'.  A  place  was  neatl.v  formed,  resembling  a  skittle  alley,  about  0  feet  iu 
breadth  and  90  feet  long :  a  ring  of  wood,  about  5  inches  in  diameter  was 
trundled  along  from  one  end.  and  when  it  had  run  some  distance,  two  Indians, 
who  stood  ready,  threw  after  it,  in  a  sliding  manner,  each  a  piece  of  wood,  about 
.S  feet  long  and  4  inches  in  breadth,  made  smooth  on  one  edge,  and  kept  from 
turning  by  a  crosspiece  passing  through  it,  and  bended  backwards  so  as  to 
resemble  a  crossbow.  The  standers-by  kept  an  account  of  the  game,  and  he 
whose  piece,  in  a  given  number  of  throws,  more  frequentl.v  came  nearest  the 
ring  after  it  had  fallen,  won  the  game. 

H.  M.  Brackenridge  ''  says : 

Their  daily  sports,  in  which,  when  the  weather  is  favorable,  they  are  engaged 
from  morning  till  night,  are  iirincipally  of  two  kinds.  A  level  piece  of  ground 
appropriated  for  the  purpose,  and  beaten  by  freijuent  use.  is  the  place  where 
they  are  carried  on.  The  first  is  played  bj'  two  persons,  each  armed  with  a  long 
pole  ;  one  of  them  rolls  a  hoop,  which,  after  having  reached  about  two-thirds  of  the 
distance,  is  followed  at  half  speed,  and  as  they  perceive  it  about  to  fall,  they 
cast  their  poles  under  it ;  the  pole  on  which  the  hoop  falls,  so  as  to  be  nearest  to 
certain  corresponding  marks  on  the  hoop  and  pole,  gains  for  that  time.  This 
game  excites  great  interest,  and  produces  a  gentle,  but  animated  exercise.  The 
other  differs  from  it  in  this,  that  instead  of  poles,  they  have  short  pieces  of  wood, 
with  barbs  at  one  end,  and  a  cross  piece  at  the  other,  held  in  the  middle  with  one 
hand ;  but  instead  of  the  hoop  before  mentioned,  they  throw  a  small  ring,  and 
endeavor  to  put  the  point  of  the  barb  through  it.  This  is  a  much  more  violent 
exercise  than  the  other. 

"Travels  in  the  Interior  of  America  in  tlie  years  1809.  1810.  and  ISll.  p.  126,  Liver- 
pool,  1817. 

''Views  olf  Louisiana,  together  with  a  Journal  of  a  Voyage  up  the  Missouri  P.iver.  iu 
1811,  p.  255,  Pittsburg,  1814. 


462  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ans.  24 

Arikara. 

Dr  George  A.  Dorsey."  in  The  Origin  of  the  Arikara.  describes 
them  as  coming  in  their  journeyings  to  a  great  lake  where  they  had 
their  village  for  some  time.  They  made  games  at  this  place.  Shinny 
is  specified. 

At  other  i)laoes  they  had  long  javelins  to  oateh  a  ring  with.  The  side  that 
won  liegau  to  kill  the  people  who  were  on  the  other  side,  and  whose  language 
they  could  not  understand. 

Doctor  Dor.sey,''  in  the  story  of  "  The  Buft'alo  Wife  and  the  Javelin 
Game."  relates  also  the  following: 

Young  man  out  hunting  dreams  of  two  buffalo  bulls  turning  into  stick.s 
and  of  Iniffalo  cow  turning  into  ring.  In  morning  he  sees  cow  and  lies 
with  her.  Finds  ring  in  grass  and  wears  it  on  his  wrist.  He  makes  sticks 
and  plays  game  with  young  men,  winning  many  things.  Goes  hunting 
and  sees  old  woman,  who  induces  him  to  carry  her  across  river  on  his  back. 
He  can  not  throw  her  off,  and  he  goes  home  with  her  fast  to  his  haclc.  lledi- 
cine-men  are  sent  for,  but  they  can  do  nothing.  Poor  boy  puts  on  old  robe  and 
goes  to  young  man's  lodge  with  bow  aud  four  arrows  of  different  colors.  He 
shoots  black  arrow  aud  splits  woman  in  two.  With  red  arrow  he  takes  her  off 
boy.  The  other  arrows  he  places  on  boy's  back  to  remove  sore  spot.  Old  woman 
is  then  burned.  Ne.\t  day  crying  and  voice  are  heard  near  where  woman 
burned.  Young  man  finds  ring  has  gone.  White  tipi  with  woman  and  child 
inside  apjjears  where  others  were.  Young  man  goes  to  see  it  and  woman  with 
new  buffalo  robe  passes  by  him,  having  child.  Young  man  makes  liundle  of 
eagle  feathers  and  follows  them.  They  become  buffalo.  Calf  communicates 
with  father,  and  woman  finally  becomes  reconciled  to  him.  They  come  to  hill 
on  which  Buffalo  bull,  boy's  grandfather,  is  waiting  for  them.  Man  puts  two 
eagle  feathers  on  his  horns.  He  sends  them  on  to  next  hill  and  at  last  they  come 
to  hill  with  four  Buffalo  bulls,  chiefs  of  Buffalo  camp.  Man  puts  feathers  on 
their  heads.  They  are  sent  into  village  and  Buffalo  become  mad  because  man 
has  not  feathers  enough  to  go  round.  Man  made  to  sit  on  hill  until  they  decide 
what  to  do  with  him.  He  sticks  fiint  knife  into  ground  and  asks  gods  to  form 
stone  around  where  he  sits.  Buffalo  devise  various  ways  for  killing  him,  but  do 
not  succeed  in  doing  so.  They  decide  to  send  man  with  Buffalo  cow  and  calf  to 
Indian  village  with  presents.  Buffalo  bull  turns  man  into  Buffalo.  Buffalo  fol- 
low them.  Man  finds  village  and  tells  errand.  People  bring  eagle  feathers  and 
native  tobacco,  which  man  takes  to  Buffalo.  Buffalo  willing  to  be  slaughtered 
and  man  tells  chiefs.  Four  times  people  go  and  kill  Buffalo.  Leader  of  Buffalo 
gives  man  stlck.s  to  play  with.  Sticks  and  ring  different  kinds  of  people.  Man 
lives  long  life.    Buffalo  calf  starts  Buffalo  ceremony  among  ijeojile. 

Caddo.     Oklahoma. 

In  the  story  of  the  "  Brothers  Who  Became  Lightning  and  Thun- 
der "'  Doctor  Dorsey ''  tells  of  two  brothers,  the  elder  of  whom  made 
two  arrows  for  his  young  brother;  one  he  painted  black  and  the  other 
he  painted  blue.  They  then  made  a  small  wheel  out  of  the  bark  of  the 
elm  tree.    One  of  the  boys  would  stand  about  fifty  yards  away  from  the 

»  Traditions  of  the  ArlkaraT  p.  13.  Washington,  1904.  »  Ibid.,  p.  189. 

'Traditions  of  the  Caddo,  p.  .'>.''i,  Washington,  190i). 


CULiNj  HOOP    AND    POLE  :    PAWKEE  463 

other  and  they  wotild  roll  this  little  wheel  to  each  other  and  would 
&hoot  the  wheel  with  the  arrows.  They  played  with  the  wheel  every 
day  until  finally  the  younger  brother  failed  to  hit  the  wheel,  when  the 
wheel  kept  on  rolling  and  did  not  stop.  They  followed  its  traces  and, 
after  a  series  of  adventures,  recovered  the  wheel  from  an  old  man, 
whom  they  killed.  Later  they  ascended  to  the  sky  and  became  the 
Lightning  and  Thunder. 

Pawnee.     Nebraska. 

Maj.  Stephen  H.  Long"  wrote  as  follows: 

About  the  Tillage  we  saw  several  parties  of  young  men  eagerly  engaged  at 
games  of  hazard.  One  of  these,  which  we  noticed  particularly,  is  played  between 
two  jjersons,  and  something  is  stalled  on  the  event  of  each  game.  The  instru- 
ments used  are  a  small  hoop,  about  G  inches  in  diameter,  which  is  usually  wound 
with  thongs  of  leather,  and  a  pole  5  or  6  feet  long,  on  the  larger  end  of  which 
a  limb  is  left  to  project  about  C  inches.  The  whole  bears  some  resemblance  to 
a  shepherd's  crook.  The  game  is  pla.ved  upon  a  smooth  beaten  path,  at  one  end 
of  which  the  gamester  commences,  and,  running  at  full  speed,  be  first  rolls 
from  him  the  hooi>,  then  discharges  after  it  the  pole,  which  slides  along  the 
path  jiursuing  the  hoop  until  both  stop  together,  at  the  distance  of  about  30 
yards  from  the  place  whence  they  were  thrown.  After  throwing  them  from 
him  the  gamester  continues  his  pace,  and  the  Indian,  the  hoop,  and  the  pole 
arrive  at  the  end  of  the  path  about  the  same  time.  The  effort  appears  to  be  to 
place  the  end  of  the  pole  either  in  the  ring,  or  as  near  as  possible,  and  we  could 
perceive  that  those  casts  were  considered  best  when  the  ring  was  caught  by  the 
hook  at  the  end  of  the  pole.  What  constitutes  a  ix>int,  or  how  many  points  are 
reckoned  to  the  game,  we  could  not  ascertain.  It  is,  however,  sutficiently  evident 
that  tlle.^•  are  desperate  gamesters,  often  losing  their  ornaments,  articles  of 
dress,  etc.,  at  play. 

John  T.  Irving,  jr."  says: 

One  of  the  principal  games  of  the  Pawnees,  and  the  one  on  which  the  most 
gambling  is  carried  on,  is  played  by  means  of  a  small  ring  and  a  long  javelin. 
The  ring  is  about  4  inches  in  diameter,  and  the  object  of  the  player  is  to  hurl  his 
javelin  through  the  ring,  while  it  is  sent  rolling  over  the  ground,  with  great 
speed,  by  one  of  his  companions  in  the  game.  The  javelin  is  filled  with  barbs 
nearl.v  the  whole  length  so  that  when  it  has  once  passed  partly  through  the 
ring,  it  can  not  slide  back.  This  is  done  to  ascertain  how  far  it  went  before  it 
struck  the  edges  of  the  ring,  and  the  farther  the  cast  the  more  it  counts  in  favor 
of  the  one  who  hurled  it.  It  is  practiced  by  the  children,  young  men.  and 
chiefs.  The  first  gamble  for  single  arrows — the  second  for  a  bow  and  quiver — 
and  the  last  for  horses. 

John  B.  Dunbar  says :  "^ 

The  most  usual  game  with  men  was  stnt.s-au'-i-ka-tus.  or  simpl.v  stuts-au'-i, 
played  with  a  small  hoop  or  ring,  and  stick.  The  hoop  was  about  4  inches  in 
diameter,  made  of  several  coils  of  a  small  strip  of  rawhide  wrapped  tightly 
together  with  a  stout  string.    At  one  point  on  the  exterior  of  the  hoop  was  a  bead 

°  Account  of  an  Expedition  from  Pittsburgh  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  v.  1.  p.  444, 
Philadelphia.  1823. 

"Indian  Sketches,  v.  '2,  p.   141',  Philadelphia,  1835. 

'  The  Pawnee  Indians.  Magazine  of  American  History,  v.  8,  p.  749,  New  York.  Nov., 
1882. 


464  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 

threaded  on  the  wrapping  string.  Tlie  sticli  was  of  peculiar  structure.  Its  gen- 
eral shape  is  shown  in  the  cut  .  .  .  [figure  601].  The  entire  length  of  the 
stick  was  about  5J  feet.  It  was  flattened  somewhat  in  the  direction  of  the  cross- 
pieces,  and  tapered  slightly  from  the  heel,  ii.  to  tlie  point  h.  Directl.v  over  the  in- 
tersection of  the  crosspieces  c  and  <?.  whicli  were  upon  the  upper  side,  was  a  small 
crooked  projection  (not  shown)  about  tlie  length  of  a  finger,  curving  over  the 
part  of  the  crosspieces  on  the  same  side  as  the  curved  heelpiece,  a-e.  i.  e..  to  the 
right.  The  entire  stick  was  firml.v  wrapped  with  buckskin  or  rawhide,  and  the 
crosspieces  and  curved  attachments  held  in  place  by  the  same  means.        ' 

At  each  village  there  were  two  or  more  grounds,  about  CO  paces  long  and  15 
wide,  cleared  and  smoothed  for  this  game.  Two  sticks  and  one  hoop  were 
necessary,  and  the  players  were  arranged  by  pairs.  Two  players  took  the 
sticks,  one  of  them  having  also  the  hoop,  and  started  at  full  speed  from  one 
end  of  the  ground  toward  the  other.  When  about  halfway  across,  the  one 
carrying  the  hoop  hurled  it  violently  forward,  so  that  it  should  speed  along  the 
ground  l)efore  them ;  then  instantly  changing  his  stick  from  his  left  hand  to 
the  right,  they  simultaneously  cast  them  both  at  the  rolling  hoop,  in  such 
way  that  striking  flat  upon  the  ground,  they  should  glide  along  point  for- 
ward and  overtake  it.  The  best  throw  was  to  catch  the  hoop  upon  one  of  the 
small  pro.iections  over  the  intersections  of  the  crosspieces.  To  catch  it  upon 
the  point  of  the  stick,  upon  the  extremities  of  the  crosspieces  or  of  th..'  curved 


i 


^ 


Fig.  601.  Fig.  B02. 

Pig.  601.  Dart  for  ring  game;  length,  about  5!  feet;  Pawnee  Indians,  Nebraska;  from  Dunbar. 
Fig.  602.    Dart  for  boys'  ring  game;  length,  about  4  feet:  Pawnee  Indians,  Nebraska;  from  Dunbar. 

heelpiece,  was  also  a  good  throw.  If  the  hoop  was  not  caught  at  all,  as  was 
usually  the  case,  the  value  of  the  throw  was  detenniued  liy  its  contiguity  to 
certain  parts  of  the  stick,  and  each  player  was  provided  with  a  straw  for  meas- 
uring in  such  cases.  The  bead  upon  the  hoop  was  the  point  from  which  every 
measurement  was  made.  Sometimes  spirited  debates  were  had  upon  the  ques- 
tion of  the  correct  measurement,  as  to  whose  the  throw  should  properly  be. 
In  such  case  one  of  the  numerous  spectators  was  called  in  to  act  as  nmi>ire. 
The  vjilue  of  each  throw  was  reckoned  by  points,  so  many  points  constituting 
a  game.  If  there  were  more  than  two  players,  the  couples  alternated  in  m;dv- 
ing  throws. 

By  boys  this  game  was  played  with  a  smaller  and  simpler  stick  [figure  ()02], 
about  4  feet  long.  The  aim  in  their  game  w;is  to  dart  the  point  of  the  stick 
directly  through  the  hoop  and  catch  it  upon  the  two  prongs  at  the  heel. 

The  Hon.  Charles  Augustus  Murruy "  describes  the  hoop-and-dart 

game  as  follows : 

It  Is  played  by  two  competitors,  each  armed  with  a  dart,  on  the  smoothest  plot 
of  grass  they  can  find.  The  area  is  aliout  50  yards  long.  They  start  from  one 
end  at  full  speed;  one  of  the  players  has  a  small  hoop  of  0  inches  diameter, 
which,  as  soon  as  they  have  reached  the  middle  of  the  course,  he  rolls  on  before 
them,  and  each  then  endeavors  to  dart  his  weapon  through  the  hoop.     He  who 


>•  Travels  In  North   America,  p.  321,  London,  1839. 


• 


CULIN]  HOOP    AND    pole:    PAWNEE  4(>5 

succeeds,  counts  so  many  iu  the  game ;  and  if  ueitber  pierces  it,  the  nearest 
javelin  to  the  mark  is  allowed  to  count,  but,  of  course,  not  so  many  points  as  if 
he  had  ringed  it.  The  game  is  exceedingly  hard  exercise ;  they  play  with  many 
on  a  side,  and  sometimes  for  five  or  six  hours,  in  the  mid-heat  of  an  August  day 
without  intermission.  It  is  made  subservient  to  their  taste  for  gambling,  and 
I  have  seen  them  lose  guns,  blankets,  and  even  one  or  two  horses  in  a  morning. 

Zebiilon  M.  Pike "  says : 

They  are  extremely  addicted  to  gaming,  and  have  for  that  purpose  a  smooth 
piece  of  ground  cleared  out  on  each  side  of  the  village  for  about  150  yards  in 
length,  at  which  they  play  the  foUovv'ing  games,  viz :  one  is  played  by  two 
players  at  a  time,  and  in  the  following  maimer :  They  have  a  large  hoop  of 
about  4  feet  in  diameter,  in  the  center  of  whicli  is  a  small  leather  ring  attached 
to  leather  thongs,  which  is  extended  to  the  hoop,  and  by  that  means  keeps  it  in 
its  central  position  ;  they  also  have  a  pole  of  about  0  feet  iu  length,  which  the 
player  holds  in  one  hand,  and  then  rolls  the  hoop  from  him.  and  immediately 
slides  the  pole  after  it,  and  the  nearer  the  head  of  the  pole  lies  to  the  small  ring 
within  the  hoop  (when  they  both  fall  l  the  greater  is  the  ca.st.  But  I  could 
nirt  ascertain  their  mode  of  counting  sufficiently  to  decide  when  the  game 
was  won. 

Another  game  is  played  with  a  small  stick,  with  several  hooks,  and  a  hoop 
about  4  inches  in  diameter,  which  is  rolled  along  the  ground  and  the  forked 
stick  darted  after  it,  when  the  value  of  the  cast  is  estimated  l)y  the  hook  on 
which  the  ring  is  caught.    This  game  is  gained  at  100. 

Dr  (ieorge  Bird  Grinnell ''  writes: 

Of  all  the  games  played  by  men  among  the  Pawnee  Indians,  none  was  so  pop- 
ular as  the  stick  game.  This  was  an  athletic  contest  between  pairs  of  young 
men,  and  tested  their  fleetness,  their  eyesight,  and  their  skill  in  throwing  the 
stick.  The  implements  used  were  a  ring,  G  inches  in  diameter,  made  of  buffalo 
rawhide,  and  two  elaborate  and  highly  ornamented  slender  sticks,  one  for  each 
player.  One  of  the  two  contestants  rolled  the  ring  over  a  smooth  prepared  course, 
and  when  it  had  been  set  in  motion  the  players  ran  after  it  side  b,v  side,  each  one 
trying  to  throw  his  stick  through  the  ring.  This  was  not  often  done,  but  the 
piayf-i's  constantly  hit  the  ring  with  their  .sticks  and  knocked  it  down,  so  that 
it  ceased  to  roll.  The  system  of  counting  was  by  points,  and  was  somewhat 
complicated,  but  in  general  terms  it  may  be  said  that  the  player  whose  stick 
lay  nearest  the  ring  gained  one  or  more  points.  In  the  story  which  follows, 
the  Buffalo  by  their  mysterious  power  transformed  the  girl  into  a  ring,  which 
they  used  in  playing  the  stick  game. 

The  story  related  by  Dr  Grinnell  is  that  of  a  girl  who  lived  with 
her  four  brothers  in  a  lodge  by  the  banks  of  a  river.  To  the  branch 
of  a  tree  in  front  of  the  lodge  they  had  hung  a  rawhide  strap,  such  as 
women  use  for  carrying  wood,  so  as  to  make  a  swing  for  the  girl. 
The  brothers  would  swing  the  girl  in  the  swing  to  make  the  buffalo 
come. 

The  storj'  relates  how.  in  the  brothers'  absence,  a  coyote  persuaded 
the  girl  to  let  him  swing  her.  and  when  the  buffalo  came  they  turned 
her  into  a  ring. 

» An  Account  of  Expeditions  to  the  Sources  of  tbe  Mississippi,  appendix  to  pt.  2,  p. 
15,  Philadelphia,  1810. 

"The  Girl  Who  was  the  Ring.      Harper's  Magazine,  v.  lOi;,  p.  4ii5.  February.  11)01. 
24  ETH— 05  M 30 


466 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


Pawnee.     Oklahoma.      (Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Cat.  no.  59400.     Hooid  of  sajjling  (figure  603),  7-J  inches  in  diameter, 
with  inner  concentric  ring,  3^  inches  in  diameter,  attached  with 
cord    network;    all    painted   green    and    having   an    eagle-down 
feather  tied  with  a  thong  to  the  middle. 


Pig.  60). 

Fig.  60:3.    Netted  lioop;   diameter,  7J  inc^hes:  Pawnee  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  5fl4()0,  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 
Pig.  604.    Netted  hoop;  diameter,  .5.}  inches;  Pawnee  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  59398,  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  60.5.    Netted  hoop;  diameter.  10  inches;  Pawnee  Indians.  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  59.S93,  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 

Cat.  no.  59398.  Hooja  (figure  G04)  of  sapling,  5-1  inches  in  diameter, 
netted  with  fine  cord,  painted  yellow  in  the  center  and  green 
outside. 

Cat.  no.  59392.  Hoop  (figure  (i05)  of  sapling,  10  inches  in  di;im('ter. 
netted  with  twine. 

Cat.  no.  59394.  Hoop  (figure  (lOG)  of  .sapling,  13  inches  in  diameter, 
bisected  by  a  thong,  half  the  ring  on  one  side  of  the  hoop  painted 
red  and  the  other  half  black.  An  eagle  tail  is  tied  at  each  end 
of  the  bisecting  thong  and  a  piece  of  otter  fur  midway  between. 


CILIN] 


HOOP    AND    POLE  :    PAWNEE 


467 


Cat.  no.  Tlfi-te.  Hoop  of  Hajjling.  li  inc•he:^  in  diameter,  similar  to 
that  last  described,  but  painted  in  four  colors — green,  red,  blue, 
and  vellow — and  having  owl  and  flicker,  instead  of  eagle,  feathers. 


Fig.  60fi. 


Fig.  607. 


Fig.  606.    Game  hoop;  diameter,  1;^  inches;  Pawnee  Indians.  Oklahoma;  oat.  no.  59.S94,  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  tMIT.    Hoop  and  poles;  diameter  of  hoop,  2o  inches;  length  of  poles,  HO  inches:  Pawnee  Indians. 

Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  .')y:i90.  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Cat.  no.  593!)0.  Hoop  (figure  GOT)  of  sapling,  25  inches  in  diameter, 
with  a  buckskin  thong  bisecting  it  and  a  shell  bead  strung  in  the 
center.     Twontv-four  single   feathers  and  bunches  of  feathers 


Fig.  608. 


Fig.  609. 


Fig.  608.    Game  hoop;  diameter,  1.3  inches;  Pawnee  Indians,  <  )klaboina;  cat.  no.  .59393,  Field 

Columbian  Mu.seum. 
Fig.  609.    Game  hoop;  diameter,  8^  inches;  Pawnee  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  .5939,5,  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 

are  tied  with  thongs  around  the  circumference.  Accompanied 
by  two  poles,  50  inches  in  length,  made  in  two  pieces,  joined  with 
thongs  and  tapering  from  butt  to  tip. 


468 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ANN.  24 


Cat.  no.  59393.  Hoop  (figure  (i08)  of  sapling.  13  inches  in  diameter, 
entirely  covered  with  hide  sewed  with  the  seam  on  the  inner  side, 
one-half  of  the  hoop  painted  red  and  the  other  half  black,  hav- 
ing eight  bunches  of  deer  claws  attached  h\  thongs  passing 
through  tlie  hide  covering. 

Cat.  no.  59395.  Hoop  (figure  609)  of  sapling,  8^  inches  in  diameter, 
tied  with  cotton  cord,  having  a  blue  glass  bead  attached  by  a 
thong  at  the  place  of  juncture  and  an  eagle  tail  feather  and  down 
feather  also  fastened  on  by  thongs. 

Cat.  no.  59409.  King  (figure  610)  of  hide,  wraj^ped  with  buckskin, 
4  inches  in  diameter,  and  two  poles,  54  inches  in  length,  each 
wrapped  with  liuckskin  and  having  two  crosspieces  lashed  across, 
as  shown  in  figure  611. 


Fig.  610 


Fig.  1)1 1 


Fig.  filtl.     Ring  for  buffalo  game;  diameter,  i  inches:  Pawnee  Indians,  ( ilclaboma;  cat.  no.  .^9409, 

Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  611.    Poles  for  buffalo  game;  length,  54  inches;  Pawnee  Indian.s.  Olilahoma;  cat.  no.  .59409, 

Field  Columbian  Museum. 

The  fore  ends  of  the  poles  are  carved  with  a  kind  of  knob  which  is 
said  to  represent  the  penis  of  the  buffalo.  The  rear  ends  have  curved 
pieces  attached,  which  turn  forward.  Small  wooden  forks  are  lashed 
to  the  sides  of  the  crosspieces  and  a  handle-shaped  piece  in  front  of 
the  forward  fork  of  each  pole. 

Another  ring  in  the  same  collection  (cat.  no.  71602)  has  a  white 
shell  Ix'ad  attached  to  the  outer  edge. 

Cat.  no.  71682.  Ring  of  cloth,  wrapped  with  buckskin,  5  inches  in 
diameter,  and  a  pole,  47  inches  long,  with  two  prongs,  made 
of  sapling,  wrapped  with  buckskin,  each  prong  with  six  double 
strijjs  and  one  single  strip  of  rawhide  wrapped  in  the  buckskin 
and  projecting  inward,  as  shown  in  figure  612.  These  are  desig- 
nated by  the  collector  as  implements  for  the  buffalo  game. 
All  of  the  preceding  were  collected  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey. 
In  the  story  of  "  Blood-clot  Boy  " "  Doctor  Dorsey  describes  the  boy 

"  Traditions  of  the  Skidi  Pawnee,  p.  84,  New  York,  1904. 


CILIN]  HOOP    AND    POLE  :    PAWNEK  469 

as  making  a  ring  of  ash  stick,  which  lie  wound  with  a  string  made  of 
boiled  buffalo  hide,  so  that  it  looked  like  a  spider's  web.  The  grand- 
mother rolled  the  ring  and  the  boy  shot,  it  with  arrows  and  killed 
buifalo. 


'■***'«44i4i!» 


Fio.  612.    Ring  ami  pole;  diameter  of  linj;,  5  inches;  length  of  pole,  47  inche.s;  Pawnee  Indians, 
Oklahoma;  ca\  no.  71682,  Field  Columbian  Mnseum. 

Coinmentiiig  on  the  above.  Doctor  Dorsey  "  says: 

One  of  a  number  of  ways  for  the  magic  iiroiluotiou  of  a  liuffalo  common  to  the 
Plains  trilies.  tho  significance  of  this  form  resting  in  the  fact  tliat  the  ring  rep- 
resented the  s|)iiler-\velj.  tlius  referring  to  the  i)elief  that  tlie  Spider-Woman  con- 
trolled the  buffalo  and  i)r(>duced  them  from  her  web. 

The  ring-and-javelin  g;inie.  aii-ording  to  the  Skidi.  was  originally  played  for 
the  direct  purpose  of  calling  the  buffalo,  and  I  liave  a  long  account  of  its  origin. 
According  to  this  account  the  two  sticks  represent  young  buffalo  bulls,  which 
turned  into  the  gaming  sticks,  leaving  first  full  instructions  as  to  how  they 
were  to  be  treated,  how  the  game  was  to  be  played,  how  the  songs  were  to 
lie  sung,  and  how  they  were  to  be  anointed  with  the  buffalo  fat.  The  ring, 
according  to  the  story,  was  originally  a  buffalo  cow.  and  those  in  the  tribe 
to-day  are  said  to  be  made  from  the  skin  of  the  vulva  of  the  buffalo.  For 
the  two  forms  of  this  so-called  buffalo  game  sec  figures  [010  and  (ill  in  this 
paper). 

In  the  story  "The  Coyote  Rescues  a  Maiden  " ''  the  coyote  is  de- 
scribed as  seeing  buffalo  playing  with  sticks  and  a  ring: 

A  lot  <if  buffalo  would  line  up  on  the  south  side  of  the  playing  ground.  Coyote 
sat  down  at  the  north  end  of  the  playing  ground.  Two  buffalo  would  rise  up 
and  take  the  sticks,  one  of  them  taking  the  ring,  and  as  they  i-an  to  the  north 
end.  the  one  with  the  ring  would  throw  it  and  both  of  them  would  throw  their 
sticks  at  the  ring  to  see  if  they  could  catch  it.  At  the  north  end  they  picked 
up  the  sticks  and  the  ring,  and  the  one  with  the  ring  would  throw  it  again 
toward  the  south  end  of  the  playing  ground,  and  the  two  buffalo  would  throw 
the  sticks  at  the  ring  to  try  to  catch  it.  The  two  would  sit  down,  and  two 
other  buffalo  would  rise  and  take  up  the  sticks  and  ring,  and  they,  too,  would 
run  down  to  the  north  end  of  the  ground  and  throw  the  ring  and  sticks.  They 
would  shout  at  Coyote  to  get  away,  as  they  might  hit  him  with  the  sticks. 
Coyote  would  rise  and  limp  around,  and  then  would  sit  down  close  to  the  end 
of  the  playing  ground. 

Now,  the  ring  with  which  they  were  playing  was  a  girl  who  had 
been  carried  off  by  the  buffalo  and  transformed  by  them.  During  the 
course  of  the  game  the  ring  rolled  towanl  the  Coyote  and  he  took  it 
in  his  mouth  and  ran  away  with  it.  and  finally  liv  the  aid  of  the  bad- 
ger, the  fox.  the  crow,  the  hawk,  and  the  blackbird  the  ring  was  car- 
ried back  and  transformed  into  a  girl  again  in  her  brothers'  lodge. 

»  Tradifions  of  llie  Skidi  Pawnee,  [i.  343,  New  York,   1004.  "Ibid.,  p.  257. 


470 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [inii.  ann.  24 


'\\'i(HiTA.  Oklahoma.  (  Field  C'olumhiau  Museum.) 
Cat.  no.  59365,  Wooden  hoop  (figure  (US),  18^  inches  in  diameter, 
with  an  interior  network  of  sinew,  which  is  wrapped  around 
the  hoop  at  thirty  points  and  incloses  an  inner  hoop,  !»i  inches  in 
diameter,  having  also  an  interior  sinew  net.  accompanied  by  a 
dart  made  of  sapling.  'i^>\  inches  in  length,  with  a  fork  at  the 
end.     Collected  by  Dr  Cleorge  A.  Dorsey. 


Fiti.  61H.    Netted  hoop  and  dart;  diameter  of  hoop,  18}  inches;  length  of  dart,  :i5i  inches;  Wichita 
Indians,  Oltlahoina;  cat.  no.  .59:^,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 


inclies  in  diameter, 
Collected    bv    Dr 


Cat.  no.  59315.     Wooden  hot)p   (figure  iM-i).  _.,j 
with    connecting    ends    lionnd    with    sinew. 
George  A.  Dorsey. 
Doctor  Dorsey  makes  several  references  to  the  hoop  game  among 
tlie  Wichita.     In  the  story  of  "  The  Seven  Brothers  and  the  Sister,"  " 
the  chief  game  of  the  brt)thers  is  described  as 
with  the  lioop. 

In  the  story  of  "  The  Deeds  of  the  After- 
biith-Boy  "  ''  the  father  is  described  as  making 
a  netted  ring  for  his  two  sons,  which  he  told 
them  not  to  roll  toward  the  west.  They  dis- 
ol)eyed  him,  and  were  comj)elled  to  follow  the 
ring,  and  ran  on  until  they  went  into  the 
watt'r  (if  a  great  lake  and  ftiund  themselves 
inside  of  a  great  monster. 

In  the  story  oi  "  Half-a-Boy  who  Overcame 
the  (ianibler," '■  the  hero  visits  a  village  a  two- 
days"  journey  north  of  his  own.  where  there 
was  a  cruel  gambler  who  j)layed  the  wheel 
game  and  Avon  the  lives  of  all  who  visited  the  village.  The  village 
extended  east  and  west  and  had  in  the  middle  an  open  space,  in  which 
he  saw  many  people  playing  some  kind  of  game.  The  next  morning 
he  commenced  to  play  the  game  with  the  gambler.     In  the  game  that 


Fig.  614.  Game  hoop;  diam- 
eter, 25}  inches:  Wichita 
Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no. 
ami5.  Field  Columbian  Mu- 
.seum. 


The  .Mythology  of  the  Wichita,  p.  r.fi,  Washington,  J904.     "  Iliid.,  p.  !i.".,  KU. 


Iliid.,  |>.  1!I4. 


CCLIX]  HOOP    AND    POLE  :    XISKA  471 

they  played  they  used  two  loiisi;  sticks  and  a  wheel.  First  they  threw 
the  wheel  a  long  way,  then  they  ran  to  it  and  pitched  the  sticks  into 
the  ring.  The  boy  lost  from  the  start  and  finally  staked  his  life,  being 
told  his  body  was  equal  to  three  bets.  He  lost  two  of  these  when  it 
became  dark,  and  the  gambler  was  persuaded  by  the  boy  to  leave  the 
third  part  until  the  next  day.  From  this  the  man  called  the  boy 
Half-a-Boy.  The  boy  went  to  sleep  on  the  ground  and  was  awakened 
by  two  women,  who  revealed  themselves  as  buffalo  cows.  He  ran 
with  them  and  they  traveled  part  of  the  night,  until  they  saw  a  light, 
which  they  said  was  their  grandfather  and  grandmother  taking  a 
smoke.  AMien  they  came  up  the  young  women  asked  the  old  people 
to  make  haste  and  give  the  boy  powers  so  that  he  could  get  out  of  his 
ti-oulile. 

Deinde  2ouero  jjra'ceptum  est  ut  ad  tergum  tauri  irct.  et.  cum  eius 
membrum  semel  prehendisset.  "  palum  atrum "  posceret :  membro 
iternm  prehenso,  ''  j)alum  i-nbrum  "  posceret.  Hsec  igitur  fecit. 
Deinde  ei  pra-ceptum  est  ut  ad  bovem  profectus  eius  volvam  pre- 
henderet,  anulumque  posceret.  Hoc  facto,  puer  iam  palos  duos  anul- 
um(|ue  habebat. 

The  black  stick  remaining  in  the  ring  represented  the  old  man  and 
the  old  woman.  He  was  requested  to  let  the  black  stick  remain  in  the 
ring  where  it  Itelonged  and  to  give  the  red  stick  to  his  opponent.  In 
the  game  that  followed,  in  which  the  boy's  sticks  and  ring  were 
employed,  the  black  stick  wliii'  the  boy  used  never  failed  to  find  the 
wheel,  and  the  boy  won  back  everything  in  the  village  and  finally 
the  life  of  the  gambler  himself.  This  man  was  a  shadow,  and  his 
name  was  Shadow-of-the-Sun.  AVhen  the  boy  won  the  third  and 
last  part  of  him,  he  jumped  out  of  the  way  as  he  pitched  the  last 
stick,  and  when  the  stick  entered  the  wheel  there  arose  two  great  big 
buffalo,  who  set  after  Shadow-of-the-Sun  and  hooked  him  until 
they  tore  him  to  jjieces.  Half-a-Boy  burned  the  gambler's  body  and 
ordered  all  the  bones  of  his  victims  to  be  placed  in  the  fire.  Then 
they  all  came  to  life  in  the  same  manner  related  in  other  stories. 

CHIMMESYAN    STOCK 

NiSKA.     Xass  river,  British  Columbia. 

Dr  Franz  Boas"  describes  the  following  games: 

Smeuts,  A  hoop  is  placed  upright.  The  players  thi-ow  at  it  with  sticks  or 
blunt  lances,  and  must  hit  inside  the  hoop. 

ilatldji',  A  hoop  wound  with  cediu-  bark  and  set  with  fringes,  is  hurle<l  by 
one  man.  The  players  stand  in  a  row,  about  5  feet  apart,  each  carrying  a 
lance  or  stick.     When  the  ring  is  flying  past  the  row,  they  try  to  hit  it. 

"  Fifth  Report  on  the  Indians  of  Britisli  Columbia.  Report  of  the  Sixty-fifth  Meeting 
of  the  British  Association  for  the  .Vdvancement  of  Science,  p.  583.  London.  1895. 


472  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN  24 

CHINOOKAN    STOCK 

Wasco.     Washington.     (Cat.  no.  37501,  Free  Moseuni  of  Science  and 

Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Rin^  (seckseck)  made  of  strips  of  inner  bark  (figure  615),  willi  an 

internal  cross,  4^  inches  in  diameter. 
Collected  by   Dr  George  A.   Doi'sey,  wlio 
iiives  the  following  account  of  the  game : 

Shot  lit  with  arrows  and  played  by  youths  ou  the 
iUppeiinuice  of  the  first  run  of  salmon.  When 
struik  on  tlie  iross,  the  play  is  called  tlia-mag-elo, 
to  hit  on  the  tlia-han,  the  cross;  when  struck  on 
the  i)erii)hery.  la-nia-aihth,  hits  one.  The  giuue  is 
[ilMved  for  arrows. 

CHUMASHAN    STOCK 

Fi(i.t>15.    Game  ring;   diame- 
ter,  41   inches;  Wasco  Indi-       ^^^.^,^   BARBARA.       California. 
ans,    Washington:    cat.  no. 

37501,  Free  Museum  of  Sci-         Dr  WaUer  J.  Hoffman "  savs  that  the  In- 

eneeand  Art,  University  o(       ,|j.^,^^      f  g    ^^^      Barbara  plaved  a   game  with 
Pennsylvania.  L       J  t^ 

a  barrel-shaped  stone  ring  3  incites  in  diame- 
ter and  4  in  length,  at  which  the  phiyers  shot  arrows,  tlie  object  being 
to  i^enetrate  the  hole  while  the  ring  was  in  motion.  The  players 
stood  on  either  side  of  the  course. 

COSTA  NOAN    STOCK 

RuMSEN.     Monterey,  California. 

J.  F.  (t.  de  la  Perouse ''  says : 

They  have  two  games  to  which  they  dedicate  their  whole  leisure.  The  first, 
to  which  they  give  the  name  of  takersia,  consists  in  throwing  and  rolling  a 
small  hoop,  of  .3  inches  in  diameter,  in  a  space  of  10  squai-e  toises,  cleared  of 
grass  and  surrounded  with  fascines.  Each  of  the  two  players  holds  a  stick, 
of  the  size  of  a  common  cane,  and  .5  feet  long;  they  endeavor  to  pass  this  stick 
into  tile  lioop  whilst  it  is  in  motion;  if  they  succeed  in  this  they  gain  2  points; 
and  if  the  hoop,  when  it  stops,  simply  rests  upon  their  stick,  they  gain  1  liy  it ; 
the  game  is  ^  jioints.  This  game  is  a  violent  exercise,  because  the  hoop  or 
stick  Is  always  in  action. 

ESKIJIAUAX    ST(I(I\ 

Eskimo  (Central).     Cuinl)erland  sound,  Baffin  huid,  Franklin. 

Dr  Franz  Boas  says: '' 

A  favorite  game  is  the  nuglutang  |  figure  (ilO].  A  small,  rhomboidal  plate  of 
ivory  with  a  hole  in  the  center  is  hung  from  the  roof  and  steadied  by  a  heavy 
stone  or  a   piece  of  ivory   hanging  from    its   lower   end.     The   Eskimo   stand 

-  Bulletin  of  the  Essex  Institute,  v.  17,  p.  32,  note  12,  Salem,  1885. 

''A  Voyage  around  the  World  In  the  years  ITSH.  1786.  1787.  and  1788,  v.  2,  p.  223, 
London,  1798.  La  Perouse  refers  to  two  tribes  of  Monterey,  the  Arhastians  (Rumsen) 
and  Eeclemachs  (Esselen),  the  latter  belonging  to  the  Esselenian  family. 

■■The  Central  Eskimo.     Sixth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  568,  1888. 


CULIN] 


HOOP    AND    POLE  :    CENTRAL    ESKIMO 


478 


around  it.  and  when  the  winner  of  tlie  last  game  gives  a  signal  everyone  tries 
to  hit  the  hole  with  a  stick.  The  one  who  succeeds  has  won.  This  game  is 
always  played  amid  great  excitement. 


Fig.  616. 


Game  of  nuglutang;  Central  Eskimo,  Cumberland  sound.  Baffin  land,  Franklin;  cat. 
no.  IV  A  6.K31.  Berlin  MxLseum  f iir  Volkerkunde;  from  Boas. 


Central    Eskimo    (  Aivilih^iu  t    and    Kinipetu).     West    coast    of 
Hudson  baj-,  Keewatin. 
Dr  Franz  Boas"  thus  describes  the  game  of  nughiktuq: 

A  piece  of  ivory  with  a  hole  in  the  center  is  suspended  from  the  top  of  the 
snow  house.  To  its  lower  end  a  line  with  a  heavy  weight  is  attached^  which 
serves  to  hold  the  piece  of  ivory  steady.  The  men  gather  around  this  imple- 
ment, each  holding  a  small  stick  with  a  sharp  point.  A  knife  is  laid  down, 
which  forms  the  stake  of  the  game ;  and  at  the  word  "  a'te  "  all  the  men  try  to 
hit  the  hole  in  the  tooth  with  their  little  sticks.  Whoever  succeeds  in  hitting 
tlie  hole  wins  the  knife.     Then  he  places  another  stake  near  by.  and  the  play  is 


**  Eskimo  of  Baffin  Land  and  Hudson  Bay. 
History,  v.  15.  p.   110.  New  York,  1001. 


Bulletin  of  American  Museum  of  Natural 


474  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  an.n.  24 

resumed,  while  he  himself  Is  barred  from  taking  part  in  the  game.  Anjoue 
has  the  right  to  take  bold  of  the  Ivory  with  his  naked  hand  at  the  risk  of  having 
it  gashed  with  the  darts  of  the  spears.     If  two  persons  hit  the  hole  at  the  same 

time,  it  does  not  count. 

Eskimo  (Western).  St  Michael,  Alaska,  (Cat.  no.  33970.  United 
States  National  Museum.) 

Oval  hoop  (figure  617)  of  bent  twig,  3  inches  in  diameter,  the  upper 
and  lower  edges  wrapped  with  thongs  securing  cotton  cord  net- 
work, which  covers  the  interior  of  the  ring,  with  thong  loop  for 
suspension.  Two  arrows,  22  inches  in  length,  with  simple  wood 
shafts  and  barbed  bone  jjoints  secured  with  sinew.  The  arrows 
are  fastened  together  by  a  long,  twisted  sinew  cord. 


Fig.  filT.    Netted  hoop  and  darts;  diameter  of  lioop,  3  inches;  length  of  darts,  22  inches;  West- 
ern Eskimo.  St  Michael,  Alaska:  cat.  no.  :^::fttTO,  United  States  National  Museum. 

These  Avere  collected  by  Mr  E.  W.  Nelson."  who  describes  the  game 
under  the  name  of  nugohliganuk: 

This  is  played  in  the  kashim  Ijy  men  only.  A  small  ovnl  wooden  frame,  about 
ii  inches  long  by  an  inch  and  a  half  wide,  having  the  interior  finely  netted  with 
cord,  is  hung  from  the  roof  and  held  in  place  by  a  cord  at  each  end.  It  is  r)laced 
about  4  feet  from  the  floor  in  front  of  the  summer  entrance  or  under  the  smoke- 
hole  in  the  roof.  Each  jilayer  has  a  long,  slender  dart,  about  .3  feet  in  length 
and  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  with  a  barbed  point  of  bone  or  deer  liorn. 
To  the  butt  end  of  the  dart  is  fastened  a  small  cord,  .so  that  the  player  can 
draw  it  back  after  throwing.  When  the  iioint  of  the  dart  enters  the  wooden 
ring  it  is  held  fast  by  the  barbs  on  the  point,  and  tliis  scores  one  for  the  success- 
ful player.  Under  this  target  each  player  places  some  object  as  a  prize.  Then  all 
go  to  one  side  of  the  room  and  throw  three  darts  in  succession  at  the  target. 
\yhenever  a  player  pierces  the  target  so  that  he  uuist  remove  his  dart  witli  his 
hands,  he  is  entitled  to  take  anything  he  wishes  from  the  pile  of  prizes.  In 
tliis  way  the  game  continues  luitil  all  the  articles  are  disposed  of. 

IROQUOIAN    STOCK 

Cattghnawaga.     Quebec. 
J.  Long  ''  says : 

The  boys  are  very  expert  at  trundling  a  hoop,  particularly  the  Cahnuaga 
Indians,  whom  I  have  frequently  seen  excel  at  this  anuisement.  The  game  is 
played  by  any  number  of  Ijoys  who  may  accidentally  assemble  together,  some 
driving  the  hoop,  while  others  with  bows  and  arrows  shoot  at  it.     At  this  exercise 

"  The  Eskimo  .nbout  Bering  Strait.  Eighteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of 
American  Ethnology,  p.  334.  1899. 

''Voyages  and  Travels  of  an  Indian  Inlei-ju-etcr  ;md  Trader.  \>.  ."M.  Luudon.  1791. 


CCLIX]  HOOP    AND    pole:    CHEROKEE  475 

they  nre  surprisingly  expert,  niul  «ill  stop  tlie  progress  of  tlie  hoop  when  soing 
with  great  velocity.  Ijy  driving  the  pointed  arrow  into  its  edge;  this  they  will 
■do  at  a  fousiderable  distance,  and  on  horseback  as  well  as  on  foot. 

Cherokee.     Tennessee. 

Lieut.   Henry  Tiniberlake    (IKVi)"  describes  the  game  inider  the 
name  of  nettecawaw : 

.     .     .     each  player  having  a  pole  alioiit  In  feet  long,  witli  several  marks  or 
.  divisions,  one  of  them  bowls  the  round  stone,  with  one  flat  side,  and  the  other 
convex,  on  which  the  players  all  dart  their  poles  after  it.  and  the  nearest  counts 
according  to  the  vicinit.v  of  the  liowl  to  the  marks  on  his  pole. 

Xorth  Carolina. 


Mr  James  ^looney  ''  descrilies  the  wheel-and-stick  game  phived  with 
a  stone  wheel,  or  circular  disk,  under  the  name  of  gatayusti. 

John  Ax.  the  oldest  man  now  living  among  the  East  Cherokee.  Is  the  only  one 
remaining  in  the  tribe  who  has  ever  played  the  game,  having  been  instructed  in 
it  when  a  small  boy  by  an  old  man  who  desu-ed  to  keep  up  the  memory  of  the 
ancient  things.  The  sticks  used  have  long  since  disappeared,  but  the  stones 
remain,  being  frequently  picked  up  in  the  plowed  fields,  especially  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  mounds. 

This  was  the  game  jilayeil  hy  tlie  great  mythic  gamhlei'  I'fitsaiyi. 
Bras-s.'- 

It  was  he  who  invented  the  gatayflsti  game  that  we  play  with  a  stone  wheel 
and  a  stick. 

He  lived  at  Untiguhi  on  the  south  siile  oi  the  Tennessee  river,  and 
made  his  living  by  gambling. 

The  large  flat  rock,  with  the  lines  and  grooves  where  they  used  to  roll  the 
wheel  is  still  there,  with  the  wheels  themselves,  and  the  stick  turned  to  stone." 

Mr  Mooney  relates  the  story  of  a  boy,  the  son  of  Thunder,  who 
played  the  wheel-and-stick  game  with  Uiitsaiyi,  and  vanquished  him 
by  the  aid  of  his  father's  magic.  The  gambler  at  last  staked  his 
life,  and  was  pursued  to  the  edge  of  the  great  water,  where  he  was 
caught  by  the  boy  and  his  brothers,  whom  he  got  to  help  him. 

They  tied  his  hands  and  feet  with  a  grapevine  and  drove  a  long  stake  through 
his  breast,  and  planted  it  far  out  in  the  deep  water.  The.v  set  two  crows  on 
the  end  of  the  pole  to  guard  it  and  called  the  place  Kagilii'yl,  Crow  place.  But 
Brass  never  died,  and  can  not  die  xuitil  the  end  of  the  world,  but  lies  there 
always  with  his  face  up.  Sometimes  he  struggles  under  water  to  get  free,  and 
sometimes  the  beavers,  who  are  his  friends,  come  and  gnaw  at  the  grapevine  to 
lelease  him.  Then  the  pole  shakes  and  the  crows  at  the  top  cry  ICa  !  Ka  1  Ka  I 
and  scare  the  beavers  awa.v.* 


°  Memoir.<f.  p.  77.  London,  1765. 

*  Mytli.^    of    the    Chei-okee.     NineteeutU    Annual    ileport    of    the    Bureau    of    American 
Ethnology,  p.  434.  190:.'. 
"  Ibid.,  p.  311. 
"Ibid.,  p.  314. 


476  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  axn.  24 

Seneca.     New  York. 

Lewis  H.  Morgan  °  describes  the  game  as  follows : 

The  game  of  javelins,  gil-na'-gii-o,  was  very  simple,  depemling  upon  the  dex- 
terity with  which  tlie  javelin  was  thrown  at  a  ring,  as  it  rolled  upon  the  ground. 
They  frequently  made  it  a  considerable  game,  by  enlisting  skillful  players  to 
prepare  for  the  contest  and  by  betting  upon  the  result.  The  people  divided  by 
tribes,  the  four  brothers  playing  against  their  four  cousin  tribes,  as  in  the  last 
case  [ball],  unless  the  game  was  played  on  a  challenge  between  neighboring 
communities. 

The  javelin  was  5  or  (i  feet  in  length  by  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  diameter, 
and  was  usually  made  of  hickory  or  maple.  It  was  finished  with  care, 
sharpened  at  one  end,  and  striped  as  shown  in  the  figure  [618],  The  ring  was 
about  8  inches  in  diameter,  made  either  into  a  hoop  or  solid  like  a  wheel,  by  wind- 
ing with  splints.  Sometimes  the  javelin  was  thrown  horizontally,  by  placing 
the  forefinger  against  its  foot,  and  supporting  it  with  the  thumb  and  second 
finger;  in  other  cases  it  was  held  in  the  center,  and  thrown  with  tlie  hand 
raised  above  the  shoulder. 

On  either  side  from  fifteen  to  thirty  players  were  arrangc<l.  each  having  from 
three  to  six  javelins,  the  number  of  both  depending  upon  the  interest  in  the 
game  and  the  time  they  wished  to  devote  to  the  contest.  The  javelins  them- 
selves were  the  forfeit,  and  the  game  was  gained  by  the  party  which  won  them. 

Among  the  preliminaries  to  be  settled  by  the  managers,  was  the  line  on 
which  the  ring  was  to  be  rolled,  the  distance  of  the  two  bands  of  players  from 
each  other,  and  the  space  between  each  and  the  line  itself.     When  these  points 


Fig.  618.    Hoop  mid  pole:  diauieter  of  hoop,  6  inches:  len^h  of  pole.  .Ti  feet:  Seneca  Indians, 

New  York:  from  Morgan. 

were  adjusted  and  the  parties  stationed,  the  ring  was  rolled  by  one  party  on 
the  line,  in  front  of  the  other.  As  it  passed  the  javelins  were  thrown.  If  the 
I'ing  was  struck  by  one  of  them  the  players  of  the  adverse  party  were  retjuired, 
each  in  turn,  to  stand  in  the  place  of  the  person  who  struck  it,  and  throw  their 
javelins  in  succession  at  the  ring,  which  was  set  up  as  a  target,  on  the  spot 
where  it  was  hit.  Those  of  the  javelins  which  hit  the  target  when  thus  thrown 
were  saved:  if  any  missed,  they  were  passed  to  the  other  party,  and  by  them 
were  again  thrown  at  the  ring  from  the  same  point.  Those  which  hit  were 
won,  finally,  and  laid  out  of  the  play,  while  the  residue  were  restored  to  their 
original  owners.  After  this  first  contest  was  decided,  the  ring  was  rolled  back, 
and  the  other  party,  in  turn,  threw  their  javelins.  If  it  was  struck,  the  party 
which  rolled  it  was  required,  in  the  same  manner,  to  hazard  their  javelins,  by 
throwing  them  at  the  target.  Such  as  missed  were  delivered  to  the  other  party, 
and  those  which  hit  the  target  when  thrown  by  them,  were  won  also,  and  laid 

"League  of  the  Iroquois,  p.  298,  Rochester.  1851.  See  .ilso  Report  to  the  Regents  of 
the  University  upon  the  Articles  furnislied  to  the  Indian  Collection  by  Lewis  IL  Morgan. 
Third  Annual  Report  of  the  Regents  of  the  University  on  the  Condition  of  the  State 
Cahinet  of  Natural  History  and  the  Historical  and  Antiquarian  Collections  annexed 
thereto,  p.  79,  Alhany,  1850. 


crLix]  HOOP    AND    POLE:    TUSCAROEA  -477 

out  of  the   play.     In   this   inanner   tlie  game  was  continued   until   one  of   the 
parties  had  lost  their  javelins,  which,  of  itself,  determined  the  contest. 

Mr  Andrew  John,  of  Iroquoi.s,  New  York,  described  the  hoop-aiid- 
dart  game  as  played  at  the  present  day  by  the  Seneca  as  follows : 

The  implements  for  the  game  consist  of  a  hoop,  gah-nuk-gah,  made  of  sapling, 
without  marks;  and  darts,  gah-geh-dok,  4  or  5  feet  in  length,  of  which  each 
player  has  usually  two. 

The  players  line  up  equally  on  two  sides  about  10  feet  apart.  One  party 
throws  the  hoop  and  the  others  launch  their  darts  at  it.  The  object  is  to  stop 
tlie  hoop  as  it  rolls  by  impaling  it.  If  a  player  misses,  his  dart  is  forfeited,  but 
if  it  goes  under  the  hoop,  he  retains  it. 

TuscAEORA.     New   York.      (Cat.  no.  16338,  Free  Museum  of  Science 
and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 


Fit',  ''i''- 


Fig.  620. 

Fig.  619.    Game  hoop;  diameter,  IB  inches:  Tuscarora  Indians,  New  York;  cat.  no.  16.338,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  630.    Poles  for  hoop  game;  length,  7  feet;  Tuscarora  Indians,  New  York;  cat.  no.  16338,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  Univei'sity  of  Pennsylvania. 

Hoop  (figure  619)  made  of  an  unpeeled  bent  sapling,  tied  with  bark, 
16   inches   in   diameter,   and   six   poles    (figure   620),   7   feet   in 
length. 
Collected  in  1893  by  the  writer,  who  was  informed  that  they  were 

used  in  the  game  of  nayearwanaqua. 

The  ring  is  called  okakna  and  the  poles  are  called  oota.  Five  or  six  play. 
The  ring  is  rolled  and  all  discharge  their  poles.  The  one  whose  pole  stops  the 
ring  owns  it.  The  others  then  slioot  in  turn,  and  the  owner  of  the  ring  takes 
all  the  poles  that  miss  it  and  shoots  them  at  the  ring,  winning  those  that  he  puts 
through  it.     If  two  men  stop  the  ring,  they  divide  the  poles. 


478 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


KERESAX    STOCK 


Keres.     Lagnna,  New   Mexico.      (Cat.   no.  300".  Brooklyn   Institute 
Museum. ) 
Ring  (figure  <)21).  covered  with  buckskin, sewed  on  inner  side  with 
thong  and  painted  white.  8  inches  in  diameter;   and  two  ^Jainted 


Fig.  621 


Fig.  62 


Fig.  621.    Game  ring;  diameter,  8  inche.-i;  Kern^  Indians,  Laguna,  New  Mexico;  cat.  mi.  3(»)7, 

Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 
Fig.  622.    Poles  for  ring  game;  length,  T.t  ini'he.'.;  Keres  Indians.  Laguna.  New  Mexico;  cat.  no. 

3007,  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 

poles  (figure  62-2) ,  7.")  inches  in  length,  with  tips  and  butts 
white,  middle  part  red.  The  tips  are  pointed,  and  each  has  four 
buckskin  thongs,  painted  red.  attached  some  15  inches  from  its 
end.  Collected  by  the  writer  in  1!)03. 
Mr  John  M.  Gunn.  of  Laguna.  stated  that  the  game  is  called 
maskurtsh.  The  ring  is  rolled  and  the  game  is 
to  throw  the  poles  inside  of  it.  The  thongs  on 
tlie  poles  are  used  in  counting,  and  when  the 
]>oli'  falls  with  the  ring  between  the  two  sets  of 
strands  the  game  is  won. 

KIOW.VX    .STOCK 

Fi(i.623.   Game  ring;  di-      Kiow.\.     Kiowa    reservation.   Oklahoma.      (Cat. 
ameter,  3  inches;  Kio-  jio   150907^  United  States  National  Mu- 

wa  Indians,  Oklahoma; 

eat.   no.  1.52907,   United  Seum.) 

States    National    Mn-      Irregular  ring  (  figure  623)  of  buckskiu.  3  iuclies 

seum.  T  .  ^^ 

111  diameter,  set  with  four  double  rows  of 
beads  at  equal  distances  on  its  outer  edge,  two  opposite  ones 
white,  and  two  opposite  ones  dark  Ijine. 
Collected  by  Mr  James  !Mooney,  who  furnished  the  following  state- 
ment: 

Warriors  or  Inuiter.';  piu'cliase  the  priviiof;e  of  rhniwin);  a  dnrt  at  the  rin;:.  anil 
derive  auguries  froui  success  or  failure  in  sending  their  darts  tlirough  tlie  circle. 

I\rl..\X.\P.\X     STOCK 

PoMO.     Seven  miles  south  of  Ukiah.  Mendocino  count}',  California. 

(Cat.  no.  70939.  70940,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Wooden  hoop  (figure  <)-24).  20  inches  in  diameter,  with  grape  liinding 

at  joint :   and   forked-end  lance,  8   feet  long.     Collected  by  Dr 

J.  W.  Hudson. 


culin] 


HOOP    AND    POLE  :    KLAMATH 


479 


Doctor  Hudson  deserilK's  the  following  games: 

Da-ko'  ka,  da-ko'.  the  hoop  mid  k;"i.  graiiie.  Played  with  a  IG-iuch  hoop  [fig- 
ure 624]  bound  with  Apocyinim  cord,  l>.v  four  men  usually,  each  armed  with 
a  9- foot  pole.     A  races  the  hoop  swiftly  to  B  [figure  025],  who  tri&s  to  impale 


,i  i 


Fig.  6^.    Hoop  and  dai-t:  diameter  of  hoop,  20  inches;  length  of  dart,  h  feet;  Porno  Indians, 
Mendocino  county,  California:  cat.  no.  701*39.  70940,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

it  as  it  passes.      (The  spear  does  not   leave  his   hands   in  the  thrust,   else  he 

passes  out  of  the  game.)      If  B  misses,   his  place  is  at  once  taken  liy  one  of 

the     substitutes     behind     him,     who 

catches   the   hoop.     The  player  at  B 

rolls  to  C,  who  attempts  to  impale  it, 

thence    C    to    D,    and    P    to    A.     The 

player  last  to  miss  wins  the  stakes. 

When  a  player  misses  he  forfeits  his 

Ijosition  and  stake  money  at  once,  and 

his  chances  and  stakes  are  aiipropri- 

ated  by  his  substitute. 

In  another  game  a  4-incli  hoop  is 
laid  upon  the  ground,  and  lances  4 
feet  long  are  cast  upon  it  from  a  dis- 
tance of  50  feet.  A  trausfi.x  counts  5 
and  a  ring  strike  2.  Twelve  counters 
are  used.  The  game  is  called  da-ko 
nit'-ak  or  javelin-si>earing  hoop. 

A  tule  butt  is  erected  and  a   1-incb 


\. 


\ 


Sue5IIT,/TE    ^      { 


^  ^  ^uB3Tm;Te 


Flo.  625.  Plan  of  field  for  hoop  game;  Porno 
Indians,  California;  from  sketch  by  Dr  J.  'W. 
Hudson. 


ing  of  twisted  fiber  hung  in  its  center. 
Archers  stand  60  feet  aw;iy.  A  center  stroke  counts  5,  a  hoop  stroke  2.  There 
ire  ten  counters.     This  is  ciillcd  da-ko  tcox'-tiiu.  ring  target. 


I  LtlTtlAMIAN    .STOCK 

Klam.\th.     Ujiper  Klanialli   lake.  ( )reo:o!i.      (Cat.  no.  ('ilG8'2,  P'ield 

Columbian  Museum.) 
Ring-  (figure  (>2(i)  uuidi'  of  the  inner  fiber  of  the  tule  rush,  wrapped 
with  tule  bark,  11  inches  in  diameter. 

Collected  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey.  who  describes  it  as  used  in  the 
game  of  woshakank."  The  I'ing  is  shot  at  with  arrows,  not  differing 
from  those  used  by  boys  in  their  hunting.  The  object  of  the  game  is 
to  hit  the  ring  with  an  arrow. 

Another  specimen  (cat.  no.  t'.lGbl)  is  (J  inches  in  diametei'.  Iviiigs 
of  this  size  are  used  chiefly  by  boys. 

"  Certain  Gambling  Games  of  the  Klamath  Indians.  American  Anthropologist,  u.  s., 
T.  3,  p.  17,  1901. 


480 


GAMES    OF    THE    XORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       Iktii,  anx.  24 


IvLA^fATH.     Oregon.      (Cat.  no.  ;37470,  Free  Museiun  of  Science  ami 

Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Ring  (figure  627)  of  bast.  7  inches  in  diameter. 

Collected  in  1900  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey.  who  describes  it  as  a 
ring  for  woshakank,  the  kind  used  bv  bovs. 


Fig.  IHt;. 


Fig.  82T 


Fig.  621).    Game  ring;  diameter,  U  inches:  Klamath  Indian.s,  <  iregon;  eat.  no.  i\\t»2,  Field  f'cilnm- 

bian  Museum. 
Fig.  U27.    Game  ring  tboy's);  diameter,  7  inches;  Klamath  Indians,  Oregon;  eat.  no.  3747H,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Upper  Klamath  lake,  Oregon.     (Field  Columbian  Museum.) 


Cat.  no.  G1C41.     Two  rings,  diameters.  3  and  4  inches,  made  of  flexible 
bast;  a  small  bow,  2  feet  in  length,  and  three  small  reed  ari"ows, 
with  long,  sharp  wooden  points,  of  sage  (figure  (528). 
Collected   in   1900   by   Dr   George    A.    Dorsey,   who   describes  the 

game  under  the  name  of  shii'kshuks." 


Fig.  628.  Rings,  bow,  and  arrows  for  ring  game;  diameter  ef  rings,  3  and  4  inches;  length  of 
bow,  2  feet;  Klamath  Indians.  Oregon;  eat.  no.  61641,  Field  Columbian  Museum 

It  is  usually  j^l^yed  in  a  wickiup,  by  either  men  or  boys,  most 
commonly  in  winter,  in  the  following  manner:  One  of  two  boys  sit- 
ting from  8  to  10  feet  apart  rolls  a  ring  toward  the  other,  who  shoots 
at  it  with  an  arrow  (nte'kish).  In  case  he  hits  the  ring  the  one  who 
rolled  it  endeavors,  by  shooting,  to  dislodge  the  arrow  therefrom. 


'  Certain    Gambling   Games  of   the  Klamath   Indians. 
T.  3,  p.  17,  1001. 


.American    .\nthropologlst,    n.   B., 


CULIS] 


HOOP    AND    POLE  :    KLAMATH 


481 


Should  he  succeed,  there  is  no  count ;  otherwise  the  one  who  first 
shot  gains  an  arrow,  the  object  of  the  game  being  to  win  arrows. 
Cat.  no.  G1717.     Ring,  one-half  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  a  small 

awl-like  object,  consisting  of  a  bone 
point   mounted  in  a  sharp  wooden 
handle,  3-J  inches  in  length   (figure 
629). 
This    was    collected    in    1900    by    Dr 
George   A.   Dorsey.   who   describes   the 
game  under  the  same  name  as  the  preced- 
ing— shii'kshuks — which  is  applied  also 
to  the  ring.     He  describes  this  game  as 
played  by  persons  of  both  sexes  and  by 


Fig.  B2^K    Game  ring  and  awl;  diameter  of  ling,  one-half  of  an  inch;  length  of  awl.  3i  inches; 
Klamath  Indians,  Oregon;  cat.  no.  61717.  Field  Columbian  Museum;  from  Dorsey. 

all  ages,  generally  in  the  wickiup.  The  players  sit  facing  each  other, 
and  as  one  rolls  the  ring  in  front  of  him  his  opponent  endeavors  to 
pierce  one  or  both  sides  of  the  ring  with  the  point  of  his  awl.  To 
pierce  one  side  counts  1 ;  botli  sides,  2. 
Cat.  no.  61674.  Tule  fiber  ring  (fig- 
ure 630).  11  inches  in  diameter. 
Collected  in  1900  by  Dr  George  A. 
Dorsey.  who  describes  the  game  as 
follows : 

This  is  an  interesting  variation  of  tlie 
ring  game,  for  which  I  could  get  no  native 
name  to  distinguish  it  from  the  ones  just 
described.  .  .  .  The  ring  measures  11 
inches  in  diameter  and  is  an  inch  thiols. 
Across  one  side  of  it  is  fastened  a  cross- 
bar, measuring  17  inches  in  length,  project- 
ing ?>  inches  lieyoud  the  ring  on  each  side. 
Both  ring  and  crossbar  are  made  of  the  in- 
ner filler  of  tlie  tule  rush,  closely  wrapped 
with  tule  bark,  the  inner  surface  being 
placed  outside,  giving  the  ring  a  whitish 
color.  In  phiying  the  game  two  rings  of 
equal  size  are  used  :  these  are  placed  in  an 

upright  position,  one  end  of  the  crossbar  resting  on  a  sharp  wooden  pin  firmly 
fi.\ed  in  the  ground.  The  interval  between  the  two  goals  varies  according  to 
agreement  between  the  players.  There  are  always  two  opposing  sides,  each 
consisting  of  one  or  more  individuals.  The  ring  is  shot  at  with  arrows  from  a 
bow.  the  oljject  being  to  pierce  both  sides  of  the  goal,  which  is  always  placed 
.at  right  angles.  Two  specimens  ...  of  this  game  were  collected,  the  only 
24  ETH — 05  M 31 


Fig.  630.  Game  ring;  diameter,  11  inches; 
Klamath  Indians,  Oregon;  cat.  no.  61674, 
Field  Columbian  Museum. 


482  GAMES    OK    THE    NORTH    AMERTCAN    INDIANS       [bth.  a.xs.  24 

differenco  lieiii;;  in  tlie  size  <if  tlie  diainetor  nf  the  ring  anil  the  length  of  the 
crossbar.  This  game,  I  was  infornieil,  has  not  lieen  played  for  many  years,  anil 
satisfactoi-y  information  concerning  the  method  of  playing  could  not  be  obtained. 

Doctor  Dorsey  describes  also  a  variation  called  shi'kna  : 
This  interesting  variation  of  the  ring  game  is  played  only  by  men.  It  consists 
of  as  many  spears  (shfkna)  as  there  are  individual  players  and  two  goals 
(tchedalk).  each  of  which  is  simply  a  forked  stick  thrust  in  the  ground  at  such 
interval  as  may  be  mutually  agreed  upon.  The  sjjears  are  of  willow,  measuring 
11  feet  in  length,  and  sliariiiMied  at  one  end.  Thc.v  arc  decorticated,  except  at 
the  lower  extrennt.v.  The  s|iears  are  hurled  from  the  hand,  the  ob.ject  being  to 
catise  them  to  fall  in  such  manner  that  tlie  end  of  the  spear  will  rest  on  the 
fork  of  the  goal.  Such  a  throw  counts  ").  otherwise  tlH>  one  whose  spear  falls 
nearest  the  goal  counts  1  ;  ten  usually  constitutes  the  game.  The  game  is  still 
,  practised  to  some  extent  by  the  Klamath,  .and  in  playing  they  exhibit  great 
skill,  one  of  the  players  whom  I  saw  not  failing  to  strike  the  goal  oftener  than 
once  in  six  or  eight  throws.  One  set  of  this  game  (tilTlO)  consists  of  two 
spears  and  a  pair  of  forked  sticks. 

See  the  Pima  game,  p.  489. 

MARIl'OSAN    STOCK 

CHtiKciiANsi.  rickayune.  iladera  comity.  Califonna.  (Cat.  no. 
'  70891,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

King  (figure  (>31).  wrapi)ed  with  Ijuckskiii,  3-J  inches  in  diameter,  and 
two  maple-wood  lances,  the  longer  about  8  feet  in  length.  Col- 
lected bv  Dr  J.  AV.  Ilud-oii. 


Fui.  &il.    Ring  and  iHjles:  diameter  of  ring,  Hi  inches;  length  of  pcjles.  the  longer,  about  8  feet; 
Chukchansi  Indians,  Madera  county,  California:  cat  n<K  71)891,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

A  player  rolls  the  ring  along  the  ground  and  follows  it  with  the  lance,  trying 
to  impale  it.  If  he  fails,  the  next  tries.  One  ring  is  used.  Impaling  the  ring 
counts  5 ;  if  it  falls  on  the  pole,  the  count  is  3. 

KoYETi."     Tide  Eiver  reservation,  California. 

Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  the  following  game  under  the  name  of 

hoturx : 

A  lance-and-target  game  jilayed  with  a  hoop  of  willow  about  3  inches  in 
diameter,  laced  over  with  Apocynum  with  radial  cords  called  ta-koi,  and  a 
lance,  im-mak.  in  feet  long.  Two  play,  using  one  ring  and  two  poles  or  lances, 
one  for  each.  The  caster  tries  to  strike  the  rolling  target,  and  if  successful 
tallies  6.  In  such  case  he  is  allowed  to  put  his  hand  over  the  second  player's 
eyes,  so  that  he  can  not  see  when  he  throws.  The  score  is  10.  and  is  kept  with 
sticks. 

I'lTKAi  111.     Table  mountain.  Fresno  county,  California.      (Cat.  no. 
7089-2.  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

"  Three  members  only  of  this  tribe  are  alive. 


CI  LIN]  HOOP    AND    POLE:    YOKDTS  483 

King  (figure  632).  wi-apped  with  bust  cord.  -I^t  inclies  in  diameter, 
described  by  tlie  collector.  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson,  as  used  as  a  moving 
target  for  arrows  under  the  name  of  takumship."  "  wheel  roll." 


P»  < 


m 

Fig.  6:^2.    Ring  and  arrow;  diameter  of  ring,  ti  inches;  Pitkachi  Indians.  Fresno  county,  Cali- 
fornia; i'at.  no.  "tts!t2.  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Four  play.  One  man  rolls  the  ring  by  two  opponents,  one  of  whom  shoots 
at  it  with  a  blunt  arrow  with  a  bow,  ta-lip.  If  he  knocks  it  over,  it  counts  1 
point ;  if  he  transfixes  it,  10.  Each  part  of  the  arrows  used  in  this  game,  whicli 
are  .SO  inches  long,  has  a  name  quite  different  from  those  of  war,  small  game, 
or  flight  arrows.  The  foreshaft  is  literally  "come  to  us."  The  shaft  is  literally 
"tied  together"  or  "links."  The  feathers  are  literally  "  ajipointed  sea.son." 
I  could  get  no  light  on  the  reason  for  so  naming  them. 

J'     Table  mountain.  Fresno  county,  California. 

Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  the  following  game  under  the  name 
of  xalau : 

Two  or  more  men  stand  liefore  :\  brusli  wall  or  strip  of  matting,  etc..  some 
10  feet  tall,  each  armed  with  a  7-foot  siicar  of  I'niiiiix  drmixsa  wood.  Ka<li 
spear  is  highly  decorated  with  covert  feathers  from  the  gray-head  eagle  and 
painted.  The  umpire  casts  over  his  spear  which  sticks  in  the  ground.  A 
phiyer  casts  after  it.  trying  to  make  his  spear-feathers  strike  those  of  the 
umpire.  All  follow  in  order,  and  the  successful  caster  is  assured  luck  in  war 
or  hunting.  A  wide  cast  implies  catastro|ihe  or  death  to  the  caster,  who  at 
once  makes  a  new  spear  and  tries  "  stronger "  medicine  feathers.  This  is  a 
ceremonial  game  of  much  significance  to  warriors. 

Yaudan'chi.     (See  page  501.) 

YoKFTs.  Tule  River  re.servation.  Ttilare  county,  California.  (Cat. 
no.  70402.  7040.'?.  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Hoop  of  filjer.  wrapped  with  buckskin.  4^  inches  in  diameter;  and 
maple-wood  lance  (figure  G33).  about  8  feet  long,  sharpened  at 
the  point  and  marked  with  red  stripes  at  the  end.  Collected 
by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson,  who  thus  describes  the  game  under  the 
name  of  hotush : 


Fig.  6.S:i    Ring  and  pole;  diameter  of  ring,  4i  inches;  length  of  pole,  8  feet;  Yokuts  Indians.  Tule 
River  reservation.  Tulare  county.  California;  cat.  no.  7*1402. 70403,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Played  by  four  players,  two  on  a  side.  One  player  casts  the  hoop,  to-ko-in  ho- 
tush, and  his  partner  casts  his  lance  so  that  the  hoop  will  fall  on  it.  If  he  is 
successful,  and  the  hoop  rests  entirely  on  the  lance,  not  touching  the  ground, 
he  wins  the  game.  If  the  hoop  rests  half  on  the  ground,  it  counts  1.  The  game 
is  also  won  at  a  throw  by  impaling  the  ring.     Twelve  c-ounters  are  used.     The 

"  The  et.vmoIogj'   of  this  name  is  probably   not   pure   Miiriposan.    part   of  wliich   seems 
derived  from  a  northern  stock.      (J.  W.  U.) 
'  Tribe  extinct. 


484  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [etii.  ANN.  24 

lance,  boat,  is  thrown  inulerh;uicl  with  Ijotli  hands.     The  ring  is  covered  either 
with  bucltskin  or  barli. 

Doctor  Hudson  describes  also  a,  ring-and-arrow  game  under  the 
name  of  tokoinawas : 

This  game  is  played  with  a  hoop  or  ring,  to-ko-in.  (5  inches,  more  or  less,  in 
diameter  and  wrapped  with  Inukskni.  One  player  rolls  the  ring  to  another 
opposite  him,  while  two  others  on  opposite  sides,  at  right  angles  to  the  course, 
shoot  at  it  with  arrows.  The  one  who  transfixes  the  ring  or  strikes  it  oftenest 
in  ten  rolls  wins. 

YoKUTS.     Tide  River  reservation.  Tulare  county,  California.     (Cat. 

no.  TOJrOi,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Wooden  lance,  8  feet  3  inches  long,  and  a  small  round  wooden  block 
or  peg  (figure  634). 


Fig.  1134.    Implements  for  lance-and-peg  game;  length  of  lance,  99  inches:  Yokuts  Indians.  Ttdare 
county.  California:  cat.  no.  7IWI4.  Field  Cohimbian  Museum. 

Collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson,  who  thus  refers  to  them  as  used  in 
a  lance-throwing  game,  aikiwitch  : 

Each  player  casts  two  lances  at  a  iieg  lying  loose  on  the  ground  ."iO  feet  away. 
Six  or  less  play.  The  lance  is  call  ai-yak-ta-ka  and  the  peg  kets-ma-na  witch-it. 
The  last  man  is  thumped  on  the  head  with  the  hare  knuckles,  and  the  one  mak- 
ing the  highest  score  may  strike  as  often  as  he  desires. 

MOQUELUMNAN    STOCK 

Chowchilla.     Chowchilly  river,  Madera  county.  California. 

Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  the  following  game  under  the  name  of 
Jiachitu : 

A  ring  of  Aselepias,  2*  inches  in  diameter,  called  he-wi'-ta.  is  rolled,  the  caster 
racing,  and  casting  after  the  ring  a  10-foot  lance,  called  hu-wo'-ta.  A  "  lean  " 
counts  3,  a  "  balance  "  5,  and  a  "  transfl.x  "  12. 

Topinagugim.     Big  creek.  2  miles  north  of  Groveland,  Tuolumne 
county,  California.     (Cat.  no.  70234,  Field  Columbian  Mu- 
seura.) 
Darts  and  hoop  for  a  game. 

Collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson,  and  described  as  follows  by  the  col- 
lector, under  the  name  of  tewekuumsia  : 

The  implements  consist  of  a  plain  lance,  ho-cha,  10  feet  in  length,  marked  on 
the  butt  end  with  proprietary  marks,  in  paint,  and  a  hoop  of  oak,  30  inches  in 

diameter,  bound  with  buckskin,  te-wek- 

j-^jT^EH  num-sia.     The  game  is  played  by   four 

^    ^„        plavers.  who  face  each  other  on  opiwsite 

RfM  LEH  > > *     ROLLEH 

sides  of  a   s(iuare  90  feet  across.     The 

'^''^'^^''  casters  [figure  G35].  each  of  whom  have 

Fio.  6.3.5     Plan  of  field  for   hoopand-Iance       j^^^^j.     i.,„j.es.     stand     opposite     to     each 

game:    Topinagugim  Indians,    Tuolumne  ,  .,     .  ■  ^      ..  «  i, 

county.  California:  from  sketch   by  Dr      "ther.  while  two  assistants,  one  for  each 

J.  W.  Hudson.  side,  roll  the  hoop  across.     As  the  wheel 

rolls.  Iioth  casters  throw  at  it.  each  try- 
ing to  transfix  it.     If  one  is  successful  liis  oiiponent  comes  across  to  his  place, 


CULIX]  HOOP    AND    POLE  :    CHOCTAW  485 

and.  standing  in  the  successful  caster's  tracks,  tries  to  transfix  tbe  fallen  hoop. 
After  him,  the  first  player  tries  at  the  same  mark  and  from  the  same  position. 
They  cast  alternately  until  all  have  thrown  their  four  lances.  The  greater 
number  of  transfixing  spears  decides.  There  are  30  counting-sticks,  l.j  to  a 
side.     The  buckskin  is  to  keep  the  hoop  from  bounding. 

Wasama.     Madera  county,  California. 

Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  the  following  game  under  the  "name 
of  hewitu  numhe : 

A  hoop,  he-wi'-ta,  10  inches  in  diameter,  of  Freniontii  californica  bark  bound 
with  buckskin,  is  rolled  toward  an  opponent,  who  shoots  at  it  with  arrows  in 
passing.     A  "  strike  "  counts  3  and  a  "  transfix  "  10.  or  coup. 

MUSKHOGEAN    STOCK 

Bayogoula  and  Mugulasha.     Louisiana. 

The  officer  who  kejjt  the  journal  of  the  frigate «  when  Iberville 
arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi.  1698-1699.  says: 

They  pass  the  greater  part  of  their  time  in  playing  in  this  place  with  great 
sticks,  which  they  throw  after  a  little  stone  which  is  nearly  round,  like  a  bullet. 

Choctaw.     Mississippi. 
James  Adair  ''  says : 

The  warriors  have  another  favorite  game  called  chungke ;  which,  with  pro- 
priety of  language,  may  be  called  "  running  hard  labor."  They  have  near 
their  statehouse  a  square  piece  of  ground  well  cleaned,  and  fine  sand  is  care- 
fully stitwed  over  it,  when  requisite,  to  promote  a  swifter  motion  to  what  they 
throw  along  the  surface.  Only  one  or  two  on  a  side  play  at  this  ancient  game. 
They  have  a  stone  about  2  fingers  broad  at  the  edge,  and  2  spans  round  :  Each 
liarty  has  a  pole  of  about  8  feet  long,  smooth,  and  tapering  at  each  end,  the 
points  flat.  They  set  off  abreast  of  each  other  at  6  yards  from  the  end  of  the 
playground ;  then  one  of  them  hurls  the  stone  on  its  edge,  in  as  direct  a  line  as 
lie  can,  a  considerable  distance  toward  the  middle  of  the  other  end  of  the  square : 
When  they  have  ran  a  few  yards,  each  darts  his  pole  anointed  with  bear's  oil, 
with  a  proper  force,  as  near  as  he  can  guess  in  proportion  to  the  motion  of  the 
stone,  that  the  end  may  lie  close  to  the  stone — when  this  is  the  case,  the  person 
counts  2  of  the  game,  and,  in  proiiortion  to  the  nearness  of  the  poles  to  the  mark, 
1  is  counted,  unless  by  measuring  both  are  found  to  be  at  an  equal  distance  from 
the  stone.  In  this  manner. the  players  will  keep  running  most  part  of  the  day, 
at  half  speed,  under  the  violent  heat  of  the  sun,  staking  their  silver  ornaments, 
their  nose,  finger,  and  ear  rings;  their  breast,  arm,  and  wrist  plates,  and  even 
all  their  wearing  aijparel,  except  that  which  barely  covers  their  middle.  All 
the  American  Indians  are  much  addicted  to  this  game,  which  to  us  appears  to 
be  a  task  of  stupid  drudgery.  It  seems  liowever  to  be  of  early  origin,  when 
their  fore-fathers  used  diversions  as  simple  as  their  manners.  The  hurling 
stones  they  use  at  present  were  time  immemorial  rubbed  smooth  on  the  rocks, 
and   with   prodigious   labor :     they   are   kept   with    the   strictest   religious   care 

"  Journal  de  la  Frigate  Le  Mann,  Margry's  D^couvcrtes,  v.  4,  p.  261,  Paris,  ISSO. 
*  The  History  of  the  American  Indians,  p.  401.  London.  1775. 


486  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 

from  oue  generation  to  another.  .-iikI  iire  ext-mpted  from  heiii.!;  buried  witli  the 
dead.  They  I)eloug  to  the  town  where  they  are  used,  and  are  carefully- 
preserved. 

Capt.   Bernard   Koinaiis"   says: 

Their  favorite  game  of  chunke  is  a  plain  proof  of  the  evil  ioiisci|uences  of  a 
violent  passion  for  gaming  upon  all  kinds,  elasses,  and  orders  of  men  :  at  this 
they  piny  from  morning  to  night,  with  an  unwearied  application,  and  they  bet 
high:  here  .vou  may  see  a  savage  come  and  bring  all  his  skins,  stake  them  and 
lose  them  :  next  his  pipe,  his  beads,  trinkets  and  ornaments  ;  at  last  his  blanket, 
.•md  other  garment,  and  even  all  their  arms,  and,  after  all  it  is  not  uncommon  for 
them  to  go  home,  borrow  a  gun  and  shoot  themselves ;  an  instance  of  this  hap- 
pened in  1771  at  East  Yasoo  a  short  time  before  my  arrival.  Suicide  has  also 
been  practised  here  on  other  occasions,  but  they  regard  the  act  as  a  crime,  and 
bury  the  body  as  unworthy  of  their  ordinary  funeral  rites. 

The  manner  of  playing  this  game  is  thus :  They  make  an  alley  of  about  200 
feet  in  length,  where  a  very  smooth  clay  ground  is  laid,  which  when  dry.  is  very 
hard:  they  play  two  together,  each  having  a  straight  pole  of  about  15  feet  long; 
one  holds  a  stone,  which  is  in  the  shape  of  a  truck,  which  he  throws  before  him 
over  his  alley,  and  the  instant  of  its  departure,  they  set  off  and  run  :  in  running 
they  east  their  poles  after  the  stone :  he  that  did  not  throw  it  endeavors  to  hit 
it ;  the  other  strives  to  strike  the  pole  of  his  antagonist  in  its  tlight,  so  as  to  pre- 
vent its  hitting  the  stone ;  he  counts  1.  but  should  both  miss  their  aii»  the  throw 
is  renewed;  and  in  case  a  score  is  won  the  winner  casts  the  stone  and  11  is  up; 
they  hurl  this  stone  and  pole  with  wonderful  dexterity  and  violence,  and  fatigue 
themselves  much  at  it. 

HrMA.     Mississippi. 

Father  James  (Iravier  ''  says: 

.  .  .  in  the  middle  of  the  village  a  fine  level  square,  where  from  morning  to 
night  there  are  .voung  men  who  exercise  themselves  in  running  after  a  flat  stone, 
which  they  throw  in  tlie  air  from  one  end  t)f  the  S(|uare  to  the  other,  and  which 
they  try  to  have  fall  on  two  cylinders  that  they  roll  where  they  think  that  the 
stone  will  fall. 

Muskogee.     Georgia. 

Col.  Benjamin  Hawkins"  says: 

The  Micco.  counselors  and  warriors,  meet  every  day  in  the  public  square,  sit 
and  drink  a-cee.  a  strong  decoction  of  the  cassine  yupon.  called  by  the  traders 
black  drink  ;  talk  of  news,  the  public,  and  domestic  concerns,  smoke  their  pipes, 
and  pla.v  thla-chal-litch-cau,  "  roll  the  bullet." 

William  Bartram,  in  n  nianiiserijjt  work  on  the  Southern  Indians, 
cited  bj'  tSqnier  and  Davis.''  wrote  as  follows: 

chunk  yanls. — The  'chunk  yards"  of  the  JIuscogulges,  or  Creeks,  are  rectan- 
gular areas,  generally  occupying  the  center  of  the  town.  The  public  square  and 
rotmida.  or  great  winter  council  house,  stand  at  the  two  opiiosite  corners  of 
I  hem.  They  are  generally  very  extensive,  especially  in  the  large  old  towns- 
some  of  them  are  from  600  to  900  feet  in  length,  and  of  proportionate  breadth. 

"  A  Concise  Natural  Histor.v  of  East  and  West  Florida,  v.'  1.  p.  70,  New  York,  1775. 

'' .lournal  of  the  Voyaj;e  of  Fathet-  (Iravier  (1700),  in  Earl.v  VoyaKCS  T'p  and  Down  the 
Mi.ssissippi,  p.  14.'i,  .John  (lilraary  Shea,  Albany.  l.SOl. 

'■  .*\  Skelfh  of  tlie  Creek  Country.  Collection  of  the  (leorgia  Historical  Society,  v.  3, 
p.  71.  S.'ivannah,  1S4S. 

'' Aliorij^inal  Monuments  of  the  State  of  New  York.  Sniitlisniiian  ( 'ontriljutions  to 
Knowledge,  v.  2,  p.   l.'i.'j,   1840. 


cuLiNi  HOOP  AND  pole:  muskogek  487 

The  area  is  exactly  level,  aud  sunk  li,  sumetiiiies  3  feet  below  the  banks  or 
terraces  surrounding  them,  which  are  occasionally  two  In  number,  one  behind 
and  above  the  other,  and  composed  of  the  earth  taken  from  the  area  at  the  time 
of  its  formation.  These  hanks  or  terraces  serve  the  purpose  of  seats  for  the 
spectators.  In  the  center  of  this  yard  or  area  there  is  a  low  circular  n)ound 
or  eminence,  in  the  middle  of  which  stands  erect  the  chunk  pole,  which  is  a 
high  obelisk  or  four-square  pillar  declining  upwards  to  an  obtuse  point.  This 
is  of  wood,  the  heart  or  inward  resinous  part  of  a  sound  pine  tree,  and  is  very 
durable :  it  is  generally  from  30  to  40  feet  in  height,  and  to  the  top  is  fastened 
some  object  which  serves  as  a  mark  to  shoot  at,  with  arrows  or  the  rifle,  at 
certain  appointed  times.  Near  each  corner  of  one  end  of  the  yard  stands  erect 
a  less  pole  or  pillar,  about  12  feet  high,  called  a  "  slave  ix)st,"  for  the  reason  that 
to  theni  are  bound  the  captives  condemned  to  be  burnt.  These  posts  are  usually 
decorated  with  the  scalps  of  slain  enemies,  suspended  by  strings  from  the  top. 
The.v  are  often  crowned  with  the  white  dry  skull  of  an  enemy. 

It  thus  ai)pears  that  this  area  is  designed  for  a  public  place  of  exhibition,  for 
shows,  games,  etc.  Formerly,  there  is  little  d(jubt.  most  barbarous  and  trag- 
ical scenes  were  enacted  within  them,  such  as  the  torturing  and  burning  of  cap- 
tives, who  were  here  forced  to  run  the  gauntlet,  bruised  and  beaten  with  sticks 
and  burning  chunks  of  wood.  The  Indians  do  not  now  practise  these  cruelties ; 
but  there  are  some  old  traders  who  have  witnessed  them  in  former  times.  I 
inquired  of  these  traders  for  what  reason  these  areas  were  called  "  chunk 
yards :  "  they  were,  in  general,  ignorant,  yet.  for  the  most  part,  concurred  in  a 
lame  story  that  it  originated  in  the  circunjstance  of  its  having  l)een  a  place  of 
torture,  and  that  the  name  was  but  an  interpretation  of  the  Indian  term  desig- 
nating them." 

I  observed  none  of  these  yards  in  use  in  any  of  the  Cherokee  towns  ;  and  where 
I  have  mentioned  them,  in  the  Cherokee  country,  it  must  be  understood  that  I 
saw  only  the  remains  or  vestiges  of  them  among  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  towns. 
In  the  existing  Cherokee  towns  which  I  visited,  although  there  were  ancient 
mounds  and  signs  of  the  yard  adjoining,  yet  the  yard  was  either  built  upon  or 
turned  into  a  garden  i)lat.  or  otherwise  appropriated.  Indeed.  I  am  convinced 
that  the  chunk  yards  now  or  lately  in  use  among  the  Creeks  are  of  very  ancient 
date,  and  not  the  work  of  the  present  Indians ;  although  they  are  now  kept  in 
repair  by  them,  being  swept  \ery  clean  every  day.  and  the  jioles  kept  up  and 
c'ecorated  in  the  maimer  I  have  described. 

The  following  plan  [figure  (SOI  will  illustrate  the  form  aud  character  of  these 
yards:  a.  The  great  area,  surrounded  by  terraces  or  banks,  b.  A  circular  emi- 
nence at  one  end  of  the  yard,  commonly  9  or  10  feet  higher  than  the  ground 
round  about.  Upon  this  mound  stands  the  great  rotunda,  hothouse,  or  winter 
council  house  of  the  present  Creeks.  It  was  probably  designed  and  used  by  the 
ancients,  who  constructed  it  for  the  same  purpose,  c.  A  stjuare  terrai  e  or  emi- 
nence, .-ibout  the  same  height  with  the  circular  one  just  described,  occupying  a 
position  at  the  other  end  of  the  yard.  Upon  this  stands  the  public  square.  The 
banks  inclosing  the  yard  are  indicated  by  the  letters  I),  h.  h.  b;  c  indicates  the 
■'  chunk  pole  "  :   and  il.  d.  the  "  slave  posts." 

"  According  to  Adair,  Du  Pratz,  and  other  writers,  the  Cherokees  and  probably  the 
ri-eeks  were  much  addicted  to  a  similar  game,  played  with  a  rod  or  pole  and  a  circular 
stone,  which  was  called  chungke.  Mr  Catlin  descril)es  this  game  as  still  existing  under 
the  name  of  tchung-kee  among  the  Minitarees  and  other  tribes  on  the  Missouri.  It  also 
prevailed  among  some  of  the  Ohio  Indians.  It  has  been  suggested  that  the  areas  called 
■  bunk,  or  chunky  yards,  by  Bartram.  derived  their  names  from  the  circumstance,  that 
they  were,  among  other  ob.iects.  devoted  to  games,  among  which,  that  of  chungke  was 
prominent.  This  suggestion  derives  some  support  from  Adair.  ...  It  is  therefore  not 
improbable  that  these  square  areas  were  denominated  chungke  yards. 


488 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 


Sometimes  the  square,  instead  of  being  open  at  tlie  ends,  as  stiown  in  tlie  plan, 
is  closed  upon  all  sides  by  the  banks.  In  the  lately  built  or  new  Creek  towns, 
they  do  not  raise  a  mound  for  the  foundation  of  their  rotundas  or  public  squares. 
The  yard,  however,  is  retained,  and  the  pulilic  buildings  occupy  nearly  the  same 
position  in  respect  to  it.    They  also  retain  the  central  obelisk  and  the  slave  posts. 


J/'--^..^ 


'_^ -g|.i.»w  A  I---' if  I. .v.. ... 

...-ri|.,v..^^'f  .  .  ■■'^i  

■  mh-\  ■ -  ""•'.  ill 

-WE-*  •■>•(.•>.->  ji'--—- I  %%\. ,  . 


•■/up; 


fit        •■>•.•■     &=» 


Flo.  6.36.    Cliunk  yard;  Muskogee  Indians,  Georgia;  from  William  Bavtram. 
NATCHESAN    STOCK 

Natchez.     Louisiana. 

Le  Page  dii  Pratz  "  wrote  as  follows : 

The  natives  of  Louisiana  have  invented  lint  a  very  few  diversions,  and  these 
perhaps  serve  tlielr  turn  as  well  as  a  greater  variety  would  do.  The  warriors 
practice  a  diversion  which  is  called  the  game  of  the  pole,  at  which  two  only 
play  together  at  a  time.  Each  has  a  pole,  about  8  feet  long,  resembling  a 
Roman  f,  and  the  game  consists  in  rolling  a  flat  round  stone,  about  3  inches  in 
diameter  and  an  inch  thick,  with  the  edge  somewhat  sloping,  and  throwing  the 
pole  at  the  same  time  in  such  a  manner  that  when  the  stone  rests  the  pole  U)ay 
touch  it  or  be  near  it.  Both  antagonists  throw  their  poles  at  the  same  time,  and 
he  whose  pole  is  nearest  the  stone  counts  1.  and  has  the  right  of  rolling  the  stone. 
The  men  fatigue  themselves  much  at  this  game,  as  they  run  after  their  poles  at 
evei'y  throw  ;  and  some  of  them  are  so  bewitclied  by  it  that  they  game  away 
one  piece  of  furniture  after  another.  These  gamesters,  however,  are  very  rare, 
and  are  greatly  discountenanced  by  the  rest  of  the  people. 


«  Historic  de  Irt  Loxiisiane.  v.  .'t.  p.  4,  Paris,  1768. 


CfLIN] 


HOOP    AND    POLE :    BELLACOOLA 


489 


PIMAN    STOCK 

Pima.     Arizona.     (Cat.  no.  7(JO-20,  United  States  Xational  Museum.) 
Stick  or  arroTT  with  a  feather  at  one  end  and  a  corncob  at  the  other, 

sent  by  the  Xational  Museiun,  as  an  exchange,  to  the  Peabody 

Museum.  Salem,  Mass. 

Collected  by  Dr  Edward  Painter,  who  thus  describes  it  as  used  in 
the  game  of  quins : 

Any  number  ca.i  play.  A  short  split  stick  is  first  thrown  in  a  slanting  direc- 
tion. Then  each  one  pitches  his  arrow  to  see  who  can  come  nearest  to  it.  The 
one  who  does  so  holds  the  stick  up  while  the  others  pitch.  If  the  arrow  touches 
the  split  stick  and  does  not  catch,  the  thrower  loses  nothing.  If.  however,  the 
arrow  remains  in  the  split  stick,  it  becomes  the  property  of  the  holder.  The 
game  ends  when  one  has  all  the  arrows  or  when  the  players  tire  out. 

This  is  the  only  record  of  a  game  analogous  to  hoop  and  jjole 
■which  I  find  amona:  tlie  tribes  of  tlio  Piman  stock. 


PUJrX.\X   STOCK 


o 


\ 


NiSHiNAM.     ^lokelumne  river,  12  miles  south  of 
Placerville.  California. 
Dr  J.  W.  Hud.son  describes  a  hoop-and-Iance 
game  under  the  name  of  nuut : 

The  hoop,  kiinfln'.  consists  of  an  outer  hoop  of  oak 
wrapped  with  rawhide,  24  inches  in  diameter,  with  a 
center  hoop  of  rawhide.  The  former  has  ten  radii  of 
rawhide  attached  to  the  inner  hoop.  The  players  [fig- 
ure tj37]  roll  the  hoop  in  turn,  and  cast  a  9-foot  lance 
at  it,  after  springing  quickly  to  right  angles  of  the  hoop's  course.  A  bull's-eye 
counts  coup,  or  10;  between  spokes,  5;  lean  up  (by  hoop),  2.  The  dead  line 
and  course  Is  laid  out  previous  to  play. 


Fig.  637.  Position  of 
players  in  hoop-and- 
laufe  game;  Nishinam 
Indians,  California; 
from  a  sketch  by  Dr 
J.  W.  Hudson. 


SAI.ISHAN    .STOCK 


BELLACOOLA.     Dean    inlet,  British  Columbia.      (Cat.    no. 
j^fj,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History.) 


1  .i47 


and 


Fig.  63H.    Cedar-bark  game  rings;  diameter,  "1  inches:  Bellacoola  Indians,  British  Columbia, 
cat.  no.  t^Ij,  y^I y,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

Two  rings    (figure  638),  wrapped   with  cedar  bark,   7^   inches  in 
diameter.     Collected  by'  Mr  George  Hunt  and  Dr  Franz  Boas. 


490 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ans.  24 


Bellacoola.  Dean  inlet,  F>riti^h  C'dlnmhia.  (Field  Columbian  Mu- 
seum.) 

Cat.  no.  18490.  Lava  ring  (figure  ()39).  3i  inches  in  diameter,  with 
hole  in  the  center. 

Cat.  no.  18494.  Lava  ring  (figure  (139).  similar  to  the  one  last  de- 
scribed, but  smaller,  2i  inches  in  diameter. 


Fig.  6,39.    Lava  game  rings;  diameters,  lij  and  2i  inches;  Bellacoola  Indians.  British  Colnmbia; 
cat.no.  1849(1,  1H494,  Field  Columbian  Museum - 

Pend  d'Oreilles.  Flathead  reservation,  Montana.  (Cat.  no.  51793. 
Field  Columbian  Museum. ) 

li'vAiS.  wound  with  buckskin.  2i  inches  in  diameter,  the  interior  set 
with  colored  beads:  and  two  arrows  (figure  640),  23^  inches  in 
length,  with  iron  spike  points,  the  shaft  of  the  arrow  being 
wound  with  buckskin  at  ends  and  middle.  Collected  by  Dr 
George  A.  Dorsey. 


Pig.  im.    Beaded  game  ring  and  arrows;  diameter  of  ring.  2J  inches;  length  of  arrows,  23j 
inches;  Pend  d'Oreille  Indians.  Montana;  cat.  no.  .1179:).  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

The  Dictionary  of  the  Kalispel"  gives  the  following: 
Szgolkolegu,    the    playing    at    wheels;  ihgolkoh'guten,    the    play    wheels,    la 
roulette;    chines  golkolC-gui,  I  play   with  small   wheels  oi-  circles:    jouer  a   la 
roulette,  an  Indian  play;  golkoleguenien.  ji   gambler  at   wheels:  golUo,   wheel, 
wagon. 


"  Dictionary  of  the  Kalispel  or  Flathead  Indian  Language,  compiled  b.v  the  Missionaries 
of  the  Society  of  .Tesus,  St  Ignatius  Print.  .Montana.   1877-8-9. 


cuLix]  HOOP    AND    pole:    THOMPSON    INDIANd  491 

Salish.     Comox,  British  Columbia. 

Dr  C.  F.  Newcombe  writes:" 

I  was  told  of  a  game  called  xanani,  playetl  by  two  sides  with  a  quoitlilve 
disk  of  twigs,  bound  with  willow  or  cedar  bark,  and  thrown  in  the  air  to  be 
caught  ou  a  stick  wliile  skimming.  At  Alert  bay  (KwaUiutll,  the  game  is  called 
kani. 

Shusw.u'.     Ivainloops,  British  Cohinibia. 
Dr  Franz  Boas  ''  says : 

A  peculiar  gambling  game  is  played  in  the  following  way:  A  long  pole  is  laid 
on  the  ground,  about  15  feet  from  the  players:  a  ring  about  1  inch  in  diameter, 
to  which  four  beads  are  attached  at  ixiints  dividing  the  circumference  into 
four  eijual  parts,  is  rolled  toward  the  pole,  and  sticks  are  thrown  after  it 
before  it  falls  dowu  on  touching  the  pole.  The  four  beads  are  red,  white,  blue, 
and  black. 

The  ring  falls  down  mi  the  stick  lliaj  has  been  thrown  after  it.  and,  according 
to  the  color  of  tbc  bc.-id  tliat  touches  the  stick,  the  player  wins  a  number  of 
points. 

SoxGisn.     Vancomcr  ishiiul.   British  ( '()hiiul)ia. 

Dr  Franz  Boas  "^  says : 

Throwing  and  catching  of  hoops  is  a  favorite  game. 
Thojii'Sox  Ixdians  (Ntf..\kyai'a.mik).     Briti.sh  Cohnnbia. 

Mr  James  Teit  ^  says : 

This  game  [referring  to  the  stick  game]  has  been  vut  of  use  for  many  years, 
as  well  as  another  game,  greatly  in  vogue  at  one  time  among  the  Indians, 
which  was  played  altogether  by  men.  They  found  it  warm  work,  and  used  to 
strip  off  all  their  clothes  e.xcept  the  breeehcloth  when  playing.  The  chief 
implement  in  this  game  was  a  ring  [figure  (Ul]  from  2  inches  to  4*  inches  in 
diameter,  and  sewed  over  with  buckskin,  the  framework  often  being  made  of 
a  stick  bent  round.  The  bnckskin  covering  was  loose,  and  the  sp.ice  inside  not 
taken  up  by  the  stick  was  filled  with  sand  to  make  the  ring  solid  and  heavy. 
The  player  set  this  ring  rolling.  Then  he  followed  it,  running,  and  threw  a 
small  spear  at  it.  The  object  of  the  game  was  to  throw  the  spear  in  front  of 
the  ring  and  make  the  latter  fall  on  it.  Generally  the  playing-ground  was 
marked  by  two  long  poles,  which  prevented  the  ring  from  rolling  too  far. 
Six  different  marks,  which  determined  the  number  of  jioints,  wei'e  sewed  on 
the  buckskin  inside  of  tlie  circle.  In  later  times  these  were  made  with  differ- 
ent colored  beads.  The  number  of  beads  was  six  or  four.  Four  were  always 
bine  or  some  other  dark  color,  and  two  were  some  light  color,  generally  light  blue, 
but  fre(|uently  white  or  r(y|.  The  light  beads  counted  10  points  each.  If  both  fell 
on  toji  of  the  stick,  it  counted  20.  The  dark  beads  counted  a  each.  If  two 
fell  on  top  of  the  stick,  it  counted  10;  if  one  dark  and  one  light,  15.  If  the  ring 
did  not  fall  on  top  of  the  throwing  stick,  but  stood  up  against  it,  it  counted  40, 
which  was  the  highest.  The  beads  were  not  then  counted.  Before  heads  were 
kuowu.  porcupine  quills  were  used  as  marks  on  the  rings.     The  two  light  marks 

"  In  n  letter,  M.irch  11,  1001. 

"Second  General  Report  on  the  Indians  of  British  Columbia.  Report  of  the  Sixtieth 
Meeting  of  the  British  .Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  641,  London,  1891. 

'  Ibid.,  p.  571. 

"  The  Thompson  Indians  of  British  Columbia.  Members  of  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  v.  2.  p.  "JT:'.,  Xew  York,  1900. 


492 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMEEICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  an-n.  24 


were  in  white  or  yellow,  and  tbe  four  dark  marks  were  black.  It  seems,  there- 
fore, that  the  colors  were  not  exactl.v  fixed,  furthei'  than  that  they  had  to  he 
light  and  dark. 

Another  game  was  played  with  the  same  ring  and  throwing-stick,  and  the  points 
were  counted  as  in  the  game  just  described.  In  fact,  this  game  was  like  that, 
except  that  in  this  the  players  sat  facing  each  other,  and  rolled  the  ring  from 
one  to  the  other.  One  man  started  the  ring  rolling,  and  then  threw  his 
stick  in  front  of  it.  so  as  to  stop  it,  if  possible,  before  it  reached  the  other 
man.  Sometimes  one  man  rolled  and  the  other  threw,  in  turn,  instead 
of  both  men  running  abreast  and  throwing  their  sticks  in  front  of  the 
ring,  as  in  the  other  game,  one  after  the  other.  If  the  i)layer  missed, 
the  other  man  took  his  turn. 

Another  game  was  generally  played  by  boys  and  girls,  Init  occasionally 
by  adults.  It  was  played  out  of  doors,  but  also,  in  cold  weather,  inside 
the  winter  houses.  In  this  a  ring  from  6  to  10  inches  in  diameter  was 
used.  It  was  made  of  pliable  sticks,  around  which  bark  or  dried  grass 
was  thickly  twisted.  Sometimes  it  was  made  of  reeds  (the  same  as 
those  used  in  tent-mats)  bent  in  the  form  of  a  circle,  around  which  other 
reeds  were  twisted.  The  players  sat  in  two  lines,  some  distance  apart, 
facing  one  another.  At  each  end  of  the  lines  sat  a  person  who  set  the 
ring  rolling  from  one  to  the  other  between  the  two  lines  of  players. 
When  the  ring  was  in  motion,  the  players  threw  darts  at  it.  the  object 
being  to  make  these  darts  hit  the  ring.  If  they  passed  through  the  ring 
without  touching,   it  counted   nothing.      The  darts  were  about  ti  or  7 

inches  in  length,  some  thick  in  the  middle 
and  small  at  both  ends  [figure  0-121. 
One  end  was  feathered,  while  the  other 
end  was  brought  to  a  very  sharp  point. 
Many  darts  had  the  shaft  all  one  thick- 
ness to  near  the  iwint.  where  it  was 
forked  into  two  sharp  points.  These 
darts  had  property-marks,  consisting  of 
notches,  dots,  circles,  or  paintings,  to  in- 
dicate the  owner,  Tbe  wood  used  was 
that  of  the  wax-ese'lp-bush, 

A  peculiar  custom  in  connection  with 
this  game  was  that  sometimes  the  old 
people  would  put  some  of  the  darts 
which  the  boys  used  for  throwing  at  the 
ring  into  the  fire  of  the  winter  house, 
the  lads  not  being  allowed  to  get  them 
except  by  catching  the  ends  of  them  with  their  teeth.  Sometimes  all  the  darts 
were  gathered  together  and  thrown  outside.     The  boys  were  made  to  scramble 


Fio.  641.  Beaded  guiue  riug  and  spear: 
diameter  of  ring,  2  to  4J  inches;  length 
of  spear,  29}  inches;  Thompson  Indians, 
British  Columbia;  cat.  no.  ,i|„  ,JSg, 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 


Fig.  642.    Game  dart;  length,  12  inches:  Thompson  Indians,  British  Columbia:  cat.  no.  jjfc, 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

for  them.  The  one  that  obtained  the  most  was  the  victor.  A  boy  who  was 
unlucky  in  playing,  and  last  all  his  darts,  could  get  them  back  again  by  putting 
up  his  back  as  a  target,  every  arrow  fired  at  it  becoming  his  property.  This 
game,  like  the  preceding  one,  has  now  gone  out  of  use. 

In  another  game  a  ring  the  size  of  a  finger  riug  was  placed  on  the  ground 


HOOP    AND    POLE  :    UMATILLA 


498 


about  9  or  10  feet  away  from  the  players.  Each  player  had  two  darts,  which 
he  threw  so  as  to  bit  the  center  of  the  ring,  if  possible.  The  darts  were  feath- 
ered, had  sharp  points,  and  were  made  rather  thin.  Boys  and  girls,  in  playing 
these  games,  won  or  lost  their  darts.  They  did  not  gamble  for  anything  else. 
There  were  no  special  months  for  certain  games,  excepting  that  some  games 
were  better  adapted  for  special  seasons  than  others,  and  'consequently  were 
played  only  in  those  seasons. 


SHAIIAPTIAN    STOCK 


Nez  Perces.     Southern  Alberta. 

Rev.  John  MacLean"  mentions  "throwing  the  arrow  and  wheel" 
among  the  games  of  the  tribe. 

Umatilla.     Oregon.     (Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  University 
of  Pennsvlvania.) 


Fig.  643. 


Fig.  644. 
Fig.  643.    Game  hoop:  diameter,  Uj  inches;  Umatilla  Indians,  Oregon;  cat.  no.  37538,  Free  Museum 

of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  644.    Poles  for  hoop  game;  lengths,  68  and  69  inches;  Umatilla  Indians,  Oregon;  cat.  no. 

37538.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Cat.  no.  37538.     Flat  hoop  (figure  643)  made  of  twigs  covered  with 
bark,  !!:[  inches  in  diameter,  and  two  poles  (figure  644),  68  and 
69  inches  in  length,  forked  and  paintecl  red  at  the  ends.     Col- 
lected by  the  writer  in  1900. 
The  game  is  played  in  the  spring.     The  ring  is  called  pasa-pow-i- 

low-wikes  and  the  poles  are  designated  wai-hutz. 

Cat.  no.  37539.  Ring,  wrapi^ed  with  buckskin,  4  inclies  in  diameter, 
its  interior  set  with  colored  beads,  as  shown  in  figure  645,  and 
two  darts,  slender  twigs,  painted  red,  11  inches  in  length.  Col- 
lected bv  the  writer  in  1900. 


■Canadian  Savage  Foil;,  p.  42,  Toronto,  1896. 


494 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIAN?      [ktii.  anx.  24 


Two  men  play.  The  ring  is  called  sow-lai-lvui-kas  and  the  darts 
ai-e  known  as  tuk-tai-pow-nia.  Tlie  counts  depend  on  the  way  in 
which  the  darts  fall  in  the  ring — 1,  2,  5,  10,  15,  20,  according  to  the 
beads  to  which  they  are  adjacent. 


Fig.  645.  Beaded  game  ring  aud  darts;  diameter  of  ring,  4  inches;  length  of  darts,  11  inches; 
Umatilla  Indians,  Oregon;  cat.  no.  375.39,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  Univei'sity  of 
Pennsylrania. 

SHAST,\N    .STOCK 

ACHOMAWi.     Hat  creek,  Califoniiu.     (Cal.  no.  4  f|^^  to  f|f^,  Ameri- 
can Museum  of  Natural  History.) 


Fi<i.li4t),    Bark  game  disk;  diameter,  10 inches;  Achomawi  Indians,  Hat  creek,  California;  cat. 
no.  jfi'^,  American  Museum  of  Natuiiil  History. 

Bark  disk  (figure  6-lC>),  10  inches  in  diameter,  a  how  and  ten  arrows. 
Collected  in  1903  by  Dr  Roland  B.  Dixon,  who  describes  the  disk  as 
used  as  a  rolling  target. 


oi-i.is] 


HOOP  ANO  pole:  hopi 


495 


SHOSHONEAN    STOCK 

Bannock.     Eossfork.  Idaho. 

Mr  Thomas  Bhiine  Donaldson  has  given  the  writer  a  photograi)h 
of  the  Bannock  playing  the  hoop  game,  taken  by  him  in  1890.  He 
s-ays : " 

The  picture  [figui'e  (>47|  shows  ;i  lioy  hurliiis  ;i  spear  at  a  rolling  hoop  and  a 
smaller  youngster  watching  him.  There  were  about  ten  full-grown  liui-ks 
watching  the  youngsters  playing,  and  tlie  older  men  would  take  the  hoop  and 
Uurl  it  along  the  ground  and  try  to  sjiear  it.  They  took  regular  turns,  and  when 
they  failed  to  spear  the  hoop,  which  was  usual,  because  it  took  some  skill,  the 
other  contestants  laughed  ujiroariously. 


Fig.  R«i. 


Fig.  647. 
Fio.  647.    Bannock  Indian  hoy  playing  lioop  and  pole,  Idaho:  from  photoyrrapli  liy  >Ir  Thomas 

Blaine  Donaldson. 
Fig.  648.     Corn-husk  game  ring;  diametfr, .'»  inches;  Hopi  Indians.  Arizona;  cat.  no.  l:iHltn4.  United 

States  National  Musenm. 

IIopi.     Arizona.      (United  States  National  Museum.) 
Cat.  no.  128904.     Ring  of  com  husk  (figure  <i48).  .')  inches  in  diame- 
ter; accompanied  by  a  number  of  corncob  darts,  each  with  two 
feathers   and    sharj)   ])oints   of   hard    wood.     Collected   by    Mrs 
Matilda  Coxe  Stevenson. 


Fig.  l)4fl     Corncoh  darts:  Hopi  Indians.  Arizona;  cat.  no.  69024.  United  States  National  Museum 

Cat.  no.  69024.     Corncob  darts   (figure  (548).  similar  to  the  above. 
Collected  by  Maj.  J.  W.  Powell. 


°  In  a  letter  to  the  writer,  under  date  of  February  25,  1901. 


496 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


Hopi.     Oraibi,  Arizona      (Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Cat.  no.  66927  to  66932.     King  of  corn  husk.  7  inches  in  diameter, 
half  overwrai^iDed  with  white  and  half  with  red  cord,  and  four 
corncob  darts,  each  with  two  feathers  and  wooden  points,  from 
lOj  to  12J  inches  in  length  (figure  650). 


FlO.  660.    Coni-husk  gaino  i'in|r  and  CDrucob  durts;  diameter  of  rinj^.  7  inches:  Hopi  Indians, 
Oraibi,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  66827-66932,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 


Collected  in  1898  by  Rev.  H.  R.  Voth:  who  furnishes  the  following 
account : 

This  game  is  generally  designated  by  tbe  term  '"  throwing  the  wheel  "  or 
"  throwing  at  the  wheel  "  and  is  usually  played  by  boys.  The  wheel  is  thrown 
on  the  ground,  and  the  spears  or  arrows,  which  are  held  so  that  the  middle 
finger  runs  between  tbe  two  arrows,  are  thrown  at  it.  Tbe  arrows  are  often 
also  thrown  into  tbe  air :  when  they  descend,  tbe  pressure  of  tbe  air  causes  them 
to  rotate  rapidly.  In  tbe  Oaqol  ceremony  tbe  women  shoot  with  similar  but 
somewhat  larger  arrows  at  wheels,  which  arc  said  to  represent  shields.     It  was 


Cl'LIN] 


HOOP    AND    POLE  :    HOPI 


497 


noticed  on  several  occasions  that  shortly  before  and  after  the  OiViol  ceremony 
the  game  was  played  more  than  at  any  other  time. 

Cat.  no.  63176.     Corn-husk  ring  2J  inches  in  diameter;  and  corncob 
feather  dart,  12  inches  in  length,  with  wooden  pin  (figiu-e  G51). 
Collected  bj'  Dr  Geoi-ge  A.  Dorse}-  in  1S97.     The  label  reads  as  fol- 
lows : 

The  Ilopi  variant  of  a  game  which  has  a  wide  distribution  throughout  the 
western  part  of  the  United  States  and  Canada. 


Fig.  6.51.    Corn-lixisk  ring  and  corncob  dart;  diameter  of  ring,  2i  inches;  length  of  dart,  13 
inches;  Hopi  Indians,  Oraibi,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  6.3176,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Among  the  Hopi  tribes  the  game  is  played  almost  exclusively  by  boys.  Among 
other  aboriginal  tribes  of  the  ^Vest  men  play,  often  for  stakes  of  considerable 
magnitude.  The  wheel  used  by  the  Hopi  is  called  wipo-nfJUa,  which  simply 
means  corn-husli  wheel.  The  same  wheel  is  also  used  for  many  other  purposes 
and  in  certain  ceremonies.  At  times  the  arrow  is  the  usual  one  owned  by 
every  Hopi  t)oy,  and  is  shot  from  a  bow.  Jlore  often  a  special  form  of  double 
srrow,  passing  into  a  corncob  and  terminating  in  a  single  point,  is  used.  This 
24  ETH— 05  M 32 


498 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


is  thrown  at  the  Avheel  by  hand.  The  special  arrow  is  called  motiiwu.  There 
is  no  special  name  for  this  game,  but  they  say  "  play  with  the  wheel,"  or  "  shoot 
the  wheel,"  motown. 

Mono.     Hooker  cove.  Madera  county,  California.      (Cat.  no.  T1432. 
Field  Columbian  Museum.) 


Fig.  653.     Lance-and-peg  game;  lengrth  of  lances,  6  feet:  length  of  peg,  3  inches:  Mono  Indians 
Madera  county,  California:  cat.  no.  71432.  Field  Cohiinbian  Museum. 

Four  lances  (figure  652).  about  fi  feet  in  length,  with  butts  unpeeled. 
and  a  small  cylindrical  wooden  block,  3  inches  in  length.  Col- 
lected by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson,  who  describes  them  as  implements 
for  the  lance-and-peg  game. 


Fig.  &53.  Netted  game  hoop  and  feathered  darts:  diameter  of  hoop,  7  inches:  length  of  darts, 
12  inches;  Paiute  Indians,  southern  Utah;  cat.  no.  9428,  9429,  Peabody  Museum  of  American 
Archseology  and  Ethnology. 

Paiute.  Southern  Utah.  (Cat.  no.  9428,  9429,  Peabody  Museum 
of  American  Archa?ology  and  Ethnologj'.) 

Small  hoop  made  of  a  bent  twig,  about  7  inches  in  diameter,  cov- 
ered with  a  net  of  yucca  fiber,  as  shown  in  figure  fi53,  and  two 
feather  darts,  12  inches  in  length,  consisting  of  pins  of  hard  wood 


CVLIX] 


HOOP    AND    POLE  :    SHOSHOXI 


499 


about  4' inches  in  length,  to  which  single  feathers,  twisted  some- 
what spirally,  are  bound  with  fiber.  Collected  by  Dr  Edward 
Palmer. 

Paiute.     Pyramid  lake.  Nevada.      (Cat.  no.  190.59,  United  States  Na- 
tional ^liiseuni.) 
Small  wooden  hoop  (figure  054), 2j  inches  in  diameter,  tightly  wound 

with  a  strip  of  buckskin  :  and  a  straight,  peeled  twig,  19  inches  in 

length. 


Fig.  ti54.    Game  ring  and  dart;  diameter  of  ring.  2}  iuehes:  length  of  dart,  19  inches:  Paint© 
Indians,  Pyramid  lake,  Nevada;  cat.  no.  U«i.">9.  I'tiited  States  National  Mnseum. 

The  collector.  ^Ir  -Stephen  Powers,  gives  the  following  account  of 
the  game  in  his  catalogue: 

Peisheen.  ring  play.     The  ring  is  lulled  mi  the  gruiiiKl.  and  a  rod  .sliot  after  it 
in    sui-b  a  way  as  to  have  the  ring  fall  and  lie  on  it. 

Shoshoxi.     '\Vyoiuino-.      (Cat.  no.    j^^sj^^^^.  American  Museum  of 
Natural  Historv.) 


Fig.  (wo. 


Fig.  65-5.    Game  ring;  diameter,  13i  inches;  Shoshoni  Indians.  Wyoming;  eat.  no.  nj^i,  American 

Museum  of  Natural  History. 
FiG.tJoB-     Diirts  for  ring  game;  length.  26 inches;  Shoshoni  Indians.  Wyoming;  cat.  no.  m^-Wj. 

American  Mnseum  of  Natural  History. 

Hide-covered  ring  (figure  655).  sewed  with  sinew,  the  interior  filled 
with  cotton  cloth.  Diameter  of  ring,  13i  inches;  of  section,  21 
inches.  Two  wooden  clubs  (figure  ()5(>).-i6  inches  in  length  and 
about  1|  inches  in  diameter,  with  three  knobs,  -1  inches  in  length, 
one  at  the  extreme  end  and  the  others  about  equidistant  along  the 
body  of  the  club.  The  first  of  these  knobs  is  covered  with  buck- 
skin painted  red,  the  second  with  buckskin  painted  yellow,  and 
the  third  red.  The  handle  of  one  is  covered  with  yellow-painted 
buckskin  and  is  perforated  by  a  hole  through  which  a  thong 
is  attached,  terminating  in  two  long  tassels  of  yellow-painted 


500 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


cut-buckskin  fringe.  Black  and  white  horsehair  is  bound  In'  a 
strip  of  buckskin  to  the  liandle,  four  twisted  buckskin  thongs 
being  attached  to  tliis  band  on  the  side  nearest  the  knob.  The 
other  club  is  similar,  except  that  the  cover  of  the  handle  and  the 
cut-leather  fringe  are  stained  red.  They  are  accompanied  by  six 
willow  counting  sticks  (figure  657),  13f  inches  in  length,  two 
painted  yellow,  two  red.  and  two  green. 


Pk;.  tlTiT 


Counting-sticks  for  ring  game;  length,  13f  inches;  Shoshoni  Indians,  Wyoming:  I'at. 
no.  5^34,  American  Museum  of  Natural  HistoTy- 


The  above-described  specimens  were  collected  by  Mr  H.  H.  St 
Clair,  2d,  in  1901. 

ToBiKHAR.     Los  Angeles  county.  California.     . 

Hugo  Ried  "  says : 

Another  game,  called  liararieuar.  con.sistetl  in  throwing  rods  or  canes  of 
tlie  lensth  of  a  lance,  at  a  ring  put  in  motion,  and  see  who  could  insert  it.  The 
ring  was  made  of  buckslvin  with  a  twig  of  wilhnv  inside.  ;ind  4  inches  in 
diameter.     This  is  not  played  now. 

The  same  narrative  describes  divination  with  rings  of  willow  twigs, 
which  were  thrown  in  turn  in  the  four  directions  to  discover  a  missing 
daughter,  in  a  legend  of  this  region. 

Uinta  Ute.     White  Rocks,  Utah.      (Cat.  no.  37120,  Free  Museum  of 
Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 


Fio.  658.    Game  arrow;  length,  32i  inches;  Uinta  Ute  Indians,  White  Rocks,  Utah;  cat.  no.  37180, 
Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Arrow  (figure  G.5S)  with  wooden  shaft  and  heavy  nail  point,  the 
shaftment  banded  with  blue  and  red  paint,  with  three  feathers; 
length,  32^  inches.     Collected  by  the  writer  in  1900. 


"Account  of  the  Indians  of  Los  Angeles  Co.,   Cn\. 
17,  p.  18,  Salem,  1885. 


Bulletin  of  the  Essex   Institute,   v. 


CrLIN] 


HOOP  AND  pole:   TAUDANCHI 


501 


The  use  of  this  arrow  was  not  ascertained,  but  from  its  identity 
in  form  with  arrows  used  with  tlie  beaded  ring,  and  the  fact  that  it 
was  one  of  a  pair,  it  was  probably  used  in  that  game. 

Uncompahgre  Ute.     Utah.     (Cat.  no.  tHo)  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History.) 


Fig.  639.    Darts  for  ring  game;  length,  14i  inches;  Uncompahgre  Ute  Indians,  Utah;  oat.  no. 
,5gj,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

Two   sticks    (figure   659),   wrapped   with   buckskin,   with    buckskin 
thongs  in  three  sets  of  three  each  near  one  end,  length  14J  inches. 
Used  with  a  ring  1|  inches  in  diameter. 
Collected  by  Dr  A.  L.  Kroeber,  who  gives  the  following  account: 

Two  players  throw  the  sticks  at  the  rolling  ring,  each  attempting  to  make 
the  ring  come  to  re.st  touching  his  stick. 

Ute.  (Cat.  no.  200582,  United  States  National  Museum.) 
Wooden  ring  (figure  (UiO),  (i  inches  in  diameter,  closely  wound  with 
a  string  of  fine  colored  beads,  in 
four  segments,  two  blue  and  two 
white,  and  having  a  piece  of  er- 
mine fur  attached.  In  the  E. 
Granier  collection. 

Yaudanchi."    Tule  River  Indian  res- 
ervation,   California.      (Cat. 
no.    714:33,   Field   Columbian 
Museum.) 
Lances    and    peg    for    lance-and-])eg 
game.     Collected    hy    Dr    J.    W. 
Hudson,  who   furnishes  the   fol- 
lowing description : 

The  peg  is  stuck  in  the  ground,  and  the 
lance  thrown  at  it.     Played  by  men  and  boys.     The  smaller  implements  are  foi- 
boys.     The  game  is  called  "  hot,"  and  is  played  by  young  men,  not  children,  and 
perhaps  male  adults. 

»  This  tribe  belongs  to  the  Mariposan  family,  hence  the  description  properly  belongs  on 
page  -183. 


Fig.  660.  Game  ring;  diameter,  6  inches; 
Ute  Indians;  cat.  no.  200.582,  United 
States  National  Museum. 


5U2 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  Axx.  24 


SIOUAX    STOCK 

AssiNiBoiN.     Southern  Alberta. 
Rev.  John  Maclean"  says: 

The  Stoneys  have  several  games  similar  to  the  Blackfect.  inohuling  the  huoi) 
and  arrow  game. 

Crows.     Wyoming. 

Prof.  F.  V.  Hayden  ''  mentions  the  following : 

A-ba-tsink'-i-sUa.  a  game  somewhat  like  billiards. 
Crow  reservation,  Montana.     (Field  Columbian  Museum.) 


Fig.  66S. 


Fig.  661.  Fig.  i\W. 

Fig,  661.  Netted  game  hoop:  diameter,  11  inches;  Crow  Indians,  Montana:  cat.  no.  6i)6.51,  Field 
Columbian  Museiun. 

Fig.  662.  Darts  for  netted  hoop:  length,  44^  and  ,57  inches;  Crow  Indians,  ilontana;  cat.  no. 
69651,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Fig.  663.  Beaded  ring;  diameter, 2i  inches;  Crow  Indians.  Montana;  cat.  no.  69650,  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum. 

Cat.  no.  69651.  Hoop  of  sapling  (figure  "firil),  covered  with  :i 
thong  network  which  is  attached  to  the  hoop  thirty-four  times; 
diameter,  11  inches;  accompanied  by  two  darts  (figure  662), 
saplings  with  trident  ends,  44^  and  57  inches  in  length.  Col- 
lected by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms  in  1901. 

Cat.  no.  69650.  Iron  ring  (figure  663),  thickly  wound  with  buck- 
skin, thickly  set  inside  with  colored  glass  beads;  diameter,  '2^ 
inches.     Collected  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms  in  1901. 

"Canadian  Savage  Folk,  p.  26,  Toronto.  l.Snil. 

'  Contributions  to  the  Ethnography  and  I'hilology  ot  the  Indian  Tribes  of  the  Missouri 
River,  p.  408,  Pblladelpbia.  1862. 


culin] 


HOOP    AXD    POLE  :    DAKOTA 


503 


Dakota   (Oglala).     Pine  Eidge  reservation.  South  Dakota.      (Free 

Museuna  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Cat.  no.  21945.  Hoop  of  sapling, 25  inches  in  diameter  (figure  664), 
with  incised  marks  on  l)oth  sides,  as  shown  in  figure  665. 
The  first,  a,  nearest  the  junction,  consists  of  three  incised  rings 
painted  red;  the  ne.xt,  b.  is  cut  on  both  sides  for  about  1^  inches  and 
marked  with  l)lack.  burnt  scratches;  the  third,  r,  e.  has  a  cut  on  both 
sides,  mai'ked  on  one  with  a  cross  and  on  the  other  with  a  single  notch 


Fig  fifil. 


Fig.  «)."■. 


Fit,'.  866. 

Fig.  664.  Game  hoop;  diameter,  2.5  inelie.s;  Oglala  Dakota  Indians,  Pine  Ridge  reservation.  South 
Dakota:  cat.  no.  2194.5,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Pig.  665.  Marks  on  game  hoop;  Oglala  Dakota  Indians,  Pine  Ridge  reservation.  South  Dakota; 
cat.  no.  21945,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Fig.  666.  Darts  for  hoop  game;  length,  39J  inches;  Oglala  Dakota  Indians,  Pine  Ridge  reser- 
vation. South  Dakota;  cat.  no.  21945,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of 
Pennsylvania. 


in  the  middle,  the  faces  being  23ainted  red ;    the  fourth,  d,  is  cut  with  a 
similar  flat  face  on  both  sides,  1^  inches  in  length,  with  five  trans- 
verse equidistant  notches,  all  painted  red. 
Four  rounded  sticks,  39^  inches  in  length,  slightly  larger  at  the  butt, 

wrapped  with  thongs,  as  shown  in  figure  666,  and  held  in  pairs 

by  thongs  11  inches  in  length. 
One  pair  has  the  butts  painted  red  and  a  small  strip  of  red  flannel 
tied  to  the  connectinsr  thouff.  and  the  other  has  black  butts  with  a  blue 


504  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  axn.  24 

flag.     The  game  is  called  painyankapi,  and  is  described  by  the  col- 
lector, Mr  Louis  L.  Meeker."  as  follows : 

The  implements  consist  o(  a  Iioop  ratlier  more  than  2  feet  in  diameter, 
eangleslva  f figure  664],  bent  into  shape  and  fastened  when  green,  and  two  pairs 
of  throwing  sticks  [figure  (j6G],  painyanliapi,  about  40  inches  in  length,  wrapped 
with  thongs,  by  which  each  pair  is  loosely  coupled  together,  so  that  in  the 
middle  they  are  about  a  span  apart.  Each  pair  bears  a  small  flag,  blue  or 
l>lack  on  one  pair,  and  red  or  yellow  on  the  other.  The  hoop  is  made  of  a 
.'•traight  ash  stick,  IJ  inches  in  diameter  at  the  larger  end.  and  is  "  as  long  as 
the  tallest  man."  The  hoop  bears  four  flattened  spaces  on  each  side  at  equi- 
distant points.  [Figure  ()»;.">.]  Two  players,  representing  two  sides,  throw 
two  pairs  of  sticks  at  the  hoop  as  it  rolls  past,  and  the  counting  is  according 
to  the  marked  or  flattened  space  that  lies  upon  the  javelin  after  the  hoop  falls. 
The  first  mark  from  the  junction,  «,  is  called  the  butt  or  stump  (can  huta), 
and  counts  10;  the  next,  6,  is  black  (sapa),  and  counts  20;  the  next,  cc.  the 
fork  (okaja),  counts  10,  and  the  next.  (/.  failed  marks  (icazopi),  counts  20. 
When  the  stick  falls  across  the  butt  and  the  fork,  it  is  called  sweepstakes. 
The  game  is  for  40  points.  Painyankapi  was  sometimes  called  tbp  buff;ilo 
game.  It  is  said  to  have  been  played  to  secure  success  in  the  buffalo  liunt. 
The  hoop  figuratively  represents  the  horns  of  a  buffalo  and  the  bone  that  sup- 
jiorts  them. 

Playing  the  game  is  called  "  shooting  the  buffalo."  Again  the  hoop  repre- 
sents an  encampment  of  all  the  Dakota  tribes,  and  the  chief's  family  learn 
to  locate  all  different  tribes  upon  it.  Or  it  was  supposed  to  represent  the 
rim  of  the  horizon  and  the  four  ijuarters  of  the  earth.  The  spaces  marked 
are  the  openings  or  passes  into  the  circle  of  the  camp.  They  also  represent 
the  four  winds  and  are  invoiced  as  such  by  the  thrower  before  he  throws. 

In  time  of  much  sickness  the  camp  was  ranged  in  two  colunms,  the  hoop 
painted  black  on  one  side  and  red  on  the  other,  the  sticks  painted,  two  red  and 
two  black,  and  the  hoop  rolled  between  the  two  ranks  four  times,  and  then 
carried  away  and  left  in  some  remote  place  to  bear  away  the  sickness.  It  was 
rolled  "  toward  the  whites."  i.  p.,  south. 

The  Lakota  word  for  hoop  is  cangleska.  It  means  .spotted  wood.  No  other 
term  for  hoop  is  in  use.  It  follows  that  the  hoop  for  which  all  other  hoojis 
are  named,  was  spotted.  This  ajiiilies  especially  to  the  conjurer's  hoop,  colored 
in  yellow. 6  red.  white,  and  blue  i>r  black  as  is  convenient,  to  represent  the  four 
(fuarters  of  the  earth.  1'his  hoop  is  laid  upon  the  ground  in  the  medicine 
lodge,  and  after  necessary  ceremonies,  the  lights  are  extinguished,  when  a  noise 
of  eating  is  heard,  and  a  ring  cut  from  a  pipe  pumpkin,  previously  placed  within 
the  hoop  for  the  jjurpose.  is  supposed  to  be  devoured  by  the  Wasicun  c  con- 
jured up  by  the  ceremonies. 

Cat.  no.  22109.    Ring  of  sinew  (figure  (WiT).  wraj^ped  with  a  thong.  ;U 

inches  in  diameter,  painted  red. 
Cat.  no.  22110.     A  stick  39^   inches  in  length,  the  end  lashed  with 

a  curved  piece  of  sapling  with  the  points  turned  toward  the 

■•  Ogalala  Games.  Bulletin  of  the  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  v.  .S,  p.  23,  Phil- 
adelphia, 1901. 

''The  yellow  is  always  placed  north,  but  the  other  colors  vary. 

•"  The  term  Wasicun,  now  universally  given  to  white  men,  means  a  superior  and  mys- 
terious being. 


cuLiN]  HOOP    AND    pole:    DAKOTA  505 

handle  (figure  668).  Two  bars  of  wood,  lU  inches  in  length,  are 
lashed  across  the  stick,  each  with  a  smaller  jDiece  of  curved  wood 
with  points  turning  toward  the  handle,  as  shown  in  the  figure. 
The  curved  piece  at  the  end  and  the  body  of  the  stick  are 
wrapjDed  with  a  thong,  and  the  bars,  arcs,  and  exposed  end  of 
stick  are  painted  black.  There  is  a  jjrojection  above  the  cross- 
bar, nearest  the  end  to  which  the  curved  piece  is  affixed,  against 
which  the  forefinger  is  pressed.  A  small  square  of  black  cloth 
is  tied  to  the  curved  end  of  the  stick. 


Fig.  668. 


Fig.  667.  Ring  tor  Elk  game;  diameter,  3i  inches',  Oglala  Dakota  Indians,  Pine  Ridge  reserva- 
tion, Soutli  Dakota:  cat.  no.  2310fl.  Free  Museumof  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Fig.  6fi8.  Darts  for  elk  game;  lengths,  39j  and  3(3  inches;  Oglala  Dakota  Indians,  Pine  Ridge 
reservation,  South  Dakota;  cat.  no.  22110,  22110a,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  Univer- 
sity of  Pennsylvania. 

Cat.  no.  22110a.  A  stick  similar  to  the  preceding,  36  inches  in  length, 
but  painted  red  instead  of  black,  and  with  a  red  instead  of  a  black 
flag.  Tile  ends  of  the  arc  at  the  tip  are  united  to  the  body  of 
the  stick  by  a  cord  of  sinew.  The  crossbars  are  .6^  inches  in 
length. 
These   are   implements   for   the   game   of   kaga   woskate,   or   haka 

heciapi,  the  elk  game.    Collected  l)y  Mr  Louis  L.  Meeker,"  who  states 

that  the  ring  is  tossed  into  the  air.  and  the  player  tries  to  catch  it 

on  his  stick. 

It  is  held  in  the  hand  with  the  forefinger  pressing  against  a  small  projection 
that  the  best-made  sticks  bear  near  the  center.  Cauglit  upon  the  point,  it 
counts  10;  if  on  the  spur  nearest  the  point,  .5;  on  any  other  point,  1.  The  game 
is  for  any  number  of  points  agreed  U[ion  by  the  players.  The  Elk  Game  was 
played  to  secure  success  in  the  elk  hunt. 

He  continues : 

The  Lakotas  use  a  special  hair  ornament  as  a  reward  for  victory  in  this 
game.  The  Cheyenne  award  it  in  the  game  next  described  (tahuka  cangleska). 
The  ornament  [figure  564]  is  a  miniature  gaming  hoop  or  wheel,  tohogmu,  as 
small  as  the  matter  can  make  it  well,  with  spokes  like  a  wheel,  ornamented 
with  porcupine  (luills  and  tied  to  a  small  lock  of  hair  on  one  side  of  the  crown 
by  a  buckskin  string  fastened  to  the  center  of  the  ornament. 

Col.  Garrick  Mallery,*  in  his  Picture-writing  of  the  American  In- 

"  Ogalala  Games.  Bulletin  of  the  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  v.  3,  p.  26,  Phila- 
delphia, moi. 

'Tenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  547,  1893. 


506 


GAMES    OF    THE    XORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  24 


dians.   gives  the   accompanying   figures   referring   t(i   the   preceding 

a'ame : 

A  tieiiil  man   was  iiseil   in   the   i-ing-aiid-pole   game    [figure  liiiOl.     Anierioan- 

Ilorse's  Winter  Count.  1779-'SO.  The  figure 
rejireseuts  tbe  stick  and  ring  used  in  tlie 
game  of  haka.  with  a  human  head  in  front 
to  suggest  that  the  corpse  took  tlie  place  of 

^y    -    H  the  usual  stick. 

^.  ^  It   was    an    intensely    cold    winter    and    a 

■^  Dakota  froze  to  death  [figure  tJ70].     Ameri- 

can-Horse's Winter  Count,  1777-"78. 

The  sign  for  snow  or  winter,  i.  e.,  a  cloud 
with  snow  falling  from  it.  is  above  the 
man's  head.  .V  liaka  stick,  which  is  used  in  playing  that  game,  is  represented 
in  front  of  him.  Battiste  Good's  record  further  explains  the  illustration  liy  the 
account  that  the  Dakota  was  killed  in  a  fight  with  the  Pawnees,  and  his  com- 
panions left  his  body  where  they  suppcjsed  it  would  not  be  found,  but  the 
Pawnee  found  it.  and.  as  it  was  frozen  stiff,  they  dragged  it  into  their  camp  and 
played  haka  with  it. 


O^ 


Fig.  6G!i.  Haka  game;  Oglala  Dakota 
pictograph  from  American-Horse's 
Winter  Count,  1779-80;  from  Mallery. 


Fig.  ()70. 


Fig.  671. 


Fl(i.  f>70.    Haka  game;  Oglala  Dakota  pictograph  from  Ameriran-Horsf's  Winter  Count.  1779-80; 

from  Mallery. 
Fii;.  671.    Netted  hoop;  diameter.  Hi  inches';  Oglala  Dakota  Indians.  Pine  Ridge  reservation. 

.South  Dakota;  cat.  no.  22112,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Dakota  (Oglala).  Pine  Ridge  reservation.  South  Dakota.  (Cat. 
no.  22111-22113,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  Univer- 
sity of  Pennsylvania.) 


Fio.672.    Dart  for  netted  hoop;  length,  46  inches;  Oglala  Dakota  Indians,  Pino  Ridge  reservation. 
South  Dakota;  cat.  no.  22113,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Hoop  (figure  671)  of  sapling.  HA  inches  in  diameter,  lashed  with  a 
rawhide  thong,  \vhicli  is  passed  around  the  hoo])  t\venty-four 
times. 


CULIN]  HOOP    AXD    POLE  :    DAKOTA  507 

Another  hoop,  also  IH  inchfs  in  diameter,  the  thong  passing  urouinl 
tlie  edge  thirty-five  times.  Both  lioops  have  the  edge  and  the 
thong  net  smeared  with  red  paint. 

A  forked  stick  (figure  672),  consisting  of  a  j^eeled  sapling,  4(1  inches 

in  length.  ]5ainted  red,  with  a  feather  tied  at  the  ends  of  the  fork-;. 

The  specimens  just  described  are  implements  for  the  game  of  the 

buckskin  hooj).  tahuka  cangleska,  and  were  collected  by  Mr  Louis  L. 

Meeker,"  who  describes  the  game  as  follows : 

Played  with  several  small  hdops  about  a  foot  iu  diameter,  woven  with  liut-U- 
skin  thongs  with  one  opening  more  prominent  than  the  rest,  intended  to  be  iu 
the  center,  called  the  '"  heart  "  [figure  671].  The  game  is  to  thrust  a  small  spear 
[figure  (>72J.  with  a  fork  at  one  end  to  admit  the  top  of  the  forefinger,  thnjugh 
the  '•  heart "  as  the  hoop  is  rolle<l  by  or  Hung  into  the  air.  When  one  suiieeds. 
he  chases  the  one  who  threw  the  hoop,  and  endeavors  to  hit  him  with  it.  The 
one  who  oftenest  pierces  the  "  heart"  wins.  This  is  said  to  Ije  a  Cheyenne  game 
played,  like  the  other  hoop  games,  only  at  the  annual  summer  gatherings,  camp 
again.st  camp,  from  morning  until  a  crier  calls  noon,  when  the  victoriou.s  camp 
is  feasted  by  the  losers  and  the  individual  victor  adorned  with  the  hair  orna- 
ment, good  for  one  year. 

The  writer  has  not  witnessed  the  game  played  in  this  way,  a  rain  preventing 
when  arrangements  were  made.  The  following,  however.  i)layed  by  large  boys 
and  young  men.  he  has  seen  as  many  as  fifty  times:  Two  forked  sticks,  about  4 
feet  high,  to  reiiresent  men.  were  set  up  ?>0  or  40  jiaces  apart.  A  prop  was 
placed  across,  from  one  foot  to  the  other,  liotli  to  malvc  them  stand  erect  and 
to  make  them  easier  marks. 

Proi)erly,  the  forks  should  not  be  more  than  an  inch  or  so  iu  diameter  at  the 
point  and  should  be  split  up  for  a  few  inches,  with  a  cross  stick  iu  the  siilits, 
so  as  to  make  four  points  come  in  contact  witli  the  ground  and  a  stick  for  the 
hoop  to  strike,  if  it  rolls  luider. 

Two  companies,  stationed  a  very  little  in  front  and  a  little  to  one  side  of 
each  "  man,"  take  turns  rolling  tlie  hoops  by  throwing  them  against  the  ground 
to  make  them  roll  towards  the  "  man  "  on  the  opposite  side,  the  players  of  which 
defend  their  "  man  "  by  thrusting  their  spears  through  the  rolling  hoops. 

The  side  is  victorious  that  oftenest  knocks  down  the  "  man."  The  player  is 
victorious  who  oftenest  pierces  the  heart  of  the  hoop,  so  the  victorious  plajer 
may  not  be  on  the  victorious  side.  M,y  informants  do  not  count  this  game  with 
their  regular  lioop  games,  nor  take  any  pride  in  the  buckskin  hoop  generally. 
It  was  contributed  by  a  full-blood  Lakota.  but  definite  knowledge  of  the  manner 
of  playing  can  not  be  obtained  here. 

The  name  tahuka  cangleska  means  '"  neck  hoop  "  rather  than  "  deersliin  hoop." 
though  it  may  have  the  latter  meaning,  as  my  informants  attirm. 

Women  say  taoga  cangleska  instead  of  tahuka  cangleska.  This  would  mean 
"web-hoop"  game  and  make  it  sacred  to  Inktomi  (the  Spider).  Women's 
speech  is  somewhat  different  from  men's. 

The  makers  of  the  hoops  for  the  hoop  games  are  not  selected  at  random. 
White-buffialo-cow  River,  Pte-sa  Wakpa,  makes  hoops  for  the  "  buffalo  game." 
Red  Hoop.  Cangleska  luta.  makes  the  hair-ornament  hoop. 

The  hoops  sent  herewith  were  made  by  these  men  and  by  Crazy  Horse, 
Ta-sunk-witko,  brother  of  the  desperado  Crazy  Horse  who  lost  his  life  while  a 
prisoner  some  years  ago. 

"■  Ogalala  Games.  Bulletin  of  the  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  v.  3,  p.  27,  Phila- 
delphia, 1901. 


508  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 

Dakota  (Teton).     South  Dakota. 

Rev.  J.  Owen  Dorsey,"  in  his  account  of  the  games  of  the  Teton 
Dakota  children,  describes  the  game  with  a  rawhide  hoop,  tahuka 
changleshka  unpi,  among  those  i^hiyed  l)v  hoys  in  the  spring: 

Occasionally  in  the  early  spring  the  people  fear  a  freshet,  so  they  leave  the 
river  banli  and  camp  in  the  level  prairie  away  from  the  river.  The  men  hunt 
the  deer,  and  when  they  return  to  camp  the  hoy.s  take  part  of  the  hides  and  cut 
them  into  narrow  strips,  which  they  soak  in  water ;  they  make  a  hoop  of  ash 
wood,  all  over  which  they  put  the  strips  of  rawhide,  which  they  interweave  in 
such  a  way  as  to  leave  a  hole  in  the  middle,  which  is  called  the  "  heart."  The 
players  form  sides  of  equal  numbers,  and  ti-oshpaye  or  gens  usually  plays 
against  gens.  The  hoop  is  thrown  by  one  of  the  players  toward  those  on  the 
other  side.  They  are  provided  with  sharp-pointed  sticks,  each  of  which  is 
forked  at  the  small  end.  As  the  hoop  rolls  they  throw  at  it,  in  order  to  thrust 
one  of  the  sticks  through  the  heart.  When  one  hits  the  heart  he  keeps  the  hoop 
for  his  side,  and  he  and  his  companions  chase  their  opponents,  who  flee  with 
their  blankets  spread  out  behind  them  in  order  to  deaden  the  force  of  any  blow 
from  a  pursuer.  When  the  pursuers  overtake  one  of  the  fugitives  they  strike  him 
with  the  hoop  as  hard  as  they  can  ;  then  they  abandon  the  pursuit  and  return  to 
their  former  place,  while  the  one  hit  with  the  hoop  takes  it  and  throws  it, 
making  it  roll  towards  the  players  on  the  other  side.  As  it  rolls  he  says  to 
them  :  "  Ho !  tatanka  he  gle.  Ho !  there  is  a  buffalo  returning  to  you."  When  the 
stick  does  not  fall  out  of  the  heart,  they  say  the  hoop  belongs  to  the  player 
who  threw  the  stick.  This  is  not  a  game  of  chance,  but  of  skill,  which  has  been 
played  by  large  boys  since  the  oldeu  times.  Bushotter  '  says  that  it  is  obso- 
lescent. 

Dakota  (Teton).     Pine  Ridge  reservation.  South  Dakota. 

Dr  J,  R.  Walker  <■  describes  the  game  of  "  wandsand  hoops  "'  luider 
the  name  of  woskate  pain  yankapi. 

The  name  of  the  wands  made  of  ash  or  choke-cherrvwood,  he  gives 
as  cansakala,  and  he  says  that  while  anyone  may  make  these  wands, 
it  is  believed  that  certain  men  can  make  them  of  superior  excellence 
and  give  them  magic  powers,  which  may  be  exercised  in  favor  of 
those  who  play  with  them.  The  rules  of  the  game,  with  a  story  of 
its  making  and  of  its  use  to  cause  buffalo  to  come,  are  given  by  Dr 
Clark  Wissler. 

Dakota   (Yankton),     Fort  Peck  reservation,  Montana,     (Cat,  no. 
37606,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Ai't,  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania,) 
Hoop   of   sapling    (figure   673),    13    inches   in    diameter,   with    four 
marks  at  equal   distances  on  both  sides  of  its  circumference. 
These  marks  are  incised,  and  painted  red  and  blue,  as  follows: 
Cross,  painted  blue,  okizati,  fork:    longitudinal  band,  painted 
blue,  sapapi,  black  spot;   longitudinal  band  with  transverse  cut, 

"  The  American  Anthropologist,  v.  4,  p.  334,  ISOl. 

'  George  Bushotter,  a  full-blood  Dakota,  Mr  Dorsey's  informant. 

'  Siuux  Games.     Journal  of  American  Folk-Lore,  v,  18,  p.  278,  Boston.  1905. 


culin] 


HOOP    AND    POLE  :    DAKOTA 


509 


painted  blue,  ska,  white;    seven  transverse  notches,  the  outside 
and  the  middle  ones  blue,  the  others  red.  bahopi,  notches. 

Two  pairs  of  sticks    (figure  674),  made  of  saplings,  25   inches  in 

length,  wrapped  on  both  sides  of  the  middle  with  cotton  cloth 

and  secured  in  pairs  by  a 

strij^  of  cotton  cloth  fas- 
tened in  the  middle.     One 

pair    is    j^ainted    red    and 

has   a   small   piece  of  red 

flannel  fastened  to  each  of 

the  sticks.      The  other  pair 

is  blue,  with  similar  black 

flags.     Collected     by     tho 

writer  in  1900. 
These  implements  were  made 
by  Siyo  Sapa,  Black  Chicken, 
a  renegade  Huiikpapa  and  a 
former  member  of  Sitting 
Bull's  band.  He  gave  the  name 
of  the  game  as  pain  yanka 
ichute  and  that  of  the  darts  as 
ichnte." 

The  maker  stated  also  that 
in  the  old  time  bufl^alo  hide  and  deer  skin  were  never  employed  In 
making  the  implements  for  this  game;  always,  instead,  something  of 
no  value,  as  old  rags.  He  said  that  many  years  ago  the  Indians  saw 
two  buffalo  Ijulls  rollin<r  tliis  rintr. 


Fig.  tiT3.  Game  hoop;  diameter,  18  inches:  Yank- 
ton Dakota  Indians,  Montana;  cat.  no.  37606. 
Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  Univei*sity  of 
Pennsylvania. 


Fig.  674.  Darts  for  hoop  game;  length,  25  inches;  Yankton  Dakota  Indians,  Montana;  cat.  no. 
37606,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Dakota  (Yankton).  Fort  Peck,  Montana.  (Cat.  no.  37607,  Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

A  ring  made  of  cotton  cloth,  wrapped  round  and  round,  and 
l^ainted  red ;  diameter,  3  inches.  Two  sticks,  32  inches  in  length, 
wrapped  with  rags,  and  having  a  curved  piece  fastened  at 
one  end  and  a  cord  stretched  across  like  the  string  of  a  bow. 
connecting  it  with  the  stick;  also  two  crosspieces,  fastened  at 
about  equal   distances  from  the  ends,  across  the  stick.     These 


^  Pa-i°'-ya°-ka.  to  shoot  or  throw  a  stick  through  a  hoop  when  rolling ;  painyanka 
kicuopl,  the  game  of  shooting  through  a  hoop  :  i-cu'-te,  something  to  shoot  with,  as  the 
arrows  one  uses  in  a  game.      (Klggs's  Dakota-English  Dictionary,  Washington.  1890.) 


510 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  axx.  24 


crosspieces  are  secured  by  a  stout  peg  placed  between  them  and 
the  stick,  and  a  piece  of  twig  is  bent  and  fastened  so  that  its  ends 
project  upward  for  a  distance  of  about  li  inches,  just  above  the 
crossbars.  One  of  the  sticks  is  painted  red  and  has  a  piece  of 
I'ed  flannel  attached  to  the  bow,  and  the  other  is  painted  blue, 
with  a  l)lack  cloth  flag. 
Collected  by  the  writer  in  1900. 

The  game  is  called  ha-ka'-ku-te,  or  ha-ka'  shooting,  receiving  its 
name  from  the  sticks,  ha-ka.  Each  man  has  a  stick;  the  ring,  can- 
hde'-ska.  is  rolled  and  it  must  go  on  one  of  the  points  to  count.  The 
name  ha-ka'  means  branching,  having  many  prongs,  like  some  deer 
horns."  My  informant  defined  it  as  forked. 
End."  Xorth  Carolina. 
John  Lederer  <"  says : 

Their  town  is  built  round  a  field,  where  in  their  sports  they  exercise  with  so 
much  labor  and  violence,  and  in  so  great  numbers,  that  I  have  seen  the  jjcrouud 
wet  with  the  sweat  that  dropped  from  their  bodies ;  their  chief  recreation  is 
slinging  of  stones. 

John  Lawson  ''  says : 

These  Indians  are  much  addicted  to  a  sport  they  call  chenco.  which  is  carried 
on  with  a  staff  and  a  bowl  made  of  stone,  which  they  tnnidle  upon  a  smooth 
place,  like  a  bowling  green,  made  for  that  purpose,  as  I  have  mentioned  liefore. 

(?)  Camden,  South  Carolina.      (Free  Museum  of  .Science  and 

Art.  Univereity  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Cat.   no.    13fi02.     Biconcave   disk  of  white  quartzite    (figure   ()75a), 
finely  polished,  5|  inches  in  diameter. 


i^'Ki.  (>75  «,  ft,  c.  Chunkee  stones:  diameters,  .5J,  4,  and  4S  inches;  Eno  (?)  Indians,  Camdeu.  .South 
Carolina;  cat.  no.  13602,  1.3556,  1.3603,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 


Cat.    no.    13556.     Biconcave   disk   of   quartzite,   stained   yellow   and 

"  IJiggss  r)aliota-EnRlish  Pictionar.v,  Wa.shington,   1800. 

'■  I;  is  dou!>tfnl  whether  the  Eno  were  of  Siouan  stock  ;    they  may  have  been  Ir>Miuoian. 

^  I'iscoveries  of  .Tohn  Lederer.  p.  18.  London,  lf;72  :    Rochester,  1902. 

''  History  of  Carolina,  p.  57,  London,  1714. 


oLLiN]  HOOP  AXD  pole:   mandan  511 

highly  jiolished  by  use.  1  inches  in  diameter  and  IJ  inches  thick 
at  the  edge,  the  edge  slightly  convex,  the  interior  hollowed  in 
symmetrical  cup-shaped  cavities,  with  a  hole  1:^  inches  in  diame- 
ter in  the  middle.  On  one  side  there  are  two  incised  forked 
marks,  as  shown  in  figure  fu'th. 
Cat.  no.  13603.  Biconcave  disk  of  yellow  ((iinrtzite  (figure  67.5f).  4f 
inches  in  diameter. 

HiDATSA.     Fort  Clark,  North  Dakota. 

Maximilian,  Prince  of  Wied,"  describing  a  visit  to  a  village  of  this 
tribe  on  the  27th  of  November,  1833.  says : 

We  observed  many  very  handsome  young  men.  in  fine  new  dresses,  some  of 
whom  were  phiying  the  game  called  billiards  [plate  x]. 

Fort  Atkinson.  North  Dakota. 


Mr  Henry  A.  Boiler  says :  ** 

The  favorite  game  appeared  to  be  one  which  we  called  billiards,  and  a  spai:e 
outside  the  pickets  of  the  village  was  beaten  as  smooth  and  bard  as  a  floor  by 
those  who  engaged  in  it.  This  game  is  played  by  couples ;  the  implements  are 
a  round  stone  and  two  sticks  7  or  8  feet  long,  with  bunches  of  feathers  tied  on 
at  regular  intervals.  The  players  start  together,  each  carrying  his  pole  in  a 
horizontal  position,  and  run  along  until  the  one  who  has  the  stone,  throws  it, 
giving  it  a  rolling  motion,  when  each  watching  his  chance,  throws  the  stick. 
The  one  who  comes  nearest  (which  is  determined  by  the  marks  on  the  stick*  has 
the  stone  for  the  next  throw.  Horses,  blankets,  roI)es,  guns,  etc.,  are  staked 
at  this  game,  and  I  have  frequently  seen  Indians  play  until  they  had  lost  every- 
thing. 

Subseqiiently,  in  describing  a  winter  camp,  he  says: '' 

In  order  to  enjoy  their  amusement  of  "  billiards,"  some  of  its  devotees  cleared 
off  a  level  piece  of  ground,  between  the  two  lower  camps,  and  planted  a  line  of 
bushes  and  underbrush,  to  form  a  partial  barrier  against  the  wind.  Logs  were 
placed  on  each  side  of  the  "  alle.v  "  to  keep  the  sticks  (or  cues)  from  glancing  off. 

Mandan.     Missouri  river,  North  Dakota. 
Lewis  and  Clark  *  say  : 

Notwithstanding  the  extreme  cold,  we  observed  the  Indians  at  the  village  en- 
gaged out  in  the  open  air  at  a  game  which  resembled  billiards  more  than  any- 
thing we  had  seen,  and  which  we  incline  to  suspect  may  have  been  acquired  by 
ancient  intercourse  with  the  French  of  Canada.  From  the  first  to  the  second 
chiefs  lodge,  a  distance  of  about  50  yards,  was  covered  with  timber  smoothed 
and  Joined  so  as  to  be  as  level  as  the  floor  of  one  of  our  houses,  with  a  battery 
at  the  end  to  stop  the  rings ;  these  rings  were  of  clay-stone  and  flat,  like  the 
chequers  for  drafts,  and  the  sticks  were  about  4  feet  long,  with  two  short 
pieces  at  one  end  in  the  form  of  a  mace,  so  fixed  that  the  whole  will  slide  along 

°  Travels  in  the  Interior  of  North  .A.merica.  translated  by  H.  Evans  Lloyd,  p.  4:;:;, 
London.  184.3. 

"Among  the  Indians;  Eight  Years  in  the  Far  West.  1858-1866,  p.  159.  Philadelphia. 
1868. 

'  Ibid.,  p.  190. 

•^  Histoi-y  of  an  Expedition  under  the  C(»nimand  of  Captains  Lewis  and  Clark  to  the 
Sources  of  the  Missouri,  v.  1,  p.  143,  Philadelphia,  1814. 


512 


GAMES    OP    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


the  board.  Two  men  iix  themselves  at  one  end,  eaoh  provided  with  a  sticlv,  and 
one  of  them  with  a  ring ;  then  the.v  run  along  the  board,  and  about  halfway 
slide  the  sticks  after  the  ring. 

Catlin  "^  says : 

The  game  of  tehung-kee,  a  beautiful  athletic  exercise,  which  they  seem  to  be 
almost  unceasingly  practicing  whilst  the  weather  is  fair  and  they  have  nothing 
else  of  moment  to  demand  their  attention.  This  game  is  decidedly  their  favorite 
amusement,  and  is  played  near  to  the  village  on  a  pavement  of  clay,  which  has 
been  used  for  that  purpose  until  it  has  become  as  smooth  and  hard  as  a  floor. 
For  this  game  two  chaniiiions  form  their  respective  parties,  by  choosing  alter- 
nately the  most  famous  players,  until  their  requisite  numbers  are  made  up. 
Their  bettings  are  then  made,  and  their  stakes  are  held  by  .some  of  the  chiefs  or 
others  present.     The  play  commences    ffi.sure  07G]    with   two    (one   from   each 


t'la.  t)7tj.    The  game  of  tfhung-.vee;  Mandan  ludians,  !t^oi'tu  Ualiota;  from  Catlin. 

party),  who  start  off  upon  a  trot,  abreast  of  each  other,  and  one  of  them  rolls 
in  advance  of  them,  on  the  pavement,  a  little  ring  of  2  or  3  inches  in  diameter, 
cut  out  of  a  stone ;  and  each  one  follows  it  up  with  his  "  tchung-kee  "  (a  stick  of 
G  feet  in  length,  with  little  bits  of  leather  projecting  from  its  .sides  of  an  inch  or 
more  in  length),  which  he  throws  before  him  as  he  runs,  sliding  it  alou,g  upon 
the  ground  after  the  ring,  endeavoring  to  place  it  in  such  a  position  when  it  stops, 
that  the  ring  may  fall  upon  it,  and  receive  one  of  the  little  projet-tions  of  leather 
through  it.  wliicli  counts  for  game  1.  or  2.  or  4,  according  to  the  position  of  the 
leather  on  whi<-h  the  ring  is  lodged.  The  last  winner  always  has  the  rolling  of 
the  ring,  and  both  start  and  throw  the  tchung-kee  together;  if  either  fails  to 
receive  the  ring  or  to  lie  in  a  certain  position,  it  is  a  forfeiture  of  the  amount  of 
the  number  he  was  nearest  to,  and  he  loses  his  throw ;  when  another  steps  into 
his  place.     This  game  is  a  very  difBcult  one  to  describe,  so  as  to  give  an  exact 


"  The  Manners,  Customs,  and  Condition  of  the  North  American  Indians,  v.  1,  p.  132, 
London,  1841. 


CULIN] 


HOOP    -VXD    POLE  :    MANDAX 


513 


idea  of  it.  unless  one  can  see  it  played — it  is  a  game  of  great  beauty  and  fine 
bodily  exercise,  and  these  people  become  excessively  fascinated  with  it,  often 
gambling  away  everything  they  possess  and  even,  sometimes,  when  everything 
else  was  gone,  have  been  known  to  stake  their  liberty  upon  the  issue  of  these 

games,  offering  themselves  slaves  to  their  oppo- 
nents in  case  they  get  beaten." 

Maxdan.     Fort  Clark.  North  Dakota. 

Maximilian.  Prince  of  Wied,  says :  * 

The  game  called  billiard.s.  by  the  French  Can- 
adians, is  played  by  two  young  men.  with  long 
iwles,  which  are  often  bound  with  leather,  and 
have  various  ornaments  attached  to  them.  On 
a  long,  straight,  level  course,  or  a  level  path  in 
or  near  the  village,  they  roll  a  hoop,  3  or  4  inches 
in  diameter,  covered  with  leather,  and  ^hrow  the 


Fig.  677.    Netted  hoop  and  pole;  Mandaii  Indians.  North  Dakota;  from  Maximilian.  Prince  of 

Wied. 

pole  at  it :  and  the  success  of  the  game  depends  upon  the  pole  passing  through 
It.  This  game  is  also  practiced  among  the  Manitaries  fHidatsa].  and  is  de- 
scribed in  Major  Long's  Travels  to  the  Kocky  ilountains  as  being  played  by  the 
Pawnees,  who.  however,  have  hooked  sticks,  whiih  is  not  the  c:ise  with  the 
tribes  mentioned. 

About  the  middle  of  March,  when  the  weather  is  fine,  the  children  and  young 
men  play  with  a  hoop,  in  the  interior  of  which  strips  of  leather  are  interwoxen  ; 
its  diameter  is  about  a  foot  [figure  677].  This  hoop  is  either  rolled  or  thrown, 
and  they  thrust  at  it  with  ;i  pointed  stick  :  lie  who  approaches  the  center  most 
nearly  is  the  winner.     . 

As  soon  as  the  ice  in  the  rivers  breaks  mi.  they  run  to  the  hanks  and  throw 
this  interlaced  hoop  into  the  water. 

«  The  following  account  by  the  AbM  E.  H.  Domenech.  who  does  not  specify  the  tribe 
or  locality,  is  probably  taken  from  Catlin.  (Seven  Years'  Residence  in  the  Great  Deserts 
of  North  .Vmerica.  v.  2,  p.  107,  London,  1860.) 

"  Their  game  of  Spear  and  Ring  i.s  extremely  curious  and  difficult.  The  plaj'ers  are 
divided  into  two  camps,  for  Indians  are  fond  of  collective  parties  in  which  are  many 
conquerors,  and  consequently  many  conquered.  The  stakes  and  bets  are  deposited  In  the 
care  of  an  old  man  ;  then  a  hard  smooth  ground,  without  vegetation  of  any  kind.  Is 
chosen,  in  the  middle  of  which  is  placed  perpendicularly  a  stone  ring  of  about  3  inches 
diameter.  When  all  is  prepared  the  players  (armed  wMth  spears  0  or  7  feet  long,  fur- 
nished with  small  shields  a  little  apart  from  each  other,  sometimes  with  bits  of  leather) 
rush  forwartl.  two  at  a  time,  fme  from  each  camp  ;  they  stoop  so  as  to  place  their  spears 
on  a  horizontal  level  with  the  ring,  so  that  they  may  pass  through  it.  the  great  test  of 
skill  being  to  succeed  without  upsetting  It.  Each  small  shield  or  bit  of  leather  that 
passes  through  counts  for  a  point ;  the  victory  remaius  to  the  player  who  has  most  points, 
or  he  who  upsets  the  ring  at  the  last  hit." 

"  Some  Indians  render  the  game  still  more  difficult  by  playing  it  as  follows.  One  of  the 
players  takes  the  ring  in  his  hand  and  sends  It  rolling,  with  all  his  strength,  as  far  as 
possible  on  the  prepared  ground;  his  adversary,  who  is  by  his  side,  starts  full  speed  after 
it  to  stop  it.  so  as  to  string  it  on  his  si)ear  as  far  as  the  last  little  shield.  ' 

''  Travels  in  the  Interior  of  North  America,  translated  by  H.  Evans  Lloyd,  p.  358, 
London,  1843. 


24  ETH — 05  M- 


-33 


514  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [etii.  anx.  2-J 

Omaha.     Nebraska. 

Rev.  J.  Owen  Dorsey  "  describes  the  following  game : 
Banan'ge-klde.  Shooting  at  the  banafige.  or  rolling  wheel.  This  is  played  by 
two  men.  Each  one  has  in  his  hand  two  sticks,  about  as  thick  as  one's  little 
finger,  which  are  connected  in  the  middle  by  a  thong  not  over  4  inches  in  length. 
These  sticks  measure  about  oj  feet  in  length.  Those  of  one  player  are  red.  and 
those  of  the  other  are  black.  The  wheel  whi<h  is  rolled  is  about  2*  feet  in  diam- 
eter, its  rim  is  half  an  inch  thick,  and  it  extends  about  an  inch  from  the  cir- 
cumference toward  the  center.  On  this  side  of  the  rim  that  measures  an  inch, 
are  four  figures  [figure  l!79].  The  first  is  called  mfixu,  marked  with  a  knife, 
or  magteze,  cut  in  stripes  with  a  knife.  The  second  is  sabfi  t§,  the  black  one. 
The  third  is  akicfltf ,  crossing  each  other.  The  fourth  is  jiiiga  tee,  the  little  one, 
tlio  little  one,  or  maxu  jinga  tee.  the  little  one  marked  with  a  knife.  The 
pla.vers  agree  which  one  of  the  figures  shall  be  waqtlbe  for  the  game :  that 
is,  what  card  players  call  trumps.  The  wheel  is  pushed  and  caused  to  roll 
along,  and  when  it  has  almost  stopped,  each  man  hits  gently  at  it  to  make 
it  fall  on  the  sticks.  Should  the  sticks  fall  on  the  top  of  the  wheel,  it  does  not 
count.  When  a  player  succeeds  in  lodging  his  sticks  in  such  a  way  that  he 
touches  the  waqflbe,  he  wins  many  sticks  or  arrows.  When  figures  are  touched 
by  one  or  both  of  his  sticks,  he  calls  out  the  number.  When  any  two  of  the 
figures  have  been  touched,  he  says:  "  Na'ba"'  aii  ha,"  "I  have  wounded  it 
twice."  If  three  figure.s  have  been  hit,  he  says,  "(fab  $1°  a-ii  hk.''  "I  have 
wounded  three."  Twent.v  arrows  or  stl<-ks  cduiit  as  a  l>lanket,  twenty-five  as  a 
gmi,  and  one  hundred  as  a  horse. 

In  the  story  of  "  The  Man  who  had  a  Corn-woman  and  a  Buffalo- 
woman  as  wives,"  translated  by  Doctor  Dorsey,'  it  is  related  that  the 
''  Ijiiffalo  bulls  were  playing  this  game.""  He  defines  the  name  as 
"  to  shoot  at  something  caused  to  roll  by  pushing." 

Doctor  Dorsey  describes  also — 

tja(ti''-jahe,  or  Stick  and  Ring.     dA<'i"-,iahe  is  a  game  played  by  two  men.     At 
each  end  of  the  playground  are  two  buja,  or  rounded  heaps  of  earth. 

A  ring  [figure  678]  of  rope  or  hide,  the  wacfigije,  is  rolled  along  the  ground, 
and  each  player  tries  to  dart  a  stick  through  it  as  it  goes.  He  runs  very  swiftly 
after  the  hoop  and  thrusts  the  stick  with  considerable  force.  If  the  hoop  turns 
aside  as  it  rolls  it  is  not  difficult  to  thrust  a  stick  in  it.  The  stick 
r  figure  G78A]  is  about  4  feet  long.  I)  is  the  end  that  is  thrust  at 
the  hoop.  B  B  are  the  gaqa  or  forked  ends  for  catching  at  the 
hoop.  C  C  are  made  of  ha  niisage,  weabasta  nflsage  Ika"  ta°,  stiff 
hide,  fastened  to  the  forked  ends  with  stiff  weabasta,  or 
material  used  for  the  soles  of  moccasins.     These  ha  nflsage 


=jD 


A 
.  B 

Fig.  678.    Game  ring  and  dart;  lengtli  of  dart,  about  4  feet;  Omalia  Indians,  Nebraska;  from 

Dorsey. 

often  serve  to  prevent  the  escape  of  the  hoop  from  the  forked  ends.     Sometimes 
these  ends  alotie  catch  or  hook  the  loop.     Sometimes  the  end  D  is  thrust  through 
it.     When  both  sticks  catch  the  hoop  neither  one  wins. 
The  stakes  are  eagle  feathers,  robes,  blankets,  arrows,  earrings,  necklaces,  etc." 

"  Omaha  Sociology.     Tliird  Annual  Report  of  tlie  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  335,  1884. 
bThe  Cegiha  Language.    Contributions  to  North  American  Ethnology,  v.  6,  p.  162,  Washing- 
ton, isao. 

^  Omaha  Sociology,      Third  Annual  Itepoi-t  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  .^37.  1884. 


CULIN] 


HOOP  AND  Pule:  umaha 


515 


(2) 


Fig.  i;7!i.    Ring-and-dart  game;  i  )malia  Indians,  Nebraska:  1.  the  wheel,  or  banange;  2.  the 
sticks;  3.  na"-)ia"  a-ii  lifi:  4.  cAbecri"  a-ii  h4;  from  Dorsey. 


516  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  axx.  24 

Omaha.     Nebraska.     (Cat.  no.  37776,  Peabody  Museum  of  American 
Archieology  and  Ethnology.) 

Implements  for  the  game  of  bhadhin  zhahe.  consisting  of  two  sticks 
4  feet  2  inches  in  length,  each  with  an  ifrc  attached  to  one  end 
to  form  a  kind  of  baii),  and  a  flexilile  ring  wrapped  with  deer- 
skin, about  G  inches  in  diameter  (figure  fiSO). 
These  were  collected  by  Miss  Alice  C.  Fletcher. 

The  hoop  is  called  wadhigizi  and  the  sticks  are  known  as  wizhahe. 
Mr  Francis  La  Flesche  described  the  pi'eceding  game  to  the  writer 

under  the  name  of  pauthin  zhahae.  or  Pawnee  zhahae.  as  played  with 


«iiili 


Fig.  680.  Game  ring  and  darts;  length  of  darts,  4  feet  2  inches;  diameter  of  ring,  about  0  inches; 
Omaha  Indians,  Nebraska;  cat.  no.  I^TTTH,  Peabody  Museum  of  American  Archaeology  and 
Ethnology. 

a  hoop  of  buckskin,  wathegezhae.  about  4  inches  in  diameter,  and  a 
javelin,  waijhahe,  about  5  feet  long: 

The  latter  has  two  little  branches  about  4  inches  iu  length  and  bent  backward 
at  the  point.  Pour  pieces  of  rawhide  are  fastened  to  each  of  these,  turned 
inward  to  form  a  kind  of  barbs. 

There  are  two  contestants,  one  of  whom  throws  the  hoop.  and.  as  it  rolls  alonj; 
the  ground,  both  endeavor  to  drive  their  javelins,  which  they  grasp  in  the 
middle,  through  it.  If  the.  hoop  is  penetrated  it  counts  2,  but  if  the  hooj)  catches 
on  one  of  the  barbs  it  only  counts  1.  If  the  hoop  is  caught  on  both  of  the  barb.s 
it  counts  nothing.  The  game  is  usually  10.  The  one  who  scores  throws  the 
hoop.  There  is  a  long  track,  and  the  players  run  back  ;uid  forth.  The  Omaha 
originally  had  the  game  under  another  name. 

Osage.     Missouri  and  Arkansas. 
John  D.  Hunter  says :  " 

Playing  the  hoop  is  performed  on  an  oblong  piece  of  ground,  prepared 
for  the  purpose.  Three  parallel  lines  run  thq  whole  length  of  the  plot,  at  about 
15  yards  distance  from  each  other.  On  the  exterior  ones,  the  opposing  parties, 
which  generally  consist  of  from  twelve  to  eighteen  persons,  arrange  themselves 
aboiit  10  paces  apart,  each  individual  fronting  intermediate  to  ills  two  opposite 
or  nearest  opponents.  On  the  central  line,  e.xtended  to  ;i  few  paces  beyond  the 
wings  of  the  two  parties,  stand  two  [lersons  facing  each  other.  It  is  their  p;irt 
of  the  play  alternately  to  roll  a  hoop  of  about  the  diameter  of  a  conunon 
hogshead,  with  all  their  strength,  from  one  to  the  other.  The  ob,iect  for  triv 
umph  between  these  two  is.  who  shall  catch  the  opponent's  hoop  the  oftene.st. 


"  Manners   and   Customs   of   Several    Indian    Tribes    located    West    of    the    Mississippi, 
p.  27£t,  Philadelphia,  1823. 


Cl'LIN] 


HOOP    AND    POLE  :    HAIDA  517 


and  of  the  conteiKling  parties,  which  shall  throw  the  greatest  number  of  balls 
through  the  hoop  as  it  passes  rapidly  along  the  intervening  space.  Judges  are 
appointed,  usually  from  among  the  old  men.  to  determine  which  party  is 
victorious,  and  to  distribute  the  prizes,  which,  on  some  particular  occasions 
consist  of  beaver  and  deer  skins,  moccasins,  leggings,  etc.  but  more  usually  of 
shells,  nuts,  and  other  trifles. 

PoNCA.     Fort  Pierre,  South  Dakota. 

Maximilian.  Prince  of  Wied."  thus  refers  to  a  young  Ponca  Indian 
named  Ho-Ta-Ma.  among  the  Dakota  at  Fort  Pierre,  a  handsome, 
friendly    man,    who    often    amused    himself    with    different    games: 

Frequently  he  was  seen  with  his  comrades  playing  what  was  called  the  hoop 
game,  at  which  sticks  covered  with  leather  are  thrown  at  a  hoop  in  motion. 

SKITTAGETAX    STOCK 

Haida.     Prince  of  Wales  island,  Alaska. 

Dr  C.  F.  Newconibe  described  a  game  which  the  Kaigani  Haida 
call  k'istaho  and  the  Masset,  tulstaonan.  The  implements  are  a  flat 
disk  of  hemlock  twigs  bound  with  cedar  bark  and  a  spear  of  salmon 
berry. 

It  is  played  with  a  ring.  Two  sides  are  chosen  and  the  ring  is 
thrown  into  the  air.  tlie  oljject  being  to  catch  it  on  the  point  of  a  stick 
It  feet  long. 

Another  game  the  Kaigani  Haida  call  kokankijao  and  the  Masset, 
kokijao.  A  small  ring  of  hemlock  twig,  with  quite  a  long  string  tied 
to  the  edge,  is  placed  anywhere  in  a  circle  of  3  feet  ch-awn  on  a  sandy 
place.  The  game  is  for  the  opposite  player  to  put  a  stick,  of  which 
ten  are  given  him.  inside  the  ring,  which,  with  the  string,  is  hidden 
under  earth  when  he  is  not  looking. 

Doctor  Newcombe  describes  also  the  following  game : 

Ten  pieces  of  kelp.  1  foot  long,  are  place<l  in  the  ground  at  each  end  of  a 
playing  ground  20  feet  long.  There  aie  two  i)layers  on  each  side,  each  armed 
with  a  very  sharp  spear  of  salmon  berry.  The  game  is  to  pierce  the  kelp  at  the 
end  opposite  with  the  spears.  One  piece  is  very  small,  and  if  struck,  the  striker 
gets  all  the  sticks.  The  players  throw  from  a  crouching  position.  The  game 
is  called  hlqamginh/E. 

Haida.     British  Columbia. 

Dr  J.  R.  Swanton  *. describes  the  following  games: 

"A  woman's  pubic  bones"  (Gao  sku'  d.1i). — This  was  a  boy's  game.  Late 
in  the  spring,  when  a  tall,  slim  plant  called  L  :al,  the  pith  of  which  was  eaten, 
was  at  its  best,  the  boys  would  collect  a  great  quantity  of  the  stalks.  Then  two 
would  each  drive  a  couple  of  sticks  into  the  ground  about  5  yards  apart. 
After  that,  each  would  take  about  twenty  sticks  of  the  salmon-berry  bush,  and, 

"  Travels  in  the  Interior  of  North  America,  translated  by  H.  Evans  Lloyd,  p.  160, 
London,  1843. 

'  Contributions  to  the  Ethnography  of  the  Haida.  Memoirs  of  the  .\merioan  Museum 
of  Natural  History,  whole  series,  v.  8,  p.  60,  New  York,  1905. 


518  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [kth.  anx.  24 

using  them  as  spears,  alternately  try  to  drive  one  of  them  lietweeu  the  adver- 
sary's posts,  or  stick  it  into  the  ground  he.vond.  so  that  it  would  rest  on  their 
tops.  Each  boy  would  then  liid  a  certain  number  of  Llal  stalks,  and  after  they 
had  used  up  all  of  their  spears,  he  who  scored  the  most  hits  won  all  that  had 
been  put  up  by  his  adversary.  If  he  were  one  point  ahead,  he  got  nothing  more ; 
but  if  he  were  two  points  ahead,  he  won  as  much  agaiu ;  if  he  were  three  points 
ahead,  twice  as  much,  and  so  on. 

"Knocking  something  over  liy  shooting"  (Telltgada'ldaiia ). — This  was 
pla.ved  by  older  people.  Toward  the  end  of  spring  a  crowd  would  go  out  and 
set  up  a  piece  of  board  about  3  inches  wide  and  4  feet  high.  Then,  forming 
a  line  some  distance  away,  they  woidd  shoot  at  it  witli  blunt  arrows  in  succes- 
sion, beginning  at  one  end.  He  who  struik  the  stake  tirst  won  all  of  the  arrows 
shot  that  time  around,  except  the  others  that  struck.  Each  person  had  one  shot 
at  every  round.  Sometimes  they  played  against  each  other  by  companies,  of 
which  there  might  be  as  many  as  Ave  or  six.  Indeed,  a  whole  town  often  seems 
to  have  turned  out.  and  the  resulting  contests  to  ha\e  extended  over  a  long 
period  of  time.  Toward  the  end  some  of  the  pla.vers.  their  suppl.v  of  arrows 
being  exhausted,  would  be  compelled  to  manufacture  new  ones,  often  of 
inferior  make.  Two  of  these  hadjo  be  paid  in  as  an  equivalent  for  one  of  the 
better  class.  For  some  religious  reason  they  ceased  pla.ving  with  aiTows  as 
soon  as  winter  began. 

Xatxadl'da  (perhaps  a  name  for  the  pieces  of  spruce  bark  used  in  it). — This 
game  was  played  in  the  spring.  Two  boys  provided  themselves  with  ten  pieces 
of  spruce  bark  apiece,  each  of  which  wa.s  doubletl  over  and  fastened  along  one 
edge.  The  opposite  edge  was  the  one  on  which  they  were  to  stand.  Then  they 
were  set  up  in  a  row  upon  the  ground,  and  the  i)la.vers  endeavored  to  drive  the 
same  spears  as  those  used  in  the  previous  game  into  each  of  them.  He  who  tirst 
sent  a  spear  into  each  of  his  op|)onenfs  pieces  of  bark  won.  although  the  op[)0- 
nent  was  sometimes  allowed  to  have  additional  pieces, 

TAXCIAN    STOCK 

TiGUA.     Isleta,  New  Mexico,     (Cat.  no.  2272".  Free  Museum  of  Sci- 
ence and  Art.  T^niversity  of  Pennsylvania.) 

King  of  cotton  cloth  (figure  681).  closely  wrapped  with  a  buckskin 
thong,  9i  inches  in  diameter  and  1^  inches  thick.  The  interior 
is  divided  into  four  qiuirters  l)v  two  two-jjly  twisted  thongs 
fastened  to  the  interior  and  crossing  at  right  angles.  Five 
leather  thongs  are  attached  on  each  side  of  one  of  these  radial 
thongs,  above  and  below.  The  exterior  of  the  ring  is  painted 
red,  yellow,  and  blue;  red  on  the  sides,  then  a  yellow  baml.  with 
bhie  on  the  edge. 

Two  poles  (figure  (iSl).  one  a?  and  the  other  fiO  inches  in  length, 
painted  red  two-thirds  of  their  length,  with  blue  running  zigzag 
over  the  red.  Eight  long  buckskin  thongs  are  fastened  at  a 
point  14  inches  from  the  end  of  each  pole,  and  again  the  same 
number  at  another  point,  -V-i  inches  from  the  end. 
These  were  collected  by  the  writer  in  1902. 
The  ring  is  called  mar-kur.  and   the  ])oles  shi-a-fit.  spears.     The 

ring  is  rolled,  and  the  poles  are  luu-Ied  at  it.     The  counts  are  made 


CfLiNl  HOOP    AND    POLE:    KWAKIUTL  519 

according  to  the  set  of  thongs  nearest  the  striking  end.  If  the 
pole  penetrates  the  ring,  and  all  the  thongs  pass  entirely  through  it, 
it  counts  10.  If  one  thong  remains  caught  in  the  ring,  it  counts  1; 
if  two  remain,  2,  aud  so  on.     The  thongs  attached  to  the  interior  of 


Fig  681 .  Game  ring  and  darts;  diameter  of  ring.  9^  inches:  length  of  darts,  57  and  W)  inches; 
Tigua  Indians.  Isleta,  New  Mexico;  ca,t.  no.  2273",  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University 
of  Pennsylvania. 

the  ring  do  not  count,  but  serve  to  impede  the  passage  of  the  pole 
and  entangle  its  thongs.  The  game  is  played  by  men  and  boys,  but 
it  has  not  l)Pen  played  in  Isleta  for  the  past  fifteen  years.  The  writer 
was  told  that  it  is  regarded  as  a  Navaho  game. 

WAKASHAN    STOCK 

KwAKiuTL.  British  Columbia.  (American  Mu.seum  of  Natural 
History.) 

Cat.  no.  :fi|^.  Game  ring  (figure  (j8-2),  wrapped  with  cedar  bark; 
diameter,  9i  inches;  width,  2  inches;  designated  as  lamagikala 
gagayaxala,  first  kaue,  to  be  thrown  high. 

Cat.  no.  y+l^--  Game  ring  like  the  preceding,  10  inches  in  diame- 
ter: designated    as   xwaligwagane,   second   kane,   to   be    thrown 

Cat.  no.  jif^-  Game  ring  like  the  preceding,  8  inches  in  diameter; 
designated  as  tilemyu,  third  kane,  to  be  thrown  very  low. 

Cat.  no.  ^Ij.  Game  ring  (figure  683),  like  the  preceding.  If 
wide  and  8^  inches  in  diameter:  designated  as  nepayu,  the  ring, 
kane,  to  be  thrown  at  the  other  player  to  hurt  him. 


520 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  an.n.  24 


Cat.    no.   4+It-      Two   sticks    (figure    fi84),    saplings,    53|    inches   in 
length:    designated  as  tsatsigalayu,  being  the  sticks  for  catch- 
ing the  above-mentioned  rings. 
Collected  by  Mr  George  Hunt,  who  states  that  the  game  is  jjlayed 
h\  voung  men. 


Fig.  mi. 


Fig.  683. 


Fig.  W<4. 

Fig.  e82.    Game  ring:  diameter,  9J  inches;  Kwakiutl  Indians,  British  Columbia;  cat.  no.  jlfj, 

American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Fig.  1)8.3.    Game  ring;  diameter,  8J  inches;  Kwakiutl  Indians,  British  Columbia;  cat.  no.  jlfi, 

American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Fk;.  BW.    Dart  for  ring  game;  length,  5.3J  inches;  Kwakiutl  Indians, .British  Columbia:  cat.  no. 

^J-ojj,  American  Mu-eum  of  Natui-al  History. 


KwAKivTL.     Nawiti.  British  Columbia. 

Dr  C.  F.  Newcombe  descrilws  the  ring-and-dart  game  under  the 
name  of  kinxe.  the  ring  Ix'ing  called  kani.  and  the  stick,dsad.sigala"iu; 

Each  player  has  one  ring  nnil  one  stick.  4  to  8  feet  long  or  more,  according  to 
taste,  and  made  of  willow,  partly  peeled  to  sho^v  ownership  marks.  Tliere  are 
two  sides  of  equal  numbers,  who  agree  who  shall  first  throw  the  quoit-like  disk. 
Then  each  side  throw  alternately  or  altogether,  as  they  please.  The  object  is  to 
catch  the  ring,  either  in  the  air  or  running  along  the  ground,  with  the  stick,  and 
any  or  all  can  try  at  one  time,  but  as  all  disks  cau  be  in  the  air  at  once  this  is 
not  usual.  There  is  no  regular  scoring.  If  one  disk  is  caught,  it  is  kept  until 
the  whole  ten  are  thrown.  If  all  ten  are  not  caught  at  one  flight  or  play,  they 
are  thrown  back  to  the  opposite  side.  The  game  is  won  wlieu  one  side  catches 
all  ten  thrown  in  one  play,  and  tlie  losers  are  chased  by  winners,  who  first  say : 
"  Now  we  have  all  your  kani ;  "  "  Now  whom  will  you  send  out  to  take  the  pay?  " 

If  a  loser  steps  out  the  winners  throw  their  kani  at  this  one  as  bard  as  they 
can  from  any  distance.  The  victim  usually  protects  himself  with  a  blanket.  If 
he  can  catch  any  in  his  blanket,  he  can  retaliate.  If  no  one  comes  out  to  take 
the  penalty  the  whole  side  is  chased  and  thrown  at. 

Blunden  harbor,  British  Columbia.     (Cat.  no.  37907,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 


ciilin] 


HOOP  AND  pole:   KWAKIUTL 


521 


Perforated  lava  disk  (figure  ()8.")).  5  inches  in  diameter  and  If  inches 
thick. 
Collected  in  ^larch,  I'JOl.  by  Dr  C.  F.  Newconibe,  who  describes  it, 
under  the  name  of  laua'iu,  as  used  in  a  game: 

The  Kwakiutl  say  that  these  stone  disks  are  no  longer  iiseil.  Aeooriling  to 
Mr  Geoi'ge  Hunt,  they  were  originally  rolled  in  sets  of  four  of  different  sizes 
and  were  shot  at  with  Ijows  and  arrows. 

Dr  Franz  Boas,  in  his  Kwakintl  Texts,"  describes  a  game  played 
with  these  stones  between  tlie  birds  of  the  upper  world  and  the  myth 
people,  i.  e.,  "  all  the  animals  and  all  the  birds."  The  four  stones 
were  called,  respectively,  the  "^  mist-covered  gambling  stone,"'  the 
"  rainbow  gambling  stone,"  the  ''  cloud-covered  gambling  stone,"  and 
the  "  carrier  of  the  world."  The  woodpecker  and  the  other  mytii 
birds  played  on  one  side,  and  the 
Thunder  bird  and  the  birds  of  the 
upper   world   on    the   other,   in    two 


thu^ 


Tile  gamblini; 


Fk.  085  Stone  frame  nut;  diameter,  5 
inches;  Kwakiutl  (Tenaktak)  Indians; 
cat.  no.  37907,  Free  Museum  of  Science 
and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


stones  were  thrown  along  the  middle 
between  the  two  tril)es  of  birds,  and 
they  speared  them  with  their  beaks. 
The  Thunder  bird  and  the  birds  of 
the  ujjper  world  were  beaten  in  this 
contest.  This  myth  is  given  as  an 
explanation  of  the  reason  for  ]ilay- 
ing  the  game  with  the  gambling  stones.     They  are  called  laelae. 

KwAKiiiTL.     Nawiti.  Briti.-h  Columbia.     (Cat.  no.  858.51,  Field  Co- 
lumbian Museum.) 
J'"our  wooden  darts   (figure  (iSG),  38  inches  in  length,  in  twd  jjairs, 
distinguished  by  burnt  designs.     One  pair  has  broad  Hat  i)oints 
and  the  other  tajiering  blunt  points. 
Collected  in  V.)04  l)y  Dr  C.  F.  Xewcombe,  and  described  by  him  as 
used  in  the  spear-and-kelp  game,  sakaqes. 


Pig.  686.    Dart  for  spear-and-kelp  trame;  length.  ;i8  inches:  Kwakiutl  Indians,  British  Columbia; 
cat.  no.  8.08.51.  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

The  game  is  played  by  four  players  armed  with  spears,  sakiak'vis.  or  darts  of 
yellow  cedar  like  the  above,  there  being  two  sides  with  two  players  to  a  side. 
The  darts  are  usually  pointed  with  deer  shin  bones.  6  inches  long,  inserted  in 


"  Memoirs  of  the  .\merioan  Museum  of  Natui-al  Histoi'.v,  whole  series,  v.  5,  p.  2{>.'>.  New 
York.  1902. 


522 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 


the  si)lit  ends  and  not  barbed.  The  targets  are  two  piles  of  kelp,  10  to  15  feet 
apart.  These  consist  of  some  twenty  pieces,  the  largest  2A  inches  in  diameter, 
and  from  that  down  to  less  than  the  diameter  of  a  finger,  which  lie  transver.sely 
ti>  the  dart  thrower.  Standing  up  behind  the  bunch  is  a  Icelp  head,  which, 
however,  is  bidden  by  the  pile  from  the  player.  If  a  thrower  impales  one  or 
more  kelp,  both  spear  and  kelp  are  thrown  to  him.  If  he  misses,  the  opposite 
side  throws.     The  winner  is  he  who  first  gets  all  the  kelp  tubes. 

Makah.     Neah  bay,  Washington.     (Cat.  no.  37384.  Free  Museum  of 

Science  and  Art,  Universitj-  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Ring-   (figure  687)   made  of  a  core  of  grass  wrapped  with  braided 

cedar  barlt,  12  inches  in  diameter.     Collected  by  the  writer  in 

1900. 

Dr  George  A.  Dorsey  "  describes  a  game  called  dutaxchaias: 

This  game  is  played  by  young  men, 
generally  in  the  spring,  or  it  may  be 
lilayed  at  any  time  of  the  year.  The 
ring  (dutapi)  is  (if  cedar  bark  w(mnd 
tightly  and  carefully  braided.  Two  speci- 
mens were  collected,  one  of  which  has 
seen  considerable  usage.  In  playing 
the  game,  two  converging  lines  of  from 
six  to  ten  men  on  each  siile  are  formed. 
The  man  at  the  ape.v  of  the  converging 
lines  takes  the  ring  in  his  hand  and  rolls 
it  forward  between  the  lines  as  far  as  he 
can  :  as  the  ring  begins  to  lose  its  mo- 
mentum, and  wal)liles  pretiaratory  to 
falling,  all  shoot  at  it  with  an  arrow 
(tsik'hati)  from  an  ordinary  bow 
(bistati).  When  the  ring  is  struck  b.v 
an  arrow  of  one  side  or  the  other 
(quilah  =  winner),  the  losing  side  pay 
over    an    armw    as    forfeit.      The    game 

ends  at  any  time  by  mutual  consent,  or  when  one  side  or  the  other  has  won  all 

the  .irrows  of  the  opposing  side. 

Doctor  Dorsey  describes  also  the  game  of  katikas — sharp-stick 
slanting: 

This  game  is  .  .  .  played  by  bo.vs.  On  the  side  of  a  liill  ten  or  more 
sharpened  .sticks  are  thrust  into  the  ground  at  intervals  of  from  two  to  three 
inches.  Each  has  his  individual  set  of  sti<ks.  or  goal.  One  of  the  players  rolls 
down  the  slope  a  large  piece  of  kelp,  tj  inches  in  length.  If  it  so  rolls  as  to  impale 
itself  on  one  of  the  sticks  of  one  of  the  other  players,  he  withdraws  the  stick 
from  the  earth  and  throws  the  kelp  up  in  the  air  and  attempts  to  catch  it  on 
the  point  of  the  stick.  If  successful,  he  retains  the  stick,  which  constitutes  the 
game. 


Pig.  687.  Game  ring;  diameter,  12  inches: 
Makah  Indians,  Neah  bay,  Washingttjn;- 
eat.  no.  ;i7;^84,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and 
Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


"  Games 
1901. 


lit  the  Makah  Indians  of  Nenli  Bay.      The  .\mericjiu  .\utiiiii!u-iau.  v.  -8.  p.  69, 


CILIN] 


HOOP    ANIi    PULE  :    JIOHAVE 


523 


NooTKA.     British  Columbia. 
Dr  Franz  Boas"  says: 

The  games  of  the  Nootka  are  identical  with  tliose  of  the  neighl)oriiis  trilies. 
A  favorite  game  is  played  with  hoops,  which  are  rolled  over  the  ground.  Then 
a  spear  is  thrown  at  them,  which  must  i)ass  through  the  hoop  (nutnu'tc). 


■\VASHOAN  STOCK 

Washo.     Xear  Truckee,  Nevada. 

Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  descrih(>s  the  h(»)|)-an(l-sp('ar  oamc  anion<r  this 
tribe,  under  the  name  of  pulid]iaiyaya])ii.  the  hoop  l>einof  called  hv  the 
same  name : 

The  hoop  is  of  willow  covered  with  huckskin,  V2  inches  in  diameter.  One 
player  rolls  it  rapidly  past  his  opponent,  who  throws  at  it.  Impaling  the  hoop 
counts  one.  Seven  is  the  game,  which  is  counted  with  sticks.  The  lance  is 
called  mak. 

Woodfords,  Alpine  county.  California. 

Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  a  manV  game  in  which  a  rolliiiy  hoop 
of  willow  is  shot  at  with  arrows  by  an  opponent,  under  the  name  of 
pululpaiyapa : 

Pulul,  hoop:  baiyap.  to  shoot  at.  Tlie  game  is  also  pla.ved  by  casting  a  lau<'e 
at  a  target  hooii. 

In  another  form  of  tlie  game  called  inilultumpes — pulul.  lioo[i :  tumpes.  to  cast. 
the  hoop  is  held  in  the  hand  and  the  opponent  endeavors  tt)  catch  between  his 
fingers  the  small  dart  thrown  by  his  opponent.  In  tliis  game  the  outstretched 
fingers  occupy  the  center  of  tlie  hoop.  In  a  variation  of  this  an  actual  arrow- 
is  cast,  the  opponent  being  often  hurt 
in  the  hand. 

YrilAX   .STOCK 

Mohave.     Fort  Mohave,   Arizona. 
(Cat.  no.  60264,  Field  Co- 
1  u  m  bi  a  n  Mu  seu  m . ) 
King  of  bark.  6^  inches  in  diame- 
ter, wi-apped  with  cord    (fig- 
ure  688)  ;    and   two   poles,    12 
feet    in    length,    rounded    and 
tapering  from  butt  to  ti)i. 
Collected    by    Mr   John    J.    Mc- 
Koin.  who  furnishes  the  following     _      „„^    „  •       j-      »      ..,  ■    , 

^       Fio.  Bsts.    Game  ring;  diameter,  bi   luclies: 
account  of  the  game  :  Mohave  Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  60264. 

Field  Columbian  Museum. 
This  game  is   played   with  two  poles 

and  one  ring.  The  poles  are  called  co-tool-w.i.  and  the  ring  cop-o-cho-ia.  These 
poles  are  respectively  marked  with  one  or  two  circles  carved  upon  the  larger 
end.  Each  player  chooses  an  umpire,  who  rules  upon  plays.  They  then  agree 
upon  the  pole  which  each  is  to  have  and  as  to  who  is  to  make  the  first  trial 
with  the  ring.     SupiTose  a  player  with  the  pole  marked  with  one  circle  gets 

«  Second  General  Report  on  tbe  Indians  of  British  Columhia.  Report  of  the  Si.ttieth 
Meeting  of  the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  500.  Loudon,  1801. 


52-t 


GAMES    OF   THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 


the  first  tri;il  with  the  ring.  He  then  throws  the  pole  at  the  rinp  while  it  is 
lolling  or  at  snch  point  as  he  believes  the  ring  will  fall,  the  object  being  to 
place  the  pole  so  that  the  ring  will  fall  upon  it  in  such  a  manner  that  the 
umpire,  standing  over  the  pole  at  the  point  where  the  ring  falls  and  looking 
Iierpendicularly  downward  through  the  ring,  can  see  the  pole.  This  counts  1 
point.  If  the  umpire  sees  both  poles,  no  points  are  made,  and  the  pla.ver  with 
the  ring  tries  again.  He  continues  to  try  until  he  makes  the  number  of  points 
agreetl  upon  with  the  player  of  the  pole  marked  with  two  circles  in  such  a 
manner  that  the  grave  and  dignified  umjiire.  making  decisions  as  before  ex- 
plained, decides  the  point  in  his  favor  and  awards  the  ring  to  him.  that  pla.ver 
No.  2  may  make  a  trial  of  his  skill.  The  player  who  first  makes  the  number  of 
points  agreed  upon  is  declared  the  winner. 

Mohave.  Colorado  river,  Arizona.  (Cat.  no.  lOllC,  Peabody  Mu- 
seum of  American  Archa'olowy  and  Ethnology'. 

Lnplements  of  ring-and-pole  game,  consisting  of  three  rings  of  bark 
wrapped  with  twine  made  of  yucca  fiber,  each  about  7  inches  in 
diameter    (figure  689).     One  ring  is  ov'erwrapped   witli   ^^trips 


Fig.  tWH.    Riiig.s  fur  ring  and  pole;  diameter,  about  7  inches;  Mohave  Indians,  Arizona:  i-at.  no. 
lOllG,  Peabody  Miiseum  of  American  Archieology  and  Ethnology. 

of  cotton  rags  of  different  colors,  white,  red,  and  purple,  for  about 
two-thirds  of  its  circumference.    There  are  two  jjoles,  one  perfect, 
5  feet  8  inches  in  length.     The  other  consists  of  parts  of  two 
poles,  which  have  been  cut  in  half  for  convenience  in  transporta- 
tion and  do  not  mate.     Collected  by  Dr  Edward  Palmer. 
Lieut.  A.  W.  "\^^lipple,  U.  S.  Army."  describes  the  following  game : 
Some  of  the  young  men  selected  a  level  spot,  40  jiaces  in  length,  for  a  play- 
ground, and  amused  themselves  in  their  favorite  sport  with  hoop  and  poles.     The 
hoop  is  li  inches  in  diameter,  and  made  of  an  elastic  cord.     The  poles  are  straight 
and  about  15  feet  in  length.     Kolling  the  hoop  from  one  end  of  the  course,  two 


*>  Reports  of  Explorations  and  Surveys  to  ascertain  the  Most  Practicable  and  Economi- 
cal Route  fur  a  Railroad  from  the  Mississippi  River  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  v.  3,  p.  114, 
Washington,  185*1. 


ciLiM]  HOOP  AND  pole:  walapai  525 

persons  chase  it  halfway,  and  at  the  same  instant  throw  their  poles.     He  who 
succeeds  in  piercing  the  hoop  wins  the  game. 

Walapai.    Walapai  reservation.  Arizona.     (Cat.  no.  151-2!).  Field  Co- 
lumbian Museum. ) 
Ring  (figure  (iOO),  interior  core  wrapped  with  strip.s  of  cotton  cloth, 
with  buckskin  outside,  6i  inches  in  diameter:  and  two  cotton- 
wood  poles,  12  feet  in  length.     The  poles  taper  to  a  point  and  the 
butts  are  marked  ditferently. 
Two  other  sets  have  rings  wrapped  with  cord.     One  ring  (cat.  no. 
63344,  figure  691)    is  7  inches  in  diameter,  and  another   (cat.  no. 
63345),  wrapped  with  coarse  cord,  is  of  the  same  diameter.     Four 
poles  (cat.  no.  63344)  are  13  feet  8  inches  in  length. 

These  were  collected  by  Mr  Henry  P.  Ewing,  who  gives  the  follow- 
ing account  of  the  game,  which  he  describes  under  the  name  of  tutava : 


Pig.  ear  Fig.  im 

Pig.  fiW.    Game  ring;  diameter,  t»j  inches;  Walapai  Indians,  Arizona:  cat.  n<.>.  I.')l;i9,  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 
Pig.  t>91.    Game  ring,  diameter.  7  inches:   Walapai  Indians,  Arizona:  <-at.  no.  H:t*44,  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 

The  tu-ta-va  game  is  played  with  two  long  poles,  called  tn-a-a.  and  a  Imoi). 
called  tav-a-chu-ta.  To  pla.v.  two  persons,  always  men,  select  a  piece  of  ground 
about  100  feet  long  and  20  feet  wide,  smooth,  level,  and  clear.  Standing  side  by 
side  at  one  end  of  this  tract,  facing  the  other  end,  the  men  hold  their  poles 
in  both  hands  and  start  to  run  toward  the  other  end  of  the  ground.  As  they 
do  so  the  one  who  holds  the  hoop  throws,  or  rolls,  it  along  the  ground  in  front 
of  them,  and  as  it  rolls  each  throws  his  pole,  end  foremost,  giving  it  a  sliding 
motion,  so  that  it  slides  along  the  ground  for  some  distance  ahead  of  the  run- 
ners. The  object  is  to  get  the  hoop  to  fall  so  that  one  edge  of  it  will  rest  on 
the  pole,  while  the  other  rests  on  the  ground.  Should  this  happen,  it  counts 
the  contestant  using  that  pole  1.  Should  the  hoop  fall  so  that  it  rests  over 
the  point  of  the  pole,  but  the  pole  does  not  go  through  it,  that  counts  4  and 
wins  the  game,  4  points  constituting  the  game.  If  the  pole  goes  through  the 
hoop  it  does  not  count  anything,  and  unless  the  hoop  lies  fully  up  on  the  pole 
It  does  not  count.  It  will  be  seen  that  this  is  a  game  of  skill  as  well  as  of  chance, 
and  is,  or  was,  often  played  for  big  stakes — ponies,  guns,  women,  anything, 
everything. 

The  game  was  very  popular  with  the  men.  and  twent.v  years  ago,  when  the 
weather  was  fair,  there  was  not  a  camp  but  a  game  of  tu-ta-va  could  he  seen 
near  it  all  day  long.  It  developed  the  muscles  by  running  and  throwing  the 
pole.     The  Indians  seldom  play  this  game  now. 


52tl  GAMES    OF    THE    XORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.ann.  24 

YrMA.     Colorado  river.  Calift)niia. 
Maj.  S.  P.  Heintzlenian.  U.  S.  Army,  says"  in  1853: 

A  favorite  jiimisenient  is  a  piny  calletl  ino-turi).  or,  in  Spanish,  redendo 
[redondo?].  It  is  played  with  two  poles  15  feet  long,  an  inch  and  a  half  in 
diameter,  and  a  ring  wrapped  with  twine.  4  inches  in  diameter.  One  rolls  this 
ring  along  the  ground  and  both  run  after  it,  projecting  their  poles  forward. 
He  on  whose  pole  the  ring  stops  counts  1,  and  he  ha.s  the  privilege  to  roll  the 
ring.  Four  counts  game.  They  do  not  count  when  a  pole  enters  the  ring.  Old 
and  young,  chiefs  and  the  common  people,  all  take  great  delight  in  this  game. 
They  follow  it  for  hours  in  the  hot  sun.  raising  clouds  of  dust,  the  jierspiration 
making  their  dusky  skins  glossy. 

Arizona. 


Dr  H.  F.  C.  ten  Kate,  jr.''  says  he  saw  a  group  of  half-naked, 
painted  young  men  who  were  intent  in  the  game  of  otoerboek.  This 
game  is  played  by  two  men,  each  armed  with  a  very  long  wooden  pole, 
who  run  side  by  side.  One  of  them  rolls  a  wooden  ring.  ka])tzor.  raji- 
idly  ahead.  At  the  same  time  titer  hastily  throw  their  poles  at  the 
ring  so  that  it  is  stopped.  He  was  not  certain  whether  the  sticks  had 
to  be  thrown  throtigh  tlie  ring  or  whether  the  coinit  depended  upon 
the  particular  way  in  which  the  yjoles  lay  beside  it. 

ZUNIAN    STOCK 

ZuNi.     Zuiii,  New  Mexico.      (Cat.  n<i.  WiV2.  Brooklyn  Institute  Mu- 
seum.) 
Ring  of  bent  twig   (figure  692).  .">  inches  in  diameter,  wound  with 
blue  yarn,  and  having  a  piece  of  blue  yarn.  18  inches  in  length, 
tied  at  the  point  of  juncture,  and   a   peeled  twig.  30  inches  in 
length,  painted  red.  and  tied  with  blue  yarn  at  four  places  equi- 
distant along  its  length.     Collected  by  the  writer  in  1903. 
The   game   is   called   tsikonai   ikoshnakia,   ring  play:    the   ring   is 
called   antsikonai.  and  the  stick,  tslamtashaikoshai,  long  stick  for 
play.     One  man  has  the  ring,  which  he  rolls,  and  the  other  the  stick, 
which   he   throws  after  it.     When   the  stick   penetrates  the  ring  it 
counts  according  to  the  particular  string  on  the  stick  against  which  it 
lies,  as  shown  in  figure  (i02.     Tn  going  out  to  play  the  player  carries 
the  ring  suspended  over  his  shouldei'  by  the  end  and  the  stick  held 
upright  in  his  right  hand. 
Mrs  Matilda  Coxe  Stevenson''  describes  the  game  of  hotkiimonne: 

Implements:  two  slender  sticks,  each  passed  through  a  piece  of  corncob,  the 
stick  sharjiened  at  one  end  and  having  two  hawk  plumes  inserted  in  the  other 
end:  ball  of  yucca  ribbons  [figure  69.3]. 

"  House  of  Representatives.  Executive  Documer*  76.  Thlrt.v-fourth  Concress.  third 
KessioD.  18.57.  p.  49.  See  a\sfO  Lieut.  W.  H.  Emor.v  in  Report  of  the  Inited  States  and 
Mexican  Boundar.v  Surve.v.   v.   1.  p.   111.  Washington.   lS."i7. 

'■  Reizen  en  Onderzoekinsen  in  Noord-Amerikfi.  p.  los.  Leiden.  188."». 

*■  Zuni  Games,      .\raerican  Anthropologist,  n.  s..  v.  .5.  p.  401.  lOO."?. 


culin] 


KINO    AND    PIN 


527 


The  yucca  ball  is  placed  ou  the  ground  and  the  sticks  are  thrown  at  it  from 
a  short  distance.  The  ball  must  be  penetrated.  If  the  first  player  strikes  the 
ball,  the  stick  is  allowed  to  remain  in  place  until  the  other  party  plays.  If 
both  sticks  strike  the  ball,  it  is  a  draw.  If  the  second  stick  fails  to  strike,  it 
remains  where  it  falls  and  the  first  player  removes  his  stick  from  the  ball 
and  throws  again.  The  one  who  strikes  the  ball  the  greater  number  of  times 
wins  the  game. 


Fig.  693. 

Fig.  692.    Game  ring  and  dart;  diameter  Sf  ring,  5  inches;  length  of  stick,  :^)  inches;  Zuiii 

Indians,  Znni,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  3nt'»2.  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 
Fig.  693.    Yucca  ball  and  corncob  darts:  Zuni  Indians,  Zuni,  New  Mexico;  from  Mrs  Stevenson. 

Ho'kUnionne  is  one  of  the  most  precious  games  of  the  Zuiii.  it  being  among 
those  offered  to  the  Gods  of  War  at  the  winter  solstice.  The  game  is  frequently 
played  for  rains,  and  when  it  occurs  in  this  connection  sacred  meal  is  sprinkled 
on  the  ground  before  the  ball  is  placed :  the  one  who  first  penetrates  the  ball 
lifts  it  by  the  stick,  and,  drawing  a  breath  from  it,  offers  thanks  to  the  gods 
that  the  rains  are  soon  to  come. 

RING  AND  PIN 


The  game  which  I  have  designated  as  ring  and  pin  has  a  wide  dis- 
trihution,  similar  to  that  of  the  hoop-and-pole-game,  of  which,  as  I 
have  stated  in  the  introduction,  it  may  be  regarded  as  a  miniature  and 
solitaire  form.  In  the  former  game  the  ring  or  target  is  attached  to 
a  thong  or  cord  by  means  of  which  it  is  swung  in  the  air.  the  object 
being  to  catch  it  upon  a  pin  or  dart  fastened  to  the  other  end  of  the 
thong.  It  is  analogous  to  the  well-known  European  game  of  cup  and 
ball  (Fr.  bilbor|uet).  in  which  the  liall  may  be  caught  either  in  the  cup 
or  upon  the  ]5ointed  end  of  the  catching  implement.  I  have  employed 
the  name  of  ring  and  pin,  suggested  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey,  as  a 


528 


GAMES    OF    THE    XORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


matter  of  convenience,  for  the  American  game,  although  rings  are 
among  the  objects  least  frequently  used.  In  point  of  fact,  the  targets 
are  of  the  greatest  jiossiljle  variety,  both  in  form  and  material,  rang- 
ing from  a  single  hide  ring  among  the  Tewa  (Hano)  to  strings  of 
imbricated  phalangeal  bones  (Algonquian,  Athapascan,  and  Siouan 
tribes),  salmon  bones  (Hnpa.  Porno.  Umatilla.  Shasta),  iMiinpkiii 
rinds  (Pima,  Mohave),  and.  finally,  to  single  objects  perforated  with 
holes,  such  as  the  skulls  of  small  rodents  (Eskimo, 
Paiute).  bone  copies  thereof  (Eskimo),  seal  l)ones 
(Eskimo,  Clayoquot,  Kwakiutl,  INIakah),  or  lialls 
of  tule  (Klamath,  Thompson  Indians,  Paiute)  and 
bundles  of  pine  twigs  (Micmac,  Passamaquoddy. 
Penobscot)  and  moose  hair  (Penobscot).  When 
we  examine  the  games  played  with  strings  of 
phalangeal  Ixjncs.  fi-om  among  the  northern  range 
of  tribes  (Algonquian,  Athapascan,  and  Siouan). 
the  most  lunnerously  represented  in  our  present 
collection,  we  discover  that  the  number  of  liones  is 
not  constant,  varying  from  three  to  nine,  and  that 
not  infrequently  they  are  pierced  with  transverse 
holes  and  numbered  by  means  of  notches  from  the 
bones  nearest  the  pin  end.  These  notches  deter- 
mine the  count. 

A  pretty  constant  featiu"e/of  this  game  is  a  flap 
of  buckskin  or  other  material  attached  to  the  ex- 
treme end  of  the  string.  This  flap  is  perforated 
with  holes  which  vary  in  munber.  and  usually  has 
a  large  hole  in  tlie  center.  In  the  Cree  game  (fig- 
ure 705)  there  is  the  flaj)  alone,  a  disk  of  stiff  buck- 
skin with  twenty-three  holes,  the  direct  analogue 
of  the  netted  hoop.  In  the  Siouan  games  the  flap 
is  replaced  with  strings  of  glass  beads,  which  count 
according  to  the  number  caught.  The  buckskin 
survives  in  a  vestigial  form  in  the  Winnebago  game 
(figure  740),  as  a  i)iece  of  ribbon  in  that  of  the 
Sauk  and  Foxes  (figure  713),  and  again  as  a  tuft 
of  hair  in  the  Umatilla  salmon-bone  game  (figure 
731).  The  buckskin  disk  survives  also  as  the  prin- 
cipal feature  of  the  cedar-bough  game  of  the  Passamaquoddy.  The 
Eskimo  game,  played  with  a  small  netted  hoop  (figure  C17),  which  I 
have  included  among  the  games  of  hoop  and  pole,  occupies  a  position 
midway  between  the  hoop  game  ]iroper  and  the  ring-and-pin  games. 
The  strings  of  salmon  tone  are  directly  analogous  to  the  phalangeal 
bones,  the  same  being  true  of  the  Pima  and  Mohave  disks  of  pumpkin 
rind.     In  general,  the  material  of  the  target  depends  upon  the  culture. 


Fn..  iM.  Stii-k  and 
ring;  length  of  stick, 
21?  inches:  shrine  of 
Little  Fire  society, 
Zuni,  New  Mexico; 
cat.  no.  49119,  Brook- 
lyn Institute  Muse- 
um. 


CDLIN]  RING    AND    PIN  :    ARAPAHO  529 

The  rabbit  and  hare  skulls  occur  among  both  the  Paiute  and  the  Es- 
kimo. As  is  natural,  the  greatest  variation  from  what  may  be  re- 
garded as  the  original  type  is  found  among  the  latter  people,  who 
coi^y  the  hare  skull  in  ivory  and  make  from  the  same  material  other 
implements  representing  the  polar  bear  and  fish.  The  ball  of  tule 
is  found  among  nearly  contiguous  tribes.  The  cedar-twig  and  moose- 
hair  target  of  the  eastern  Algonquian  tribes  is  analogous  to  the  arch- 
ery target  of  the  Crows  and  the  Grosventres  (figure  501). 

Wire  needles  are  now  employed  in  the  Arapaho,  Cheyenne.  Oglala, 
and  other  Algonquian  and  Siouan  tribes,  but  originally  they  were  all 
of  wood  or  bone. 

The  counts  are  extremely  varied.  In  the  phalangeal-bone  game 
the  bones  count  progressively  from  the  one  nearest  the  pin.  The 
loops  of  beads  count  1  or  10;  the  holes  in  the  leather.  2  or  4;  the 
large  central  hole.  more.  The  total  count  of  the  game  also  varies 
from  2,  4.  50,  or  100.  the  commonest  number,  up  to  -2.000.  The  game 
is  played  both  for  stakes  and  as  a  child's  amusement.  The  plaj'ers 
are  usually  two  in  number,  women  and  girls,  or  a  youth  and  a  girl,  as 
suggested  by  its  name  of  '"love  game"  (Cheyenne)  or  the  "lovers' 
game  "  (Penobscot).  Mr  Gushing  informed  me  that  in  Zuiii  a  phallic 
.significance  was  attached  to  the  ring  and  pin.  This  corresponds  with 
the  symbolism  of  the  hoop-and-pole  gam?  and  serves  to  strengthen 
and  confirm  the  theory  I  have  advanced  as  to  their  interdependence. 
An  object  analogous  to  the  ring-and-pin  game  of  the  Zuiii  is  found 
in  a  stick  with  a  ring  attached  by  a  cord  (figure  694),  from  an  an- 
cient shrine  of  the  Little  Fire  society  at  Zuiii,  in  the  Brooklyn  Insti- 
tute Museum.  The  ring  represents  the  net  shield  of  the  War  Gods, 
and  the  object  may  be  considered  as  the  ceremonial  antetype  of  the 
ring-and-pin  game. 

ALGONQUIAN    STOCK 

Arapaho.    Wind  River  reservation,  Wyoming.     (Cat.  no.  3G981,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Four   phalangeal  bones    (figure   695),  each  with  ten  perforations. 


Fio.  6t*5.    Chetguetat;  length  of  implement,  16.V  inches:  Arapaho  Indians,  Wind  River  reserva- 
tion. Wyoming:  cat-  no.  36981,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

strung  on  a  thong  with  a  needle  attached.     The  bone  nearest  the 
needle  has  three  cuts  on  one  side:  the  next,  four;  the  next,  five, 
and  the  last,  six.     Five  beaded  loops  are  at  the  end  opposite  the 
needle. 
24  ETH— 05  M 34 


530  GAMES  OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS        [eth.  ANN.  24 

Another  set  (cat.  no.  36982)  in  the  same  collection  has  three  bones, 
each  with  eight  lateral  iDerforations.  One  bone  has  seven 
notches,  another  two,  while  the  third  is  plain.  Seven  beaded 
loops  and  a  similar  brass  ring  are  attached  at  the  end  opposite 
the  needle. 

Still  another  set  (cat.  no.  36983)  has  four  bones,  not  perforated  lat- 
erally, with  two,  three,  four,  and  five  transverse  cuts,  and  three 
antelope  hoofs  at  the  end  opposite  the  needle. 
All  these  are  implements  for  the  game  of  chetguetat.     Collected 

by  the  writer  in  1900. 

Cheyenne.     Oklahoma.     (Cat.  no.  178338,  United  States  National 

Museum.) 
Four  phalangeal  bones  of  the  deer,  perforated,  and  pierced  with  lat- 
eral perforations  and  marked  with  one,  two.  three,  and  four 
scratches;   strung  on  a  beaded  cord  with  an  iron  needle  attached, 
and  having  eight  loops  of  red  glass  beads  on  the  end  opposite  the 
needle. 
These  specimens  were   collected  by  Mr  Louis  L.   Meeker,  when 
teacher  of  manual  training  in  the  Cheyenne  school,  Darlington,  Okla- 
homa, who  furnished  the  following  jDarticulars  concerning  it  in  a 
communication  on  Cheyenne  Games  made  to  the  United  States  Bu- 
reau of  American  Ethnology : 

The  ni-to-nis-dot  or  thrusting  game  of  tlie  Cheyenne  is  played  with  tlie  four 
phahmgeal  bones  from  the  fore  or  the  hind  feet  of  a  deer.  Sometimes  two  of 
the  bones  are  from  a  fore  foot  and  two  from  a  hind  foot,  but  this  seems  to  be 
only  when  a  new  set  is  made  of  two  old  ones,  part  of  which  are  broken. 

Each  bone  is  pierced  with  four  rows  of  holes,  four  in  a  row.  about  equal 
distances  apart,  each  row  being  on  one  of  the  faces  of  a  bone,  for  the  bones  are 
somewhat  fiuadrangular. 

Tliero  is  a  small  loop,  called  an  earring,  he-wus'-sis.  attached  on  either  side 
of  one  end  of  each  bone  by  putting  the  cord  of  which  it  is  made  tlirougli  one 
of  the  holes  or  through  very  small  holes  nearer  the  edge  and  pierced  for  that 
purpose. 

Thus  prepared,  the  four  bones  are  strung  lil<e  lieads  on  a  liuckskin  string  or 
on  a  strand  of  beads  strung  on  sinews.  The  larger  end  of  each  bone  is  toward 
the  same  end  of  the  string,  to  which  is  attached  a  needle  or  piece  of  wire  about 
6  inches  long,  one  end  of  which  is  coiled  to  make  an  eye  to  which  the  string  is 
fastened.  It  is  generally  understnod  that  originally  this  needle,  or  bodkin,  was 
of  bone  and  was  used  for  piercing  deerskin  to  sew  it  with  sinews.  Large  thorns 
were  also  used. 

The  end  of  the  string  or  strand  of  lieads  opposite  that  to  which  the  needle  is 
attached  is  composed  of  a  bunch  of  loops,  made,  like  the  earings.  of  sinews, 
generally,  if  not  always,  strung  with  beads.  The  number  of  loops  vary,  so 
that  the  bunch  may  be  sufficiently  large  to  prevent  the  bones  from  slijjping  off. 
Perhaps  ten  loops  is  the  proper  number. 

In  the  illustration  Hi'-o-ni"-va.  "Pipe  woman,"  a  camp  Indian,  is  seated  on 
a  Government  blanket  with  the  game  in  her  hand,  ready  to  throw  [figure  696]. 

The  needle  is  held  in  the  right  hand,  almost  pen-fashion,   but  against  the 


CULIN] 


KING    AND    PIN  :    CHEYENNE 


531 


side  of  the  forefinger  at  the  joint  next  the  nail.  Tlie  cuil  that  forms  the  eye 
of  the  needle  is  up,  and  the  other  end  or  point  of  the  needle  is  where  the  point 
of  the  i«?n  would  he.  but  the  needle  is  held  close  to  the  eye  that  the  iioint  may 
liroject  as  far  as  possible. 

The  string  passes  along  the  under  side  of  the  needle ;  the  strand  of  bones  haug 
down ;  the  ta.ssel  of  loops  is  held  by  the  thumb  and  forefinger  of  the  left  hand, 
which  loosen  it  at  the  proper  moment  for  a  slight  movement  of  the  right  hand 
to  swing  it  upward  and  forward  until  the  chain  of  bones  is  in  a  horizontal 
iwsition  in  front  of  the  player.  The  needle  is  then  thrust  forward  along  the 
string  on  which  the  bones  are  strung,  with  the  intention  of  catching  one  of  the 
bones. 

If  it  passes  lengthwise  through  the  first  bone,  it  counts  10;  through  the 
second  one,  20;  the  third,  ."0,  ami  the  fourth,  40.     Should  it  enter  the  end  of 


Fig.  tiyti.    Cheyenne  woman  piayin^'  liitcnisflot.  Oklahoma;  from  phi 

Meeker. 


^'nijth  l>y  3Ir  Louis  L. 


the  boue,  but  pass  out  at  one  of  the  holes,  it  counts  but  1.  If  it  passes  through 
an  earring,  it  counts  but  1.  Caught  through  the  tassel  of  loops  at  the  end  it 
counts  50 ;  or  some  say  it  counts  5  or  10  for  each  loop  through  which  the  needle 
passes.  This,  and  giving  a  particular  value  to  each  hole,  is  either  an  innova- 
tion or  a  manner  of  counting  in  use  only  among  older  players.  Children  and 
oi-dinary  players  count  the  same  for  any  hole  and  .50  for  the  end  loops. 

When  more  than  two  play,  each  side  takes  turns,  and  each  player  on  a  side, 
but  it  is  not  ijassed  from  one  to  another  until  there  is  a  throw  that  does  not 
count. 

Each  side  has  fifty  sticks,  which  are  passed  back  and  forth  as  the  pla.v  pro- 
gresses. When  one  side  has  all  the  sticks,  the  game  is  ended.  It  is  said  that 
in  olden  times  the  sticks  were  redistributed  and  the  game  continued  until 
exactly  noon,  wlien  the  party  having  fewest  sticks  prepared  a  feast  for  all. 


532  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMEEICAN    INDIANS       [ETn.  ANN.  24 

Cheyenne.     Oklahoma.     (Cat.  no.  18(110.  Free  Museum  of  Science 

and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Four  |)lialang:eal  bones  of  a  deer,  perforated,  and  pierced  with  lateral 
perforations,  and  marked  with  two,  three,  four,  and  live  red 
painted  notches,  strung  on  a  thong,  with  an  iron  needle  attached 
(figure  697).  Five  loojis  of  blue  glass  beads  are  attached  to  the 
end  opposite  the  needle. 
Collected  by  Mr  George  E.  Starr. 

Another  specimen  (cat.  no.  18682)  in  the  same  collection  is  iden- 
tical in  form  with  the  above,  except  that  the  bones  have  one,  two, 
three,  and  four  notches. 


Fig.  fi97.    Nitouisdot;  length  of  implement,  23i  inches;  Cheyenne  Indians,  Oklahcmia:  I'at.  no. 
18810,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Another  specimen  in  the  United  States  National  Museum  (cat.  no. 
I608OO),  collected  by  Rev.  H.  R.  Voth,  is  practically  identical  in  its 
detail>  with  the  preceding. 

Okhiiioma.      (Cat.  no.  67437,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Four  phalangeal  bones  of  a  deer,  ]ierforated  and  pierced  and  strung 
on  beaded  cord  to  which  an  iron  needle  is  attached.     At  the  other 
end  of  the  cord  are  loops  of  strung  beads,  two  pink,  three  green, 
and  one  yellow. 
Collected  by  Rev.  H.  R.  Voth,  who  describes  the  game  as  follows: 

Tlieso  hones  are  used  liy  the  Arapalio  ns  well  as  the  Cheyenne  in  a  same 
wliich  is  sometimes  called  the  love  game.  Tlie  wire  bodkin  is  talien  in  the 
right  hand  and  pointed  horizontally  forward.  The  four  bones  are  then  swung 
forward,  and  tlie  bodlvin  is  dexterously  thrust  through  the  perforations  of  one  or 
more  of  them,  each. of  which  rejiresents  a  certain  value.  The  great  aim  of  the 
player  is  to  catch  all  the  four  bones  horizontally  on  the  needle  at  one  time. 

Col.  Richard  Irving  Dodge  "  says : 

The  Cheyenne  women  have  another  game  of  which  they  are  passionately  fond. 
Small  white  beads  are  strung  on  a  sinew,  12  or  14  inches  long;  at  one  end  are 
lastened  in  a  bunch  si.x  loops,  about  an  inch  in  diameter,  of  smaller  beads  simi- 
larly strung.  Four  polished  bones  of  the  bear's  foot  are  then  strung  on  this 
be.ided  string,  the  smaller  ends  toward  the  loops.  Each  of  these  bones  is  per- 
forated with  sixteen  holes  in  rows  of  four,  and  at  each  end  are  two  or  three 


•  Our  Wild  Indians,  p.  331,  Hartford.  1882. 


CCLIN] 


RING    AND    PIN  :    CHIPPEWA 


533 


very  small  loops  of  red  beads.  TUe  other  end  of  the  sinew  is  now  fastened  to  a 
sharpened  piece  of  wire.  6  to  7  inches  long,  and  the  sambliug  instrument  is 
complete. 

The  game  is  played  by  any  number  of  players,  each  in  turn.  The  needle  is 
held  horizontally  between  the  thumb  and  fingers.  The  bones  hanging  down  are 
steadied  for  an  instant,  then  thrown  forward  and  upward,  and  as  they  come 
opposite  the  i)oint  of  the  needle  a  rapid  thrust  is  made.  If  the  player  be  slcill- 
ful  the  point  Of  the  needle  will  catch  in  some  of  the  loops  or  perforations  of 
the  bones.  For  each  loop  at  the  lower  extremity  of  the  instrument  caught  by 
the  needle  the  player  counts  100.  Being  put  together  in  a  bunch,  it  is  rare 
that  more  than  two  or  three  are  caught,  though  all  six  may  be.  One  of  the 
bones  caught  lengthwise  on  the  needle  counts  25 :  two,  50.  Each  little  loop 
and  perforation  penetrated  by  the  needle  counts  5.  Though  the  complications 
are  numerous,  the  count  is  simple.  Thus  suppose  the  needle  passed  through  a 
little  loop  on  the  third  bone  (.">).  then  through  the  bone  (2.5 1.  then  through  a 
little  loop  at  the  other  end  of  the  bone  (.5).  then  through  a  loop  on  fourth 
bone  (5).  .-ind  finally  throiigli  three  of  the  terminal  loops  (.3CK1).  the  count  for 
the  throw  is  the  sum  of  all  (.'540).  I  have  never  seen  over  500  made  at  a 
throw,  though  it  is  of  course  possible  to  make  over  600.  If  the  needle  misses 
or  fails  to  perforate  loop  or  orifice,  there  is  no  count.     The  game  is  usiially  2.000. 

Chippewa.     Bois    fort,    near    Rainy    river.    Minnesota.      (American 

Miiseum  of  Natural  History.) 
Cat.   no.  j*5^y.     Tapering  bundle  of  cedar  leaves    (figure  698).  tied 
with  cotton  thread.  7  inches  in  length,  having  a  wooden  pin  at- 
tached by  a  cotton  cord. 
The  game  is  called  niipawagan.     Catching  the  bundle  counts  1 
point. 


Fig.  eat. 


Fig.  B99. 

Fig.  698.     Napawagan;  length  of  bundle,  T  inches;   Chippewa  Indians,  Bois  fort,  Mitinesota; 

cat.  no.  iriT,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Fig.  699.    Napawagan;  length  of  bones,  7^  inches;  Chippewa  Indians,  Bois  fort,  Minnesota; 

cat.  no.  jJSg-  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 


Cat.  no.  xToir-  Seven  phalangeal  bones  (figure  G99;,  strung  on  a 
buckskin  thong  having  a  wire  needle  attached  at  one  end,  and  a 
metal  button  with  a  pear-shaped  piece  of  buckskin,  having  a 
vertical  slit  in  the  middle  and  weighted  with  four  small  pieces  of 
lead  at  the  edge,  at  the  other :  length  of  bones,  7^  inches. 


534 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


The  game  is  called  nilpawagan.  like  the  above.  Catching  any  hone 
but  the  one  nearest  the  button  counts  1 ;  the  last  bone,  10 ;  the  hole  in 
the  leather.  1 ;  and  a  hole  in  the  button,  20. 

Both  specimens  were  collected  by  Dr  William  Jones  in  1903. 

Chippewa.     Wisconsin. 
Prof.  I.  I.  Ducatel "  says : 

.  .  .  Paskahwewog,  is  a  sort  of  "  cup-and-ball."  in  which  a  pin  is  used  in- 
stead of  the  ball,  and  is  caufiht.  by  a  similar 
arrangement  to  our  game,  on  its  iioint. 

Turtle  mountain.  North  Dakota. 

(Cat.  no.    rfyo)  American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History.) 
Four  bones   (figure  700),  ends  of  long 
bones  painted  red,  strung  on  a  thong 
with  a  wooden  pin  painted  red,  at- 
tached at  one  end.  and  a  triangular 
piece  of  buckskin,  cut  with  diamond- 
length,  15  inches. 
Collected  by  Dr  William  Jones,  who 
gives  the  name  of  the  game  as  napaaga- 
nagi. 

Catching  a  bone  counts  1  point ;  catching 
the  center  hole  in  the  dangle  wins  the  game ; 
the  other  holes  in  the  dangle  do  not  count. 

Ontario. 

Mr  David  Boyle ''  describes  an  old  Chippewa 
game  played  for  gambling  purposes : 

It  consists  of  seven  conical  bones  strung  on  a  leather 
thong  about  8  inches  long,  which  has  fastened  to  it  at  one 
end  a  small  piece  of  fur  and  at  the  other  a  hicliory  pin  3J 
inches  long  [figiu-e  701].  The  game  was  played  by  catch- 
ing the  |iin  near  the  head,  swinging  the  bones  upwards, 
and  trying  to  insert  the  point  of  the  pin  into  one  of  them 
before  they  descended.  Each  bone  is  said  to  have  pos- 
sessed a  value  of  its  own;  the  highest  value  being  placed 
on  the  lowest  bone,  or  the  one  nearest  to  the  hand  in 
playing.  .This  bone  has  also  three  holes  near  the  wide 
end.  and  to  insert  the  pin  into  any  of  these  entitled  the 
player  to  an  extra  number  of  points.  Above  each  hole  is 
a  series  of  notches  numbering  respectively  4,  (3,  and  9,  which  were,  presumably, 
the  value  attached.  .  .  .  The  (inc  in  our  possession  was  iires('nte(J  by  Mr 
J.  Wood,  an  intelligent  and  intiuential  member  of  the  Missisaugn  band,  near 
Hagersville. 


Pig.  7(10.  Napaaganagi;  length  of  im- 
plement, 15  inches;  Chippewa  In- 
dians, Turtle  mountain,  North  Da- 
kota; cat.  no|  j5?5,  American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History. 


Fig.  TUl.  Pcpenggune- 
gun;  CJhippewa  Indi- 
ans, Ontario;  from 
Boyle. 


»  A   Fortnight  among  the  Chlppewas.     The  Indian   Miscellany,  p.  388,  Albany,   1877. 
*  Fourth  Annual  Report  of  the  Canadian  Institute,  p.  55,  Toronto,  1831. 


ccLix]  RING    AND    PIN:    CREE  535 

'Mr  Boyle  gives  the  name  as  pe-peng-gun-e-gun,  stabbing  a  hollow 
bone. 
Cree.     Coxby.   Saskatchewan.     (Cat.   no.    15459,   Field   Columbian 

Museum. ) 
Eight  phalangeal  bones  strung  on  a  thong,  with  a  wire  needle.  6^ 
inches  in  length,  at  one  end,  and  an  oblong  flap  of  buckskin,  fi^ 
inches  in  length,  perforated  with  14  holes,  at  the  other  (figure 
702). 
These  were  collected  by  Mr  Phillip  Towne.  who  describes  the  game 
under  the  name  of  tapa  whan,  stringing  the  bone  cups: 

The  object  of  the  game  is  to  catch  one  or  more  of  the  bone  cups  on  the  point 
of  the  l)odkin  or  to  thrust  the  bodlvin  into  a  hole  in  the  bueliskin  thons-  The 
game  is  of  50  points,  which  may  l)e  made  as  follows  :  One  for  each  bone  cup  or 
hole,  except  the  two  center  holes  in  the  buckskin  thong,  which  count  20.  To 
cause  the  bodkin  to  enter  one  of  the  four  small  holes  in  the  last  bone  cup  is 
equivalent  to  game. 


Fig.  7Ct'.    Tapa  whan;  total  length  of  implement,  28  inches;  Cree  Indians,  Saskatchewan;  cat, 

no.  l.">4,59.  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  703.    Cup  and  pin;  total  length  of  implement,  40  inches;  Cree  Indians,  Saskatchewan:  cat. 

no.  15130,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Union  Lake  reserve,  Saskatchewan.     (Cat.  no.   15130,  Field 

Columbian  Museum. ) 

Nine  jihalangeal  bones,  painted  blue,  strung  on  a  thong,  with  a  long 
wire  needle.  12:^  inches  in  length,  at  one  end.  and  a  diamond- 
shaped  flap  of  buckskin.  5  inches  in  length,  perforated  with 
fifty-two  small  holes  and  a  larger  hole  in  the  middle,  tied  at  the 
other  end  (figure  703).    Collected  by  W.  Sibbold. 

Muskowpetung    reserve.    Qu'appelle.    Assiniboia.     (Cat.    no. 

61993,.Field  Columbian  Museum.) 


536 


GAMES    OF    THE    NOKTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.ann.  24 


Eight  phalangeal  bones  strung  on  a  thong,  with  a  wire  needle,  oj 
inches  long  at  one  end.  and  a  flap  of  buckskin,  perforated  with 
holes,  with  a  large  hole  in  the  center,  at  the  other  (figure  704). 
The  bone  nearest  the  flap  is  stained  green  and  has  its  upper  edge 
serrated.  The  other  bones  are  plnin. 
These  were  collected  bv  Mr  J.  A.  ^litchell.  who  furnished  the  fol- 
lowing account  of  the  game,  under  the  name  of  napahwhan : 

rhiyeil  by  either  men  or  women,  there  being  no  limit  to  the  number  of  players. 
The  bodkin  is  held  in  either  hand,  the  biiclvslvin  appendage  being  held  in  the 
opposite  hand  against  the  elbow  with  the  needle  pointed  upward.     The  whole 


rhtr;:: 


Fig. 


704.    Napaliwhau;  total  lengtli,  :il  iucLt^s;  e'r<_-u  Indians,  Assiniboia;  cat.  no.  6199:^,  Field 
Columbian  Museum. 


String  is  then  swung  outward  and  upward,  the  object  being  to  catch  one  or  the 
whole  of  the  cups  as  they  descend,  on  the  point  of  the  needle,  or  failing  in  this, 
to  cause  the  needle  to  pass  through  one  or  more  of  the  holes  in  the  leather  tag. 

Of  the  cups,  each  counts  2.  except  the  blue-green  one,  which  is  called  the 
squay-ehagan,  last-born  child;  it  scores  game  and  taUes  all  the  stakes.  The 
holes  in  the  tag  have  special  values  according  to  position,  and  combinations  of 
these  holes  also  have  certain  counting  values. 

The  game  is  one  valued  very  highly  by  the  Indians  and  one  which  they  are 
more  loath  to  part  with  than  with  most  others. 


Fig.  705.    Telieaiji:  length  of  stick,  ll.)  inches;  Crec  Indians,  Wind  River  reservation,  Wyoming; 
oat.  no.  lOTSiS,  Free  Museum  o(  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Cree.     Wind  River  reservation,  "Wyoming.     (Cat.  no.  37029.  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Disk  of  rawhide,  3^  inches  in  diameter,  painted  yellow  and  per- 
forated with  holes,  attached  by  a  thong  to  a  pointed  stick,  9^ 
inches  in  length  (figure  705). 
Collected  by  the  writer  in  1900  from  an  Indian  of  Kiel's  band,  who 
gave  the  name  as  teheapi : 

Played  indisciiminately  liy  both  sexes  as  a  gambling  game.     The  middle  hole 
counts  10  and  the  others  2. 


CL'LiN]  RING    AND    PTN  :    GROSVENTRES  537 

Delawakes.     Ontario. 

Dr  Daniel  G.  Brintoii "  gives  an  account  of  the  following  game  as 
described  to  him  by  Eev.  Albert  Seqa(}kind  Anthony : 

Qua'quallis.  In  tbis  a  hollow  bone  is  attacbed  by  a  string  to  a  pointed  stick. 
The  stick  is  held  in  the  hand,  and  the  bone  is  thrown  up  by  a  rapid  movement, 
and  the  game  is  to  catch  the  bone,  while  in  motion,  on  the  pointed  end  of  the 
stick.     It  was  a  gambling  game,  often  played  by  adults. 

Grosventees.    Fort  Belknap  reservation,  Montana.     (Cat.  no.  365f>(). 
Free  Miisetnn  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. ) 
Four  phalangeal  bones,  perforated  at  top  and  bottom,  strung  on  a 
thong  with  five  loops  of  colored  beads  at  one  end  and  a  brass 
needle  at  the  other  (  figure  TOC) ) .     The  bones  are  marked  on  one 
side  with  ten,  nine,  eight,  and  seven  notches:  length,  12^  inches. 
Collected  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey.  who  describes  the  game  as  fol- 
lows, imder  the  name  of  tsaitkusha  : 

A  game  and  favorite  pastime  among  young  men  and  women,  and  so  often 
called  the  m.itrimoniaI  game.  The  object  of  the  game  is  to  catch  ou  the  point 
of  the  long  bodkin  one  or  more  of  the  l)one  cups  made  from  the  toe  bones  of 


Fig.  TUti.    Tsaitkusha;  leugth  of  implemeut,  t^  iuches;  Urosventre  Indians,  Fort  Belknap  resevva- 
tion,  Montana;  cat.  nji.  3*>566.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

deer;  or.  failing  in  this,  one  or  more  of  the  loops  of  beaded  thread.  Each  cuji 
is  marked  on  one  side  with  incised  jiarallel  lines;  these  determine  its  value  and 
so  the  count  on  each  cup  caught,  each  loop  also  counting  1.  The  number  of 
cups  and  loops  varies  in  different  specimens,  four  being  the  most  common 
number, 

Fort  Belknap  reservation.  Montana.      (Cat.  no.  i\0-27H.  OOSSO, 

60351.  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Foiu-  phalangeal  bones,  perforated  at  both  ends  and  having  dotted 
incisions  in  the  middle,  strung  on  a  thong  with  a  needle  at  one 
end  and  a  loop  of  colored  glass  beads  at  the  other. 
Three  phalangeal  bones,  similar  to  the  above,  but  with  transverse 

notches  instead  of  holes. 
Four  phalangeal  bones,  similar  to  the  above. 

These  were  collected  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey  in  1900. 

"  Folk-lore  of  the  Modern  Lenape.     Essays  of  an  Americanist,  p.  186,  Philadelphia,  189ti. 


538 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  axn.  24 


MissisAUGA.     New  Credit,  Ontario.     (Cat.  no.  178387,  United  States 
National  Museum.) 
Rev.  Peter  Jones"  figures  a  game  similar  to  cup  and  ball.     The 
actual  specimen   (figure  707)   exists  in  the  United  States  National 

Museum,  and  consists  of  nine  phalan- 
geal bones  strung  on  a  thong  with  a 
wooden  pin. 

Rice  lake,  Ontario. 

G.  Copway  ''  says : 

The  "  Tossing  Play  "  is  a  game  seldom  seen 
among  the  whites.  It  is  played  in  the  wig- 
wam. There  is  used  in  it  an  oblong  knot, 
made  of  cedar  boughs,  of  length,  say  about  7 
inches.  On  the  top  is  fastened  a  string,  about 
!.">  iiiches  long,  by  which  the  knot  is  swung. 
On  the  other  end  of  this  string  is  another  stick,  2i  inches  long,  and  sharply 
ixjinted.  This  is  held  in  the  hand,  and  if  tlie  player  can  hit  the  large  stick 
every  time  it  falls  on  the  sharp  one  he  wins.  "  Bone  play  "  is  another  indoor 
amusement,  so  called  because  the  articles  used  are  made  of  the  hoof-joint  bones 
of  the  deer.  The  ends  are  hollowed  out,  and  from  three  to  ten  are  strung  to- 
gether. In  playing  it  they  use  the  same  kind  of  sharp  stick,  the  end  of  which 
is  thrown  into  the  bones. 


Fig.  Tut.  Pbaiangeal-bone  game: 
length,  Itji  iucbes;  Missisaxiga  Indi- 
ans, Ontario:  cat.  no.  178::J8T,  United 
State.s  National  Museum. 


MoNTAGNAis.     Lake  St  John,  Quebec.      (Peabody  Museum  of  Amer- 
ican Archseolog}'  and  Ethnology.) 
Cat.    no.    G2326.     String   of   eight    large   worked   phalangeal    bones, 

strung  on  twine,  with  a  bone  pin  at  one  end  and  a  wild-cat  tail 

tied  at  the  other;  length.  20i  inches. 


Fig.  70«.    Cup-aud-pin  game:  length  of  implement,  2tU  inches:  Montagnais  Indians,  Quebec;  cat. 
no.  62327,  Peabody  Museum  of  American  Ai'cheeology  and  Ethnology. 

Cat.  no.  62327.  String  of  phalangeal  bones  (figure  708),  similar  to 
the  above,  but  strung  on  a  thong  and  having  a  rabbit-skin  roll 
tied  at  one  end;  length,  26^  inches.  The  top  bone  has  four 
holes  near  its  upper  edge.  Both  collected  by  Mr  Archibald 
Tisdale  about  1892. 


•  History  of  the  Ojebway  Indians,  Og.  7,  pi.  facing  p.  135,  London,  1861. 
'  The  Traditional    History  and   Characteristic   Slsetches  of  the  Ojlbway   Nation,   p.   afi, 
Boston,   1851. 


CILIX] 


RING    AND    PIN  :    NASCAPEE 


539 


MoNTAGNAis.     Labrador. 

Henry  Youle  Hind "  writes  as  follows : 

One  ovi'uing  during  our  return  I  observed  Michel,  who  was  always  doing 
somethinK  when  in  camp,  mnlviiig  some  little  dislis  of  wood,  with  a  hole  in  each, 
and  stringing  them  on  a  piece  of  leather ;  he  attached  a  thin  strip  of  wood  to 
the  end  of  the  string,  and,  with  Louis,  was  soon  engaged  in  a  game  similar  to 

our    Cup    and    Ball.     Upon     enquiry     I     found 
that  the  game  was  common   among  his   people, 
and    was    frequently    played    by    them    at    their 
lodges. 
According  to  his  description,  the  apparatus  is  made  in  ex- 
actly the  same  manner  as  the  Nah-bah-wah-tah  of  the  Ojib- 
ways,  or  the  game  of  bones  (the  Xah-bah-wah-gun-nuk).     The 
Nah-bah-wah-gun-nuU,  or  instrument  with  which  the  game  is 
played,  is  constructed  in  the  following  manner : — 

The  bones  are  made  from  the  hoof  of  the  deer,  or  caribou, 
and  made  to  fit  one  within  the  other  to  the  number  of  twelve, 
the  one  nearest  to  the  hand  when  the  instrument  is  held  for 
piny  being  the  largest.  A  hole  is  bored  through  the  center  of 
each,  and  the  bones  are  strung  upon  sinew  or  a  short  deer-skin 

thong ;  at  one 
end  of  the 
thong  a  bone 
needle  or  skew- 
er is  attached, 
and  at  the 
other  extrem- 
ity a  piece  of 
leather,  4 
inches  long 
and  If  wide, 
cut  into  the 
shape  of  an 
oval.  Small 
holes  are  made 

in  the  piece  of  leather,  which  is  called  the  tall,  and  four  holes  are  drilled  into 
the  last  '  bone,'  The  thong  is  weighted  with  a  piece  of  lead  close  to  the  tall, 
the  last  bone  slipping  over  it.  The  players  agree  upon  the  stakes,  whicli  are 
placed  before  them  in  the  lodge,  and  one  of  them  takes  the  bones  and  begins 
to  play.  His  object  is  to  catch  as  many  as  he  can  on  the  needle  or  skewer  in 
a  certain  number  of  trials  :  the  last  bone.  If  caught  singly  in  one  of  the  holes 
drilled  In  it,  counts  the  highest;  if  the  tail  is  caught  it  also  counts  next  to  the 
last  bone. 

The  other  bones  count  1  each,  and  a  skillful  pla.ver  will  sometimes  catch  8  or 
10  at  one  throw. 

Nascapee.     Ungava,  Labrador.     (Cat.  no.  3214,  United  States  Na- 
tional Museuni.) 
Five  cones  of  jjolished  bone  (figure  709),  made  of  phalangeal  bones, 
strung  on  a  thong,  with  the  tail  of  some  small  animal  fastened 


./■ 


i;/C 


Fig.  709.    Cup  and  pin;  length  of  implement,  14^  inches;  Nascapee  Indians, 
Labrador:  cat.  no.  ;^14,  United  States  National  Museum:  from  Turner. 


<*  Explorations  in  the  Interior  of  the  Labrador  Peninsula,  v.  1,  p.  277,  London,  1863. 


540  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  axx.  2i 

at  one  end  and  a  bone  pin  at   the  other.     Collected  Ijy  Mr  Lucien 
Turner,  ^^•ho  says: " 

They  also  Uave  a  game  correspouiling  to  "  cup  and  ball,"  Imt  it  is  played  with 
different  implements  from  what  the  Eskimo  use.  .  .  .  The  hollow  cones  are 
made  from  the  terminal  phalanges  of  the  reindeer's  foot.  The  tail  tied  to  the 
end  of  the  thong  is  that  of  a  marten  or  a  mink.  The  player  holds  the  peg  in 
one  hand,  and  tossing  up  the  hones  tries  to  catch  the  nearest  bone  on  the  point 
of  the  peg.  The  object  of  the  game  is  to  catch  the  bone  the  greatest  possible 
number  of  times.     It  is  in  no  sense  a  gambling  game 

NiPissiNG.     Forty  miles  above  Montreal,  Quebec. 

J.  A.  Cuoq  ''  gives  the  following  definition: 

Pipindjikaneigan,  toy,  sort  of  cup  and  ball,  made  of  sevei-al  dew-claws  of  the 
roebuck  strung  on  a  small  cord  to  the  end  of  which  is  fastened  a  pointed  piece 
of  wood  with  which  they  try  to  catch  the  dew-claws  thrown  in  the  air. 

Passamaquoddy.     Maine. 

Mrs  W.  W.  Brown  ''  describes  the  following  game  (figure  710)  : 

T'wis.     This,  which  is  aiso  an  indoor  game,  is  at  present  oftenest  played  for 

amusement.     The  t Wis  is  composed  of  an  oblong  piece  of  moose  hide,  about  4 

inches  in  length,  punctured  with  small  holes,  the  center  one  being  slightly  larger 

than  the  others.    This  piece  of  hide  is  joined  to  a  liundle  of  cedar  (arbor  vitse) 


T'wis:  Passaiuaquoddy  Indians,  MHint-:  from  IVIrs  W.  W.  Brown. 


boughs,  tightly  wcjund  round  with  cord.  To  this,  by  about  (>  inches  nf  string, 
is  attached  a  sharii-pointed  ,stick,  tied  near  the  center  and  held  between  the 
thumb  and  finger  like  a  pen-handle.  The  game  consists  in  giving  the  moose- 
hide  a  peculiar  upward  toss  and  at  the  same  time  piercing  one  of  the  holes  with 
the  point  of  the  stick.  The  number  of  points  nocessar.v  Tor  winning  is  usually 
set  at  100.     Each  player  can  hold  the  t'wis  until  he  misses  a  point. 

Another  kind  of  t'wis  was  niiide  of  several  pieces  of  bone  strung  loosel.v 
together,  each  having  a  certain  value,  and  being  counted  by  catching  on  thti 
point  of  the  stick,  similarly  to  the  holes  in  the  moose  hide. 

There  is  a  tradition  that  the  first  t'wis-uk  were  made  from  that  peculiar 
fungus  which  grows  out  from  the  bark  of  trees  and  is  Ijnowu  to  the  Indians 
as  wa-be-la-wen.  or  squaw-oc-l'moos-wal-dee — that  is,  "  the  swamp  woman's 
dishes."  (Squaw-oc-moos  is  the  bete  noire  of  the  Indian  legends,  and  even  now 
children  will  not  i>lay  with  toadstools  through  the  fear  of  the  swamp  woman.) 
"  One  night,"  so  the  story  runs,  "  during  a  very  important  game  of  t'wis,  on  which 
everything  available  had  been  wagered,  both  contestants  fell  asleeji.  The  one 
having  the  t'wis  was  carried  by  Med-o-lin  many  miles  into  a  swamp.  When 
be  awoke  he  saw  SQuaw-oc-moos  eating  out  of  the  dishes  and  a  t'wis  made  of 
boughs  in  his  hands." 

a  Etlinology  of  tlie  Ungava  District,  Hudson  Bay  Territory.  Eleventh  Annual  Report 
of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  32,'!,  '804. 

'Lexique  de  la  nangne  Algonquine.  .Montrpal.  188(!. 

'  Some  Indoor  and  Outdoor  Games  of  the  Wabanaki  Indians.  Transactions  ol  the 
Royal  Society  of  Canada,  v.  6,  sec.  2,  p.  43,  Montreal.  IS.sn. 


CILIN] 


RING    AND    PIN  :    PENOBSCOT 


541 


Fia.Tll.  Artoois;  length  of  cone,  s.i  inches;  Pen- 
obscot Indians,  Kennebunkport,  Maine:  cat. 
no.  15406,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art, 
University  of  Pennsylvania. 


It  seems  quite  impossible  to  get  a  t'wis  constructed  from  tliese  wal-tlee.  The 
Indians  will  describe  such  a  t'wis  and  promise  faithfully  to  make  one,  even 
resentinK  any  insinuations  that  they  are  afraid  to  do  so.  Their  promise,  never- 
theless, for  whatever  reason,  remains  unfulfilled. 

Pas.sajiaquoddy.     Pleasant  Point.  Maine. 

Dr  A.  S.  Gatschet  writes  from  Haddock.  Nova  Scotia,  August  28, 
1899: 

The  evergreen-bough  game  is  unknown  among  the  Micmac  of  Cape  Breton, 
where  I  am  now.  hut  I  heard  of  It  at  Pleasant  Point,  Jle.  It  Is  called  tu'tuash 
(plural,  tutua'shek).  Not  only  the  pine  species  furnishing  the  twigs  is  called 
so.  but  also  the  twigs  or  needles  broken  off  from  it  to  play  the  game  with,  and 
also  the  game  itself.  The  twigs,  not  over  4  or  5  inches  long,  are  made  to  dance 
on  a  table  or  other  level  object,  and 
a  song,  tu'tua.  is  sung  while  the 
dancing  lasts. 

Penobscot.  Kennebunkport. 
Maine.  (Cat.  no. 
15-t06.  Free  Museum 
of  Science  and  Art. 
University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania.) 
Iniplenient   for  a  gaiiK'    (tigure 

111),  consisting  of  a  pointed  stick.  9i  inches  in  length,  attached 
b}-  a  thong  to  a  cone-shaped  object  8i  inches  in  length,  made  by 
wrapping  leaves  of  Arhor  riUc  with  thread.  The  wrapping 
properly  should  be  of  eelskin. 
Collected  by  Mr  Henry  C.  Mercer,  who  describes  it  under  the  name 
of  artoois. 

Oldtown.  Elaine.      (Cat.  no.  4>>l;;'>7,  Peabody  Museum  of  Amer- 
ican Archaeology 
and  Ethnology.) 
Implement    for    a    game 
(figure    712),    de- 
scribed   by    the    col- 
lector under  the  name 
of   ahduis,    and    con- 
sisting of   a    pointed 
bone   about   8   inches 
in     length,    attached 
by  a  thong  l-t  inches 
in  length  to  the  tip  of  a  cone-shaped  object  of  moose  hair,  7 
inches  in  length. 
Collected  by  Mr  C.  C.  Willoughljy.  who  kindly  furnished  the  fol- 
lowing description : 

Ah-du'-is  is  the  lover's  game.     This  game  is  played  with  a  vevy  sharp-pointed 
bone,  some  8  inches  long,  and  a  roll  of  moose  hair  somewhat  shorter,  of  conical 


Fig.  712.  Ahdu'is;  length  of  cone,  T  inches:  Penoljscot  In- 
dians, Oldtown,  Maine;  cat.  no.  isaiT,  Peabody  Museum 
of  American  Archaeology  and  Ethnology. 


542  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 

form,  about  lA  iuches  broad  at  base.  These  are  fastened  together  by  a  cord 
about  14  inches  long  in  the  .same  manner  as  our  cup  and  ball,  which  this  game 
closel.v  resembles  in  method  of  pla.ving.  When  a  man  called  upon  a  Penobscot 
girl  to  play  ah-du'-is,  they  seated  themselves,  tailor-fashion,  on  a  robe  or  skin. 
The  man.  taking  the  sharp-pointed  bone,  holds  it  spear  fashion,  allowing  the 
roll  of  moose  hair  to  hang  down  the  length  of  the  string.  Then,  swinging  it  iip, 
he  strikes  at  it,  the  object  being  to  impale  it  on  the  point  of  the  bone.  The  game 
consists  of  a  given  number  of  points.  If  the  first  attempt  is  successful  and 
the  bone  remains  impaled  upon  the  point  of  the  bone,  it  counts  1,  and  the 
pla.ver  continues  until  he  fails.  Then  it  is  passed  to  the  girl.  If  hi.s  company 
is  agreeable  to  her,  she  continues  the  game  to  the  end  :  but  if,  on  her  first  suc- 
cessful thrust,  instead  of  continuing,  she  hands  the  ah-du'-is  to  him,  it  means 
that  his  company  is  not  acceptable. 

Sauk  and  Foxes.     Tama,  Iowa.     (Cat,  no.  36755,  Free  Museum  of 

Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Six  perforated  wooden  cones  (figure  713),  strung  on  a  thong  with 
an  iron  needle  made  of  an  aiTowhead  ground  down,  attached  to  a 
silk  ribbon  fastened  at  the  opposite  end ;  total  length,  11^  inches. 
Collected  by  the  writer  in  1900. 
Said  to  be  played  by  a  boy  and  a  girl  together,  and  called  ni-bi-quai-ha-ki. 


ipio.  713.    Nibiquaihaki;  length  of  implement,  lU  inches;  Sank  and  Pox  Indians,  Iowa;  cat.no. 
no.  .3f>75,5,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Two  sjjecimens  of  the  same  implement  exist  in  the  American 
Museum  of  Natural  History  (cat.  no,  ^ff^.  jMj).  Collected  by 
Dr  William  Jones,  He  gave  the  name  to  the  writer  as  nibiquihok, 
elm-tree  e3'es.  "When  the  last  cone  is  caught  on  the  pin.  it  counts  -2 ; 
any  other  counts  1.  There  is  a  small  strip  of  perforated  leather  at 
the  extreme  end.  To  catch  one  of  the  holes  in  this  counts  5 ;  to  catch 
the  thong  with  the  pin  between  the  pin  and  the  first  cone  counts  10. 
The  first  implement  has  seven  and  the  other  six  cones. 

ATHArASCAN    .STOCK 

HuPA.  Hupa  valley,  California.  (Cat,  no.  3720!).  Free  Museum  of 
Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Implement  for  game  of  kiolkis.  Four  salmon  bones  (figure  714), 
vertebrfe.  perforated  and  strung  on  a  cord,  17  inches  long,  fas- 
tened at  the  base  or  handle  of  a  pointed  stick  12  inches  long,  the 
object  being  to  throw  up  and  catch  the  bone  on  the  point.  Col- 
lected by  the  writer  in  1900. 

Men  play,  one  against  another,  each  tising  an  implement.  Catching  one  bone 
counts  1 ;  two  bones,  2 ;  and  so  on.  If  a  player  misses,  the  other  plays.  Four 
Jjoints  is  the  game. 


1  tlin) 


RING    AND    PIN  :    THLINGCHADINNE 


543 


A  Crescent  City  Indian,  whom  the  writer  met  at  Areata,  C'al.,  gave  the  name 
of  this  game  as  tsluk.  while  a  Mail  river  l  Wishoskan )  Indian  at  Blue  lake 
called  it  ret-char-i-\va-ten. 


Flu. 


ri4.    Kiolkis;  length  of  stick.  13  inches:  Hupa  Indians,  Hnpa  valley,  California;  cat.  no. 
37209,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  described  the  preceding  game  under  the  name 
mihokot.  '■  with  to  stab." 

A  bone  awl  held  in  the  right  hand  jabs  at  a  tightly  rolled  bunch  of  grass 
thrown  up  on  the  end  of  a  string.  As  long  as  a  player  succeeds,  he  continues. 
There  are  ten  counters.  The  game  is  common  between  youths  and  maids,  and 
is  said  to  symbolize  the  desire  for  a  partner.  The  grass  ball  is  often  replaced 
by  fish  vertebrie. 

Kawchodinne.  Fort  Good  Hope.  Mackenzie.  (Cat.  no.  857,  United 
States  National  Museum.) 

Eight  phalangeal  bones  (figure  715),  worked  and  polished  down  to 
conical  form,  strung  on  a  thong,  having  a  heart-shaped  ])iece  of 
buckskin  with  thirty-two  holes  cut  in  it  attached  at  one  end  and  a 
polished  b(me  needle,  7|  inches  in  length,  at  the  other;  total 
length,  26  inches.     Collected  by  Maj.  R.  Kennicott. 


^_^- 


Fir:.  715.    Phalangeal-bone  game:  length  of  implement,  26  inches:  Kawchodinne  Indians,  Port 
Good  Hope,  Mackenzie:  cat.  no.  857,  United  States  National  Museiun. 

Thlingchadinne.     Fort  Rae,  Mackenzie.     (Cat.  no.  10844,  Museum 
of  the  State  University  of  Iowa.) 
The  late  Dr  Frank  Russell,'^  the  collector,  wrote  under  "  ecagoo  "  in 
his  catalogue  of  ethnological  material  secured  in  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company's  territory : 

No.  10,844  consists  of  three  small  pieces  of  bone  [figure  716]  rudely  fashioned 
in  hollow  cones  through  which  passes  a  slender  thread  of  twisted  sinew.  Each 
cone  is  1.5  inches  long  and  0.8  inch  in  diameter  at  the  larger  end.     They  are 

"  Explorations  in  the  Far  North.      State  Iniverslty  of  Iowa,  p.  181,  1898. 


544 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMEEICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  anx.  2-t 


hollowed  at  the  base  so  that  they  fit  into  each  other.  The  thread  is  G  inches 
in  length  and  is  attached  to  a  strip  of  caribou  skin  at  one  end.  This  leather 
is  4.5  inches  long  and  has  nine  slits  reaching  within  half 
an  inch  of  the  ends  and  in  which  the  point  may  catch 
in  throwing.  The  needle  is  of  lione  2  inches  long  and 
0.1  inch  in  diameter.  It  is  attached  to  the  end  of  the 
thread  which  is  towards  the  base  of  tlie  cones.  In 
using  the  ecagoo  the  thuml)  and  forefinger  grasp  the 
end  of  the  needle  where  it  is  enlarged  by  the  sinew 
seizing,  and  the  whole  is  swung  outward  and  upward. 
The  thread  is  just  long  enough  to  admit  the  point  of 
the  needle  into  the  base  of  the  first  cone,  where  they 
are  crowded  into  each  other.  The  object  to  be  at- 
tained is  to  pass  the  needle  through  the  center  of  the 
cones  or  a  slit  in  the  leather  at  the  top  as  the  ecagoo 
falls.  In  gambling,  a  score  is  kept  of  the  points  made. 
Johnnie  Cohoyla,  from  whom  I  obtained  this,  in  the 
use  of  which  he  was  an  adept,  said  that  the  catching 
the  point  in  the  slits  scored  1,  on  the  first  cone,  5,  in 
first  and  second,  10,  in  all  three.  15,  and  in  second  and 
third,  20.  I  saw  it  used  in  his  camp  as  a  gambling 
device,  but  elsewhere  merely  as  a  child's  toy. 

Doctor  Russell  precedes  this  account  by  say- 
ing: 

I  saw  the  same  apparatus  in  use  among  the  Stoney 
Indians  of  Jlorley  and  among  the  Slaveys  at  Pi'ovi- 
dence. 

ESICIJIAUAX   STOCK 


11 


I 


Eskimo  (Central)-     Cumberland  sound,  Baf- 
fin land.  Franklin. 
Dr  Franz  Boas"  writes  as  follows  (references 
to  figures  below  follow  the  numbers  used  in  this 
paper) : 

In  winter,  gambling  is  one  of  the  favorite  amuse- 
ments of  the  Eskimo.  Figs.  717,  718,  719,  724  repre- 
sent the  ajegaung.  used  in  a  game  somewhat  similar 
to  our  cup  and  ball.  The  most  primitive  device  is  Fig. 
724,  a  hare's  skull  with  a  number  of  holes  drilled 
through  it.  A  specimen  was  kindly  lent  to  me  by 
Lucien  M.  Turner,  who  brought  it  from  Unga^•a  bay  :  but  in  Baffin  Land  exactly 
the  same  device  is  in  use.  Fig.  717  represents  the  head  of  a  fox,  in  ivory  : 
Fig.  718,  a  polar  bear.  The  specimen  shown  in  Fig.  719  was  brought  from 
Cumberland  sound  by  Kumlien.  The  neck  of  the  bear  is  more  elaborate  than 
the  one  shown  in  figure  718.  The  attachment  of  the  part  representing  the  hind 
legs  is  of  some  interest.  The  game  is  played  as  follows :  First,  the  skull  or  the 
liiece  of  ivory  must  be  thrown  up'  and  caught  ten  times  upon  the  stick  in  any  one 
of  the  holes.     Then,  beginning  with  the  hole  in  front  (the  mouth),  those  of  the 


V 


Fig.  "16.  Ecagoo.  Thling- 
chadinne  Indians,  Fort 
Rae.  Mackenzie;  cat.  no. 
10844.  Museum  ot  the 
Stat©  University  of  Iowa. 


"  The  Central  Eskimo.      Sixth  Annual  Uepoi-t  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  jG7,  1888. 


CULINl 


RING   AND    PIN  :    ESKIMO 


545 


middle  line  must  be  caught.  The  three  holes  on  the  neck  of  the  bear  are 
double,  one  crossing  vertically,  the  other  slanting  backward,  but  both  ending 
in  one  hole  on  the  neck.  After  the  mouth  has  been  caught  upon  the  stick  the 
vertical  hole  in  the  neck  is  the  next,  then  the  oblique  one.  and  so  on  down  the 
middle  line  of  the  animal's  body.     If,  in  the  first  part  of  the  game,  the  player 


Pig.  71". 


Fig.  717.    Ivory  carving  representing  head  of  fox,  used  in  the  game  ajegaung.  li'l:  Central 

Eskimo.  CumT:)erland  sound.  Baffin  laud.  Franklin;  cat.no.  IV  A  6820,  Museum  fur  VSlkerkunde, 

Berlin:  from  Boas. 
Fig.  718.    Ivory  carving  representing  polar  bear,  used  in  the  game  of  ajegaung,  2S:  Central 

Eskimo,  Cumberland  sound.  Baffin  land.  Franklin;  cat.  no.  IV  A  6819,  Museum  fiir  Volkerktinde, 

Berlin;  from  Boas. 


misses  twice,  he  must  give  up  the  pieces  to  his  neighbor,  who  then  talves  his  turn. 
In  the  second  part  he  is  allowed  to  play  on  as  long  as  he  catches  in  any  hole, 
even  if  it  be  not  the  right  one.  but  as  soon  as  he  misses  he  must  give  it  up. 
.Vfter  having  caught  one  hole  lie  proeeed.s  to  the  next,  and  the  player  who  first 
finishes  all  the  holes  has  won  the  game. 

24   ETH — (I.J   M So 


546 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth .a\n-.  24 


Eskimo  (Central).     Kings  cape.  Repulse  bay,  Keewatin.      (Cat.  no. 

10188.  United  States  National  :Museum.) 
Ivorv  object  (figure  720),  ii  inches  in  length,  perforated  witli  holes. 

and  having  an  ivorv  pin.  4  inche>  in  length,  attached  at  top  bj' 

a  sinew  string. 


Ill— iiiiamii   III    III  iwii  ■iii«i 


•  %«^«j^ 


L 


#     4»     #      t      •     # 


Fk;.  Till. 
Fig.  719.    Ivory  carving  reprcKenting  polar  bear,  iiwed  in  the  game  ajegaung,  2  'S;  length  of  object. 

ii  inches;  length  of  pin,  a  inc^hes;  Central  Eskimo.  Cumberland  sound,  Baffin  land.  FranWin; 

cat.  no.  34078,  United  States  National  Museum:  from  Kumlien. 
Fig.  720.    Bone  game;  length  of  implement,  4]  inches;  Central  Eskimo,  Repulse  bay,  Keewatin; 

cat.  no.  lOlHK,  United  States  National  Museum:  from  Hall. 

This  specimen  was  collected  by  Capt.  Charles  Francis  Hall,  U.  S. 
Navy,  who  says : " 

A  favorite  game  was  that  of  cup  and  ball. 


'  Narrative  nf  the  Second  .Arctic  Expedition,   p.   Dfi,   Washinsiton,    1879, 


(TLIN] 


RING    AND    PIN  :    ESKIMO 


547 
(Cat. 


Eskimo  (Central).     West  coast  of  Hudson  bay,  Keewatin. 
no.  10392,  United  States  National  Museum.) 

Ivory  object  in  the  shape  of  a  fish  (figure  721).  with  three  holes  at 
the  head  end  and  a  single  hole  in  the  flat  tail ;  length,  44  inches. 
An  ivory  pin,  4^  inches  in  length,  is  attached  by  a  cord  of 
plaited  sinew  to  a  hole  in  one  side  of  the  fish.  The  object  is  to 
catcli  the  fish  at  either  the  head  or  the  tail.  Collected  by  Capt. 
Charles  Francis  Hall,  U.  S.  Navy. 


Fig.  731.    Fish  game:  length  of  fish,  4.f  inches;  Centi-al  Eskimo,  west  coast  of  Hudson  bay.  Kee- 
watin: cat.  no.  U)393,  United  States  National  Museum. 

Eskimo    (Central:    Aivilirmiut  and   Kinipetu).     West  coast   of 
Hudson   bay,   Keewatin.     (Cat.    no.  ^rffy,  -^ht"'   Amei'ican 
Museum  of  Natural  History.) 
Dr  Franz  Boas  "  describes  the  above  objects  as  follows : 

The  Siiiiie  of  fui>aiul-l).ill   is  pla.vi'd  with  an  implenicnt  ijuite  different  from 
the  one  used   in   Cunilierhmd   sound.     .     .     .     The   ball   consists  of   a   narrow 


:^4^=s^^^^S^^~, 


— * 


Fig.  722. 


Fig  7:a. 

Fio.  722.  Bone  game;  length  of  bone,  2}  inches;  Central  Eskimo  (Aivilirmiut  and  Kinipetu \  west 
coast  of  Hudson  bay,  Keewatin:  cat.  no.  55^7,  American  Mtiseum  of  Natural  History. 

Fig.  733.  Seal-bone  game:  length  of  bone,  i  inches;  Central  Eskimo  ( AiviUrmiut  and  Kinipetu), 
west  coast  of  Hudson  bay,  Keewatin:  cat.  no.  sfSyO,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 


piece  of  musk-ox  horn  with  four  holes  drilled  into  its  short  edge.  It  is  caught 
on  a  wooden  or  bone  pin  [figure  722],  The  game  is  also  played  with  the 
shoulder  bone  of  a  seal  [figure  723]. 


"  Eskimo    of    Baffin    Land    and    Hudson    Bay. 
Natural  History,  v.  15,  p.  Ill,  New  York,  1901. 


Bulletin    of   the   American    Museum    of 


548 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


Eskimo  (Labrador).     Ungava  bay.  Labrador.     (LTnited  States  Na- 
tional Museum.) 
Cat.  no.  90227.     Skull  of  a  liare  having  several  holes  drilled  in  the 
upper  iDart,  with  a  radius  of  a  hare  attached  by  a  thong  (figure 
724).     Collected  by  Mr  Lucien  M.  Turner. 
Cat.  no.  34:78.    Similar  skull  with  bone  attached,  but  with  nv  perfora- 
tions in  the  cranium. 

Fort  Chimo.  Labrador. 

Mr  Lucien  M.  Turner "  says : 

A  favorite  game,  something  lil^e  cup  ;uul  liall.   is  played  witli  tlie  following 
implements :  A  piece  of  ivory  is  shaped  into  tlie  form  of  an  elongate  cone  iind 


"Fig.  724.    Skull  nsed  in  the  game  of  ajegauug,  1:1:  length,  Hi  inches;  Labrador  Eskimo,  Ungava 
bay:  cat.  no.  90237,  United  States  National  Museum;  from  Boas. 


has  two  deep  notches  or  steps  cut  from  one  side  [figure  725],  In  the  one  next 
the  base  are  bored  a  number  of  small  holes  and  one  or  two  holes  in  the  upiier 
stefi.  The  ajiex  has  a  single  hole.  On  the  oiiposite  side  of  the  base  two  holes 
are  made  obliquely,  that  they  will  meet,  and  through  them  is  threaded  a  short 
piece  of  thong.  To  the  other  end  of  the  thong  is  attached  a  peg  of  ivory, 
alwut  4  inches  long.  The  game  is  that  the  person  holding  the  plaything  shall,  by 
a  dexterous  swing  of  the  ball,  catch  it  upon  the  ivory  peg  held  in  the  hand. 
T'he  person  engages  to  catch  it  a  certain  number  of  times  in  succession,  and  on 
failure  to  do  so  allows  the  opponent  to  try  her  skill.  The  skull  of  a  hare  is 
often  substituted  for  the  ivor.v  ball,  and  a  few  perforations  are  made  in  the 
walls  of  the  skull  to  receive  the  peg.  It  requires  a  great  amount  of  practice  to 
catch  the  ball,  as  the  string  is  so  short  that  one  must  be  quick  to  thrust  the  peg 
in  before  it  describes  the  part  of  a  small  circle. 

"  Ethnology  of  the  Ungava   District.  Hudson  Bay  TeiTitur.v.      Eleventh  Annual   Report 
of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnologj-.  p.  25D,  1894. 


CULIN'J 


KING   AND    PIN  :    HURON 


549 


Eskimo     (Ita).     Karnui,     Ingletield    jiulf.    Greenland.     (Cat.     no. 

18G0!).   Free   Museum   of   Science   and   Art,   University   of 

Pennsylvania.) 

Implements  consisting  of  the  ulna  of  a  seal  (figure  720),  -ii  inches  in 

length,  i^erforated  at  both  ends:  and  a   pin,  consisting  of  the 

radius  of  a  hare,  attached  by  a  cord  of  sinew.     Collected  by  Mr 

Theodore  Le  Boutellier. 


Fig.  726. 


Fig.  T2T, 


Fig.  725.    Bone  game:  Central  Eskimo  (Koksoagmiut),  Port  Chimo,  Labrador;  cat.  no.  90228, 

United  States  National  Museum;  from  Turner. 
Fig.  726.    Ajagaq:  length  of  seal  bone,  IJ  inches;  Ita  Eskimo,  Inglefiekl  gulf,  Greenland;  cat.  no. 

IHtiOfl,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  727.    Ajagaq;  length,  O.t  inches;  Ita  Eskimo.  Smith  sound.  Greenland;  cat.  no.  jVj.  American 

Museum  of  Natui-al  History. 


Smith  sound,  Greenland.  (Cat.  no.  3^°^,  American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History.) 

A  bone  Qi  inches  in  length  (figure  727),  with  a  hole  bored  through 
each  socket  and  a  thin  stick  tied  by  a  short  string  to  the  bone, 
the  latter  being  thrown  up  to  be  caught  in  either  hole  w^th  the 
stick.  Figured  and  described  by  Dr  A.  L.  Kroeber,"  who  gives 
the  name  of  the  implement  as  ajagaq  and  that  of  the  catching 
stick  as  ajautang. 

lEOQUOIAN    STOCK 

Huron.     Ontario. 
Father  Louis  Hennejain,''  describing  the  games  of  children,  says: 

They  also  make  a  ball  of  flags  or  corn  leaves,  which  they  throw  in  the  air  and 
catch  on  the  end  of  a  pointed  stick. 

'  Bulletin  of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  v.  12,  p.  296,  New  York,  1900. 

"A  Description  of  Louisiana,  p.  303,  New  York,  1880. 


550 


GAMES    or    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 


KULANAPAN    STOCK 


Fio.  728.  Dittcega;  length,  lis  in- 
ches; Porno  Indians,  Ukiah,  Cali- 
fornia: cat.  no.  61110,  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum. 


PoMo.      Ukiah,    California.      (Cat.    no.    61110,    Field    Columbian 

Museum. ) 
Six  pointed  oak  forks  (figure  728)  set  around  a  handle,  to  which  they 
are  bound  by  the  bark  of  the  Gercis  occidentales;  total  length, 

llf  inches.     Foui'  vertebral  bones  of 
the  salmon,"  4  inches  in  length,  each 
composed  of  from  thirteen  to  fifteen 
vertebra?,  tied   with  cords  of  native 
fiax  at  the  base  of  the  points. 
Collected    by    Dr    George    A.    Dorsey, 
who  designates  the  game  as  the  spearing 
game,  dittcega;  from  diken,  to  cast  up.** 

LUTUAMIAN    STOCK 

Klamath.  Klamath  lake,  Oregon.  (Cat. 
no.  (51531,  Field  Columbian  Mu- 
seum.) 
A  long  elliptical  liall  made  of  tule  pith. 
The  lower  end  of  the  ball,  which 
remains  loose,  consists  of  a  dozen  or  more  strings  of  tule  fiber 
which  project  beyond  the  surface.  The  upper  portion,  or  body, 
of  the  ball  is  tightly  wrapped  with  the  outer  bark  of  the  tule 
rush.  Projecting  from  the  upper  end  of  the  ball  is  a  small 
braided  loop,  one-fourth  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  to  which  is 
fastened  a  6-inch  thread  of  native  grass.  At  the  end  of  this 
thread  is  attached  a  small  bone  pin  a  little  more  than  1  inch  in 
length. 
Collected  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey,  who  gives  the  following  de- 
scription of  the  game  under  the  name  of  soquoquas : " 

Taking  the  pin  by  the  end  to  which  the  cord  is  attached  li.v  the  thumb  and 
forefinger,  and  permitting  the  ball  to  hang  loosel.v  at  the  end  of  the  string,  a  sud- 
den downward  thrust  is  given,  the  object  being  to  strike  the  braided  loop  and 
catch  it  on  the  point  of  the  pin.  This  is  known  as  shapashspatcha  ("to  split  or 
punch  out  the  moon  " ) .  The  game  is  always  played  in  winter  and  generally 
only  by  adults.  It  is  believed  that  by  "  punching  out  the  moon  "  in  this  fashion 
the  winter  months  are  shortened  and  the  advent  of  spring  is  hastened. 

Another  specimen,  cat.  no.  61673  (plate  xi),  is  made  similarly; 
the  ball  is  5  inches  in  length,  while  from  it  project  several 
strands  of  the  inner  fiber  of  tule,  also  5  inches  in  length;  the 
knot,  string,  and  pin  are  somewhat  larger. 

"  Doctor  Hudson  informed  the  writer  that  sucker  vertebrje  are  also  used. 
*'  Doctor  Hudson  gives  the  name  as  di-che-ka.  to-stab-at  game. 

■■  Certain  Gambling  Games  of  the  Klamath  Indians.  American  Anthropologist,  n.  s.,  v. 
3,  p.  1:1,  1901. 


BUREAU   OF  AMERICAN   ETHNOLOGY 


TWENTY-FOURTH   ANNUAL   REPORT      PL.    XI 


^^   !  C 


SOQUOQUAS;    KLAMATH     INDIANS,    OREGON;    CAT.     NO.    61673,    61712,     FIELD 
COLUMBIAN     MUSEUM;    FROM     DORSEY 


<'L'LIX] 


RING    AXD    pin:    PIMA  551 


In  another  specimen,  cat.  no.  fil5.32,  no  strands  of  fiber  project  from 
the  ball,  the  two  ends  being  finished  alike.  Instead  of  the  string 
being  tied  in  a  loop  at  the  upper  end,  it  is  simply  fastened  in 
one  of  the  wrappings.  This  ball  is  not  wound  from  side  to  side 
with  a  circular  wrapping  of  tule  bark,  but  is  wrapped  about  the 
center  from  eight  to  ten  times  with  a  tightly  woven  thread  of 
that  material. 

The  three  other  specimens,  cat.  no.  01712  (plate  xi),  61713,  61715, 
are  much  smaller  than  the  specimens  described,  the  largest 
being  not  over  2^  inches  in  length.  They  are  all  made  of  bark 
of  tule,  tightly  wrapped  from  end  to  end,  and  are  considerably 
larger  about  the  middle  than  at  either  end,  thus  having  a  sort 
of  lozenge  shape.  In  each  of  these  three  specimens  the  thread 
connecting  the  pin  and  ball  is  unusuallj'  well  made  and  is  very 
soft  and  pliable,  while  the  pin  consists  simply  of  a  porcupine 
quill.  With  all  of  these  specimens  in  which  no  loop  projects 
from  the  ball  to  which  the  string  is  attached,  the  object  of  the 
game  is  to  strike  the  knot  where  the  string  is  fastened  to  the  ball. 

PISIAN    STOCK 

Pima.     Gila  River  reserve,  Sacatou  agencj',  Pinal  county,  Arizona. 
(Cat.  no.  63290,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Nineteen  rings  of  gourd  shell   (figure  729),  strung  on  cotton  string, 
with  a  wooden  pin,  9  inches  in  length,  at  one  end,  and  a  triangu- 
lar perforated  piece  of  gourd  shell, 
3A  inches  in  length,  at  the  other; 
total  length,  23  inches.     Collected 
by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms,  who  gives  the 
name  as  chelgwegoooot. 
A  specimen  of  the  same  implement 

,1       TT    -i     1   Oi    i        -v^    i'  1    ■\r  fio.  729.    Chelgwegoooot;    length    of 

in  the  United  States  Jsational  Museum       tapiemem,  23  inches:  Pima  Indians, 

(cat.      no.      218644),     collected      by      Dr         Arizona;  cat.  no.  63290.  Field  Colum- 
T->         in  11      1  ii  •    i         •     1  i  '     •     _  bian  Museum. 

Frank   Russell,  has  thirty-eight   rings 

of  dried  gourd  shell,  ranging  from  4j  inches  to  1  inch  in  diameter, 

with  an  oval  pendant  at  the  end.     The  catching  stick  is  8^  inches  in 

length. 

The  game  is  described  liy  the  collector  "  under  the  name  of  tculi- 
kiwe'kut : 

This  is  the  Gileno  of  the  widespread  dart-and-ring  game.  It  is  not  excKisively 
a  woman's  game,  but  was  sometimes  played  by  women.  The  younger  generation 
luiows  nothing  about  it.  The  apparatus  consists  of  a  series  of  rings  cut  from 
cultivated  gourds.  They  vary  in  diameter  from  3  to  12  centimeters,  and  are 
strung  on  a  two-ply  maguey  fiber  cord  ."lO  centimeters  long.  They  are  kept  from 
slipping  off  at  one  end  by  a  rectangular  piece  of  gourd  a  little  larger  than  the 

"  In  n  memoir  to  lie  published  by  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology. 


552 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      Teth.  ann.  24 


opening  in  the  smallest  ring,  which  is  at  that  end.  At  the  other  end  of  the 
string  is  fastened  a  stieli  20  centimeters  long,  the  outer  end  of  which  is  sharp- 
ened. The  game  is  to  toss  the  rings  up  Ity  a  swing  and,  while  holding  the  butt 
of  the  stick,  thrust  the  dart  through  as  many  of  them  as  possible.  If  the 
thrower  fails  she  hands  the  apparatus  to  her  opjxinent,  but  she  continues  throw- 
ing as  long  as  she  scores,  and  counts  the  number  of  rings  that  are  caught  on 
the  dart.  In  the  specimen  collected  there  are  H  rings,  but  only  a  few  may  be 
caught  at  a  single  throw.  A  certain  immber  of  marks.  2,  3,  or  4,  agreed  upon 
in  advance,  constitute  the  game.  These  marks  are  made  upon  a  diagram  laid 
out  in  the  sand  in  the  form  of  a  whorl.  The  scoring  commences  in  the  center, 
called  the  tcunni  ki  (council  house),  and  runs  out  to  the  last  hole,  called 
hoholdoga  ki  (menstrual  houseK  which  is  on  the  west  side  of  the  diagram; 
then  the  score  returns  to  the  center  before  the  player  is  entitled  to  one  point 
toward  game.  If  the  player  who  is  behind  throws  a  number  that  brings  her 
counter  to  the  same  hole  as  that  of  her  opponent,  she  "  kills "  the  latter  and 
sends  back  her  counter  to  the  beginning  point,  but  this  is  not  done  if  she  passes 
her  opponent's  position. 

Two  specimens  were  obtained  at  Sacaton,  which  were  probably  used  in  games 
by  the  Hohokam. 


Fiu.  730.    Ball-aud-pin  game:  length  of  ball,  4i  jnelie,s;  Thompson  Indians,  British  Columbia; 
cat.  no.  5j§5,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

SALISHAN    STOCK 


Thompson    Indians    (Ntlakyapamuk).     British    Columbiii.     (Cat. 

no.  -g\t^,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History.) 
Egg-shaped  ball  made  of  rushes   (figure  730),  4J  inches  in  length, 

attached  at  one  end  by  a  twisted  cord  to  a  notched  deer  bone. 
This  specimen  was  collected  by  Mr  James  Teit,  who  says  that  the 
notches  on  the  bone  are  ornamental,  but  some  boys  keep  tallies  of  the 
greatest  number  of  times  they  can  catch  without  missing,  by  notching 
the  pin. 


CULIX] 


RING   AND   PIN  :    PAIUTE 


553 


Mr  Teit "  says  also : 

A  boys'  game  was  played  as  follows :  A  small,  but  rather  long  bail  of  grass 
was  attached  to  the  hand  with  a  string.  In  the  same  hand  was  held  a  wooden 
pin.  The  ball  was  thrown  away  from  the  hand,  but  pulled  baclv  again  by  the 
string.  On  the  way  back,  the  hand  was  raised  so  as  to  catch  the  ball  on  the  end 
of  the  pin.  This  was  done  as  often  as  possi- 
ble. After  the  first  miss  the  ball  had  to  be  j3S'5'>\>?rrrv'S&^ia 
handed  to  the  ne.xt  Ifoy. 


SHAHAl'TIAN   STOCK 


Umatilla. 


Pig.  731.  Pac^tslewitas;  totallength 
of  implements,  6i  incbes;  Umatilla 
Indians,  Umatilla  reservation, 
Oregon;  cat.  no.  3T540,  Free  Mu- 
seum of  Science  and  Art,  Univer- 
sity of  Pennsvlvania. 


Umatilla  reservation,  Ore- 
gon.     (Cat.    no.     37540,     Free 
Museum   of  Science   and   Art, 
University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Implements  for  the  game  of  pactslewitas   (figure  731),  a  piece  of 
salmon  vertebrae  (seven  bones)   2i  inches  in  length,  perforated 
and  strung  on  a  cord  with  one  loose  bone;  wooden  pin  at  one  end 
of  the  cord  and  a  tuft  of  fur  at  the  other.     Collected  by  the 
writer  in  1900. 

The  pin  is  held  in  the  lingers  and  the  bones  are  swung  in  the  air.     Catching 
the  single  bone  counts  1 ;   the  single  bone  and  the  others,  2.     The  game  is  100. 


SHASTA  N    .STOCK 

Shasta.      Hamburg     bar,     California. 
(Cat.  no.  ^1^^,  American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History.) 
Twelve  salmon  bones  (figure  732)  strung 
on  a  cord  which  is  tied  to  a  pointed 
stick.     A   piece   of   red   flannel    is 
attached   to   the   end   of   the   cord. 
Collected  in  1902  by  Dr  Roland  B. 
Dixon. 

SHOSHONEAN  STOCK 

Paiute.  Pyramid  lake,  Nevada.  (Cat. 
no.  19058,  United  States  Na- 
tional Museum.) 

Fig.  732.    Salmon-bone  game;  Shasta         .     ,  ,        j?  i    i        i    ii       j_*     i       .    ji  i 

Indians,  California;   cat.    no.    ,f8„       A   buucll  ot  tule  Stalks  tied  at  the  Cnds 
American  Museum  of  Natural  His-  (figure    733),    4f    iuches    in    length, 

with    a    wooden    needle    attached 
with  a  cord.     Collected  by  Mr  Stephen  Powers,  who  describes  it 
in  his  catalogue  under  the  name  of  nadohetin. 
Every  time  the  player  catches  it  he  has  a  right  to  thump  his  opponent  on  the 
forehead. 

a  The  Thompson   Indians  of  British  Columbia.      Memoirs  of  the  American   M\iseum   ot 
Natural  History,  whole  series,  v.  2.  p.  278.  New  York,  1900. 


554 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMEEICAN    INDIANS      [etii.  ann.  24 


Paiute.     Southern  Utah.     (Peabody  Museum  of  American  Archa-ol- 

ogy  and  Ethnology.) 
Cat.  no.  9434.     The  skull  of  the  cottontail  rabbit  attached  by  a  thong 
to  a  wooden  pin  (figure  734«). 

The  pin  is  held  in  the  hand  and  the  sliull   is  swung  and  caught  upon   its 
point. 

Cat.  no.  9433.    A  small  hollow  bone  (figure  734&), seven-eighths  of  an 
inch  in  length,  with  a  notch  cut  through  one  side,  strung  on  a 
thong,  to  the  other  end  of  which  a  wooden  pin  is  attached.     Evi- 
dently intended  for  a  game  like  the  preceding. 
Both  were  collected  by  Dr  Edward  Palmer. 

Shoshoni.  Wind  River  reservation,  Wyo- 
ming. 
Dr  (ieorge  A.  Dorsey  informed  me  that 
he  learned  of  the  existence  of  a  game  of 
this  type  among  the  Shoshoni  at  Fort  Wa- 
shakie, but  they  could  not  be  induced  by 
any  offers  of  money  to  make  a  specimen  of 
the  implements  for  him. 


Fio.  734  o,  6. 


Fig. 7a% 


Fig.  735. 


Flo.  733.  Nadohetin;  length  of  reeds,  4}  inches;  Paiute  Indians.  Pyramid  lake,  Nevada;  cat.  no, 

19058,  United  States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  734  a,  b.    Skull  and  pin  and  bone  and  pin;  Paiute  Indians,  southern  Utah;  cat.  no.  94;^,  9433, 

Peabody  Museum  of  American  Archaeology,  and  Ethnology. 
Fio.  735.     Reed  and  pin;  length  of  reed,  U  inches;  Ute  Indians,  St  George,  Utah;  cat.  no.  20934, 

United  States  National  Museum. 

Ute.     St  George,  Utah.     (United  States  National  Museum.) 

Cat.  no.  20934.     Small  tube  of  reed  (figure  735),  1^  inches  in  length, 

with  a  round  hole  cut  in  the  side  near  one  end,  ornamented  with 

burned  marks. 
A  cord  passing  through  the  reed  is  secured  by  a  knot  and  a  flat 
glass  button  at  one  end.     The  other  end  has  a  wooden  pin  attached. 
The  object  appears  to  be  to  catch  on  the  pin  either  the  button,  the 
hole  in  the  side,  or  the  hole  in  the  end  of  the  reed. 


CLLI.V] 


RING    AND    FIX  :    ASSINIBOIN 


555 


Cat.  no.  20932.  Small  bone  (probably  a  bird  bone),  If  inches  in 
length,  marked  with  notches,  as  shown  in  figure  736,  with  a 
cotton  cord  passing  through  it  having  a  wooden  pin  at  one  end. 
There  are  the  traces  of  a  tuft  of  rabbit  fur  at  the  end  opposite  the 
pin.  The  object  of  the  game  is  to  catch  the  bone  on  the  pin  at 
the  hollow  end  nearest  the  pin,  or,  possibly,  also,  in  the  tuft  of 
fur. 
Collected  by  Dr  Edward  Palmer. 


Fig.  736.    Bone  and  pin;  length  of  bone.  U  inches:  Ute  Indians,  St  George,  Utah;  cat.  no.  20932, 
United  States  National  Museum. 


SIOUAN    STOCK 

AssiNiBOiN.     Fort   Belknap    reservation,   Montana.     (Field    Colum- 
bian Musemn. ) 
Cat.  no.  6020.5.     Seven  phalangeal  bones,  perforated  and  strung  on  a 

thong,  with  a  bone  needle  at  one  end  and  a  triangular  piece  of 

buckskin,  perforated  with  holes,  at  the  other  end  (figure  737). 
Cat.    no.    60263.     Seven    phalangeal 

bones,    like    the    preceding,    but 

smaller,   with   wire   needle    and 

triangular  piece  of  buckskin. 
Collected  in  1900  by  Dr  George  A. 
Dorsey,  who  describes  the  game  un- 
der the  name  of  taseha  : 

A  game  formerly  much  played  by  youug 
men  and  women,  and  known  as  the  court- 
ing or  matrimonial  game.  The  cups  (toe 
bones  of  the  deer,  perforated)  are  swung 
forward  and  upward,  the  buckskin  being 
held  by  the  thumb  and  forefinger.  As  the 
cups  descend  the  attempt  is  made  to  catch 
one  or  more  of  them   on   the  end  of  the 

bodkin  or  to  thrust  the  bodkin  into  one  of  the  perforations  in  the  triangular 
piece  of  buckskin  attached  to  the  end  of  the  cord  beyond  the  last  cup. 

The  points  played  are  generally  40.  the  cups  having  a  numerical  value,  begin- 
ning with  the  first  cup,  counting  1  :  the  second,  2,  etc.  According  to  the  owner  of 
the  set  no.  60263,  the  last  cup  counted  40,  and  so  won  the  game,  while  the  owner 
of  the  set  no.  60205  [figure  737]  claimed  that  the  tirst  cup  counted  5.  In  both 
games  the  small  holes  in  the  buckskin  are  worth  4,  while  the  large  hole  (chaute, 
heart)  has  a  value  of  9. 

The  game  as  at  present  played  is  almost  purely  one  of  pastime.  That  it 
formerly  had  a  deep  significance  there  is  no  doubt. 


Fig.  737.  Taseha;  Assiniboin  Indians, 
Montana:  cat.  no.  60205,  Field  Columbian 
Museum. 


556 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


50 
ITOTT 


Amerit-a 


AssiNiBoix.     Fort    Belknap.   Montana.     (Cat.    no. 

Museum  of  Natural  History.) 

Seven  phalangeal  bones  strung  on  a  thong,  with  a  triangular  piece 

of  buckskin,  perforated  with  holes,  attached  at  one  end  and  a  wire 

needle  at  the  other:    total  length.  31   inches.     Collected  by   Dr 

A.  L.  Kroeber. 

Dakota     (Brule).      South     Dakota.       (Cut.     no.    27528,    Peabody 

Museum  of  American  Archaeology  and  Ethnology.) 
String  of  five  worked  phalangeal  bones  of  deer   (figure  738),  on  a 
thong,  to  the  end  of  which  a  needle  is  attached. 
Collected  by  Miss  Alice  C.  Fletcher. 

They  are  used  only  by  women.     The  bones  are  swung  in  a  circle  very  r;ii)iilly, 
and  caught  upon  the  pin,  which  in  ancient  times  was  made  of  bone. 


FiG.7a8.    Cup  and  pin:  Brule  Dakota  Indians,  South  Dakota;  cat.  no 
of  American  Arclifeology  and  Ethnology. 


^•T.'iL'.^,  Peabodv  Museum 


Dakota   (Oglala).     Pine  Kidge  agency,  South  Dakota.     (Cat.  no. 

22122,   Free   Museum    of    Science    and    Art.    University    of 

Pennsylvania.) 

Six  phalangeal  bones  of  deer    (figure   739),  strung  on  a  thong  11 

inches  in  length,  with  a  brass  needle,  5  inches  in  length,  attached 

at  one  end  of  the  thong,  and 
seven    loops    of    variegated 
glass    l)eads    at    the    other 
end. 
The   bones   are   fluted   at   the 
upper  edge,  except  the  one  near- 
est the  needle,  which  has  small 
holes    around   the   edge.     They 
were     made     by     Winyanhopa. 
■■  Elegant     Woman,"    and     col- 


PiG.  TiS).  Tasiba;  length  of  implement,  23J 
inches;  Oglala  Dakota  Indians,  South  Dakota: 
cat.  no.  23122,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and 
Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


lected  by  Mr  Louis  L.  ^Meeker,  wlio  describes  it  as  an  implement  from 
the  woman's  game  of  tasiha. 

The  strand  is  swung  in  the  air,  and  the  wire  thrust  into  one  of  the 
bones,  counting  from  1  to  4  (or  5)  in  ordei-,  or  as  many  as  the  number 
of  loops  passed  through.  Some  numlier  as  many  as  six  bones  on  one 
string. 


CLLIN]  KING    AND    PIN  :    HAIDA  557 

\ 

Dakota  (Teton).     South  Dakota. 

Rev.  J.  Owen  Dorsey  "  describes  the  following  as  a  game  played  by 
boys,  younger  married  men.  or  women  : 

Ta-sfha  un'pi,  Game  with  the  hoofs  of  a  deer. — They  string  several  deer  hoofs 
together  and  throw  them  suddenly  upward.  They  jerk  them  back  again  by  the 
cord  to  which  they  are  attached,  and  a.s  they  fall  the  player  who  has  a  sharp- 
pointed  stick  tries  to  thrust  it  througli  tlie  holes  of  the  hoofs,  and  if  ho  succeeds 
he  counts  the  number  of  hoofs  through  which  his  stick  has  gone.  A  number  of 
small  beads  of  various  colors  are  strung  together  and  attached  to  the  smallest 
hoof  at  the  end  of  the  string.  Wlien  a  player  adds  a  bead  to  those  on  the  string 
he  has  another  chance  to  try  his  skill  in  piercing  the  hoofs.  When  one  misses 
the  mark  he  hands  the  hoofs,  etc.  to  the  next  player.  Each  one  tries  to  send 
his  stick  through  more  hoofs  than  did  his  predecessor.  Two  sides  are  chosen 
by  the  players.  Each  player  offers  articles  as  stakes  for  the  winner.  The 
season  for  playing  is  not  specified. 

The  women,  when  they  play  this  game,  bring  thoir  husbands'  goods  without 
the  knowledge  of  the  owners,  and  sometimes  lose  all  of  them.  When  the  men 
play,  they  sometimes  stalve  all  of  their  wives'  property,  and  occasionally  they 
lose  all.  Now  and  then  this  game  is  played  just  for  amusement,  without  any 
stakes. 

South  Dakota. 

Dr  J.  R.  Walker''  describes  this  game  under  the  name  of  woskate 
tasi  he,  game  with  foot  'wnos.  and  gives  the  rules  for  the  play. 


Fig.  74*1.    Hokiwasoxokke;  leugth  of  implement,  lb  inches;  Winnebago  Indians,  Wisconsin:  cat. 
no.  22158.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

WixNEBAGo.     Wisconsin.     (Cat.  no.  liiil.jS.  Free  Museum  of  Science 

and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Seven  phalangeal  bones  strung  on  a  thong  (figure  740).  with  a  bone 
needle  attached  at  one  end  and  two  triangular  pieces  of  buckskin 
at  the  other:   length.  15  inches. 
Collected  by  Mr  T.  R.  Roddy.'  who  says: 
The  game  is  called  ho-ki-wa-xo-.xok-ke. 

SKITTAGETAX    STOCK 

Haida.     British  Columbia. 

Dr  J.  R.  Swantou  describes « the  following  game : 

Flipping  a  V-shaped  object  over  and  letting  it  drop  (Ej/a  siJAii). — A  straight 
stick  was  held  in  one  hand,  while  a  V-shaped  piece  of  cedar  about  8  inches  long 
was  held  in  the  other  hand  by  one  of  its  arms,  and  so  thrown  into  the  air  that 
it  would  fall  astride  of  the  stick.     This  V-shaped  piece  is  called  the  Iga'  siJgA'So. 


"  Games  ol  Tetoi"  Dakota  Children.     The  American  Anthropologist,  v.  4,  p.  344.  1891. 
*  Journal  of  American  Folk-Lore,  v.  18,  p.  288.  190.5. 

"  Contributions  to  the  Ethnology  of  tlie  Haida.      Memoii-s  of  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  whole  series,  v.  8.  pt.  1.  p.  6n,  New  York.  190,5. 


558 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 


When  it  fell  to  the  ground,  the  one  who  threw  it  must  yielil  to  the  next  player: 
but  before  doing  so  he  was  at  liberty  to  pull  his  opponent's  hair  violently  or 
punch  his  knuckles  as  many  times  as  he  had  made  a  catch. 

TANOAN    STOCK 

Tewa.     Hano,  Arizona.     (Cat.  no.  38616,  Free  Museum  of  Science 

and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Ring  of  rawhide   (figure  741).  5  inches  in  diameter,  attached  by  a 

thong  to  the  end  of  a  stick  jDainted  red,  13^  inclies  in  lengtli. 

Collected  bv  the  writer  in  1901. 


Fig.  741.    Ngollanabapi;  diameter  of  ring,  5  inclies;  Tewa  Indians,  Hano,  Arizona;  eat.  no.  38616, 
Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

The  ring  is  swung  from  the  end  of  the  stick  and  caught  on  the  end.    The  name 
of  the  game  was  given  as  ngoi-la  na-ba  pi. 

AVAKASHAX    STOCK 

Clatoqtjot.  West  coast  of  Vancouver  island.  British  Columbia.  ( Cat. 
no.  ^4fT-  American  Museum  of  Natural  History.) 

Femur  of  seal  (figure  742),  44  inches  in  length,  with  natural  perfora- 
tion ;  accompanied  by  a  small  pointed  twig.  G  inches  in  length. 
Collected  in  1897  by  Mr  F.  Jacobseii.  who  describes  it  as  a 
bilboquet. 


xj 


Pig.  742.    Seal-bone  ^me;  length  of  bone,  4.i^   inches:   Clayoquot  Indians,  Vancouver  island, 
British  Columbia;  cat.  no.  nh^j^,  American  Museiim  of  Natural  History. 

The  following  note  on  a  similar  game  in  the  Field  Columbian 
Museum  (cat.  no.  85909)  from  Clayoquot,  was  furnished  by  the  col- 
lector, Dr  C.  F.  Newcombe: 

The  game  is  called  .shai.vixtSE.  It  is  played  with  the  femur  of  the  common 
seal  and  a  sharp-pointed  twig  of  a  young  spi-uce. 

Players   arrange   themselves    in    two    rows,    up    to   ten    a    side,    opposite   one 


CULIN]  KING    AND    PIN  :    MAKAH  559 

iinother,  and  consecutively  toss  the  bone  and  try  to  catch  it  ajiaiii  by  a  iiartial 
rotation.  Sometimes  the  femur  is  only  swung  l)y  putting  the  sticii  under  the 
projecting  edge  of  the  ball  of  the  hip  joint  and  then  making  the  bone  to  rotate 
so  that  the  point  of  the  stick  will  pass  into  the  foramen  above  the  condyle. 

The  stakes  and  winning  number  are  arranged  according  to  the  number  and 
wishes  of  the  players. 

The  bone  is  passed  along  the  whole  of  one  side  before  being  thrown  over  to 
the  opponents.  If  the  player  misses  his  first  attempt  he  passes  it  to  his  next 
neighbor,  but  if  he  succeeds  in  catching  the  bone,  as  required,  he  goes  on  trying 
until  he  fails. 

If  a  side  fails  in  making  40  wins  Ijy  the  united  efforts  of  all  its  players, 
the  opponents  try.  That  side  which  first  makes  40  takes  all  the  stake  which 
is  equally  divided. 

Name  of  femur  of  seal,  hanuit  ;    name  of  stick.  quiLklEpt. 

No  string  is  used,  as  reported  by  Dr  Dorsey  in  a  similar  game  amongst  the 
Makahs. 

Kavakiutl.     British  Columbi;i.      (Cat.  no.  7;lj--,  American  Museum 

of  Natural  History.) 
Femur  of  seal   (figure  743).  4^  inches  in  length,  with  small  natural 

perforations;  accompanied  by  a  pointed  stick  OJ  inches  in  length. 

Collected  in  1897  by  George  Hunt,  who  describes  it  as  a  "  seal 

bone  for  divining." 


-^-»^— .^.. ,«.■,._... , . 


Fig.  74:1    Seal  bone  for  divining;  length,  U  inches;   Kwakiutl  Indians,  Britisli  CVjlumijia;  cat. 
no.  b^Jt,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

Nawiti,  British  Columbia. 

Dr  C.  F.  Newcombe  descrilies  a  game  phiyed  by  these  Indians  with 
a  bone  perforated  with  a  small  hole  and  a  wooden  pin: 

The  bone  is  not  tied  to  the  pin.  The  iioint  is  placed  in  the  hole  and  the  bone' 
tossed  up.  and  the  object  is  to  catch  it  again  on  the  point.  There  is  no  score. 
Both  men  and  w'omen  play.     The  name  is  dsiihdsk'ia. 

Makau.     Neah  bay,  Washington. 

Dr  (leorge  A.  Dorsey"  descriljes  a  game  called  kaskas: 

This  game  corresponds  to  the  well-known  cup-and-pin  game  of  the  Plains  In- 
dians, which  among  the  neighbors  of  the  Makahs  is  modified  into  .i  game  with  a 
wooden  pin  and  snake  or  fish  vertebrae.  With  the  Makahs  a  humerus  (kashabs) 
of  the  hair  seal,  which  is  perforated  at  each  end,  is  attached  by  means  of  a 

"  Games  of  the  Makah  Indians  of  Si-.\h  Bay,      The  .American  .\nti(iiiai-ian.  v.  L'S.  p.  T2,  1!>01. 


560 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth,  anx.  24 


string  passing  through  a  hole  in  the  middle  of  the  bone  to  a  wooden  pin  (ka-a- 
piokK  The  bone  is  tossed  upward  and  as  it  falls  it  is  caught  on  the  end  of  the 
pin.  Whatever  significance  this  game  may  have  had  in  former  times  has  evi- 
dently been  lost.  for.  according  to  Williams,  it  is  pla.ved  merely  for  aunisement, 
at  any  time,  and  by  both  sexes. 

YU5IAX    STOCK 


M  o  H  A  V  E.     Colorado    river. 
Arizona.     (Cat.    no. 
lOOSfi,  Peabody  Mu- 
seum    of    American 
Archa^o  log  y     a  n  d 
,   Ethnology.) 
Seventeen  rings  of  pumpkin 
(figure  744),  strung  on  a 
deerskin    thong,    witli    a 
wooden     pin.      Collected 
by   Dr  Edward  Palmer. 


Fig.  744.  Pumpkin-rind  game;  Mohave  Indians, 
Arizona;  cat.  no.  KHWi,  Peatiody  Museum  of 
American  Archieoloe.v  and  Ethnology 


The  wooden  pin  is  held  in  the 
liaiiil.  and  the  rings,  made  from 
the  shell  of  the  punipUin,  are  swung  and  cauglit  uikju  it.  A  similar  implement 
from  the  same  tribe  is  contained  in  the  United  States  \ation;il  Museum. 

ZUNIAN    STOCK 

ZuNi.     Zuni,  New  Mexico.     (Brooklyn  Institute  Museum.) 
Cat.  no.  30G1.     King  made  of  twig  wrapped  \Yith  blue  yarn   (figure 
745).  5  inches  in  diameter,  tied  with  blue  yarn  cord  to  a  stick.  21 
inches  in  length.     Tlie  object  is  to  catch  tlic  ring  on  the  end  of 
the  stick. 


Fig.  T4ri.    Ring  game:  length  of  stick,  21  inches;  Zuiii  Indians,  Zufii,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  .S061. 

Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 

Cat.  no.  3060.  Two  rings  (figui-e  740) ,  one  2:^  inches  and  the  other  li 
inches  in  diameter,  botli  wrapped  witli  l)]ne  yarn,  the  larger  one 
suspended  over  the  smaller  one  and  having  another  yarn-wrapped 
ring  inside  of  it,  and  both  suspended  by  a  blue  yarn  cord  from 
the  end  of  a  twig  23  inches  long;  accom})anied  by  a  pointed  stick, 
of  inches  in  length,  with  a  crosspiece  tied  at  one  end. 
The  object  is  to  throw  the  dart  through  one  or  the  other  of  the 

rings.     The  smallest  ring,  tsi-kon  tso-na.  counts  2.  and  the  large  oi 

iloul^le  ring,  tsi-kon  kwi-li,  4. 


ciLi.N]  BALL  561 

Cat.  110.  3059.     Ring  wrapped  with  lilue  yarn  (figure  747),  2-J  inches 

ill  diameter,  having  tliree  isnialier  rings,  li  inches  in  diameter, 

suspended  from  it,  and  attached  to  the  end  of  a  twig,  17|  inches 

long,  by  a  bhie  yarn  cord :    accompanied  by  a  pointed  twig,  21J 

inches  in  length,  with  a  crosspiece  tied  near  one  eiuh 

The  oljject  is  to  throw  tliis  dart  through  one  of  the  rings.     The 

hwse  rins'.  called  tsam-mo-so-na,  counts  4.     One  of  the  small  rings, 

tied  with  a  i)iece  of  red  yarn  and  called  shi-lo-wa,  red,  counts  1 ; 

another,  tied  with  green,  a-shai-na,  counts  3,  while  the  third  small 

ring,  which  is  plain  black,  quin-a,  counts  2. 

All  of  these  games  were  collected  by  the  writer  in  1903.     They  all 
bear  the  name  of  tsikonai  ikoshnikia,  ring  play. 


Fig.  746.    Ring  game:  length  of  stick.  2-i  inches;  Zuui  Indians,  Zuni,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  :3060, 

Brooklyn  Institnte  Museum, 
Fi(i.  747.    Rins;  game:  length  ot  stick.  17*  Inches;  Zuni  Indians,  Zuiii,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  3039, 

Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 

BALL 

Under  the  general  name  of  ball  I  have  classed  all  ball  games, 
howsoever  played,  and  all  i.ames  in  which  an  implement  analogous 
to  a  ball  is  employed.  In  none  of  them,  with  trifling  exceptions 
which  ))elong  to  distinct  classes,  is  the  ball  ever  touched  with  the 
hand,  to  do  so  being  strictly  forbidden  by  the  rules  of  the  game. 

The  Indian  ball  games  may  be  classified  as  follows:  First,  raclvet, 
in  which  the  ball  is  tossed  with  a  racket ;  second,  shinny,  in  which 
the  ball  is  struck  with  a  club  or  bat ;  tliird,  double  ball,  a  game  chiefly 
confined  to  women,  played  with  two  balls  or  billets  tied  together, 
tossed  with  a  stick:  fourth,  the  ball  race,  in  which  a  ball  or  stick  is 
kicked.  In  addition,  subsidiary  to  the  pi'eceding  and  not  general, being 
confined  to  a  few  tribes,  we  have:  Fifth,  ff)otball :  sixth,  hand-and- 
foot  liall :  seventh,  tossed  ball;  eighth,  juggling,  and  ninth,  hot  ball. 
24  ETH — or>  M 'Mi 


562  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [kth.  axn.  24 

Games  of  the  first  three  classes  are  widespread  and  ahnost  univer- 
sal. The  ball  race  appears  to  be  confined  to  the  Southwest.  The  balls 
used  vary  greatly  in  material.  The  commonest  form  is  covered  with 
buckskin,  but  other  balls  are  made  of  wood,  of  bladder  netted  with 
sinew,  and  of  cordage,  bone,  or  stone. 

Racket 

The  game  of  ball  witli  rackets  is  distinctly  a  man's  game,  as  op- 
posed to  shinny  and  double  ball,  which  are  commonly  played  by 
women.  It  is,  however,  sometimes  played  by  women,  and  in  one 
instance  by  men  and  women  together  (Santee). 

Racket  is  less  widely  distributed  than  shinny,  being  confined  to  the 
Algonquian  and  Iroquoian  tribes  of  the  Atlantic  seaboard  and  the 
region  of  the  Great  Lakes;  and  to  their  neighbors,  the  Dakota,  on  the 
west,  and  the  Muskhogean  tribes  of  the  South.  It  occurs  again 
among  the  Chinook  and  the  Salish  in  the  Northwest,  and  in  a  limited 
area  in  California.     It  is  not  recorded  in  the  Southwest. 


Fig.  74X.    Miniature  racket  used  by  conjurers  to  look  into  futurity;  length,  8}  inches:  Missisauga 
Indians,  Ontario;  cat.  no.  ITSSSii.  United  States  National  Museum. 

The  game  may  be  divided  into  two  principal  classes — first,  those 
in  which  a  single  racket  or  bat  is  used:  second,  those  in  which  two 
rackets  are  employed.  The  latter  is  peculiar  to  the  southern  tribes 
(Cherokee,  Choctaw,  Muskogee,  Seminole),  among  whom  the  single 
racket  is  not  recorded. 

The  racket  may  be  regarded  as  a  practical  contrivance,  akin  to  the 
throwing  stick,  but  its  origin  is  not  clear.  Morgan  relates  that  the 
present  netted  bat  of  the  Seneca  was  preceded  by  a  simple  stick,  with 
a  curved  end.  and  Teit  tells  how  bark  strings  were  used  by  the  Thomp- 
son Indians  in  bending  ball  sticks  to  the  required  crook.  The  strings, 
which  were  sometimes  left  attached  to  the  bat,  furnish  an  explanation 
of  the  present  net.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  not  unlikely  that  the 
racket  may  be  related,  with  the  drum  hoop,  to  the  spider-web  shield 
of  the  twin  War  Gods,  the  probable  source  of  the  netted  wheel. 

Rev.  Peter  Jones"  figures  a  miniature  racket  ball  (figure  748), 
8i  inches  long,  now  in  his  collection  in  the  United  States  National 
Museum,  as  "  used  by  conjurers  to  look  into  futurity." 

The  ball  used  with  the  racket  was  either  of  wood  (Chippewa, 
Pomo.  Santee,  Winnebago)   or  of  buckskin  stuffed  with  hair.     The 

»  History  of  the  Ojebway  Inflians,  London,  1861. 


CI  LIN]  RACKET  :    CHEYENNE  563 

wooden  ball  appears  to  he  the  older  and  possibl\-  the  oriiiiiial  form. 
Morgan  states  that  the  Seneca  formerly  used  a  solid  ball  of  knot, 
for  which  the  deerskin  ball  was  substituted.  Of  the  two  types  of 
covered  ball,  the  bag-shaped  form  is  more  commonly  used  in  racket 
than  that  with  a  median  seam.  The  goals  were  commonly  two  sets 
of  posts  or  poles  erected  at  the  extremities  of  the  field,  between  which 
the  ball  had  to  be  driven.  Single  posts  were  sometimes  used  (Miami, 
Missisauga,  Chippewa  [Minnesota],  Chinook).  An  early  account 
of  the  Muskogee  describes  them  as  setting  tip  a  square  mat  as  a  target 
in  their  ball  play.  An  analogous  object  is  found  in  the  plat  of  the 
racket  game  at  New  Orleans.  Among  the  Choctaw  the  goals  Avere 
connected  by  a  pole  at  the  top.  The  length  of  the  field  appears  to 
have  varied  greatly,  from  30  rods  (Mohawk)  to  half  a  league 
(Miami).  In  general  it  was  remarkable  for  its  extreme  length. 
Attention  appears  to  have  been  paid  to  the  direction  of  the  course, 
Avhich  is  recorded  as  laid  out  from  east  to  vrest  or  from  north  to  south 
(Santee).  The  season  varied  in  diil'erent  localities:  Summer  among 
the  Cherokee,  and  winter  and  spring  among  the  Santee  Dakota. 
Eacket  was  connnonlv  a  tribal  or  intertribal  contest.  Its  object,  apart 
from  mere  diversion,  appears  to  liave  been  the  stakes  which  were 
invariably  wagered.  Among  the  Huron,  however,  lacrosse  is  re- 
corded by  the  Jesuit  missionaries  as  played  as  a  remedy  for  sickness. 
The  magical  rites  connected  with  the  game,  the  dance,  scarifications, 
"  going  to  water,"  tabus,  amulets,  and  special  features  of  the  costume, 
all  apjDoar  to  refer  to  success  in  the  contest.  Attention  may  be  called 
to  the  parallel  between  the  Cherokee  myth  of  ball  play  of  the  birds 
and  animals  and  that  of  the  moccasin  game  between  the  day  and  night 
animals  recorded  by  l)r  ^^'ashington  Matthews. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that,  though  the  game  of  racket  may  have 
been  modified  in  historic  times,  it  remains  an  aboriginal  invention. 
There  are  those,  however,  who  assert  the  contrary.  Sylva  Clapin" 
says  that  the  game  of  crosse,  the  national  game  of  Canada  since  Janu- 
ary 1,  1S59,  is  about  the  same  as  the  soule  of  the  Ardennes  mountain- 
eers in  France,  and  in  the  opinion  of  many  is  but  a  modification  of  the 
latter  game  as  brought  hither  by  the  first  French  colonists. 

ALGONQUIAX   STOCK 

Cheyenne.     Colorado. 

Prof.  F.  V.  Hayden  ''  gives  the  following  description: 

0-ho-ni'-wo-61i,  a  ball  club,  with  a  hoop  at  the  end  to  hokl  the  ball  as  it  is 
thrown. 


"  Dictionnaire  Canadien-Frangais.  Boston,  1894. 

''  Conti-ilintions   to   tlie   Ethnosraphy   ami    Philology   of   the    Indian    Tribes  of   the   Mis- 
souri  Valley,  p.   295,  Fhiladelphia,   1SG2. 


564  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  Axx.  24 

Chippewa.     Fort  Michilimackinac.  Michigan. 
Alexander  Henrv  "  says : 

Baggatiwiiy.  called  by  the  Canadians  le  jeu  de  la  crosse.-  is  played  with  a 
bat  and  ball.  The  bat  is  about  4  feet  in  length,  curved,  and  terminating  in  a 
sort  of  racket.  Two  posts  are  planted  in  the  ground,  at  a  considerable  dis- 
tance from  each  other,  as  a  mile  or  more.  Each  party  has  its  post,  and  the 
game  consists  in  throwing  the  ball  up  to  the  post  of  the  adversary.  The  ball, 
at  the  beginning,  is  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  course,  and  each  party  endeavors 
as  well  to  throw  the  ball  out  of  the  direction  of  its  own  post  as  into  that  of  the 
adversary's. 

Henry  describes  a  game  of  ball  played  by  the  Ojibwa  (Chippewa) 
and  Saiikies  (Sauk),  on  the  King's  birthday  (June  J-).  1763,  at  Fort 
Michilimackinac.  through  which,  by  strategy,  that  fort  was  taken. 

Michigan. 

Baraga  ^'  giyes  the  following  definitions : 

Playing-ball  or  play-ball,  pikwakwad.  meaning  primarily  knot  on  a  tree;  ball- 
play,  pagaadowewin  :  pagaSdowanak,  Indian  crozier  to  play  with. 

J.  Long  '^  says : 

Playing  at  ball,  which  is  a  favorite  game,  is  very  fatiguing.  The  ball  is  about 
the  size  of  a  cricket  ball,  made  of  deer  .skn.  and  stuffed  with  hair :  this  is  driven 
forwards  and  backwards  with  short  sticks,  about  2  feet  long,  and  broad  at  the 
end  like  a  bat,  worked  like  a  racket,  but  with  larger  interstices ;  by  this  the 
ball  is  impelled,  and  from  the  elasticity  of  the  racket,  which  is  composed  of 
deer"s  sinew,  is  thrown  to  a  great  distance :  the  game  is  played  by  two  parties, 
and  the  contest  lies  in  intercepting  each  other  and  striking  the  ball  into  a  goal, 
at  a  distance  of  about  400  yards,  at  the  extremity  of  which  are  placed  two 
liigh  poles,  about  the  width  of  a  wicket  from  each  other :  the  victory  consisting 
in  driving  the  ball  between  the  poles.  The  Indians  play  with  great  good 
huinoui-.  and  even  when  one  of  tbem  happens,  in  the  heat  of  the  game,  to  .strike 
another  witli  his  stick,  it  is  not  resented.  But  these  accidents  are  cautiously 
avoided,  as  the  violence  with  which  they  strike  has  been  known  to  break  an 
arm  or  a  leg. 

White  Earth  agency.  Minnesota. 

Dr  "Walter  J.  Hoffman ''  descrilies  the  ball  play  at  this  place, 
where,  he  says,  with  a  population  of  about  2.000  Indians,  it  is  easy  to 
muster  from  80  to  100  ball  players,  who  are  divided  into  sides  of  equal 
number. 

If  the  condition  of  the  ground  permits,  the  two  posts  or  goals  are  planted 
about  one-third  of  a  mile  apart.  .  .  .  The  best  ijlayers  of  either  side  gather 
at  the  center  of  the  ground.  The  poorer  players  arrange  themselves  around  their 
respective  goals,  while  the  heaviest  in  weight  scatter  across  the  field  between 
the  starting  point  and  the  goals.     The  ball  is  tossed  into  the  air  in  the  center  of 

«  Travels  and  .\dventwres  in  <'anada.  p.  7S.  New  York,   ISOn. 

'  A  Dictionary  of  tlie  Otcliipwe  Lanfiuafje.  Cincinnati,  183.'?. 

•■  Voyages  and  Travels  of  an  Indian  Interpreter,  p.  .52.  London.  1791. 

"  Remarlis  on  O.iibwa  Ball  I'la.v.     The  .American  Anthropologist,  v.  3.  ii.  i:;4,  isno. 


<-ULix]  racket:    CHIPPEWA  5()5 

the  field.  As  soon  as  it  desceiuls  it  is  L-auglit  witli  tlie  ball  stick  by  one  of  the 
players,  when  he  immediately  sets  out  at  full  speed  towards  the  opposite  goal. 
If  too  closely  pursued,  or  if  intercepted  by  an  opponent,  he  throws  the  ball  in  the 
direction  of  one  of  his  own  side,  who  takes  up  the  race. 

The  usual  method  of  depriving  the  player  of  the  ball  is  to  strike  the  handle  of 
the  ball  stick  so  as  to  dislodge  the  ball  :  biit  this  is  frequently  a  ditticult  matter 
on  account  of  a  peculiar  horizontal  motion  of  the  liall  stick  maintained  by  the 
runner.  Frequently  the  ball  carrier  is  disabled  by  being  struck  across  the  arm 
or  leg,  thus  compelling  his  retirement.  Severe  injuries  occur  only  when  playing 
for  high  stakes  or  when  ill-feeling  exists  between  some  of  the  players. 

Should  the  ball  carrier  of  one  side  reach  the  opposite  goal,  it  is  necessary  for 
him  to  throw  the  ball  so  that  it  touches  the  post.  This  is  always  a  difficult 
matter,  because  even  if  the  ball  be  well  directed,  one  of  the  numerous  players 
surrounding  the  post  as  guards  may  intercept  it  and  thi-ow  it  back  into  the  field. 
In  this  manner  a  single  inning  may  be  continued  fi>r  an  hour  or  more.  The 
game  may  come  to  a  close  at  the  end  of  an  inning  liy  mutual  agreement  of  the 
players,  that  side  winning  the  greater  number  of  scores  being  declared  victor. 

The  ball  used  in  this  game  is  made  by  wrapping  thin  strands  of  buckskin  and 
covering  the  whole  with  a  piece  of  the  same.  It  is  about  the  size  of  a  baseball, 
though  not  so  heavy. 

The  stick  is  of  the  same  pattern  as  that  used  at  the  beginning  of  the  present 
centui-y  by  the  Mississaugas,  the  Ojibwa  of  the  eagle  totem  of  the  Province  of 
Ontario, 


Fig.  749.    Backet:  length.  26  inches;  Chippewa  Indians,  Bear  island.  Leech  lake,  Minnesota; 
cat.  no.  4^30,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

Chippewa.     Bear  island.  Leech  lake,  Minnesota.     (Cat.   no.    i\^,. 

American  Museum  of  Natural  History.) 
Racket  (figure  749)  made  of  a  sapling  ■2()  inches  in  length,  curved  at 

the  striking  end  to  form  a  hoop,  netted  with  Ijuckskin  thongs^ 

C^ollected  bv  Dr  William  Jones  in  1903. 


Fig.  75n.    Racket:  length.  Hi  inches:  Chippewa  Inaians.  Wisconsin:  cat.  no.  22160.  Free  Museum 
<jf  Science  and  Art.  University  of  PennsylY^ia- 

Wisconsin.     (Cat.  no.  L'-21(i0.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and 

Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Eacket  (figure  T.iO),  a  sa idling  cut  and  curved  to  form  an  oval  hoop 
at  the  striking  end.  lashed  at  the  end,  and  crossed  by  two  thongs, 
which  are  intertwined,  but  not  knotted,  in  the  middle;  length, 
34  inches.     Collected  by  Mr  T.  E.  Eoddy. 


566  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 

Chippewa.     Wisconsin.  . 
Jonathan  Carver  "  says : 

They  amuse  themselves  at  several  sorts  of  games,  but  the  priucip.il  and  most 
esteemed  anioug  them  is  that  of  ball,  which  is  not  unlike  the  European  game  of 
tennis.  The  balls  they  use  are  rather  larger  than  those  made  use  of  at  tennis, 
and  are  formed  of  a  piece  of  deer-sliin ;  which  being  moistened  to  render  it  sup- 
ple, is  stuffed  hard  with  the  hair  of  the  same  creature,  and  sewed  with  its 
sinews.  The  ball-sticks  are  aliout  3  feet  long,  at  the  end  of  which  there  is  fixed 
a  kind  of  racket,  resembling  the  palm  of  the  hand,  and  fashioned  of  thongs  cut 
from  a  deer-skin.  In  these  they  catch  the  ball,  and  throw  it  a  great  distance,  if 
they  are  not  prevented  by  some  of  the  opposite  party,  who  tr.v  to  intercept  it. 
The  game  is  generally  played  by  large  companies,  that  sometimes  consist  of 
more  than  three  hundred ;  and  it  is  not  uncommon  for  different  bands  to  play 
against  each  other. 

They  begin  by  fixing  two  poles  in  the  ground  at  about  GdO  yards  apart,  and 
one  of  these  goals  belongs  to  each  party  of  the  combatants.  The  ball  is  thrown  up 
high  in  the  center  of  the  ground,  and  in  a  direct  line  between  the  goals;  towards 
which  each  party  endeavors  to  strike  it,  and  wliichsoever  side  first  causes  it 
to  reach  their  own  goal,  reilcons  toward  tlie  game. 

They  are  so  exceeding  dexterous  in  this  manly  exercise,  that  the  l)all  is 
usually  kept  flying  in  different  directions  by  the  force  of  the  rackets,  without 
touching  the  ground  during  the  whole  contention :  for  they  are  not  allowed  to 
catch  it  with  their  hands. 

They  run  with  amazing  velocity  in  pursuit  of  each  other,  and  when  one  is  on 
the  point  of  hurling  it  to  a  great  distance,  an  antagonist  overtakes  him,  and  by 
a  sudden  stroke  dashes  down  the  ball.  They  play  with  so  much  vehemence 
that  they  frequently  wound  each  other,  and  sometimes  a  bone  is  broken  ;  but 
notwithstanding  these  accidents  there  never  appears  to  be  any  spite  or  wanton 
exertions  of  strength  to  effect  them,  nor  do  any  disputes  ever  happen  between  the 
parties. 

In  his  Chippewa  vooabulary  he  gives  ball  as  alewin. 

Apostle  islands,  Wisconsin. 

J.  G.  Kohl ''  says : 

Of  all  the  Indian  social  sports  the  finest  and  grandest  is  the  ball  play.  I 
might  call  it  a  noble  game,  and  I  am  surprised  how  the.se  savages  attained  such 
perfection  in  it.  Nowhere  in  the  world,  excepting,  perhai)s,  among  the  Knglish 
and  some  of  the  Italian  races,  is  the  graceful  and  manly  game  of  ball  iilayed  so 
passionately  and  on  so  large  a  scale.  They  often  play  village  against  village, 
or  tribe  against  tribe.  Hundreds  of  players  assemble,  and  the  wares  and  goods 
offered  as  prizes  often  reach  a  value  of  a  thousand  dollars  and  more.  On  our 
island  we  made  a  vain  attempt  to  get  up  a  game,  for  though  the  chiefs  were 
ready  enough,  and  all  were  cutting  their  raipiets  and  balls  in  the  buslies,  the 
chief  American  authorities  forbade  this  innocent  anuiscment.  Hence,  on  this 
occasion,  I  was  only  enabled  to  inspect  the  instruments.  They  were  made 
with  gi'eat  care  and  well  adapted  for  the  purpose,  and  it  is  to  be  desired  that 
the  Indians  would  displa.v  the  same  attention  to  more  important  matters. 

The  raquets  are  2i  feet  in  length,  carved  very  gracefully  out  of  a  white 
tough  wood,  and  provided  with  a  handle.  The  upper  end  is  formed  into  a  ring, 
4  or  5  inches  In  diameter,  worked  very  firmly  and  regularly,  and  covered  by 

"  Travels  through  the  Interior  Parts  of  North  America,  p.  237.  Philadelphia.  1796. 
"  Kitchi-gami,  Wanderings  round  Lake  Superior,  p.  88,  London,  I860. 


C0LI.N]  RACKET  :    MENOMINEE  ,  567 

a  network  of  leatber  bands.  The  halls  ai'e  made  of  white  willow,  and  out 
Iterfectly  i-ound  with  the  hand :  crosses,  stars  and  circles  are  carved  u[)on 
them.  The  care  devoted  to  the  balls  is  sufficient  to  show  how  highly  tliey  esti- 
mate the  game.  The  French  call  it  "  jeu  de  crosse."  Great  ball  players,  who 
can  send  the  ball  so  high  that  it  is  out  of  sight,  attain  the  same  renown  among 
the  Indians  as  celebrated  runners,  hunters,  or  warriors. 

The  name  of  the  ball  play  is  immortalized  both  in  the  geography  and  histor.v 
of  the  country.  There  is  a  prairie,  and  now  a  town,  on  the  JIississipr)i  known 
as  the  '■  Prairie  de  la  Crosse." 

Chippewa.     Wisconsin. 

Prof  I.  I.  Dncatel "  described  boys  playing  at  ball  "  by  throwing  it 
out  and  catching  it  \vith  a  stick,  the  end  of  which  is  curled  ii|)  and 
makes  the  opening  a  pocket  of  network.  This  is  the  pahgato- 
wahnak." 

Fort  William.  Ontario.      (Cat.  no.   xtIt?    American  Museum 

of  Natural  History.) 
A  wooden  ball   (figvire  7.51),  painted  red,  3  inches  in  diameter,  per- 
forated with  a  hole,  which  emits  a  whistling  noise  in  the  air:  and 
a  wooden  racket,  3G  inches  long,  curved  at  the  striking  end  to 
form  a  hoop,  which  is  netted  with  buckskin  thongs. 
Collected  in  1003  by  Dr  William  Jones,  who  gives  the  name  of  the 
ball  as  pigwakwatwi  and  that  of  the  racket  and  the  game  as  paga- 
towan. 


Fig.  7.51.    Ball  and  racket:  Chippewa  Indians,  Fort  William,  Ontario:  diameter  of  ball,  :i  inches; 
length  of  racket,  36  inches:  cat.  no.  i5§p,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

Delaware.s.     Pennsylvania. 

In  Zeisberger's  Indian  Dictionary  ''  we  find  the  definition: 
Ball  (kugelK  gendsltat. 

Menominee.     Wisconsin. 

Dr  Walter  J.  Hoffman  <■  describes  the  following  game : 

When  anyone  prepares  to  have  a  game  of  ball,  he  selects  the  captains  or 
leaders  of  the  two  sides  who  are  to  compete.  Each  leader  then  appoints  his  own 
players,  and  the  ball  sticks  to  be  used  are  deposited  at  the  ball  ground  on  the 
day  before  the  game  is  to  occur.  Then  each  of  the  leaders  selects  a  powerful 
and  influential  mita",  whose  services  are  solicited  for  taking  charge  of  the 
safety  of  the  ball  sticks,  and  to  prevent  their  being  charmed  or  conjured  by 

°  A  Fortnight  Among  the  Chippewas.     The  Indian  Miscellan.y.  p.  368,  Albany.  1.S77. 
■■  Cambiidse.   18S7. 

"■  The  Menomini  Indians.  Fourteenth  .4nnual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  127, 
1896. 


5(38 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  24 


the  Dpposiug  mita"'.  The  mita'~  is  not  expetteil  to  be  present  at  the  groinul  during 
the  night,  hecause  he  is  supposed  to  have  the  power  to  influence  tlie  stid^s  at 
any  distance. 

Should  one  niitit"  succeed  in  obtaining  sucli  necromantic  power  over  the  sticks 
as  to  carry  them  away  from  the  ground — that  is,  to  carry  away  the  power  of 
the  sticks — then  it  Is  the  duty  of  the  opposing  mita"  to  follow 
him  and  bring  them  back.  In  case  the  pursuing  mitil"'  does  not 
succeed  In  catching  the  rival,  on  account  of  being  outwitted  or 
because  of  having  insufficient  power  in  overcoming  him.  then 
the  pursuing  mitil"'  is  Ivilled  by  liis  rival's  sorcery.  It  usually 
happens  that  the  pursuer  compels  the  rival  to  restore  the  virtue 
or  power  of  the  sticks  before  the  day  approaches. 

P''our  innings  are  played,  and  usually  the  presents,  consisting 
of  pieces  of  cloth,  are  divided  into  four  parts,  one  part  being 
given  to  the  victor  of  each  inning.  Sometimes,  however,  the 
presents  are  renewed  until  the  end  of  the  game. 

The  frames  from  which  the  presents  are  suspended  are  near 
the  middle  of  the  ground,  Init  off  toward  the  eastern  side,  the 
tobacco-tray  and  other  accessories  being  placed  on  the  ground 
between  them  and  toward  the  center  of  the  ball  ground.  The 
two  horizontal  parallel  poles  forming  the  upper  part  of  the 
framework  are  used  for  the  calico  and  blanlcets ;  before  them 
on  the  ground  a  cloth  is  spread,  and  on  this  are  placed  tobacco, 
pipes,  and  matches,  to  which  all  the  participants  are  at  lib- 
erty to  help  themselves. 

The  accompanying  plate  [xii]  represents  the  pla.vers  during 
a  run  for  the  ball.  The  latter  is  made  of  thongs  of  buckskin 
tightly  wrapped  and  covered  with  buckskin  or  leather,  and 
measures  about  2i  inches  in  diameter.  The  sticks  [tigiu'e  7.52] 
are  made  of  hickory  or  ash,  and  about  3  feet  long,  the  wood 
being  shaved  thinner  and  bent  into  a  hoop  or  ring  at  least  4 
Inches  in  diameter.  Four  or  five  thongs  pass  through  holes  in 
the  hoop  and  cross  in  the  center,  forming  a  netted  pocket  in 
which  the  ball  may  rest  half  hidden. 

When  the  ball  is  caught,  the  runner  carries  the  stick  almost 
liorizontally  before  liim.  moving  it  rajiidly  from  side  to  side,  and 
at  the  same  time  turning  the  stlclc  so  as  to  keep  the  ball  aiwa.vs 
in  front  and  retained  liy  the  jiocket.  This  constant  swinging 
and  twisting  movement  tends  to  jirevent  players  of  the  oppos- 
ing side  from  knocking  the  ball  out  or  dislodging  it  liy  hitting 
the  stick. 

The  manner  of  preparing  for  and  playing  the  game  is  like 
that  of  the  Ojibwa  of  northern  Minnesota."     .     .     . 

During  the  intervals  of  rest  the  pla.vers  approach  the  place 
of  the  presents  and  smoke.  The  giver  of  the  game  also  awards 
to  the  successful  players  a  jiart  of  the  presents,  the  whole 
([nantity  being  divided  into  four  portions,  so  that  equal  por- 
tions are  distributed  at  each  of  the  intervals. 
The  players  frequently  hang  to  the  belt  the  tail  of  a  deer,  an  antelope,  or  some 
other  fleet  animal,  or  the  wings  of  swift-flying  birds,  with  the  idea  that  through 
these  they  are  endowed  with  the  swiftness  of  the  animal.  There  are.  however,  no 
special  preparations  preceding  a  game,  as  feasting  or  fasting,  dancing,  etc. — addi- 
tional evidence  that  the  game  is  n6t  so  highly  regarded  among  the  Ojibwa  tribe. 


Fig.  752.  Racket; 
Menominee  In- 
dians, Wiscon- 
sin; from  Hoff- 
man. 


«  See  p.   ."04. 


1 


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o 

I 


o 


z 
m 

-ZL 

o 
o 

CO 


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m 

UJ 
UJ 

z 


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z 

UJ 


<ii.ix]  racket:  missisauga  569 

iliAMi.     St  Joseph  river,  Michioan. 

Charlevoix"  says,  referring  to  hicrosse: 

It  is  played  with  a  1):U1.  :tnd  witli  two  staffs  recun'ed  and  termiuated  by  a 
sort  of  racliet.  Two  posts  are  set  up,  which  serve  ns  bounds,  and  which  are  dis- 
tant from  each  other  in  proportion  to  tlie  number  of  players.  For  instance,  if 
there  are  eighty  of  these,  there  will  be  a  half  league  between  the  posts.  The 
players  are  divided  into  two  bands,  each  having  its  own  post:  and  it  Is  a  question 
(pf  driving  the  ball  as  far  as  the  post  of  the  opposing  ])arty  without  falling  upon 
the  ground  or  being  touched  with  the  band.  If  either  of  these  happens  the  game 
is  lost,  unless  he  who  has  committed  the  mistake  repairs  it  by  driving  the  ball 
with  one  stroke  to  the  bound,  which  is  often  impossible.  These  savages  are  so 
adroit  in  catching  the  ball  with  their  crosses  that  these  games  sometimes  last 
several  days  in  succession. 

Sault  de  Ste  Marie.  ^lichig-aii. 


Mr  Alexander  McFarland  Davis  ''  says : 

In  1667.  Nicolas  I'errot.  then  acting  as  agent  of  the  French  Government,  was 
received  near  Saut  Sainte  Marie  with  stately  coiu'tesy  and  formal  ceremony 
by  the  Miamis.  to  whom  he  was  deputed.  A  few  days  after  his  arrival,  the  chief 
cf  that  nation  gave  him,  as  an  entertainment,  a  game  of  lacrosse.<^  "  More  than 
two  thousand  persons  assembled  in  a  great  plain  each  with  his  cross.  A  wooden 
ball  about  the  size  of  a  tennis  ball  was  tossed  in  the  air.  From  that  moment 
there  was  a  constant  movement  of  all  these  crosses  which  made  a  noise  like  that 
of  arms  which  one  hears  during  a  battle.  Half  of  the  savages  tried  to  send  the 
l>all  to  the  northwest  the  length  of  the  Held,  the  others  wished  to  make  it  go  to 
the  southeast.     The  contest  which  lasted  for  a  li;ilf  hour,  was  doubtful." 

MissiSAiTGA.    New  Credit.  Ontario. 
Rev.  Peter  Jones ''  says : 
Ball  playing  is  another  favorite  amusement. 

Rice  lake,  Ontario. 

G.  Copway  "  says : 

One  of  the  most  popular  games  is  that  of  ball-playing,  which  oftimes  engages 
an  entire  village.  Parties  are  formed  of  from  ten  to  several  hundred.  Before 
they  commence  those  who  are  to  take  part  in  the  play  must  provide  each  his 
share  of  stakings.  or  things  which  are  set  apart :  and  one  leader  for  each  party. 
Each  leader  appoints  one  of  each  company  to  be  stake-holder. 

Each  man  and  each  woman  (women  sometimes  engage  in  the  sport)  is  armed 
with  a  stick,  one  end  of  which  bends  somewhat  like  a  small  hoop,  about  4  inches 
in  circumference,  to  which  is  attached  a  net  work  of  raw-hide.  2  inches  deep, 
just  large  enough  to  admit  the  ball  which  is  used  on  the  occasion.  Two  jioles 
are  driven  in  the  ground  at  a  distance  of  four  hundred  paces  from  each  other, 
which  serves  as  goals  for  the  two  parties.  It  is  the  endeavor  of  each  to  take  the 
ball  to  his  hole.  The  party  which  carries  the  ball  and  strikes  its  pole  wins  the 
game. 

"Journal  d'un  Voyage  dans  rAmei-iquc  Septentrionnale,  v.  3,  p.  819,  Paris.  1744. 

'  Indian  Games.     Bulletin  of  the  Essex  Institute,  t.  17.  p.  90,  Salem.  18.S6. 

•"  Histoire  de  I'Am^rique  Septentrionale  par  M.  de  Bacfiueville  de  la  Potherie,  v.  -.  p. 
124,  Paris,   1722. 

**  History  of  the  Ojebway  Indians,  p.  134.  Loudon.  18fil. 

*■  The  Traditional  History  and  Characteristic  Sketches  of  the  OjibAvay  Nation,  p.  49, 
Boston,  1851. 


570  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ANN.  24 

The  warriors,  very  scantily  attired,  young  and  l^rave.  fantastically  painted, 
and  women '  decorated  with  feathers,  assemble  around  their  commanders,  who 
are  generall.v  swift  on  the  race.  The.v  are  to  take  tlie  ball  either  b.v  running 
with  it  or  throwing  it  in  the  air.  As  the  ball  fulls  in  tlie  crowd  the  ex<itement 
begins.  The  clubs  swing  and  roll  from  side  to  side,  the  players  run  and  shout, 
fall  upon  and  tread  each  other,  and  in  tlie  struggle  some  get  rather  rough  treat- 
ment. 

When  the  bull  is  thrown  some  distance  on  each  side,  the  party  standing  near 
instantly  pick  it  up,  and  run  at  full  speed  with  three  or  four  after  him  at  full 
speed.  The  others  send  their  shouts  of  encouragement  to  their  own  party  :  "  Ha ! 
ha  !  yah  I  "  "A-ne-gook  I  " — and  these  shouts  are  heard  even  from  the  distant 
lodges,  for  children  and  all  are  deeply  interested  in  the  excitiiig  scene.  The 
spoils  are  not  all  on  which  their  intei'est  is  fixed,  but  is  directed  to  the  falling 
and  rolling  of  the  crowds  over  and  under  eacli  other.  The  loud  and  merry 
shouts  of  the  spectators,  who  crowd  the  doors  of  the  wigwams,  go  forth  in  one 
continued  peal,  and  testify  to  their  happy  state  of  feeling. 

The  players  are  clothed  in  fur.  They  receive  bjows  whose  marks  are  plainly 
visible  after  the  scuffle.  The  hands  and  feet  are  unincnmbei-ed  and  they  exer- 
cise them  to  the  extent  of  their  powers ;  and  with  such  dexterity  do  they  strike 
the  ball  that  it  is  sent  out  of  sight.  Another  strikes  it  on  its  descent,  and  for  ten 
minutes  at  a  time  the  play  is  so  adroitly  managed  that  the  ball  does  not  touch 
the  ground.  Xo  one  is  heard  to  complain,  though  he  be  bruised  severel.v  or  his 
nose  come  in  close  communion  with  a  club.  If  the  last-mentioned  catastrophe 
befel  him,  he  is  up  in  a  trice,  and  sets  his  laugh  forth  as  loud  as  the  rest, 
though  it  be  floated  at  first  on  a  tide  of  blood. 

It  is  very  seldom,  if  ever,  that  one  is  seen  to  be  angrj  because  he  has  been 
hurt.  If  he  should  get  so,  they  would  call  him  a  "  coward,"  which  proves  a  sufli- 
cient  check  to  many  evils  which  might  result  from  many  seemingly  intended  in- 
juries. 

NiPissixG.     Forty  miles  above  Montreal.  Quebec. 
J.  A.  Ctioq  "  gives  the  following  definitions : 

Pakatowan.  .ieu  de  crosse ;    pakatowanak,  bois  du  jeu  de  crosse ;    pikwatwat, 

balle.  pelota  pour  le  jeu  de  crosse :  kawaatikwan, 
abat-bois.  boule  ii  jouer  aux  quilles. 

P  A  s  s  A  M  A  Q  u  o  D  D  Y.     Eastport,   Maiiie. 
(Cat.    no.    11426.    United    States 
National  Museum.) 
Hide  ball   (figure  753).  made  of  a  single 
piece  with  a  thong  drawstring  at  the 
edge,    forming   a    flattened    spheroid ; 
^S:^n,Zi^^^;^:t:  diameter.  3i  niches.     Collected  by  Dr 

port,    Maine:   c-at.    no.   U426,  Edward  Palmer. 

Un^L.  ***"*''    National  j^j^.  j^^^^^g  Mooney  "  States  that  the  Passa- 

maquoddy  use  a  ball  stick  (figure  754)  with 
a  strong,  closely  woven  netting,  which  enables  the  stick  to  be  used  for 
batting.  The  sticks  are  ornamented  with  designs  cut.  or  burnt  into 
the  wood,  and  are  sometimes  further  adorned  with  paint  and  feathers. 

"  Lexique  de  la  Langue  .\lgonquine.   Montreal,  1886. 

'The  Cherokee  Ball  Play.     The  American  Anthiopolottist,  v.  Ii,  p.   114,  1890. 


ciLiNj  racket:    PENOBSCOT  571 

JSlis  \y.  \y.  Brown "  describes  the  game  as  follows : 

E-bes-qua-mo'gan.  or  game  of  ball,  seems  to  have  been  the  most  popular  and 
universal  of  the  outdoor  games,  and  played  by  all  North  American  triijes.  Their 
legends  are  more  or  less  indebted  to  it.  Tradition  gives  It  a  prominent  plate  In 
their  wonderful  mythology.  The  Aurora  Borealis  is  supposed  to  be  Wa-ba-banal 
playing  ball.  Among  the  Wabanal<i  it  was  played  by  women  as  well  as  men, 
but,  with  few  exceptions,  never  at  the  same  time  and  place,  as  hunters  and 
warriors  played  ball  to  gain  muscular  power,  to  stimulate  their  prowess,  and 
to  augment  their  fleetness  of  foot. 

The  players  formed  in  a  circle,  proportionate  to  the  number  engaged  in  thi' 
game.  Each  held  a  stick  called  e-bes-qua-mo'gan-a-tok.  This  was  made  of 
some  flexible  wood,  about  ?,  feet  In  length,  crooked  to  three-fourths  of  a 
circle  at  one  end,  which  was  interwoven  with  stripes  of  hide  after  the  manner 
of  snowshoes.  One  man  wa.s  detached  to  stand  in  the  centre  and  on  his 
throwing  into  the  air  a  chip,  upon  which  he  had  spat,  each  one  would  cry,  "  I'll 
take  the  dry  "  or  "  I'll  take  the  wet,"  thus  forming  opposite  factions.  The  side 
of  the  chip  which  fell  uppermost  decided  which  party  should  commence  play. 
The  ball  was  never  touched  with  the  hand,  but  thrown  and  kept  in  motion  by 
the  e-bes-(]ua-mo"gan-a-tok.  The  goals  were  two  rings  or  holes  dug  in  the 
ground,  the  distance  of  the  circle  of  players  apart.  The  game  consisted  in  get- 
ting the  ball  into  op|ionent"s  goal,  and  i-egard  for  neither  life  nor  limb  was 
allowed  to  stand  in  the  way  of  possible  success.     As  they  played  with  little  or 


Fia.  T54.    Racket;  Passamaquoddy  Indians,  Maine:  from  Mooney. 

nothing  on.  few  escaped  unhurt,  but  these  mishaps  were  taken  as  tlie  fortunes 
of  war,  and  no  resentment  was  felt.  The  women  dress  very  scantily  while 
playing  this  game,  and  the  men,  having  a  strict  code  of  honor,  never  go  near 
their  playground.  One  tradition  tells  of  a  man  that  did  so  and  threw  shells 
and  pebbles  at  the  players.  They  screened  themselves  as  best  they  could  behind 
bushes  and  rocks.  At  the  second  attack,  however,  they  made  a  rush  In  the 
direction  from  which  the  missiles  came.  The  man  ran  to  the  water,  and, 
plunging  in.  was  turned  into  a  che-pen-ob-quis  (large  chubfish),  l)y  which 
transformation  they  knew  he  was  a  Mohawk.  They  look  upon  all  Mohawks  as 
addicted  to  sorcery. 

Penobscot,    Oldtown.  Maine,     (Cat.  no.  48236.  Peabody  Museum  of 

American  Archaeology  and  Ethnology.) 
Ball  for  lacrosse  (figure  755),  4  inches  in  diameter,  covei'ed  with 
buckskin  and  filled  with  moose  hair. 
The  cover,  a  nearly  circular  piece  of  buckskin  about  9  inches  in 
diameter,  is  drawn  up  with  a  buckskin  thong,  pudding-bag  fashion, 
around  the  wad  of  moose  hair:  over  it  is  placed  a  second  piece  of 
buckskin,  5  inches  in  diameter,  which  closes  the  opening.  It  was  pur- 
chased from  Big  Thunder,  one  of  the  very  old  men  of  the  tribe,  when 
he  was  on  a  visit  to  Cambridge. 

"  Some    Indoor    and    Outdoor   Games    of   the   Wabanaki    Indians.     Transactions    of    the 
Royal   Society  ot  Canada,  v.  6,  sec.  2,  p.  45,   Montreal.   18.S9. 


572 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


Sauk  and  Foxes.    Iowa.     (American  Museum  of  Natural  History.) 
Cat.  no.  si^-s-     Racket  (figure  75(5)  made  of  hard  \Yood.  with  the  end 
shaved  thin  and  turned  around  to  form  a  circuhir  hoop,  which  is 
laced  with  cord  passing  through  the  edge:  length.  291  inches. 
Collected  by  Dr  William  Jones  in  1901. 
Cat.  no.  ^ffg.     Buckskin-covered  ball  (figure  757),  2|  inches  in  diam- 
eter, bag-shaped,  with  thong  attached  at  the  edge  of  the  seam. 
Collected  in   1901   by   Dr  William  Jones,  who  describes  it  as  a 
lacrosse  ball.     A  bundle  of  twenty  pieces  of  reed   (figure  758).  9i 
inches  in  length,  in  the  same  collection,  is  described  as  message  sticks 
for  the  lacrosse  game. 


Fig.  758. 

Fig.  7.55.    Ball;  diameter,  4  inches;  Penobscot  Indians,  Maine;  rat.  no.  48236,  Peabody  Museum 

of  American  Archfeology  and  Ethnology. 
Fig.  756.    Racket;    length,  29J  Inches;  Sauk  and  Fox  Indians,  Iowa:    cat.  no  i^gj,  American 

Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Fig.  757.    Ball;  diameter,  2J  inches;    Sauk  and    Fox    Indians,  Iowa;   cat.  no.  2285,  American 

Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Fig.  7.58.    Message  sticks  for  ball  game;   length.  91  inches:  Sauk  and  Fox  Indian.s.  Iowa;   cat. 

io-  3i3i,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

Tama,  Iowa.     (Cat.  no.  3675.3,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and 

Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Hickory  stick  (figure  759).  with  the  end  turned  over  to  form  a  small 
hoop,  which  is  netted  with  thong;  length,  50^  inches.     Collected 
by  the  writer  in  1900. 
These  Indians  stated  that  they  no  longer  make  their  own  balls. 
The  ball  game  they  call  bagahatuwitni,  and  the  stick,  otchi. 

Dr  William  Jones  informed  me  that  the  ball,  pekwaki,  used  in 
this  game,  was  bag-shaped  and  drawn  up  with  a  thong. 


•CLLIN] 


kacket:  caughnawaga 


573 


Sauk  AXD  Foxes.  Oklahoma.  (Cat.  no.  ^|-§-j,  Amer- 
ican Museum  of  Natural  History.) 

Backet  made  of  hickory,  with  tlie  end  cut  thin  and 
turned  around  to  form  an  oval  hoop,  as  shown 
in  figure  760;  length,  42  inches;  the  circumfer- 
ence is  perforated  with  five  holes,  through  which 
thongs  pass  to  form  a  network,  as  illustrated  in 
the  figure.     Collected  by  Dr  William  Jones. 


Fig.  759.  Racket:  length,  50]  inches;  Sauk  and  Fox  Indians,  Tama, 
Iowa;  cat.  no.  36753,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of 
Pennsylvania. 

Shawnee.     Indian  Territory. 

Dr  William  Jones  informs  me  that  the  lacrosse 
game,  while  usually  played  by  men  alone,  is  played 
also  by  men  and  womeai  on  opposite  sides,  the  men 
using  the  sticks  and  the  women  their  hands.  In  this 
latter  case  the  goals,  hoop  wickets,  are  nearer  to- 
gether than  when  men  play  alone. 

CHINOOKAN    STOCK 

Chinook.     Fort  Vancouver,  Washington. 
Paul  Kane "  says : 

They  also  take  great  delight  in  a  game  with  a  ball,  which 
is  played  by  them  in  the  same  maimer  as  the  Cree.  Chippewa, 
and  Sioux  Indians.  Two  poles  are  erected  about  a  mile 
apart,  and  the  company  is  divided  into  two  bands,  armed 
with  sticks,  having  a  small  ring  or  hoop  at  the  end,  with 
which  the  ball  is  picked  up  and  thrown  to  a  great  distance: 
each  party  then  strives  to  get  the  ball  past  their  own  goal. 
There  are  sometimes  a  hundred  on  a  side,  and  the  play  is  kept 
up  with  great  noise  and  excitemeflt.  .\t  this  game  they  bet 
heavily,  as  it  is  generally  played  between  tribes  and  villages. 


IROQUOIAN    STOCK 

Cax'ghnawaga.     Quebec. 

Col.  James  Smith  ''  thus  describes  a  game : 

.  .  .  they  used  a  wooden  ball  about  3  inches  in  diameter, 
and  the  instrument  they  moved  it  with  was  a  strong  staff 
about  5  feet  long  with  a  hoop  net  on  the  end  of  it.  large 
enough  to  contain  the  ball.  Before  they  begin  to  play,  tliey 
lay  off  about  half  a  mile  distance  in  a  clear  plain,  and  the 
opposite  parties  all  attend  at  the  center,  where  a  disinter- 

"  Wanderings  of  an  Artist  among  the  Indians  of  North  America, 
p.  190,  London.  185H.  See  also  The  Canadian  .lournal,  p.  276, 
Toronto,  .Tuly,  1855. 

".\n  Account  of  the  Remarkable  Occnrrenies  in  the  Life  and 
Travels  of  Col.  James  Smith,  p.  78.  Cincinnati,   1870. 


574  GAMES    OF    THE    NOKTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  a.nn.  lii 

ested  person  cnsts  up  the  ball,  then  the  opposite  parties  all  contend  for  it.  If 
anyone  gets  it  into  his  net,  he  runs  with  it  the  way  he  wishes  it  to  go,  and 
they  all  pursue  him.  If  one  of  the  opposite  party  overtakes  the  person  with 
the  ball,  he  gives  the  stay  a  stroke  which  causes  the  ball  to  fly  out  of  the  net ; 
then  they  have  another  debate  for  it :  and  if  the  one  that  gets  it  can  outrun 
all  the  opposite  party,  and  can  carry  it  quite  out,  or  over  the  line  at  the  end,  the 
game  is  won  ;  but  this  seldom  happens.  When  anyone  is  running  away  with 
the  ball  and  is  like  to  be  overtaken,  he  commonly  throws  it,  and  with  this 
instrument  can  cast  it  .50  or  (!0  yards.  Sometimes  when  the  ball  is  almost  at 
the  one  end  matters  will  take  a  sudden  turn,  and  the  opposite  party  may  quickly 
carry  it  out  at  the  other  end.  Oftentimes  they  will  work  a  long  time  back  and 
forward  before  they  can  get  tlie  ball  over  the  line,  or  win  the  game. 

Cherokee.     Tennessee  river.  North  Carolina. 

John  Bartrani "  describes  a  ball  dance  in  the  council  house  at  the  In- 
dian town  of  Cowe : 

This  assembly  was  held  principally  to  rehearse  the  ball-play  dance,  this  town 
being  challenged  to  play  against  another  the  next  day. 

The  people  being  assembled  and  seated  in  order,  and  the  musicians  having 
taken  their  station,  the  ball  opens,  first  with  a  long  harangue  or  oration,  spoken 
by  an  aged  chief,  in  commendation  of  the  manly  exercise  of  the  ball-play,  re- 
counting the  many  and  brilliant  victories  which  the  town  of  Cowe  had  gained 
over  the  other  towns  in  the  nation,  not  forgetting  or  neglectii  co  recite  his 
own  exploits,  together  with  those  of  other  aged  men  now  present,  coadjutors 
in  the  performance  of  these  athletic  games  in  their  youthful  days.  This  oration 
was  delivered  with  great  spirit  and  eloquence,  and  was  meant  to  influence  the 
passions  of  the  young  men  preseut,  excite  them  to  emulation,  and  inspire  them 
with  ambition. 

This  prologue  being  at  an  end,  the  musicians  began,  both  vocal  and  instru- 
njental ;  when  presently  a  company  of  girls,  hand  in  hand,  dressed  in  clei.n  white 
robes  and  ornamented  with  beads,  bracelets,  and  a  profusion  of  gay  ribbands, 
entering  the  door,  immediately  began  to  sing  their  responses  in  a  gentle,  low, 
and  sweet  voice,  and  formed  themselves  in  a  semicircular  file  or  line,  in  two 
ranks,  back  to  back,  facing  the  spectators  and  musicians,  moving  slowly  round 
and  round ;  this  continued  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  when  we  were  sur- 
prised by  a  sudden  very  loud  and  shrill  whoop,  uttered  at  once  by  a  company 
of  young  fellows,  who  came  in  briskly  after  one  another,  with  rackets  or  hurls 
in  one  hand.  These  champions  likewise  were  well  dressed,  painted,  and  orna- 
mented with  silver  bracelets,  gorgets  and  wampum,  neatly  ornamented  with 
moccasins  and  highwaving  plumes  in  their  diadems:  they  immediately  formed 
themselves  in  a  semicircular  rank  also,  in  front  of  the  girls,  when  these  changed 
their  order,  and  formed  a  single  rank  parallel  to  the  men,  raising  their  voices  in 
responses  to  the  tunes  of  the  young  champions,  the  semicircles  continually 
moving  round.  There  was  something  singular  and  diverting  in  their  step  and 
motions,  and  I  imagine  not  to  be  learned  to  exactness  but  with  great  attention 
and  perseverance;  the  step,  if  it  can  be  so  termed,  was  performed  after  the 
following  manner;  i.  e.,  first,  the  motion  began  at  one  end  of  the  semicircle, 
gently  rising  up  and  down  upon  their  toes  and  heels  alternately,  when  the  first 
was  up  on  tip-toe.  the  next  liegan  to  raise  the  heel,  and  by  the  time  the  first 
rested  again  on  the  heel,  the  second  was  on  tip-toe,  thus  from  one  end  of  the 

"Travels  through  North  and  South  Carolina,  Georgia,  East  and  West  Florida,  p.  369,. 
Philadelphia,  1701. 


cvLix]  racket:  chebokee  575 

rank  to  the  other,  so  that  some  were  always  up  and  some  down,  alternately  and 
regularly,  without  the  least  baulk  or  confusion :  and  they  at  the  same  time,  and 
in  the  same  motion,  moved  on  obliquely  or  sideways,  so  that  the  circle  iierforuied 
a  double  or  complex  motion  in  its  progression,  and  at  stated  times  exhibited  a 
grand  or  universal  movement,  instantly  and  unexpectedly  to  the  spectators,  by 
each  rank  turning  to  right  and  left,  taking  each  others  places:  the  movements 
were  managed  with  inconceivable  alertness  and  address,  and  accompanied  with 
an  Instantaneous  and  universal  elevation  of  the  voice,  and  shrill,  short  whoop. 

Cherokee.     North  Carolina. 

Mr  James  Mooney  described  the  ball  game  of  the  East  Cherokee 
under  the  name  of  anetsa :  " 

The  ball  now  used  is  an  ordinary  leather-covered  ball,  but  in  former  days  it 
was  made  of  deer  hair  and  covered  with  deerskin.  In  California  the  ball  is 
of  wood.  The  ball  sticks  vary  considerably  among  different  tribes.  .\s  before 
stated,  the  Cherokee  player  uses  a  pair,  catching  the  ball  between  them  and 
throwing  it  in  the  same  way.  The  stick  is  somehvhat  less  than  .">  feet  in 
length,  and  its  general  appearance  closely  re.«Bmbles  a  tennis  racket,  or  a  long 
wooden  spoon,  the  bowl  of  which  is  a  loose  network  of  thongs  of  twisted  squir- 
rel skin  or  strings  of  Indian  hemp.  The  frame  is  made  of  a  slender  hickory 
stick,  bent  upon  itself,  and  so  trimmed  and  fashioned  that  the  handle  seems  to 
be  of  one  solid  round  piece,  when,  in  fact,  it  is  double.     .     .     . 

The  ball  season  begins  about  the  middle  of  summer  and  lasts  until  the 
weather  is  to.  old  to  permit  exposure  of  the  naked  body,  for  the  players  are 
always  stripped  for  the  game.  The  favorite  time  is  in  the  fall,  after  the  corn 
has  ripened,  for  then  the  Indian  has  abundant  leisure,  and  at  this  season  a 
game  takes  place  somewhere  on  the  reservation  at  least  every  other  week,  while 
several  parties  are  always  in  training.  The  training  consists  chiefly  in  regular 
athletic  practice,  the  jila.vers  of  one  side  coming  together  with  their  ball  sticks 
at  some  convenient  spot  of  level  bottom  land,  where  they  striji  to  the  waist, 
divide  i:ito  parties,  and  run.  tumble,  and  toss  the  ball  until  the  sun  goes 
down.     .     .     . 

In  addition  to  the  athletic  training,  which  begins  two  or  three  weeks  before 
the  regular  game,  each  player  is  put  under  a  strict  gaktfmta  or  tabu,  during 
the  same  period.  He  must  not  eat  the  flesh  of  a  rabbit  (of  which  the  Indians 
generally  are  very  fond)  because  the  rabbit  is  a  timid  animal,  easily  alarmed 
and  liable  to  lose  its  wits  when  i)ursued  l)y  the  hunter.  Hence  the  ball  player 
must  abstain  from  it.  lest  he.  too.  should  become  disconcerted  and  lose  courage 
in  the  game.  lie  must  also  avoid  the  meat  of  the  frog  (another  item  on  the 
Indian  bill  of  fare),  because  the  frog's  bones  are  brittle  and  easily  broken,  and 
a  player  who  should  partake  of  the  animal  would  expect  to  be  crippled  in  the 
first  Jnning.  For  a  similar  reason  he  abstains  from  eating  the  young  of  any 
bird  or  animal,  and  from  touching  an  infant.  He  must  not  eat  the  tish  called 
the  hog-sucker,  because  it  is  sluggish  in  its  movements.  He  must  not  eat  the 
herb  called  atflnka  or  Lamb's  Quarter.  [('Iienoiiiirliiiiii  album),  which  the  Indians 
use  for  greens,  because  its  stalk  is  easily  broken.  Hot  food  and  salt  are  also  for- 
bidden, as  in  the  medical  gaktunta.  The  tabu  always  lasts  for  seven  days  pre- 
ceding the  game,  but  in  most  cases  is  enforced  for  twent.v -eight  days — i.  e.. 
4X7 — 1  and  7  being  sacred  numbers.  Above  all.  he  must  not  touch  a  woman. 
and  the  player  who  should  violate  this  regulation  would  expose  himself  to 
the  summary  vengeance  of  his  fellows.  This  last  tabu  continues  also  for  seven 
days  after  the  game.     As  before  stated,  if  a  woman  even  so  much  as  touches  a 

"  The  Cherokee  Ball  Play.     The  American  Anthropologist,  v.  3.  p.  103,  1.S90. 


67(3  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [irrii.  axx.  24 

ball  stick  on  the  eve  of  a  game,  it  is  thereliy  rendered  uiitit  for  use.  As  tlie 
white  man's  law  is  now  paramount,  extreme  measures  are  seldom  resorted  to. 
bat  in  former  days  the  punishment  for  an  infraction  of  this  regulation  was 
severe,  and  in  some  tribes  the  penalty  was  death.  Should  a  player's  wife  be 
with  child,  he  is  not  allowed  to  talce  part  in  the  game  under  any  circumstances, 
as  he  is  then  believed  to  be  heavy  and  sluggish  in  his  movements,  having  lost 
just  so  much  of  his  strengtli  as  has  gone  into  the  child. 

At  frequent  intervals  dinging  the  training  period  the  shaman  talces  the  |ilayers 
to  water  and  performs  his  mystic  rites,  as  will  be  explained  further  on.  They 
are  also  scratched  on  their  naked  bodies,  as  at  the  final  game,  but  now  the 
scratching  is  done  in  a  haphazard  fashion  with  a  piece  of  bamboo  brier  having 
.stout  thorns,  which  leave  broad  gashes  on  the  backs  of  the  victims. 

When  a  player  fears  a  particular  contestant  on  the  other  side,  as  is  fre- 
quentl.v  the  case,  his  own  shaman  performs  a  special  incantation,  intended  to 
compass  the  defeat  and  even  tlie  disaliling  or  death  of  his  rival.  As  the  con- 
tending sides  ahva.vs  belong  to  different  settlements,  each  party  mates  all  these 
preliminary  arrangements  without  the  knowledge  of  the  other,  and  under  the 
guidance  of  its  own  shamans,  several  of  whom  are  employed  on  a  side  in  every 
hotly  contested  game.     .     .     . 

On  the  night  preceding  the  game  each  part.v  holds  the  ball-pla.v  dance  in  its 
own  settlement.  On  the  reservation  the  dance  is  always  held  on  Friday  night, 
so  that  the  game  may  take  place  on  Satnrda.v  afternoon,  in  order  to  give  the 
players  and  spectators  an  opportunit.v  to  sleep  off  the  effects  on  Sunday.  .  .  . 
The  dance  must  be  held  close  to  the  river,  to  enable  the  players  to  "  go  to  water  " 
during  the  night,  but  the  exact  spot  selected  is  ahva.vs  a  matter  of  uncertainty 
up  to  the  last  moment,  excepting  with  a  chosen  few.  If  this  were  not  the  case,  a 
spy  from  the  other  settlement  might  endeavor  to  insure  the  defeat  of  the  party 
b.v  strewing  along  their  trail  a  soup  made  of  the  hamstrings  of  rabbits,  which 
would  have  the  effect  of  rendering  the  pla.vers  timorous  and  easily  confused. 

The  dance  begins  soon  after  dark  on  the  night  preceding  the  game,  and  lasts 
until  d.iylireak.  and  from  the  time  they  eat  snpiier  before  the  dance  until  after 
the  game,  on  the  following  afternoon,  no  food  passes  the  lips  of  tlie  pla.vers. 

jMr  Mooiiey  selected  for  illustration  the  last  game  which  he  wit- 
nessed on  the  reservation,  in  8e]jteniber.  1S89.  On  the  occasion  in 
question  the  young  men  of  Yellow  Hill  wei'e  to  contend  against  those 
of  Raven  Town,  about  10  miles  farther  up  tlie  river,  and  as  the  latter 
place  was  a  large  settlement  noted  for  its  adherence  to  the  old  tradi- 
tions, a  spirited  game  was  expected. 

Kai-li  party  holds  a  dance  [plate  xiii|  in  Its  own  settlement,  the  game  tak- 
ing place  aliont  midway  between.  The  Yellow  Hill  men  were  to  have  tlieir 
dance  up  the  river,  about  half  a  mile  from  my  house,  .  .  .  The  spot  selected 
for  the  dance  was  a  narrow  strip  of  gravely  bottom,  where  the  mountain  came 
close  down  to  the  water's  edge.  .  .  .  Several  fires  were  burning.  .  .  . 
Around  the  larger  fire  were  the  dancers,  the  men  stripped  as  for  the  game. 
with  their  ball-sticks  in  their  bands  and  Ihc  fire.liglit  iilaying  upon  their  naked 
bodies.     .     .     . 

The  ball-play  dance  is  participated  in  by  both  sexes,  but  differs  considerably 
from  any  other  of  the  dances  of  the  tribe,  being  a  dual  affair  throngliout.  The 
dancers  .-ire  the  players  of  the  morrow,  with  seven  women,  representing  the 
seven  Cherokee  clans.  The  men  dance  in  ,i  circle  around  the  fire,  chanting 
responses  to  the  sound  of  a  rattle  carried  by  another  performer,   who  circles 


.^-^ 


CULIX]  -      racket:    CHEROKEE  577 

around  on  tlie  outside,  wliile  tbe  women  stand  in  liue  a  few  feet  away  and 
danee  to  and  fro,  now  advancing  a  few  steps  toward  tlie  men,  tlien  wheeling 
and  dancing  away  from  tlaem,  but  all  the  while  keeping  time  to  the  sound  of 
the  drum  and  chanting  the  refrain  to  the  ball  songs  made  by  the  drummer, 
who  is  seated  on  the  ground  on  the  side  farthest  from  the  fire.  The  rattle  Is 
a  gourd  fitted  with  a  handle  and  filled  with  small  pebbles,  while  the  drum 
resembles  a  small  keg  with  a  head  of  ground-hog  leather.  The  drum  is  partly 
filled  with  water,  the  head  being  also  moistened  to  improve  the  tone,  and  is 
beaten  with  a  single  stick.  Slen  and  women  dance  separately  throiighout. 
the  music,  the  evolutions,  and  the  songs  being  entirely  distinct,  but  all  combine 
to  produce  an  harmonious  whole.  The  women  are  relieved  at  intervals  by 
others  who  take  their  places,  but  the  men  dance  in  the  same  narrow  <'ircle  the 
whole  night  long,  excepting  during  the  frecpient  halts  for  the  purpose  of  going 
to  water. 

At  one  side  of  the  fire  are  set  up  two  forked  poles,  supporting  a  third  laid 
horizontally,  upon  which  the  ball  sticks  are  crossed  in  pairs  until  the  dance 
begins.  As  already  mentioned,  small  pieces  from  the  wing  of  the  bat  are 
sometimes  tied  to  these  poles,  and  also  to  the  rattle  used  in  the  dance,  to 
insure  success  in  the  contest.  The  skins  of  several  bats  and  swift-darting 
insectivorous  birds  were  formerly  wrapped  up  in  a  piece  of  deerskin,  together 
with  the  cloth  and  beads  used  in  the  conjuring  ceremonies  later  on.  and 
hung  from  the  fr.xme  during  the  dance.  On  finally  dressing  for  the  game  at 
the  ball  ground,  the  players  took  the  feathers  from  these  skins  to  fasten  in 
their  hair  or  upon  the  ball  sticks,  to  insure  swiftness  and  accuracy  in  their 
movements.  Sometimes  also  hairs  from  the  whiskers  of  the  bat  are  twisted 
into  the  netting  of  the  ball  sticks.  The  players  are  all  stripped  and  painted, 
with  feathers  in  their  hair,  just  as  they  appear  in  the  game.  When  all  is 
ready  an  attendant  takes  down  the  ball  sticks  from  the  frame,  throwing  theni 
over  his  arm  in  the  same  fashion,  and.  walking  around  the  circle,  gives  to 
each  man  his  own.  Then  the  rattler,  taking  his  instrument  in  his  hand,  begins 
to  trot  around  on  the  outside  of  the  circle,  uttering  a  sharp  "  HI !  "  to  which 
the  players  respond  with  a  quick  "Ili-hi'l"  while  slowly  moving  around  the 
circle  with  their  ball  sticks  held  tightly  in  front  of  their  breasts.  Then,  with 
a  quicker  movement,  the  song  changes  to  "  Ehu'  1  "  and  the  responses  to  "  Hahi' ! 
Ehu' :  Hahi' !  Ehu' !  Hahi' !"  Then,  with  a  prolonged  shake  of  the  rattle,  it 
changes  again  to  "Ahiye'!"  the  dancers  responding  with  the  same  word 
"Ahiye' !  "  but  in  a  higher  key ;  the  movements  become  more  lively  and  the 
chorus  louder,  till  at  a  given  signal  with  the  rattle  the  players  clap  their 
ball  sticks  together,  and,  facing  around,  go  through  the  motions  of  picking 
up  and  tossing  an  imaginary  ball.  Finally,  with  a  grand  rush,  they  dance  up 
close  to  tlie  women,  and  the  first  part  of  the  performance  ends  with  a  loud 
prolonged  "  Hu-ii  1  "  from  the  whole  crowd. 

In  the  meantime  the  women  have  taken  position  in  a  liue  a  few  feet  away, 
with  their  backs  turned  to  the  men,  while  in  front  of  them  the  drummei-  is 
seated  on  the  ground,  but  with  his  back  turned  toward  them  and  the  rest  of  the 
dancers.  After  a  few  preliminary  taps  on  the  drum,  he  begins  a  slow,  measured 
beat,  and  strikes  up  one  of  the  dance  refrains,  which  the  women  take  up  in 
chorus.  This  is  repeated  a  number  of  times  until  all  are  in  harmony  with  the 
tune,  when  he  begins  to  improvise,  choosing  words  which  will  harmonize  witli  the 
measure  of  the  chorus,  and  at  the  same  time  be  appropriate  to  the  subject  of 
the  dance.  As  this  requires  a  ready  wit  in  addition  to  ability  as  a  singer,  the 
selection  of  a  drummer  is  a  matter  of  considerable  importance,  and  that  func- 
tionar.v  is  held  in  corresponding  estimation.     He  sings  of  the  game  on  the  mor- 

2-t  ETH— 0.-.   M 37 


578  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  an-x.  24 

row,  of  the  fine  things  to  be  won  by  the  men  of  his  party,  of  the  joy  with  which 
they  will  be  received  by  their  friends  on  their  return  from  the  field,  and  of  the 
disappointment  and  defeat  of  their  rivals.  Throughout  it  all  the  women  keep 
lip  the  same  minor  refrain,  like  an  instrumental  accompaniment  to  vocal  music. 
As  Cherokee  songs  are  always  in  the  minor  key.  they  have  a  jjlaintive  effect, 
even  wlion  the  sentiment  is  cheerful  or  even  boisterous,  and  are  calculated  to  ex- 
cite the  mirth  of  one  who  understands  the  language.  This  impression  is  height- 
ened by  the  appearance  of  the  dancers  themselves,  for  the  women  shuffle  solemnly 
back  and  forth  all  night  long  without  ever  a  smile  upon  their  faces,  while  the 
occasional  laughter  of  the  men  seems  half  subdued.  The  monotonous  repetition, 
too,  is  something  intolerable  to  anyone  but  an  Indian,  the  same  words,  to  the 
same  tune,  being  sometimes  sung  over  and  over  again  for  a  half  hour  or  more. 
Although  the  singer  improvises  as  he  proceeds,  many  of  the  expressions  have 
now  lieconie  stereot.vped  and  are  used  at  almost  every  ball-play  dance.  .  .  . 
According  to  a  Cherokee  myth,  the  animals  once  challenged  the  birds  to  a 
great  ball  play.  The  wager  was  accepted,  the  preliminaries  were  arranged,  and 
at  last  the  contestants  assembled  at  the  appointed  spot — the  animals  on  the 
ground,  while  the  birds  took  position  in  the  tree-tops  to  await  the  throwing  up  of 
the  ball.  On  the  side  of  the  animals  were  the  bear,  whose  ponderous  weight 
liore  down  all  opposition  ;  the  deer,  who  excelled  all  others  in  running ;  and  the 
terrapin,  who  was  invulnerable  to  the  stoutest  blows.  On  the  side  of  the  birds 
were  the  eagle,  the  hawk,  and  the  great  Tliiniwa — all  noted  for  their  swiftness 
and  iiower  of  flight.  While  the  latter  were  preening  their  feathers  and  watching 
e\ery  motion  of  their  adversaries  below,  they  noticed  two  small  creatures,  hardly 
larger  than  mice,  climbing  up  the  tree  on  which  was  perched  the  leader  f)f  the 
birds.  Finally  they  reached  the  top  and  humbly  asked  the  captain  to  be  allowed 
to  join  in  the  game.  The  captain  looked  at  them  a  moment,  and.  seeing  that 
they  were  four-footed,  asked  them  why  they  did  not  go  to  the  animals  where 
they  iiroperly  belonged.  The  little  things  explained  that  they  had  done  so,  but 
had  been  laughed  at  and  rejected  on  account  of  their  diminutive  size.  On 
hearing  their  story  the  bird  captain  was  disposed  to  take  pity  on  them,  but  there 
was  one  serious  difficulty  in  the  wa.v — how  could  they  join  the  birds  when  they 
had  no  wings?  The  eagle,  the  hawk,  and  the  rest  now  crowded  around,  and 
after  some  discussion  it  was  decided  to  try  and  make  wings  for  the  little  fellows. 
I!ut  how  to  do  it!  All  at  once,  by  a  happy  inspiration,  one  bethought  himself 
of  the  drum  which  was  to  be  used  in  the  dance.  The  head  was  made  of  ground- 
hog leather,  and  perhaps  a  corner  could  be  cut  off  and  utilized  for  wings.  No 
sooner  suggested  than  done.  Two  pieces  of  leather  taken  from  the  drumhead 
were  cut  into  shape  and  attached  to  the  legs  of  one  of  the  small  animals,  and 
thus  originated  Tlameha.  the  bat.  The  ball  was  now  tossed  up.  and  the  bat 
was  told  to  catch  it,  and  his  expertness  in  dodging  and  circling  about,  keeping 
the  ball  constantly  in  motion  and  never  allowing  it  to  fall  to  the  ground,  soon 
convinced  the  birds  that  they  had  gained  a  most  valuable  ally.  They  next 
turned  their  attention  to  the  other  little  creature;  and  now  behold  a  worse 
difficulty!  All  their  leather  had  been  used  in  making  wings  for  the  bat.  and 
there  was  no  time  to  send  for  more.  In  this  dilemma  it  was  suggested  that 
litrbaps  wings  might  be  made  by  .stretching  out  the  skin  of  the  animal  itself. 
So  two  large  birds  seized  him  from  opposite  sides  with  their  strong  bills,  and 
by  tugging  and  pulling  at  his  fur  for  several  minutes  succeeded  in  stretching 
the  skin  between  the  fore  and  hind  feet  until  at  last  the  thing  was  done  and 
there  was  Tewa,  the  flying  squirrel.  Then  the  bird  captain,  to  try  him.  threw 
up  the  ball,  when  the  flying  squirrel,  with  a  graceful  bound,  sprang  off  the  limb 
and,  catching  it  in  his  teeth,  carried  it  through  the  air  to  another  tree-top  a 
1  undred  feet  away. 


CULIN] 


racket:    CHEROKEE  579 


When  nil  was  ready,  tlie  game  begau,  but  at  the  very  outset  the  flying  squirrel 
caught  the  ball  and  carried  it  up  a  tree,  then  threw  it  to  the  birds,  who  Icept  it 
in  the  air  for  some  time,  when  it  dropped :  but  just  before  it  reached  the 
ground  the  bat  seized  it,  and  liy  his  dodging  and  doubling  kept  it  out  of  the  way 
of  even  the  swiftest  of  the  animals  until  he  finally  threw  it  in  at  the  goal,  and 
thus  won  the  victt)ry  for  the  birds.  Because  of  their  assistance  on  this  occasion, 
the  ball  player  invokes  the  aid  of  the  bat  and  the  flying  squirrel  aud  ties  a  small 
piece  of  the  bat's  wing  to  his  ball  stick  or  fastens  it  to  the  frame  on  which  the 
sticks  are  hung  during  the  dance."     .     .     . 

At  a  certain  stage  of  the  dance  a  man,  specially  selected  for  the  purpose, 
leaves  the  groups  of  spectators  around  the  fire  and  retires  a  short  distance  into 
the  darkness  in  the  direction  of  the  rival  settlement.  Then,  standing  with  his 
face  still  turned  in  the  same  direction,  he  raises  his  hand  to  his  mouth  and 
utters  four  yells,  the  last  prolonged  into  a  peculiar  quaver.  He  is  answered  by 
the  players  with  a  chorus  of  yells — or  rather  yelps,  for  the  Indian  yell  resem- 
bles nothing  else  so  much  as  the  bark  of  a  puppy.  Then  he  comes  running  back 
until  he  passes  the  circle  of  dancers,  when  he  halts  and  shouts  out  a  single 
word,  which  may  be  translated.  "  They  are  already  beaten !  "  Another  chorus- 
of  yells  greets  this  announcement.  This  man  is  called  the  talala,  or  woodpecker, 
on  account  of  his  peculiar  yell,  which  is  considered  to  resemble  the  sound  made 
by  a  woodpecker  tapping  on  a  dead  tree  trunk.  According  to  the  orthodox 
Cherokee  belief,  this  yell  is  heard  by  the  rival  players  in  the  other  settlement — 
who.  it  will  be  remembered,  are  having  a  ball  dance  of  their  own  at  the  same 
time — and  so  terrifies  them  that  they  lose  all  heart  for  the  game.  The  fact  that 
both  sides  alike  have  a  talala  in  no  way  interferes  with  the  theory. 

At  frequent  intervals  during  the  night  all  the  players,  accompanied  by  the 
shaman  and  his  assistant,  leave  the  dance  and  go  down  to  a  retired  spot  at  the 
river's  bank,  where  they  perform  the  mystic  rite  known  as  "  going  to  water," 
hereafter  to  be  described.  While  the  players  are  performing  this  ceremony, 
the  women,  with  the  drummer,  continue  the  dance  and  chorus.  The  dance  is 
kept  up  without  intermission,  and  almost  without  change,  until  daybreak.  At 
the  final  dance  green  pine  tops  are  thrown  upon  the  fire,  so  as  to  produce  a  thick 
smoke,  which  envelopes  the  dancers.  Some  mystic  properties  are  ascribed  to  this 
pine  smoke.  l)Ut  what  they  are  I  have  not  yet  learned,  although  the  ceremony 
seems  to  be  intended  as  an  e.\orcism.  the  same  thing  being  done  at  other  dances 
when  there  has  recently  been  a  death  in  the  settlement. 

At  sunrise  the  players,  dressed  now  in  their  ordinary  clothes,  but  carrying 
their  ball  sticks  in  their  hands,  start  for  the  ball  ground,  accompanied  by  the 
shamans  and  their  assistants.  The  place  selected  for  the  game,  being  always 
about  midway  between  the  two  rival  settlements,  was  in  this  case  several  miles 
above  the  dance  ground  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  On  the  march 
each  party  makes  four  several  halts,  when  each  player  again  '"goes  to  water" 
separately  with  the  shaman.  This  occupies  considerable  time,  so  that  it  is- 
usually  afternoon  before  the  two  parties  meet  on  the  ball  ground.  While  the 
shaman  is  busy  with  his  mysteries  in  the  laurel  bushes  down  by  the  water's 
edge,  the  other  players,  sitting  by  the  side  of  the  trail,  spend  the  time  twisting 
extra  strings  for  their  ball  sticks,  adjusting  their  feather  ornaments,  and  dis- 
cussing the  coming  game.  In  former  times  the  player  during  these  halts  was 
not  allowed  to  sit  upon  a  log.  a  stone,  or  anything  liut  the  ground  itself; 
neither  was  it  permissible  to  lean  against  anything  excepting  the  back  of 
another  player,  on  penalty  of  defeat  in  the  game,  with  the  additional  risk  of 

"  A  somewhat  different  .iccoiint  of  this  myth  is  given  by  Mr  Mooney  in  Myths  of  the 
Cherokee.     Nineteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology,  p.  286, 1900. 


580  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  axx.  24 

beiug  bitteu  by  a  rattlesnake.     This  rule  is  now  disregarded,  and  it  is  doubtful 
if  any  but  the  older  men  are  aware  that  it  ever  existed. 

On  coming  up  from  the  water  after  the  fourth  halt,  the  iirincipal  shaman 
assembles  the  players  around  him  and  delivers  an  animated  harangue,  exhort- 
ing them  to  do  their  utmost  in  the  coming  contest,  telling  them  that  they  will 
undoubtedly  be  victorious,  as  the  omens  are  all  favorable,  picturing  to  their 
delighted  vision  the  stakes  to  be  won  and  the  ovation  awaiting  them  from  their 
friends  after  the  game,  and  finally  assuring  tliem  in  the  mystic  terms  of  the 
formulas  that  their  adversaries  will  be  driven  through  the  four  gaps  into  the 
gloomy  shadows  of  the  Darkening  Land,  where  they  will  perish  forever  from 
remembrance.  The  address,  delivered  in  rapid,  jerky  tones  like  the  speech  of 
an  auctioneer,  has  a  very  inspiriting  effect  upon  the  hearers  and  is  frequently 
interrupted  liy  a  burst  of  exultant  yells  from  the  pla.vers.  At  the  end,  with 
another  chorus  of  yells,  they  again  take  up  the  march. 

On  arriving  in  sight  of  the  ball  groun<l.  the  talala  again  comes  to  the  front 
and  announces  their  approach  with  four  loud  yells,  ending  with  a  long  quaver, 
as  ou  the  previous  night  at  the  dance.  The  players  respond  with  another  yell, 
and  then  turn  off  to  a  convenient  sheltered  place  by  the  river  to  make  the  final 
preparations. 

The  shaman  then  marks  off  a  small  space  upon  the  ground  to  rei)resent  the 
ball  field,  and.  taking  in  his  hand  a  small  bundle  of  sharpened  stakes  about  a 
foot  in  length,  addresses  each  man  in  turn,  telling  him  the  position  which  he  is 
to  occupy  in  the  field  at  the  tossing  up  of  the  ball  after  the  first  inning,  and 
driving  down  a  stake  to  represent  each  player  until  be  has  a  diagram  of  the 
whole  field  spread  out  upon  the  ground. 

The  players  then  strip  for  the  ordeal  of  scratching  [plate  xiv].  This  pain- 
ful operation  is  performed  by  an  assistant,  iu  this  case  by  an  old  man  named 
Standing  Water.  The  instrument  of  torture  is  called  a  kanuga  and  resembles 
a  short  comb  with  seven  teeth,  seven  being  also  a  sacred  number  with  the 
Cherokees.  The  teeth  are  made  of  sharpened  splinters  from  the  leg  bone  of 
a  turkey  and  are  fixed  in  a  frame  made  from  the  shaft  of  a  turkey  quill,  in  su'-h 
a  manner  that  by  a  slight  pressure  of  the  thumb  they  can  be  pushed  out  to  the 
length  of  a  small  tack.  Why  the  bone  and  feather  of  the  turkey  should  be 
selected  I  have  not  tet  learned,  but  there  is  undoubtedly  an  Indian  reason  for 
the  choice. 

The  players  having  stripped,  the  operator  begins  by  seizing  the  arm  of  a 
player  with  one  hand  while  holding  the  kanuga  in  the  other,  and  plunges  the 
teeth  into  the  Hesh  at  the  shoulder,  bringing  the  instrument  down  with  a  steady 
pressure  to  the  elbow,  leaving  seven  white  lines  which  l)ecome  red  a  moment 
later  as  the  blood  starts  to  the  surface.  He  now  plunges  the  kanuga  in  again  at 
another  place  near  the  shoulder,  and  again  brings  it  down  to  the  elbow.  Again 
and  again  the  operation  is  repeated  until  the  victim's  arm  is  scratched  iu 
twenty-eight  lines  above  the  elbow.  It  will  be  noticed  that  twenty-eight  is  a 
combination  of  four  and  seven,  the  two  sacred  numbers  of  the  Cherokee, 
The  operator  then  makes  the  .same  number  of  scratches  in  the  same  manner 
on  the  arm  below  the  elbow.  Next  the  other  arm  is  treated  in  the  same  way; 
then  each  leg.  both  above  and  lielow  the  knee,  and  finally  an  X  is  scratched 
across  the  breast  of  the  sufferer,  the  upper  ends  are  joined  by  another  stroke  from 
shoulder  to  shoulder,  and  a  similar  pattern  is  scratched  upon  his  back.  By  this 
time  the  blood  is  trickling  in  little  streams  from  nearly  three  hundred  gashes. 
None  of  the  scratches  are  deep,  but  they  are  unquestionably  very  painful,  as 
all  agree  who  have  undergone  the  operation.  Nevertheless  the  young  men 
endure  the  ordeal  willingly  and  almost  cheerfully,  regarding  it  as  a  neces- 
sary part  of  the  ritual  to  secure  success  in  the  game.     In  order  to  secure  a 


BUREAU   OF  AMERICAN   ETHNOLOGY  TWENTY-FOURTH   ANNUAL  REPORT     PL.   XIV 


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SCRATCHING    A    PLAYER;     CHEROKEE    INDIAN     BALL    GAME,     NORTH 
CAROLINA;    FROM     PHOTOGRAPH     BY    MOONEY    i1893i 


582  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 

and  kept  up  from  the  griiuiid  by  tlieir  spreading  tops.  To  make  themselves  more 
supple,  they  whip  themselves  with  the  tough  stalks  ot  the  wa'takfl,  or  star-grass, 
or  with  switches  made  from  the  bark  of  a  hickory  sapling  which  has  grown  up 
from  under  a  log  that  has  fallen  across  it,  the  bark  being  taken  from  the  bend 
thus  produced  in  the  sapling.  After  the  first  scratching  the  player  renders  him- 
self an  object  of  terror  to  his  opponents  by  eating  a  portion  of  a  rattlesnake 
which  has  been  killed  and  cooked  by  the  shaman.  lie  rubs  himself  with  an  eel 
skin  to  make  himself  slippery  like  the  eel,  and  rubs  each  limb  down  once  with 
the  fore  and  hind  leg  of  a  turtle,  because  the  legs  of  that  animal  are  remarkably 
stout.  He  applies  to  the  shaman  to  conjure  a  dangerous  opponent,  so  that  he 
may  be  unable  to  see  the  ball  in  its  flight,  or  may  dislocate  a  wrist  or  break  a 
leg.  Sometimes  the  shaman  draws  upon  the  ground  an  armless  figure  of  his 
rival,  with  a  hole  where  his  heart  should  be.  Into  this  hole  he  drops  two  black 
beads,  covers  them  with  earth  and  stamps  upon  them,  and  thus  the  dreaded  rival 
is  doomed,  unless  (and  this  is  always  the  saving  clause)  his  own  shaman  has 
taken  precautions  against  such  a  result,  or  the  one  in  whose  behalf  the  charm 
is  made  has  rendered  the  incantation  unavailing  by  a  violation  of  some  one  of 
the  interminable  rules  of  the  gaktunta. 

The  players.  Inning  dressed,  are  now  ready  to  go  to  water  for  the  last  time, 
for  which  puriwse  the  shaman  selects  a  bend  of  the  river  where  he  can  look 
toward  the  east  while  facing  upstream.  This  ceremony  of  going  to  water  is  the 
most  sacred  and  impressive  in  the  whole  Cherokee  ritual,  and  must  always  be 
performed  fasting,  and  in  most  eases  also  is  preceded  by  an  all-night  vigil.  It  is 
used  in  connection  with  prayers  to  obtain  a  long  life,  to  destroy  an  enemy,  to 
win  the  love  of  a  woman,  to  secure  success  in  the  hunt  and  the  ball  play,  and  for 
recovery  from  a  dangerous  illness,  but  is  performed  only  as  a  final  resort  or 
when  the  occasion  is  one  of  special  importance.  The  general  ceremonial  and 
the  principal  formulas  are  nearly  the  same  in  all  cases.  I  have  collected  a 
number  of  the  formulas  used  on  these  various  occasions,  but  it  is  impossible 
within  the  limits  of  this  paper  to  give  more  than  a  general  idea  of  their  nature. 

The  men  stand  side  by  side  looking  down  upon  the  water,  with  their  ball 
sticks  clasped  upon  their  breasts,  while  the  shaman  stands  just  behind  them, 
and  an  assistant  kneeling  at  his  side  spreads  out  upon  the  ground  the  cloth  uiion 
which  are  placed  the  sacred  beads.  These  beads  are  of  two  colors,  red  and 
black,  each  kind  resting  upon  a  cloth  of  the  same  color,  and  corresponding  in 
number  to  the  number  of  players.  The  red  beads  represent  the  players  for 
whom  the  shaman  performs  the  ceremony,  while  the  black  beads  stand  for  their 
opponents,  red  being  symbolic  of  power  and  triumph,  while  black  is  emblematic 
of  death  and  misfortune.  All  being  ready,  the  assistant  hands  to  the  shaman 
a  red  bead,  which  he  takes  between  the  thumb  and  finger  of  his  right  hand ; 
and  then  a  black  bead,  which  he  takes  in  the  same  manner  in  his  left  hand. 
Then,  holding  his  hands  outstretched,  with  his  eyes  intently  tixed  upon  the 
beads,  the  shaman  prays  on  behalf  of  his  client  to  Yflwi  Gunahi' ta,  the  Long 
Man,  the  sacred  name  for  the  river  :  "  O,  Long  Man,  I  come  to  the  edge  of 
your  body.  You  are  miglity  and  most  [lowerful.  You  bear  up  great  logs  and 
toss  them  about  where  the  foam  is  white.  Nothing  can  resist  you.  Grant  me 
such  strength  in  the  contest  that  my  enemy  may  be  of  no  weight  in  my  hands — 
that  I  may  be  able  to  toss  him  into  the  air  or  dash  him  to  the  earth."  In  a 
similar  strain  he  prays  to  the  Red  Bat  in  the  Sun  Land  to  make  him  expert  in 
dodging;  to  the  Red  Deer  to  make  him  fleet  of  foot;  to  the  great  Red  Hawk 
to  render  him  keen  of  sight ;  and  to  the  Red  Rattlesnake  to  render  liim  terrible 
to  all  who  oppose  him. 

Then,  in  the  same  low  tone  .uid  broken  accents  in  which  all  the  formulas 
are  recited,  the  shaman  declares  that  his  client  (mentioning  his  name  and  clan) 


BUREAU   OF    AMERICAN    ETHNOLOGY 


TWENTY-FOURTH    ANNUAL   REPORT     PL.    XV 


GRH^OKEE    INDIAN    BALL    PLAYER,   JOE    CROW,     READY    FOR    THE     BALL 
-TMNCE;    NORTH    CAROLINA;     FROM    PHOTOGRAPH     BY   MOONEY    '1888) 


CULIN]  backet:    CHEROKEE  583 

has  uow  ascended  to  the  first  heaven.  As  he  continues  praying  he  declares 
that  he  has  now  reached  the  second  heaven  (and  here  he  slightly  raises  his 
hands)  :  soon  he  ascends  to  the  third  heaven,  and  the  hands  of  the  shaman  are 
raised  still  higher ;  then,  in  the  same  way,  he  ascends  to  the  fourth,  the  fifth, 
and  the  sixth  heaven,  and  finally,  as  he  raises  his  trembling  hands  aloft,  he 
declares  that  the  spirit  of  the  man  has  uow  risen  to  the  seventh  heaven,  where 
his  feet  are  resting  upon  the  Red  Seats,  from  which  the.v  shall  never  he  dis- 
placed. 

Turning  uow  to  his  client,  the  shaman,  in  a  low  voice,  asks  him  the  name  of 
his  most  dreaded  rival  on  the  opposite  side.  The  reply  is  given  in  a  whisper, 
and  the  shaman,  holding  his  hands  outstretched  as  before,  calls  down  the  most 
withering  curses  upon  the  head  of  the  doomed  victim,  mentioning  him  likewise 
by  name  and  clan.  He  prays  to  the  Black  Fog  to  cover  him  so  that  he  may  be 
unable  to  see  his  way;  to  the  Black  Rattlesnake  to  envelop  him  in  his  slimy 
folds :  and  at  last  to  the  Black  Spider  to  let  down  his  black  thread  from  above, 
wrap  it  about  the  soul  of  the  victim,  and  drag  it  from  his  body  along  the  black 
trail  to  the  Darkening  Laud  in  the  west,  there  to  bury  it  in  the  black  coffin 
under  the  black  clay,  never  to  reappear.  At  the  final  imprecation  he  stoops 
and.  making  a  hole  in  the  soft  earth  with  his  finger  (symbolic  of  stabbing  the 
doomed  man  to  the  heart),  drops  the  black  bead  into  it  and  covers  it  from  sight 
with  a  vicious  stamp  of  his  foot :  then  with  a  simultaneous  movement  each  man 
dips  his  ball  sticks  into  the  water,  and  bringing  them  up,  touches  them  to  his 
lips;  theu,  stooping  again,  he  dips  up  the  water  iu  his  hand  and  laves  his  head 
and  breast. 

Below  is  given  a  translation  of  one  of  these  formulas,  from  the  collectiim  of 
original  Cherokee  manuscripts  obtained  by  the  writer.  The  formulistic  name 
for  the  player  signifies  "admirer  or  lover  of  the  ball  play."  The  shaman 
directs  his  attention  alternately  to  his  clients  and  their  opponents,  looking  by 
turns  at  the  red  or  the  black  bead  as  he  prays.  He  raises  his  friends  to  the 
seventh  heaven  and  invokes  in  their  behalf  the  aid  of  the  bat  and  a  number  of 
birds,  which,  according  to  the  Cherokee  belief,  are  so  keen  of  sight  and  so  swift 
upon  the  wing  as  never  to  fail  to  seize  their  intended  prey.  The  opiiosing 
players,  on  the  other  hand,  are  put  under  the  earth  and  rendered  like  the 
terrapin,  the  turtle,  the  mole,  and  the  bear — all  slow  and  clumsy  of  movement. 
Blue  is  the  color  symbolic  of  defeat,  red  is  typical  of  success,  and  white  signi- 
fls  .ioy  and  happiness.  The  e.xultant  whoop  or  shout  of  the  players  is  believed 
to  bear  them  on  to  victory,  as  trees  are  carried  along  by  the  resistless  force  of 
a  torrent : 

"THIS    IS    TO   TAKE   THEM    TO    WATEB   FOE   THE   BALL   PLAY." 

"  Sge!  Now.  where  the  white  thread  has  been  let  down,  quickly  we  are  about 
to  inquire  into  the  fate  of  the  lovers  of  the  ball  play. 

"They  are  of  such  a  desi  ent.  They  are  called  so  and  so.  (As  they  march) 
they  are  shaking  the  road  which  shall  never  be  joyful.  The  miserable  ter- 
rapin has  fastened  himself  upon  them  as  they  go  about.  They  are  doomed 
to  failure.     They  have  become  entirely  blue. 

"  But  now  my  lovers  of  the  ball  play  have  their  roads  lying  down  in  this 
direction.  The  Red  Bat  has  come  and  become  one  with  them.  There,  in  the 
first  heaven,  are  the  jileasing  stakes.  There,  in  the  second  heaven,  are  tbe 
pleasing  stakes.  The  Peewee  has  come  and  joined  them.  Their  ball  sticks 
shall  be  borne  along  by  the  immortal  whoop,  never  to  fail  them  in  the  contest. 

"  But  as  for  the  lovers  of  the  ball  play  on  the  other  side,  the  common  turtle 
has  fastened  himself  to  them  as  the.v  go  about.  There,  under  the  earth,  they 
are  doomed  to  failure. 


5S4  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  a\n.  24 

"  There,  iii  the  third  heaven,  are  the  pleasing  .stal^es.  Tlie  Red  Thi'niwa  lias 
come  and  made  himself  one  of  them,  never  to  be  defeated.  There,  in  the  fourth 
heaven,  are  the  pleasing  stakes.  The  Crested  Flycatcher  has  come  and  joined 
them,  that  they  may  never  be  defeated.  There,  in  the  fifth  heaven,  are  the 
pleasing  stalces.  The  Marten  has  come  and  joined  them,  that  they  may  never 
be  defeated. 

"  The  other  lovers  of  the  ball  play — the  Bine  Mole  has  become  one  with 
them,  that  they  may  never  feel  triumphant.     They  are  doomed  to  failure. 

"There,  in  the  sixth  heaven,  the  Chimney  Swift  has  become  one  with  them, 
that  they  may  never  be  defeated.  There  are  the  pleasing  stakes.  There,  in  the 
seventh  heaven,  the  Dragonfly  has  become  one  of  them,  that  they  may  never  be 
defeated.     There  are  the  pleasing  stakes. 

"As  for  the  other  lovers  of  the  ball  pla.v.  the  Bear  has  come  and  fastened  him- 
self to  them,  that  they  may  never  be  triumphant.  He  has  caused  the  stakes  to 
slip  out  of  their  hands,  and  their  share  has  dwindled  to  nothing.  Their  fate  is 
forecast. 

"  Sgel  Now  let  uie  know  that  the  twelve  (runs)  are  mine.  O  White  Dragon- 
fly. Let  me  know  that  their  share  is  mine — that  the  stakes  are  mine.  Now,  he 
[the  rival  pla.ver]  is  compelled  to  let  go  his  hold  upon  the  stakes.  They  Ithe 
shaman's  clients]  are  become  exultant  and  gratified.     Tfl !  " 

This  ceremony  ended,  the  players  form  in  line,  headed  by  the  shaman,  and 
inarch  in  single  file  to  the  ball  ground,  where  they  find  awaiting  them  a 
crowd  of  spectators — men,  women  and  children — sometimes  to  the  number 
of  several  hundred,  for  the  Indians  always  turn  out  to  the  ball  play,  no  matter 
how  great  the  distance,  from  old  Big  Witch,  stooping  under  the  weiglit  of 
nearly  a  hundred  years,  down  to  babies  slung  ;it  their  mothers"  backs.  The 
hall  ground  is  a  level  field  by  the  river  side,  surrounded  liy  the  high  timber- 
covered  mountains.  At  either  end  are  the  goals,  each  consisting  of  a  pair  of 
upright  poles,  betweeu  which  the  ball  must  be  driven  to  make  a  run,  the  side 
which  first  makes  12  home  runs  being  declared  the  winner  of  the  game  and  the 
stakes.  The  ball  is  furnished  by  the  challengers,  who  sometimes  try  to  select 
one  so  small  that  it  will  fall  through  the  netting  of  the  ball  sticks  of  their 
adversaries;  but  as  the  others  are  on  the  lookout  for  this,  the  trick  usually  fails 
of  its  purpose.  After  the  ball  is  once  set  in  motion  it  must  l>e  picked  up  only 
with  the  ball  sticks,  although  after  having  jiicked  up  the  ball  with  the  sticks  the 
player  frequently  takes  it  in  his  hand.  and.  throwing  away  the  sticks,  runs  with 
it  until  intercepted  by  one  of  the  other  party,  when  he  throws  it,  if  he  can,  to 
one  of  his  friends  further  on.  Should  a  player  pick  up  the  ball  with  his  hand, 
as  sometimes  happens  in  the  scramble,  there  at  once  arises  all  over  the  field  a 
chorus  of  "  Uwa'.yl  Gilti !  Uwa'yl  GfltT !  "  "  With  the  hand !  with  the  hand !  "— 
equivalent  to  our  own  "  Foul !  foul !  " — and  that  inning  is  declared  a  draw. 

While  our  men  are  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  other  party,  their  friends  crowd 
around  tbein,  and  the  women  throw  across  their  outstretched  ball  sticks  the 
Jiieces  of  calico,  the  small  squares  of  sheeting  used  as  shawls,  and  the  bright  red 
handkerchiefs  so  dear  to  the  heart  of  the  Cherokee,  which  they  intend  to  stake 
upon  the  game.  It  may  be  as  well  to  state  that  these  handkerchiefs  take  the 
place  of  hats,  bonnets,  and  scarfs,  the  women  throwing  them  over  their  heads  in 
shawl  fashion  and  the  men  twisting  them  like  turbans  about  their  hair,  while 
both  sexes  alike  fasten  them  about  their  throats  or  use  them  as  bags  for  carrying 
small  i)ackages.  Knives,  trinkets,  and  sometimes  small  coins,  are  also  wagered. 
But  these  Cherokee  to-day  are  jioor  indeed.  Hardly  a  man  among  them  owns  a 
horse,  and  never  again  will  a  chief  iiet  a  thousand  dollars  upon  his  favorites,  as 
was  (lone  in  Georgia  in  18.34.  To-day,  however,  as  then,  they  will  risk  all  they 
have. 


CLLiN]  racket:    CHEROKEE  585 

Xow  a  series  of  yells  announces  the  neai'  aiiproacb  of  the  men  from  Raven 
Town,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the.v  come  filing  out  from  the  bushes — stripped, 
.scratched,  and  decorated  like  the  others,  carrying  their  ball  sticks  in  their  hands, 
and  headed  by  a  shaman.  The  two  parties  come  together  in  the  center  of  the 
ground,  and  for  a  short  time  the  scene  resembles  an  auction,  as  men  and  women 
move  about,  holding  up  the  articles  they  propose  to  wager  on  the  game  and  bid- 
ding for  stakes  to  be  matched  against  them.  The  betting  being  ended,  the 
opposing  players  draw  up  in  two  lines  facing  each  other,  each  man  with  his 
ball  sticks  laid  together  upon  the  ground  in  front  of  him,  with  the  heads  i)oint- 
ing  toward  the  man  facing  him.  This  is  for  the  purpose  of  matching  the 
players  so  as  to  get  the  same  number  on  each  side ;  and  should  it  be  found  that 
a  player  has  no  antagonist  to  face  him  he  uuist  drop  out  of  the  game.  Such  a 
result  frequently  happens,  as  lioth  parties  strive  to  keep  their  arrangements 
secret  up  to  the  last  moment.  There  is  no  fixed  number  on  a  side,  the  common 
quota  being  from  nine  to  twelve.  Catlin,  indeed,  speaking  of  the  Choctaws,  says 
that  "  it  is  no  uncommon  occurrence  for  six  or  eight  hundred  or  a  thousand 
of  these  young  men  to  engage  in  a  game  of  ball,  with  five  or  six  times  that  num- 
ber of  spectators :"  but  this  was  ,iust  after  the  removal,  while  the  entire  natiou 
was  yet  camped  upon  the  prairie  in  the  Indian  Territory,  It  would  have  been 
utterly  impo.ssible  for  the  shamans  to  jirejiare  a  thousand  players,  or  even  one- 
fourth  of  that  number,  in  the  regular  way,  and  in  C'atlin's  spirited  description 
of  the  game  the  ceremonial  iiart  is  chiefly  conspicuous  by  its  absence.  The 
greatest  number  that  I  ever  heard  of  among  the  old  Cherokee  was  twenty-two  on 
a  side.  There  is  another  secret  formula  to  be  recited  by  the  initiated  at  this 
juncture,  and  addressed  to  the  Ked  Yahulu,  or  hickory,  for  the  inn-pose  of  de- 
stroying the  efiiciency  of  his  enemy's  ball  sticks. 

During  the  whole  time  that  the  game  is  in  progress  the  shaman,  concealed 
in  the  bushes  by  the  water  side,  is  liusy  with  his  prayers  and  incantations  for 
the  success  of  his  clients  and  the  defeat  of  their  rivals.  Through  his  assistant, 
who  acts  as  messenger,  he  is  kejit  advised  of  the  movements  of  the  players  by 
seven  men,  known  as  counselors,  ajipointed  to  watch  the  game  for  that  pur|iose. 
These  seven  counselors  also  have  a  general  o^•ersight  of  the  conjuring  and  other 
I^roceedings  at  the  ball-play  dance.  Every  little  incident  is  regarded  as  an  omen, 
and  the  shaman  governs  himself  accordingly. 

An  old  man  now  advances  with  the  ball,  and  standing  at  one  end  of  the 
lines,  delivers  a  final  address  to  the  players,  tolling  them  that  T'ne'lanu'hi,  the 
Apportioner — the  sun — is  looking  down  upon  them,  urging  them  to  acquit 
themselves  in  the  games  as  their  fathers  have  done  before  them  :  but  above  all 
to  keep  their  tempers,  so  that  none  may  have  it  to  say  that  they  got  angry 
or  quarreled,  and  that  after  it  is  over  each  one  may  return  in  peace  along 
the  white  trail  to  rest  in  his  white  house.  White  in  these  formulas  is  .syni- 
bolie  of  peace  and  happiness  and  all  good  things.  He  concludes  with  a  loud 
"  Ha !  Taldu-gwu' !  "  "  Now  for  the  twelve !  "  and  throws  the  ball  into  the  air. 

Instantly  twenty  pairs  of  ball  sticks  clatter  together  in  the  air,  as  their 
owners  spring  to  catch  the  ball  in  its  descent.  In  the  scramble  it  usually  hap- 
pens that  the  ball  falls  to  the  ground,  when  it  is  picked  up  by  one  more  active 
than  the  rest.  Frequently,  however,  a  man  will  succeed  in  catching  it  between 
his  ball  sticks  as  it  falls,  and,  disenga'ging  himself  from  the  rest,  starts  to  run 
with  it  to  the  goal  :  but  before  he  has  gone  a  dozen  yards  they  are  upon  him, 
and  the  whole  crowd  goes  down  together,  rolling  and  tumbling  over  each  other 
in  the  dust,  straining  and  tugging  for  possession  of  the  ball,  until  one  of  the 
players  manages  to  extricate  himself  from  the  struggling  heap  and  starts  off 
with  the  ball.  At  once  the  others  spring  to  their  feet  and,  throwing  away 
their  ball  sticks,  rush  to  intercept  him  or  prevent  his  capture,  their  black  hair 


58(>  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [kth.  ann.  24 

streomiiig  out  behind  and  their  nalied  bodies  glistening  in  the  sun  as  tliey  run. 
The  fieeue  is  constantly  changing.  Now  tlie  players  are  all  together  at  the 
lower  end  of  the  field,  when  suddenly,  with  a  powerful  throw,  a  player  sends 
the  liall  high  over  the  heads  of  the  spectators  and  into  tlie  bushes  beyond. 
Before  there  Is  time  to  realize  it,  here  they  come  with  a  grand  sweep  and  a 
burst  of  short,  sharp  Cherokee  exclamations,  charging  right  into  the  crowd, 
knocking  men  and  women  to  right  and  left,  and  stumbling  over  dogs  and  babies 
in  their  frantic  efforts  to  get  at  the  ball. 

It  is  a  very  exciting  game,  as  well  as  a  very  rough  one,  and  in  its  general 
features  is  a  combination  of  baseball,  football,  and  the  old-fashioned  shinny. 
Almost  everything  short  of  murder  is  allowable  in  the  game,  and  both  parties 
sometimes  go  into  the  contest  with  the  deliberate  purpose  of  crippling  or 
otherwise  disabling  the  best  players  on  the  opposing  side.  Serious  accidents 
are  common.  In  the  last  game  which  I  witnessed  one  man  was  seized  around 
the  waist  by  a  powerfully  built  adversary,  raised  up  in  the  air,  and  hurled  down 
upon  the  ground  with  such  force  as  to  break  his  collar-bone.  His  friends  pulled 
him  out  to  one  side  and  the  game  went  on.  Sometimes  two  men  lie  struggling 
on  the  ground,  clutching  at  each  others'  throats,  long  after  the  ball  has  been 
carried  to  the  other  end  of  the  field,  until  the  drivers,  armed  with  long,  stout 
switches,  come  running  up  and  belabor  both  over  their  bare  shoulders  until 
they  are  forced  to  break  their  hold.  It  is  also  the  duty  of  these  drivers  to 
gather  the  ball  sticks  thrown  away  in  the  excitement  and  restore  them  to  their 
owners  at  the  beginning  of  the  next  inning. 

When  the  ball  has  been  carried  through  the  goal,  the  players  come  back  to 
the  center  and  take  position  in  accordance  with  the  previous  instructions  of 
their  shamans.  The  two  captains  stand  facing  each  other,  and  the  ball  is  then 
thrown  up  by  the  captain  of  the  side  which  won  the  last  inning.  Then  the 
struggle  begins  again:  and  so  the  game  goes  on  until  one  party  scores  12  runs 
and  is  declared  the  victor  and  the  winner  of  the  stakes. 

As  soon  as  the  game  is  over,  usually  about  sundown,  the  winning  players 
immediately  go  to  water  again  with  their  shamans  and  perform  another  cere- 
mony for  the  purpose  of  turning  aside  the  revengeful  incantations  of  their 
defeated  rivals.  They  then  dress,  and  the  crowd  of  hungry  players,  who  have 
eaten  nothing  since  they  started  for  the  dance  the  night  liefore.  make  a  com- 
bined attaclc  on  the  provisions  which  the  women  now  produce  from  their  shawls 
and  baskets.  It  should  be  mentioned  tliat,  to  assuage  thirst  during  the  game, 
the  pla.vers  are  allowed  to  drink  a  sour  preparation  made  from  green  grapes 
and  wild  crabapples. 

Although  the  contestants  on  both  sides  are  pielied  men  and  strive  to  win 
[plates  XV,  xvi],  straining  every  muscle  to  the  utmost,  the  impression  left 
upon  my  mind  after  witnessing  a  number  of  games  is  that  the  same  number  of 
athletic  young  white  men  would  have  infused  more  robust  energy  into  the  play — 
that  is,  provided  they  could  stand  upon  their  feet  after  all  the  preliminar.v 
fasting,  bleeding,  and  loss  of  sleep.  Before  separating,  the  defeated  party 
usually  challenges  the  victors  to  a  second  contest,  and  in  a  few  days  prei)ara- 
tions  are  activel.\-  under  way  for  another  game. 

Of  the  ball  game,  Mr  Mooney  relates  further: 

Some  old  people  say  that  the  moon  is  a  ball  which  was  thrown  up  against 
the  sky  in  a  game  a  long  time  ago.  They  say  that  two  towns  were  playing 
against  each  other,  but  one  of  them  had  the  best  runners  and  had  almost  won 
the  game  when  the  leader  of  tlie  other  side  picked  up  the  ball  with  his  hand — 
a  thing  that  is  not  allowed  in  the  game — and  tried  to  throw  to  the  goal,  Imt 
it  struck  against  the  solid  sky  vault  and  was  fastened  there,  to  remind  players 


CLLix]  racket:    CHEROKEE  587 

never  to  cheat.  When  the  moon  looks  small  and  i^ale.  it  is  because  some  one 
has  handled  the  ball  unfairly,  and  for  this  reason  they  formerly  played  only 
at  the  time  of  a  full  moon." 

In  another  myth  Mr  Mooney  refers  to  playing  ball  as  a  ligurative 
expression  for  a  contest  of  any  kind,  particularly  a  battle.'' 

Cherokee.     Walker  county,  Georgia. 
Rev.  George  White  writes : ' 

We  have  been  favored  with  the  following  letter  from  a  gentleman,  giving  an 
account  of  an  Indian  ball-play  which  took  place  in  this  county,  and  at  which  he 
was  present : 

"  We  started  one  tlno  morning  in  the  month  of  August,  for  the  hickory 
grounds,  having  learned  that  two  towns,  t'hattooga  and  Chicamauga.  were  to  have 
a  grand  ball  play  at  that  place.  We  found  the  grounds  to  Ije  a  beautiful  hickory 
level,  entirely  in  a  state  of  nature,  uikju  which  had  been  erected  several  rude 
tents,  containing  numerous  articles,  mostly  of  Indian  manufacture,  which  were 
the  stakes  to  be  won  or  lost  in  the  approaching  contest.  We  had  been  on  the 
ground  only  a  short  time  when  the  two  contending  parties,  composed  of  fifty 
men  each,  mostly  in  a  state  of  nuditj-  and  having  their  faces  painted  in  a  fan- 
tastical manner,  headed  by  their  chiefs,  made  their  appearance.  The  war- 
whoop  was  then  sounded  by  one  of  the  parties,  which  was  immediately  answered 
by  the  other,  and  continued  alternately  as  the.v  advanced  slowly  and  in  regular 
order  towards  each  other  to  the  center  of  the  ground  allotted  for  the  contest. 

"  In  order  that  you  may  have  an  idea  of  the  play,  imagine  two  parallel  lines  of 
stakes  driven  into  the  ground  near  each  other,  each  extending  for  about  100 
yards  and  having  a  space  of  100  yards  between  them.  In  the  center  of  these 
lines  were  the  contending  towns,  headed  by  their  chiefs,  each  having  in  their 
hands  two  wooden  spoons,  curiously  carved,  not  unlike  our  large  iron  spoons. 
The  object  of  these  spoons  is  to  throw  up  the  ball.  The  ball  is  made  of  deer 
skin  wound  around  a  piece  of  spunk.  To  carr.y  the  ball  through  one  of  the  lines 
mentioned  above  is  the  purpose  to  be  accomplished.  Every  time  the  ball  is 
carried  through  these  lines  counts  1.  The  game  is  commenced  by  one  of  the 
chiefs  throwing  up  the  ball  to  a  great  height,  by  means  of  the  wooden  siK)ons. 
As  soon  as  the  ball  is  thrown  up,  the  contending  parties  mingle  together.  If 
the  chief  of  the  opposite  party  catches  the  ball  as  it  descends,  with  his  spoons, 
which  be  exerts  his  utmost  skill  to  do,  it  counts  1  for  his  side.  The  respective 
parties  stand  prepared  to  catch  the  ball  if  there  should  be  a  failure  on  the  part 
of  their  chiefs  to  do  so.  On  this  occasion  the  parties  were  distinguished  from 
each  other  by  the  color  of  their  ribbons ;  the  one  being  red,  the  other  blue. 

"The  strife  begins.  The  chief  has  failed  to  catch  the  ball.  A  stout  warrior 
has  caught  it,  and  endeavors  with  all  speed  to  cari'y  it  to  his  lines,  when  a  faster 
runner  knocks  his  feet  from  under  him.  wrests  the  ball  from  him.  and  trium- 
jihantly  makes  his  way  with  the  prize  to  his  own  line;  but  when  he  almost  reaches 
the  goal,  he  is  overtaken  by  one  or  more  of  his  opponents,  who  endeavors  to  take 
it  from  him.  The  struggle  becomes  general,  and  it  is  often  the  case  that  serious 
personal  injuries  are  inflicted.  It  is  very  common  during  the  contest  to  let  the 
hall  fall  to  the  ground.  The  strife  now  ceases  for  a  time,  until  the  chiefs  again 
array  their  bands.  The  ball  is  again  thrown  up,  and  the  game  is  continued  as 
above  described.  Sometimes  half  an  hour  elapses  before  either  side  succeeds  in 
making  1  in  the  game. 

"  M.yths  of  the  Cherokee.  Nineteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  American 
Ethnology,  pt.  1.  p.  257.  1900. 

"  Ibid.,  p.  24.5.  433.  "■  Historicnl  Collections  of  Georgi.i.  p.  670.  New  York.  1855. 


588  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  axx.  :;4 

"  It  is  usual  at  these  ball-iila.vs  for  each  party  to  leave  their  conjurers  at  work 
at  the  time  the  game  is  going  on ;  their  stations  are  near  the  center  of  each  line. 
In  their  hands  are  shells,  bones  of  snakes,  etc.  These  conjurers  are  sent  for 
from  a  great  distance.  They  are  estimated  according  to  their  age,  and  it  is  sup- 
posed by  their  charms  they  can  influence  the  game.  On  this  occasion  two  con- 
jurers were  present ;  they  appeared  to  be  over  100  years  of  age.  When  I  spoke 
4o  one  of  them  he  did  not  deign  even  to  raise  his  head :  the  second  time  I 
spoke  he  gave  me  a  terrible  look,  and  at  the  same  time  one  of  the  Indian  women 
came  and  said,  '  Conagatee  unaka,'  '  Go  away,  white  man.' "' 

Huron.     Ontario. 

Nicolas  PeiTot"  says,  under  jeii  de  crosse: 

They  have  a  certain  game  played  with  a  bat,  which  greatly  resembles  our 
game  of  tennis.  Their  custom  is  to  pit  one  nation  against  another,  and  if  one  is 
more  numerous  than  the  other,  a  certain  nimiber  of  men  are  withdrawn  to  render 
the  sides  eiiual.  They  are  all  armed  with  a  bat — that  is  to  say,  a  stick — the 
lower  end  of  which  is  enlarged  and  laced  like  a  racket.  The  ball  is  of  wood  and 
shaped  very  much  like  a  turkey  egg. 

The  goals  are  laid  out  in  the  open  country,  and  face  east  and  west,  south  and 
north.  One  of  the  parties,  in  order  to  win,  must  make  the  ball  pass  beyond  the 
ea.st  and  west  goals,  while  the  other  party  plays  for  the  north  and  south  goals. 
If  anyone  who  has  won  once  makes  the  ball  pass  be.voud  the  wrong  goal,  he  is 
obliged  to  begin  again,  taking  his  adversary's  goal.  If  he  happens  to  win  again, 
he  gains  nothing.  Then,  the  parties  being  equal  and  the  game  even,  they  begin 
the  deciding  game,  and  the  successful  side  takes  the  stakes.  Men  and  women, 
young  boys,  and  girls  all  play  on  one  side  or  the  other,  and  make  bets  according 
to  their  means. 

These  games  usually  begin  after  the  disappearance  of  the  snow  and  ice  and 
continue  till  seed  time.  The  games  are  played  in  the  afternoon,  ;iud  the  captain 
of  each  team  harangues  his  players  and  announces  the  hour  tixed  for  beginning 
the  game.  At  the  appointed  time  they  gather  in  a  crowd  in  the  center  of  the 
field,  and  one  of  the  two  captains,  having  the  ball  in  his  hand,  tosses  it  up  in 
the  air,  each  player  trying  to  send  it  in  the  proper  direction.  If  the  ball  falls  to 
the  ground,  they  try  to  pull  it  toward  themselves  with  their  bats,  and  should  it 
fall  outside  the  crowd  of  players,  the  most  active  of  them  win  distinction  by 
following  closely  after  it.  They  make  a  gi-eat  noise  striking  one  against  the 
other  when  they  try  to  parry  strokes  in  order  to  drive  the  ball  in  the  proper 
direction.  If  a  player  keeps  the  ball  between  his  feet  and  is  luiwilling  to  let  it 
go,  he  must  guard  against  the  blows  his  adversaries  continually  aim  at  his 
feet ;  if  he  happens  to  be  wounded,  it  is  his  own  fault.  Legs  and  arms  are 
sometimes  broken,  and  it  has  even  happened  that  a  ]ilayor  has  been  killed.  It 
is  quite  common  to  see  some  one  cripijled  for  the  rest  of  his  life  who  would  not 
have  had  this  misfortune  but  for  his  own  obstinacy.  When  these  accidents 
happen  the  unlucky  victim  quietly  withdraws  from  the  game,  if  he  is  in  a  condi- 
tion to  do  so;  but  if  his  injury  will  not  permit  this,  his  relatives  carry  him 
home,  and  the  game  goes  on  till  it  is  finished,  as  if  nothing  bad  occurred. 

As  to  the  runners,  when  the  sides  are  equal,  sometimes  neither  side  will  win 
during  the  entire  afternoon,  and,  again,  one  side  may  gain  both  of  the  two 
games  necessary  to  win.  In  this  racing  game  it  looks  as  if  the  two  sides  were 
about  to  engage  in  battle.  This  e.\ercise  contributes  much  toward  rendering  the 
savages  agile  and  quick  to  avoid  adroitly  a  blow  of  a  tomahawk  in  the  hands  of 

»  M^moire  sur  les  Moeui-s,  Coustumes  et  Relligion  des  Sauvages  de  I'Am^rique  Septcn- 
trionale,  p.  43,  Leipzig,  18C4. 


CULIN]  racket:    HURON  589 

an  enemy  when  engaged  in  war,  and  unless  previously  informed  that  they  were 
at  play  one  would  truly  believe  them  to  be  fighting.  < 

Whatever  accident  the  game  may  cause  is  attributed  to  luck,  and  there  Is  in 
consequence  no  hard  feeling  l>etween  tlie  players.  The  wounded  seem  as  well 
satisfied  as  if  nothing  had  happened  to  tliem.  thus  demonstrating  that  tliey  have 
plenty  of  courage  and  that  they  are  men. 

They  talce  what  they  have  wagered  and  their  winnings,  and  tliere  is  uo  dis- 
pute on  either  side  w'hen  it  comes  to  a  question  of  payment,  no  matter  what 
game  they  play.  If,  however,  anyone  who  does  not  belong  in  the  game,  or  who 
has  bet  nothing,  hits  the  ball,  thus  giving  any  advantage  to  either  side,  one  of 
the  players  on  the  other  side  will  upbraid  the  outsider,  aslcing  him  if  the  game 
Is  any  affair  of  his  and  why  he  meddles  with  it.  They  often  come  to  blows,  and, 
if  some  chief  does  not  pacify  them,  blood  may  be  spilled  or  even  some  one  killed. 
The  best  way  to  prevent  such  disorderly  occurrences  is  to  begin  the  game  anew, 
with  the  consent  of  those  who  are  aliead,  for  if  they  refuse  to  do  so  they  have 
the  advantage.  When  some  prominent  man  takes  part  in  the  dispute,'  It  is  not 
difficult  to  arrange  their  differences  and  induce  them  to  follow  his  advice. 

Baron  La  Hontan  says : " 

They  have  a  third  play  with  a  ball  not  unlike  our  tennis,  but  the  balls  are 
very  large,  and  the  rackets  resemble  ours,  save  that  the  handle  is  at  least  3  feet 
long.  The  savages,  who  commonly  play  at  it  in  large  companies  of  three  or  four 
hundred  at  a  time,  fix  two  sticks  at  500  or  600  paces  distant  from  each  other. 
They  divide  into  two  equal  parties,  and  toss  up  the  ball  about  halfway  between 
the  two  sticks.  Each  party  endeavors  to  toss  the  ball  to  their  side;  some  run 
to  the  ball,  and  the  rest  keep  at  a  little  distance  on  tjoth  sides  to  assist  on  all 
<juarters.  In  fine,  this  game  is  so  violent  that  they  tear  their  skins  and  break 
their  legs  very  often  in  striving  to  raise  the  ball.  All  these  games  are  made 
only  for  feasts  or  other  trifling  entertainments ;  for  'tis  to  be  observed  that  as 
they  hate  money,  so  they  never  put  it  in  the  balance,  and  one  may  say  interest 
is  never  the  occasion  of  debates  among  them. 

Huron.     Ihoiiatiria,  or  St  Joseph,  near  Thunder  bay,  Ontario. 

Jean  de  Brebeuf  says : '' 

Of  three  kinds  of  games  especially  in  use  among  these  peoples — namely,  the 
games  of  crosse,  dish,  and  straw,  the  first  two  are,  they  say,  most  healing.  Is 
not  this  worthy  of  compassion?  There  is  a  poor  sick  man,  fevered  of  body  and 
almost  dying,  and  a  miserable  sorcerer  will  order  for  him,  as  a  cooling  remedy, 
a  game  of  crosse.  Or  the  sick  man  himself,  sometimes,  will  have  dreamed  that 
he  must  die  unless  the  whole  country  shall  play  crosse  for  his  health ;  and  no 
matter  how  little  may  be  his  credit,  you  will  see  then  in  a  beautiful  field,  vil- 
lage contending  against  village  as  to  who  will  play  crosse  the  better,  and  betting 
against  one  another  beaver  robes  and  porcelain  collars,  so  as  to  excite  greater 
interest.  Sometimes,  also,  one  of  these  jugglers  will  say  that  the  whole  country 
is  sick,  and  he  asks  a  game  of  crosse  to  heal  it ;  no  more  needs  to  be  said,  it  is 
published  Immediately  everywhere :  and  all  the  captains  of  each  village  give 
orders  that  all  the  young  men  do  their  duty  in  this  respect,  otherwise  some  great 
misfortune  would  befall  the  whole  country.'' 

"  N'ew  Voy.iges  to  North-America,  v.  2,  p.  18.  London.  1703. 

»  Relation  of  16.S6.  The  Jesuit  Relations  and  Allied  Documents,  v.  10.  p.  185,  Cleve- 
land. 1897. 

'  Bii^beuf  descrihes  all  the  affairs  of  the  Huron  as  included  under  two  heads : 

The  first  are.  as  it  were,  affairs  of  state — whatever  may  concern  either  citizens  or 
strangers,  the  public  or  the  individuals  of  the  village ;  as,  for  example,  feasts,  dances, 
games,  crosse  matches,  aud  funeral  ceremonies.  The  second  are  affairs  of  war.  Now 
there  are  as  many  sorts  of  Captains  as  of  affairs.      (Ibid.,  p.  229.) 


590 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMEEICAN    INDIANS      Ieth.  ann.  24 


Mohawk.  Grand  river,  Ontario.  (Cat.  no.  38513,  38514,  Free  Mu- 
•  sevim  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Racket  for  lacrosse  (figure  761),  consisting  of  a  sapling  curved  at  one 
end,  the  bent  portion  woven  with  a  network  of  bark  cord ;  length, 
48  inches. 


Fig.  761.    Racket;  lengrth,  48  inches;  Mohawk  Indians,  Grand  river,  Ontario;  oat.  no.  ;38513,  Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Ball  covered  with  buckskin  (figure  762),  round.  -li  inches  in  diam- 
eter, the  cover  in  one  piece  cut  and  sewed  like  a  baseball.     Col- 
lected by  the  writer  in  1901. 
The  name  of  the  racket  was  given  as  ki-du-kwa-sta.  and  that  of  the 
ball  as  no-ha.     The  racket  was  explained  as  the  old  kind,  with  bast 
cords  instead  of  twine,  as  is  now  used. 

Mr  J.  N.  B.  Hewitt »  informed  the 
writer  that  the  use  of  bark  as  a  network 
was  only  to  replace  sinew  when  tliat 
article  was  not  obtainable.  The  bark 
of  the  slippery  elm,  boiled  in  water  to 
make  it  pliable,  was  employed.     He  says : 

The  network  on  the  common  Iroquois  club 
was  not  drawn  taut,  but  it  was  sufficiently  taut 
to  enable  the  player  to  throw  the  ball  to  a  very 
great  distance — a  successful  throw  carrying 
the  ball  about  20  rods — and  yet  the  netting 
was  loose  enough  to  enable  a  skillful  player 
oftentimes  to  carry  the  ball  through  a  crowd 
of  opposing  players.  On  the  regulation  olub 
used  in  the  modernized  game,  which  is  very 
seldom  played  by  the  Iroquois,  the  network  is  made  very  taut,  so  that  the  net- 
work emits  a  twang  when  it  is  picked  by  the  fingers.     .     .     . 

The  goals  or  butts  for  the  ball  game  were  marked  by  poles  or  stakes,  from  10 
to  15  feet  in  length,  two  in  number,  driven  in  the  ground  from  5  to  15  paces 
apart.  The  goal  therefore  was  a  square  or  quadrilateral  space  bounded  on  two 
sides  by  the  two  upright  poles,  on  one  side  by  the  ground  and  on  the  other  by  a 
line  connecting  either  the  extreme  ends  of  the  poles  or  two  marked  points  on  the 
poles  at  some  agreed  height  from  the  ground.  The  goals  were  placed  from  40  to 
80  rods  apart,  according  to  the  number  and  skill  of  the  players.     .     .     . 

The  players  to  begin  the  game  assemble  on  the  ball-ground  at  a  point  mid- 
way between  the  goals,  or  butts.  The  two  parties  are  then  divided  into  couples, 
every  player  being  paired  with  one  of  the  opposite  party,  those  paired  being,  as 
nearly  as  possible,  of  equal  skill,  agility,  strength,  and  fleetness  of  foot.  One  of 
the  players  is  placed  immediately  in  front  of  the  goal  defended  by  his  side,  and 
another  In  front  of  the  opposite  goal.  These  two  are  called  the  door-guards.  It 
is  their  duty  to  guard  the  goals  against  an  opposing  player  who  may  attempt  to 


Fig.  762.  Ball;  diameter,  it  inches; 
Mohawk  Indians,  Grand  river, 
Ontario;  cat.  no.  38514.  Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania. 


"  See  The  American  .\nthropologist,  v.  5,  p.  189,  1892. 


CCLI3J]  racket:    MOHAWK  591 

tlirow  the  ball  through  from  a  distauce  or  to  carry  the  ball  into  the  goal  on  Ills 
club.  These  two  are  ehoseu  rather  for  their  skill  and  vigilance  than  for  fleet- 
ness  of  foot. 

It  was  considered  a  great  feat  for  a  player  to  take  the  ball  on  his  bat,  elude 
his  pursuers  and  opponents,  outplay  the  door-guard,  and  thus  cari-y  the  ball  into 
the  goal,  especially  if  he  was  able  to  walk  into  the  goal.  The  side  wliose  player 
did  this  would  taunt  the  other  side  by  saying,  "  It  lay  on  the  club  when  it 
entered." 

The  game  was  opened  by  the  two  captains  holding  their  clubs  crossed  in  the 
form  of  a  Maltese  cross  with  the  ball  placed  midway  between  the  ends  of  the 
network  on  each  club ;  then  by  a  steady  push  each  captain  endeavors  to  throw 
the  ball  in  the  direction  of  the  goal  to  which  his  side  must  bear  it. 

Like  all  other  public  games  of  the  Iroquois,  the  ball  game  was  to  the  specta- 
tors a  favorite  opportunity  for  betting,  and  many  would  wager  and  lose  all  their 
possessions. 

The  Iroquois  prefer  the  ancient  to  the  modern  style  of  the  game,  for  in  the 
former  they  had  a  greater  opportunitj-  to  exhibit  their  skill,  strength,  and  fleet- 
ness  of  foot  individually,  whereas  in  the  modernized  fonn  of  the  game,  I  believe, 
there  is  more  team-play. 

Previous  to  a  matched  game  the  players  would  go  through  a  course  of  strin- 
gent fasting,  bathing,  and  emetics.  The  latter  were  decoctions  of  the  bark  of 
spotted  alder  and  red  willow. 

The  contending  parties  of  ball  players  all  carried  some  charm  or  talisman  to 
insure  their  victory.  Shamans  were  hired  liy  individual  players  to  exert  their 
supernatural  powers  in  their  own  behalf  and  for  their  side,  and  when  a  noted 
wizard  openly  espoused  the  cause  of  one  of  the  parties  the  players  of  the  other 
side  felt  to  a  cei-tain  extent  disheartened. 

The  game  was  played  during  spring,  summer,  and  fall :  and  formerly  the 
players  painted  and  adorned  themselves  in  their  most  approved  style. 

The  game  generally  begins  in  the  afternoon;  seldom,  if  ever,  in  the  forenoon. 
It  is  usually  followed  by  a  dance  at  night,  accompanied  by  a  feast. 

Mohawk.     Grand  river,  Ontario. 

Col.  William  H.  Stone,''  referring  to  the  ball  game,  which  he  errone- 
ously declares  the  Six  Nations  adopted  from  the  whites,  describes  a 
match  played  at  Grand  river  between  tlie  Mohawk  and  Seneca  in 
1797: 

The  combatants  numbered  about  six  hundred  upon  a  side.  The 
goals,  designated  by  two  pair  of  byes,  were  30  rods  apart  and  the 
goals  of  eacli  pair  about  30  feet  apart.  Each  jDassage  of  the  ball  be- 
tween them  counted  a  point,  but  the  tally  chiefs  were  allowed  to  check 
or  curtail  the  count  in  order  to  protract  the  game.  The  ball  was  put 
in  i^lay  by  a  beautiful  girl. 

Caughnawaga,  Quebec. 

J.  A.  Cuoq  ^  gives  the  following  definitions : 

Atenno,  paume,  balle,  pelote  a  jouer ;  atstsikwahe.  crosse  de  jouer.  baton  re- 
courbe,  raquette  pour  le  jeu  de  crosse;  tekatsikwaheks,  frapper  la  balle,  jouer  a 
la  crosse. 

"Life  of  Brant,  v.  2,  p.  447.  Cooperstown,  1844. 
"Lexique  de  la  Langue  Iroquoise.   ^fontl■ea!,   1882. 


592 


GAJMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [i:th.  annM;4 


The  last  two  are  derived  from  otsikwa,  meaning  in  general  any- 
thing that  has  a  form  almost  round  and  a  certain  solidity. 

Onondaga.     New  York. 
The  Dictionnaire  Francais-Onontague  "  gives  this  definition  : 

Bale  il  jouer,  odzikkSa  deyfiyenclakkSa. 

In  Zeisberger's  Indian  Dictionary  ''  we  find  : 

To  play  at  ball.  waszicliciuaiViiia  :    liall  (kuf,'el),  ozlchciua. 


(Cat. 


118840.  United  States 


St  Regis.     St  Regis.  New   York. 

National  IMuseum.) 
Leather-covered  ball    (figure  7()3).  made  of  a  single  piece  cut   and 

stitched  with  thread,  containing  an  interior  core  of  cotton  thread ; 

diameter,  21  inches.     Collected  by  R.  B.  Hough. 

Seneca.     New  York. 

Morgan "    describes    the    Iroquois    ball 
game  as  follows: 

With  the  Iroquois,  the  ball  game,  o-tii-da-.iish'- 
qiia-ilge,  was  the  favorite  among  their  aiiiuse- 
nients  of  this  ilescription.  This  game  reaches 
back  to  a  remote  anti(|uity,  was  universal  among 
the  red  races,  and  was  played  with  a  degree  of 
zeal  and  enthusiasm  which  would  scarcely  be 
credited.  It  was  jilayed  with  a  small  deerskin 
ball,  by  a  select  band,  usually  from  six  to  eight 
on  a  side,  each  set  representing  its  own  party.  The 
game  was  divided  into  several  contests,  in  which 
each  set  of  players  strove  to  carry  the  ball 
through  their  own  gate.  They  went  out  into  an  open  plain  or  field  and  erected 
gates,  about  SO  rods  apart,  on  its  opposite  sides.  Eacli  gate  was  simply  two 
poles,  some  10  feet  high,  set  in  the  ground  about  3  rods  asunder.  One  of  these 
gates  belonged  to  each  party  :  and  the  contest  between  the  players  was.  which 
set  would  first  carry  the  ball  through  its  own  a  given  number  of  times.  Either 
5  or  7  made  the  game,  as  the  parties  agreed.  If  5,  for  example,  was  the 
number,  the  party  which  first  carried,  or  drove  the  ball  through  its  own 
gate  this  number  of  times,  won  the  victory.  Thus,  after  eight  separate  con- 
tests, the  parties  might  stand  equal,  each  having  won  4;  in  which  case  the 
party  which  succeeded  on  the  ninth  contest  would  carry  the  game.  The  players 
commenced  In  the  center  of  the  field,  midway  between  the  gates.  If  one  of  them 
became  fatigued  or  disabled  ditring  the  jirogress  of  the  game,  he  was  allowed  to 
leave  the  ranks,  and  his  party  could  supply  his  place  with  a  fresh  player,  but 
the  original  mimbers  were  not  at  any  time  allowed  to  be  increased.  Hegul.ir 
managers  were  appointed  on  each  side  to  see  that  the  rules  of  the  game  were 
strictly  and  fairly  observed.  One  rule  forbade  the  players  to  touch  the  ball 
with  the  hand  or  foot. 


Fig.  763.  Ball;  diameter,  2J 
inches:  St  Regi.s  Indians.  St 
Regis,  New  York;  cat.  no. 
118840,  United  States  National 
Museum. 


»  New  York,  Cramoisy  Press.  ISiifl. 

"Cambridge,  1887. 

^  League  of  the  Iroquois,  p.  '-'91,  Uocbester,  1851. 


CDLIN]  racket:   SENECA  593 

In  preparing  for  this  game  the  jilayers  denuded  themselves  entirely,  with  the 
exception  of  the  waisteloth.«  .  .  .  They  also  underwent,  frequently,  a  course 
of  diet  and  training,  as  in  a  preparation  for  a  foot-race. 

When  the  day  designated  had  arrived  the  people  gathered  from  the  whole 
surrounding  country,  to  witness  tlie  contest.  About  meridian  they  assembled 
at  the  appointed  place,  and  having  separated  themselves  into  two  companies, 
one  might  be  seen  upon  each  side  of  the  line,  between  the  gates,  arranged  in 
scattered  groups,  awaiting  the  commencement  of  the  game.  The  players,  when 
ready,  stationed  themselves  in  two  parallel  rows,  facing  each  other,  midway  on 
this  line,  each  one  holding  a  ball  bat.  of  the  kind  represented  in  the  figure,  and 
with  which  alone  the  ball  was  to  be  driven.  As  soon  as  all  the  preliminaries 
were  adjusted,  the  ball  was  dropped  between  the  two  files  of  players,  and  taken 
between  the  bats  of  the  two  who  stood  in  the  middle  of  each  file,  opposite  to  each 
other.  After  a  brief  struggle  between  them,  in  which  each  player  endeavored, 
with  his  bat,  to  get  possession  of  the  ball,  and  give  it  the  first  impulse  towards 
his  own  gate,  it  was  thrown  out.  and  then  commenced  the  pursuit.  The  rtying 
ball,  when  overtaken,  was  immediately  surrounded  by  a  group  of  players,  each 
one  striving  to  extricate  it,  and.  at  the  same  time,  direct  it  towards  his  party 
gate.  In  this  way  the  ball  was  frequentl.v  imprisoned  in  different  parts  of  the 
field,  and  an  animated  controversy  maintained  for  its  possession.  When  freed, 
it  was  knocked  upon  the  ground  or  through  the  air :  but  the  moment  a  chance 
presented  it  was  taken  up  upon  the  deer-skin  network  of  the  ball  bat  by  a  player 
in  full  career,  and  carried  in  a  race  towards  the  gate.  To  guard  against  this 
contingency,  by  which  one  contest  of  the  game  might  be  determined  in  a  moment, 
some  of  the  pla.vers  detached  themselves  from  the  group  contending  around  the 
hall,  and  took  a  position  from  which  to  intercept  a  runner  upon  a  diagonal  line, 
if  it  should  chance  that  one  of  the  adverse  party  got  possession  of  the  ball. 
These  races  often  formed  the  most  exciting  part  of  the  game,  both  from  the 
fleetness  of  the  runners,  and  the  consequences  which  depended  upon  the  result. 
When  the  line  of  the  runner  was  crossed,  by  an  adversary  coming  in  before  him 
upon  a  diagonal  line,  and  he  found  it  imiwssible,  by  artifice  or  stratagem,  to 
elude  him,  he  turned  about,  and  threw  the  ball  over  the  heads  of  both  of  them, 
towards  his  gate :  or,  perchance,  towards  a  player  of  his  own  party,  if  there  were 
adverse  players  between  him  and  the  gate.  When  the  flight  of  the  ball  was 
arrested  in  any  part  of  the  field,  a  spirited  and  even  fierce  contest  was  main- 
tained around  it ;  the  players  handled  their  bats  with  such  dexterity,  and  man- 
aged their  persons  with  such  art  and  adroitness,  that  frequentl.v  several  minutes 
elapsed  before  the  ball  flew  out.  Occasionally  in  the  heat  of  the  controversy, 
but  entirely  b.v  accident,  a  player  was  struck  with  such  violence  that  the  blood 
trickled  down  his  limbs.  In  such  a  case,  if  disabled,  he  dropped  his  bat  and  left 
the  field,  while  a  fresh  player  from  his  own  party  supplied  his  place.  In  this 
manner  was  the  game  contested :  oftentimes  with  so  much  ardor  and  skill  that 
the  ball  was  recovered  by  one  part.v  at  the  very  edge  of  the  adverse  gate ;  and 
finally,  after  many  shifts  in  the  tide  of  success,  carried  in  triumph  through  its 
own.  When  one  contest  in  the  game  was  thus  decided,  the  prevailing  party 
sent  up  a  united  shout  of  rejoicing. 

After  a  short  respite  for  the  refreshment  of  the  players,  the  second  trial  was 
commenced,  and  continued  like  the  first.  Sometimes  it  was  decided  in  a  few 
moments,  but  more  frequently  it  lasted  an  hour,  and  sometimes  much  longer,  to 

"  The  gii-ka  or  waist-cloth,  was  a  strip  of  deerskin  or  broadcloth,  about  a  quarter 
wide  and  2  yards  long,  ornamented  at  the  ends  with  bead-  or  quill-work.  It  was  passed 
between  the  limbs  and  secured  by  a  deerskin  belt,  passing  around  the  waist,  the  em- 
broidered ends  falling  over  the  belt,  before  and  behind,  in  the  fashion  of  an  apron. 

24  ETH — 05  M 38 


594  GAMES    OF    THE    NOETH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  axn.  24 

such  a  system  bad  the  playing  of  this  game  been  reduced  by  sliill  and  pi-actice. 
If  every  trial  was  ardently  contested,  and  the  parties  continued  nearly  oipial  in 
the  number  decided,  it  often  lengthened  out  the  game,  until  the  approaching 
twilight  made  It  necessary  to  take  another  day  for  its  conclusion. 

On  the  final  decision  of  the  game,  the  exclamations  of  triumph,  as  would  be 
expected,  knew  no  bounds.  Caps,  tomahawks  and  blankets  were  thrown  up 
into  the  air,  and  for  a  few  moments  the  notes  of  victory  resounded  from  every 
side.  It  was  doubtless  a  considerate  provision,  that  the  prevailing  party  were 
upon  a  side  of  the  field  opposite  to,  and  at  a  distance  from,  the  vanquished, 
otherwise  such  a  din  of  exultation  might  have  proved  too  exciting  for  Indian 
patience. 

In  ancient  times  they  used  a  solid  ball  of  knot.  The  ball  bat,  also,  was  made 
without  network,  having  a  solid  and  curving  head.  At  a  subsequent  day  they 
substituted  the  deer-skin  ball  and  the  network  ball  bat  [figure  764]  in  present 
use.  These  substitutions  were  made  so  many  years  ago  that  they  have  lost  the 
date. 


Fig.  764.  Racket;  length,  .5  feet;  Seneca  Indians.  New  York;  from  Morgan. 


KULANAFAN    STOCK 

GuALALA.     California. 

Mr  Stephen  Powers "  mentions  tennis  among  the  amusements  at  the 
great  autumnal  games  of  this  tribe. 

PoMO.     California. 

Mr  Stephen  Powers  *  relates  the  following : 

There  is  a  game  of  tennis  played  by  the  Pomo,  of  which  I  have  heard 
nothing  among  the  northern  tribes.  A  ball  is  rounded  out  of  an  oak-knot  about 
as  large  as  those  generally  used  by  schoolboys,  and  it  is  propelled  by  a  racket 
which  is  constructed  of  a  long,  slender  stick,  bent  double  and  bound  together, 
leaving  a  circular  hoop  at  the  extremity,  across  which  is  woven  a  coarse  mesh- 
work  of  strings.  Such  an  implement  is  not  strong  enough  for  batting  the  ball, 
neither  do  they  bat  it,  but  simply  shove  or  thrust  it  along  the  ground. 

The  game  is  played  in  the  following  manner :  They  first  separate  themselves 
into  two  equal  parties,  and  each  party  contributes  an  equal  amount  to  a  stake  to 
be  played  for,  as  they  seldom  consider  it  worth  while  to  play  without  betting. 
Then  they  select  an  open  space  of  ground,  and  establish  two  parallel  base  lines 
a  certain  number  of  paces  apart,  with  a  starting-line  between,  equidistant  from 
both.  Two  champions,  one  for  each  party,  stand  on  opposite  sides  of  the 
starting-point  with  their  rackets ;  a  squaw  tosses  the  ball  in  the  air,  and  as  it 
descends  the  two  champions  strike  at  it,  and  one  or  the  other  gets  the  advan- 
tage, hurling  it  toward  his  antagonisfs  base-line.  Then  there  ensues  a  universal 
rush,  pell-mell,  higgledy-piggledy,  men  and  squaws  crushing  and  bumping— for 
the  squaws  participate  equally  with  the  sterner  sex— each  party  striving  to  propel 

"Tribes  of  California.  Contributions  to  North  American  Ethnology,  v.  3,  p.  193, 
Washington,  1877. 

'  Ibid.,  p.  1.51  ;  also  Overland  Monthly,  v.  9,  p.  501. 


CULIN]  RACKET  :    YOKUTS  595 

the  ball  across  the  enemy's  base-line.  They  enjoy  this  sport  immensely,  laugh 
and  vociferate  until  they  are  "  out  of  all  whooping  "  :  some  tumble  down  and  get 
their  heads  batted,  and  much  diversion  is  created,  for  they  are  very  good- 
natured  and  free  from  jangling  in  their  amusements.  One  party  must  drive  the 
ball  a  certain  number  of  times  over  the  other's  base  line  before  the  game  is  con- 
cluded, and  this  not  unfrequently  occupies  them  a  half  day  or  more,  during 
which  they  expend  more  strenuous  endeavor  than  they  would  in  a  day  of  honest 
labor  in  a  squasb-field. 

Powers  describes  the  Pomo  as  staking  fancy  bows  and  arrows  on 
their  ball  games.  Of  these  articles  they  frequently  have  a  number 
made  only  for  gambling  purposes — not  for  use  in  hunting. 

PoMo.      Ukiah    valley,   Mendocino   county,   California.      (Cat.    no. 

70966,  70977,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Racket   (figure  765).  made  of  a  bent  oak  stick,  40  inches  in  length, 

with  twine  mesh,  and  liall,  of  pepper-wood  knot,  2^  inches  in 

diameter.     Collected  bv  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson. 


Fig.  765.  Ball  and  racket;  diameter  of  ball,  2i  inches;  length  of  racket.  40  inches;  Pomo  Indians, 
Mendocino  county.  Cahfornia;  cat.  no.  70966,  70977.  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Seven  miles  south  of  Ukiah.  Mendocino  county,  California. 

(Cat.  no.  70946.  70947.  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Racket   of  dogwood    (figure   766),  with   rawhide  lacings,  35   inches 

long;  and   ball,  a   pepperwood   knot.     Collected  by   Dr  J.   W. 

Hudson,  who  describes  the  game  as  played  by  tossing  the  ball 

in  the  center  of  the  field  and  contesting  for  it  with  netted  sticks, 

under  the  name  of  tsitimpiyem : 


Fig.  76*1.    Ball  and  racket:  length  of  racket,  35  inches;  Pomo  Indians,  Mendocino  county,  Cali- 
fornia; cat.  no.  70946,  70947,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

The  ball  sticks,  called  tsi-tim'.  are  3  feet  in  length.  The  goals,  hui  kali  dako' 
ihuil  =  we  win!)  are  C  feet  high  and  2.5  yards  apart.  The  ball,  piko',  is 
usually  of  laurel   (UinljelUirlu).  but  sometimes  a  deer  knuckle  bone. 

MAHIPOS.^N    STOCK 

YoKUTS.     Tule  River  agency,  Tulare  county,  California.     (Cat.  no. 

70392,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Two  willow  saplings  (figure  767).  50  inches  in  length,  with  an  oak 
loop  lashed  on  the  lower  end  with  sinew :  accompanied  by  two 
small  mistletoe-root  balls  coated  with  pitch  and  painted  red. 
These  are  implements  for  a  ball  game,  collected  by  Dr  J.   W. 
Hudson. 


596 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  Axx.  24 


The  two  balls  are  laid  side  by  side  on  the  ground  at  the  end  of  the 
course,  and  at  a  word  the  captains  dip  them  up  with  their  spoon 
sticks  and  cast  them  forward  to  their  mates,  who  send  tliem  on  to  the 
nearest  pair  of  opponents.  The  course  is  about  1,200  yards — around 
a  tree  and  back  to  the  first  goal.  There  are  usually  eight  players, 
three  and  a  captain  on  each  side. 


Q 


Tio.767. 


Ball  and  i*acket;  length  of  racket,  50  inches;  Yokuts  Indians,  Tule  River  agency.  Tulare 
connty,  California:  cat.  no.  70:^92,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 


The  game  is  called  wip-l-watch  (to  lift  on  the  end  of  a  stick)  :  the  ball, 
o-lol  ;  the  stick,  wi-pat ;  the  starting  goal,  to-liu.  and  the  turning  stake,  tsa-lam. 
It  is  played  only  by  men. 


Flu.  768.    Ball  baskets;  lengths,  16  and  18  inches;  Miwok  Indians,  Tuolumne  lounty ,  California; 
in  the  collection  of  Dr  C.  Hart  Merriam. 


MOQUELUMNAN    STOCK 

MiwoK.     Bald  Rock,  Tuolumne  county,  California.     (Collection  of 

Dr  C.  Hart  Merriam.) 
Two  spoon-shaped  willow  baskets  (figure  7G8),  one  16  and  the  other 
18  inches  in  length,  the  longer  stiffened  by  a  crosspiece  near  the 
handle. 
Collected  by  Doctor  Merriam  and  described  by  him  as  used  by 
women  in  catching  the  ball,  posko,  in  the  game  called  amtah. 


CULIS] 


KACKET  :    CHICKASAW 


597 


Each  woman  carries  a  pair  of  these  baskets,  called  am-mut'-nah.  oue  in  each 
hand.  She  catches  the  ball  in  the  larger  one  and  covers  it  with  the  other  while 
she  runs  off  with  it  toward  the  goal.  The  men  try  to  kick  the  ball,  but  can  not 
lay  hands  on  it. 

ToPixAGUGiM.     Big  creek.  Tuolumne  county,  California.      (Cat.  no. 

70220,  70226,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Two  oval  wicker  baskets    (figure  769),  13  inches  in  length,  with 
handle:    and  buckskin -covered  ball.  31  inches  in  diameter. 
Collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson,  who  describes  them  as  used  in  the 
game  of  umta,  played  by  both  men  and  women.     The  baskets  re- 
semble the  seed-flail  baskets  used  in  this  region. 

California. 


Fig.  769.  Ball  and  ball-casting  basket:  diameter 
of  ball,  3^  Inches;  length  of  basket,  1.3  inches; 
Topinagiigim  Indians,  Tuolumne  county,  Cali- 
fornia: cat.  no.  70220,  70226,  Field  Columbian 
Museum. 


Mr  H.  H.  Bancroft "  says : 

.  .  .  they  have  one  or  two  games 
which  require  some  exertion.  One 
(if  these,  in  vogue  among  the  Mee- 
wocs,  is  played  with  bats  and  an 
oak-knot  ball.  The  former  are  made 
of  a  pliant  stick,  having  the  end 
bent  round  and  lashed  to  the  main 
part,  so  as  to  form  a  loop,  which  is 
filled  with  a  network  of  strings. 
They  do  not  strike  but  push  the  ball 
along  with  these  bats.  The  players 
take  sides,  and  each  party  endeav- 
ors to  drive  the  ball  past  the  bound- 
;iries  of  the  other. 


Big  creek.   2   miles   north    of   (iroveland.   Tuolumne   county, 

California. 
Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  the  following  game  under  the  name  of 
sakumship : 

Two  women,  standing  50  feet  apart,  throw  a  4-ineh  ball  of  buckskin  filled 
with  hair,  each  using  two  baskets  to  throw  the  ball,  which  they  may  not  touch 
with  their  hands.  The  casting  baskets,  called  shak-num-sia,  are  made  somewhat 
stronger  than  the  a-ma-ta. 

This  is  a  great  gambling  game  between  women,  and  is  played  for  high  stakes. 
It  is  counted  with  sticks,  and  a  player  forfeits  one  if  she  fails  to  catch  or  throw 
the  ball  so  that  it  goes  beyond  the  other's  reach. 

MUSKHOGEAN    STOCK 


Chickasaw.     Mississippi.  — 

Adam  Hodgson  *  says : 

As  we  were  riding  along  toward  .sunset,  we  saw  many  parties  of  Chickasaws 
repairing  to  a  dance  and  ball-play.  The  magnificence  of  their  dresses  exceeded 
anything  we  had  yet  seen. 

"  The  Native  Races  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  v.  1,  p.  39.3,  San  Francisco.  1874. 

"  Remarks  during  a  Journey  through  North  America,  p.  283,  New  York,  1823. 


598  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN".  2-J 

Choctaw.     MississijJiii. 

Capt.  Bernard  Romans  "  says : 

Their  play  at  ball  is  either  with  a  small  ball  of  deerskin  or  a  large  one  of 
woolen  rags ;  the  first  is  thrown  with  battledores,  the  second  with  the  hand 
only;  this  is  a  trial  of  sivill  between  village  and  village:  after  having  aii- 
pointed  the  day  and  field  for  meeting,  they  assemble  at  the  time  and  place,  fix 
two  poles  across  each  other  at  about  an  15(1  feet  apart.  Tlien  they  attempt  to 
throw  the  ball  through  the  lower  part  of  them,  and  the  oiiposite  party,  trying  to 
prevent  it.  throw  it  back  themselves,  which  the  first  again  try  to  prevent :  thus 
they  attempt  to  beat  it  about  from  one  to  the  other  with  amazing  violence,  and 
not  seldom  broken  limbs  or  dislocated  .ioints  are  the  couse<iuence :  tlieir  being 
almost  naked,  painted,  and  ornamented  with  feathers  has  a  good  effect  on  the 
eye  of  the  bystander  during  this  violent  diversion :  a  number  is  agreed  on  for 
the  score,  and  the  party  who  first  gets  this  number  wins. 

The  women  play  among  themselves  (after  the  men  have  done  I  disputing  with 
as  much  eagerness  as  the  men  ;  the  stakes  or  bets  are  generally  high.  There 
is  no  difference  iu  the  other  game  with  the  large  ball,  only  the  men  and  women 
play  promiscuously,  and  they  use  uo  battledores. 

James  Adair''  says: 

Ball  playing  is  their  chief  and  most  favorite  game ;  and  it  is  such  severe 
e.\ercise,  as  to  show  it  was  originally  calculated  for  a  hardy  and  expert  race  of 
people  like  themselves,  and  the  ancient  Spartans.  The  ball  is  made  of  a  piece 
of  scraped  deer-skin,  moistened,  and  stuffed  bard  with  deer's  hair,  and  strongly 
isewed  with  deer's  sinews. — The  ball-sticks  are  about  2  feet  long,  the  lower  end 
somewhat  resembling  the  palm  of  a  hand,  and  which  are  worked  with  deer- 
skin tliongs.  Between  these,  they  catch  the  ball  and  throw  it  a  great  distance, 
when  not  prevented  by  some  of  the  oiiposite  party,  who  try  to  mteneiit  then.. 
The  goal  is  about  500  yards  in  length  :  at  e.icb  end  of  it,  they  fix  two  long  bend- 
ing poles  into  the  ground,  .3  yards  apart  below,  but  slanting  a  considerable  way 
outward.  The  party  that  happens  to  throw  the  ball  over  these  counts  1 ;  but 
if  it  be  thrown  underneath,  it  is  cast  liack,  and  played  for  as  usual.  The  game- 
sters are  equal  in  niuuber  on  each  side :  and  at  the  beginning  of  every  course  of 
the  ball  they  throw  it  up  high  in  the  center  of  the  ground,  and  iu  a  direct  line 
between  the  two  goals.  When  the  crowd  of  players  prevents  the  one  who 
catched  the  ball  from  throwing  it  off  with  a  long  direction,  he  commonly  sends 
it  the  right  course  by  an  artful  sharp  twirl.  They  are  so  exceedingly  exiiert  in 
this  manly  exercise,  that,  between  the  goals,  the  ball  is  mostly  flying  the  different 
wiiys,  by  the  force  of  the  playing  sticks,  without  falling  to  the  ground,  for 
they  are  not  allowed  to  catch  it  with  their  hands.  It  is  surprising  to  see  how 
swiftly  they  fly,  when  closely  chased  by  a  nimble-footed  pursuer:  when  they 
are  intercepted  by  one  of  the  opposite  party,  his  fear  of  being  cut  by  the  ball 
sticks  commonly  gives  them  an  opportunity  of  throwing  it  perhaps  a  hundred 
yards:  but  the  antagonist  sometimes  runs  up  behind,  and  by  a  sudden  stroke 
dashes  down  the  ball.  It  is  a  very  unusual  thing  to  see  them  act  s]iitefully  in 
any  sort  of  game,  not  even  in  this  .severe  and  tempting  exercise. 

Bossii  '■  says : 

The  ("hactaws  are  very  active  and  merry :  they  have  a  play  at  ball,  at  which 
they  are  very  expert ;  they  invite  the  inhabitants  of  the  neighljoring  villages  to  it. 

<•  A  Concise  Natural  History  of  East  and  West  Florida,  p.  79,  New  York.  1776 

''The  History  of  tlie  American  Indians,  p.  .SOO.  London,  177.'5. 

•■  Travels  througli  that  Part  of  North  America  formerly  called  Louisiana,  by  Mr.  Bossu. 
Captain  in  the  French  Marines,  translated  from  the  French  by  ,Tohn  neinboUl  Forster, 
v.  1,  p,  304,  London,   1771. 


CILIX] 


HACKET:    CHOCTAW  599 


exciting  them  by  many  smart  sayings.  The  men  and  women  assemble  in  their 
best  ornaments,  they  jjass  tlie  whole  day  in  singing  and  dancing :  they  even 
danee  all  the  night  to  the  sound  of  the  drum  and  ehiclcikois.  The  inhabitants 
of  each  village  are  distinguished  by  a  separate  fire,  which  they  light  in  the 
middle  of  a  great  meadow.  The  next  day  is  that  appointed  for  the  match; 
they  agree  upon  a  mark  or  aim  about  00  yards  off.  and  distinguished  by  two 
great  poles,  between  which  the  ball  is  to  pass.  They  generally  count  10  till 
the  game  is  up.  There  are  forty  on  each  side,  and  everyone  has  a  battledoor 
in  his  hand,  about  2+  feet  long,  made  very  nearly  in  the  form  of  ours,  of  walnut 
or  chestnut  wood,  and  covered  with  roe-skins. 

An  old  man  stands  in  the  middle  of  the  place  appropriated  to  the  pla.v  and 
throws  up  into  the  air  a  ball  of  roe-skins  rolle<l  aljout  each  other.  The  players 
then  run.  and  endeavor  to  strike  the  ball  with  their  battledoors ;  it  is  a  pleasure 
to  see  them  run  naked,  painted  with  various  colors,  having  a  tiger's  tail  fastened 
behind,  and  feathers  on  their  heads  and  arms,  which  move  as  they  run.  and  have 
a  very  odd  effect :  they  push  and  throw  each  other  down ;  he  thnt  has  been 
expert  enough  to  get  the  ball,  sends  it  to  his  party ;  those  of  the  opposite  party 
run  at  him  who  has  seized  the  ball,  and  send  it  back  to  their  side :  and  tlms 
the.v  dispute  it  to  each  other  reciprocally,  with  such  ardour,  that  they  sometimes 
dislocate  their  shoulders  b.v  it.  The  players  are  never  displeased  :  some  old  men, 
who  assist  at  the  play,  become  mediators,  and  determine,  that  the  play  is  only 
intended  as  a  recreation,  and  not  as  an  opportunity  of  quarreling.  The  wagers 
are  considerable ;   the  women  liet  among  themselves. 

When  the  players  have  given  over,  the  women  assemble  among  themselves  to 
revenge  their  husbands  who  have  lost  the  game.  The  battledoor  they  make  use 
of  differs  from  that  of  the  men  in  being  bent :  they  all  are  very  active,  and  run 
against  each  other  with  extreme  swiftne.ss.  pushing  each  other  like  the  men, 
they  having  the  same  dress,  except  on  those  parts  which  modesty  teaches  them 
to  cover.  They  only  put  rouge  on  their  cheeks,  and  vermilion,  instead  of 
powder,  in  their  hair. 

Choct.\\\.      Iiuliau  Territory. 

Catlin "  says : 

It  is  no  uncommon  occurrence  for  six  or  eight  hundred  or  a  thousand  of  these 
young  men  to  engage  in  a  game  of  ball,  with  five  or  six  times  that  number  of 
spectators,  of  men.  women,  and  children,  surrounding  the  ground  and  looking 
on.     .     .     . 

While  at  the  Choctaw  agency  it  was  announced  that  there  was  to  be  a  great 
ball  play  on  a  certain  day.  within  a  few  miles,  on  which  occasion  I  attended 
and  made  the  three  sketches  which  are  hereto  annexed  (see  plates  xvii,  xviii, 
XES)  ;  and  also  the  following  entry  in  my  noteboolv.  which  I  literall.v  copy  out: 

"  Jlonday  Jifternoon  at  3  o'clock.  I  rode  out  with  Lieutenants  S.  and  M.,  to  a 
very  pretty  prairie,  about  0  miles  distant,  to  the  ball-phiy-ground  of  the  Choe- 
taws,  where  we  found  several  thousand  Indians  encamped.  There  were  two 
points  of  timber,  about  half  a  mile  apart,  in  which  the  two  parties  for  the  play, 
with  their  respective  families  and  friends,  were  encamped ;  and  lying  between 
them,  the  prairie  on  which  the  game  was  to  be  played.  XI.v  companions  and  my- 
self, although  we  had  been  apprised,  that  to  see  the  whole  of  a  ball-play,  we 
must  remain  on  the  ground  all  the  night  previous,  had  brought  nothing  to  sleep 
upon,  resolving  to  keep  our  eyes  ojien.  and  see  what  transpired  through  the  night. 
During  the  afternoon,  we  loitered  about  among  the  different  tents  and  shanties 
of  the  two  encampments,  and  afterwards,  at  sundown,  witnessed  the  ceremon.v 

»  Letters  and  Notes  on  the  Manners,  Customs,  and  Condition  of  the  North  American 
Indi.ins,  v.  2,  p.  123.  London.  1S41. 


600 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  axn.  24 


of  measuring  out  the  grouuil.  and  erecting  the  "  byes."  or  goals  which  were  to 
guide  the  play.  Each  party  had  their  goal  made  with  two  upright  posts,  about 
2.J  feet  high  and  6  feet  apart,  set  firm  in  the  ground,  with  a  pole  across  at  the 
top.  These  goals  were  about  40  or  .50  rods  apart;  and  at  a  point  just  halfway 
between,  was  another  small  stake,  driven  down,  where  the  ball  was  to  be  throwu 
up  at  the  firing  of  a  gun.  to  be  struggled  for  by  the  players.  All  this  iireparation 
was  maile  Viy  some  old  men.  who  were,  it  seems,  selected  to  be  the  .iudges  of  the 
play,  who  drew  a  line  from  one  bye  to  the  other ;  to  which  directly  came  from 
the  woods,  on  both  sides,  a  great  concourse  of  women  and  old  men,  boys  and 
girls,  and  dogs  and  horses,  where  bets  were  to  be  made  on  the  play.  The  betting 
was  all  done  across  this  line,  and  seemed  to  be  chiefly  left  to  the  women,  who 
seemed  to  have  martialled  out  a  little  of  everything  that  their  houses  and  their 
fields  possessed.  Goods  and  chattels — Icnives — dresses — lilankets — pots  and  ket- 
tles— dogs  and  horses,  and  guns:  and  all  were  placed  in  the  possession  of  stake- 
holders, who  sat  by  them,  and  watched 
them  on  the  ground  all  night.  prei)ara- 
tory  to  the  play. 

The  sticks  with  which  this  tribe  play, 
are  bent  into  an  oblong  hoop  at  the  end, 
with  a  sort  of  slight  web  of  small  thongs 
tied  across,  to  prevent  the  ball  from 
passing  through.  The  jilayers  hold  one 
of  these  in  each  hand,  and  liy  leaping 
into  the  air.  they  catch  the  ball  between 
the  two  nettings  and  throw  it.  without 
being  allowed  to  strike  it  or  catch  it 
in  their  hands. 

The  mode  iu  which  these  sticks  are 
constructed  and  used  will  be  seen  iu 
the  iwrtrait  of  TuUoek-chish-ko  (he 
who  drinks  the  .iuice  of  the  stone),  the 
most  distinguished  ball-player  of  the 
Choctaw  nation  [figure  770].  repre- 
sented in  his  ball-play  dress,  with  his 
ball-sticks  in  his  hands.  In  every  ball- 
play  of  these  people,  it  is  a  rule  of  the 
play  that  no  man  shall  wear  moccasins 
on  his  feet,  or  any  other  dress  than  his 
breech-cloth  around  his  waist,  with  a 
beautiful  bead-belt,  and  a  "tail,"  made  of  white  horsehair  or  quills,  and  a 
"  mane  "  on  the  neck,  of  horsehair  dyed  of  various  colors. 

This  game  had  been  arranged  and  "  made  up."  three  or  four  months  before  the 
jiarties  met  to  play  it.  and  iu  the  following  manner : — The  two  champions  who 
led  the  tno  parties,  and  had  the  alternate  choosing  of  the  players  through  the 
•vhole  tribe,  sent  runners,  with  the  ball-sticks  most  fantastically  ornamented 
with  ril)lions  and  red  paint,  to  be  touched  by  each  one  of  the  chosen  players; 
who  thereby  agreed  to  be  on  the  spot  at  the  appointed  time  and  ready  for  the 
pla.v.  The  grouud  having  been  all  prepared  and  preliminaries  of  the  game  all 
settled,  and  the  bettings  all  made,  and  goods  all  "  staked,"  night  came  on  without 
the  aiipearance  of  any  players  on  the  ground.  But  soon  after  dark,  a  jirocession 
of  lighted  flambeaux  was  seen  coming  from  each  encampment,  to  the  ground 
where  tlie  players  assembled  around  their  respective  byes;  and  at  the  beat  of 
(he  drums  and  chants  of  the  women  each  i)arty  of  players  commenced  the  "ball- 
play  dance"  [plate  xvii].     Each  party  danced  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  around 


Flu. 


TO.  Choctaw  ball  player;  Indian  Ter- 
ritory; from  Catlin. 


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CLLiN]  racket:  CHOCTAW  601 

their  respective  byes,  in  their  ball-play  dress,  rattling  their  ball-sticks  together 
ill  the  mo.st  violent  manner,  and  all  singing  as  loud  as  they  could  raise  their 
voices ;  whilst  the  women  of  each  party,  who  had  their  goods  at  stake,  formed 
into  two  rows  on  the  line  between  the  two  parties  of  players,  and  danced  also, 
in  an  uniform  step,  and  all  their  voices  joined  in  chants  to  the  Great  Spirit :  in 
which  they  were  soliciting  his  favor  in  deciding  the  game  to  their  advantage ; 
and  also  encouraging  the  pl;iyers  to  exert  every  power  they  possessed,  in  the 
struggle  that  was  to  ensue.  In  the  meantime,  four  old  medicine-men.  who  were 
to  have  the  starting  of  the  ball,  and  who  were  to  be  judges  of  the  play, 
were  seated  at  the  point  where  the  liall  was  to  be  started:  and  busily  smoking 
to  the  Great  Spirit  for  their  success  in  judging  rightl.v,  and  impartially,  between 
the  parties  in  so  important  an  affair. 

This  dance  was  one  of  the  most  picturesque  scenes  imaginable,  and  was  re- 
peated at  intervals  of  every  half  hour  during  the  night,  and  exactly  in  the  same 
manner ;  so  that  the  players  were  certainly  awake  all  night,  and  arranged  in 
their  appropriate  dress,  prepared  for  the  play  which  was  to  commence  at  9 
o'clock  the  next  morning.  In  the  morning,  at  the  hour,  the  two  jiarties  and  all 
their  friends  were  drawn  out  and  over  the  ground;  when  at  length  the  game 
counnenced.  by  the  judges  throwing  up  tlie  ball  at  the  firing  of  a  gun:  when  an 
instant  struggle  ensued  between  the  players,  who  were  some  six  or  seven  hundred 
in  numbai's,  and  were  mutually  endeavoring  to  catch  the  ball  in  their  sticks, 
and  throw  it  home  and  between  their  respective  stakes ;  which,  whenever  suc- 
cessfully done,  counts  1  for  game.  In  this  game  every  player  was  dressed 
alike,  that  is.  divested  of  all  dress,  except  the  girdle  and  the  tail,  which  I 
have  before  described :  and  in  these  desperate  struggles  for  the  ball,  when  it  is 
up  ([plate  xviii],  where  hundreds  are  running  together  and  leaping,  actually 
over  each  other's  heads,  and  darting  lietween  their  adversaries'  legs,  tripping 
and  throwing,  and  foiling  each  other  in  every  possible  manner,  every  voice 
raised  to  the  highest  key.  in  shrill  yelps  and  barks)  !  there  are  rapid  successions 
of  feats,  and  of  incidents,  that  astonish  and  amuse  far  beyond  the  conception 
of  anyone  who  has  not  had  the  singular  good  luck  to  witness  them.  In  these 
struggles,  every  mode  is  used  that  can  be  devised,  to  oppose  the  iirogress  of  tlie 
foremost,  who  is  likely  to  get  the  ball ;  and  these  obstructions  often  meet 
desperate  individual  resistance,  which  terminates  in  a  violent  scutHe,  and  some- 
times in  fisticuffs :  when  their  sticks  are  dropped,  and  the  parties  are  unmolested, 
whilst  they  are  settling  it  between  themselves:  unless  it  be  by  a  general  sluiii- 
pedo,  to  which  they  are  subject  who  are  down,  if  the  ball  happens  to  pass  in 
their  direction.  Every  weapon,  b.v  a  rule  of  all  ball-plays,  is  laid  by  in  their 
respective  encampments,  and  no  man  is  allowed  to  go  for  one:  so  that  the 
sudden  broils  that  take  place  on  the  ground  are  presumed  to  be  as  suddenly 
settled  without  any  probability  of  uuich  personal  injury  :  and  no  one  is  allowed 
to  interfere  in  any  way  with  the  contentious  individuals. 

There  are  times  when  the  ball  gets  to  the  ground  [plate  xix].  and  such  a 
confused  mass  rushing  together  around  it.  and  knocking  their  sticks  together, 
without  the  possibilit.v  of  an.vone  getting  or  seeing  it,  for  the  dust  that  they 
raise,  that  the  spectator  loses  his  strength,  and  everything  else  but  his  senses ; 
when  the  condensed  mass  of  ball-sticks,  and  shins,  and  bloody  noses,  is  carried 
around  the  different  parts  of  the  ground,  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  at  a  time, 
without  any  one  of  the  mass  being  able  to  see  the  ball ;  which  they  are  often 
thus  scuffling  for.  several  minutes  after  it  has  been  thrown  off.  and  played  over 
another  part  of  the  ground. 

For  each  time  that  the  ball  was  passed  between  the  stakes  of  either  party, 
one  was  counted  for  their  game,  and  a  halt  of  about  one  minute:  when  it  was 
again  started  by  the  judges  of  the  play,  and  a  similar  struggle  ensued ;  and  so 


602 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       Teth.  anx.  24 


ou  uutil  the  successful  party  arrived  to  100.  which  was  the  limit  of  the  game, 
and  accomplished  at  an  hour's  suu.  when  they  toolv  the  stakes  :  and  then,  by  a 
previous  agi-eement,  produced  a  number  of  jugs  of  whislvy.  which  gave  all  a 
wholesome  drinlc,  and  sent  them  all  off  merry  and  in  good  luimor.  Init  not  drunk. 

Choctaw.  Indian  Territory.  (Cat.  no.  6904:.  United  States  National 
Museum.) 

Ball  stick,  consisting  of  a  stick  with  a  round  handle,  the  end  shaved 
flat  and  curved  to  form  a  kind  of  spoon-shaped  hoop,  which  is 
laced  with  thongs,  one  running  horizontally  across,  and  the  other 
from  end  to  end,  the  latter  serving  to  lash  the  turned  end  of  the 
stick  to  the  handle ;  length,  30J  inches.  Collected  by  Dr  Edward 
Palmer  in  1868. 

Indian  Territory.     (Cat.  no.  21967,  Free  Museum  of  Science 

and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Pair  of  rackets  (figure  771),  one 30 and  the  other  28^  inches  in  length, 
consisting  of  a  hickory  sapling,  cut  flat  at  one  end,  which  is 
curved  around  to  form  a  spoon-like  hoop,  the  turned-over  end, 
which  terminates  in  a  small  knob,  being  lashed  to  the  handle. 


Fig.  771. .  Rackets;  lengths,  30  and  28i  int^lies;  Choctaw  Indians,  Indian  Ter- 
ritory; cat.  no.  21(167.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of 
Pennsylvania. 

Fig.  772.  Horse  tail  worn  in  Ijall  game:  length,  25  inches:  Choctaw 
Indians,  Indian  Territory:  cat.  no.  18764,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and 
Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


Also,  a  tail  (figure  772;  cat.  no.  18764),  used  in  the 
ball  game,  consisting  of  a  piece  of  a  horse's  tail 
attached  to  a  strip  of  wood  by  a  thong  and  loop 
at  the  top ;  length,  25  inches.  This  was  collected 
by  Mr  George  E.  Starr,  who  has  furnished  the 
following  account  of  the  game  as  witnessed  by 
him  at  a  place  about  10  miles  southwest  of  Red 
Oak,  on  the  line  of  the  Choctaw  railroad,  in  In- 
dian Territory : 

The  game  was  lietween  T()l)ucl;sey  and  Sugarloaf  ccmnties 
of  the  Choctaw  Nation.  On  the  niglit  before,  the  players  went 
into  camp  near  the  place  agreed  upon.  The  season  was  the  traditional  one  of 
the  full  moon  of  one  of  the  summer  months,  and  the  company  slept,  without 
shelter,  upon  the  ground.  On  their  arrival,  the  new  players,  who  had  never 
been  allowed  to  play  liefore  on  the  county  teams,  dressed  themselves  in  ball 
costume,   and,   while   their   elders   were   arranging   rules,    ran   around    making 


Fig.  772. 


CULIN-]  RACKET  :    CHOCTAW  6f)3 

themselves  conspicuous  to  their  own  side  in  tlie  laope  tliey  would  be  chosen  the 
next  day.  Before  retiring,  the  managers  on  each  side  and  the  principal  jilayers 
assemliled  to  mal;e  regulations  to  govern  the  play.  They  sat  In  a  circle,  and. 
no  matter  how  heated  the  argument  hecame.  a  speaker  was  never  interruijted 
by  one  of  the  opposite  side.  There  were  about  250  Indians  present,  about 
evenly  divided  on  each  side,  being  chiefly  men.  with  a  few  women  and  children. 
Each  side  brought  with  them  a  ci>njurer.  or  medicine  man.  At  about  7  o'clock 
on  the  following  nH>rning  the  managers  assembled  for  some  purpose,  after  which 
they  collected  their  sides,  and  took  their  places,  a  little  apart,  to  prepare  for 
the  play.  They  stripped  for  the  game,  putting  on  nothing  but  a  breech  clout. 
Their  heads  were  bare,  with  the  hair  cut  short,  without  feathers.  Their  only 
ornament  was  a  coon  tail  stuck  up  straight  along  the  spine,  or  a  liorse  tail 
falling  on  the  breech  clout  behind.  This  was  attached  to  the  belt,  a  leather 
strap  or  revolver  belt.  The  men  carr.\-  theii'  weapons  to  the  ball  game,  but  are 
not  allowed  to  wear  them  in  the  field.  The  nia.iority  of  the  players  were  of 
splendid  physique,  spare  and  wiry.  Several  were,  in  part,  of  negro  blood,  and 
many  showed  the  result  of  intermixture  with  the  whites.  The  sides  each  num- 
bered 3(1.  of  ages  var.ving  from  IS  to  35.  Among  them  were  some  that  were 
crippled,  the  result,  it  may  be.  of  former  play. 

The  goal  posts,  which  the  ball  must  touch,  were  about  200  to  225  yards  apart. 
They  consisted  of  two  trees,  lashed  together  with  ropes.  They  were  about  .S 
Inches  in  diameter,  and  were  cut  flat  on  one  side,  and  were  set  at  an  angle  sn 
that  they  presented  a  face  of  about  12  inches  to  the  ball.  This  must  hit  the  post, 
to  which  it  may  be  carried  between  a  player's  sticks,  but  it  must  bounce  over  a 
line  in  front  of  the  posts,  otherwise  it  does  not  count  and  is  still  in  play. 

The  conjurers  were  conspicuous  throughout  the  game.  At  the  connnencement. 
after  the  sides  were  chosen,  all  went  to  their  goal  jiosts.  When  within  about 
10  feet  of  the  posts  they  broke  their  formation,  and,  uttering  a  cry.  ran  up  to 
the  posts,  battering  them  with  their  ball  sticks.  They  did  this  to  scare  the 
spirit  of  bad  luck  away. 

Then  the.v  lined  up  in  a  kind  of  alle.v  between  the  goals.  Near  the  middle  of 
the  field,  liowever.  there  were  about  eight  men  of  each  side  ranged  ojiiiosite  to 
each  other  in  a  line  running  horizontally  across  the  goal  line.  When  all  the 
others  were  ready,  the  men  who  were  to  take  these  places  crossed  the  field.  A 
medicine  man  put  the  ball  in  play,  tossing  it  into  the  air.  One  of  them  had 
his  face  painted  hiilf  red  and  half  black,  and  carried  in  his  hand  a  small  branch 
of  a  tree  resembling  hickory.  They  both  stood  near  their  respective  goals  and 
sung  and  clapped  their  hands.  The  game  lasted  from  10  to  5,  with  an  inter- 
mission for  luncheon.  The  score  is  12  goals,  but  if  this  number  is  not  com- 
pleted on  either  side,  the  one  having  the  highest  number  is  adjudged  the  winner. 
Butting  with  the  head  is  prohibited,  under  a  penalty  of  5  goals. 

The  Indians  bet  everything  they  possess  upon  the  game,  even  to  their  clothes 
and  boots.  The  bets  are  made  through  stakeholders — four  or  five  Indians — who 
constantly  ride  about  on  horseback.  Whatever  is  bet  is  put  with  what  is  bet 
against  it.  If  handkerchiefs,  they  are  knotted  together  and  thrown  over  the 
stakeholder's  shoulder;  if  money,  the  sums  are  put  together  in  his  pocketbook. 
His  memory  is  remarkable,  and  he  never  fails  to  turn  over  the  stakes  correctly. 
Much  skill  is  shown  during  the  game.  In  a  scrimmage  the  ball  is  tossed  back- 
ward through  the  bent  legs  of  the  players,  and  when  the  pla.ver  secures  it  he 
utters  a  signal  cr.v — hogle  a  I  This  is  repeated  by  those  along  the  line,  and 
each  gi'abs  the  opponent  nearest  to  him  and  holds  him,  AA'hile  they  are  wrest- 
ling the  player  with  the  ball  tries  to  run  with  it,  so  that  he  cau  throw  it  and 
make  a  goal. 


604  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [i:tii.  anx.  24 

The  ball,  it  should  be  observed,  is  about  the  size  of  a  golf  ball,  made  of  raga 
and  covered  with  white  buckskin.  Several  are  provided,  as  they  are  fre- 
quently lost  in  the  tall  grass.  The  players  on  the  side  with  the  wind  some- 
times substitute  a  ball  with  a  long  tail  and  a  loo.se  cover  that  comes  off  during 
the  play.  The  tail  then  impedes  their  oi)ponents  in  throwing  it  against  the 
wind.  The  women  are  extremely  active  in  aiding  their  side.  They  are  not 
permitted  to  touch  the  ball  sticks,  but  they  are  constantly  running  about  and 
giving  hot  coffee  to  the  men.  In  one  hand  they  carry  a  cup  of  coffee  and  in  the 
other  a  quirt  with  which  they  whip  tlie  players  when  they  think  they  are  not 
playing  hard  enough.  At  times  a  player  will  get  a  woman  to  give  him  a  pin, 
with  which  he  will  scarify  his  leg,  making  from  three  to  five  scratches  from 
near  the  ankle  to  the  middle  of  the  calf,  until  the  blood  comes.  This,  they  say, 
prevents  cramiis. 

When  the  players  return  to  the  game  .-ifter  Innch  hour  the.v  place  their  ball 
sticks  in  rows  opposite  each  other  in  the  middle  of  the  field,  where  they  are 
counted  by  the  umpire  or  the  leaders  on  each  side.  This  is  done  to  see  that 
no  more  are  playing  than  started  in  the  game.  The  spectators  cry  out  and 
encourage  the  sides.  When  a  goal  is  made  there  is  a  shout.  The  most  exciting 
point  in  a  close  game  is  when  the  last  goal  is  neared.  Then  the  pla.v  become* 
very  fast  and  the  rules  are  not  strictly  observed.  A  goal  uiay  be  made  in  a 
few  moments  or  the  contest  may  last  for  an  hour.  In  wrestling,  the  players 
seize  each  other  b.v  the  belts,  dropping  the  ball  sticks.  With  the  exception  of 
the  prohiliited  butting  almost  everything  is  permitted.  At  the  present  game 
five  men  were  crippled,  of  whom  two  died.  The  in.1uries  inflicted  upon  a  man 
during  a  game  are  frequently  avenged  by  his  relatives.  The  result  of  the 
game  described  was  a  victory  for  Tobucksey  county.  The  conjurer  on  the 
Sugarloaf  side  was  said  to  have  sent  his  men  to  the  creek  to  bathe  in  the  morn- 
ing, which  weakened  them.  They  were  penalized  five  goals  for  butting  at  the 
end,  and  so  lost  the  game.  There  was  no  celebration  afterwards.  All  were 
tired  out  and  went  home  quietly  to  their  mud-chinked  log  cabins  at  the  close 
of  the  ilay. 

Choctaw.  Mandeville,  Louisiana.  (Cat.  no.  38470,  Free  Museum  of 
Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Racket  (figure  773).  one  of  pair,  consisting  of  a  sapling,  the  end  cut 
thin  and  turned  over  to  form  a  kind  of  spoon,  which  's  crossed 
and  tied  to  the  handle  with  cotton  cord:  lencth.  3(U  inches. 


Ptg.  773.    Racket;  length,  36j  inche-s;  Choctaw  Indians.  Louisiana:  cat.  no.  3847B,  Free  Museum 
of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Collected  by  the  writer  in  1901.  The  rackets  are  called  kabucha. 
The  ball  game  is  now  seldom  or  never  played  by  these  Indians. 
The  game  was  borrowed  from  the  Indians  by  the  whites  in  Louisiana, 
and  is  still  played  under  the  name  of  raquette. 

\^1iile  in  New  Orleans  in  the  summer  of  1901  I  was  told  that  the 
old  game  of  raquette  was  still  played  on  Sunday  afternoons  on  a 
vacant  lot  east  of  the  town.  The  players,  some  hundreds  of  French- 
speaking  negroes,  had  assembled  in  a  level,  uninclosed  field.     The 


CULIN]  racket:   MUSKOGEE  605 

majority  were  armed  with  racliets  (figure  774),  each  consisting  of  a 
piece  of  hickor^y  bent  over  at  one  end  to  form  a  spoon,  which  was 
netted  with  a  thong,  precisely  like  those  used  by  the  Choctaw.  A 
racket  was  carried  in  each  hand,  and  the  ball  was  picked  up  and 
thrown  with  them  in  the  same  way  as  in  the  Indian  game.  The  play- 
ers apjDeared  to  own  their  own  rackets,  and  I  purchased  a  pair  without 
difiicidty.  At  the  same  time  tliere  was  an  old  man  who  had  a  large 
nimiber  of  rackets  strung  on  a  cord,  which  he  said  were  reserved 
for  the  use  of  the  clubs  to  which  they  belonged. 


Fig.  774.     Rackets;  lengths,  'Jl  and  34  inches;  negroes.  New  Orleans:  cat.  no.  :i«4.HII.  Free  Museum 
of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

The  goals  or  bases  were  two  tall  poles  about  GOO  feet  apart,  having 
a  strip  of  tin,  about  a  foot  wide  and  10  feet  long,  fastened  on  the  inner 
side  some  distance  above  the  ground.  These  goals,  called  plats,  were 
painted,  one  red  with  a  small  double  ring  of  white  near  the  top,  the 
other  blue  with  a  black  ring.  Midway  in  a  straight  line  between  was 
a  small  peg  to  mark  the  center  of  the  field,  where  the  ball  was  first 
thrown.  The  players  belonged  to  two  opposing  clubs,  the  Bayous  and 
La  Villes.  Their  colors  agreed  with  those  of  the  goals.  Each  side 
was  led  by  a  captain,  who  directed  the  play.  The  contest  was  for  a 
flag,  for  which  three  successive  games  were  played.  The  game 
appeared  to  be  open,  free  for  all,  without  reference  to  number;  but 
in  more  formal  matches  the  sides  are  equalized  and  regulated.  The 
ball  was  put  in  play  at  the  center  flag,  being  tossed  high  in  the  air, 
and  caught  on  the  uplifted  ball  sticks.  Then  there  was  a  wild  rush 
across  the  field,  the  object  being  to  secure  and  carry  the  ball  and  toss 
it  against  the  tin  plate,  making  a  plat.  The  game  was  played  with 
much  vigor  and  no  little  violence.  A  blow  across  the  shins  with  a 
racket  is  permissible,  and  broken  heads  are  not  uncommon.  Play 
usually  continues  until  dark,  and,  at  the  close,  the  winners  sing  Creole 
songs,  reminding  one  of  the  custom  at  the  close  of  the  Choctaw  game. 
Raquette  was  formerly  much  played  by  the  Creoles,  and  the  present 
negro  clubs  perjjetuate  the  names  of  the  opposing  clubs  of  old  Creole 
days. 

Muskogee.     Euiaula,  Indian  Territory.     (Cat.  no.  38065,  Free  Mu- 
seum of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Pair  of  rackets  (figure  775),  37-^  inches  in  length,  each  made  of  a 
sapling,  cut  thin  at  the  end,  which  is  curved  over  to  form  a 


606  GAMES    OF    THE    NOKTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  i;4 

kind  of  scoop,  the  cut  end  being  bound  to  the  body  of  the  stick 
by  thongs.     The  spoon  at  the  end  is  crossed  by  two  twisted 
thongs,  with  a  longitudinal  thong  running  through  the  middle. 
Made  by  ilatawa  Karso  and  collected  by  Mr  W.  H.  Ward  in 
1801. 
According  to  Tuggle.'^  the  Creeks  and  Seminoles  have  stories  of 
ball  games  by  birds  against  fourfooted  animals.     In  one  story  the 
bat  is  rejected  by  both  sides,  but  is  finally  accepted  by  the  four- 
footed  animals  on  account  of  his  having  teeth,  and  enables  them  to 
win  the  victorv  from  the  birds. 


Fig.  775.    Rackets;  lengths,  37J  Inches;  Muskogee  Indians,  Indian  Territoi-y;  cat.  no.  .38065,  Free 
Museum  of  .Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

MrsKOOEE.     Oeorgia. 

Rene  Laudonniere ''  wrote  as  follows  in  1562 : 

The.v  play  at  ball  in  this  manner :  tbey  set  up  a  tree  in  the  midst  of  a 
place  which  is  8  or  0  fathoms  high,  in  the  top  whereof  there  is  set  a  square  mat 
made  of  reeds  or  bulrushes,  which  whosoever  hitteth  in  playing  thereat,  winneth 
the  game. 

John  Bartram  ''  says  : 

The  hall  play  is  esteemed  the  most  noble  and  manly  exercise :  this  game  is 
exhibited  in  an  extensive  level  plain,  usually  contiguous  to  the  town  ;  the  in- 
habitants of  one  town  play  against  another,  in  consequence  of  a  challenge,  when 
the  .vouth  of  both  sexes  are  often  engaged  and  sometimes  stalie  their  whole 
substance.  Here  they  perform  amazing  feats  of  strength  and  agility  :  the  game 
principally  consists  in  taking  and  carrying  off  the  ball  from  the  opposite  party, 
after  being  hurled  into  the  air,  midway  between  two  high  pillars,  which  are  the 
goals,  and  the  party  who  bears  off  the  ball  to  their  pillar  wins  the  game :  each 
per.son  having  a  racquet,  or  hurl,  which  is  an  implement  of  a  very  curious  con- 
struction, somewhat  resembling  a  ladle  or  little  hoop-net.  with  a  handle  near 
3  feet  in  length,  the  hoop  and  h;indle  of  wood.  ;ind  the  netting  of  thongs  of  raw- 
hide, or  tendons  of  an  animal. 

The,  foot-ball  is  likewise  a  favorite,  manly  diversion  with  them.  Feasting 
and  dancing  in  the  square  at  evening  ends  all  their  games. 

Maj.  Caleb  Swan  ■*  says: 

Their  ball-plays  are  manly  and  require  astonishing  exertion,  but  white  men 
have  been  found  to  excel  the  best  of  them  at  that  exercise;  they  therefore  sel- 
dom or  never  admit  a  white  man  into  the  ball-gi-ound.     Legs  and  arms  have  often 

•'  Quoted  l>y  Mooney  in  Myths  of  the  Cherokee.  Nineteenth  Anuual  Report  of  the 
Bureau  of  American  Ethnology,  pt.  1,  p.  454,  1900. 

<>  Hakluyt's  Voyages,  v.  1.3,  p.  413,  Edinburgh,  1889. 

'  Travels  through  North  and  South  Carolina,  Georgia,  East  and  West  Florida,  p.  508, 
riiiladelphia.  1791. 

*' Schoolcraft.  Information  respecting  the  History.  Condition,  and  Prospects  of  the  Indian 
Tribes  of  the  United  States,  pt.  5,  p.  277,  Philadelphia,  1856. 


ciLis]  BACKET:   MUSKOGEE  607 

been  broken  in  their  ball-|il:i,vs.  but   nn  resentments  follow  au  accident  nl'  this 
kind. 

The  women  and  men  both  attend  them  in  large  numbers,  as  a  kind  of  gala; 
and  bets  often  run  as  high  as  a  good  horse  or  an  equivalent  of  skins. 

J.  M.  Stanley,""  in  his  Catalogue  of  Portraits  of  North  American 
Indians,  describes  under  no.  1(5,  Tah-Coo-Sah  Fixico,  or  Bill}^  Hardjo, 
chief  of  one  of  the  Creek  towns : 

The  dress  in  which  he  is  painted  is  that  of  a  ball-player  as  they  at  first  appear 
upon  the  grounds.  During  the  play  they  divest  themselves  of  all  their  orna- 
ments, which  are  usually  displayed  on  these  occasions,  for  the  purpose  of  betting 
on  the  results  of  the  play  :  such  is  their  passion  for  betting  that  the  opposing 
parties  frequently  bet  from  five  hundred  to  a  thousand  dollars  on  a  single  game. 

Col.  Marinus  Willett "  says : 

This  day  I  crossed  the  Toloposa  and  went  ~>  miles  to  see  a  most  superb  ball 
play.  There  were  about  eighty  players  on  a  side.  The  men.  women,  and  chil- 
dren, from  the  neighlioring  towns,  were  assembled  upon  this  occasion.  Their 
appearance  was  splendid;  all  the  paths  leading  to  the  place  were  filled  with 
people:  some  on  foot,  some  on  horseback.  The  play  was  oonductcd  with  ,is 
much  order  and  decorum  as  the  natin'e  of  things  would  admit  of.  The  jjlay  is 
set  on  foot  by  one  town  sending  a  challenge  to  another:  if  the  challenge  be 
accepted,  the  time  iind  place  are  fixed  on.  and  the  whole  night  before  the  jilay 
is  employed  by  the  parties  in  dancing,  and  some  other  ceremonious  (ireparations. 
On  the  morning  of  the  play,  the  players  on  both  sides  paint  and  decorate  them- 
selves, in  the  same  manner  as  when  they  are  going  to  war.  Thus  decorated, 
and  stripped  of  all  such  clothing  as  would  encumber  them,  they  set  out  for  the 
appointed  field.  The  time  of  their  arrival  is  so  contrived,  that  the  parties  arrive 
near  the  field  at  the  same  time ;  and  when  they  get  within  about  half  a  mile, 
in  a  direction  opposite  to  each  other,  you  hear  the  sound  of  the  war  song  and 
the  yell ;  when,  presently,  the  parties  appear  in  full  trot,  as  if  fiercely  about  to 
encounter  in  fight.  In  this  manner  they  meet  and  soon  become  intermingled 
together,  dancing  while  the  noise  continues.  Silence  then  succeeds:  each  player 
places  himself  opposite  to  his  antagonist.  The  rackets  which  they  use  are  then 
laid  against  each  other,  in  the  center  of  the  ground  appointed  for  the  game. 
They  then  proceed  to  measure  a  distance  of  .300  yards.  150  each  way,  from  the 
center,  where  they  erect  two  poles,  through  which  the  ball  must  pass,  to  count  1. 
The  play  is  commenced  by  the  balls  being  thrown  up  in  the  air,  from  the  cen- 
ter ;  every  player  then,  with  his  rackets,  of  which  each  has  two,  endeavors  to 
catch  the  ball,  and  throw  it  between  the  poles ;  each  side  laboring  to  throw  it 
between  the  poles  towards  their  own  towns:  and  every  time  this  can  be  accom- 
plished, it  counts  1.  The  game  is  usually  from  12  to  20.  This  was  lost  by  the 
challengers.  Large  bets  are  made  upon  these  occasions;  and  great  strength, 
agility,  and  dexterity  are  displayed.  The  whole  of  the  present  exhibition  was 
grand  and  well  conducted.  It  sometimes  happens  that  the  inhabitants  of  a 
town  gaipe  away  at  these  plays  all  their  clothes,  ornaments,  and  horses. 
Throughout  the  whole  of  the  game  the  women  are  constantly  on  the  alert,  with 
bottles  and  gourds  filled  with  drink,  watching  every  opportunity  to  suppl.v  the 
players. 

"  Smitbsonian  Miscellaneous  Collections,  v.  2,  p.  13,  1862. 

**  .\  Narrative  of  the  Military  Actions  of  Colonel  Marinus  Willett.  p.  108.  New  York, 
1831. 


608 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


Seminole.     Florida.     (Cat.  no.  18i97,  198-11,  Free  Museum  of  Sci- 
ence and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Rackets  and  ball,  the  rackets  (figure  777)  saplings  bent  to 
form  a  scoop-shaped  hoop,  the  ends  lashed  together 
for  a  handle,  the  hoop  crossed  by  two  thongs  tied  at 
right  angles:  the  ball  (figure  776),  of  two  colors,  one 
hemisphere    light,    the    other    dark, 
made  of  buckskin,  with  median  seam ; 
diameter,  2f  inches. 
The  rackets  were  collected  by  Mr  Henry 
G.  Bryant  and  the  ball  by  Lieut.  Hugh  L. 
Willoughby   in    1896.     Mr   Bryant    gives 
the  name  of  the  rackets  as  tokonhay. 


fl 


V 


Fig.  778. 


Fif;   nil. 

Fig.  776.    Ball;  diameter,  3S  inches;  Seminole  Indians,  Florida;  cat.  no.  19841,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  777.    Backets;  lengtli,  13  inches;  Seminole  Indians,  Florida:  cat.  no.  18497, 

Free  Museum  of  .Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  778.    Racket;  length,  3:3  inches;  Seminole  Indians  Indian  Tei'ritory;  cat.no. 

52811  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Fig.  779.    Ball  racket;  length,  36  inches;  Ni-shinam    Indians,   California:    from 

sketch  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson. 


■Indian  Territorj'.     (Cat.  no.  Tr|i^,   American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  HLstory.) 


Ball  stick  (figure  778),  made  of  hickory,  one  end  cut  flat 
and  turned  over  to  form  a  spoon-shaped  receptacle, 
which  is  crossed  by  two  thongs  at  right  angles ;  length, 
33  inches.     Collected  by  Dr  William  Jones  in  1901. 

PUJUNAN  STOCK 

NiSHiNAM.     Mokelumne  river,  VI  miles  south  of  Placer- 
ville,  California. 
Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  the  following  game  under 
name  of  patai  kato: 

Ti'i'-tai  is  the  general  name  for  the  flail  liasket  used  in  harvesting  seed;  ka- 
tiim'.  sling.  The  implements  are  a  ball  of  liucl^skin.  .3  inches  in  diameter,  filled 
with  deer  hair,  called  i5as'-ko,  and  a  single  club  [figure  779],  ku-nfln'-tea,  3  feet 


CULIX] 


racket:    THOMPSON    INDIANS 


(309 


in  length,  with  its  recurved  lower  end  netted.  There  are  four  players  to  a  side, 
each  side  having  its  captain.  The  ball  is  placed  in  the  center  of  the  field,  20 
feet  distant  from  the  captains.  The  umpire  calls  "  Ha  !  '"  for  the  start.  The 
goals,  500  yards  apart,  consist  of  wooden  arches,  4  feet  aiiart  at  bottom  and 
0  feet  high. 

.No  interference  is  peruiitted.  under  penalt.v  of  individual  stakes. 

SALISHAN    STOCK 

Skokomish.     British  Columbia. 

Mr  Charles  Hill-Tout  "  mentions  two  kinds  of  hall  games,  kekqua 
and  tequila. 

The  former  was  a  kind  of  lacrosse,  and  the  ball  was  caught  and  thrown  with 
an  instrument  similar  to  tlie  lacrosse  stick. 

Thompson  Indians   (Xtlakyapamik  ).     I'>ritish  Columhia. 
James  Teit ''  says : 

Tlie  other  game  was  similar  to  that  of  "  lacrosse."     There  were  two  sides  and 
a  goal  (or  each,  marked  by  stones  or  wooden  pegs,  or  li,\-  long  stakes  half  the 


I  ■  I'lii'igBBi'ii  mMi  .:.:--,=:=L 


Fig.  "S0</. 

of  a  man  or  more.     The  ball  was  like  that  used  in  the 
\me.     It   was  placed   in  the  middle  of  the  ground,   be- 
tween the  two  goals,  and  the  ob.iect  of  either  party  was  to  drive 
it    through    the   other's    goal.     This    was    done   by    lifting   and 
throwing  it  with  the  toe,  or  by  striking  It  with  the  sticks 
which  the  pla.vers  held  in  their  hands.     These  sticks  were 
about  3  feet  long,  and  had  a  very  crooked  head  [fig- 
ure 780o].  so  that  the  players  could  catch  the  ball 
with  them  and  throw  it  from  them  toward  the 
goal   of   the   enemy.     JIany   men    ran   with   the 
ball    held   in   the  crook   of   the   stick    until 
stopped  by  an  opponent,  when  they  threw 


Fig. 


Fig.  7806. 

rsn  o,  h.    Ball  sticks;  lengths,  Zii  and  23  inches;  Thompson  Indians,  British  Columbia;  cat. 
no-  liir,  ilh'  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 


the  ball  toward  the  intended  goal.  Others  [(referred,  if  they  had  a  chance,  to 
lift  the  ball  w'ith  the  toe,  and  before  It  fell  strike  or  catch  it  with  their  stick. 
One   man   always   tried   to   take   the   ball    from    his  opponent   with   his   stick. 

"  Notes  on  the  Sk'qo'mic  of  British  Columbia.  Report  of  the  Seventieth  Meeting  of  the 
British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  488,  London.  1900. 

''Tlie  Thompson  Indians  of  British  Columbia.  Memoirs  of  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  whole  series,  v.  2,  p.  277.  New  York,  1900. 


24  ETH — 05  M- 


-39 


610  GAMES    OF    THE    jSTORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      tETH.ANN.  24 

When  bending  the  end  of  the  stick  to  the  desired  croolv.  l)arli  string  was  used, 
connecting  the  latter  to  the  straight  part  of  the  sticli.  Some  Indians  played 
with  the  strings  still  attached,  thinking  to  get  a  better  hold  of  the  ball,  but  this 
was  considered  unfair.  In  some  games  all  the  players  used  crooks  with  nets 
similar  to  those  of  lacrosse  sticks  [figure  780b].  Often  a  guard  stick  was 
used  to  protect  the  ball  from  the  players  of  the  opposite  part.v  [figure  781]. 
Any  person  who  touched  tlie  ball  with  his  hands  while  playing  went  immedi- 
ately out  of  the  game.  Sometimes,  to  the  amusement  of  the  men.  the  women 
were  persuaded  to  play  the  game.  Within  the  last  few  years  this  game  has 
fallen  altogether  into  disuse. 

The  Lower  Thompsons  had  a  ball  game  in  which  the  ball  was  thrown  up  by 
one  player.  The  player  who  caught  it  ran  with  it  until  overtaken  by  another 
player,  who  in  his  turn  ran  with  it  until  a  certain  goal  was  reached.  .     . 

Another  boys'  game  was  to  take  a  pebble  about  3  inches  in  diameter  and  cov- 
ered with  skin,  and  roll  it  down  a  hillside.  Other  players  with  sc<>o])-nets. 
about  1  foot  long  (including  the  handle),  stood  at  the  bottom,  and  each  tried  to 
catch  the  bounding  ball  as  it  reached  him.  The  nets  were  made  of  a  pliable 
stick  or  wand,  bent  over  the  top  so  as  to  form  a  eii'cle,  which  was  filled  with  a 
netting  of  bark  twine.  A  game  similar  to  the  last  was  played  with  a  skin- 
covered  ball,  to  which  a  short  toggle  was  attached  [figure  7S2o].  The  players 
held  a  kind  of  hoop  with  handle  [figure  782  b,  c],  by  means  of  which  they  tried 
to  catch  the  ball  by  its  toggle. 


Fig.  781.    Stick  for  protecting  ball;  length,  28J  inches;  Thompson  Indians  (Ntlakyapamuk), 
British  Ooltunbia;  cat.  no.  ysg?,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

Thompson    Indians     (Ntlakyapamuk).      Thompson    and    Fraser 
rivers.  British  Cohimbia. 
Mr  Charles  Hill-Tout "  says : 

They  were  fond  of  games,  like  their  neighbors,  and  utilized  the  level,  grassy 
river  benches  for  various  games  of  ball.  One  of  these  games,  suk'-kul-lila'-ka, 
was  not  unlike  our  own  game  of  football.  The  players  were  divided,  as  with  us, 
into  two  groups,  and  at  each  end  of  the  field  was  a  goal  formed  by  two  poles 
planted  several  feet  asunder.  The  play  commenced  from  the  middle  of  the  field, 
and  the  object  was  to  get  the  ball  through  the  goal  of  their  adversaries.  The 
ball  was  made  from  some  kind  of  tree  fungus,  cut  round,  and  covered  with  elk- 
hide.  I  could  not  learn  anything  of  the  rules  of  the  game :  nor  was  my  inform- 
ant certain  whether  the  feet  or  hands,  or  both,  were  used  in  propelling  the  ball. 

SIOUAN    STOCK 

AssiNiBoiN.     Fort  Union.  ^Montana. 

In  a  report  to  Isaac  I.  Stevens,  governor  of  Washington  Territorj', 
on  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  upper  Missouri,  by  Edwin  T.  Denig,  a 
manuscript  in  the  library  of  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology, 
after  a  description  of  the  game  of  shinny,  occurs  this  passage : 

Another  mode  of  playing  the  game  is  by  catching  the  ball  in  a  network  at- 
tached to  the  end  of  the  stick,  over  a  small  hoop  a  little  larger  than  the  ball. 

"  Notes  on  the  N'tlapamuq  of  British  Cohimbia.  Report  of  the  Sixty-ninth  Meeting  of 
the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  307,  London,   1000. 


culin] 


racket:  DAKOTA 


611 


They  catch  it  iu  this  uet  as  it  Qies  through  the  air  and  throw  it  from  one  to  the 
other  towards  either  goal.  The  man  wlio  catches  <an  run  with  tlie  ball  toward 
the  limit  until  be  is  overtaken  by  one  on  the  other  side,  when  he  throws  it  as  far 
as  he  can  on  its  way,  which  is  continued  by  the  others. 

Catawba.     South  Carolina. 

Mrs  R.  E.  Dunbar,  of  Leslie, 
York  county,  South  Carolina, 
informs  the  writer"  that  the 
Catawba  do  not  play  any  of 
their  old  games.  They  used  to 
play  a  game  with  two  sticks 
and  a  ball.  The  sticks  were 
hollowed  out  like  a  large 
wooden  spoon.  The  ball  must 
not  touch  the  hand  or  the 
ground,  but  must  be  thrown  and 
kept  in  the  air  with  the  sticks. 
Any  number  in  excess  of  two 
could  play.  This  game  was 
called  wahumwah. 


Fig.  782a. 


Fig.  7826. 


Pig.  782o. 


Fig.  782  «,  b,  c.  Balls  and  catching  hoops;  lengths  of  hoops,  22}  and  2l)i  inches;  Thompson 
Indians  (Ntlakyapamuk),  British  Columbia;  cat.  no.  jjfj,  iJJj,  jH^,  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History. 

Dakota  (Santee).     Minnesota. 
Dr  AValter  J.  Hoffman  '  wrote : 

The  game  played  liy  the  Daljota  Indians  of  the  upper  Missouri  was  probably 
learned  from  the  Ojibwa,  as  these  two  tribes  have  been  upon  amicable  terms  for 
many  years :  the  ball  sticlvs  are  identical  in  construction,  and  the  game  is  played 
in  the  same  manner.  Sometimes,  however,  the  goals  at  either  end  of  the 
ground  consist  of  two  heaps  of  blankets  about  20  feet  apart,  between  which  the 
ball  is  passed. 


"  In  a  letter,  dated  September  1.  1901. 

'  Remarks  on  OJlbwa  Ball  Play.      The  .American   .Vnthropologist, 


3,  p.   135,   1890. 


612  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      Feth.  ann.  24 

Whon  the  Dakotas  play  a  game,  tlie  village  is  equally  divicled  into  sides.  A 
I)layer  offers  as  a  wager  some  article  of  clothing,  a  robe,  or  a  blanket,  \7hen  an 
opponent  lays  down  an  object  of  e<iual  value.  This  parcel  is  laid  aside  and  the 
next  two  deposit  their  stakes,  and  so  on  until  all  have  concluded.  The  game 
then  begins,  two  of  the  three  innings  deciding  the  issue. 

When  the  women  play  against  the  men,  five  of  the  women  are  matched  against 
one  of  the  latter.  A  mixed  game  of  this  kind  is  very  amusing.  The  fact  that 
among  the  Dakota  women  are  allowed  to  participate  in  the  game  is  considered 
excellent  evidence  that  the  game  is  a  borrowed  one.  Among  most  other  tribes 
women  are  not  even  allowed  to  touch  a  ball  stick. 

The  players  frequently  hang  to  the  belt  the  tail  of  a  deer,  antelope,  or  some 
other  fleet  animal,  or  the  wings  of  swift-tlying  birds,  with  the  idea  that  through 
these  they  are  endowed  with  the  swiftness  of  the  animal.  There  aVe.  however, 
no  special  preparations  preceding  a  game  as  feasting  or  fasting,  dancing,  etc. — 
additional  evidence  that  the  game  is  less  regarded  among  this  people. 

Mr  Philander  Prescott "  gives  the  following  account  of  the  ball 
arame  in  Schoolcraft : 

Ball  plays  are  played  by  both  men  and  women,  and  heavy  bets  deiiend  on  the 
issue.  I  believe  there  is  but  one  kind  of  ball  playing.  One  village  plays  against 
another.  The  boundaries  are  near  a  half  mile.  The  ball  is  started  from  the 
middle.  Each  party  strives  to  get  the  ball  over  the  respective  boundaries  :  for 
instance,  the  boundaries  are  east  and  west ;  one  party  or  village  will  try  to 
carry  the  ball  west  and  the  other  east.  If  a  village  or  party  gets  the  ball  over 
the  eastern  boundary,  they  change  sides,  and  the  next  time  they  have  to  try  and 
get  it  over  the  western  boundary :  so,  if  the  same  party  propels  it  over  the 
western  boundary,  they  win  one  game :  and  another  bet  is  played  for.  The  ball 
is  carved  and  thrown  in  a  stick  about  2  or  .3  feet  long,  with  a  little  circle  at  the 
end  to  assist  in  picking  it  up.  This  hoop  has  some  buckskin  cords  across  to  keep 
the  ball  in.  I  have  known  an  Indian  to  throw  the  ball  over  the  boundaries  in 
three  throws.  When  it  is  seen  flying  through  the  air.  there  is  a  great  shout  and 
hurra  by  the  spectators.  They  sometimes  iiick  up  the  ball,  and  nui  over  the 
lines  without  being  overtaken  l)y  any  of  the  opposite  party.  Then  a  great  shout 
is  raised  again,  to  urge  on  the  players.  Horses,  guns,  kettles,  blankets,  wam- 
pum, calico,  beads,  etc.,  are  bet.  This  game  is  very  laborious  and  occasionally 
the  players  receive  some  hard  blows,  either  from  the  club  or  ball.  I  once  saw  a 
man  almost  killed  with  the  ball.  He  stood  in  front  of  the  player  that  was 
going  to  throw  the  ball,  who  threw  with  great  force  and  aimed  too  low.  The 
ball  struck  the  other  in  the  side,  and  knocked  him  senseless  for  sonm  time.  As 
to  the  effects.  I  do  not  perceive  that  any  serious  evil  results,  if  we  except  the 
gambling.     Ball  is  generally  played  in  Jlay  and  June,  and  in  winter. 

Schoolcraft  ''  says: 

Ball  playing. — This  game  is  played  by  the  northwestern  Indians  In  the  winter 
season,  after  the  winter  hunts  are  over,  and  during  summer,  when,  the  game  be- 
ing unfit  to  kill,  they  amuse  them.selves  with  athletic  sports,  games  of  chance, 
dances,  and  war.  The  game  is  played  by  two  parties,  not  necessarily  equally 
divided  by  numbers,  but  usually  one  village  against  another,  or  one  l;irge  village 
may  challenge  two  or  three  smaller  ones  to  the  combat.  When  a  challenge  is 
accepted,  a  day  is  appointed  to  play  the  game ;  ball-bats  are  made,  and  each  party 

"  Information  respecting  the  History.  Condition,  and  Prospects  of  the  Indian  Tribes  of 
the  T'nited  States,  pt.  4.  p.  04,  Philadelphia,   1856. 
'  Ibid.,  pt.  2.  p.  78,  1852. 


CILIX] 


racket:  DAKOTA 


(ilS 


assembles  its  whole  force  of  old  men,  joiing  men.  and  boys.  The  women  never 
play  in  the  same  game  with  the  men.  Heavy  bets  are  made  by  individuals  of 
the  opposite  sides.  Horses,  guns,  blankets,  buffalo -robes,  Ivettles,  and  trinkets 
are  freely  staked  on  the  result  of  the  game.  When  the  parties  are  assemliled 
on  the  ground,  two  stakes  are  placed  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  apart,-  and  the 
game  commences  midwa.y  between  them  ;  the  object  of  each  party  being  to  get 
the  ball  beyond  the  limits  of  its  opponents.  The  game  commences  by  one  of  the 
old  men  throwing  the  ball  in  the  air,  when  all  rush  forward  to  catch  it  in  their 
ball-bats  before  or  after  it  falls  to  the  ground.  The  one  who  catches  it  throws 
it  in  the  direction  of  the  goal  of  the  opposing  party,  when,  if  it  be  caught  by  one 
of  the  same  side,  it  is  continued  in  that  direction,  and  so  on  until  it  is  thrown 
beyond  the  limits ;  but  if  caught  by  an  opponent,  it  is  thrown  back  in  the  oppo- 
site direction.  In  this  way,  the  ball  is  often  kept  all  day  between  the  two  bound- 
aries, neither  party  being  able  to  get  it  be.vond  the  limit  of  the  other.     When 


Flu.  7bS.    iSantee  Dalsota  Indian  ball-play  on  the  ice,  Minnesota;  from  Schoolcraft. 

one  has  caught  the  ball,  he  has  the  right,  before  throwing  it,  to  run  towards  the 
limits  until  he  is  overtaken  by  the  other  party,  when,  being  compelled  to  throw 
it,  he  endeavors  to  send  it  in  the  direction  of  some  of  his  own  party,  to  be 
caught  by  some  one  of  them,  who  continues  sending  it  in  the  same  direction. 

Figure  783  represents  a  ball  play  on  the  ice.  The  young  man  has  the  ball  in 
his  ball-bat,  and  is  running  with  it  toward  tlie  limits  of  the  other  side,  imrsued 
by  all  the  other  pla.vers. 

Fig.  784  represents  a  ball  play  on  the  prairies  in  summer.  The  ball  is  on 
the  ground  and  all  are  rushing  forward  to  catch  it  witli  their  ball-bats,  not  being 
allowed  to  touch  it  with  their  hands. 

The  ball  is  carved  from  a  knot,  or  made  of  baked  clay  covered  with  rawhide 
of  the  deer.  The  ball-bat  ...  is  from  ."J  to  4  feet  long :  one  end  bent  up 
in  a  circular  form  of  about  4  inches  in  diameter,  in  which  is  a  net-work  made 
of  rawhide  or  sinews  of  the  deer  or  buffalo. 


614 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  an.n.  24 


E.  D.  Neill  <■  says : 

The  favorite  aud  most  exciting  game  of  the  Daliota  is  hall  playing.  It  appears 
to  be  nothing  more  than  a  game  which  was  often  played  by  the  writer  in  school- 
boy days  and  which  was  called  shinny.  A  smooth  place  is  chosen  on  the  prairie 
or  frozen  river  or  lake.  Each  phiyer  has  a  stick  3  or  4  feet  long  and  crooked 
at  the  lower  end,  with  deer  strings  tied  across,  forming  a  sort  of  pocket.  The 
ball  is  made  with  a  rounded  knot  of  wood,  or  clay  covered  with  hide,  and  is 
supposed  to  possess  supernatural  qualities.  Stakes  are  set  at  a  distance  of  a 
quarter  or  a  half  a  mile,  as  bounds.  Two  parties  are  then  formed,  and.  the  ball 
being  thrown  up  in  the  center,  the  contest  is  for  one  party  to  carry  the  ball  from 
the  other  beyond  one  of  the  bounds.  Two  or  three  hundred  men  are  sometimes 
engaged  at  once.  On  a  summer's  day,  to  see  them  rushing  to  and  fro,  painted 
In  divers  colors,  with  no  article  of  apparel,  with  feathers  in  their  heads,  bells 


Fig.  784.     Santee  Dakota  ludiau  ball-play  on  the  prairie,  Minnesota;  from  Schoolcraft. 

around  their  wrLsts,  and  fox  and  wolf  tails  dangling  behind,  is  a  wild  aud  noisy 
spectacle.  The  eyewitnesses  among  the  Indians  become  more  interested  in  the 
success  of  one  or  the  other  of  the  parties  than  any  crowd  at  a  horse  race,  and 
frequently  stake  their  last  piece  of  property  on  the  issue  of  the  game. 

Dakota  ( Yankton ai).  Devils  lake,  North  Dakota.  (Cat.  no. 
60362,  60395,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Stick  of  hickory  terminating  in  a  ring  which  supports  a  buckskin 
thong  net,  and  a  buckskin  ball  filled  with  deer  hair.  These 
specimens  were  collected  in  1900  by  Dr  George  A,  Dorsey,  who 
gives  the  name  of  the  stick  as  chianyankapi.  and  that  of  the  ball 
as  tahpa. 


»  Dakota  Land  and  Dakota  Life.     Collections  of  the  Minnesota  Historical  Society,  v.  1, 
p.  281.  St  Paul,  1872. 


CILIX] 


racket:   WINNEBAGO 


615 


Iowa.     Missouri. 

George  Catlin  "  says : 

Two  byes,  or  goals,  are  established,  at  three  or  four  hundred  yards  from  each 
other,  by  erecting  two  ix)les  iu  the  ground  for  each.  4  or  5  feet  apart,  between 
which  it  is  the  strife  of  either  party  to  force  the  ball  ( it  having  been  thrown  up 
at  a  point  halfway  Ijetween)  by  catching  it  in  a  little  hoop,  or  raclset.  at  the  end 
of  a  sticli,  3  feet  in  length,  held  in  both  hand.s  as  they  run, 
throwing  the  ball  an  immense  distance  when  they  get  it 

in  the  stick.     The  game  is  alwa.vs  played  over  an  extensive  3 

prairie  or  meadow.  L, 

Catlin  says  also :  „ 

5= 

Previous  to  commencing  on  the  exciting  game  of  ball,  as  5^ 

the  goods  of  all  playing  are  more  or  less  at  stalie,  each  S, 

party  must  needs  invoke  the  aid  of  sui>eruatural  influence  g 

to  their  respective  sides  ;   and  for  this  purpo.se  they  give  ? 

a  very  pretty  dance,  in  which,  as  in  the  Scalp  Dance,  the  j 

women  take  a  part,  giving  neat  and  curious  effect  to  the  ^ 

scene.     In  most  of  the  tribes  this  dance  is  given  at  inter-  ,  ° 

vals  of  every  half  hour  or  so,  during  the  night  previous  to  *  S§ 

the  play,  preparing  the  minds  and  bodies  of  the  players  5  £. 

for  this  exciting  .scene,  upon  which  they  enter  in  the  morn-  t!  £, 

ing  with  empty  stomachs  and  decide  before  they  leave  the  5  ';. 

ground  to  eat.  3  s- 

Oto.     Oklahoma.     (Cat.  no.  71404,  Field  Colum-  of 

bian  Museum.)  g  f 

Ball  covered  with  buckskin  (figure  785),  2^  inches  -s. 

in  diameter,  and  racket,  a  stick  40  inches  in  g  £, 

length  with  end  bent  to  form  a  spoon-shaped  |  i 

hook,  which  is  laced  with  buckskin.     Collected  i  g. 

in  1902  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey.  = 

Winnebago.     Wisconsin.     (Cat.  no.  22159,  22160,  g- 

Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  Uni-  -'"• 

versity  of  Pennsylvania.)  §^ 

Wooden  ball  (figure  786),  3  inches  in  diameter,  per-  g 

forated  with  six  holes  at  right  angles,  and  a  | 

racket    (figure    787),    length    26^  inches,  con-  '_ 

sisting  of  a  sapling  cut  and  bent  at  the  strik-  g- 

ing  end  to  form  a  hoop,  which  is  laced  with  a  2 

throng  and  a  cord  crossing  at  right  angles.  * 

Collected  by  Mr  T.  R.  Roddy. 

The  ball  stick  is  called  cha-pa-nun-a.     The  ball,  wu-ki-hki.  is  perforated  with 
holes  in  order  to  sound  when  flying  through  the  air. 


«  The  George  Catlin  Indian  Gallery,  p.  151.  1887. 
Institution  for  1885,  1887. 


Annual  Report  of  the  Smithsonian 


616 


GAMES    OF    THE    XORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


Caleb  Atwater «  (1829)  says: 

Tbey  also  play  ball,  in  which  sport  great  numbers  engage,  on  each  side,  and 
the  spectators  bet  lai-gely  on  each  side.  The  articles  played  for  are  iilaced  in 
view  of  those  who  play  the  game.  These  consist  of  beads,  paints,  jewels,  etc. 
This  game  is  very  animated  and  excites  great  interest. 

In  regard  to  the  Winnebago  in  A^'isconsin,  Mr  Reuben  G.  Thwaites '' 
says: 

The  vigorous  game  of  lacrosse — nowadays  familiar  to  patrons  of  state  and 
count.v  fairs  of  this  section,  at  which  professional  bands  of  Chippewas  exliibit 
their  skill — was,  in  earlier  days,  much  played  by  the  Winnebagoes.  It  was 
usually  played  at  La  Crosse — Prairie  la  Crosse  deriving  its  name  from  this 
fact — during  the  general  rendezvous  after  the  winter's  hunt.  The  Winnebagoes 
having  always  clung  to  the  water-courses  and  heavy  timber,  during  their 
winter's  trapping  and  hunting,  wo'uld  float  down  the  rivers  to  La  Crosse,  and 
there  have  their  feasts  and  lacrosse  games,  meet  the  traders,  and  indulge  in  a 
big  spree.  Occasionally  the.v  pla.ved  lacrosse  in  their  villages,  but  this  was  not 
common.  It  was  considered  to  be  more  especially  a  spring  festival  game. 
I  never  hear,  nowadays,  of  the  Wisconsin  Winnebagoes  pla.ving  it,  and  in  fact  I 
never  saw  it  in  this  state,  but  when  I  was  at  the  mission  on  Turkey  river 
I  frequently  saw  the  Indians  there  indulge  in  it.  .  .  .  These  games  were 
always  for  heavy  stakes  in  goods. 


Fig.  787 


Fig.  786. 


Pig.  786.    Ball;  diameter,  3  inches;  Winnebago  Indians,  Wisconsin;  cat.  no.  S215B,  Free  Museum 

of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  787.    Racket;  length,  26J  inches;  Winnebago  Indians,  Wiscon.sin;  cat.  no.  221li0,  Free  Museum 

of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Shinny 

Shinny  is  especialty  a  woman's  game,  but  it  is  also  played  l)y  men 
r.lone  (Assiniboin.  Yankton,  Mohave,  AValapai).  by  men  and  women 
alone  (Sauk  and  Foxes,  Tewa,  Tigiia),  by  men  and  women  together 
(Sauk  and  Foxes,  Assiniboin),  by  men  against  women  (Crows).  It 
may  be  regarded  as  practically  universal  among  the  tribes  throughout 
the  United  States.  As  in  racket,  the  ball  may  not  be  touched  with  the 
hand,  but  is  both  batted  and  kicked  with  the  foot.  A  single  bat  is 
ordinarily  used,  but  the  Makah  have  two.  one  for  striking  and  the 
other  for  carrying  the  ball.  The  rackets  are  invariably  curved,  and 
usually  expanded  at  the  striking  end.  In  some  instances  they  are 
painted  or  carved. 

"The  Indhuis  of  the  Northwest,  p.  118.  Columbus.  1850. 

"The  Wisconsin  Winnebagoes.  Collections  of  the  State  Historical  Society  of  Wisconsin, 
V.  12,  p.  426.  Madison,  1S92. 


CULIN] 


SHINNY  :  AKAPAHO 


617 


The  ball  is  either  of  wood,  commonly  a  knot,  or  of  buckskin.  The 
wooden  ball  occurs  chiefly  on  the  Pacific  coast  and  in  the  Southwest. 
The  buckskin  ball  is  generally  used  by  the  Eastern 
and  Plains  tribes,  and  is  commonly  flattened,  with 
a  median  seam,  the  opposite  sides  being  painted 
sometimes  with  different  colors.  The  Na^aho  use  a 
bag-shaped  ball.  The  goals  consist  of  two  posts  or 
stakes  at  the  ends  of  the  field,  or  two  blankets  spread 
side  by  side  on  the  ground  (Crows)  ;  again  a  single 
post  is  used  (Menominee,  Shuswap,  Omaha)  or 
lines  drawn  at  the  ends  of  the  field  over  which  the 
ball  must  be  forced  (Navaho,  Eskimo,  Omaha, 
Makah).  The  distance  of  the  goals  is  not  recorded, 
except  among  the  Miwok  (200  yards),  the  Omaha 
(300  yards).  Mono  (1,400  yai'ds  and  return),  and 
the  Makah  (200  yards). 

In  a  California  form  of  the  game  the  players 
were  lined  up  along  the  course  and  struck  their  ball 
along  the  line,  the  game  corresponding  with  one  in 
which  the  ball  was  kicked,  struck,  or  tossed,  played 
by  the  same  tribe. 

The  game  of  shinny  is  frequently  referred  to  in 
the  myths.  It  was  commonly  played  without  any 
particular  ceremony.  Among  the  Makah  it  was 
played  at  the  time  of  the  capture  of  a  whale,  the 
ball  being  made  from  a  soft  bone  of  that  animal. 
The  shinny  stick  may  be  regarded  as  analogous  to 
the  club  of  the  War  Gods. 


ALOONQUIAN    STOCK 


Arapaho.  Cheyenne  and  Arapaho  reservation, 
Oklahoma. 
Mr  James  Mooney  "  describes  the  woman's  game 
of  gugahawat.  or  shinny,  played  with  curved  sticks 
and  a  ball  like  a  baseball  (figure  7S8),  called  gaa- 
wa'ha,  made  of  buffalo  hair  and  covered  with  buck- 
skin. 

Two  stakes  are  set  up  as  goals  at  eitlier  ouil  of  the 
grouucl,  and  the  object  of  each  party  is  to  drive  the  ball 
throiigh  the  goals  of  the  other.     Each  inning  is  a  game. 


Pig.  788.    Shinny   ball 


:\Ir  Mooney  gives  the  Cheyenne  name  of  this  game     ""^  ^''''^'-  -^'^^^° 


as  ohonistuts. 


Indians,  Oklahoma; 
from  Mooney. 


<•  The  fihost-dance  Religion, 
pt.  2,  p.  964,  1896. 


Fourteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology, 


618 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  an.n.  24 


Arapaho.  Wind  River  reservation,  AA^j'oming.  (Cat.  no.  36974,  Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Ball  covered  with  buckskin  (figure  789).  flattened,  with  median  seam, 
one  face  painted  with  a  cross,  dividing  it  into  quarters,  the 
other  with  a  similar  cross,  the  quarters  each  containing  two  dots, 
with  a  T-shajDed  mark  between;  diameter,  4  inches.  Three 
metal  dangles  are  attached  to  the  center  of  one  face.  There  is 
a  thong  loop  for  suspension.     Collected  by  the  writer  in  1900. 

Wind  River  reservation,  Wyoming.     ( Free  Museum  of  Science 

and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Cat.  no.  36976.  Shinny  stick  (figure  791),  besh,  curved  at  the  end 
and  painted  red  and  blue;  length,  40  inches.  Ball  (figure  790) 
covered  with  buckskin,  with  median  seam,  one  face  jjainted  red 
and  one  green ;  diameter,  3i  inches. 


Pig.  7W. 


Fitf.  73(1. 


Via.  789. 

cat.  no 
Fig.  790. 

cat.  no. 
Fig.  791. 

cat.  no, 
Fig.  792. 

States 


Shinny  ball;  diameter,  4  inches;  Arapaho  Indians,  Wind  River  reservation,  Wyoming; 
36974,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Shinny  ball;  diameter,  .3J  inches:  Ai-apaho  Indians,  Wind  River  reservation,  Wyoming: 
.36976,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Shinny  stick;  length,  40  inches;  Arapaho  Indians,  Wind  River  reservation,  Wyoming; 
36976,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Shinny  ball;  diameter,  3J  inches:  Arapaho  Indians,  Wyoming;  cat.  no.  300764,  United 
National  Museum. 


Cat.  no.  3697.5.     Shinny  stick,  besh,  curved  at  the  end  and  painted 
with  bands  of  red  and  green ;   length,  34  inches. 
These  were  collected  by  the  writer  in  1900. 

Wyoming.     (United  States  National  Museum.) 

Cat.  no.  200764.  Beaded  ball  (figure  792),  made  of  buckskin,  slightly 
flattened,  with  buckskin  thong  for  suspension;  diameter,  3 J 
inches.  The  ball  is  completely  covered  with  a  ground  of  white 
glass  beads  divided  by  two  intersecting  lines  of  red  beads  into 
four  segments,  each  of  which  contains  a  design  in  colored  beads, 
probably  representing  conventionalized  animal  figures.  The  de- 
signs on  opposite  sides  are  alike. 


cclin] 


shinny:   CHEYENNE 


619 


Cat.  no.  200765.  Beaded  ball,  similar  to  the  preceding,  but  only 
partially  covered  with  beads.  Two  intefsecting  lines  of  white 
and  red  beads  divide  the  ball  into  four  segments,  each  of  which 
contains  a  rectangular  beaded  design,  two  opposite  ones  alike  of 
white  and  red  beads  with  green  center,  and  two  of  dark  blue  and 
white  with  green  center.     It  has  a  loop  for  suspension. 

Cat.  no.  200763.  Beaded  ball,  entirely  covered  with  beadwork.  Two 
bands  of  white  beads  surround  the  ball  at  I'ight  angles,  forming 
four  segments,  two  on  opposite  sides  composed  of  beads  of  dif- 
ferent colors — pink,  white,  blue,  yellow,  red.  and  green — and  two, 
also  opposite,  of  blue  lieads  with  a  white  middle  line  and  colored 
figures  on  the  blue  ground. 
The  three  preceding  balls  belong  to  the  E.  Granier  collection. 


Fig.  793.    Shinny  ball:  diametei*,  4  inches;  Cheyenne  Indians.  Oklahoma:  cat.  no.  ItjeOiT,  United 

States  National  Museum. 

Ar.\p.\ho.     Wyoming. 

In  the  tale  of  "  Foot-Stuck-Child  " "  Dr  A.  L.  Kroeber  relates  how 
a  miraculous  girl,  who  is  escaping  from  hfer  husband,  a  buffalo,  and 
from  a  rock  who  wished  to  marry  her.  threw  up  a  ball  which  she  was 
carrying.  She  first  threw  the  ball,  and  as  it  came  down  kicked  it  up- 
ward, and  her  fathers,  in  turn,  rose  up.  Then  she  threw  and  kicked 
it  for  herself.  She  and  her  fathers  reached  the  sky  in  one  place. 
They  live  in  a  tent  covered  with  stars. 

In  Doctor  Dorsey's  ''  version  of  the  same  story  the  girl  disobeys  her 
father's  injunction  not  to  leave  her  tipi  to  take  part  in  a  shinny-ball 
game,  and  was  captiu'ed  by  the  buffalo  bull. 

Chetenne.     Oklahoma.     (United  States  National  Museum.) 

Cat.  no.  166027.     Hide  ball  (figure  793),  disk-shaped,  with  two  hide 

faces  sewed  to  a  strip  at  the  edge,  painted  brown,  with  a  design 

of  a  turkey  drawn  on  one  side  and  on  the  opposite  side  a  deer, 

with  hills  and  pine  trees ;  diameter,  4  inches ;  thickness,  2  inches. 


■  Traditions  of  the  Arapaho,  p.  159,  Chicago,  1903. 


"Ibid.,  p.  172. 


620 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  :;4 


Cat.  no.  1().5856.     Another  (figure  794),  a  flattened  sphere  with  me- 
dian seam,  encompassed  with  thong,  with  a  l(iop  for  suspension ; 
diameter,  3  inches. 
Both  were  collected  by  Rev.  H.  E.  Voth. 
Cat.  no.  1.52903.     Shinny  stick  (figure  795),  curved  and  expanded  at 

the  end,  with  incised  design  of  an 
elk  and  eagle,  painted  yellow,  with 
half  the  striking  end  green;  length, 
35  inches.     Collected  by  Mr  James 
Mooney. 
C  II  E  VENN  E.     Oklahoma.     ( Cat.  no. 
67443,  67445.  Field  Columbian 
Museum.) 
Two  shinny  sticks;  length  33f  and  37f 
inches.     Collected   by   Rev.   H.   R. 
Voth  in  1890. 
The  following  ajjpears  on  the  label : 

Used  in  an  old  ball  game  which  was  very  seldom  played,  but  was  revived 
during  the  (ihost-danoe  craze  among  the  Cheyenne  and  Arajiaho.  with  other 
games  and  ceremonie<«  that  had  Iteen  nearly  forgotten.  The  ball  was  rolled 
and  struck  along  the  ground,  generally  within  the  circle  of  the  dancer.s. 


Fig.  794.  Shinny  1  tail;  diameter,  8  in- 
(*hes:  Cheyenne  Indians,  <^klahoina: 
cat.  no.  1&58.56,  United  State.s  Na- 
tional Museum. 


Fig.  795.    Shinny  stick;  lenerth,  :«  inches;  Cheyenne  Indians,  (Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  l."i;»(i:-!,  United 

States  National  Museum. 

Cheyenne  reservation,  Montana.     (Cat.  no.  G9979,  Field  Co- 

hunbian  Museum.) 

Shinny  stick  and  ball  (figure  797)  ;  the  ball  of  buckskin,  flattened, 
with  median  seam,  3|  inches  in  diameter,  and  painted  red;  the 
stick  a  sapling,  curved  at  right  angles  at  striking  end,  31  inches 
in  length.  Collected  in  1901  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms,  who  describes 
the  game  as  played  by  young  girls. 

Chippewa.     Turtle  mountain,  North  Dakota.     (Cat.  no.  4^^^,  Amer- 
ican Museum  of  Natural  Ilistoiy. ) 
Buckskin  ball,  flattened,  with  median  seam,  4^  inches  in  diameter, 

painted  with  a  cross  in  red  on  both  faces  and  a  red  circle  around 

the  middle.     The  ball  is  very  heavy  and  is  probably  weighted 

with  clay. 
I'uckskin  ball  (figure  798)  with  median  seani,  with  a  Greek  cross  in 

yellow  beads  on  one  face,  a  green  bead  cross  on  the  other,  and  a 

band  of  yellow  beads  around  the  seam. 


CULIX] 


shinny:  grosventkes 


621 


Curved  stick  (figure  798).  painted  red,  24  inches  in  length. 
These  were  collected  by  Dr  William  Jones  in  1903. 

Grosventees.     Fort  Belknap  reservation,  Montana.     (Cat.  no.  ^0356, 

Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Buckskin-covered  ball  with  median  seam,  painted  red,  3:^  inches  in 

diameter,  and  stick  made   of  sapling,   curved   at   one  end   and 

painted  red,  31  inches  in  length  (figure  799). 


^^ 


Fig.  796. 


Fig,  "!». 


Pig.  796,  Shinuv  ball  and  stick;  diameter  of  ball,  4  inches;  length  of  stick,  .38  inches:  Cheyenne 
Indians.  Montana;  cat.  uo.  69648,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Fui.  797.  Shinny  ball  and  stick;  diameter  of  ball,  :iS  inches;  length  of  stick,  :^linches;  Cheyenne 
Indians,  Montana;  cat.  no,  69979,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Fig.  798.  Shinny  ball  and  stick;  diameter  of  ball,  4)  inches;  length  of  stick,  24  inches;  Chip- 
pewa Indians,  Turtle  mountain,  Itforth  Dakota;  cat.  no.  j^ijj,  American  Museum  of  Natural  His- 
tory. 

Pig.  799.  Shinny  ball  and  stick;  diameter  of  ball,  3i  inches;  length  of  stick,  :^1  inches;  Gros- 
ventre  Indians,  Montana;  cat.  no.  60:i56.  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

These  were  collected  in  1900  by  Dr  George  A.  Dor.sey.  who  describes 
them  as  used  in  the  game  of  shinny,  kakawaasethi.  a  game  of  ball 
played  with  a  curved  stick  and  a  buckskin-covered  ball,  kawa.  slightly 
flattened  on  two  sides. 

Foruierly  this  was  a  popular  game  among  the  young  men  of  the  tribe,  who 
played  among  themselves  or  again.st  a  team  representing  some  rival  tnbe.  The 
oli,iect  of  the  game  was  to  advance  the  Itall  by  batting  it  with  sticks  to  some 
goal,  against  the  effort  of  the  opposing  team. 


622  GAMES    or    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 

Grosventbes.    Fort  Bellmap  reservation,  Montana.     (American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History.) 
Cat.  no.  tt^-     Buckskin   ball   with   median    seam,   painted    yellow, 

with  a  bear's  foot  in  green  on  one  face ;  diameter.  3  inches. 
Cat.  no.  j4fii-     Buckskin  ball  with  median  seam,  one  side  painted 

red,  with  a  cross,  the  other  dark ;  diameter,  4^  inches. 
Cat.  no.  xffy.     Buckskin  ball  with  median  seam,  a  cross  in  red  quill 

work  on  one  face,  a  bow  and  arrow  on  the  other:  diameter.  2^ 

inches. 
Cat.   no.  yf|-i7.     Shinny  stick,  curved  at  the  end;   length.  2   feet  3 

inches. 
These  specimens  were  collected  by  Dr  A.  L.  Kroeber. 

Menominee.     AA'^isconsin. 

Dr  Walter  J.  Hoffman  "  wrote: 

The  \yomen  formerly  played  a  game  of  ball  in  which  two  skies,  composed  of 
unlimited  numbers,  would  oppose  each  other.  At  each  end  of  the  ball  ground, 
which  was  several  hundred  yards  in  length,  a  pole  was  erected,  to  serve  as  a 
goal.  Many  of  the  players  would  surround  their  respective  goals,  while  the 
strongest  and  most  active  women,  playing  about  the  middle  of  the  ground, 
would  endeavor  to  obtain  the  ball  and  throw  it  toward  their  opponents'  goal. 
The  ball  was  made  of  deer  hair  tightly  wrapped  with  thongs  of  buckskin,  and 
covered  with  the  same  material.  It  measured  about  :'>  inches  in  diameter.  The 
women  used  sticks  with  a  slight  curve  at  the  striking  end.  instead  of  a  hoop,  as 
on  the  sticks  used  by  the  men. 

The  game  was  more  like  the  well-known  game  of  shinny  than  anything  else, 
with  the  addition  of  having  to  cause  the  ball  to  strike  the  goal  Instead  of  being 
merely  knocked  across  a  certain  score  line.  The  guardians  of  the  goals  were 
expected  to  prevent  the  ball  from  touching  the  post,  and  a  good  strike  might 
send  it  away  over  the  active  players'  heads,  far  toward  their  opponents'  goal. 

Powhatan.     Virginia. 
William  Strachey  ''  wrote  : 

A  kind  of  exercise  they  h,T,ve  amongst  them  much  like  that  which  boys  call 
bandy  in  English. 

Sauk  and  Foxes.     Iowa.     (Cat.  no.    xBt>  sloe?  American  Museum 

of  Natural  History.) 
Leather-covered  ball  (figiu'e  800)  with  median  seam,  flattened.  5  inches 
in   diameter,   and  stick    (figure  800),   a   sapling,   curved   at  the 
striking  end,  41  inches  in  length. 
Collected  by  Dr  William  Jones,  who  describes  them  as  used  in  the 
game  of  ice  liockey.     Men  and  women  play  apart  or  together.     The 
goals  are  lines  on  opposite  sides,  across  which  the  balls  must  be  driven 
from  either  side  to  comit. 


°  The  Menominl  Indians.  Fourteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  pt.  1, 
p.  244.  1896. 

''The  History  of  Travaile  into  Virginia  Brittania.  Printed  for  tlie  Ilakluyt  Society^ 
p.  77,  London,   1849. 


cri-is] 


shinny:  navaho 


623 


ATHAPASCAN  STOCK 

MiKONOTUNNE  AND  MiSHiKHWuTMETTjNNE.     Siletz  reservation,  Ore- 
gon. 

A.  AV.  Chase  "  says : 

One  of  the  national  games  is  extremely  interesting.  It  is  generally  played  by 
rival  tribes,  and  is  identical  with  that  in  vogue  amongst  our  school-boys  called 
hockey.  Sides  being  chosen,  each  endeavors  to  drive  a  hard  ball  of  pine  vpood 
around  a  stake  and  in  different  directions. 

Navaho.     Xew   Mexico.     (Cat.   no.    9530.    United    States    National 

Museum.) 
Buckskin  ball  (figui-e  801).  bag  shaped,  with  drawstring;  diameter, 
1^  inches.     Collected  by  Dr  Edward  Palmer. 


Fig.  800. 


Fig.  801. 


Fig.  802. 
Fig.  800.    Ball  and  stick  for  ice  hotkey;  diameter  of  ball,  5  inches;  length  of  stick.  41  inches; 

Sauk  and  Fox  Indians,  Iowa:  cat.  no.  ^sg^,  ^^gg.  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Fig.  801.    Shinny  ball:  diameter.  It  inches:  Navaho  Indians.  New  Mexico:  cat.  no.  95.30.  United 

States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  802.     Shinny  stick:  length.  :«  inches;  Navaho  Indians,  Arizona:   cat.  no.  3629,  Brooklyn 

Institute  Museum. 


Chin  Lee,  Arizona. 

seum.) 


(Cat.  no.  3629.  Brooklyn  Institute  Mu- 


Ball  stick  (figure  802),  a  peeled  sapling  curved  at  the  striking  end, 
with  bark  at  the  handle:  length,  32  inches.     Collected  by  the 
writer  in  1903. 
Dr  Washington  Matthews  describes  the  game  of  tsol,  or  ball,  as  the 

last  of  the  games  played  by  the  young  Hatsehogan  with  the  gambling 

god  Nohoilpi.'' 

"  Overland  Monthly,  v.  2,  p.  433.  San  Francisco,  1869, 
"  Navaho  Legends,  p.  84,  Boston,  1,897. 


624  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  axn.  24 

The  object  was  to  hit  the  hall  so  that  it  woiilil  fall  hejond  a  certain  line. 
■■  I  will  will  this  game  for  you."  said  the  little  bird  TsilkrWi.  tor  I  will  hide 
within  the  ball  and  fly  with  it  wherever  I  want  to  go.  Do  not  hit  the  ball  hard ; 
give  it  only  a  light  tap,  and  depend  on  lue  to  carry  it."  .  .  .  On  the  line 
over  which  the  ball  was  to  be  knocked  all  the  people  were  assembled :  on  one 
.side  were  those  who  still  remained  slaves :  on  the  other  side  were  the  freed- 
meu  and  those  who  had  come  to  wager  themselves,  hoping  to  rescue  their 
kinsmen.  No/ioflpi  bet  on  this  game  the  last  of  his  slaves  and  his  own  person. 
The  gambler  struck  his  ball  a  heavy  blow,  but  it  did  not  reach  the  line ;  the 
stranger  gave  his  but  a  light  tap.  and  the  bird  within  it  flew  with  it  far  beyond 
the  line,  whereat  the  released  captives  jumped  over  the  line  and  joined  their 
people. 

Xavah(i.     St  Michael,  Arizona. 

Eeverend  Fatlier  Berard  Haile  writes  as  follows  in  a  personal 
letter : " 

In  shinny,  ndashdilka'l.  the  ball  bears  the  same  name.  jol.  as  in  the  tossed 
and  batted  liall  game.  The  stick  is  the  reversed  ball  stick  :  however,  the  filling 
of  the  ball  is  somewhat  different,  for  it  is  put  in  a  small  leather  pouch  and 
then  sewed  at  the  end  and  not  in  the  center.  This  seems  immaterial.  Shinny 
is  played  according  to  the  rules  which  regulate  the  game  of  tossed  and  batted 
ball  regarding  time  of  year,  etc.  The  Navalio  prefer  long  distances  [fisure  8081 
between  the  opposing  lines.  The  object  is  to  bring  the  shinny  ball  over  the 
opponent's  line.     Whoever  is  successful  first  is  the  winner.     The  stick  is  also 

Players  1  one  or  two  miles  Players 

Fig.  SO:^.    Plan  of  shinny  ball  field:  Navaho  Indians,  8t  Michael,  Arizona. 

called  be-aUa'li.  and  the  origin  of  tlie  game  is  the  same  as  that  of  tossed  and 
■batted  liall. 

TsETSAUT.     Portland  inlet.  British  Columbia. 

Dr  Franz  Boas  f'  mentions  these  people  playins  a  game  with  a  ball 
of  cedar  Ijark. 

CADOOAN    STOCK 

Aeiivara.     Oklahoma. 

Dr  (xeorge  A.  Dorsey.'"  in  the  origin  of  the  Arikara,  descrilies  them 
as  coming  in  their  journeying  to  a  great  lake  where  they  had  their 
village  for  some  time. 

They  made  games  at  this  place.  The  first  game  they  played  was  the  shinny 
ball  and  four  sticks.  The  land  was  marked  out  by  four  sticks,  which  inclosed 
an  oblong  extending  from  east  to  west.  Each  side  tried  to  force  the  ball 
through  the  other's  goal.  When  one  side  was  beaten  it  immediately  began  to 
kill  those  of  the  other  side. 

"  .Tune  27,  1!I02. 

'Fifth  Report  on  the  Indians  of  British  Columbia.     Report  of  tlie  Sixt.v-fifth  Meeting' of 
the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  .")6S.  London.  1805. 
■■  Traditions  of  the  .\ril5ara,  p.  10,  Washington,  11104. 


CULIX] 


shinny:   WICHITA 


825 


Pawnee.  Oklahoma.  (Cat.  no.  59384,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Buckskin  ball  (figure  804).  3^  inches  in  diameter,  flattened,  with 
median  seam  and  ^^ainted  with  concentric  rings  in  color  on  both 
faces;  on  one  face  an  outside  ring  of  green,  then  red,  black,  and 
white,  with  yellow  in  the  center;  on  the  other,  black,  j'ellow, 
red.  black,  yellow,  and  black  in  the  center.  It  has  a  thong  for 
suspension  and  is  accompanied  with  four  sticks    (figure  805) 


Fig.  S(l.i. 


Fig.  8114. 


Fig-  8(16. 

Fig.  8(H,    Shinny  ball;  diameter.  3i  inches:  Pawnee  Indians.  Oklahnma:  cat.  no.  .i9*i4.  Field 

Columbian  Museum, 
Fig.  8a'>.    Shinny  sticks:   length,  at  inches:  Pawnee  Indians.  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  niWi,  Field 

Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  806.    Goal  sticks  and  pole  for  shinny;  length  of  sticks,  if  inches;  length  of  pole,  t<."i  inches; 

Pawnee  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  59384,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

made  of  saplings  about  34  inches  in  length,  curved  and  knoblH'd 
at  the  end,  and  painted  in  pairs  with  bands  of  color  near  striking 
end;  two  with  a  gi-een  and  a  red  band,  and  two  with  one  red  and 
two  green  bands.  Also  a  pole  (figure  SOG)  85  inches  in  length, 
•with  a  kind  of  ferrule  at  the  upper  end,  and  the  lower  end 
pointed,  and  four  stakes,  43  inches  in  length,  designated  as 
goal  posts.     Collected  in  1901  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey. 

Wichita.     "Wichita  reservation.  Oklahoma.      (Cat.  no.  59305.  Field 

Columbian  Musemn.) 
Buckskin-covered  ball  (figure  807),  4  inches  in  diameter,  with  median 
seam    and    loop    for   suspension;  and   ball    stick,    34    inches   in 
length,  curved,  with  a  knot  at  the  end.     Collected  by  Dr  George 
A.  Dorsey. 
24  ETH— 05  M 40 


626  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH     AMERICAN    INDIANS       Feth.  axn.  24 

l)r  A.  S.  Gatschet  has  kindly  furnished  the  writer  with  the  foUow- 
ing  list  of  words  relating  to  ball,  from  the  Wichita  language,  obtained 
by  him  in  1872 : 

Kasins.  ball,  plural  kasritsa  or  irha  kasintsa ;  kuyatsits,  catching; 
kakia  ti  kasints  kuyatsik,  somebody  catches  a  ball. 

In  his  "Wichita  Tales"  Dr  Oeorge  A.  Dorsey  relates  how  the  first 
man,  Darkness,  who  began  to  get  power  to  foretell  things  after  the 
creation  of  people,  told  the  woman  AA'^atsikatsia,  made  after  his  image, 
that  when  he  was  about  to  go  to  a  certain  being,  Man-Never-Known- 
on-Kartii,  he  reached  down  at  his  left  side  with  his  right  hand  and 
brought  up  a  ball.  Then  he  reached  down  with  his  left  hand  at  his 
right  side  and  brought  up  a  belt.  Then  he  reached  down  in  front, 
touched  the  ball  to  the  Ijelt.  and  brought  up  a  shinny  stick.  He 
took  the  ball,  tossed  it  up.  and  struck  it  with  the  stick.  As  the  liall 
flew,  he  went  with  it.  Thus  guided,  he  went  to  the  place  where  he 
expected  to  find  Man-Xever-Known-on-Earth.  The  object  of  his 
visit  was  that  power  be  given  him  so  that  there  should  be  liglit  on  the 


FKi.miT.    Shinny  ball  and  stick:  diameter  of  bull.  4  imhes;  lengtli  of  stick,  34  iwhes;  Wiihita 
Indians.  Oklahoma;  (.'at.  no.  '^irM^.  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

face  of  the  earth.  He  tossed  and  struck  the  ball  again,  but  not  arriv- 
ing at  the  place,  he  knew  he  could  not  depend  upon  the  ball,  and  so 
took  his  bow  and  arrow  and  shot  an  arrow  and  flew  with  it.  This 
he  did  a  second,  third,  and  fourth  time,  l)ut  without  avail.  Then  he 
remembered  he  could  run.  He  made  one  long  run  and  stopped  to 
rest.  Then  he  ran  again  and  a  tliird  and  fourth  time.  He  had  made 
twelve  trials  and  knew  he  was  near  the  i)lace  of  his  journey. 

Later,  in  the  same  narrative,  it  is  related  how  Darkness,  arriving 
at  a  certain  village,  instituted  the  game  of  shinny : 

The  crowd  came,  and  he  told  tlieiii  tlio.v  were  to  have  such  a  game  as  sliinnj- 
ball.  lie  reached  down  with  his  riRht  hand  on  his  left  side  and  la-odiiced  a 
ball,  and  then  rear-hed  down  on  his  risht  side  with  liis  left  band  and  brought 
nil  a  shinn.v  stick.  These  he  showed  the  i)eople  and  told  them  tlie.y  were 
for  their  use.  Then  he  eomni.indtMl  the  people  to  gather  just  outside  the  vil- 
lage at  about  evening  time,  and  then  he  set  the  time  for  pla.v.  Tlie.v  went  as 
he  told  tliem.  When  they  were  all  there  he  tossed  the  ball  toward  the  north 
and  traveled  with  it.  It  went  a  long  ways.  When  it  lit,  he  i)icUed  it  up  and 
struck  it  with  the  stick  and  drove  the  ball  back  south,  then  said  that  the  point 


"  .loiunal  of  American   Krdk-I.oie,  v.  ID,  p.  -\'>,   inoi 


ciLiN]  SHINNY  :   WICHITA  627 

where  he  stootl  when  he  struok  the  ball  wmihl  lie  lalled  "flowing  water"  (the 
goal).  Then  he  took  the  ball,  tossed  it.  went  with  it.  and  again  struck  it 
southward.  Where  it  hit  was  the  second  "  flowing  water."  or  goal.  Between 
these  two  goals  or  bases  was  level  ground,  and  in  both  directions  as  far  as  you 
could  see.  Then  he  divided  the  men  into  two  parties,  and  placed  one  at  each 
goal.  Between  these  two  parties  and  in  the  center  of  the  field  he  placeil  two 
men,  one  from  each  of  the  two  parties.  He  gave  one  man  the  ball  and  told  him 
to  toss  It  up.  As  the  ball  was  tossetl  he  told  the  other  man  to  strike  it  towards 
the  south.  He  did  so  and  drove  the  ball  towards  his  opiKinents  on  the  south. 
Now  they  played,  and  the  north  side  drove  the  ball  to  the  south  goal  and  won. 
'J'hen  they  changed  goals,  and  the  other  side  won.  Then  Darkness  said  they 
bad  played  enough. 

Dr  George  A.  Dorsej- "  also  relates  that  in  the  Wichita  creation 
legend  the  first  man.  Having-Power-to-carry-Light,  gave  the  men  a 
ball  smaller  than  the  shinny  ball. 

He  tokl  them  this  ball  was  to  be  used  to  amiisp  themselves  with; 
that  the  men  were  to  play  together  and  the  boys  were  to  play  together. 
WHienever  a  child  was  born,  if  it  was  a  boy  this  kind  of  ball  Avas  to 
be  given  to  it.  that  ho  might  observe  it  and  learn  how  to  move  aroitml. 
The  ball  had  a  string  to  it.  The  farther  the  ball  rolled— that  is,  the 
older  the  child  should  get — the  faster  it  wottld  move  arotind.  He  went 
on  and  taught  the  men  how  to  play  the  game,  for  the  people  were 
ignorant  and  did  not  know  what  the  things  were  for.  Finally,  the 
men  were  shown  how  the  ball  should  be  used.  He  showed  them  the 
clubs  for  the  shinny  game.  He  told  them  they  should  be  divided 
equally  in  the  game,  one  party  on  one  side  and  the  other  party  on 
the  other  side.  Many  were  interested,  for  the  game  was  new  to  them. 
Many  of  the  men  were  fast  on  their  feet.  The  game  was  to  be  won 
by  the  side  that  should  get  the  ball  to  the  goal  first.  Ha\ang- Power- 
to-carry-Light  also  told  them  how  to  travel  with  the  arrows  and  ball. 
This  marks  the  time  when  they  learned  to  travel  fast  from  one  place 
to  another.  The  men  went  out  hunting  animals  after  they  had  been 
tatight  that  animals  existed  for  their  use,  and  they  traveled  with 
their  arrows  and  ball.  They  would  shoot  an  arrow  in  the  direction 
they  wanted  to  go ;  then  they  would  go  with  the  arrow  as  it  went  up. 
This  is  the  way  they  traveled.  They  would  hit  the  ball,  and  as  it  flew 
the  iDerson  would  be  on  the  ball.  AVheii  the  ball  hit  the  ground 
they  would  hit  it  again,  and  so  they  would  go  from  place  to  place. 

In  the  story  of  "  The  Deeds  of  After-Birth  Boy  "  ^  his  father  made 
his  boy  a  shinny  ball  and  stick.  This  ball  was  what  we  call  '"  ball- 
for-young-boys  "   (kasintswiks). 

Again,  in  the  story  of  "  The  Deeds  of  After-birth-Boy  "  the  father 
made  his  two  boys  a  shinny  ball  and  two  sticks,  with  which  they 
played  a  game  against  the  Headlass-Man.  the  stake  to  be  their  own 

"  The  Mytliology  of  tlie  Wichita,  p.  27.  Washington.  1904. 
'Ibid.,  p.  92. 


628  -GAMES    or    THE    NOKTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 

lives.  The  ball  was  finalh'  knocked  by  After-birth-Boy  over  a  small 
creek  that  had  been  selected  as  a  goal. 

The  Headless-Man's  ball  was  black  and  his  shinny  stick  was  black. 
The  two  boj's  had  a  green  ball  and  green  sticks,  gi-een  representing 
the  spring  of  the  year.  Since  that  time  the  shinny  game  is  played  in 
the  spring,  under  the  power  of  the  After-birth-Boy." 

There  is  a  similar  episode  in  the  story  of  "  The  Little  Brown 
Hawks,""  in  which  the  four  brother  kSwift-Hawks  and  their  father 
played  successively  against  Boy-setting-Grass-on-Fire-by-his-Foot- 
steps,  lost  their  lives  and  were  clubbed  with  a  shinny  club.  The  play- 
ground extended  north  and  south,  and  it  was  a  long  way  from  goal  to 
goal.  The  game  consisted  in  tossing  the  ball  and  one  hitting  it,  the 
first  running  in  the  direction  they  were  headed,  the  other  following 
him.  A  posthumous  brother  of  the  four  Swift-Hawks  finally  over- 
came Boy-setting-Grass-on-Fire-by-his-Footsteps.  When  the  ball 
was  tossed  up,  hail  began  t«  fall  instead  of  the  ball  coming  down. 
All  of  the  hail  came  down  on  Boy-setting-Grass-on-Fire-by-his-Foot- 
steps,  and  on  him  alone,  and  killed  him.  Those  whom  he  had  killed 
were  brought  to  life  by  burning  his  l)ody. 

chijijiesyan'  stock 

NiSKA.     Nass  river,  British  Columljia. 

Dr  Franz  Boas'  describes  the  following  game: 

Goull :  ;i  li;ill  game.  There  are  two  goals.  aboiU  100  to  I.IO  yards  apart. 
Each  is  formed  liy  two  stioks.  about  10  feet  apart.  In  the  middle.  Iietweeu  the 
goals,  is  a  hole  in  which  the  ball  is  placed.  The  players  carry  hooked  sticks. 
Two  of  them  stand  at  the  hole,  the  other  players  of  each  party,  si.\  or  seven  in 
number,  a  few  steps  behind  them  towards  each  goal.  M  a  given  signal,  both 
players  try  to  strike  the  ball  out  of  the  hole.  Then  each  party  tries  to  drive  it 
through  the  goal  of  the  opposing  party. 

CHUirASHAN    STOCK 

Santa  Barbara.     Santa  Barl)ara,  California. 
Alfred  Robinson  ''  says : 

In  front  of  the  house  was  a  large  square,  where  the  Indians  assembled  on 
Sunday  afternoons  to  indulge  their  favorite  sports  and  pursue  their  chief 
amusement — gambling.  Here  numbers  were  gathered  together  in  little  knots, 
who  appeared  engaged  in  angry  conversation ;  they  were  adjusting,  as  Daniel 
informed  me,  the  boundary  lines  for  the  two  parties  who  were  to  play  that 
afternoon  at  ball,  and  were  thus  occupied  till  dinner  time.  When  I  returned 
from  dinner  they  had  already  commenced ;  and  at  least  two  or  three  hundred 

"The  Mythology  of  th"  Wii-hita.  p.  nn,  Washington,  in04. 
»  U)i(l..  p.  247. 

■■  Fifth  Kepiirt  ou  thp  Indians  of  British  Columbia.      Report  of  the  Sixty-fifth  Meeting 
of  the  British  .\ssociation  for  the  .■idvanoenient  of  Science,  p.  .^83.  London.  LSOu. 
<"  Life  in  California,  p.  105,  San  Francisco,  1891. 


cuLix]  shinny:  KIOWA  629 

IiKlians  of  both  sexes  were  eugafied  in  the  game.  It  was  the  "  Presidio  "  against 
tlie  "  Mission."  They  played  with  a  small  ball  of  hard  wood,  which,  when  hit, 
uould  bound  with  tremendous  force  without  striking  the  ground  for  two  or  three 
hundred  yards.  Great  excitement  prevailed,  and  immense  exertion  was  mani- 
fested on  both  sides,  so  that  it  was  not  till  late  in  the  afternoon  that  the  game 
was  decided  iu  favor  of  the  Indians  of  the  Presidio, 

ESKIMAUAN    STOCK 

Eskimo  (Western).     St  Michael,  Alaska. 

Mr  Nelson  «  describes  the  game  which  he  calls  hockey — aiyutalugit 
or  patkutalugit. 

This  is  played  with  a  small  ball  of  ivory,  leather,  or  wood,  and  a  stick, 
curved  at  the  lower  end.  The  ball  and  stick  are  called  pat-k'u'-tflk.  'fhe  ball 
is  placed  on  the  ground  or  ice  and  the  players  divide  into  two  parties.  Eacli 
player  with  his  stick  attempts  to  drive  the  ball  across  the  opponents"  goal, 
which  is  established  as  in  the  football  game. 

IROQUOIAN    STOCK 

TuscAEORA,     North  Carolina. 
John  Lawson*  says : 

Another  game  is  managed  with  a  batoon  and  a  ball,  and  resembles  our 
trapball. 

KERESAN    STOCK 

Keres.     Acoma,  New  Mexico. 

A  Keres  Indian  at  Zuni,  named  James  H.  Miller,  informed  the 
writer  in  1904  that  the  boys  played  shinny — matashoku — in  the  fall. 
The  stick  they  call  hopi,  and  the  ball  matashoku. 

■ Cochiti,  New  Mexico. 

A  Keres  boy  at  St  Michaels,  Arizona,  named  Francisco  Chaves 
(Kogit).  described  the  Indians  at  Cochiti  to  the  writer  in  1904  as 
playjng  shinny  under  the  name  of  oomatashia.  The  ball,  pelota,  they 
call  matashshok,  and  the  stick,  oomatash. 

KIOWA  X    STOCK 

Kiowa.     Oklahoma.     (United  States  National  Museum.) 

Cat.  no.  152903.     Buckskin  ball  (figure  808),  a  flattened  sphere,  with 

median  seam:  diameter.  Si  inches:  wooden  stick   (figure  809), 

painted  red,  curved  at  the  striking  end,  with  a  knob  at  the  top; 

length,  30  inches. 
Cat.  no.  152904.     Hide  ball    (figure  810),  a   flattened  sphere  with 

median  seam,  painted  red ;  diameter.  3^^  inches. 
These  specimens  were  collected  by  Mr  James  Mooney. 

» The  Eskimo  about  Behring  Strait.  Eighteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of 
American  Ethnology,  pt.  1,  p.  337,  1899. 

"The  History  of  Carolina,  p.  288,  London,  1714;  reprint,  Raleigh,  N.  C,  1860. 


630 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMEHICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 


-AIARIPOSAX    STOCK 

Chukchansi.     Picka^'une.    Madera    county.    California.     (Cat.    no. 

70895,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Two  moimtain  mahogany  balls.  lA  inches  in  diameter.     Collected  by 

Dr  J.  W.  Hudson. 
Mixed  Tribes.     Tule  Eiver  reservation.  California. 
Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  the  following  game : 

The  ball  is  called  o-lol,  and  the  stifk.  ka-tal.     The  goals,  to-lin.  are  two  pairs 
-of  ujjright  sticks,  placed  at  the  euds  of  the  course,  at  a  distance  of  400  yards. 


Fig.  8U. 

FlQ.  808.    Shinny  ball;  diameter.  3i  inches;  Kiowa  Indians,  Olclahoma:  cat.  no.  1529t).S.  Ignited 

States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  H09.    Shinny  stick;  lengtli,  HO  inches;  Kiowa  Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  15290:^.  United 

States  National  Miiseum. 
FiQ.  810.    Shinny  ball;  diameter.  3i-  inches:  Kiowa  Indians.  Oklahoma:  cat.  no.  1.52904.  United 

States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  811.    Shinny  ball  and  stick;  diameter  of  ball,  21  inches;  length  of  stick,  4(1  inches;  Yokuts 
Indians,  Tule  River  reservation,  California;  cat.  no.  70.399,  7ri400,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Yokuts.     Tule  River  reservation,  Tulare  county.  California.     (Cat. 

no.  70399.  70400.  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Shinny  stick,  40  inches  in  length  (figure  811),  made  of  oak,  bent  and 

fire  seasoned  at  the  lower  end,  with  a  red  strijje  near  the  crook; 

and  a  ball,  2i  inches  in  diameter,  made  of  an  oak  knot,  rounded 

and  seasoned.     Collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson. 

JIOQIELUMXAX    STOCK 


AwANi.     Yosemite  valley.  ]\Iariposa   county,  California.      (Cat.  no. 

70229,  Field  Columluan  Museum.) 
Four  mountain  mahogany  ball  sticks,  4  feet  in  length,  with  reciirxed 
ends.     Collected  bv  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson. 


CCLIX] 


shinny:  zuaque 


631 


Chowchilla.     Chowchilly  river.  Miulera  county.  California.      (Cat. 

no.  70233.  Field  Columliian  ^Iiiseum.) 
Two  oak-wood  ball.s,  3  inches  in  diameter.     Collected  by  I)r  J.  W. 
Hudson,  who  describes  the  game  as  follows: 

Played  only  by  men.  who  are  divided  in  two  equal  sides, 
say  fifteen  on  a  side.  Tlie  goals,  which  are  each  some  200 
yards  from  the  center,  are  two  trees  or  two  posts,  a  long  step, 
or.  say.  3  feet,  apart.  Two  men  st.inding  .side  by  side  cast 
the  ball  up  and  stril<e  it  to  their  opponents'  goal. 

Was.\m.\.     Chowchilly    river.   Madera    county.   Cali- 
fornia. 
Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  the  following  i)all  game 
under  the  name  of  niiila  : 

I'layed  with  a  club.  nui-l;ui'  of  nidunt.-iiii  mahogany,  and  a 
mahogany  ball,  o-lo'-la. 

Two  or  more  men  play  in  couples  or  pairs  from  a  start 
line  [figure  812].  The  captains  at  station  1  strike  their  re- 
sjiective  balls  toward  their  respective  partners  at  station  2. 
If  the  ball  falls  short  of  2,  the  failing  striker  must  forward 
his  ball  to  station  2  by  an  additional  stroke:  when  the  ball 
passes  into  the  territory  of  the  jiartner  at  station  2.  he  (no. 
2)  must  drive  it  forward  from  where  it  stopped.  The  last 
stationed  partner  must  drive  it  over  the  goal  line.  The  small- 
est number  of  aggregate  strokes  on  a  side  wins.  Station 
keepers  must  keep  within  their  own  territories. 

PI.M.XN    STOCK 

Op.\t.\.     Sonora,  Mexico. 

Mr   A.    F.    Bandelier "    speaks   of   a    game    called 
uachicori,  or  shinny. 
T.\RAHrJiARE.     Chihuahua,  Mexico. 

Dr  Carl  Lumholtz  ''  states : 

In  a  game  called  taqnari.  a  ball  is  knocked  along  the  ground 
by  one  party  of  players  toward  a  goal,  while  the  oi>posite 
party  strives  to  beat  it  back  to  the  opi>i)site  goal 

ZrAQUE.     Sonora,  Mexico.     ( Cat.  no.  l-iDS.'io,  United 

States  National  Museum.) 
Irregular  wooden  ball  (figure  813),  somewhat  rudely 
carved,   !■}   inches  in   diameter:   and   a    roughly 
hewn  stick,  curved  and  flattened  on  the  inner  side  at  the  end,  "23 
inches  in  length. 
Described  by  the  collector.  Dr  Edward  Palmer,  as  a  boyV  shinny 
stick  and  ball. 


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bridge. is;)o. 

'■  Tarahumarl  Life  aud  Customs.      Si-riliner's  Mauaziiie.  v.  10.  p.  Hll.  Xew  Yurli.  ISOt. 


632 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  anm.  24 


SALI8HAN    STOCK 

Clallam.     Washington. 

A  Clallam  bo}'  described  this  tribe  as  playing  the  game  of  shinny, 
skweikiiklioise.     The  ball,  smuck.  is  a  cedar  knot.     The  shinny  stick 
is  called  kuklioisesun.     The  word  for  goal  is  sweikkutum. 
Pend  d'Oreilles.     Flathead  reservation.  Montana.     (Cat.  no.  .51777, 

Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Shinny  stick  (figure  814),  curved  and  expanding  at  the  striking  end 
into  a  thin  blade,  with  a  knob  at  the  end  of  the  handle ;  length,  27 
inches.     Collected  bv  Dr  George  A.  Dorsev. 


Fig.  814. 

Fig.  813.  Shinny  ball  and  stick;  diameter  of  ball.  If  inches;  length  of  stick,  23  inches;  Zuaque 
Indians,  Sonora,  Mexico;  cat.  no.  12985.3,  United  States  National  Museum. 

Fig.  814.  Shinny  stick;  length,  27  inches;  Pend  d'Oreille  Indians,  Flathead  reservation,  Mon- 
tana; cat.  no.  51777.  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Shfswap.     Kamloops,  British  Columbia. 
Dr  Franz  Boas"  says: 

The  following  game  of  ball  was  clescribed  to  me :  The  players  stand  in  two 
opposite  rows.  A  stake  is  driven  into  the  ground  on  the  left  side  of  the  pla.vers 
of  one  row,  and  another  on  the  right  side  of  the  players  on  the  other  row.  Two 
men  staiid  in  tlie  center  between  the  two  rows.  One  of  these  pitches  the  liall, 
and  the  other  tries  to  drive  it  to  one  of  the  stalies  with  a  bat.  Then  both  parties 
endeavor  to  drive  the  ball  to  the  stake  on  the  opposite  side,  and  the  party  which 
succeeds  in  this  has  won  the  game. 

SoNGiSH.     Vancouver  island,  British  Columbia. 

Dr  Franz  Boas "  describes  the  following  game : 

K'k'oia'ls,  a  game  at  ball :  the  ball,  which  is  made  of  maple  knots,  is  called 
smuk.     It  is  pitched  with  crooked  sticks  and  driven  from  one  party  to  the  other. 


SHAHAPTIAN    STOCK 

Nez  Perces.     Idaho. 

Col.  Richard  Irving  Dodge ''  says : 

Among  the  Nez  Percys  and  other  western  tribes  the  women  are  extremely  fond 
of  a  game  of  ball  similar  to  our  "  shinny,"  or  "  hockey,"  and  play  with  great 
spirit. 

"  Second  General  Report  on  the  Indians  of  British  Columbia.     Report  of  the  Sixtieth 
Meeting  of  the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  641,  London,  1891. 
"  Ibid.,  p.  571. 
<■  Our  Wild  Indians,  p.  344,  Hartford,  1882. 


CL'LIN] 


shinxy:  hopi 


633 


Umatilla.     Oregon.     ( Cat.  no.    375-il,    .37542,    Free    Museum    of 

Science  and  Art.  University'  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Ball   (figure  815),  a  flattened  spheroid  of  buckskin,  with  median 
seam,  painted  yellow,  with  the  sun  in  red  lines  on  one  side  and  a 
similar  design,  perhaps  a  star,  on  the  other:  diameter.  4  inches. 
Stick  (figure  816),  a  club,  flattened  and  curved  at  one  end:  length. 
29  inches. 
These  were  collected  by  the   writer   in   1900.     The  ball  is  called 
tkaiput,  and  the  bat  tkaila. 


Fig.  sir. 

Fio.  815.    Shinny  ball:  diameter,  4  inches;  Umatilla  Indians,  Oregon;  cat.  no.  3T5U.  Frcn  Museum 

of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fio.  816.    Shinny  stick;  length,  29  inches;  Umatilla  Indians,  Oregon;  cat.  no.  Sr542.  Free  Museum 

of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  817.    Shinny  ball  and  stick;  diameter  of  Imll.  U  inches;  length  of  stick,  42  inches:  Acho- 

mawi  Indians,  Hat  creek,  California:  cat.  no.  jf  57,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

SHASTAX  STOCK 

AcHOMAWi.  Hat  creek,  California.  (Cat.  no.  jffj^,  American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History.) 

Wooden  ball.  If  inches  in  diameter,  and  curved  stick,  42  inches  in 
length  (figure  817).  Collected  in  1903  by  Dr  Eoland  B.  Dixon, 
who  describes  them  as  implements  for  hockey,  popaqwaiwi. 

SHOSHONEAN    STOCK 

Hopi.     Arizona.     (United  States  National  Museum.) 

Cat.  no.  23222.     Buckskin  ball;  a  flattened  spheroid,  with  median 

seam:  diameter,  3^  inches.     Collected  by  Maj.  J.  W.  Powell  and 

designated  as  a  shinnj'  ball. 


634 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 


Cat.  no.  41765.     Buckskin  hall,  painted  red.  ovate,  with  median  seam, 

stutfed  with  hair;  diameter.  3f  inches. 
Cat.  no.  68843.     Buckskin  ball :  a  flattened  spheroid,  with  median 

.seam;  diameter,  2i  inches. 
Cat.  no.  68869.     Buckskin  ball  (figure  818)  :  bag-shaped,  painted  red, 

with  drawstring;  diameter,  ;")  inches.     Designated  as  a  football. 
The  three  foregoing  specimens  were  collected  by  Col.  James  Ste- 
venson. 
Cat.  no.  84286.     Buckskin  ball    (figure  819);   a   flattened  spheroid, 


with  median  seam:  diamctei 


inches 


Cat.  no.  84287.     Buckskin  ball,  similar  to  the  preceding;  diameter,  2^ 
inches. 


Fig.  819. 

Fu;.  HIH.    .Shinny  ball;  diameter,  5  inches;  Hojii  Indians.  Arizona;  cat.  no.  6SK69.  United  States 

National  Museum. 
Fig.  H19.    Shinny  ball;  diameter,  .9J  inches;  Hopi  Indiana,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  84386,  United  States 

National  Museum. 
Fiti.  820.    Shmuy  ball;  diameter,  .3i  inches;  Hopi  Indians,  Arizona;  cat,  no.  84289,  United  States 

National  Museum. 
Fig.  821.    .Shinny  stick;  length,  2.8  inches:  Hopi  Indians,  Walpi,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  166T18,  United 

States  National  Museum. 

Cat.  no.  84288.     Buckskin  ball,  similar  to  the  preceding;  diameter,  3 

inches. 
Cat.  no.  84289.     Buckskin  ball  (figure  820).  spheroidal,  with  mediar. 

seam  and  drawstring  around  the  seam ;  diameter,  3.1  inches. 
This  and  the  three  specimens  preceding  were  collected  by  Mr  Vic- 
tor Mindeleft'. 

Hopi.  AValpi,  Arizona.  (Cat.  no.  1(;6718,  United  States  National 
Museum.) 

Peeled  stick  with  curved  end  (figure  s-Jl),  one-half  painted  red.  with 
two  bands  of  blue  jjaiiil  near  the  middle;  length,  28  inches.  Col- 
lected bv  Mr  James  Moonev. 


cuLixi  shinny:  shoshont  635 

Mr  A.  M.  Stephen,  in  liis  unpublished  manuscript,  gives  tlic  fol- 
lowing definitions : 

Ball,  ta-tei :  shinny,  or  hockey,  as  practiced  by  white  hoys,  ta-tatc' la-la-wfili. 
Mono.     Hooker  cove.  Madera  county.  California.     (Cat.  no.  7143.'). 

71436,  Field  Columbian  Museum). 
Mahogany  club  (figure  S'2'2).  with  flat  end  slightly  curved.  54  inches 
in  length,  and  small  mountain  mahogany  ball. 

Collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson,  who  describes  it  as  of  the  Vokuts 
type. 

Five  other  clubs  (figure  8i'3)  in  the  same  collection  (cat.  no.  71434) 
are  similar,  but  the  striking  part  is  narrow.  Four  of  these  are  of 
oak  and  one  is  of  mountain  mahogany. 


Fig.  822.    Shinny  ball  and  stick;  length  of  Rtick,  54  inches:  Mono  Indians,  Madera  county,  C'ali- 

fornia:  cat.  no.  71435,  7143(5,  Field  ColuniV)ian  Museum. 
Fig.  K'£^.    Shinny  ball  and  .stick;  length  of  stick,  .50.^  inches:  Mono  Indians.  Madera  county,  C'ali- 

fomia;  cat.  no.  714:34,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Doctor  Hudson  gives  the  following  account  of  the  game  under  the 
name  of  nakwatakoina,  to  swing  strike : 

Each  opponent  starts  his  niahosany-wood  hall,  nsnally  !j  inches  in  diameter, 
forward  at  a  signal.  Their  partners  at  the  next  station  forward  tlieir  respec- 
tive balls  to  the  next  rehiy  station,  and  so  on.  Interferenee  with  an  oi)ponenfs 
ball,  even  by  accident,  is  protested  by  loud  "Hip!  he!!"  which  is  at  onee 
apologized  for  by  "  He-he-he ! !  "  If  a  player  should  forward  an  opponent's  ball, 
this  protesting  cry  recalls  him  to  seek  Ijis  own  ball,  while  the  distance  made 
by  the  fouled  stroke  is  kept  by  the  fouled  party.  Every  player  has  one  or  more 
substitute  balls  in  his  belt,  so  that  when  a  ball  is  lost  another  is  allowed  in 
play.  The  balls  must  turn  a  goal  stake,  a-na'-na  kwi-no  hi'-na,  "  man's  circling 
stake,"  often  a  tree,  aliout  400  yards  from  the  starting  line,  and  return  to  a  hole, 
to'-op,  at  the  starting  line.  The  gamp  may  he  played  also  to  a  goal  straight 
away,  several  miles.  Once  a  game  was  played  between  tlie  Hooker  Cove 
people  and  Whisky  Creeks,  in  which  they  started  at  Hooker  Cove,  and  the  goal 
was  in  a  field  beside  the  road  at  Whisky  Creek,  7i  miles  distsvlit. 

Shoshoni.     Wind   River   reservation.   AVyoming.      (Cat.    no.    3C878, 
Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania.) 
Stick  (figure  825).  ego,  with  a  broad  curved  end  and  a  knot  at  the 
handle;  length,  24|  inches;  and  a  ball  (figure  824),  covered  with 
buckskin,  with  median  seam,  in  the  form  of  a  flattened  sphere, 
3i  inches  in  diameter.     Collected  by  the  writer  in  1900. 


636 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 


UixTA  Ute.  AVhite  Eocks.  Utah.  ( Free  Museum  of  Science  and 
Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Cat.  no.  37114.  Buckskin  ball  (figure  826),  bag  shaped,  witii  draw- 
string and  thong ;  diameter,  3|  inches. 

Cat.  no.  37117.  Shinny  stick  (figure  827),  rudely  whittled,  with 
broad  curved  end;  length,  27^  inches. 

These  specimens  were  collected  by  the  wi-iter  in  1000.     The  ball  is 
called  pokunump,  and  the  stick,  beher.     It  is  a  woman's  game. 


Pig.  826, 


Fig.  834.  Shinny  ball;  diameter,  3i  inches:  Shoshoni  Indians,  Wind  Eiver  reservation,  Wyo- 
ming; cat.  no.  36878,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Fig.  825.  Shinny  stick;  length,  24^  inches;  Shoshoni  Indians,  Wind  River  reservation,  Wyo- 
ming: cat.  no.  36878,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Fic.  826.  Shinny  ball;  diameter,  3|  inches:  Uinta  Ute  Indians,  White  Rocks,  Utah:  cat.  no. 
37114.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Fig.  827.  Shinny  stick:  length,  27^  inches;  Uinta  Ute  Indians,  White  Rocks,  Utah;  cat.  no. 
37117,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


SIOUAN    STOCK 


AssixiBOix.     Fort  Union,  Montana. 

In  a  report  to  Isaac  I.  Stevens,  governor  of  Washington  Territory, 
on  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  upper  Missouri,  by  Mr  Edwin  T.  Denig,  a 
manuscript  in  the  liljrary  of  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnologj', 
there  occurs  the  following  account: 

Moi5t  of  these  tribes,  particularly  the  Sioux,  are  fond  of  pl.aying  in  parties. 
The  principal  game  at  ball  is  called  tah-cap-see-chah.  being  the  same  denomi- 
nated shinny,  or  bandy,  by  the  whites.  It  is  generally  got  up  when  two  different 
bands  are  camped  together,  and  a  principal  person  in  each  having  made  a  bet 
of  a  blanket  or  gun.  they  choose  from  their  bands  an  equal  nuiubpr  of  young 
men,  who  are  iilways  the  most  active  they  can  select,  the  number  xarying  from 
fifteen  to  forty  on  each  side.  Sometimes  the  play  is  headed  by  the  chief  of  each 
band  betting,  thougli  they  take  no  part  in  the  game,  which  is  usually  played  by 
men  of  20  to  30  years  of  age.     Each  of  the  players  stakes  something  against  an 


CLLix]  SHINXY:   DAKOTA  687 

equivalent  on  the  part  of  one  on  the  opposite  side,  and  every  bet.  which  consists 
of  shirts,  arrows,  shells,  feathers,  blankets  and  almost  every  article  of  trade  or 
their  own  manufacture,  is  tietl  togetlier  separately,  and  as  fast  as  the  bets  are 
taken  and  tied  together  they  are  laid  on  a  pile  about  the  center  of  the  play- 
ground, being  given  in  charge  of  three  or  four  elderly  men.  who  are  chosen  as 
judges  of  the  sport.  After  this  has  been  concluded  two  posts  are  set  up  about 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  apart  and  the  game  consists  in  knocking  the  ball  with 
sticks  toward  these  posts,  they  being  the  outcome  or  limit  for  either  party  in 
different  directions.  They  strip  naked,  except  the  breechdoth  and  moccasins, 
and  paint  their  bodies  in  every  possible  variety  of  manner.  Each  is  furnished 
with  a  stick  about  3i  feet  long,  turned  up  at  the  lower  end,  and  they  range  them- 
selves in  two  lines,  commencing  at  tlie  middle  of  the  ground  and  extending  on 
either  side  some  distance.  The  ball  is  cast  into  the  air  in  the  center  of  the 
course,  struck  as  soon  as  it  falls  Ijy  some  one,  and  the  game  begins,  each  party 
endeavoring  to  knock  the  ball  to  the  post  designated  as  their  limit.  The  game  is 
played  three  times,  and  whichever  party  succeeds  in  winning  two  courses  out  of 
the  three  is  judged  conqueror.  When  the  players  are  well  chosen  it  is  often  an 
interesting  game,  and  some  splendid  specimens  of  foot  racing  can  be  seen ;  but 
when  one  of  them,  either  intentionally  or  by  accident,  hurts  another  by  a  stroke 
with  the  play  stick,  a  general  shindy  takes  place,  and  the  sticks  are  employed 
over  each  others"  heads,  which  is  fnUowed  by  a  rush  for  the  stakes  and  a 
scramble.  We  have  seen  them,  when  this  was  the  case,  arm  themselves  and 
exchange  some  shots,  when,  a  few  being  wounded,  the  camps  would  sei)arate 
and  move  away  in  different  directions.  Suppusing,  however,  the  game  i)rocecds 
in  its  proper  spirit  and  humor,  each  bet  being  tied  separately,  the  parcels  are 
handed  out  to  the  successful  party  by  the  judges.  This  game  is  not  often  done 
by  large  parties  of  men.  or,  if  so,  it  is  very  warmly  contested  and  very  apt  to 
break  up  in  a  disturbance.  We  have  seen  it  also  played  by  both  men  and 
women  joined,  a  few  men  aiding  two  parties  of  women  :  this  was  amongst  the 
Sioux,  but  with  the  other  tribes  it  is  generally  ]>layed  by  men  only. 

Crows.    Ciwv  reservation.  Montana.     (Cat.  no.  69648, •  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum. ) 
Shinny  stick  and  hall:  the  ball   a   flattened   spheroid,  with   mediaii 
seam,   -t    inches   in    diameter;  the   stick   an    impainted   sajjling, 
curved  at  the  end;  length.  38  inches. 
Collected  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms  in  1901.  who  says: 

The  game  is  played  only  in  the  spring,  when  the  grass  is  green,  the  men  on 
one  side  and  the  women  on  tlie  other.  The  goals  each  consist  of  two  blankets, 
spread  side  by  side  on  the  ground.  A  man  or  a  woman  selects  one  of  the  goals. 
The  ball  is  tossed  in  the  air  among  the  crowd  of  players,  and  the  oliject  is  to 
drive  it  to  the  goal  selected. 

Dakota  (Oglala).     Pine  Ridge  reservation.  South  Dakota.     (Cat. 
no.  2-2117.  22118.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania.) 
Stick  (figure  828),  made  of  a  sapling,  39  inches  in  length,  bent  at 
one  end  by  fire,  and  a  buckskin-covered  ball    (figure  82S),  2i 
inches  in  diameter,  the  cover  made  of  a  single  i^iece  and  stitched 
■with  sinew. 


638  GAMES    OF    THE    NOKTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 

It  is  described  by  the  collector.  Mr  Louis  L.  Meeker,"  as  used  iu  the 
woniaiTs  game  of  shinny,  takapsica  : 

Many  ))layers  foi'iii  two  i:oniiianies  and  strive  to  take  the  ball  with  their  sticks 
to  two  different  goals  in  opposite  directions.  First  play  is  decided  by  kicking 
the  ball  lip  into  the  air.  The  one  who  can  do  so  oftenest  without  letting  the  ball 
or  the  foot  touch  the  ground  plays  first.  This  is  a  separate  game  with  the 
Winnebago. 

Shinny  is  played  liy  women,  large  girls,  and  schoolboys.  The  women  of  one 
camp  will  play  against  the  women  of  another  camp.  The  boys  and  girls  of  one 
school  will  play  against  another  school,  for.  although  not  (juite  up  to  the  dignity 
of  men.  the  game  is  scarcely  limited  to  women. 


© 

Fig.  !<28.  Shiuuy  1>aU  and  stick;  diameter  of  ball,  21  inches:  length  of  stick.  39  inches:  Oglala 
Dakota  Inibans.  Pine  Ridge  reservation,  South  Dakota:  cat.  no.  22117.  22118,  Free  Museum  of 
Science  and  .^rt.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Dakota    (()glal.4).     Pine  Kidgo  reservation.  South   Dakota.      (Cat. 

no.  2212-1.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of 

Pennsylvania.) 
Knobbed  stick  (figure  829),  made  of  a  sapling.  3()  inches  in  length. 

Described  by  the  collector,  Mr  Louis  L.  Meeker.''  as  used  in  the 
boy's  game  of  can  takapsica,  or  wood  shinny: 

.\  block  of  wood,  cut  from  a  seasoned  stick  about  .'5  inches  in  diameter,  is  laid 
upon  the  ground.  Two  players,  armed  with  sticks  having  a  natural  enlargement 
on  one  end,  each  paces  off  50  steps  in  ojiposite  directions,  and  each  marks  his 
opponent's  goal.  Giving  the  word  to  each  other,  the.v  race  back  to  the  block 
of  wood,  the  one  who  wins  placing  his  foot  uiion  the  block  to  take  possession. 
He  then  deliberately  aims  and  strikes  the  block  with  all  his  force  toward  his 
goal,  and  both  race  after  it  to  take  possession  with  the  foot  and  strike  it  again 
as  before. 


Fig.  82fl.  Stick  for  wood  shinny:  length,  as  inches:  Oglala  Dakota  Indians,  Pine  Ridge  res- 
ervation. South  Dakota:  oat.  no.  22124,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of 
Pennsylvania. 

Dakota   (Tetox).     Pine  Ridge  reservation,  South  Dakota. 

Dr  J.  R.  Walker ""  describes  the  game  of  shinny,  woskate  takapsice. 
and  of  woman's  shinny,  woskate  takwinkapisce.  and  gives  the  rules 
for  the  play. 

"  Ogalala  Games.     Bulletin  of  the  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  v.  .3,  p.  31,  Phila- 
delphia, moi. 
"  Ihid..  p.  .S.l. 
'  Sioux  Games.     .Tourual  of  .American  Kolk-Lore.  v.  18,  p.  2.S.'i,  ino.'>. 


CLLixJ  SHINNY  :   DAKOTA  639 

Dakota  (Teton).  Clieyeniie  River  agency.  South  Dakota.  (Cat. 
no.  168170.  United  States  National  Museum.) 

Shinny  stick  (figure  830),  a  peeled  sapling,  turned  around  at  one  end, 
28^  inches  in  length.  The  handle  is  cut  away  at  the  end  and  has 
four  thongs  wrapped  with  colored  qnill  work,  and  a  bunch  of 
strings  of  glass  beads  attached.     Collected  by  Mr  Z.  T.  Danieh 


Fig.  830.    Shinny  stick;  length,  28j  inches;  Teton  Dakota   Indians,  Cheyenne  River  agency, 
South  Dakota:  oat.  no.  168170,  United  States  National  Museum. 

Dakota  (Yankton).     South  Dakota. 

George  P.  Belden  °  describes  the  Ijall  game  as  follows: 

.\  great  noise  of  shouting  is  lieanl  in  the  cauip.  and  the  young  men,  with  bat. 
or  club.  3  feet  long  anil  i-rooked  at  the  end.  go  out  ou  the  prairie  near  the  <amp. 
Having  found  a  smooth  spot  tliey  halt,  and  two  of  the  youths,  by  eomuxin  con- 
sent, talie  ojiposite  sides  and  pick  out  the  players,  first  one  and  then  the  other, 
until  enough  are  had. 

One  morning  I  heard  tlie  young  men  shouting  for  hall,  and  I  went  out  with 
them  to  the  playground.  The  two  chiefs,  A-ke-che-ta  (Little  Dog  Soldier)  and 
Ma-to-sao  (White  Bear),  were  jiicking  sides,  and  a  number  of  Indians  were 
already  seated  facing  each  other,  and  bantering  ou  the  game.  As  each  man  was 
selected  he  spread  down  his  buffalo  I'olie  and  sat  upon  it,  facing  his  opponent. 
I  was  selected  by  A-ke-ehe-ta.  and  silently  took  my  place  in  the  line.  Presently 
all  the  young  men  who  were  to  play  were  selected,  and  then  several  old  men 
were  appointed  to  act  as  umpires  of  the  game.  These  advanced  and  seated 
themselves  between  the  contestants,  and  then  the  warriors  rose  and  commenced 
I  letting  on  the  game.  First  one  warrior  advanced  and  threw  down  a  robe  be- 
fore the  old  men:  then  a  warrior  from  the  other  side  came  forward  and  laid  a 
robe  upon  it:  and  so  all  bet.  one  against  the  other.  Presently  there  was  a 
great  number  of  piles  of  stakes,  some  having  bet  moccasins,  headdresses,  bead- 
work,  earrings,  necklaces,  bows  and  ;irrows,  and  even  ponies.  All  these  were 
carefully  watched  over  by  tlie  old  men,  who  noted  each  stake  and  the  depositor 
on  a  stick.  If  you  did  not  wish  to  l)et  with  any  particular  warrior  you  laid 
your  wager  on  the  big  pile,  and  instantly  it  was  matched  by  the  judges  against 
some  article  of  corresponding  value  from  the  pile  of  the  other  side.  Thus  I  bet 
i.  hunting  knife,  half  a  pound  of  jjowder,  a  pair  of  moccasins,  and  a  small  hand 
mirror,  which  articles  were  appropriately  matched  with  others  by  the  judges. 
All  was  now  in  readiness  for  the  game  to  begin,  and  the  parties  separated. 
The  two  lines  were  formed  about  IfMI  yards  apart.  In  front  of  each  side.  20 
feet  from  each  other,  two  stakes,  smeared  with  paint,  are  driven  finidy  into 
the  ground,  and  the  object  of  the  game  is  to  drive  the  b;ill  between  the  stakes. 
Whichever  side  shall  first  force  the  liall  through  the  opposite  stakes  wins  the 
game.  The  ball,  made  of  rags  and  covered  with  buckskin,  is  carried  to  the 
center  of  the  ground  between  the  combatants  and  there  deposited,  by  one  of  the 
old  men,  who  then  returns  to  his  post.     The  judges  then  give  the  signal,  and 


"Belden,  the  White  Chief;  edited  by  Gen.   .Tames  S.  Brisben,   T'.   S.   A.,   p.   'A~,   Cincin- 
nati, 18T1. 


640  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    IXDIAXS       [kth.  axx.  24 

with  loud  shouts  the  phiyers  run  to  the  ball,  and  commence  Ivnocking  it  to  and 
fro  with  their  crooked  sticks.  The  ball  is  about  the  size  of  a  large  orange,  and 
each  party  tries  to  prevent  its  coming  toward  their  stakes.  Xo  warrior  must 
touch  the  ball  with  his  hands;  but  if  it  lies  in  a  hole,  he  may  push  it  out  with 
his  foot  and  then  hit  it  with  his  stick. 

In  the  game  which  I  am  telling  you  about.  Ma-to-sae's  iiarty  reached  and 
struck  the  ball  first,  lifting  it  clear  over  our  heads,  and  sending  it  far  to  our 
rear  and  close  to  our  stakes.  Then  we  all  ran.  and  Ma-to-sac's  and  A-ke-che-ta's 
warriors  fell  over  one  another,  and  rapped  each  other  on  the  shins  with  their 
clubs,  and  there  was  great  confusion  and  excitement,  but  at  length  one  of  the 
party  succeeded  in  hitting  the  ball,  and  sent  it  to  Ma-to-sac's  stakes.  Thither 
we  rau.  but  no  one  could  tind  the  ball.  After  much  search  I  discovered  it  in  a 
tuft  of  grass,  and.  bidding  one  of  our  meu  run  quickly  to  the  stakes.  I  hit  it 
and  drove  the  ball  to  him.  Unfortunately  it  fell  in  a  hole,  aud  before  our 
warrior  could  get  It  out  and  hit  It.  a  dense  crowd  of  Ma-to-sac's  men  were 
around  the  spot  and  in  front  of  the  stakes.  The  contest  was  violent,  so  much 
so.  indeed,  that  no  one  could  hit  the  ball,  though  it  was  continually  tramped 
over.  At  length  some  one  called  out.  "There  it  goes."  and  the  warriors  scat- 
tered in  all  directions,  looking  to  see  where  it  was ;  but  one  of  Ma-to-sac's  men, 
who  had  called  out.  stood  fast,  and  when  the  crowd  had  scattered.  I  saw  him 
attempting  to  conceal  the  ball  beneath  his  foot.  Running  against  him  from 
behind  with  such  force  as  to  throw  him  on  his  face,  before  he  could  recover  his 
feet  I  hit  the  ball,  and,  seeing  all  Ma-to-sac's  men  off  their  guard,  with  the  aid 
of  a  young  man,  easily  drove  it  between  their  stakes,  only  a  few  yards  distant^ 

The  judges  at  once  declared  the  game  was  ours,  and  many  and  loud  were  the 
cheers  sent  up  by  our  part.v,  in  token  of  the  vletor.v,  while  Ma-to-sac's  men 
retired  sullen  aud  disappointed.  I  was  declared  the  winner,  and  A-ke-che-ta 
thanked  me  for  my  servieesr  while  the  young  warriors  gathered  around  and 
congratulated  me  on  my  success.  Then  we  all  smoked,  and  went  over  to  the 
stakes  to  receive  our  shares.  As  winner  I  was  entitled  to  a  general  share  of  the 
six)ils :  but  I  declined  in  favor  of  the  young  Indian  who  had  helped  me  drive 
the  ball,  saying  that,  as  he  had  last  hit  it.  and  actually  forced  it  between  the 
stakes,  he  was,  in  realitj',  the  most  deserving.  This  argument  was  loudly  ap- 
lilauded  by  the  old  men,  and  the  .voung  warrior,  who  had  not  been  friendly  for 
.some  time  with  me,  was  so  touched  by  my  generosity  that  he  came  and  thanked 
me,  saying,  frankl.v.  "  You,  and  not  I.  won  the  game."  However.  I  forced  the 
general  stakes  upon  him.  at  which  he  was  much  pleased.  I  found  that  the 
stakes  had  won  a  saddle,  half  a  pound  of  powder,  (i  yards  of  wampum  beads, 
iind  a  handsomely  braided  knite-scaliliard.  When  the  judges  had  awarded 
all  the  winnings,  among  which  were  fourteen  ponies,  each  took  up  his  trophies 
and  returned  to  the  village,  where  for  the  remainder  of  the  day  the  game  was 
fought  over  again  and  again  in  the  tepees. 

Dakota    (Yankton).     Fort    Peck,    Montana.     (Free    Museum    of 

Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Cat.  no.  3760!).     Ball,  tapa,  covered  with  buckskin,  slightly  flattened, 
with  median  seam ;  diameter,  ii  inches. 

"  In  this  game  ever.vone  must  keep  his  temper,  and  any  stratagem  is  allowed,  so  the  ball 
is  not  touched  with  the  hands.  It  is  not  suffered,  however,  for  an.vone  to  hit  another 
over  the  head,  or  on  the  body  with  sticks  or  the  hands,  but  if  .vou  can  upset  a  gamester 
by  running  against  him  it  is  esteemed  fair.  When  either  party  cheats,  foul  is  called  by 
the  opposite  part.v.  when  the  game  ceases  until  the  judges  decide  the  matter.  If  it  is  a 
foul  play  the  play  is  given  to  the  other  side.  Xo  one  thinks  of  disputing  the  judges' 
I   decision,  and  from  it  there  is  no  appeal. 


ciLiN]  shinny:  OMAHA  641 

Cat.  no.  37G08.     Flat,  liighly  finished  sticlv  (figure  831),  painted  red, 
somewhat  wide  and  slightly  spoon-shaped  at  the  striking  end; 
length,  3!H  inches. 
Collected  by  the  writer  in  1900;  the  stick  is  one  of  several  that 
were  found  in  the  grass  after  a  woman's  ball  game. 
HiDATSA.     Fort  Atkinson,  North  Dakota. 
Henry  A.  Boiler "  says : 

The  young  squaws  are  playius  a  game  of  hall  resembling  shinny  or  football, 
insomuch  as  curved  sticks  and  feet  are  called  into  service. 

Omaha.     Nebraska.      (Cat.  no.  IV  B  22-2.5,  Berlin  Museum  fiir  Vol- 

kerkunde. ) 
Club  (figure  833),  curved  at  end,  39  inches  in  length,  and  a  buckskin 
ball  (figure  832),  with  median  seam.  1  inches  in  diameter.     Col- 
lected by  Miss  Alice  C.  Fletcher. 
The  ball  is  designated  tabe,  and  the  stick  tabe  gathi. 


Fig.  831. 


Fig.  a32. 


Fig.  8.S3 


Fig.  8.31.    Shinny  stick;  length.  3M^  inches:  Yankton  Dakota  Indians.  Fort  Peck,  Montana;  cat. 

no.  37608,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  8.32.    Shinny  ball;  diameter,  4  inches:  Omaha  Indians.  Nebraska:  cat.  no.  IV  B  222.5,  Berlin 

Museum  fiir  Volkerkunde. 
Fig.  8.33.    Shinny  stick:  length.  39  inches:  Omaha  Indians.  Nebraska:  cat.  no.  PV  B  2225,  Berlin 

Museum  fiir  Volkerkunde. 

Rev.  J.  Owen  Dorsey  ''  describes  tabegasi,  men's  game  of  ball,  as 
follows : 

This  is  played  by  the  Oniahas  and  Ponkas  with  a  single  ball.  There  are 
thirty,  forty,  or  fifty  men  on  each  side,  and  each  one  is  armed  with  a  curved 
stick  about  2  feet  long.  The  players  strip  off  all  their  clothing  except  their 
breechcloths.  At  each  end  of  the  plajgromid  [figure  834]  are  two  posts  from 
12  to  1.5  feet  apart.  The  playground  is  from  3(M)  to  40U  jards  in  length.  When 
the  players  on  the  opposite  side  see  that  the  ball  is  liable  to  reach  A  they  try 
to  knock  It  aside,  either  towards  B  or  O.  as  their  opponents  would  win  If  the 
ball  passed  between  the  posts  at  A.  On  the  other  hand,  if  the  party  represented 
by  A  see  that  the  ball  is  in  danger  of  passing  between  the  iwsts  at  D,  they  try 
to  divert  it  either  towards  E  or  F. 

The  stakes  may  be  leggings,  robes,  arrows,  necklaces,  etc.  All  are  lost  Ijy  the 
losing  side,  and  are  distributed  Ijy  the  winners  in  equal  shares.     One  of  the  elder 

»  Among  the  Indians  :  Eight  Yeats  in  the  Far  West.  18o,S-1866,  p.  G7.  Philadelphia, 
1868. 

'  Omaha  Sociology.     Third  .\nnual  lieport  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  336,  1884. 

24  ETH— 05  M 41 


642 


GAMES    OF    THE    XOKTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [ETB.  ann.  24 


men  is  requested  to  make  the  disti-ibution.  Two  small  boys,  about  12  years  old, 
stand  at  the  posts  A.  and  two  others  are  at  D.  One  boy  at  each  end  tries  to 
send  the  ball  between  the  iiosts.  but  the  other  one  attempts  to  send  it  in  the 
opposite  direction.     These  boys  are  called  uhe  gin3,ji". 

The  game  used  to  be  played  in  three  ways:  (1.)  Phratry  against  plnatry. 
Then  one  of  the  players  was  not  blindfolded.  (2.)  Village  against  village. 
The  Omaha  had  three  villages  after  lS.'i."i.  .  .  .  (3.)  When  the  game  was 
played  neither  by  phratries  nor  by  villages,  sides  were  chosen  thus:  A  player 
was  blindfolded,  and  the  sticks  were  placed  before  him  in  one  pile.  e;ich  stick 
having  a  special  mark  by  which  its  owner  could  be  identified.  The  blindfolded 
man  then  took  up  two  sticks  at  a  time,  one  in  each  hand,  and.  after  crossing 
hands,  he  laid  the  sticks  in  separate  piles.  The  owners  of  the  sticks  in  one  pile 
formed  a  side  for  the  game.     The  corresponding  women's  game  is  waba.made. 


Fig.  H'M.    Plan  (if  shinny  ball  (ii-ouurt;  i  )maha  ludiaus.  Nebraska:  from  Dorsey. 

OsAfiE.     Oklahoma.     (Cat.  no.  5!)174,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Buckskin-covered  ball  (figure  835)  2f  inches  in  diameter,  cover  in  one 
piece,  \vith  median  seam  four-fifths  round:  and  stick,  a  saplingr. 
bent  and  squared  at  the  end.  31i  inches  in  length. 
Collected  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey. 


Fiti.KS.    Shinny  ball  and  stick:  diameter  of  ball.  2!  inches;  length  of  stick.  31i  inches;  Osage 
Indians.  Oklahoma:  cat.  no.  .51*174.  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

SKITTAGETAN    STOCK 


Haida.     Queen  Charlotte  islands.  British  Columbia. 

Mr  James  Deans"  says: 

It  has  been  common  from  unknown  times  for  all  the  native  tribes  on  this 
coast  to  play  the  game  of  shinny,  it  being  played  in  the  same  way  our  fathers 
used  to  play  it,  and  as  I  have  often  played  it  myself,  with  crooked  stick  and 
wooden  ball. 

TANOAN    STOCK 

TiGUA.     Isleta,  Xew  Mexico.     ( Cat.  no.  22728,  Free  Museum  of  Sci- 
ence and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Ball  (figure  836).  covered  with  buckskin,  flat,  with  median  seam.  2^ 
inches  in  diameter:  and  a  stick,  a  curved  .sapling,  30  inches  in 
length. 
Collected  by  the  writer  in  1902. 

"  Games  of  the  Ilaidah   Indians. 


CCLIN] 


SHINNY  :    MAKAH 


643 


An  Isleta  boy.  J.  CreceiK-io  Lucero.  described  tlie  people  of  tliis 
pueblo  as  playing  a  game  of  shinny  with  a  soft  buckskin  ball,  poja  or 
pelota.  which  they  hit  with  a  stick,  pojatu  or  chueco.  Men  and 
women  play. 


Fig.  836.  Shinny  ball  aud  stick;  diameter  of  ball.  2}  inches:  length  of  stick,  311  inches;  Tigua 
Indians.  Isletu.  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  23728.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of 
Pennsylvania. 

Tewa.     Santa  Clara,  New  Mexico. 
Mr  T.  S.  Dozier "  writes  as  follows : 

-About  the  middle  of  .Tanuar.v  there  is  played  a  game  th.Tt  is  to  the  Pueblos 
what  baseball  is  to  the  Americans.  It  is  nothing  more  or  less  than  the  old  game 
of  shiun.v.  generally  played  on  the  ice,  as  with  us.  The  pu-nam-be,  or  ball,  used 
is  a  soft,  light  affair,  made  of  rags  and  buckskin  or  wholly  of  buckskin.  The 
pu-nani-be  pfe,  stick,  is  generally  of  willow,  with  a  curved  end,  and  is  about  3 
teet  long.  Men,  boys  of  all  sizes,  and  girls  of  all  ages,  and  now  and  then  a 
married  woman  engage  in  the  pastime.  The  sexes  do  not  play  together,  nor  the 
boys  with  men.  Among  the  men  wagers  of  every  description  are  made.  Dur- 
ing the  past  winter,  in  a  game  between  the  men,  which  lasted  nearly  a  whole 
day,  the  skle  that  was  beaten  had  to  dance  a  solemn  dance  for  a  whole  day. 
Quite  a  difficulty  arose  on  account  of  it. 

Tesiiqiie,  New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  -23219,  2.3221,  United  States 

National  Museum. ) 

Two  shinny  sticks  (figure  837),  made  of  bent  saplings,  the  bark  being- 
left  on  the  handle;  lengths,  24  and  26  inches.  Collected  by 
Maj.  J.  AV.  Powell. 


KiG.  837.    Shinny  sticks;  lengths,  24  and  26  inches;  Tewa  Indians.  Tesuque.  New  Mexico;  cat. 
no.  33219  and  23221,  United  States  National  Museum. 

WAKASHAN    STOCK 


Makah.     Neah  bay.  Washington.     (Cat.  no.  37387,  37388,  Free  Mu- 

.  seum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. ) 
Ball  (figure  838).  an  irregular  spheroid,  3  inches  in  diameter,  made 
of  whalebone;  and  two  sticks   (figure  839),  one  a  round  club, 

°  Some  Tewa  Games.     Unpublished  manuscript.  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology. 


644  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  21 

curved  at  the  end,  31  inches  in  length,  used  for  striking  the  ball, 
and  the  other  slender,  32  inches  in  length,  hooked  at  the  end, 
used  in  running  away  with  the  ball.  Collected  by  the  writer  in 
1900,  and  described  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey "  as  follows : 

Keyuquah. — This  is  tlie  well-known  game  of  shinny,  which  is  played,  as  a  rule, 
only  by  young  men.  In  former  times  it  was  only  played  at  the  celebration 
of  the  capture  of  a  whale.  Now  it  is  played  at  any  time.  A  specimen  of  l>at. 
lok-whink.  was  collected,  which  differs  from  the  shinny  stick  as  used  by  the  tribes 
of  the  interior,  in  that  it  has  no  broad  extended  portion.  The  bat  measures 
2  feet  9  inches  in  length,  the  lower  0  inches  lieing  curved  out  at  an  angle  of 
twenty  degrees.  One  side  of  this  curved  extremity  is  flattened.  The  speci- 
men collected  of  the  ball  (huoo)  is  made  from  the  body  of  some  large  vertebra. 
Williams  states  that  in  former  times  the  ball  was  invariably  made  of  whalebone. 
The  goals'  (loquatsis,  for  the  mark)  are  two  straight  lines  on  the  beach,  about 
200  yards  aiiart,  and  the  starting  point  of  the  game  is  invariably  from  a  point 
equidistant  between  the  goal  lines. 


Fig.  .S3S1. 


Fig.  838. 


Fig.  840. 

Pro.  838.    Shinny  ball;  diameter,  3  inches;  Makah  Indians,  Neah  bay,  Washington;  cat.  no. 

37387,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fio.  839.    Shinny  sticks;  lengths,  31  and  :S  inches;  Makah  Indians,  Neah  bay.  Washington;  cat. 

no.  :S73S8,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  840.    Shinny  ball  and  stick;  diameter  of  ball,  1}  inches;  length  of  stick.  33  inches;  Mission 

Indians,  Mesa  Grande,  California;  cat.  no.  62539,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 


YUMAN    .STOCK 

Mission  Indians.  Mesa  Grande,  California.  (Cat.  no.  62539,  Field 
Columbian  Museum.) 

Ball  of  wood  (figure  840).  painted  brown,  li|  inches  in  diameter, 
and  stick,  a  round  club,  33  inches  in  length,  slightly  curved  and 
expanding  toward  the  end.     Collected  by  Mr  C.  B.  Watkins. 

MoHAv?:.     Parker,  Yuma  county.  Arizona.     (Field  Columbian  Mu- 
seum.) 
Cat.  no.  03395.     Ball    (figure  841),  made  of  cordage,  If  inches  in 

diameter.     Another    (cat.  no.   63399)    is  somewhat  smaller  and 

iiripainted. 

«  Games  of  the  Makah  Indians  of  Neah  Bay.     The  American  Antiquarian,  v.  23,  p.  70, 
1901. 


CILIX] 


SHINNY  :   WALAPAI 


645 


Cat.  no.  63357.     Ball  sticks  (figure  841)  of  cottomvood,  41  inches  in 

length,  slender  and  curved  at  the  end.     Half  the  stick  near  the 

striking  end  is  blackened  by  charring.     Another  (cat.  no.  63359) 

is  also  41  inches  in  length.     The  first  stick  has  a  notched  cross 

mark  on  the  handle. 

Collected  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simnis,  who  gives  the  name  of  the  hall  as 

mahlke. 

Mohave.     Fort  Mohave,  Arizona.     ( Cat.  no.  63194,  Field  Columbian 

Museum.) 
Slender  stick.  42i  inches  in  length,  unpainted  and  curved  at  the  end. 
Collected  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simnis,  who  gives  the  name  of  the  stick  as 
unro. 


Fig.  841. 


Fig.  842. 


Fig.  84.3. 


Pig.  841.    Shinny  ball  and  stick;  diameter  of  'ball,  1!  inches:  length  of  stick.  41  inches;  Mohave 

Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  63395.  63:S7,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  843.    Shinny  ball;  diameter,  4J  inches;  Mohave  Indians,  Arizona:  cat.  no.  34163,  United 

States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  843.    Shinny  ball  and  stick;  diameter  of  ball,  2J  inches;  length  of  stick,  32  inches;  Walapai 

Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  63140,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Colorado   river.   Arizona.     (Cat.   no.    10098.    10117.   Peabody 

Museum  of  American  Archa'ology  and  Ethnology.) 
Stick,  or  bat,  curved  at  one  end.  length,  3  feet  2  inches,  and  ball  con- 
sisting of  large  dried  pumj^kin  stem. 
Collected  by  Dr  Edward  Palmer,  who  describes  them  as  a  shinny 
stick  and  ball  for  bandy. 

• Colorado  river,  Arizona.     (Cat.  no.  24163.  United  States  Na- 
tional Museum. ) 
Shinny  ball  (figure  842),  a  dried  pumpkin  or  squash,  an  irregular 
spheroid,  about  4^  inches  in  diameter.     Collected  by  Dr  Edward 
Palmer. 
Walapai.     Walapai   reservation,  Arizona.     (Cat.   no.   63140,  Field 

Columbian  Museum.) 
Buckskin-covered  ball  (figure  843),  2^  inches  in  diameter,  the  cover 
a  bag  brought  together  by  a  drawstring;  and  ten  sticks,  curved 
.at  one  end,  about  32  inches  in  length. 


646  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  aw.  24 

They  were  collected  by  JNIr  Henry  P.  Ewing,  who  descril)es  the 
game  as  follows: 

The  tas-a-va  game  is  not  a  Walapai  game,  particularly,  altlinugh  tlie  young 
luen  and  boys  still  play  it  a  good  deal.  It  is  essentially  the  national  game  of  the 
Mohave.  They  use  a  more  delicate  stick,  made  of  willow,  slender  and  curveil 
perfectly  at  the  end.  The  men  all  play  it,  young  and  old,  and  they  are  very 
expert,  and  it  has  developed  them  into  great  runners.  The.v  make  a  ball  with  a 
buckskin  cover  .sewed  on  it  exactly  like  the  cover  on  our  Iiaseballs.  Their  ball 
is  smaller  and  neater,  their  sticks  trimmer  and  nicer,  and  when  they  play  with 
the  Walapai  there  is  always  a  row  aliont  whether  tlie  Mohave  ball  or  the 
Walapai  ball  sliall  be  used.  The  Mohave  usually  give  in.  because  they  know  that 
they  can  win  anyway.  As  many  can  play  as  wish,  and  the  distance  for  the 
grounds  is  usually  from  300  to  500  yards.  In  starting  the  game  the  ball  is 
buried  by  a  medicine  man  in  sight  of  all  halfway  between  the  home  stations, 
and  at  a  signal  the  contestants  rush  in  arid  dig  out  the  ball  with  their  sticks  and 
away  they  go.  It  is  against  the  rules  to  touch  it  with  the  hands,  or  anything 
but  the  shinny  stick.  The  sticks  are  called  tas-a-va  ;  the  ball  tam-a-nat-a,  mean- 
ing tied  in  a  bundle. 


-f-yf-^ 


Pig.  S44.    Shinny  ball  and  stick;  diameter  of  ball.  1;  inches;  length  of  stick,  38!  inches;  Yuma 
Indians,  Fort  Yuma.  California;  cat.  no.  6,S349,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Ytjma.  Fort  Yuma,  San  Diego  county,  California.  (Field  Colum- 
bian Museum,) 

Cat.  no.  (13340.  Ball  (figure  844),  covered  with  colored  yarn,  red, 
white,  and  black.  1^  inches  in  diameter:  and  slender  curved  stick, 
384  inches  in  length,  the  handle  straight,  the  end  crooked,  the 
outside  of  the  curved  end  jjainted  black,  the  inner  side  red,  with 
three  sets  of  bands  of  colored  paint — red,  black,  and  i-ed :  lilack, 
red,  and  black:  and  black,  red,  and  black  on  the  lower  half  of 
the  stick  above  the  crook. 

Cat.  no.  03312.     Ball  and  stick  similar  to  the  preceding,  but  uncol- 
ored  and  unpainted. 
Collected  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms,  who  gives  the  name  of  the  ball  as 

etsoat  and  that  of  the  stick  as  sahtos. 

ZUNIAN    STOCK 

ZuNi.  Zufii,  New  Mexico.  (Cat.  no.  3077,  3569,  Brooklyn  Institute 
Mu.seum.) 

Bag-shaped  ball  (figure  845).  covered  with  deerskin,  2  inches  in  diam- 
eter; and  curved  .stick,  35  inches  in  length.  Collected  by  the 
writer  in  1903. 


CILIN]  DOUBLE    BALL  647 

The  name  of  the  ball  was  given  as  poppun  and  that  of  the  stick  as 
poppun  kapnaki  tammai. 

Mrs  Matilda  Coxe  Stevenson "  speaks  of  the  game  of  popone 
tkapnane.  ball  hit,  as  the  same  as  shinny  or  bandy,  and  says  that  the 
Znni  assert  that  the  game  came  from  Mexico  long  ago. 


Fig.  84').    Shinny  ball  and  stick:  diameter  nt  ball.  2  inches:  length  of  stick.  3.5  inches;  Zuni 
Indians.  Zuiii.  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  :^0T7.  :iVi9.  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 

Zuxi.     Znni.  New  Mexico.     (Cat.  uv.  4999,  Brooklyn  Institute  Mu- 
seum. ) 
Buckskin-covered  ball  (figure  SK)).  ovate,  with  median  seam.  S  inche.s 
in  greatest  diameter.     Collected  by  the  writer  in  1904. 
This  is  used  in  the  man's  game  of  shinny,  po-pone-kap-na-kwai. 
The  goals  consist  of  circles  in  the  sand  on  the  east  and  west  sides  of  the 
village.     A  hole  is  dug  midway  between,  in  which  the  ball  is  jjlaced 
and  covered  with  sand.     Each  man  makes  a 
lightning  mark  with  his  stick.     The  object 
is  to  drive  the  ball  into  the  opponent's  cir- 
cle.    They  bet  on  the  game.     The  smaller 
balls  ai"e  used  bv  boA's. 
/ 

Double   B.ALL  ^"'■.^■'8,    shinny  bail;  diameter, 

8  inches:  Zuni  Indians,  Zuni, 
rp,  J!     1       1  1      1      11    .,1  1         i    ii  New   Mexico:    cat.    no    4999, 

The   game   of   double    ball    throughout    the         Brooklyn    institute  Museum. 

eastern  United  States  and  among  the  Plains 

tribes  is  played  exclusively  l)y  women,  and  is  commonly  known  as  the 

woman's  ball  game.     In  northern  California,  however,  it  is  played  by 

men. 

The  implements  for  the  game  consist  of  two  balls  or  similar  objects 
attached  to  each  other  by  a  thong,  and  a  curved  stick  with  which  they 
are  tlirown. 

The  balls  vary  in  shape  and  material.  Among  the  Cheyenne  two 
small  slightly  flattened  buckskin  balls  are  used.  The  Wichita  balls 
are  smaller,  with  a  long  cut-leather  fringe.  Among  the  Sauk  and 
Foxes  and  other  Algonquian  tribes  the  balls  are  oblong,  weighted 
with  sand,  and  frequently  both,  with  the  connecting  thong,  are  made 
of  one  piece  of  buckskin.  These  pass  by  an  easy  transition  into  a 
single  long  buckskin-covered  i)iece.  somewhat  narrow  in  the  middle, 

as  among  the  Paiute. 

i - . 

«  American  Anthropologist,  n.  s..  v.  "».  p.  496,  1003. 


648  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  anx.  24 

A  distinct  variation  is  found  among  the  Hupa,  where,  instead  of 
halls,  two  small  bottle-shaped  billets  tied  together  at  the  top  are 
employed.  The  Klamath  use  large  billets  fa.stened  together  by  a 
cord  jjassing  through  a  hole  in  the  middle  of  each  stick.  The  Chip- 
pewa, Papago.  Tarahumare.  Achomawi,  and  Shasta  have  short  cylin- 
drical billets  tied  with  a  thong,  and  both  Papago  and  Pima,  double 
balls  wrought  of  jDlaited  leather. 

The  sticks,  made  of  saplings,  usually  taper  to  the  end  and  are 
slightly  curved.  Ordinarily  they  are  plain,  but  among  the  Shoshoni 
and  Paiute  they  have  a  small  fork  or  crotch.  They  vary  in  length 
from  23  inches  to  6  feet.  One  stick  is  almost  invariably  used,  but 
Catlin  describes  the  Dakota  as  playing  with  one  in  each  hand.  The 
bases,  two  in  number,  consist  of  poles  (Chippewa)  or  of  two  piles  of 
earth  (Omaha),  and  vary  in  distance  from  300  and  400  yards 
(Omaha)  to  a  mile  (Cree)  apart.     The  object  of  the  game  is  to  get 

the  ball  over  the  opponent's  base  line  or 
to  take  it  to  one's  home  (Missisauga). 
Bets  are  made  upon  the  result. 

Double  ball  as  a  woman's  game  appears 
at  present  to  have  no  ceremonial  signifi- 
cance. Its  implements,  however,  offer  a 
possible  means  of  identifying  the  wooden 
yoke-shaped  objects  found  in  the  cliff- 
FiG.  847.  Yoke-shaped  billet;  heigiit,  dwellings,  sucli  as  are  represented  in  fig- 
^Lvn^'rninf«rt''t"''^\?'^°™'      urc  847  froHi  Mancos  canvon,  Colorado. 

canyon,  Colorado;  Free  Museum 

of  Science  and  Art,  University  of         This   Specimen,   in  the   Free  Museum 
Pennsylvania.  ^^^   Scicuce   and   Art  of   the   University 

of  Pennsylvania,  was  made  by  bending  a  straight  piece  of  wood, 
8^  inches  in  length.  The  ends  are  cylindrical,  each  having  three 
knobs,  one  at  the  extremity  and  two  equidistant  above.  The  upper 
part  of  the  yoke,  which  is  4  inches  in  height,  is  squared.  A  large 
number  of  similar  yokes,  accompanied  by  many  highly  finished 
sticks,  which  might  have  been  used  for  throwing  them,  were  found 
together  in  a  chamber  in  the  Pueblo  Bonito,  Chaco  canyon.  New 
Mexico,  by  the  Hyde  exploring  expedition.  The  collection  is  now 
in  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History.  New  York  City.  The 
sticks,  numbering  several  hundred  sjx'cimens,  vary  in  length  from  3 
to  4  feet,  and  are  very  finely  finished.  They  vary  also  in  form.  One 
.series  terminates  in  a  kind  of  hook.  Another  has  a  curved  end,  on 
some  bound  with  cord  or  sinew  and  on  others  plain.  A  third  series 
has  a  flat,  shovel-like  end.  Still  others  are  straight,  with  a  flat, 
knobbed  handle. 

A  ceremonial  analogue  of  the  game  may  be  observed  in  the  tossing 
of  the  annulets  and  cylinder  from  cloud-terrace  symbol  to  cloud- 
terrace  symbol  by  the  girls  and  boys  in  tlie  proce^^sion  on  the  ninth 
day  of  the  Flute  ceremony. 


CULIJJ] 


DOUBLE    BALL  :   CHEYENNE 


649 


■iWcds- 


Dr  J.  Walter  Fewkes "  described  this  perfonnance  as  witnessed  by 
him  at  Shipaulovi  in  the  summer  of  1891 : 

These  annulets  [figure  848]  [enlled  yo-yo-nu-la]  were  made  of  \vi'-po.  a  flag 
leaf,  which  is  twisted  into  shape  around  a  core  of  the  same  material.  Into  each 
was  liound  one  or  more  live  insects,  I)ri'-chi-bl,  a  "  slcatBr  "  which  lives  on  the 
surface  of  the  water.  The  annulet  was  painted  black,  and  to  it  was  attached 
a  handle  made  of  twisted  fibers  of  yucca  leaves,  forming  a  hoop  across  the 
annulet  by  which  it  can  be  carried.     .     .     . 

At  the  same  time  that  the  annulets  were  manufactured,  a  small  cylinder  f  figure 
849],  about  the  length  of  the  diameter  of  the  anuulet.s,  or  a  little  more,  was  whit- 
tled out  of  wood.  This  cylinder  was  painted 
black.  ...  A  small  handle  made  of  yucca 
fiber  was  securely  fastened  to  it.  Fig.  s4k. 

In  the  march  to  the  top  of  the  mesa 
from  the  spring  two  girls  each  cast  an 
annulet,  and  the  boys  the  cylinder,  into 
the  cloud-terrace  sj-mbol  |  plate  xxj, 
which  the  priest  traced  with  meal  on 
the  ground,  using  foi'  the  [)urpose  the 
long  black-snake  baho. 

A  similar  cylinder  and  anntilets  are 
described  by  Doctor  Fewkes ''  as  em- 
l^loved  in  the  Mishongnovi  Flute  cere- 
mony in  1896. 

A  stick  with  a  small  ring  stands  on 
each  side  of  the  altar  of  the  Drab  Flute 
at  Oraibi,  these  being  the  implements 
used  by  the  girls  in  the  ceremony  de- 
scribed above. 

The  double  or  tied  billets  used  in  this 
game  may  be  referred  to  the  two  bows 
of  the  twin  War  Gods,  and  the  other 
forms  are  probably  derived  from  them, 
gin  of  the  tossing  stick  may  be  obtained  from  the  Flute  ceremony. 


Fig.  849. 

Fio.  848.  Annulet  baho,  used  in  the 
Flute  ceremony;  Hopi  Indians,  Shi- 
paulovi, Arizona;  from  Fewkes. 

Fig.  X49.  Cylinder  tossed  in  the  Flute 
ceremony;  Hopi  Indians,  Shipaulovi, 
Arizona:  from  Fewkes. 

A  suffofestion  as  to  the  ori- 


ALGONQUIAN    STOCK 


Cheyenne.  Oklahoma.  (Cat.  no.  |f ,  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History.) 

Two  buckskin-covered  balls  (figure  850),  3  inches  in  diameter,  some- 
what flattened,  with  median  seam,  painted  yellow,  with  red  bands 
on  opposite  side  of  the  seam  and  green  rings  on  opposite  faces, 
connected  by  a  thong  .5  inches  long.  Collected  by  Mr  Walter  C. 
Roe  and  described  as  thrown  with  a  stick. 

"  .Journal  of  .\merican  Ethnology  and  Archaeology,  v.  2,  p.  131,  Boston,  1892. 

"  Nineteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology,  pt.  2,  p.  999,  1900. 


650 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [bth.  ann.  :;4 


Chippewa.     Wisconsin. 

Prof  I.  I.  Ducatel "  says : 

The  only  play  observed  amoug  the  girl's  is  the  pahpahjekahwewog.  a  sort  of 
substitute  for  our  "  graces."  which  simply  consists  in  catching  with  two  sticlcs  a 
twine  loaded  at  each  end  with  a  ball. 

Michigan. 

Baraga  ''  gives  the  following  definitions: 

Passikawein.  Indian  women's  play  corresponding  to  the  Indian  ball  play 
which  is  played  by  men  only ;  passikawau,  the  stick  or  rod  used  by  the  squaws 
iu  playing  their  play. 

Apostle  islands,  AVisconsin. 

J.  G.  Kohl  ^  says : 

Another  description  of  ball  play,  especially  practiced  by  the  women,  is  what  is 
called  the  "  papassi  kawan,"  which  means,  literally.  "  the  throwing  ganie."  It  is 
played  by  two  large  bands,  who  collect  round  two  opiwsite  poles,  and  try  to 
throw  the  object  over  their  opponents'  pole.     In  place  of  a  ball  they  have  two 


Fig.  &50. 


Fig.  Xnl. 


Fig.  S.i2. 


Pig.  8.50.    Double  balls;  diameter  of  balls,  S  int^hes;  Cheyenne  Indians,  Oklahoma:  cat.  no.  SJ, 

American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Flti.  8.51.    Double  billets;  length  of  billets,  31  inches:  Chippewa  Indians,  Bear  island.  Leech  lake, 

Minnesota;  cat.  no.  5755,  American  Museum  of  Natural  Histoi-y . 
Fig.  8.53.    Double  biUets;  length  of  billets,  ii  inches;  Chippewa  Indians,  Bear  island.  Leech  lake, 

Minnesota;  cat.  no.  ,55j,  American  Maseum  of  Natural  History. 

leathern  bags  filled  with  sand,  and  attached  by  a  thong.  They  throw  them  in 
the  air  by  means  of  a  staff  excellently  shaped  for  the  purpose,  and  catch  it 
again  very  cleverly.  The  stick  Is  sharp  and  slightly  bent  at  the  end,  and 
adorned  like  the  raquets.  I  once  saw  a  veiy  neat  model  of  these  instruments 
for  the  women's  throwing  game  suspended  to  the  cradle  of  a  little  girl. 

Bear  island.  Leech  lake,  Minnesota.     (American  Museum  of 

Natural  Histoi-j'.) 
Cat.  no.  rfl-j.     The  wooden  billets  (figure  851),  each  3f  inches  in 

length,  tied  together  with  a  cord  of  lin  bark.     The  ends  of  the 

billets  are  painted  red. 

°  A  Fortnight  .\mong  the  Chippewas.      The  Indian  Miscellany,  p.  368,  Albany,  1877. 

'  A  Dictionary  of  the  Otchipwe  Language.  Cincinnati.  1853. 

*"  Kitchi-tJami,  Wanderings  round  Lake  Superior,  p.  90,  London,  18G0. 


CILIN] 


DOUBLE    BALL  :  CHIPPEWA 


651 


Cat.  no.  ifl^,.      Two  wooden  billets  (figure  852),  similar  to  the  pre- 
ceding, but  4J  inches  in  length,  diameter  1^  inches,  unpainted, 
and  tied  together  with  a  strip  of  the  same  bark. 
Collected  in  1903  by  Dr  William  Jones. 


.  5  0  5  0         Xmpri- 

rnTTi   4T5T'    ^^iiieii 


Chippewa.     Fort  William,  Ontario.     (Cat.   no. 

can  Museum  of  Natural  History.) 
Double  ball   (figure  853),  two  buckskin-covered  bags  made  in  one 
piece.  18^  inches  in  length:  with  a  stick,  a  sapling,  -14  inches  in 
length,  painted  red. 
Collected  in  1903  by  Dr  William  Jones. 

Turtle    mountain.    North    Dakota.     (American 
Museum  of  Natural  History.) 

Two    buckskin-covered    bag^     (figure 


Cat. 


no.  lib 


854),  made  in  one  piece,  20  inches  in  length,  having 
Greek  crosses  made  of  gi-een  beads  sewed  on  the 
opposite  faces.  Accompanied  in'  a  stick  2<')i  inches 
in  length,  wrapped  from  the  upper  enil  with  black 


Fig.  &t3. 


FiB  S.M. 


Fig.  8.5:i.    Double  baU  and  stick;  leiigtli  of  ball.  18i  inches:  length  of  stick.  44  inches;  Chippewa 

Indians.  Fort  William,  Ontario:  cat.  no.  jiS^,  j5Ji,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Fio.  «.>1.    Double  ball  and  stick:  length  of  ball,  20  inches;  length  of  stick,  26}  inches;  Chippewa 
Indians,  Turtle  mountain,  North  Dakota:  cat.  no.  ifg,,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

cloth  for  the  greater  part  of  its  length,  and  ornamented  with  a 

band  of  red  and  three  bands  of  white  beads. 
Cat.  no.  ■^^^.     A  double  ball,  similar  to  the  preceding,  but  decorated 

with  white,  red,  and  blue  beads. 
These  were  collected  in  1903  by  Dr  William  Jones,  who  states  that 
the  goal  is  the  bent  limb  of  a  tree  or  a  stick  that  will  hold  the  bag. 
the  goals  being  from  100  to  200  yards  apart.  The  stick  is  called 
wipawaganak;  the  bag,  papasikawanag,  lueaning  thing  that  is 
kicked.     The  game  is  called  by  the  same  name  as  the  bag. 


652 


GAMES    OF    THE    NOETH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 


Cree.     Muskowpetung    reserve,    Qirappelle,    Assiniboia.     (Cat.    no. 

0)1992,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Two  ol)lono:  balls  covered  with  deerskin,  connected  by  a  strip  of  the 
same  material  (figure  85.5)  ;  total  length,  -24  inches. 
They  were  collected  by  Mr  J.  A.  Mitchell,  who  describes  the  game 
under  the  name  of  puseekowwahnuk.  kicking  game : 

The  name  of  Uiekiug  game  seems  to  be  a  misnomer,  as  the  game  is  iu  uo  way 
played  with  the  feet.  The  game  is  played  by  women  only,  any  number,  but  not 
by  the  old  women,  as  great  powers  of  endurance  are  required. 
It  is  in  many  respects  similar  to  lacrosse.  The  players  are 
given  various  stations  in  tlie  field  and  carry  sticks.  The  goals 
are  usually  1  mile  or  therealiout  apart. 

Players  gather  in  a  circle  at  the  beginning  and  the  double 
ball  is  thrown  aloft  from  the  stick  of  one  of  the  leaders,  when 
the  scrimmage  commences  and  is  kept  up  until  one  side  passes 
the  ball  through  its  opponent's  goal. 

The  game  is  a  very  interesting  one  and  develops  much  skill. 
It  is.  from  a  hygienic  point  of  view,  highly  benetieial.  as  it 
develops  a  fine,  robust  class  of  women.  As  with  all  other  In- 
dian games,  this  game  is  invariably  played  for  stakes  of  some 
kind. 


Fig.  85.5. 


Fig.  »57, 


Fig.  8.0.5.  Double  Vjall:  length.  24  inobes:  Cree  ludiaus,  Assmibola;  cat.  no.  HlilflS.  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum. 

Fig.  856.  Double  ball:  length.  10  inches:  Cree  Indians,  Wind  River  reservation.  Wyoming:  cat. 
no.  37030.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Fig. 8.57.  Sticks  for  double  ball:  length.  31  inches:  Cree  Indians,  Wind  River  reservation.  Wyo- 
ming: cat.  no.  370311.  Free  Jlu-seum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Wind   River  reservation,  Wyoming.     (Cat.  no.  370?)0,  Free 


iluseum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Two  oblong  bags  of  buckskin  (figure  85C),  weighted  with  sand,  and 
attached  to  each  other  by  a  thong  made  of  the  same  piece;  length, 
10   inches.     Two   sticks    (figure   H.")"),   peeled   saplings,   slightly 
curved  at  one  end  and  painted  yellow ;  length,  31  inches. 
These  were  collected  by  the  writer  in  1900  from  an  Indian  of  Riel's 
l)and,  who  gave  the  name  of  the  balls  as  wepitse  and  weshikanik, 
and  the  name  of  the  sticks  as  wepitse  kana  tikwa.     The  game  is  said 
to  be  played  by  both  men  and  women.     The  goal  is  2:)laced  at  a  dis- 
tance of  50  yards. 


DOUBLE    BALL  :   MISSISAUGA 


653 


Ckee.     Edmonton,  Albei-ta.     (Cat.  no.  iriOGO,  Field  Columbian  Mu- 
seum.) 
A  buckskin  bag  (figure  858),  12  inches  in  length,  the  ends  filled  with 

sand  :  and  a  curved  stick,  37  inches  in  length.     Collected  by  Isaac 

Cowie  and  described  as  used  by  women  in  playing  handball. 
Menominee.     Shawano,  Wisconsin.     (Cat.  no.  379.58,  Free  Museum 

of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsjdvania.) 
Double  ball   (figure  859),  consisting  of  two  slender  buckskin  bags, 

united  in  the  center  by  a  thong  5}  inches  in  length;  total  length, 

lOi  inches. 


Fig.  859. 


Fig.  858. 

Fig.  858.    Double  ball  and  stick;  length  of  ball.  12  incbes:  length  of  stick.  37  inches;  Cree  Indians, 

Alberta;  cat.  no,  1.5060,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  859.    Double  ball;  length,  lOf  inches;  Menominee  Indians,  Shawano,  Wisconsin;  eat.  no. 

37958,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

This  was  collected  by  F.  X.  Steinbrecker  in  1890  and  is  described 
on  an  appended  label  as  a  superstitious  toy  used  by  females  at  joyous 
feasts. 

A  Menominee  Indian  informed  the  author  in  Washington  that  the 
women  of  this  tribe  i^lay  the  game  with  the  long  double  bull,  which 
they  call  cuachiciwuk. 
MissiSAUGA.     Rice  lake,  Ontario. 

G.  Copway "  says : 

Doubtless  the  most  interesting  of  nil  game.s  is  the  Maiden's  Ball  Play,  in  the 
Ojilnvay  language,  pah-pah-se-Kah-way.  The  majority  of  those  who  take  pari 
in  this  play  are  young  damsels,   although  married  women   are  not  excluded. 


"  The  Traditional   History  and   Characteristic   Sketches  of  the  Ojibway   Nation,   p.   55, 
Boston,  1851 


654  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  a.nn.  i;4 

The  ball  is  made  of  deer  skin  bags,  each  about  5  inches  long  and  1  in  diameter. 
These  are  so  fastened  together  as  to  be  at  a  distance  of  7  inches  each  from  tlie 
other.     It  is  thrown  with  a  stick  5  feet  long. 

This  play  is  practiced  in  summer  beneath  the  shade  of  wide-spreading  trees, 
beneath  which  each  strives  to  find  their  homes,  tahwin,  and  to  run  home  with  it. 
These  having  been  appointed  in  tlie  morning,  tlie  young  women  of  the  village 
decorate  themselves  for  the  day  by  painting  their  cheeks  with  vermilion  and 
disrolie  themselves  of  as  nuicli  unnecessary  ilothing  as  possible,  braiding  their 
hair  with  colored  feathers,  which  hang  profusely  down  to  the  feet. 

At  the  same  tim6  the  whole  village  assemble,  and  the  young  men.  whose 
loved  ones  are  seen  in  the  crowd,  twist  and  turn  to  send  shy  glances  to  them, 
and  receive  their  bright  smiles  in  return. 

The  same  confusion  exists  as  in  the  game  of  ball  played  by  the  men.  Crowds 
rush  to  a  given  point  as  the  ball  is  sent  Hying  through  the  air.  None  stop  to 
narrate  the  accidents  that  befall  them,  though  they  tumble  about  to  their  not 
little  discomtiture :  they  ri.se,  making  a  loud  noise  between  a  laugh  and  a  cry. 
some  limping  behind  the  others,  as  the  women  shout.  "Aiu  goo "  is  heard, 
sounding  like  the  notes  of  a  dove,  of  which  it  is  no  bad  imitation.  Worked 
garters,  moccasins,  leggins,  and  vermilion  are  generally  the  articles  at  stake. 
•Sometimes  the  chief  of  the  village  sends  a  parcel  as  they  commence,  the  con- 
tents of  which  are  to  be  distriliuted  among  the  maidens  when  the  play  is  over. 

I  remember  that,  some  winters  before  the  teachers  from  the  jiale  f.ices  came 
to  the  lodge  of  my  fatlier.  my  mother  was  very  sick.  Many  thought  she  could 
not  recover  her  health.  At  this  critical  juncture  she  told  my  father  that  it 
was  her  wish  to  see  the  Maiden's  Ball  I'lay.  and  gave  as  her  reason  for  her 
request  that  were  she  to  see  the  girls  at  play  It  would  so  enliven  her  spirits 
with  the  reminiscences  of  early  days  as  to  tend  to  her  recovery. 

A  descrii^tion  of  the  game  follows  in  Avhich  it  is  related  that  the 
goals  were  two  large  spruce  trees  transplanted  from  the  woods  to 
holes  in  the  ice. 
MissiSAUGA.     River  Credit,  Ontario. 

Rev.  Peter  Jones  "  says : 

The  women  have  a  game  called  uhpulisokuhwon.  which  is  played  with  two 
leather  balls  tied  with  a  string  about  2  feet  long.  The^e  are  placed  on  the 
ground,  and  each  woman,  with  a  stick  about  C>  feet  long,  tries  to  take  up 
uhpuhsekuliwon  from  her  antagonist,  throwing  it  in  the  air.  Whichever  party 
gets  it  first  to  their  respective  goals  or  stakes  counts  1. 


Fio.  860.    Double  ball:  length.  18J  inches;   Sauk  and  Fox  Indians,  Tama.  Iowa;  eat.  no.  :W54, 
Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Sauk  and  Foxes.     Tama,  Iowa.     (Cat.  no.  36754,  Free  Museum  of 

Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Bag  of  cotton  cloth  (figure  S(')0).18i  inches  in  length,  expanded  at   the 

two  ends  an<l  thin  in  the  middle.     Collected  by  the  writer  in  lUOO. 

Six  women  play  on  each  side,  some  50  yards  apart.     The  side  that 

nrst  gets  the  ball  across  wins  the  game.     The  ball  is  called  kunanohok. 

'  History  of  the  ojeljway  Indians,  p.  l.'i."i,  London,  1S61. 


CULIM] 


DOUBLE    ball:   SAUK    AND    FOXES 


655 


Sauk  AND  Foxes.     Iowa.     (tat.  no.  ^ff^,  American  Museum  of  Natu- 
ral History. ) 
Double  ball  (figure  861).  covered  with  buckskin  and  filled  with  sand, 

the  ends  ovate:  length,  15  inches. 
Cat.  no.  ^1^75.     Two  sticks  or  elulis  (figure  802),  slightly  knobbed  at 

the  end  opposite  the  handle,  36  and  39  inches  in  length,  one 

blackened  and  the  other  white. 


Fii;.  X61. 


^^^ 


Fig.  862. 

FIG.H61.     Double  liall;  lengtli.  15  inches:  Sauk  and  Fox  Indians,  Iowa;  cat.  no.  jJ'Jo.  American 

Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Fig.  862.    Sticks  for  double  ball;  lengths,  36  and  ;ti*  inches;  Sauk  and  Fox  Indians,  Iowa ;  cat.  no. 

2209)  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

The  foregoing  specimens  were  collected  by  Dr  William  Jones,  who 
describes  them  as  used  in  the  woman's  ball  game: 

The  game  is  played  only  by  women.  They  have  two  bases,  for  which  almost 
anything  will  answer.  They  like  to  get  two  trees  some  distance  apart — say  a 
quarter  of  a  mile — and  use  outstretched  limbs  for  the  goals.  The  ball  must  lie 
thrown  on  the  goal.  Each  goal  made  counts  a  point.  The  color  of  the  sticks 
corresponds  with  the  division  among  the  people  into  Whites  and  Blatks.  each 
side  using  implements  of  its  appropriate  color. 

The  game  is  called  ko-nen-no-hi\vag :  the  ball,  ko-na-no-ha-ki,  kidneys ;  the 
ball  sticks,  ot-chi. 


656 


GAMES    OF    THE    KOKTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  anx.  24 


ATHAPASCAN    STOCK 

HuPA.     Hupa  valley,  California.     (Cat.  no.  .37208,  Free  Museum  of 

Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Implements  for  the  game  of  miskatokitch :  Two  small  bottle-shaped 
billets  of  wood  (figure  S(J3).  with  a  knob  at  each  end.  attached 
to  each  other  by  a  double  thong  3  inches  in  length ;  and  a  slender 
stick    (figure   864).  or  lint,   of  hardwood.   ?>-2  inches   in  length, 
slightly  curved  at  the  end.     Collected  by  the  writer  in  1900. 
The  billets  are  called  yatomil.  while  the  long  sticks  are  called  by 
the  same  name  as  the  game." 

Dr  J.  ^y.  Hudson  describes  another  form  of  this  game: 

A  lUimb-bell-shaped  piece  of  buckskin,  with  liis  knots  at  e.ich  end.  is  jerked 
with  a  rod  to  a  tree  goal.  The  buckskin  is  held  in  the  month  by  one  captain, 
who  finally  drops  it  between  the  opponents.  There  are  three  players  to  a  side. 
The  game  is  characterized  by  fierce  interference. 


Fig.  .Sfi4. 

Fio.  .S6.3.    Doable  billets;  length  of  each,  a  inches;  Hupa  Indians,  Hupa  valler,  California;  cat. 

no.  .37208,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Peujisylvania. 
Fig.  .*<*i4.    Sticks  for  double-billet  game:  length.  '.i2  inches;  Hupa  Indians.  California;  cat.  no. 

372*l.s,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania 

A  Crescent  City  Indian  whom  the  writer  met  at  Areata,  California, 
in  1900  gave  the  name  of  the  tied  billets  as  naustais  and  that  of  the 
long  sticks,  or  bats,  as  naustaischin ;  let  us  play,  natithis. 

Dr  Pliny  Earle  Goddard  ^  says : 

The  Hupa  have  four  games.  One  of  these  very  much  resembles  shinny. 
The  contestants  are  not  individuals,  but  social  or  ethnic  units.  Village  is  pitted 
against  village  or  tribe  against  tribe.  The  shinny  stick,  called  mlLkitOkntc,  is 
about  3  feet  long,  or,  more  exactly,  the  length  of  the  leg  of  the  player.  It  has 
a  natural  turn  at  the  end.  Two  round  sticks  about  .">  inches  long  tied  together 
with  a  piece  of  buckskin  are  used  for  a  ball.  They  are  called  yademil.  A 
straight  course  is  laid  out  with  a  stake  at  each  end.  .Vt  least  six  players  take 
their  places  in  pairs,  two  at  tlie  middle  and  two  at  the  points  halfway  between 
the  middle  and  the  stakes.  The  pair  at  the  middle  have  the  balls.  Those  at 
the  other  points  stand  facing  each  other  with  interlocked  sticks.  They  are 
said  "  to  tie"  each  other.  One  of  the  two  .at  the  middle  of  the  course  takes  the 
two  balls  in  his  teeth.     Suddenly  he  drops  them  and  tries  to  drive  them  toward 


"  Dr  Pliny  K.  Goddard  gave  the  writer  the  names  as  follows:   Long  sticks,  mil-t6-tuk- 
ketsh  :  tied  sticks,  y,"i-ti''mil. 

'  Life  and  Culture  of  the  llupa,  p.  CO.  Berkeley,  lOOS. 


CL'Lis!  DOUBLE    ball:  PAWNEE  657 

his  goal  by  catching  the  buckskin  loop  on  the  end  of  his  stick.  If  he  succeeds, 
he  runs  after  the  balls  and  tries  to  strike  them  again  before  he  is  overtaken. 
If  he  is  overtaken,  the  next  pair  of  players  release  one  another  and  start  after 
the  balls  while  the  first  couple  wrestle.  The  third  pair  take  up  the  game  if  the 
second  couple  become  involved  in  a  wrestling  match.  The  side  which  succeeds 
in  getting  the  balls  to  the  stake  wins.  As  the  game  is  described  as  plaj'ed  in 
former  times,  it  probably  rivaled  modern  football  in  roughness. 

Dr  Gocldard "  relates  the  story  of  ii  miraculous  boy,  Dug-from-the- 
grouiid,  whose  graiuhiiother  made  him  a  shinny  stick  of  blue-stone, 
with  other  things  of  the  same  material,  for  his  journey  to  the  home 
of  the  immortals,  at  the  edge  of  the  world,  toward  the  east.  Arriv- 
ing, he  met  ten  brothers  who  greeted  him  as  brother-in-law.  He 
played  shinny  with  them.  AVildcat,  Fox,  Earthquake,  and  Thunder, 
and  won  with  the  aid  of  the  stick  and  balls  his  grandmother  had 
made.  He  returned  home  to  his  grandmother  and  found  he  had 
been  away  as  many  years  as  it  seemed  to  him  he  had  spent  nights. 


Fig.  S(55.    Double  ball  and  stick:  length  of  ball,  '.i.5  inches;  length  of  stick,  iJ2.i  inches;  Pawnee 
Indians,  Oklahoma;  cat.  no.  51*405.  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

C.VDDOAX    STOCK 

Arikara.     Fort  Berthold.  North  Dakota. 
Susan  W.  Hall  ''  writes  : 

The  women,  in  their  modern  Christian  sewing  meeting,  are  reviving  a  prett.v 
and  interesting  old  game  of  theirs,  played  with  small  deerskin-covered  balls 
attached  by  a  couple  of  inches  of  deerskin  string  and  tossed  I3.V  a  long  stick 
from  one  side  to  another. 

Pawnee.  Oklahoma.  (Cat.  no.  59405,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Two  buckskin  balls  (figure  865),  each  composed  of  two  small  balls 
conjoined,  which  have  bands  of  white  and  blue  beads  aroimd  the 
middle,  with  buckskin  fringe  at  the  ends,  and  a  string  uniting 
them:  total  length.  25  inches;  accompanied  by  a  stick,  painted 
yellow.  324  inches  in  length.  Another  specimen  in  the  same  col- 
lection (cat.  no.  50408)  has  single  balls,  flattened,  each  about  2 
inches  in  diameter,  painted  yellow.  Collected  in  1901  by  Dr 
George  A.  Dorsey. 

»  Hup.T  Texts,  p.  146,  Berkeley,  1904. 

»  .\  letter  to  Mr  Theodore  J.  Eastman,  dated  August  11,  1900.  la  a  subsequent  letter 
to  the  writer  she  says  that  the  balls  were  about  the  size  of  a  lemon  and  were  thrown  with  a 
stick  and  kept  going  from  opposing  sides. 

•24  ETH — CIS   II 12 


658  GAMES    or    THE    NOKTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 

Doctor  Dorse}' "  mentions  the  shinny  ball  and  double  ball  being^ 
used  by  a  boj'  and  a  girl  to  convey  them  miraculously  through  space. 

Wichita.     Oklahoma. 

Implements  (figure  86G)  for  a  woman's  ball  game,  in  the  possession 
of  Mr  James  Mooney,  consist  of  two  balls  of  buckskin,  each  about  2 
inches  in  the  greatest  diameter  and  having  white  glass  beads  at  the 
median  seam  fastened  together  with  a  thong,  11  inches  in  length, 
with  a  fringe  of  cut  buckskin  attached  to  each ;  and  a  stick,  consist- 
ing of  a  bent  sapling,  23  inches  in  length.  The  balls  and  stick  are 
painted  yellow.  These  implements  are  models,  made  and  presented 
to  Mr  Mooney  by  Wichita  Indians  at  the  Indian  Congress  at  Omaha 
in  1898. 


Fig.  H66.    Double  ball  and  stick:  length  of  stick,  23  inches;  Wichita  Indians,  Oklahoma;  in  the 
possession  of  Mr  James  Mooney. 

In  the  Wichita  tales  the  double  ball  is  frequently  referred  to  as  a 
magical  implement  used  in  traveling.  Bright-Shining- Woman  (the 
Moon)  gave  it  to  women  among  the  things  they  should  use  to  enjoy 
themselves.  She  showed  them  how  to  play  the  game,  and  told  them 
that  the  ball  was  for  their  use  in  traveling.'' 

In  the  story  of  '"  The  Seven  Brothers  and  the  AVoman  "  ''  the  woman 
made  her  escape,  aided  l>y  the  double  ball.  Wien  she  tossed  the 
double  ball  she  went  with  it  up  in  the  air.  Again,  in  "  The  Story  of 
Child-of-a-Dog  "  *  the  woman  uses  the  double  ball  in  escaping  from 
her  pursuers.  The  same  incident  occurs  in  the  stories  of  "  Young- 
Boy-Chief  and  his  Sister  " "  and  "  Trouble  Among  the  Chief's  Chil- 
dren." '  In  the  story  of  "  Young-Boy-Chief  Who  Married  a  Buf- 
falo "  -"  two  women  are  described  as  playing  the  double-ball  game  with 
the  other  women. 

COPEHAN    STOCK 

WiNTDN.     California. 

Mr  Alexander  MacFarland  Davis  *  says : 

I  mil  indebted  to  Mr  Albert  S.  Gatsehet,  of  Washington,  for  information  con- 
cerning a  game  played  among  the  Wintfin  Indians,  called  K.i-r.'i.  which  is  jilayed 
by  throwing  up  two  disks  of  wood  connected  by  a  string  about  3  inches  long. 
They  are  to  be  caught  when  they  come  down.  Mr  Gatsehet  refers  to  Mr  Jere- 
miah Curtin,  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  for  authority. 

"  Traditions  of  the  SkidI  Pawnee,  p.  25,  New  York,  1904. 
"  The  Mythology  of  the  Wichita,  p.  28,  Washington,  1904. 
-•  Ibid.,  p.  65. 
"  Ibid.,  p.  146. 
'  Ibid.,  p.  220. 
'  Ibid.,  p.  237. 
"  Ibid.,  p.  200. 

*  A  Few  Additional  Notes  concerning  Indian  Games.  Bulletin  of  the  Essex  Institute, 
V.  18,  p.  184,  Salem,  1887. 


CULIN] 


DOUBLE  ball:  PAPAGO 


659 


LUTUASIIAN    STOCK 


Klamath.     Upper  Klamath  lake.  Oregon.     (Cat.  no.  61538,  Field 

Cohinibian  Mnseuin.) 
Willow  poles  (figure  867),  skuekush,  52^  inches  in  length,  decorated 

and  marked  throughout  the  greater  part  of  their  length  with  two 

burnt  sj^iral  lines,  which  run   in  opposite 

directions;  and  two  wooden  billets,  6  inches 

long  and   1   inch  in  diameter,  fastened  to 

each  other  by  means  of  a  short  cord.   10 

inches  in  length,  which  passes  through  tlxe 

center  of  each  billet. 
Collected  in  1900  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey," 
who  describes  them  as  used  in  the  game  of 
tchinnuaash,  generally  played  by  women.  Two 
goals,  ankn.  are  marked,  about  a  hundred  yards 
apart.  From  two  to  ten  generally  i)lay. 
Dr  A.  S.  Gatschef'  savs: 


The  tchimnui-ash  game  is  played  almost  exclusivelx 
by  females.  The  tchimma-ash  is  a  string  about  2-H 
feet  long,  to  the  ends  of  which  sticks  or  pieces  of  olotli 
are  tied;  it  is  fallen  up  and  thrown  forward  by  two 
flexible  willow  rods  (shuekfish  wa'hlkish)  to  play- 
mates, who  divide  themselves  into  two  parties.  Be- 
fore the  commencement  of  the  game  two  limits  (yi'iash) 
are  meted  out  on  the  ground,  which  serve  as  liases. 
Both  of  them  are  located  between  the  lines  of  starting 
(shalxuetgish  1. 

.M()QUEH:jfXAX   .STOCK 

Wasa.ma.     Cho^vchilly    river.   Madera    county, 
California. 
Dr  J.    AV.    Hudson   describes   the    following 
game  under  the  name  of  tawilu : 

Two  or  more  women  contest  with  3-foot  sticks  for 
a  braided  buckskin  strip  10  iuches  long.  The  goals  are 
150  feet  apart. 

PIMAN  STOCK 


u 


L 

o  b 

FiQ.8t)7.  Double  billets aud 
sticks;  length  of  sticks,  521 
inches;  length  of  billets, 
6  inches;  Klamath  In- 
dians, Oregon;  cat.  no. 
H1538,  Field  Columbian 
Museum. 


Papago.     Mission  of  San  Xavier  del  Bac,  Pima 

county,   Arizona.     (Field    Columbian 

Museum.) 

Cat.  no.  63543.     Double  ball   (figure  868),  consisting  of  two  balls 
made  of  plaited  hide,  1^  inches  in  diameter,  united  by  a  plaited 


"  Certain  Gambling  Games  of  the  Klamath  Indians.  American  Anthropologist,  n.  s., 
V.  3,  p.  19,  1901. 

''The  Klamath  Indians  of  Southwestern  Oregon.  Contributions  to  North  American 
Ethnology,  t.  2,  pt.  1,  p.  81.  Washington,  1890. 


660  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  L'4 

thong,  total  length.  5  inches;  and  slender  stick,  made  of  sapling, 

tapering  to  a  point,  44  inches  in  length. 
Cat.  no.  63506.     Double  ball   (figure  869).  consisting  of  two  oblong 

wooden  balls,  If  inches  in  longest  diameter,  tied  together  by  a 

strip  of  cotton  cloth. 
Cat.  no.  6.3507.     Sticks  used  with  the  above,  tapering  to  a  point,  one 

6  feet  10^  inches,  and  the  other  4  feet  4  inches  in  length. 
These  were  collected  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms,  who  describes  them  as 
implements  used  in  the  woman's  game  of  toakata.     The  Spanish  call 
it  "  hobbles." 


Fig.  8&S. 


^^  Fig.  8711. 

Fig.  869.  "^ 

Pig.  868.    Double  ball  and  stick;  length  of  balls,  5  inches:  length  of  stick,  44  inches;  Papago 

Indians.  Arizona;  cat.  no.  63.548.  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  869.    Double  billets  and  stick;  length  of  billets,  1  i  inches;  length  of  stick,  52  inches;  Papago 

Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  6.3.t0(),  6-3.50",  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Pig.  870.    Double  ball:  length,  9i  inches:  Pima  Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  63499,  Field  Columbian 

Museum. 

PiMA.     Salt  RiA'er  reservation,  Maricopa  county,  Arizona.     (Cat.  no. 

63499,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Dumb-bell  shaped  ball  (figure  870)  of  black  painted  leather;  length 
(extended),   9|   inches.     Collected   by   Mr   S.    C.    Simms,   who 
describes  it  as  used  in  a  woman's  game. 
Tepehuan.     Talayote,  near  Nabogame,  Chihuahua,  Mexico.     (Cat. 

no.  -^^,  American  MiLseum  of  Natural  History. ) 
Two  wooden  billets  (figure  871),  2i  inches  in  length,  tied  together 
with  a  cord  of  twisted  white  wood. 
These  were  collected  by  Dr  Carl  Lumholtz  in  1894,  who  gave  the 
name  of  the  billets  as  dadayar  and  that  of  the  sticks  as  tshibukar. 
In  case  the  cord  of  the  billets  should  break  it  is  mended,  and  the 
dadayar  is  buried  under  some  loose  earth  in  order  to  be  thrown 
again.     Bets  are  made  by  the  bystanders. 

PDJUNAN    STOCK 

Kaoni.     Cosumnes  river,  12  miles  south  of  Placerville,  California. 

Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  a  game  played  with  a  buckskin  strap, 
24  inches  long  and  knotted  at  the  ends,  under  the  name  of  tikili. 


CCLIX] 


DOUBLE  ball:  achomawi 


6fil 


Tliis  is  contested  for  by  four  women  armed  with  c-lubs  30  inches  long.  The 
goals,  which  are  usually  trees,  are  100  feet  ajiart. 

In  Todds  valley  a  dumb-bell  sbapeil  plaything  consisting  of  pine  cones  thrust 
upon  each  end  of  a  12-inch  stick  [figure  872]  is  called  hep'-pep-do'-kai.  It  is 
played  by  women,  three  to  a  side,  with  goal  lines  200  feet  apart.  Kicking  or 
foot-easting  only  is  allowed. 

NisHiNAM.     California. 

Mr  .Stephen  Powers"  says: 

The  ti'-kel  is  almost  the  only  really  robust  and  athletic  game  they  use.  and  is 
played  by  a  large  company  of  men  and  boys.  The  piece  is  made  of  rawhide, 
or  nowadays  of  strong  cloth,  and  is 
shaped  like  a  small  dumb-bell.  It  is 
laid  in  the  center  of  a  wide,  level 
space  of  ground,  in  a  furrow  hollowed 
out  a  few  inches  in  depth.  Two 
parallel  lines  are  drawn  equidistant 
from  it,  a  few  paces  apart,  and  aloniz 
these  lines  the  opposing  parties.  ei]ual 
in  strength,  range  themselves.  Each 
player  is  equipped  with  a  slight, 
strong  staff,  from  4  to  (!  feet  long. 
The  two  chamijions  of  the  parties  take 
their  stations  on  opposite  sides  of  the 
piece,  which  is  then  thrown  into  the 
air,    caught   on    the   staff   of   one   or 

the  other,  and  hurled  by  him  in  the  direction  of  his  antagonist's  goal.  With 
this  send-ofC  there  ensues  a  wild  chase  and  a  hustle,  iiellmell,  higgli'dy- 
piggledy,  each  party  striving  to  bowl  the  piece  over  the  other's  goal.  These 
goals  are  several  hundred  yards  apart,  affording  room  for  a  good  deal  of 
lively  work;  and  the  players  often  race  up  and  down  the  champaign,  with 
varying  fortunes,  until  they  are  dead  blown  and  perspiring  like  top-sawyers. 


Fig. 871.  Double  billets;  length,  21  inches;  Tepe- 
liiian  Indians.  Chihuahua,  Mexico;  cat.  no.  8*^b, 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 


Fig.  87: 


Fig.  87.3. 

Fig.  872.    Implement  for  tossing  game;  Kaoni  Indians,  California;  from  sketch  by  Dr  .T.  W. 

Hudson. 
Fig.  873.    Stick  for  double  ball;  length.  62  inches;  Achomawi  Indians,  Hat  creek,  California; 

cat.  no.  i^TB,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

SHASTAN    STOCK 

Achomawi.     Hat  creek,  California.     (Cat.  no.  ^jj-^,  American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  Histor}'.) 
Stick  (figure  873),  a  peeled  sapling.  62  inches  in  length. 

Collected  in  190:3  by  Dr  Roland  B.  Dixon,  who  describes  it  as  used 
in  a  woman's  ball  game,  luswalli.  The  tied  billets,  which  doubtless 
accompanied  it,  are  missing. 


"  Tribes  of  California.      Contributions  to  American  Ethnology,  v.  3,  p.  333,  Washington, 
1877. 


662  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 

Shasta.  Hamburg  bar,  California.  (Cat.  no.  ^ffj,  American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History.) 

Two  wooden  billets  (figure  874),  about  5  inches  in  length,  tied  to- 
gether with  a  buckskin  thong;  accompanied  with  a  stick,  a  peeled 
sapling,  about  40  inches  in  length.  Collected  in  1002  by  Dr 
Roland  B.  Dixon,  who  descrilies  these  specimens  as  implements 
for  a  woman's  game.  , 


<^ 


Fig.  874.    Double  billets  and  stick;  length  ot  billets,  about  5  inches;  length  of  stick,  about  40 
inches;  Shasta  Indians,  California:  cat.  no.  353^,  American  Museum  of  Natural  HistoiT-. 

SHOSHONEAX    .STOCK 

Paiute.  Pyramid  lake,  Nevada.  (Cat.  no.  37157,  Free  Museum  of 
Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Ball  and  stick  (figure  875)  for  woman's  game;  the  ball,  of  buck- 
skin, nearly  cylindrical,  and  expanding  at  the  ends;  length,  11^ 
inches;  the  stick  a  forked,  peeled  sapling,  40  inches  in  length. 
Collected  l)v  the  writer,  through  Miss  Marian  Tavlor.  in  1900. 


Fig.  875.  Double  ball  and  stick;  length  of  ball.  111  inches;  length  of  stick,  -W  inches:  Paiute 
Indians,  Pyramid  lake,  Nevada;  cat.  no.  37157,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University 
of  Pennsylvania. 

Pyramid  hike,  Nevada.      (Cat.  no.  19053,  United  Stales  Na- 
tional Museum.) 
Leather  l)all  for  woman's  game.  12  inches  in  length,  identical  with 
tile  preceding. 
Collected  by  Mr  Stephen  Power.s,  and  described  by  him  in  his  cata- 
logue under  the  name  of  tapecool : 

It  is  laid  on  tUe  ground  midway  between  two  base  lines,  and  tbe  contending 
parties  of  women,  armed  with  long  sticlis.  seek  to  propel  it  beyond  each  otlier's 
base  line. 

Shoshoni.     AA^ind   River  reservation,  AVyoming.     (Cat.   no.   36875, 

36876,   Free   Museum   of   Science   and    Art,   University   of 

Pennsylvania.) 

Ball  (figure  876),  nazeto,  and  stick,  hope,  for  a  woman's  ball  game. 

The  ball,  a  buckskin  hag.  shaped  like  a  dumb-bell.  10  inches  in 


CULIX] 


DOUBLE    ball:    OMAHA 


663 


length:  the  stick,  a  peeled  willow  branch  (figure  877),  -164 
inches  in  length,  with  a  projecting  twig  near  the  end.  Collected 
by  the  writer  in  1900. 

TJiNTA  Ute.  "\Miite  Rocks,  Utah.  (Cat.  no.  yHt^  American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History.) 

Buckskin  ball,  nearly  rectangular,  narrowing  toward  the  middle, 
with  padded  ends,  with  design  in  blue  beads  on  one  side,  as  shown 
in  figure  878;  length.  7  inches.  Collected  by  Dr  A.  L.  Kroeber 
in  1900. 


Fig.  878. 


Fio.  876.  Double  ball;  length,  10  inches:  Shoshoni  Indiana,  Wyoming;  cat.  no.  36876,  Free  Mu- 
seum of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Fi<i.  877.  stick  for  double  ball;  length,  46)  inches;  Shoshoni  Indians,  Wyoming;  cat.  no.  ;i687.'), 
Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  Universitj  of  Pennsylvania. 

Fig.  878.  Double  ball;  length,  7  inches;  Uinta  Ute  Indians,  Utah;  cat.  no.  x5Si,  American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History. 

SIOUAN    STOCK 

Dakota  (Santee).     Prairie  du  Chien.  Wisconsin. 
Catlin  "  says : 

In  the  ball-play  of  the  women  [figure  879],  they  have  two  balls  attached  to 
the  ends  of  a  string  about  a  foot  and  a  half  long ;  and  each  woman  has  a  short 
stick  in  each  hand,  on  which  she  catches  the  string  with  the  two  balls,  and 
throws  them,  endeavoring  to  force  them  over  the  goal  of  her  own  party.  The 
men  are  more  than  half  drunk,  when  they  feel  liberal  enough  to  indulge  the 
women  in  such  an  amusement,  and  take  infinite  pleasure  in  rolling  about 
on  the  ground  and  laughing  to  excess,  while  the  women  are  tumbling  about  iu 
all  attitudes,  and  scuffling  for  the  ball. 

Om.mia.     Xebraska. 

Ke\'.  J.  Owen  Dorsev  ''  describes  this  game: 

Wabaonade,  the  women's  game  of  ball. — Two  balls  of  hide  are  filled  with 
earth,  grass,  or  fur,  and  then  joined  liy  a  cord.  At  each  end  of  the  playground 
are  two  gabazu,  or  hills  of  earth,  blankets,  etc.,  that  are  from  12  to  1.5  feet 

"  Letters  and  Notes  on  the  Manners,  Customs,  and  Condition  of  the  North  American 
Indians,  v.  2,  p.  146.  London.  1841. 

"Omaha  Sociology.     Third  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  338,  1884. 


664 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  i;4 


apart.  Each  pair  of  liills  may  be  regarded  as  the  "  home,"  or  "  base,"  of  one  of 
the  contendhig  parties,  and  it  is  the  aim  of  the  members  of  each  party  to 
throw  the  balls  between  their  pair  of  hills,  as  that  would  win  the  game. 

Two  small  girls,  about  12  years  old,  stand  at  each  end  of  the  playground 
and  act  as  uhe  ginaji"  for  the  women,  as  the  boys  do  for  the  men  in  ^abe-gasi. 

Each  player  has  a  webaonade,  a  very  small  sticU  of  hard  or  red  willow, 
about  5  feet  long,  and  with  this  she  tries  to  pick  up  the  balls  by  thrusting  the 
end  of  the  stick  under  the  cord.  Whoever  succeeds  in  picking  them  up  hurls 
them  into  the  air,  as  in  playing  with  grace  hoops.  The  women  can  throw  these 
balls  very  far.  Whoever  catches  the  cord  on  her  stick  in  spite  of  the  efforts 
of  her  oiTponeuts  tries  to  throw  it  still  further  and  closer  to  her  "  home."  The 
stakes  are  Imffalo  hides,  small  dishes  or  bowls,  women's  necklaces,  awls,  etc. 
The  bases  are  from  .300  to  400  yards  apart.  The  corresponding  men's  game  is 
Xabe-gasi. 


Fig.  87!1.    Santee  Dakota  women  playing  double  ball.  Prairie  du  Chien,  Wiscuusin;  irum  C'atlin. 

WASHOAN    .STOCK 

Washo.     Carson  valley  and  Lake  Tahoe,  Nevada. 

T)r  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  the  following  game  jilayed  by  women 
under  tlie  name  of  tsikayaka  : 

A  buckskin  strap,  pe-tsil'-tsi.  is  contested  for  by  the  opposing  players,  each 
armed  with  a  four-foot  rod,  tse-kai'-yak.  The  goals  are  stakes,  two  hundred 
feet  apart. 

WEITSPEKAN    .STOCK 

YuROK.     Klamath  river,  California.     (Cat.  no.  37259,  Free  Museum 

of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Two  bottle-shaped  wooden  billets  (figure  S80).  5h  inches  in  length, 
witli  a  knob  at  the  end  and  two  lines  of  bark  left  at  the  center, 


CULIX] 


BALL    RACE 


6fi5 


tied  together  with  a  piece  of  twine,  -ii  inches  in  length;  aecom- 

panied  by  two  long  slender  sticks  (figure  881)  or  bats,  of  hard 

wood.  ])ointed  and  slightly  curved  at  the  end,  33  and  35  inches 

in  length.     Collected  by  the  writer  in  1900. 

•The  billets  are  called  wat-tai :    the  bats,  mai-nnm-in.     The  latter 

were  obtained  from  an  Indian  named  Wichapec  Billy.  57  years  of  age, 

who  had  used  them  in  matches.     He  said  the  game  was  played  by 

three  parties  of  three  each,  who  stripped  and  painted.     ]Money  was 

put  up.  say  five  dollars  on  a  side.     Matches  were  formerly  common 

lietwcen  Hupa  and  Wichapec. 


Fig.  >^sl. 


Fig.  ts^U. 


Fig.  SB2. 

Fig.  880.    Double  billets:  length  of  each.  ^^  inches;  Yurok  Indians.  California;  cat.  no.  S7259. 

Free  Museum  of  Science  and  .\rt,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  Wil.    Stick  for  double  billets;  length.  Xi  inches;  Yurok  Indians,  California;  cat.  no.  37259; 

Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  Univei'sity  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  ><x2.    Double  ball;  length.  8J  inches;  Maricopa  Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  2iC4,  Brooklyn 

Institute  Museum. 

WiSIKlSKAN    STUCK 

A  Batawat  Indian  at  Blue  Lake.  California,  gave  the  name  of  the 
long  sticks  as  rocosaiyok  wataiwat  and  that  of  the  tied  l)illets  as 
gosh w a  wik. 

YUMAN    STOCK 

Maricopa.     Arizona.     (Cat.  no.  2924.  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum.) 

Double  ball   (figure  882),  made  on  a  plaited  leather  throng:  length, 

8i  inches.     Collected  in  1904  by  Mr  Louis  L.  Meeker,  who  gives 

the  name  as  tus-ho-al  kik,  and  says  that  the  ball  is  pitched  with 

sticks. 

Ball  Eace 

The  ball  race  appears  to  lie  confined  to  the  Southwestern  tribes. 
extending  into  Mexico  and  westward  into  California,  although  it  was 


666 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  anv.  24 


found  by  the  writer  among  the  Shoshonean  Bannock  in  Idaho.  It 
consists  of  a  race  in  which  tlie  contestants  kick  or  toss  some  small 
object  before  them,  commonly  around  a  circuit  which  has  been  agreed 
upon,  back  to  the  starting  place.  There  are  either  two  individual 
players  or  two  parties.  The  object  which  is  kicked  or  tossed  is 
of  three  ditferent  kinds — first,  a  ball  of  stone  (Pima,  Mono, 
Tewa,  Maricopa)  or  of  wood  (Opata,  Papago,  Pima,  Tarahumare, 
Zuaque.  Cocopa,  Mohave,  Yuma)  :  second,  a  single  billet  (Navaho) 
or  two  billets  (Keres,  Tewa,  Zufii)  ;  third,  a  ring  or 
rings  (Tarahumare,  Zuiii).  In  addition,  the  Ban- 
nock are  said  to  kick  a  beef  bladder,  and  the  Plopi 
use  two  cubes  of  hair  and  pinon  gum  in  a  similar 
race. 

The  game  of  kicked  stick  was  one  of  the  games 
sacred  to  the  War  CJod  in  .Zuni,  and  the  implements 
are  sacrificed  upon  his  altar.  The  implements  used 
may  be  identified  readily  as  conventionalized  l)ows 
of  the  War  (iods,  an  explanation  whicli  serves  like- 
wise for  the  racing  billets  used  by  other  tribes. 
Objects  similar  to  the  kicking  billets  are  used  by  tlie 
Hopi  in  ceremonials,  and  may  be  regarded  as  having 
a  similar  origin. 

For  example,  a  set  of  six  small  wooden  cylinders 
(figure  ss.'i),  contained  in  the  Field  Columbian  Mu- 
seum, is  nuide  of  Cottonwood  root,2g  inches  in  length 
and  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  painted 
black,  with  green  ends,  and  having  a  feather  at- 
tached around  the  middle  by  cotton  cord.  They 
were  collected  by  Rev.  H.  R.  Voth  in  lSfl3,  and  de- 
scribed bv  him  as  oiiiuitki.     He  savs: 


Fig.  8sa.  Set  of 
sacrificial  wooden 
cylinders;  length, 
2^  inches;  Hopi 
Indians,  Oraibi, 
Arizona:  cat.  no. 
67049  to  B7054,  Field 
Columbian  M  n  - 
seum. 


Cylinders  iil'  tins  kind  are  niiido  of  diffcront  sizes  and  used 

in  various  cereuKinies  such  as  the  Flute.  Marau.  and  Soya!. 

They  are  deposited  as  offerings  in  spriuj;s  and  shrines,  hut 

generally    not    before    they    have   been    (■onsocrated    at    the 

altar  during  some  ceremony.     This  set  of  six  was  made  by  and  obtained  from 

the  chief  priest  of  the  ilarau  <irder.     The  sujall  feathers  attached  to  them  are 

those  of  the  pin-tail  ducU. 

Another  set  of  two. cylinders  in  the  same  museum  (cat.  no.  67086, 
67087)  are  2i  inches  in  length,  and  are  mentioned  by  Mr  Voth  as 
having  been  found  by  liim  in  a  shrine  where  the  Soyaluna  fraternity 
made  their  otferings  to  the  sun. 

The  tossing-rings  of  the  Zuiii  and  Tarahumare  game  may  be  ex- 
plained as  representing  net  shields,  and  the  contest,  which  in  Zuni  is 
conducted  between  the  clowns  with  billets  and  between  the  women 
with  rings,  is  analogous  to  the  ceremony  in  the  Flute  dance,  where  the 


CDLIN] 


BALL    RACE 


667 


Flute  youth  and  the  Fhite  maid  throw  annulets  and  cylinders,  de- 
scribed under  "  Double  ball,"  to  which  game  the  ball  race  is  appar- 
ently closely  related. 

The  existence  of  the  ball  race  at  an  early  period  is  proved  by  speci- 
mens of  the  kicking-sticks  (figure  884)  in  the  cliff-dwellings.  A  pair 
of  such  billets  from  Mancos  canyon,  identified  by  Mr  Gushing,  is  in 
the  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art  of  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. They  arc  made  of  cottonwood,  t>ne  4i  inches  in  length  and  If 
inches  in  diameter,  marked  around  with  sharply  incised  jiarallel  lines 
about  one-fourth  of  an  inch  apart:  the  other  5  inclies  long  and  1| 
inches  in  diameter,  with  similar  incised  lines  in  diamond  pattern. 
Another  pair  (figure  885)  from  the  same  place  are  simple  sections  of 


Fig.  8M. 


Fig.  885. 


Fig.  .s.'<(i 


Pig.  884.  Kicking  billets;  lengths,  4J  and  5  inches;  cliff-dwelling,  Mancos  canyou.  Colorado:  Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

FiG.  y.s5.  Kicking  billets;  lengths, -Hand  Ti inches;  cliff-dwelling,  Mancoseanyon,  Colorado;  Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Pig.  886.  Clown  kicking  billet;  Mexico,  1,583;  reverse  of  Hispano- American  playing  card,  impres- 
sion, 2i  by  4  inches;  from  photograph  of  the  original  in  the  Archives  of  the  Indies,  Seville, 
Spain. 

twig.  45  and  5  inches  in  length  and  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in 
diameter.  Many  of  the  uiiitlentified  stone  balls  found  in  ruins  and 
graves  at  various  places  in  the  Southwest  may  have  been  used  in  this 
game. 

A  picture  of  a  travestj'  of  the  kicked-stick  game,  identified  by  Mr 
Gushing,  is  printed  on  the  reverse  of  an  Hispano- American  playing 
card,  engraved  in  Mexico  in  1583  and  preserved  in  the  Archives  of  the 
Indies  at  Seville.  Spain.  This  curious  and  interesting  relic  repre- 
sents a  clown  (figure  8Sfi).  fantastically  dressed  in  the  native  cere- 
monial costume,  standing  on  liis  head  and  kicking  a  huge  billet  in 
the  air  with  his  feet. 

The  ball  race  has  been  adopted  from  the  Indians  by  the  Mexicans 
of  the  Rio  Grande.     Capt.  John  G.  Bourke,  of  the  United  States 


668  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  axn.  24 

Army,  informed  the  \Yriter  that  they  have  a  game  of  kicking  a  cow's 
horn,  which  tliey  call  juego  del  cuaco."  This  game,  according  to  the 
authority  just  mentioned,  corresponds  with  the  Zuni.  Hopi.  Pueblo. 
and  Pima  game  of  the  tor  stick. 

ATHAPASCAN    STOCK 

Navaho.     St  Michael,  Arizona. 

Rev.  Berard  Haile  desci-ibes  the  following  game  in  a  letter  to  the 
writer : '' 

Iddi  is  football.  Tbis  is  a  gambling  game,  ami  tbere  are  two  parties,  five  to 
a  side  at  most.  There  may  be  le.ss  than  five,  but  not  more.  The  players  strip 
themselves  and  agree  upon  a  distance,  which  is  regulated  b.v  the  stake.  A 
stick,  about  4  inches  long,  of  green  pinon  or  oak,  cut  smooth  and  round,  is  set 
into  the  ground  about  2  fingers  deep.  The  best  runner  works  his  toes,  as 
hands  and  fingers  are  not  allowed,  under  the  stick,  and  kicks  it  ahead  of  him. 
Should  he  miss,  his  successor  is  ready  to  bring  it  into  bis  territory  again.  The 
required  distance  being  made,  the  home  run  begins,  and  wbosoevpr  has  the  ball 
at  the  starting  point  first  wins  the  game  and  stake.  The  game  was  iilayed  only 
in  the  spring  of  the  year,  because  it  is  not  too  warm  during  that  season.  At 
present  the  Navaho  do  not  play  it.  Some  would  not  allow  it,  even  in  the 
springtime,  as  they  claim  it  would  bring  a  stormy  season  and  much  wind. 
They  say  the  Great  Earth-Winner,  Xi'nahuiebiM,  taught  them  the  game. 

In  a  subsequent  letter  to  the  author  Father  Haile  gives  the  name 
of  the  game,  according  to  information  received  from  another  source, 
as  baaes  or  iolis,  which  means  "  to  hop  "  game,  raise  and  throw  with 
the  foot. 

The  Navaho  at  Chin  Lee.  Arizona,  informed  the  writer  that  this 
was  not  originally  a  Navaho  game,  but  was  borrowed  by  them  from 
the  Zuhi. 

KERESAN    STOCK 

Kerbs.     Acoma.  New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  4i)74.  Brooklyn  Institute 
Museum.) 

Two  billets  (figure  887),  2  inches  in  length,  one 
painted  with  Ijlack  at  the  ends  and  the  other 
with  a  black  band  in  the  middle.  Collected 
by  the  writer  in  1904  and  made  by  James  H. 
Miller,  an  Acoma  Indian,  at  Zuiii. 

Fig.  887.   Kicking  billets;  „,  ,•,■!•  .  ,,    ,  ,, 

length,  2  inches;  Keres  ^hey  are  kicked  HI  a  racing  game  called  a-eha-wa-i 

Indians,  Acoma,  New  ta-wa-ka.  The  one  with  the  black  hands  at  the  end  is 
Mexico;  cat.  no.  4974,  called  gosh,  man.  and  the  other  tsoi-yo,  woman.  This 
Brooklyn  Institute  Mu-        j^    ,,  ^^    „f    j,,p    ^^.,„,    ,,,,pt;,i„s.    and"  is    plaved    in    the 

seum. 

spring  in  the  months  from  March  to  Jlay  to  secure  rain. 

The  winning  stick  is  buried  in  a  cornfield.     The  present  sticks  are  such  as  are 

"■  Spanish  chueea,  pan  or  hollow  of  the  joints  of  bones ;  a  small  ball  with  which  coun- 
try people  play  at  crickets. 

*  TTnder  date  of  .Iiine  .5,  lf)02.  The  information  was  obtained  from  a  medicine  man 
named  vatali  Natloi,  Laughing  Doctor. 


cruN]  BALL    RACE:    COSUMNI  (ifi9 

used  by   boys.     The  regular   kicking  sticks  are  made  of  oak.     Tsa-tio   liii-chl 
made  the  game  first. 

Kerbs.     Cochiti.  New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  4978.  Brooklyn  Institute 

Museum. ) 
Two  wooden  billets  (figure  888),  2  inches  in  length  and  about  seven- 
eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  one  painted  red  and  the  other 
yellow. 
These  were  made  by  a  Keres  boy  from  Cochiti,  named  Francisco 
Chaves   (Kogit),  at  St  Michael.  Arizona,  who  describes  the  billets 
under  the  name  of  tawaka  and  mentions  them  as  being  kicked  in  the 
race  of  the  same  name. 

Boys,  girls,  and  men  lilay.     Sides  are  chosen,  and  the  sticks  are  kicked  with 
the  bare  feet. 

Laguna,   New   Me.xico.      (Cat.   no.   300G,   Brooklyn    Institute 

Museum.) 

Two  wooden  billets  (figure  889),  IJ  inches  in  length  and  about  1 
inch  in  diameter.  One  of  these  billets  has  a  band  of  red  paint 
around  the  middle,  and  the  other  is  plain,  except  the  ends, 
which  are  painted  red.  These  implements  were  collected  by  the 
writer  in  190:'). 


Fig.  8KS.  Fig.  88fl. 

Fig.  888.    Kicking  billets;  length,  2  inches:  Keres  Indians,  Cochiti,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  4978, 

Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 
Fig.  889.    Kicking  billets;  length,  Ij  inches;  Keres  Indians,  Laguna,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  3006, 

Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 

The  sticks  are  called  tow-wa-ka  ;  the  one  with  the  red  band  ku-ka-ni  tow-wii- 
ka,  and  the  other  sho-mutz  tow-wa-ka.  The  game  is  called  ka-tcho-wai.  The 
blocks  are  kicked  with  the  bare  feet  around  a  designated  course.  Sides  are 
chosen  and  there  Is  one  block  for  each.  It  may  not  be  thrown  with  the  hands, 
but  they  may  place  it  on  the  toe  to  give  it  a  good  kick. 

MOQUELUMNAN    STOCK 

CosuMNi.     California. 

Mr  James  Mooney"  writes  as  follows  from  information  obtained 
from  Col.  Z.  A.  Eice.  of  Atlanta,  Ga.,  who  went  to  California  in  the 

"  Notes  on  the  Cosumnes  Tribes  of  California.  The  American  Anthropologist,  v.  3, 
p.  2G1,  1890. 


670  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 

year  1850,  where  he  spent  several  years  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
the  tribe  now  under  consideration,  which  formerly  lived  in  the 
Sacramento  basin : 

Their  football  Kiiiiie  was  more  properly  a  foot  race.  Two  parallel  tracks  were 
laid  off  aud  each  party  had  its  own  ball.  Two  athletic  young  fellows,  repre- 
senting the  two  contending  parties,  took  their  stand  at  one  end,  each  with  a 
ball  on  the  ground  in  front  of  him,  and  at  the  signal  each  kicks  it  along  his 
respective  track  towards  the  goal.  All  along  the  line  were  stationed  relays  of 
players,  whose  duty  It  was  to  assist  in  getting  the  ball  through.  It  was  a  rough- 
and-tumble  game,  to  see  who  should  kick  the  ball,  for  no  one  was  allowed  to 
touch  it  with  his  hand.  Two  iiosts  were  put  up  at  each  end  of  the  track,  aud 
the  ball  nnist  be  driven  between  these  [iqsts.  Betting  was  heavy,  the  stakes 
being  Indian  trinkets  of  all  kinds,  and  judges  and  stakeholders  presided  with  a 
great  deal  of  dignity.  The  score  was  kept  by  means  of  an  even  number  of 
short  sticks,  and  as  each  player  drove  the  ball  home,  he  drew  out  one  of  the 
sticks,  and  so  on  until  the  game  was  won.  It  was  a  very  exciting  play  and 
aroused  as  much  interest  as  does  a  hbrse  race  among  the  whites. 

Wasama.     Near  Grant  Springs,  Mariposa  county,  California. 

Dr  J.  W.  Htidson  describes  these  Indian^  as  jilaying  a  game  with  a 
ball  made  of  deer  liuir  and  provided  with  a  buckskin  cover,  in  which 
two  men  each  contest  or  race  with  their  ball  along  a  ijrescribed 
course  to  a  certain  goal. 

The  name  of  the  game  is  tek'me,  to  kick  :  and  that  ot  the  hall,  pu'ku.  little 
dog,  pup. 

PIMAN    STOCK 

Opata.     Sonora,  Mexico. 
Mr  A.  F.  Bandelier"  says: 

The  Ua-ki-mari  is  rather  a  foot-race  than  a  game  of  ball,  for  the  runners  toss 
the  ball  before  them  with  their  toes,  and  the  party  whose  "  gomi,"  or  ball  of  a 
certain  kind  of  wood,  reaches  the  goal  first  is  declared  the  victor.     .     .     . 

Village  plays  against  village.  The  Maynates  or  captains  of  the  runners  are 
important  personages  on  such  days,  and  what  is  evidently  i>rimitive.  and  shows 
besides  that  there  is  a  religious  iiiiiHirt  placed  upon  the  ceremony,  is  the  fact 
that  they  formerly  used  to  gather  the  evening  before  at  a  drinking  bout,  smok- 
ing at  the  same  time  the  fungus  of  the  mesiiuite,  called  in  Opata  to-ji,  in  long 
and  big  <'igar-likt   rolls. 

Papago.     Mission  of  San  Xavier  del  Bac,  Pima  county,  Arizona. 

(Cat.  no.  6348.5.  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Ball  of  mesquite  wood,  .SJ  inches  in  diameter,  designated  by  the  col- 
lector, Mr  S.  C.  Simms,  as  a  football,  sonecua. 
Papago.     Arizona. 

Dr  H.  F.  C.  ten  Kate,  jr."  says: 

One  of  the  few  bodily  e.xercises  they  have  is  a  sort  of  ball  game  in  which  they 
use  a  ball  made  of  hard  gum,  which  is  kicked  without  stopping  by  two  men 


"  Final  Report,  pt.  1,  p.  240,  Cambridge,  1890. 

'  Reizen  en  Onderzoeklngen   in  Noord-Amerika,  p.   29,   Leiden,   1885. 


CtLINl 


BALL    race:    PIMA 


(J71 


who  run  over  a  great  expanse  of  country.     A  large  number  of  spectators  follow 
the  two  players,  either  on  horseback  or  on  foot,  at  the  same  gait. 

PiMA.     Arizona.     (United  States  National  Museum.) 
Cat.  no.  76014.     Two  stone  balls   (figure  894),  consisting  of  tufa, 
covered  with  some  black  vegetable  substance,  probably  mesquite 
gum;  diameters,  2^  and  2§  inches.     Described  by  the  collector, 
Dr  Edward  Palmer,  as  footballs. 

Cat.  no.  27847.  Wooden  ball  (figure  895),  2-i  inches  in  diameter, 
covered  with  mesquite  gum.  Described  by  the  collector  as  a 
football. 


Fig.  sail.     P;ii>at,'o  ki.-knig.l.ail  pkiyi-r^.  Anznua;  n-i.m  ph.it, igrai.li   iiy   Mr  William 

Dinwiddle. 


Dr  H.  F.  C.  ten  Kate,  jr,"  says  the  Pima  have  a  football  game  in 
which  the  ball — sonjikjo — is  made  of  the  gum  of  the  greasewood  and 
sand. 

Arizona. 


The  late  Dr  Frank  Russell ''  described  the  kicked  ball  races  of  this 
tribe  as  follows : 

These  races  were  frequently  intertribal,  and  in  their  contests  with  the 
Papagos  the  Pimas  nearly  alwa.\s  won.  The  use  of  these  balls  in  foot  races 
is  very  widespread  in  the  Southwest,  and  even  yet  we  hear  of  races  taking 
place  that  exceed  twenty  miles  in  length. 

The  kicking  ball  when  of  wood  resembles  a  croquet  ball  in  size,  but  it  is 
usually  covered  with  a  creosote  gum.  They  are  made  of  either  mesquite  or 
paloverde  wood.  Stone  balls  about  0  cm.  in  diameter  are  also  used,  and  are 
covered  with  the  same  black  gum. 

"  Reizen  en  Ondeizoeklneen  en  Noord-Ameiika.  p.   159.  Leiden.   1885. 

"  In  a  memoii'  to  be  published  l)y  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology. 


672  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 

E;icb  contestant  kicks  one  of  these  balls  before  liini.  doing  it  so  skillfully 
that  his  progress  is  scarcely  delayed :  indeed,  the  Pima  declare  that  they  can 
run  faster  with  than  without  the  balls — which,  in  a  sense,  is  true.  Perhaps 
the  occurrence  of  the  stone  balls  in  the  ruins  gave  rise  to  the  idea  that  they 
possess  magic  power  to  "carry"  the  runner  along,  for  all  things  pertaining 
to  the  Hohokam  have  come  to  have  more  or  less  supernatural  significance.  Two 
youths  will  sometimes  run  long  distances  together,  first  one  and  then  the  other 
kicking  the  ball  so  that  it  is  almost  constantly  in  the  air.  The  custom  of  using 
these  balls  is  rapidly  disappearing,  as,  it  is  to  be  regretted,  are  the  other  ath- 
letic games  of  the  Pima. 

The  men  received  thorough  training  in  speed  and  endurance  in  running 
during  their  raids  into  the  Apaclie  country,  but  they  had  few  sports  that 
tended  toward  i)h.vsical  improvement  except  the  foot  races.  Sometimes  a 
woman  ran  in  a  contest  against  a  man.  slie  throwing  a  double  ball  b.v  means  of 
a  long  stick  while  he  kept  a  kicking  ball  before  him.  But  the  women  .seldom 
ran  in  foot  races,  though  their  active  outdoor  life,  engaged  in  the  various  tasks 
that  fell  to  them,  kept  them  in  fit  condition.  However,  they  had  an  athleti  • 
game  which  corresponded  in  a  measure  to  tlie  races  of  the  men  and  developed 
skill  in  running.    This  game  was  played  as  follows: 

Aldii. — Two  of  the  swiftest  runners  among  the  women  acted  as  leaders  and 
chose  alternately  from  the  players  until  all  were  selected  in  two  groups.  Two 
goals  were  fixed  about  400  yards  apart.  One  side  saying.  "  To  the  trail  is 
where  we  can  beat  you,"  while  the  other  party  declared,  "  To  that  mesquite  is 
where  we  can  beat  you."  Two  lines  were  formed  about  2.")  yards  apart,  and  the 
ball  was  i)ut  in  play  by  being  tossed  up  and  started  toward  the  opponent's  goal. 
It  was  thrown  witli  sticks  until  some  one  drove  it  beyond  the  goal  and  won  the 
game."  To  touch  the  ball  with  the  hands  debarred  the  person  from  further  play. 
This  game  was  abandoned  about  1885. 

Tarahumare.     Chihuahua,  Mexico. 

Dr  Carl  LumhoUz  describes  the  foot  race  of  this  tribe ; '' 

Tho  districts  or  pueblos  always  run  against  each  other.  Sometimes  there 
are  many  runners  on  each  side,  and  the  two  parties  show  in  their  apparel  some 
distinguishing  mark :  for  instance,  one  side  wears  red  headbands,  while  the 
other  wears  white  ones.  I  have  seen  from  four  to  twenty  runners  taking  part  on 
each  side.  Each  part.v  has  a  small  ball,  about  2  inches  in  diameter,  carved  with 
a  knife  from  tlie  root  of  an  oak  tree,  which  they  have  to  toss  ahead  of  tliem  as 
they  run.  The  runner  who  happens  to  be  ahead  is  tlie  one  whose  duty  it  is  to 
toss  the  liail  with  his  toes,  and  at  each  toss  it  may  be  thrown  a  hundred  yards  or 
more  in  advance.  They  are  not  allowed  to  touch  the  balls  with  their  hands,  but 
their  friends  who  follow  them  may  point  out  to  the  runner  where  the  ball  is 
lying.  If  the  ball  lodges  in  an  awkward  place,  as  between  two  rocks,  or  in 
the  water,  the  runners  or  their  friends  may  pick  it  up  and  place  it  back  on  the 
race  course.  The  circuits  over  which  the  race  is  held  are  circular  when  the 
Cf>untry  allows,  but  generally  the  course  is  backward  and  forward  along  the 
top  of  the  ridge,  the  group  of  spectators  and  bettors  being  at  the  starting- 
point,  which  is  always  at  the  middle  of  the  race-track.  Each  party  chooses  a 
manager  to  represent  the  runners  and  to  arrange  the  day  and  place  of  the  race. 

"The  stick  in  tlie  collection  is  of  willow,  1.2:50  ni.  long,  witli  n  maximnm  diametpr  of 
IS  mm.  The  balls  are  in  pairs,  15  cm.  apart,  connected  by  a  4-strand,  2-ply  leather 
thong,  tlie  l)aUs  iieing  mere  Itnotty  enlargements  of  tlie  tiiong. 

'Tarahumari  Life  and  Customs.     Scribner's  Magazine,  v.  16,  p.  304,  New  York,  1894.. 


ClXINj 


HALL    rack:    TARAHUMARE 


B78 


These  managers  also  Oei/ide  the  miiiihei'  of  circuits  to  he  made,  and  get  runners 
(if  equal  ability,  if  tlie.v  can.  fur  each  side,  the  oliject  heing  to  get  the  hest 
runners  possible. 

In  important  races  the  runners  ma.v  prepare  for  a  fortnight,  hut  as  a  rule 
they  do  not  practice  much  before  the  race,  for  running  comes  to  them  as 
naturally  as  swimming  to  ducks.  Their  training  chiefly  consists  in  alistinence 
from  nati\e  beer  for  two  or  three  days  Ijefore  the  event.  On  the  day  of  the 
race  the  runners  are  fed  with  pinole  only  :  they  have  tepid  water  to  drink,  and 
their  legs  are  well  bathed  in  warm  water  and  rubbed  by  the  managers.  The 
medicine  man  also  rubs  them  with  a  smooth  stone  to  make  them  strong. 


FiG.SM.     Papagu  kiikiug-UiU  plii.Mr,  .\ri^uii.i.:  li  uui  |jliutoi;i;iijli  Ij.\   .Mr  Willmm  Uinwiddie. 


A  ra<-e  is  never  won  by  natural  means.  The  losers  always  say  that  they 
were  influenced  by  some  herb  and  became  sleepy  on  the  race-course,  so  that 
they  had  to  lose.  The  help  of  the  medicine  man  is  needed  in  preparing  the 
runner  for  the  race.  He  assists  the  manager  to  wash  the  feet  of  the  runners 
with  warm  water  and  different  herbs,  and  be  strengthens  their  nerves  by  making 
passes  over  them.  lie  akso  guards  them  against  sorcery.  Before  they  run  he 
performs  a  ceremony  to  "cure"  them. 

The  food  and  the  remedies  he  uses  are  put  under  the  cross  with  many  kinds 
of  charms,  different  kinds  of  woods,  and  herbs  from  the  barrancas.  Some  of 
the  herbs  are  supposed  to  be  very  powerful,  and  they  are,  therefore,  securely 
tied  up  in  small  pieces  of  buckskin  or  cotton  clotli.  If  not  so  tied  up,  they 
might  break  away.     The  water  which  the  runners  drink  is  also  placed  near  the 


21   ETH— 05    M- 


-4:^ 


674 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       Feth.  ann.  24 


cross,  upon  each  side  of  which  is  put  a  candle,  and  the  whole  outfit  is  on  a 
blanket.  At  the  ceremony  the  runners  stand,  holding  the  balls  in  their  hand. 
The  doctor,  or  medicine  man,  standing  near  the  cross,  burns  incense  (copal) 
over  them.  He  also  sings  about  the  tail  of  the  gray  fox,  one  of  their  legendary 
animals,  and  other  songs.  After  this  he  makes  a  speech,  warning  them  against 
eating  pinole  or  drinking  water  in  other  people's  houses,  for  fear  of  poison ; 
all  that  they  eat  and  drink  must  come  from  their  parents  or  relatives.  They  are 
not  allowed  to  eat  anything  sweet,  nor  eggs,  potatoes,  cheese,  or  fat.  Three 
times  they  drinic  from  the  water  near  the  cross,  and  three  times  from  the  herbs. 
The  eldest  and  swiftest  runner  then  leads  in  walking  around  the  cross  as  many 
times  as  there  are  to  be  circuits  in  the  race,  and  the  rest  follow  him.  All  the 
things  near  the  cross  then  remain  untouched  until  morning.  The  runners  sleep 
near  by  to  keep  watch,  and  they  also  secure  some  old  men  to  watch  against 
sorcery,  for  old  men  are  supposed  to  discover  the  approach  of  sorcerers  even 
when  they  sleep.  After  the  ceremonies  are  over  the  doctor  takes  each  runner 
aside  and  subjects  him  to  a  rigid  examination. 


Fig.  893. 


Fig.  .s'.ti. 


Fig.  892.    Papago  kicking-ball  race— the  start,  Arizona;  from  photograph  by  Mr  William  Din- 
widdle. 
Fig.  893.    Papago  kicking-ball  race,  Arizona;  from  photograph  by  Mr  William  Dinwiddie. 


More  than  a  hundred  kinds  of  remedies  are  brought  to  the  contest,  some  to 
strengthen  the  runners  and  secure  success,  and  others  to  weaken  their  rivals. 
The  most  efficient  thing  against  the  rivals  is  the  blood  of  the  turtle  and  bat 
mixed  together,  driea  and  ground,  and  rolled  into  a  big  cigar,  with  a  small 
amount  of  tobacco  addec'  to  it.  Its  smokt  makes  the  rivals  stupid.  The  dried 
head  of  a  crow  or  eagle,  hikori,  a  small  cactus  worshiped  by  the  Tarahumaris, 
and  other  herbs  and  innumerable  things  are  carried  around  by  all  who  take 
part  in  the  racing.  Some  of  the  women  carry  .small,  thin  stones  to  protect  them 
against  sorcerers.  During  the  race  the  runners  have  their  heads  ornamented 
with  the  feathers  of  the  chaparral-cock,  and  in  some  parts  with  tlie  feathers 
of  the  peacock,  of  wbicli  liird  the  Indians  are  very  fond,  liecause  it  is  supi>osed 
to  be  light  footed,  and  also  because  it  is  from  another  country.  Many  of  them 
also  have  their  legs  ornamented  with  chalk,  and  wear  belts  to  which  a  great 
number  of  deer  hoofs,  beads,  or  reeds  are  attached,  so  as  to  make  a  great 
deal  of  noise.    These  belts  help  them  to  victory,  because  they  become,  as  they 


CLLIN] 


BALL  race:    TARAHUMARE 


fi75 


fancy,  as  light  as  the  Ueer  itself,  aud  the  noise  keeps  them  from  falling 
asleep. 

In  the  afternoon  before  the  race  the  managers  and  the  runners  meet  together, 
the  latter  bringing  the  balls  with  them,  to  receive  an  omen  as  to  which  party  is 
going  to  win.  Water  is  put  into  a  big  earthen  tray,  and  the  two  balls  are 
started  simultaneously  from  one  end  of  the  tray  to  the  other.  The  party 
whose  ball  reaches  the  other  end  first  will  be  the  winner,  and  they  repeat  this 
as  many  times  as  there  are  to  be  circuits.  Three  or  four  hours  before  sunset 
the  chief  calls  the  runners  together  and  makes  a  speech,  warning  them  against 
any  kind  of  cheating.  Just  as  in  horse  racing,  rascally  tricks  are  more  or  less 
common,  especially  if  the  Indians  have  become  half  civilized.  It  may  happen 
that  some  one  will  bribe  the  runners  with  a  cow  not  to  run  fast ;  afterward 
he  may  also  cheat  the  runner.  It  is  not  uncommon  for  an  important  runner 
to  simulate  illness.  "  Our  rivals."  he  may  say,  "  have  bewitched  us."  -The 
whole  thing  then  comes  to  nothing,  and  the  wagers  are  divided  between  the 
parties,  who  return  to  their  home  to  await  the  next  race. 

There  is  no  prize  given  to  the  runners  themselves,  and  they  gain  nothing  by 
It  unless  in  helping  their  friends  to  win  wagers.  A  good  runner  is  also  greatly 
admired  by  the  women,  which  may  be  of  some  account  to  him.  It  is  also  the 
custom  for  a  man  who  has  been  very  lucky  with  his  wagers  to  give  a  small  part 
of  his  winnings  to  the  successful   runner,   who,   however,   is  allowed   to  take 


Fig.  894. 


Fig.  895. 


Fig.  894.    Stone  kicking  balls;  diameters.  2i  and  2}  inches:  Pima  Indians,  Arizona:  cat.  no.  86014; 

United  .States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  895.    Wooden  kicking  ball:  diameter,  2i  inches;   Pima  Indians,   Arizona:  cat.   no.  2T847,. 

United  States  National  Museum. 


neither  beads  nor  money,  but  only  light-weight  things  made  from  wool  or  cot- 
ton ;  but  his  father  can  receive  gifts  for  him  aud  buy  something  for  his  son's 
benefit. 

On  the  day  of  the  race  stones  are  laid  on  the  ground  in  a  row.  one  stone  for 
each  circuit  to  be  run,  and  as  the  race  progresses  count  is  kept  by  taking  away 
one  stone  for  each  circuit  finished  by  the  runners.  It  is  from  this  practice  that 
the  tribe  derives  its  name.  Tarahuniari — from  tara  (count),  and  huinari  (run), 
people  who  run  according  to  count. 

Trees  are  marked  with  crosses,  so  as  to  show  the  circuit  to  be  run.  Three 
to  six  watchmen  are  placed  along  the  circuit  to  see  that  no  cheating  is  done 
during  the  race.  Each  party  helps  the  side  in  which  it  is  interested,  so  that 
their  nuiners  may  win  the  race. 

The  women,  as  the  runners  pass  them,  stand  ready  with  dippers  of  warm 
water,  or  pinole,  which  they  offer  to  them  to  drink,  and  for  which  they  stop 
for  a  few  seconds.  The  wife  of  the  runner  may  throw  a  jar  of  tepid  water  over 
him  as  he  iiasses,  in  order  to  refresh  him,  and  all  incite  the  runners  to  greater 
.speed  by  cries  and  gesticulations.     Drunken  people  must  not  be  present,  because 


676  GAMES    OF    THE    NOBTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  axx.  L'4 

they  make  the  runners  heavy.  For  the  same  reason  pregnant  women  are  for- 
bidden to  enter  the  raee-course.  A  runner  must  not  even  touch  the  blanket  of 
such  a  woman.  As  the  time  passes,  the  excitement  becomes  more  and  more 
intense.  Most  of  the  men  and  women  follow  the  race,  shouting  to  the  runners 
all  the  time  to  spur  them  on,  and  pointing  out  to  them  where  the  ball  is;  and  if 
night  comes  on  before  the  contest  has  been  decided,  the  men  light  torches  made 
from  the  oily  pine-wood  to  show  the  runners  the  mad,  making  the  scene  one 
of  e.xtreme  picturesqueness.  as  like  demons  tliese  torch-bearers  Inirry  through 
the  forest. 

One  manager,  or  chochianie.  from  each  side  is  appointed  stakeholder.  They 
tie  the  stakes,  of  whatever  nature,  together — so  much  ari  "  against  so  many 
arrows,  so  many  blankets  against  so  many  balls  of  yarn,  etc.,  and  hold  tlieni 
until  the  race  is  over.  At  big  races,  where  the  wagers  may  amount  to  small 
mountains  of  such  articles,  and  may  include  cattle  and  goats,  the  position  of  the 
manager  requires  a  man  of  decision  and  memory,  as  he  carries  all  the  bets  in 
his  head  and  makes  no  written  record.  The  value  of  such  wagers  may  e.xceed 
$1,000. 

Describing  a  race  which  he  witnessed  near  Guachochic  in  Septem- 
ber, 1892,  Doctor  Lumhohz  says: 

The  chief  race  began  late,  as  is  generally  the  case,  about  3  o'clock.  When  all 
was  ready,  the  two  managers  threw  tlie  balls  in  the  direction  in  wliich  the  men 
were  to  go,  the  runners  dropped  their  blankets  and  sped  away,  althougli  not 
from  a  line,  as  with  us.  Tliey  were  naked,  except  for  a  l)reecli-clotli.  and  wore 
sandals  on  their  feet.  The  race  was  made  in  two  hours  and  twenty-one  seconds, 
and  the  distance  covered  was  21  miles,  according  to  my  calculation.  I  esti- 
mated that  the  runners  covered  a  distance  of  200  feet  in  nineteen  seconds  on  the 
f;r.st  circuit,  and  in  later  circuits  in  about  twenty-four  seconds.  A  circuit  may 
measure  from  3  to  12  miles  in  length.  They  may  agree  upon  from  five  to  twenty 
circuits.  The  first  three  circuits  are  run  at  tlie  highest  speed,  but  the  speed  is 
never  great,  although  constant.  At  a  race  rehearsal  I  have  seen  them  making  i 
miles  in  half  an  hour.  Filipe,  who  is  now  dead,  could  run  from  mid-day  to 
sunrise.  He  was  from  Marrarachic.  and  was  the  greatest  runner  known  in  tlie 
northeastern  part  of  Taralunnari.  Cood  runners  make  -IP  miles  in  from  t;  to 
8  hours. 

Women  hold  their  own  r.-ices.  ime  v.illey  against  another,  and  the  same  scenes 
of  betting  and  excitement  are  to  be  observed,  although  on  a  smaller  scale. 
The  women  do  not  toss  the  halls  with  their  toes,  but  use  a  species  of  long 
wooden  fork,  with  two  or  three  i)rongs,  with  which  they  propel  the  ball  forward. 
It  must  not  be  touched  with  the  hand.  At  other  times  the  women  use  a  curved 
stick,  with  which  the.v  throw  before  them  a  ring  of  twisted  fil)re.  which  tlms 
replaces  the  ball.  Neither  nuist  this  be  touched  with  the  hand,  altliougb  I  h.ive 
seen  them  clieat  when  tliey  fancied  themselves  unobserved,  picking  it  up  and 
running  with  it  in  order  to  save  time.  This  is  a  very  ancient  game,  as  similar 
rings  have  been  excavated  from  the  cliff-d«ellings.  The  women  get  even  more 
excited  than  the  men,  and  it  is  a  strange  sight  to  see  these  stalwart  Amazons 
racing  heavily  along,  b\it  with  .-istonishing  perseverance.  They  wear  nothing 
but  a  skirt,  which,  when  creeks  or  water-holes  come  in  their  way,  they  gather 
up,  i1  la  Diane,  and  make  short  work  of  the  crossing. 

Tarahumare.     Chihunluui.   Me.xico.     (Cat.   no.    16311,   16312,   Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

"  Secret iou  nt  a  plant-louse,  whidi  is  eaten  by  the  Indians. 


CILIX] 


BALL   race:   TARAHUMARE 


677 


Two  wooden  balls  (figriire  80(5),  2^  and  2J  inches  in  diameter;  and 

two  sticks    (figure  897),  with  curved,  fork-like  ends,  one  with 

two  and  the  other  with  three  prongs ;  lengths,  24^  and  2G  inches. 

Collected  by  Dr  Carl  Luniholtz.  who  gives  the  name  of  the  sticks 

as  manijera."  and  of  the  game  as  el  patillo.     He  further  says,  in  a 

letter : '' 


The  ball  game  of  the  'rarahuiuare  wcjuion.  jilayed  by  two  at  a  time,  is  called 
by  the  Tepehiian  ke  ta-tau-koard.  The  ball  is  beaten  by  a  cuchara.  or  spoon, 
called  tan-koua-le-ka-re.  The  game  is  t)ei;nii  liy  tbe  ball  bciii^'  tbrnwii  u]i  in  the 
air  and  then  struck  to  one  side. 


Pig.  897. 

Fig.  896.  Tossing  balls  for  women's  race;  diametei-s,  2J  and  2^  inches:  Tarahumare  Indians. 
Chihuahua.  Mexico:  rat.  no.  Ui.Sll.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  I'niversity  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

Fic.  897.  Tossing  sticks  for  women'.s  ball  race:  lengths.  34.1  and  2(>  inches;  Tarahumare  Indians, 
Chihuahua.  Mexico;  cat.  no.  1H.S12.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

Fi«.  898.  Tossing  rings  for  women's  race;  diameters,  ::i^  and  o  inches:  Tarahumare  Indians, 
Chihuahua.  Mexico;  cat.  no.  16.114.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 


Tarahujiare.     Guachochic,  Chihuahua.  Mexico.     (Cat.,  no.   Ifi313- 
16315,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania.) 
Two   rings    (figure   898)    made   of  yucca   fiber,   wrapped   with   cord 
made  of  native  wool,  interlinked,  one  3^  and  the  other  5  inches 
in  diameter,  and  two  similar  rings  (figure  899),  each  »  inches  in 
diameter;    accompanied    by    two    pointed    sticks    (figure    900), 
slightly  curved  at  the  end,  28i  and  29^  inches  in  length. 
Collected  by  Dr  Carl  Lumholtz.  who  describes  them  as  used  in  the 
game  of  la  revetta.'' 


°  Probably   manejera,  from  manejar,   to  handle. 
"  Dated  July  23,  1902. 
"  Spanish,  revuelta. 


678 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ANN.  24 


ZuAQtJE.     Eio  Fuerte,  Sinaloa,  Mexico. 

Mr  C.  V.  Hartman  writes  the  author  as  follows: 

These  Indians  have  the  same  game  as  the  Tarahumare,  corrida  de  la  bola, 
a  race  in  which  a  wooden  ball  is  tossed  witli  the  foot.  Its  name  in  their  lan- 
guage is  ga-hi'-ma-ri. 

Their  women  have  a  game  witli  similar  wooden  halls,  thrown  np  in  the  air 
with  sticks  which  are  spoon-lilve  in  the  end,  not  forlcetl,  as  Ijy  the  Tarahumare. 
They  call  the  game  a'-tja. 


Fig.  S99. 


Fig,  Ml. 


Fig.  899.  Tossing  rings  for  women's  race;  diameter,  .^  inches;  Tai-ahumare  Indians.  Cliibnahua, 
Mexico;  cat.  no.  16.31.3,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Fig.  900.  Tossing  sticks  for  women's  ring  race;  lengths,  28i and 29t  inches;  Tarahumare  Indians, 
Chihuahua,  Mexico;  cat.  no.  16315,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

SHOSHONEAN    STOCK 

Bannock.     Fort  Hall  reservation,  Idaho. 

A  kind  of  foot  race,  in  which  a  ball  made  of  an  inflated  beef  bladder, 
watooka,  is  kicked,  was  described  to  the  writer  in  1000  by  the  Indians 
at  Rossfork,  Idaho.  Two  sides  choose,  sometimes  three  or  four  men 
and  sometimes  only  one  on  each  side.  Each  side  has  its  ball.  The 
runners  start  at  a  given  jDoint,  make  a  circuit,  and  return. 

Hopi.     Oraibi.  Arizona.     (Cat.  no.  G6084,  6G113,  Field  Columbian 

Museum.) 
Footballs  consisting  of  nearly  cubical  blocks,  2^  inches  and  1^  inches 
square,  made  of  pitch  and  horsehair. 
These  balls,  called  ([(ionah,  are  described  as  follows  by  the  collector, 
Rev.  H.  R.  Voth  : 

One  of  the  principal  sports  of  the  Hopi,  in  which  they  indulge  every  few  days 
in  the  .spring,  is  a  footb;ill  race,  in  which  the  men  from  different  kivas  par- 
ticipate and  in  which  balls  like  these  specimens  are  used.  They  are  made  of 
pitch  and  horsehair,  to  which  sometimes  a  little  rabbit  fur  and  a  few  hairs 
growing  over  the  big  toe  of  men  who  are  known  as  specially  fast  runners  are 
added.  These  toe  hairs  are  chosen  because  the  ball  is  kicked  with  the  point 
of  the  nioccasiu.    The  horsehair  is  taken  from  fast  horses.    The  racers  start 


culin] 


BALL    RACE :   MONO 


679 


on  one  side  of  the  mesa,  each  group  kicking  before  them  their  own  ball  around 
the  mesa  iioiut,  ascending  on  the  opposite  side.  At  each  succeeding  race  the  cir- 
cuit is  increased,  until  it  reaches  a  length  of  from  8  to  10  miles. 

Mr  Voth  informed  the  writer  that  the  balls  are  distinguished  by 
having  the   mark  of  the  kiva  to 
which  they  belong  painted  on  one 
side. 


Fig.  901.  KickiUg;:  balls;  dimensious,  'J  inches 
square;  Hopi  Indians,  Oraibi,  Arizona:  cat. 
no.  38705,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art, 
University  of  Pennsylvania. 


Hopi.      Oraibi.     Arizona.      (Cat. 
no.  38705,  Free  Museum 
of  Science  and  Art,  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania.) 
Two  black  cubes  made  of  hair  and 
pinon  gum,  with  rounded  cor- 
ners, about  2  inches  square  (figure  901).     Collected  by  the  writer 
in  1901. 
They  were  described  as  sunkoiungat.  footballs,  and  were  used  in  the  spring 
of  the  ye;iv. 

AValpi,  Arizona.      (Cat.  no.  38622,  Free  Museum  of  Science 

and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Ball  of  hard  white  clay  stone,  2^  inches  in  diameter.    Collected  by  the 
writer  in  1901. 
Mr  A.  M.  Stephen  in  his  unpublished  manuscript  mentions  "  kick- 
ing a  nodule  ahead  during  a  run:"    Hopi.  wunpaya  nanamiiiniwa; 
Tewa.  tibi  kwanwino.    In  his  diary  he  says: 

Monday.  March  20  [1893]  :  A  cold,  blustering  day  and  not  many  want  na-na'- 
mii-i-ni-wa.  .Still  there  are  a  few  from  each  kiva.  They  ran  at  usual  time  and 
place. 

Tuesday,  March  21  :  Last  night  was  rainy  and  to-day  is  cloudy,  foggy,  and 
showery.  The  decorations  of  the  different  kivas  engaged  in  the  na-na'-mii-i- 
nl-wa,  I  should  think,  must  have  been  originally  of  ceremonial  significance, 
but  I  do  not  tind  anyone  who  can  enlighten  me  on  that  side.     The  racers  run  in 

the  valley.     The  women   watch  the 
varying  positions  of  the  men  of  the 
jf  ~i^^  /  ''li\        different  kivas.     When  the  men  are 

i,  /^^Si  im,  m      clustered  together  kicking  the  nod- 

ules, others  on  the  outside  of  the 
hurdle  watch  their  legs  and  distin- 
guish the  nodules  as  kicked. 

The  name  of  the  stone  nodule 
he  gives  as  kiiiihii;  to  kick  the 
nodule,  wiiipa  or  wiinpa. 
Mono.     Hooker  cove,  Madera  county.  California.     (Cat.  no.  71440. 

Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Two  buckskin-covered  balls  (figure  902)   filled  with  hair,  4i  inches 
in  diameter.     Collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson,  who  describes  them 
as  a  pair  of  balls  for  the  ball  race. 
Two  balls  are  used.    They  are  sometimes  kicked  as  far  as  15  miles. 


Pig.  90ji.  Footballs:  diameter,  4i  inches;  Mono 
Indians,  Madera  county,  California;  cat.  no. 
71440,  Field  Columbian  Miiseum. 


680  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      (eth.  ann.  24 

I 

ToiiiKiiAR  ((lAiiiiiELEXos).     Tjos  Aiigeles  couiity,  California. 
Hugo  Ried  "  says : 

Football   w:is  played  by  ilillilrcn  and  by   those  swift  of  foot.     Bpttiiif^  was 
1        indulged  in  t)y  the  spectators. 

TANOAX    .STOCK 

Tewa.     Hano,  Arizona.      (Free  Museinii  of  Science  and  Art.  ITni- 

versity  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Cat.  no.  38617.     Two  wooden  cylindei-s  ( tigure  i)03)  about  1  inch  in 

diameter  and  3^  inches  long,  jjainted  hlack.    One  slightly  smaller 

in  the  diameter  than  the  other.     Collected  l)y  the  writer  in  1!>01. 

The  Hopi  name  of  these  sticks  was  given  to  the  collector  as  koho- 

nmpaiah.     The  large  one  was  designated  as  yasako  kolionmpaiah  and 

the  smaller  as  chihoiya  kohoumjjaiah.     They  were  described  as  used 

in  a  racing  game  by  two  men,  who  kick  them  and  run  down  the  trail 

in  th(>  woman's  dance,  majowtikiwe,  in  July. 


Fig.  903. 


Fig.  004. 


Fig.  9)W.    Kicking  billets;  length,  ^11  inches;  Tewa  Indians,  Hano,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  :W617,  Free 

Mnsfuni  of  Science  and  Art,  Univei*sity  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fic.  904.    Slinging  ball;   diameter  of  ball,  3J  inches;  Tewa  Indians,  Hano,  Arizona;   cat.  no. 

3%19,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

In  the  summer  of  IDO.i  the  writer  obtained  a  single  kicking  stick 
from  the  Tewa  at  Hano.     It  was  painted  red.     He  was  told  only  one 
was  used.     They  called  it  pai-kweh-beh.  and  gave  the  Walpi  name 
for  the  stick  as  ko-hodvoing-i. 
Cat.  no.  38G20.  38621.     Two  balls  of  altered  peridotite,  apparently 

appro.ximating  closely  to  serpentine,  2  inches  in  diameter. 
Cat.  no.  38623.     Balls  of  iron  concretion,  slightly  shaped,  2|  inches 

in  diameter. 
Collected  by  the  writer  in  1!)01. 
Cat.  no.  3861i».     A  l)all   (figure  904).  3J  inches  in  diameter,  covered 

^vith  a  piece  of  an  old  stocking,  blackened,  and  having  a  braided 

wool  cord.  10  inches  in  length,  with  a  knot  at  the  end,  attached. 
This  was  collected  by  the  writer  in  1901,  to  whom  it  was  described 
as  used  in  a  game  in  which  the  contestants  lie  on  their  backs  and  sling 
the  ball  backward  overhead.  In  A.  M.  Stephen's  unpublished  manu- 
script, he  refers  to  a  game  with  ''  a  small  nodule  in  a  sling  fastened  to 
the  great  toe;  player  lies  on  back  and  kicks  or  slings  it  backward 
overhead ;"  Hopi,  siifiii  wuiipa ;  Tewa,  konlo  kwebe. 


"  Account  of  the  Indians  of  Los  Angeles  Co. 
17,  i>.  1-S,  Salcm.  IRS.o. 


Cal.     Bulletin  of  the  Essex  Institute,  v. 


crLix]  BALL    RACE  :    MARICOPA  681 

l)r  J.  Walter  Fewkes."  in  Iiis  account  of  the  Hopi  Powamu.  de- 
scribes a  curious  game  of  ball  called  sunwuwinpa  played  by  the 
kiva  chief  and  the  Hehea  katcinas.  The  Iiall  is  attached  to  a  looped 
string.  The  player  lies  on  his  back  and,  passing  the  loop  over  the 
great  toe,  projects  the  ball  back  over  his  head.  The  slinging-ball 
game  would  appear  to  be  the  clown's  travesty  of  the  kicked-stick  race. 

Tewa.     Santa  Clara.  New  Mexico. 
Mr  T.  S.  Dozier  writes : '' 

Tbe  game  of  the  kicked  stick,  still  played  at  Zufii.  has  been  diseontinufd  at 
the  Tewa  pueblos  for  some  years.  This  is  a  game  of  sacrifice  as  well  as  of 
wager,  and  would  have  to  be  i)erformed  at  the  latter  pueblos  with  too  much 
imblioity.  owing  to  the  encroachment  of  the  settlers  on  all  sides;  tbe  course  of 
the  race,  taking  Santa  Clara  for  an  example,  could  be  preserved  on  the  lands  of 
the  pueblo,  but  to  the  north,  in  accordance  with  the  old  bounds,  would  h.ive  to 
pass  tln-ough  or  lieyoud  thickly  settled  villages  to  the  north  of  Espanola.  then  it 
would  cross  the  tracks  of  tbe  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railroad,  and  there  would 
lie  one  continuous  obstruction  of  houses  and  fenced  fields  on  the  homestretch 
toward  the  south. 


Fig.  nil.-).  ,  J"ig,!«»i. 

Fig.  905.    Wooden  kicking  ball:  diameter,  -i'^  inches:  Cocopa  Indiaus,  Sonora.  Mexico:  cat.  no. 

1.52691.  United  States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  9(»).    Stone  kicking  ball:  diameter.  2i  inches:  llaricoiia  Indians.  Arizona:  cat.  no.  292.5. 

Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 

YUMAN    .STOCK 

CocoPA.  Lower  Colorado  river,  Sonora,  Mexico.  (Cat.  no.  152694, 
United  States  National  Museum.) 

Ball  of  hard  wood  (figure  DO.")),  almost  perfectly  spherical,  and 
highly  polished  by  use:  diameter.  3f  inches.  Collected  by  Dr 
Edward  Palmer,  who  describes  it  as  a  football. 

Maricopa.     Arizona.     (Cat.  no.  -2920,  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum.) 
Stone  ball  (figure  900),  2f  inches  in  diameter. 

Collected  in  1904  by  Mr  Louis  L.  Meeker,  who  describes  the  ball 
under  the  name  of  ho  nyavik  as  kicked  between  goals  in  a  game 
similar  to  shinny. 

"  Tusa.van  Katcinas.     Fifteenth  .\nnual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  •J90.  1897. 
'  Some    Tewa    Games.      I'npublished    MS.    in    the    library    of    the    Bureau    of    American 
Ethnology. 


682 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  i;4 


Mohave.     Fort  Mohave,  Arizona.      (Cat.  no.  60267,  Field  Columbian 

Museum.) 
Ball  of  mesquite  ■wood,  2i  inches  in  diameter. 

Collected  by  Mr  John  J.  McKoin,  who  describes  it  as  used  in  a 
game  of  football,  ooy  yank : 

This  game  is  played  with  a  mesquite  ball,  about  2  inches  in  diameter.  This 
ball  is  called  coon  ya  va.  The  players  wager  beads,  ponies,  wives,  lilankets,  etc. 
The  game  is  played  by  two  persons,  each  having  a  ball.  A  line  is  marked  out 
upon  the  ground  and  each  player  puts  his  ball  upon  this  line,  placing  them  about 
5  or  li  feet  apart.  Then  they  take  positions  8  or  10  feet  liehind  the  balls.  Each 
player  has  a  second,  who  stands  behind  his  principal  and  follows  him  throughout 
the  play.  Tlie.se  seconds  give  the  player  a  signal  to  begin  the  play.  The  players 
then  rush  forward,  each  to  his  own  ball,  pushes  his  foot  under  it  and  tosses 
it  as  far  as  he  can.  He  continues  this  performance  until  he  reaches  a  goal, 
previously  agreed  upon  and  marked,  1  or  2  miles  from  the  starting  point. 
Upon  reaching  this  goal  the  players  turn  and  play  back  to  the  starting  jmint. 
The  one  who  first  puts  his  ball  over  the  mark  is  the  winner  and  takes  the  stakes. 


Fig.  90T. 


Fig.  9H8. 


Flo.  90T.    Wooden  kicking;  ball;  diameter,  2^  inches;  Mohave  Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  9980, 

United  States  National  Museum. 
Fio.  908.    Wooden  kicking  ball;  diameter,  .3J  inches;  Yuma  Indians,  Port  Yuma,  California;  cat. 

no.  63347,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Colorado  river.  Arizona.      (Cat.  no.  0980,  Ignited  States  Na- 
tional Museum.) 
AVooden   ball    (figure   907),   rudely   carved   and   slightly   flattened; 

diameter,  2^   inches.     Described   by   the  collector,   Dr  Edward 

Palmer,  as  a  football. 

Yuma.     Fort  Yuma,  San  Diego  county,  California.     (Cat.  no.  68347, 

Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Cottonwood  l)all  (figure  908),  3^  inches  in  diameter,  designated  by 
the  collector,  Mr  S.  C.  Simms,  as  a  football,  esor. 

•  ZUNIAN    .STOCK 


Zrxi.    Zufii.  New  Me.xico.     (United  States  National  Museum.) 
Billets  of  hard  wood,  in  pairs,  one  of  eacii  pair  with  a  band  of  red 

paint  in  the  middle  and  the  other  with  bands  at  both  ends  and 

the  middle. 
Cat.  no.  (Jd'27'da.     Two  billets,  3^  inches  long,  1^  inches  in  diametei'. 


CULIN] 


BALL  race:  zuni  683 


Oat.  no.   69273?>.     Two  billets    (figure  909).  U  inches  long,  seven- 
eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter. 

Cat.  no.  69274.     Two  billets,  4  inches  long,  five-eighths  of  an  inch  in 
diameter. 

Cat.  no.  69275.     Two  billets,  6  inches  long,  one-half  inch  in  diameter. 

Cat.  no.  69276.     Two  billets  (figure  910),  5  inches  long,  three-eighths 
of  an  inch  in  diameter. 
These  are  used  in  the  kicked-stick  race.     They  were  collected  bj' 

the  late  Col.  James  Stevenson. 

Mr  F.  W.  Hodge"  describes  the  kicked-stick  race  as  follows: 

When  the  Sun  Priest  announces  the  arrival  of  planting  time,  and  the  herald 
proclaims  from  the  house-tops  that  the  planting  has  been  clone,  the  seasons  for 
foot-racing  in  Zuni  are  at  hand. 

The  first  races  of  the  year,  while  interesting  ceremonially,  are  by  no  means 
so  exciting  as  those  which  follow  later  in  the  season  when  the  planting  is 
finished.  These  preliminary  races  are  over  a  short  course  and  are  participated 
iu  by  a  representative  of  eat-h  of  the  six  estufas.     Six  prayer-plumes  and  an 


Fig   !««!.  Fig.  9111. 

Fig.  909.    Kicking  billets;  length,  44  inches;  Znni  Indians,  Zuni,  New  Mexico:  cat.  no.  692736, 

United  States  National  Museum. 
Fio.  91U.    Kicking  billets:  length,  .t  inches;   Zuni  Indians.  Zuiii,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  6927(1, 

United  States  National  Museum. 

equal  number  of  race-sticks  are  made  by  the  Priests  of  the  Bow,  the  latter  of 
which  are  placed  iu  the  trail  about  2  miles  from  the  starting  point.  When 
the  time  for  the  race  has  been  decided  upon,  which  may  not  be  until  three 
or  four  days  after  the  race-sticks  have  been  deposited  by  the  priests,  the  six 
representatives  of  the  estufas  run  to  the  point  where  they  are,  and  each  man 
finds  and  kicks  one  of  the  sticks  in  a  small  circle  homeward.  This  race  is  a 
contest  between  the  six  individuals  comprising  the  racing  party,  and  no  betting 
is  engaged  in. 

The  great  races  of  Zuni,  and  those  in  which  the  chief  interest  is  centered, 
occur  after  the  planting — the  time  when  nearly  all  the  men  are  at  leisure.  In 
selecting  the  participants  in  the.se  races,  the  swiftest-footed  of  the  .voung  men 
of  the  northern  half  of  the  pueblo  are  matched  against  those  of  the  southern, 
or  of  the  western  half  again.st  the  eastern.  The  number  of  racers  on  a  side 
varies  from  three  to  six,  and  the  degree  of  interest  taken  in  the  contest  depends 
upon  the  reputation  of  those  engaged  in  it,  and  particularly  upon  the  extent  to 
which  betting  has  been  indulged  in. 

As  soon  as  the  choice  of  sides  has  been  made,  the  wagering  begins,  and 
increases  with  good-natured  earnestness  until  the  time  for  the  foot-race  arrives. 
Every  available  hide  and  pelt  is  brought  to  light  from  beneath  the  piles  of  stores 
secreted  in  the  back  rooms  and  cellars,  to  be  converted  into  cash  or  gorgeously 
colored  calico,  and  the  demand  upon  the  trader  for  goods  is  unequaled  except 

«  A  Zuui  Foot-race.     The  .\mericau  .Anthropologist,  v.  3,  p.  227,  1S90 


684  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    TXDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 

when  ;i  f;i'o:it  ilanco  is  apiiroadiin^'.  Mciiicy,  silver  liolts.  limpelets  ami  rings, 
shell  iieckhues.  tiiniuoises.  hoi'ses.  slieep.  bianlvets,  in  fact  anythins  and  every- 
thing of  value  to  the  Indian,  are  offered  Iiy  a  resident  of  one  side  of  the  pueblo 
in  support  of  his  favorites  against  something  of  eijuai  value  held  Ijy  a  ehaiu- 
pion  of  the  opposing  side. 

On  the  evening  of  the  day  liefore  a  long  race  takes  place,  the  participants 
repair  to  a  secluded  spot  in  one  of  the  mesas  some  miles  from  the  village, 
where  a  hole,  a  foot  or  two  in  deptli,  is  e.xcavated,  in  which  is  deposited,  with 
due  ceremony,  a  quantity  of  sacred  meal  and  two  cigarettes  niade  of  native 
tobacco  (ah-na-te)  rolled  in  the  husk  of  corn.  When  this  portion  of  tlie  cere- 
mony has  been  concluded  and  the  hole  tilled,  the  Indians  move  away  for  a  short 
distance  and  sit  for  a  while  without  speaking  above  a  whisper,  when  they 
start  for  the  pueblo.  On  their  way  should  a  roosting  bird  become  frightened 
and  take  (light,  or  the  hoot  of  an  owl  be  heard,  the  sign  is  a  warning  to  defer 
the  race.  But  if  lightning  be  seen  or  a  shooting-star  observed,  the  omen  Is 
considered  a  favorable  one  and  the  race  takes  place  on  the  day  following. 

The  lacers  are  greeted  on  their  return  b.v  a  priest  wlio  offers  a  blessing.  A 
single  cigarette  is  made  and  passed  ai'ound  among  the  numlier,  after  which  one 
of  them  recites  a  pra.ver.  The  preparator.v  ceremonies  being  now  completed, 
the  racers  retire  into  the  house  of  the  priest,  who  e.xtends  his  hospitality  mitil 
after  the  event.  The  following  morning,  the  da.v  of  the  race,  the  runners 
arise  even  earlier  than  usual,  take  a  short  run,  and  return  to  await  the  time 
appointed  to  start.  In  the  meanwhile  they  make  bets  with  one  another  or  with 
anyone  who  may  happen  in.  About  an  hour  before  starting  they  partake 
sparingly  of  paper  bread  (he-we)  soaked  in  water,  after  which  they  doff  their 
ever.v-da.v  ai)parel  and  substitute  breech-cloths,  the  color  of  which  is  either 
entirely  white  or  red.  dependent  upon  tlie  side  to  which  the  wearer  belongs. 
To  prevent  the  hair  being  an  impediment  to  progress,  it  is  carefull.v  and  com- 
pactly arranged  above  the  forehead  in  a  knot  by  one  of  the  Priests  of  the  Bow. 
To  this  knot  or  coil  an  arrow-point  is  invariably  attached  as  a  symbol  of 
flight,  or  perhaps  as  a  charm  to  insure  to  the  runner  the  swiftness  of  the 
arrow.  The  arrow-jwints  having  been  thus  placed,  the  same  iiriest.  holding  in 
each  hand  a  turke.v-riuill,  pronounces  a  lilessing  and  leads  his  <harges  to  the 
starting  i)oint. 

Without,  the  excitement  is  intense.  The  women  discuss  with  one  another 
the  probable  outcome,  and  engage  in  betting  as  spiritedly  as  the  men.  Here 
may  be  seen  a  fellow  who  has  wageivd  all  be  possesses — if  he  wins,  so  much 
the  better,  and  if  all  is  lost  he  takes  the  consequences  philosophically  and 
trusts  succe.ss  will  visit  him  next  time.  .Another  may  be  seen  who  has  ven- 
tured all  his  own  property  as  well  as  that  of  his  wife,  and  if  be  fails  to  win  a 
divorce  is  imminent.  The  small  boys  .ilso  are  iubilant.  When  the  race  was 
first  proposed  the.y  sought  their  <-ompanions.  selected  sides,  and  staked  their 
small  i)ossessions  on  the  results  of  their  own  races  witli  a  zeal  tli.-it  would  have 
become  their  fathers. 

The  articles  that  are  to  change  hands  at  the  close  of  the  race  are  placed  in  a 
heap  in  the  center  of  the  large  dance-court  near  the  old  Spanish  church. 
Around  this  pile  of  valuables  a  crowd  gathers,  on  horse-back  or  afoot,  to  take 
advantage  of  the  few  moments  that  remain  in  which  to  make  their  final  wagers. 
As  the  runners  emerge  from  the  house  luider  the  leadership  of  the  priest,  they 
are  followed  b.v  the  excited  crowd  to  the  smooth  ground  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river,  from  whence  they  usually  start. 

.\  Zuni  foot-race  is  not  entirel.v  a  contest  of  swift-footedness,  although  much, 
of   course,    depends    upon    that   aecomplislmient.     In    preparing    for    the    start 


ciLix)  BALL  race:  zuni  685 

the  members  of  one  side  arrange  themselves  several  paces  apart  in  an  irregular 
line  in  the  course  to  be  pursued,  in  such  a  manner  that  the  movements  of  their 
leader  at  the  point  of  starting  can  be  readily  seen,  those  of  the  contesting 
party  posting  themselves  in  a  similar  line  a  few  feet  away.  The  leader  of 
each  side  places  across  his  foot  at  the  base  of  the  toes  a  rounded  stick  meas- 
ured by  the  size  of  the  middle  finger.  Just  before  the  signal  is  given  to  pro- 
ceed a  mounted  priest  goes  ahead,  sprinkling  the  trail  with  sacred  meal. 

At  the  signal  each  of  the  two  lenders  kicks  his  stick  as  far  in  advance  as 
po.ssililo.  when  tlie  racer  of  his  side  who  happens  to  be  nearest  its  place  of  fall- 
ing immediately  rushes  for  and  again  kicks  it.  his  companions  running  ahead 
in  order  to  be  in  readiness  to  send  the  stick  on  its  furtlier  Hight.  This  opera- 
tion is  continued  throughout  the  entire  course,  the  racers  in  the  rear  each  time 
running  in  advance  as  rapidly  as  possible  that  they  may  kick  tlie  stick  as  often 
as  their  companions. 

Not  infrequently  the  first  kicking  of  the  sticks  sends  them  flying  over  the 
heads  of  the  .second  and  even  the  third  racers  in  advance,  and  they  fall  near 
each  other.  The  excitement  at  tliis  occurrence  is  very  great,  for  none  of  the 
dozen  young  men  spare  themselves  in  seraml)liug  over  and  inishing  one  another 
in  order  to  secure  the  stick  and  send  it  on  its  course.  Xo  ditliculty  is  experi- 
enced by  a  racer  in  recognizing  the  stick  of  his  party,  that  lielonging  to  one  side 
having  a  band  of  red  paint  around  the  center,  tlie  other  an  additional,  though 
narrower,  stripe  around  both  ends. 

Considering  the  extreme  lightness  of  the-race-sticlc.  the  distance  whicli  it  is 
sent  by  a  single  kick,  or  rather  toss,  with  the  toes  is  remarkable.  Very  often  a 
sticlv  is  raised  aloft  in  this  manner  about  .Sd  feet  and  falls  at  least  a  Imndred 
feet  from  the  point  at  which  it  was  lifted.  Nor  is  the  distance  wliich  the  stick 
Is  sent  the  ouly  requisite  of  success.  Sometimes  a  narrow,  sandy  trail  bordered 
by  weeds  is  to  be  traversed,  and  a  careless  kick  will  probably  send  the  stick 
into  the  brush  or  into  an  arroyo.  where  great  difficulty  may  lie  experienced  in 
regaining  it.  since  a  racer  is  never  allowed  to  touch  a  stick  with  liis  hands 
uutil  he  reaches  the  goal.  Again,  throughout  the  rough  race-trail  the  char- 
acter of  the  land  surface  varies  greatly,  and  long  stretches  of  deep  sand  alter- 
nate with  rocky  passes,  arroyos.  and  hills  clothed  with  scrub  timber  or  sage- 
brush. Indeed,  smooth  ground  is  seldom  met  with  over  the  entire  course  of  25 
miles. 

Accompanying  the  iiartici[iants  may  always  be  seen  two  or  three  hundred 
equestrians — those  who.  more  than  any  others,  are  interested  in  the  outcome  of 
the  race  liy  reason  of  the  extent  of  their  prospective  gains  or  losses.  When 
one  side  follows  closely  in  the  track  of  its  opponent,  the  horsemen  all  ride 
together :  but  when,  by  reason  of  accident  or  inferiority  in  speed,  a  party  falls 
considerably  in  the  rear,  the  horsemen  separate  to  accompany  their  respective 
favorites.  If  the  season  is  dry,  the  dust  made  by  loping  horses  is  blinding ; 
but  the  racers  continue.  a|)|iareutly  as  unmindful  of  the  mud-coating  that  accu- 
mulates on  their  almost  nude,  [lerspiriug  bodies  as  if  they  were  within  but  a  few 
steps  of  victory. 

On  they  go  from  tlie  point  of  starting  over  tlie  soutliern  hills,  thence  eastward 
to  Thunder  Mountain,  along  the  western  base  of  which  they  proceed  to  the 
basaltic  rocks  through  which  the  Zuni  river  runs.  Keeping  close  to  the  mesas 
that  ff)rm  the  northern  boundary  of  the  valley,  the  racers  cross  the  river  on 
their  return  at  a  point  about  2  miles  west  of  the  pueblo,  whence  they  continue 
to  the  western  end  of  the  southern  hills  first  crossed.  These  having  been 
skirted,  they  pass  over  the  low.  .sandy  corn-fields  to  the  goal,  followed  by  the 
yelling  horsemen,  who  wave  yards  of  brilliant  calico  as  they  dash  forward  with 


686  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  axn.  24 

the  final  spurt  of  the  racers.  When  the  goal  is  reached,  the  first  racer  of  the 
winning  side  takes  the  stick  into  his  hands  for  the  first  time  since  starting. 
With  renewed  energy  the  individual  members  of  the  successful  party  put  forth 
every  remaining  effort  to  be  the  first  to  arrive  at  the  central  plaza  of  the 
pueblo.  He  who  gains  it  first  is  considered  the  superior  racer  of  all,  and  his 
honor  is  indeed  well  earned.  Running  as  rapidly  as  possible  once  around  the 
heap  of  stores,  at  the  same  time  breathing  from  bis  band  the  "breath  of  life," 
the  victor,  stick  in  band,  continues  at  a  nuuiiug  pace  to  his  home. 

Curiosity  prompted  me  to  note  the  time  occupied  in  performing  this  feat, 
which  was  found  to  be  exactly  two  hours. 

Like  almost  every  undertaking  of  the  Zufii.  the  foot-race  has  more  or  less  of 
a  religious  significance,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  initiatory  ceremonies.  The 
oppo.sing  racers  who  await  the  signal  to  give  the  stick  its  first  toss  place  tur- 
quoises or  shell  beads  beneath  the  stick  that  they  may  be  sacrificed  at  the  first 
lifting  of  the  foot.  In  the  belief  of  the  Zuni  the  stick  has  a  tendency  to  draw 
the  racers  on.  and  as  long  as  it  can  be  kept  in  advance  their  success  is,  of  course, 
assured.  The  cause  thus  follows  the  effect  in  the  same  manner  as  it  does  when 
in  Zuiiiland  the  summer  comes  because  the  butterflies  appear,  and  it  departs 
because  the  birds  take  their  flight. 

Training  for  a  Zuili  foot-race  begins  at  childhood.  At  almost  any  time  a 
naked  .voungster  of  four  or  five  years  may  be  seen  playing  at  kicking-the-stick 
outside  the  door  of  his  home,  or,  if  a  year  or  two  older,  coming  from  the  corn- 
field— where  he  has  been  dutifully  engaged  in  frightening  off  the  crows — tossing 
the  stick  as  far  as  his  little  feet  will  allow  him. 

Mr  John  G.  Owens "  Avrote  the  following  account  of  the  same 
game : 

Ti-kwa-we.  or  Game  of  the  Kicked  Stick.'' — This  is  the  great  national  game  of 
Zuiii.  Among  Zuni  .sports  it  ranks  as  baseball  does  among  our  own.  It  is 
indulged  in  by  almost  the  whole  male  iwpulation,  from  boys  of  5  or  6  to 
men  of  40.  Any  evening  of  the  summer  one  can  see  crowds  of  twenty  or  thirty 
boys  skirting  the  southeni  hills  and  kicking  the  stick.  Practiced  thus  during 
eight  months  of  the  year,  they  have  an  especial  occasion  when  they  contest  for 
the  championship,  and  this  is  one  of  the  great  jubilees  of  the  tribe.  Although 
the  women  do  not  take  part,  yet  they  show  equal  interest  with  the  men  and 
become  as  much  excited. 

The  time  of  holding  this  contest  is  usually  in  the  spring,  between  the  planting 
of  the  wheat  and  the  corn.  The  Priest  of  the  Bow  makes  six  prayer-plumes 
and  six  race-sticks.  The  prayer-plumes  consist  of  small  sticks  with  the  white 
feathers  from  the  tail  of  a  certain  species  of  hawk  tied  to  one  side ;  the  race- 
sticks  are  about  the  size  of  the  middle  finger.  The  priest  then  takes  these 
sticks  and  places  them  on  the  trail  toward  the  south,  and  for  four  days  they 
remain  there  untouched.  At  the  end  of  this  time  he,  and  any  others  who 
wish  to  join  in  the  race,  will  run  out  to  where  the  sticks  have  been  placed, 
and  as  they  arrive  they  breathe  on  their  hands  and  then  kick  the  sticks  home, 
making  a  circle  of  2  or  3  miles. 

Four  days  later  a  representative  of  each  elan,  each  with  a  picture  of  bis  clan 
painted  on  his  back,  will  run  out  in  much  the  .same  manner.  By  this  time  most 
of  the  people  have  returned  from  their  wheat-planting  and  the  ti-kwa-we  is  in 
order.     At  present  there  are  six  estufas   in   Zuni — Ha-e-que,   Ha-cher-per-que, 

"  Some  Games  of  the  Zufii.     Popular  Science  Monthly,  v.  39,  p.  42,  New  Yorli,  1891. 

'This  game  was  described  by  Mr  F.  W.  Hodge  in  The  Anthropologist  for  ,Tu)y,  1890. 
I  have  thought  well  to  repeat  it  here  in  connection  with  the  other  games,  and  also  to  make 
some  corrections  and  to  add  several  points  not  mentioned  in  that  article. 


cixiNi  BALL  race:  zuni  687 

Choo-per-que,  Moo-ha-que,  0-ba-que,  aud  Uts-aun-que.  The  contest  lies  betweeu 
the  ineiubers  of  these  diCferent  estufas,  and  not  betweeu  the  members  of  the 
different  clans  or  parts  of  the  pueblo,  as  has  been  stated  by  some  writers. 

Whatever  estufas  wish  to  contest  select  their  men.  When  the  men  have  been 
selected  it  is  announced  in  the  evening  from  the  house-tops.  This  generally 
takes  place  three  or  four  days  prior  to  the  race.  This  race  is  generally  held 
at  Zuiii,  but  may  be  held  at  one  of  the  farming  pueblos,  as  Pescado.  Ojo  Caliente, 
or  Nutria  :  in  any  case  it  is  estufa  against  estufa.  On  the  evening  of  the  day 
before  the  race  each  side  sends  for  a  Priest  of  the  Bow.  Upon  arrival  he 
puts  into  the  mouth  of  each  one  a  piece  of  glass  about  1  inch  long;  and  with 
some  sacred  meal,  taken  from  his  pouch,  he  paints  a  mask  on  each  one's  face, 
then  blesses  them,  and  they  repair  to  the  hills  3  or  4  miles  distant.  They 
depart  in  absolute  silence.  Not  a  word  may  they  speak  unless  they  hear  or 
frighten  some  wild  animal  in  front  of  them.  If  the  sound  comes  from  behind, 
it  is  considered  an  ill  omen.  Having  reached  the  hills,  they  dig  a  hole  about 
the  length  of  the  arm  and  deposit  in  it  some  sacred  meal,  native  tobacco,  hewe, 
shells,  and  other  things  held  valuable  by  the  Zuiiis,  and  then  retire  a  short  dis- 
tance and  do  not  speak  above  a  whisper.  In  a  little  while  one  will  start  for 
the  pueblo,  saying  nothing,  and  the  rest  follow  in  single  file.  As  they  return, 
any  manifestation  of  power,  as  thunder  or  lightning,  is  considered  a  good  omen, 
as  it  will  make  them  strong. 

The  priest  Who  blessed  them  before  they  started  awaits  their  return  and 
accompanies  them  to  the  house  of  one  of  the  racers  or  that  of  any  member  of 
the  same  estufa.  As  they  reach  the  door  of  the  house,  those  within  say. 
"Have  you  come?"  "We  have,"  they  reply.  "Come  in  and  sit  down."  The 
priest  then  blesses  them,  and  a  single  cigarette  is  made  of  native  tobacco  and 
passed  among  the  number.  Then  they  retire  for  the  night.  Ne.\t  morning 
everything  is  alive  in  Zuiii.  Indeed,  for  several  days  past  the  whole  population 
has  been  somewhat  excited  over  the  coming  event.  Everyone  takes  sides,  from 
the  gray-haired  old  warrior,  who  believes  the  ti-kwa-we  to  be  the  greatest  game 
ever  held,  to  the  blushing  maiden,  whose  lover  is  one  of  the  contestants. 
Excitement  runs  high,  and  the  gambling  disposition  of  the  Indian  has  its 
fullest  encouragement.  The  small  boy  meets  his  playmate  and  stakes  all  his 
possessions.  The  veteran  gambler  once  more  tries  the  turn  of  fortune,  and  to 
counteract  his  heavier  betting  he  makes  a  long  prayer  to  Ah-ai-u-ta  or  plants 
an  additional  plume.  The  contestants  themselves  engage  in  betting,  and  every 
conceivable  thing  of  value  to  an  Indian  is  either  carried  to  the  jilaza.  south  of 
the  old  Spanish  church,  where  it  is  put  up  against  something  of  equal  value 
held  by  an  opponent,  or  is  hurried  off  to  the  trader's  store  and  turned  into 
money.  Ponies,  sheep,  goats,  money,  beads,  bracelets,  all  are  wagered.  Some- 
times also  they  sell  the  race.  This  is  not  generally  admitted  by  the  Zuiiis,  but 
I  have  it  on  good  authority  that  it  has  been  done. 

The  day  for  the  race  has  arrived;  the  runners  have  been  up  since  early 
morning,  and  have  taken  a  spin  over  part  of  the  course.  During  the  morning 
nearly  all  the  members  of  the  estufa  drop  in  to  tell  them  how  much  they  have 
wagered  on  their  success  and  to  encourage  them.  About  an  hour  before  the 
time  to  start  they  eat  a  little  hewe,  or  paper  bread,  soaked  in  water.  Hewe  is 
one  of  the  chief  breadstuffs  of  the  Zuiiis.  and  a  good  hewe-maker  is  in  reputation 
throughout  the  tribe  as  a  good  pastry  cook  is  among  us.  Hewe  is  made  from 
corn  batter  spread  with  the  hand  on  a  large  fiat  stone  over  a  slow  tire.  It 
takes  but  a  moment  to  bake  it.  is  almost  as  thin  as  paper,  very  crisp,  and  will 
vary  in  color  according  to  the  color  of  the  corn  u.sed.  This  repast  of  hewe  is 
accompanied  by  a  piece  of  humming-bird,  as  the  flight  of  that  bird  is  so  very 
swift. 


688  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  axx.  24 

The  runners  tbeu  batbe  ju  m  solution  niudf  from  ii  root  called  que-uie-way. 
Tlie  time  for  tlie  contest  is  at  band.  Tbe  ever.v-da.v  attire  is  exibauged  for  tbe 
sim|>le  breecb-elout.  Tbe  bair  is  done  up  in  a  neat  knot  on  tbe  toii  of  tbe  bead, 
and  tbe  priest  pronounces  a  blessin;;  as  be  fastens  in  it  an  arrow-point,  tbe 
emiilem  of  fleetness.  lie  tben  places  a  pincb  of  ashes  in  front  of  each  racer, 
and,  standing  before  biui.  holding  an  eagle-wing  in  each  band,  be  first  touches 
the  .-isbes  with  tbe  tips  of  tbe  wings  and  tben  brnsbes  tiie  ra<-er  from  head  to 
foot.  Tben  turning  to  tbe  north,  be  touches  tbe  wings  together  and  says  a 
prayer,  tbe  same  to  tbe  west,  south,  east,  the  earth,  and  sky.  I  suppose  the 
idea  of  tbe  Zuni  in  this  to  be.  that  .-is  be  has  sent  a  )irayer  to  tbe  four  points  of 
the  compass,  tbe  earth,  and  sky,  he  b.is  rut  off  every  possible  .source  of  misfor- 
tune .-ind  danger. 

lOverything  being  now  ready,  tbe  priest  leads  bis  favorites  to  the  course  across 
the  river.  Excitement  in  tbe  pueblo  has  readied  its  height:  the  most  venture- 
some ai'e  offering  big  odds  in  tbe  iila/.a.  and  now  all  assemble  to  see  the  start. 

Should  a  side  be  at  all  doubtful  of  its  success  in  tbe  race,  an  old  woman  is 
procured  to  sit  and  pray  during  tbe  entire  race.  She  sits  in  the  middle  of  the 
room.  Tbe  racers  sweep  the  floor  around  her  and  then  pile  up  everything  that 
is  used  about  tbe  fire,  such  as  ])okers,  ladles,  stirrin.g-sticks,  and  even  tbe  stones 
used  to  supiiort  the  pots  during  cooking:  these  are  to  make  their  opponents 
warm:  also  tbe  nnillers  with  which  they  grind  tbe  corn,  and  the  brooms:  these 
will  make  them  tired.  A  woman  is  chosen  rather  than  ;i  man,  fiecause  she  is 
Hot  so  fleet  of  foot.     .    ■.     . 

.\s  each  side  is  brought  to  tbe  course  the  priest  gives  a  parting  blessing,  and 
tlu'  runners  take  their  positions  opposite  their  opponents  in  single  file  along 
tbe  course.  Tbe  tik-wa.  or  stick  to  be  kicked,  is  about  the  size  of  tbe  middle 
finger.  That  belonging  to  one  side  has  its  ends  iiainted  red  and  that  of  tbe 
other  side  its  center  painted  red.  so  that  they  may  be  easily  distinguished.  Tbe 
rear  man  of  each  file  places  tbe  tik-wa  across  tbe  base  of  his  toes  and  sprinkles  a 
little  sacred  meal  upon  it.  Surrounding  the  racers  will  lie  three  or  four  hundred 
uunuited  Indians  dre.ssed  in  the  gayest  colors.  .Vll  is  now  ready  :  each  rider  has 
bis  e.ve  on  his  favorite  side,  an  old  priest  rides  in  advance  and  sprinkles  sacred 
meal  over  tbe  course,  tbe  starters  kick  tbe  sticks,  and  the  wildest  excitement 
jirevails.  .\s  each  racer  left  bis  home  be  put  into  bis  month  two  shell  beads — 
tbe  one  be  drops  as  a  sacrifice  as  he  starts,  tbe  other  when  be  lias  covered  about 
one-half  tbe  course.  Tbe  stick  is  tossed  rather  than  kicked,  and  a  good  racer 
will  toss  it  from  80  to  KlO  feet.  Over  tbe  heads  of  tbe  runners  it  goes  and  falls 
beyond  the  first  man.  He  simply  points  to  where  it  lights,  and  runs  on.  Tlie 
ne.xt  man  tries  to  kick  it.  but  should  be  fail  to  get  under  it  be  goes  on,  .-ind  tlie 
next  man  takes  it.  Tbe  race  is  not  1o  the  swift  alone,  although  this  lias  mucb 
to  do  with  it.  The  stick  can  in  no  <iise  be  touched  with  anything  but  tbe  foot, 
and  sboubl  it  fall  into  a  cactus  hush,  a  in'airie-dog  bole,  or  an  arro.vti  much 
valuable  time  is  lost  in  getting  it  out.  Not  infre(|uently  it  bapjiens  that  one 
side  will  be  several  miles  in  advance  of  tbe  other  when  the  stick  falls  into  some 
unnoticed  bole.  The  wild  and  frenzied  yelling  which  takes  place  as  tho.se  who 
were  behind  come  up  and  pass  can  only  be  iin.igined  and  not  described.  So  skill 
in  tossing  it  plays  a  prominent  part.  On,  on  they  go  to  the  southern  hills,  east 
to  Ta-ai-yal-lo-ne,  north  to  the  mes.is.  follow  these  west  for  miles,  then  to 
tbe  southern  hills,  and  back  again  to  the  starting-point.  Tbe  distance  trav- 
ersed is  nearly  2.^)  miles,  and  tbe.v  pass  over  it  in  about  two  hours.  Racing 
is  indulged  in  by  tbe  excited  horsemen  as  the.v  approach  the  go:iI.  .and  it  is  not 
unusual  to  see  a  |)ony  drop  over  dead  from  exhaustion  as  tbe.v  near  tbe  village. 
Tbe  successful  runner  crosses  the  river  and  runs  .around  tbe  heap  of  wagereil 
goods  near  the  church,   tben,  taking  uii  tbe  tik-wa    in   his   bands   for  tbe  first 


ciLix]  BALL  race:  zqni  689 

time,  lie  inhales,  as  he  thinks,  the  spirit  of  the  tik-wa,  and  thanks  it  for  being 
so  good  to  him.  He  then  runs  to  his  home,  and,  if  he  finds  a  woman  awaiting 
him.  hands  the  stick  to  her,  who  breathes  on  it  twice,  and  he  then  does  the  same. 
Returning  it  to  the  woman,  she  places  it  in  a  basket  which  she  has  ready  for  it ; 
and  the  next  day  one  of  the  racers  wraps  it  up  with  some  sacred  meal  in  a 
corn-husk  and  deposits  it  about  0  inches  below  the  surface  of  tlie  ground  in  an 
arroyo,  where  it  will  be  washed  away  by  the  rains.  Meanwhile  the  winners 
have  claimed  their  stakes,  and,  should  another  estufa  have  a  set  of  men  to  put 
up,  the  winners  of  the  first  race  must  compete  with  them  until  all  have  had  a 
<-hance,  and  the  great  Zuni  races  are  over  for  that  year. 

Mrs  Matilda  Coxe  Stevenson "  says : 

There  are  but  two  exclusively  religious  games  of  tikwawe  played  annually. 
In  cue.  members  of  the  kiwi'siwe  (chambers  dedicated  to  anthropomorphic 
worship)  play,  and  in  the  other  the  clans  take  part.  Both  of  these  races  are 
for  rains  to  water  the  earth  that  the  crops  ma.v  grow.  They  take  place  some 
days  previous  to  corn  planting,  which  usually  occurs  from  the  Kith  to  the  15th 
day  of  Jlay. 

Other  games  of  tikwawe  ma.v  occur  at  any  time  when  not  forbidden  b.v  the 
retreat  of  the  Ah'shiwanni  for  rain. 

TJkwanc  race  of  the  KIwi'siwe:  The  Ah'prUUshiwanni  (Bow  priesthood),  or 
warriors,  convene  at  the  full  moon  of  April  and  remain  in  session  throughout 
the  night.  On  the  following  morolng  they  prepare  telikyinaw-e  (prayer- 
plumes).  These  offerings  to  the  Gods  of  War  are  deposited  at  noon  the  same 
day  at  a  shrine  north  of  the  village.  This  shrine  is  on  the  ground  supposed  to 
have  been  occupied  as  the  home  of  the  Gods  of  War  during  their  sta.v  at 
Itiwanna  (the  site  of  the  present  Zuni).  The  other  prayer-plumes  are  made  into 
five  'kaetchiwe  (singular,  'k&etchine)  or  groups  of  telikyinawe  bound  togetlier 
at  the  base.  The  sticks  of  four  groups  are  colored  black,  and  are  offerings  to 
the  deceased  members  of  the  Ah'pr'liishlwanni.  The  'kdetchiwe  are  deposited 
at  midnight  on  the  four  sides  of  the  village  by  such  members  of  the  Ah'pl"lashl- 
wauni  as  may  be  designated  by  the  elder  brother  Bow-priest,  or  director  of  the 
organization,  in  excavations  carefully  concealed  by  stone  ledges,  set  in  plaster, 
which  extend  along  the  exterior  of  houses,  furnishing  seats  for  those  who 
like  to  sit  out  in  the  balmy  afternoon  of  a  New  Mexican  winter  or  to  enjoy  the 
cool  breezes  after  sunset  in  summer  time.  These  ledges  are  identical  with 
those  before  many  other  Zuni  dwellings.  The  depositors  of  the  plumes  know 
just  which  slab  to  remove  in  order  to  have  access  to  the  depositor.v.  The  fifth 
group  consists  of  two  telikyinawe.  one  of  which  is  dotted  with  the  various 
colors  for  the  zenith,  the  other  is  black  to  represent  the  nadir.  These  are 
offerings  to  the  Sii'lamobia,  certain  warrior  gods  of  the  zenith  and  the  nadir. 
This  group  is  planted  in  an  excavation,  also  concealed  by  a  slab  seat,  on  the 
west  side  of  Siaatewita.  or  sacred  dance  plaza.  After  the  placing  of  the 
telikyinawe  the  Ah'pr'lashiwanni  continue  their  songs  and  ceremonies  in  the 
ceremonial  chamber  until  sunrise,  and  soon  afterward  the  elder  brother  Bow- 
priest  announces  from  a  house-top  that  the  people  of  the  kiwi'siwe  will  run  in 
four  days. 

The  director  of  each  kiwi'sina  (plural  kiwi'siwe)  gives  formal  notice  to  his 
people,*  and  the  young  men  who  wish  to  take  part  in  the  race  appear  at  the 

"  Zuui  Games.     American  Antliropologist,  n.  s.,  v.  5.  p.  469.  1903. 

*  Ever.v  male  receives  involuntar.v  and  voluntary  initiation  into  the  Kotikili,  a  fratornir.\' 
associated  witii  anthropomorphic  worship,  becoming  allied  with  one  of  the  six  krwi'si,ve. 

2-1  ETH — 05   M 44 


690 


GAMES    OF    THK    NORTH    AMERICAN     INDIANS      Ieth.  a.nn.  :;4 


Mppointed  time.  Tbose  fi-oiu  the  Heiwa  (mirth).  Ile'kapawa  (nadir),  anil  t'liu- 
jiawa  (soiitlO  kl\vi«siwe  represent  the  side  of  the  elder  God  of  War,  while  those 
from  the  Mi'ihe'wa  (west),  Ohe'wa  (east),  and  TJii'sanilwa  (zenith)  ki'wi'siwe 
represent  the  side  of  the  .vonns^er  (iod  of  War.  After  an  earl.v  hreakfast  (the 
runners  having  exercise*!  liefore  the  meal)  nothing  more  is  eaten  during  the 
day  hut  crushed  hcwe  (wafer-like  bread)   in  water. 

In  the  afternoon  the  first  body  of  Ah'shiwanni  "  (the  elder  brother  P.ow-priest 
being  also  Rain-priest  of  the  nadir)  proceed  about  a  mile  south  of  the  village. 
over  the  road  leading  to  the  present  home  of  the  Gods  of  War,  and  here  the  elder 
brother  Bow-priest  lays  upon  the  gi'ound  a  lashowane  (one  or  more  plume-s  tied 
together),  comi>osed  of  two  ni)per  wing-feathers  of  a  bird  called  sho'kapiso.'' 
and  the  younger  brother  Bow-priest  places  a  similar  lashowane  on  the  ground 
and  west  of  the  other,  the  distance  between  the  two  lashowane  being  the 
length  of  the  extended  arms  from  finger  tip  to  finger  tij).  The  Ah'shiwanni 
group  west  and  the  Ah'pi'Mashfwanni  east  of  the  ])lumes  :  the  elder  brother  Bow- 


Pk;.  illl.  Kicking  liiUets  ot  tho  Bow-priests  ( the  pUimes  are  attached  only  wlien  the  tikwawe 
are  made  as  off  eritigs  to  the  Godscjf  War);  Zuni  Indians,  Zufii,  New  Mexico;  from  Mrs  Ste- 
venson. 


jiriest  st;in(l!ng  with  his  fellows  of  the  Ah'pi"liishi'wniuii.  ;i  line  is  iiiacl.-  south 
of  the  plumes  by  drawing,  or  rather  jinshing,  the  foot  over  the  earth  from  west 
to  east. 

Six  members  of  tlie  Ah'pi''llishiwanni  selected  by  the  elder  lirotber  Bow- 
priest  have  each  a  tikwane  (figure  Oil),  made  by  himself.  Three  of  the  tik- 
wawe are  colored  black  at  either  end  and  midway.  in(lic;itiug  the  sticks  of  the 
elder  God  of  War;  and  three  are  jiaintcd  black  midway  only  for  those  of  the 
younger  (!od  <if  War. 

The  six  warriors,  clad  only  in  breechcloths,  stand  by  tlie  line,  the  one  at  the 
east  end  having  the  tikwane  of  the  elder  God  of  War,  the  man  at  the  right 
having  that  of  the  younger  God  of  War,  and  so  they  alternate  down  the  line. 

"  Mis  Stevenson  designates  the  Ah'shiwanni  of  the  six  regions,  whose  pi-otot.vpes  are 
the  members  of  the  Council  of  the  liods,  as  the  Hrst  body  of  Ah'shiwanni.  There  are  a 
number  of  other  Ah'shiwanni  in  Zuni. 

'■A  bird,  as  the  Znili  sa.v.  which  flies  but  never  tires.  Mrs  Stevenson  failed  to  obtaiu 
a  specimen,  but  she  is  almost  sure  it  is  a  species  of  hawk. 


CLLIN]  BALL    race:    ZUNl  (l91 

Each  warrior  places  his  right  foot  on  the  line  and  the  stick  across  the  foot 
near  the  toes ;  he  then  sprinkles  meal  upon  the  stick  and  prays  for  rain  and 
for  success  in  the  race.  The  Ah'shiwanni  also  sprinkle  meal  and  pray  for  rain. 
In  the  meantime  the  runners  gather  at  the  hase,  which  is  south  of  the  pueblo 
and  .iust  across  the  river  which  Hows  liy  the  village 

The  racers  (the  number  is  not  limited)  wear  only  kilts,  and  the  long  hair 
is  drawn  back  and  tucked  into  the  handkerchief,  or  banda.  at  the  back,  the 
hair  being  brought  over  the  band  and  tucked  in  from  the  top.  A  member  of 
the  Bow-jiriestliood  marks  off  the  line  on  the  earth,  similar  to  the  one  described, 
upon  which  the  runners  take  position,  facing  south.  The  warrior  who  stands 
some  feet  beyond  the  line  carries  a  bow  and  arrows  in  his  left  hand  and  an 
arrow  in  his  right.  He  directs  the  runners  in  the  course  they  are  to  take,  and, 
facing  east,  prays  and  sprinkles  meal  eastward.  The  meal  is  thrown  four 
times,  the  fourth  being  the  signal  for  the  start.  No  word  is  si)okeu.  The 
course  is  south  to  the  group  of  Ah'shiwanni  and  Ah'pi"'liisliiw.inni — a  course 
that  must  never  be  deviated  from  in  these  races,  as  this  is  the  road  of  the  Gods 
of  War.  On  reaching  the  body  awaiting  them,  each  runner  passes  between 
the  two  lashowawe  previously  described.  Bending  and  extending  his  hands 
toward  the  plumes,  he  brings  his  hands  to  his  mouth  and  draws  in  a  breath 
from  the  plumes,  that  he  ma.v  run  like  the  sho'kaplso,  which  Hies  but  never 
tires.  The  runners  do  not  halt,  but  pass  right  on.  Each  Pi"Iiishf\vanni  in 
the  line  calls  out  the  name  of  the  kfwi'sina  he  represents  as  he  kicks  the 
tikwane  into  the  air.  The  runners  of  each  kiwi'slna  at  once  look  to  their 
appropriate  sticks.  They  are  followed  by  the  first  body  of  Ah'shiwanni  and 
Ah'i)i'"!iishlwanni.  except  the  elder  and  younger  brother  Bow-priests.  The 
Ah'shiwanni  and  Ab'pi'Miishfwanni.  however,  do  not  attempt  to  keep  pace  witli 
the  runners,  who  move  in  a  circuit,  Init  return  instead  to  the  Ifishowawe, 
which  ai'e  guarded  by  the  elder  and  younger  brother  Bow-priests,  passing 
between  the  latter  and  on  to  the  village. 

The  tikwawe  are  kicked  into  the  river,  to  go  to  Ko'hluwalawa  (abiding  place 
of  the  Council  of  the  Gods),  and  the  runners  hasten  to  their  homes.  Thf\  cere- 
mony of  washing  the  hair  of  the  runners  occurs  before  the  race  and  also  on  the 
morning  after  the  race. 

The  younger  l)rotlier  Bow-priest  makes  an  excavation  the  depth  of  his  arm,  x 
and  the  two  U'lshowawe  are  dejiosited  therein,  with  [irayers  by  the  elder  and 
younger  brother  Bow-priests  to  the  uwannami  (rain  makers)   for  rains.     The.se 
two  now  proceed  to  the  base,  where  the  large  crowd  gathered  to  greet  the  re- 
turning runners  still  remains. 

At  this  point  the  elder  brother  Bow-priest  cries  out  that  the  ii'notiwe  (clans) 
will  run  in  four  days. 

The  race  of  the  ii'notiwe  may  occur  simultaneously  at  one  or  more  of  the 
farming  districts,  where  most  of  the  Zuni  at  this  season  are  gathered.  It  also 
takes  i)lacc  in  Zuni.  providetl  a  I'l'Mashiwanni  is  present  to  start  the  racers. 
The  observances  previous  to  the  race  of  the  ii'notiwe  are  much  the  same  as  those 
for  the  race  of  the  kiwi'siwe.  A  member  of  each  clan  makes  the  tfkwane  to  be 
used  by  the  racers  of  his  clan,  and  he  is  free  to  select  that  of  either  one  of  the 
Gods  of  War.  The  runners  dress  as  on  the  previous  occasion,  and  their  hair  is 
done  up  in  the  same  manner.  The  clan  symbol  is  painted  on  the  breast  of  each 
runner,  and  that  of  the 'paternal  clan  is  painted  on  the  back.  Those  of  Pichikwe 
(Curnus  stolonifera)  clan  have  a  conventional  design  of  the  dogwood,  including 
the  roots,  on  the  breast,  and  below  a  macaw  or  raven  with  the  head  pointing 
to  the  left,  according  to  the  division  of  the  clan  to  which  the  nnin  belongs. 

The  l'i''liishiwanni  makes  a  line  near  the  river  bank,  south  of  the  village,  by 
drawing  or  pushing  his   foot  over  the  earth,   as   has   been  described,   and   the 


692  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      (ETH.  ANN.  24 

runners  stand  upon  the  line,  facing  south,  each  clan  being  together,  the  runner 
at  the  west  end  of  the  line  placing  the  tfUwane  across  his  foot,  as  before  noted. 
The  PJ''lashi\vauui  stands  in  advance  of  the  runners,  and.  facing  east,  prays 
and  throws  the  meal  four  times  eastward,  the  fourth  time,  as  before,  being  the 
signal  for  .starting.  The  same  course  is  followed  as  that  pursued  by  the  people 
tf  the  kiwi'siwe.     Each  of  these  races  covers  only  about  4  miles. 

No  thought  of  betting  is  in  the  Zuui  mind  when  these  races  for  rains  occur. 
While  deep  interest  is  exhibited  by  the  women,  as  well  as  by  the  men,  in  these 
purely  religious  races,  the  real  enthusiasm  occurs  at  the  time  of  the  betting 
races,  when  about  25  miles  are  covered. 

The  betting  race  is  not  confined  to  the  Ivfwi'siwe,  nor  to  any  section  of  the 
^•illage,  although  statements  to  the  contrary  have  been  made.  A  man  approaches 
another  with  his  plan  for  a  race,  and  if  it  Ije  acceptable  to  the  other  a  race  is 
arranged  for.  It  is  heralded  from  the  housetop  b.v  a  civil  officer  of  the  village, 
who  shouts.  '■  To-morrow  there  will  be  a  race  I  "  .  Those  to  be  associated  with 
the  race  gather  at  the  houses  of  the  two  managers.  The  swiftest  runners  are 
sure  to  be  present.  After  some  discussion  the  originator  of  the  race  visits  the 
house  of  the  other  manager  and  learns  from  him  how  man,v  runners  he  will 
have  in  the  contest.  He  then  returns  to  his  house  and  selects  the  same  number 
for  bis  side.  The  number  varies  from  three  to  six  on  a  side,  one  side  repre- 
senting the  elder,  the  other  the  younger,  God  of  War. 

Each  manager  calls  at  the  house  of  one  of  the  first  bod.v  of  Ah'shiwanni — 
those  of  the  north  and  the  zenith  excepted — and  announces.  "  My  boys  will  run 
to-morrow.  Tou  will  come  to  my  house  to-night."  The  friends  of  each  party 
gather  at  the  two  houses,  the  runners  being  on  one  side  of  the  room,  the  friends 
on  the  opposite  side.  When  the  Shiwauni  (sing,  for  Ah'shiwanni)  bearing  a 
basket  tray  of  broken  hewe  arrives,  he  takes  his  seat  on  his  wadded  blanket,  the 
manager  sitting  opposite  to  him.  The  Shiwanni  places  the  basket  ujion  the  floor 
and  asks  for  corn-husks.  Preparing  as  many  husks  as  there  are  runners  for  the 
side,  he  sprinkles  prayer-meal  into  each  husk.  and.  after  adding  bits  of  white 
shell  and  turkis  beads,  folds  it  and  lays  it  on  the  hewe  in  the  tray.  Raising  the 
tray  with  both  hands  to  his  face,  he  prays  for  success,  and,  drawing  four  breaths 
from  the  contents  of  the  tray,  says,  "Si"  (Ready).  The  runners  approach, 
the  Shiwanni  deposits  a  handful  of  broken  hewe  from  the  tray  into  the  blanliet 
supported  by  the  left  arm  of  each  runner,  and  hands  a  corn-busk  package  to 
each.  The  body  of  runners  who  reiiresent  the  elder  (Jod  of  War  goes  to  a  point 
north  of  the  village:  and  the  other  goes  south.  An  excavation  the  depth  of  an 
arm  is  made  by  au  ancient  coni-planter  at  each  point,  when  each  ruij.ier  opens 
his  husk  package,  deposits  the  contents  in  the  excavation,  and  drops  in  the 
hewe  as  offerings  to  the  Gods  of  War  and  the  ancestors.  The  one  who  prepares 
the  earth  to  receive  the  offerings  covers  the  opening,  leaving  no  trace  of  the 
excavation. 

All  now  sit  perfectly  still  and  listen  for  sounds  from  the  departed.  When 
they  hear  an.v  noise  which  the.v  suppose  conies  from  the  dead,  they  are  gratified, 
and  say,  "  Ellakwa,  nana"  "(Thanks,  grandfather)." 

After  walking  a  sliort  distance  they  halt  and  wait  again  for  some  manifesta- 
tion. Should  they  bear  a  few  notes  from  the  mocking  bird,  they  know  the  race 
will  be  in  favor  first  of  one  side  and  then  of  the  other — uncertain  until  the  end. 
If  the  bird  sings  much,  they  will  meet  with  failure.  If  they  hear  an  owl  hoot, 
the  race  will  l)e  theirs. 

The  runners  return  to  the  houses  which  they  left  and  retire  for  the  remainder 
of  the  night  in  a  large  room,  the  family  having  withdrawn  to  another  apart- 
ment. Sometimes  a  runner  goes  to  an  arro.vo  and  deposits  offerings  of  precious 
beads  to  the  Gods  of  War,  or  to  a  locality  where  some  renowned  runner  of  the 


cuLiN]  BALL  rack:  zuni  693 

past  was  killed  by  an  eneuiy,  and,  after  offering  food  to  the  Gods  of  War,  with 
a  prayer  for  success  in  the  race,  be  sits  and  eagerly  listens  for  some  sound 
from  the  deceased.  After  a  time  he  moves  a  short  distance  and  listens  again. 
He  then  moves  a  third  time  and  listens,  and  if  he  hears  anything  from  the  dead 
he  is  quite  sure  of  success.  If  be  bears  the  whistling  of  the  wind  be  is  also 
likely  to  meet  with  success,  and  if  be  hears  an  owl  hoot  his  success  is  assured. 
In  this  event  he  imitates  the  owl  during  the  race,  which  annoys  the  opposite 
side,  for  tbey  know  the  reason  for  the  owl-like  cries. 

At  sunrise  each  runner  carries  a  corn-husk  containing  bits  of  precious  beads 
and  meal  a  distance  from  the  village  and  sprinkles  the  offering  to  the  fiwannam 
pI'Miisbiwanni  (deceased  members  of  the  Bow-priesthood)  of  the  six  regions,  for 
success. 

It  is  the  custom  for  the  runners  to  exercise  for  the  race  in  the  early  morning, 
returning  to  the  houses  of  the  managers,  where  tbey  eat  a  hearty  breakfast; 
but  tbey  must  not  drink  coffee,  as  this  draught  distends  the  stomach.  After 
this  early  meal  nothing  is  partaken  except  a  small  quantity  of  wafer-bread  and 
water.     They  remain  at  the  managers'  bouses  until  the  hour  for  the  race. 

By  afternoon  the  betting  and  excitement  have  increased  until  every  available 
object  of  the  bettors  is  placed  in  Tewita  *hlflnna  (the  large  plaza).  Crowds 
gather  around  the  managers,  who  are  busy  looking  after  the  stakes.  Everything 
is  wagered,  from  a  silver  button  to  a  fine  blanket.  Yards  of  calico  are  brought 
out.  silver  belts  and  precious  heads;  in  fact,  all  the  possessions  of  many  are 
staked,  especially  those  of  the  old  gamblers,  who.  having  lost  heavily  in  the 
gambling  den,  hope  to  regain  their  fortunes. 

The  objects  are  stacked  in  two  heaps  in  Tewita  'hUlnna,  the  two  managers 
having  charge  of  arranging  the  articles.  A  blanket  from  one  heap  finds  its 
counterpart  in  the  other,  and  the  two  are  placed  together,  forming  the  base  of  a 
third  pile.  Drawing  in  this  way  from  the  two  piles  is  continued  until  tbey  are 
consolidated  into  one  great  heap.  Much  of  the  forepart  of  the  afternoon  is 
consumed  in  this  work.  When  the  managers  return  to  their  hou.ses  and  an- 
nounce to  the  runners  that  the  task  of  arranging  the  stakes  is  completed,  the 
latter  remove  their  clothing  and.  after  donning  a  kilt  of  white  cotton  or  sr.me 
other  light  material,  take  medicine  of  the  Shumakwe  fraternit.v  into  their 
mouths,  eject  it  into  their  hands,  and  rub  tbeir  entire  bodies,  that  tbey  may  not 
be  made  tired  from  running.  A  piece  of  humming-bird  medicine,  consisting  of  ^ 
root,  is  passed  around;  each  runner  takes  a  bite,  and,  after  chewing  it,  ejects  it 
into  his  hands  and  rubs  bis  body,  that  he  may  be  swift  like  the  bird. 

The  hair  is  brought  forward  and  a  Pf'Mashlwanni  forms  a  long  knob  by 
folding  the  hair  over  and  over  and  wrapping  it  with  yarn.  He  then  places  an 
arrow  point  in  the  knot  to  insure  fleetness;  and  lifting  ashes  with  two  eagle 
wing  plumes,  be  passes  them  down  either  side  of  the  body  of  each  racer  and 
sprinkles  ashes  to  the  six  regions.     This  is  for  physical  purification. 

Medicine  is  sometimes  put  into  the  paint  used  on  the  tikwane,  which  for  the 
betting  races  is  i)ainted  red  instead  of  black  ;  and  a  bit  of  this  paint  is  slipped 
under  the  nail  of  the  index  finger  of  the  right  hand.  If  a  runner  is  observed 
to  keep  bis  thumb  presseij  to  his  finger,  it  is  known  that  he  has  medicine  under 
the  nail,  and  those  making  the  discovery  are  apt  to  bet  high  on  that  side,  for 
they  believe  that  the  medicine  will  bring  success.  Failure  in  such  cases  is 
attributed  to  the  bad  heart  of  the  runner. 

The  wives  of  the  two  Ah'shiwanni  who  were  present  on  the  previous  night  go 
each  to  the  house  visited  by  the  husband  and  remain  while  the  runners  are 
absent.  Several  parcels,  including  two  blankets,  are  removed  from  the  heap  in 
the  plaza  and  carried  to  each  bouse  and  deposited  beside  the  woman  for  good 
luck  to  the  runner. 


694  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  L>-t 

The  riiniiei'.s  are  iicc()iiM"iiiieil  to  their  base  by  their  iimnaKers  .-111(1  Ali'iifliish- 
iwanni.  Crowds  gather.  Every  man  who  can  obtain  a  horse  is  mounted.  All 
is  e.xf'itenient.  the  women's  enthusiasm  being  almost  eniial  to  that  of  the  men, 
for  each  wife  is  interested  in  the  side  her  husband  has  chosen,  and  every  maiden 
Is  interested  in  the  side  of  her  favorite  admirer.  While  the  men  gather  about 
the  runners  as  they  prepare  for  the  race,  and  follow  them,  the  women  must 
content  themselves  in  the  village.  The  two  tikwawe  designating  the  sides  of  the 
elder  and  the  younger  God  of  War  are  made  by  the  Pi'Mashiwanni  of  the  side 
of  the  second  manager,  and  are  carried  by  a  runner  of  tliis  jiarty  to  the  base, 
where  lie  holds  the  sticks  out  to  the  opposite  side,  one  of  the  party  taking  the 
tikwane  of  his  choice.  The  racers  do  not  form  in  regular  line.  Each  leader 
jilaivs  the  stick  across  his  foot  near  the  toes  and  sprinkles  it  witli  meal  :  tlieii 
they  cry  out,  "  Si !  "  "(Ready  I).""  The  stick  must  not  be  touched  with  the  hand 
after  it  is  placed  on  the  foot.  It  is  often  thrown  a  long  distance,  and  no  matter 
where  it  may  rest  it  must  be  managed  with  the  foot.  There  is  nothing  more 
exciting  to  the  Zufii,  except  the  scalp  dance,  than  this  game  of  tikwane.  The 
equestrians  urge  their  ponies  onward  to  keep  pace  with  the  racers,  who  run 
southward  over  the  road  of  the  Gods  of  War  for  a  distance,  then  around  to  the 
east,  crossing  the  river.  On  they  go.  keeping  to  the  foot-hills.u  Recrossing  the 
river  several  miles  west  of  Zuni,  they  bend  around  to  the  east,  and  return  by 
the  southern  road  to  the  base,  when  the  members  of  the  successful  party  vie 
with  one  another  in  reaching  the  great  plaza,  for  he  who  is  first  to  pass  around 
the  heap  of  wagered  articles  is  the  hero  of  the  hour.  As  they  run  around  this 
pool  they  extend  their  hands  toward  it  and,  bringing  them  to  their  mouths,  draw 
in  a  breath,  and  pass  on  to  the  house  of  the  manager  whence  they  started,  where 
the  victor  deposits  the  tikwane  of  his  side  in  a  basket  of  prayer-meal,  while  all 
present  make  offerings  of  bits  of  precious  beads  in  a  basket. 

The  wife  of  the  Shiwanni  takes  the  hand  of  the  victor  and.  standing,  brings 
her  clasped  hands  four  times  liefore  his  mouth.  Each  time  he  draws  a  breath. 
The  waving  of  the  hands  four  times  is  repeated  before  each  runner,  who  draws 
as  many  breaths. 

After  the  pra.vers  the  victor  empties  the  contents  of  the  basket,  which  includes 
the  meal  and  bead  offerings  and  the  tikwane,  into  a  corn-husk  and  carries  it  to 
his  home.  After  each  runner  returns  to  his  home  he  drinks  a  quantity  of  warm 
water  as  an  emetic,  and  when  relieved  he  retires  for  the  night.  It  is  not  uncom- 
mon for  a  runner  to  be  so  affected  by  the  race  that  the  manipulations  of  a 
mas.seuse  (the  Zuni  are  experts  in  this  practice)  are  necessary  to  restore  him. 
Tlie  following  morning  the  head  of  each  runner  is  washed  in  yucca  suds,  and 
he  bathes.  After  the  morning  meal  the  tfkwane  of  the  Elder  God  of  War  is 
deposited,  with  the  contents  of  the  corn-husk  carried  by  the  runner  from  his 
manager's  house,  at  a  shrine  on  f'hana-yiirianne  (Wool  mountain),  while  the 
tikwane  of  the  younger  God  of  War  and  the  other  offerings  are  deposited  on 
Towa-yiil'lanne  (Corn  mountain). 

The  most  prominent  religious  positions  do  not  debar  men  from  taking  part  in 

°  There  are  six  stone  beaps  which  direct  the  runners  in  their  course.  These  monu- 
ments, which  are  some  4  feet  hi^h.  are  supposed  to  have  l)een  made  by  direction  of  the 
Gods  of  War.  and  are  distinct  from  tliose  made  hy  men  and  women  who  whirl  a  stone 
or  bit  of  wood  around  the  head  in  the  left  hand,  from  left  to  right,  four  times,  and 
throw  it  over  the  shoulder  onto  the  heap,  that  the  fatigue  that  would  otherwise  come 
to  the  body  may  he  cast  into  the  stone  or  chip.  The  words  expressed  are  "  'lllon  yflte'- 
tchl  hfinasima  tfnatu  "  ("This  place  tired,  unlucky,  be  settled").  These  mounds  are 
supposed  to  have  been  begun  by  the  Gods  of  War.  Vases  containing  medicine  of  these 
gods  are  believed  to  be  buried  l>eneath  the  mounds,  though  these  objects  are  too  sacred 
to  be  commonly  referred  to. 


CCLIN]  KAI.L    race:    ZUNl  695 

these  liettiug  races.  One  of  the  Heelest  as  well  as  most  euthusiastic  rimiier.s  of 
the  present  time  is  the  komosoua  (director-general)  of  the  kiwi'siwe. 

There  are  many  informal  games  of  tfkwane  in  which  young  men  hurriedly 
gather  for  sport,  and  sometimes  a  considerable  stake  is  raised.  One  race  ob- 
.servt'd  by  the  writer,  in  whicli  great  entliusiasm  was  exhibited,  began  at  5 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  tlie  parties  returning  after  7.  There  were  three  racers 
on  a  side,  the  komosona  being  one.  but  he  lost  on  this  occasion. 

While  there  is  much  betting  and  considerable  interest  is  manifested  in  these 
informal  races,  there  is  no  ceremony  associated  with  them.  Eacli  runner  bets  on 
his  side.  Outside  parties  bet  one  with  another,  one  holding  the  stakes;  or  more 
frequently,  a  third  party  has  charge  of  the  stakes,  which  are  heaped  in  the 
large  plaza.  Sometimes  the  articles  are  afterward  carried  to  the  kiwi'sina  to 
which  the  successful  party  belongs,  while  again  they  pass  to  the  winner  in  the 
plaza,  he.  in  turn,  dividing  the  profits  among  the  runners  of  his  side.  While 
much  interest  prevails  at  the  informal  races,  and  great  en.ioyment  is  derived 
from  them,  the  excitement  is  as  nothing  <-ompare<l  with  that  of  the  more  formal 
affairs. 

It  is  interesting  to  .see  the  very  young  Ijoys  in  their  foot  races  and  to  observe 
how  closely  they  follow  their  elders  in  the  rules  governing  the  stakes.  Wagers 
are  always  made,  as  the  races  would  be  of  little  interest  to  the  younger  boya 
without  the  element  of  chance  associated  with  them. 

Beginning  at  .so  early  an  age.  there  is  no  wonder  that  these  people  develop 
into  the  swiftest  of  runners.  The  writer  has  never  known  the  Zuni  to  lose  a 
foot-race  with  other  Indians,  nor  with  the  champion  runners  of  the  trooi)s  at 
Fort  Wuigate.  who  sonjetimes  enter  into  races  with  them.  It  is  quite  common 
for  the  Zuiii  and  Xavaho  to  race.  Though  these  races  are  alwa.\s  informal, 
the  stakes  are  often  large,  and  the  Navaho  leave  their  precious  beads,  silver 
belts,  bridles,  and  valuable  l)lankets  behind  them  when  they  depart  for  the 
pueblo.  Their  love  for  gambling  prevents  them  from  learning  lessons  from  sad 
e.xperiences. 

Zrxi.     Zuni.  New  Mexico.      (Cat.  no.  4!»!»4.  Hrooklyn  Institute  Mu- 
seum. ) 
Fifteen   sticks    (figure  !)12),  -ii   inches  in   length,   pieces  of  sapling 

with   the   bark   on.   this  being  cut   with   distinguishing  marks. 

Collected  by  the  writer  in  1904. 
These  are  special  kicking  sticks  used  in  the  clan  races  in  the  spring. 
At  the  sacred  foot  races  at  this  season  the  estufas  first  compete,  and 
four  days  afterward  the  clans.  Each  clan  has  its  own  stick,  tikwawe, 
which  is  cut  with  a  mark  to  distinguish  it.  Each  clan  is  represented 
in  this  race  by  as  many  men  as  possible. 

Zuni,  New  Mexico.     (Brooklyn  Institute  Museum.) 

Cat.  no.  30."J(;.     AVater-worii  pebble  (figure  913),  3|  inches  in  length, 

which  has  been  used  as  a  pestle  in  a  paint  mortar. 
It  was  collected  in  1903  by  the  writer,  to  whom  it  was  described  as 
a  kicking  stone,  atikwannai.  originally  used  in  racing,  like  the  kick- 
ing stick. 
Cat.  no.  3064.    Eing  of  twig  (figure  914).  wrapped  with  white  cotton 

cord.  3  inches  in  diameter:   and  slender  wooden  rod  (figure  915), 

27i  inches  in  length,  with  a  kind  of  knob  at  the  end. 


696 


GAMES    OF    THE    NOETH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  axn.  2i 


Collected  by  the  writer  in  1903.  The  following  descriijtion  was 
given:  The  game  of  tsi-koi  ti-kwa-wai.  or  ring  ti-kwa-wai.  is  played 
bj'  women   and  Kayemashi   at  the  Rain   dance.     They  start   in  the 


Fig.  913. 


Fig.  914. 


=^> 


Fig.  »!,■). 

Fig.  91;i.  Kicking  billets  used  in  elan  races;  length,  4!  implies;  Zufii  Indian.s,  Zufii,  New  Mexico; 
cat.  no.  4994,  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 

Fig.  913.  Kicking  stone;  length,  :ii  inches;  Zufii  Indians.  Zufii,  New  Mexico;  cat  no.  'M'tti,  Brook- 
lyn Institute  Museum. 

Fig.  914,  Tossing  ring  for  race  game;  diameter,  H  inches;  Zuni  Indians,  Zuui,  New  Mexico;  cat, 
no,  3064,  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 

Fig.  91.5.  Tossing  rod  for  race  game;  length,  27,!  inches;  Zuiii  Indians,  Zuni,  New  Mexico;  cat. 
no.  3064,  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum, 

middle  plaza  and  run  some  three  linndred  or  four  hundred  yards  in 
a  small  circuit  down  to  the  Middle  of  the  Earth  and  back  to  the  plaza. 
The  clowns  use  a  regular  kicking  stick,  only  one,  and  the  women  use 


CCLIN] 


FOOTBALL 


697 


one  ring.  Each  woman  has  a  stick,  tslam-mai.  They  phiy  the  game 
maybe  once  oi"  twice  during  a  summer.  Its  object  is  to  cause  rain. 
The  game  usually  follows  a  dance,  but  if  the  cacique  orders  it,  the 
women  play  the  game  without  reference  to  the  dance.  It  is  some- 
times played  by  men  alone,  and  sometimes  for  money.  Dick  gave 
the  name  of  this  game  as  ya-mu-nai  tsi-ko-nai  or  ya-mn-nai  ti-Icwa- 
wai. 

Additional  particulars  cpncerning  this  game  are 
furnished  by  Mrs  Matilda  Coxe  Stevenson  in  her 
paper  on  Zuni  Games,"  where  she  describes  it 
under  the  name  of  'sikon-yii'mune  tikwane. 

Implements. — Slender  sticks  [figure  916],  the  length  of 
an  arrow  shaft,  zigzagged  in  black,  symbolic  of  lightning ; 
a  ring,  about  2i  inches  in  diameter,  composed  of  yucca 
ribbons,  and  a  tfkwane.  or  racing  sticli.     .     .     . 

This  is  a  foot  race  run  only  by  order  of  the  Ah'wan  tii'- 
eliu  (Great  Father)  Koyemshi,  and  is  exclusively  for 
rains,  A  chosen  number  of  women,  each  supplied  with  a 
stick,  stand  in  line  to  tlie  left  of  a  number  of  men.  The 
latter  are  provided  with  a  tikwane,  which  they  kick  :  and 
the  women  who  play  against  the  men  use  a  yucca  ring, 
tossing  it  with  their  sticks.  Though  the  distance  covered 
is  short  the  latter  seldom  win. 

Mr  John  T.  Owens''  described  the  following 
game : 

A-we-wo-po-pa-ne.f — This  is  jilayed  by  only  two  persons. 
but  each  usually  has  several  backers,  and  considerable 
betting  is  done.  One  place  is  designated  as  the  stone- 
home.  One  hundred  stones  are  placed  in  a  row  a  certain 
di.stance  apart.  Each  stone  must  be  picked  up  and  car- 
ried separately  and  placed,  not  thi'own.  in  the  stone-home. 
Another  point,  several  miles  distant,  is  taken,  and  the 
game  is  for  one  to  run  to  the  distant  spot  and  return, 
while  tlie  other  gathers  up  the  stones.  .\s  it  is  a  contest 
of  sjieed  and  judgment,  not  chance,  it  becomes  very 
exciting. 

Football 


Fio.  yiO.  Ring,  tossing' 
rod,  and  kicking  bil- 
let for  race  game; 
Zuiii  Indians.  Znni, 
New  Mexico;  from 
Mrs  Stevenson. 


Information  concerning  the  game  of  football  is 
extremely  meager  and  unsatisfactory.  The  speci- 
mens commonly  designated  as  footballs  by  collectors  are,  as  a  matter 
of  fact,  intended  mostly  for  the  game  of  hand-and-football  or  the  ball 
race. 

Football  is  mentioned  as  occurring  among  four  Algonquiau  tribes 
(Massachuset,  Micmac,  Narraganset,  Powhatan),  but  particulars 
are  given  only  for  the  Micmac.     It  is  spoken  of  also  among  the 

"  American  Antliropologist,  n.  s..  v.  5,  p.  49,3,  1903. 

'  Some  Games  of  the  Zuiii.     Popular  Science  Monthly,  v.  39,  p.  40,  New  York,  1S9L 

'  There  is  a  slight  resemblance  in  this  contest  to  our  sport,  the  potato  race. 


6V*8  GAMES    OF    THE    XOKTIl    AMERUAN    INDIANS         1eth.ann.S4 

Wyandot.  Catawba  (with  uncertainty).  Eskimo.  Cliukchansi,  Topin- 
agugini,  Achomawi,  Xishinam,  Skolvomish,  Mono,  Paiute,  and 
AVasho.  The  game  was  played  b}'  men  (]Micmac.  Paiute) ;  by  men 
and  women  opposed  (Topinagugim),  and  by  men.  women,  and  ehil- 
dreii  (  Eskimo).  The  lialls  were  of  buckskin  (Micmac.  Eskimo,  Topin- 
agugim, Achomawi,  Nishinam,  Mono.  Paiute),  or  of  stone  (Chiilc- 
chansi).  and  the  goals  were  two  sticks,  erect  (Paiute,  Topinagugim, 
Nisliinam,  ]\Iono)  or  placed  slantingly  (Micmac).  or  lines  drawn  at 
the  ends  of  the  course  (Eskimo,  Chukchansi). 

In  a  California  game  (Topinagugim.  ]\Iono)  the  ball  is  kicked  In- 
successive  players  who  are  lined  u})  along  the  course,  corresponding 
with  a  game  in  which  the  ball  is  similarly  tossed  along  the  course 
with  curved  or  spoon-shaped  sticks  (]\Iono).  In  one  game  (Topin- 
agugim) men  and  women  are  opposed,  the  men  kicking  the  ball  and 
the  women  tossing  it  with  flail-shai^ed  baskets.  The  game  appears  to 
be  most  popidar  among  the  Eskimo,  with  whom  in  one  instance  it  is 
complicated  Ijy  the  ball  being  whippetl  as  well  as  kicked. 

ALGONQUIAN    STOCK 

Massachuset.     Massachusetts. 

William  AVood  "  wrote: 

l'(ir  their  siiorts  of  activity  they  liavo  oommonly  liiit  three  or  four,  as  footltall. 
shootiiiK.  running,  and  s\yinniiing :  «  Inn  tlicy  play  county  against  county  there 
are  rich  goals,  all  behung  with  womiioniiieago.  niowhackies.  heaver  skins  and 
lilack  otter  skins.  It  would  exceed  the  belief  of  many  to  relate  the  worth 
of  one  goal,  wherefore  it  shall  be  nameless.  Their  goals  be  a  mile  long,  jilaced 
on  the  sands,  which  are  even  as  a  board:  their  ball  is  no  bigger  than  a  hand- 
ball, which  sometimes  they  mount  in  the  air  with  their  naked  feet,  sometimes 
it  is  swayed  by  the  multitude,  sometimes  also  it  is  two  days  before  tliey  get  a 
goal;  then  they  mark  the  ground  they  win  and  begin  there  the  nest  day.  Refore 
riiey  come  to  this  sport  they  itaint  themselves,  even  as  when  they  go  to  w.ir,  in 
policy  to  prevent  mischief,  becaii.se  no  man  should  know  him  that  moved  his 
Iiatience.  or  iiccidentally  hurt  his  person,  taking  away  the  occasion  of  study- 
ing i-evenge.  Before  they  begin  their  arms  be  disordered  and  hung  ujion  some 
neighboring  tree,  after  which  they  make  a  long  scroll  on  the  .sand,  over  which 
they  shake  loving  hands  and  with  laughing  hearts  scuttle  for  victory.  While 
the  men  play,  the  boys  pipe,  and  the  women  dance  and  sing  trophies  of  their 
husbands  conquests:  all  being  done,  .i  feast  summons  their  departure.  It  is 
most  delightful  to  see  them  play  in  smaller  companies,  when  men  may  view 
their  swift  footmanship.  their  curious  tossings  of  their  ball,  their  flouncing  into 
the  water,  their  lubber-like  wrestling,  having  no  cunning  at  all  in  that  kind,  one 
English  being  able  to  beat  ten  Indians  at  football. 

Mkmac.     Nova  Scotia. 

Mr  Stansbury  Hagar  ''  says: 

The  only  other  Micmac  game  I  than  the  bowl  gaiuel  of  which  I  have  learned 
is  tooadijik  or  football.     The  goals  were  of  two  .sticks  placed  slantingly  across 

"  New  Kngland's  Prospect,  p.  7?>.  London.   16.'i4. 

"Micmac  f'ustoms  and  'rraditions.     'riic  .Vmcriciin  .\iitlirip|iip|uL.'ist.  v.  s,  p.  :;,",.   isiir,. 


CULIN] 


football:   ESKIMO 


699 


each  Dther  like  the  |>oles  of  the  traditional  wijrwam.  About  a  score  of  players, 
divided  into  two  parties,  faeed  each  other  at  eipial  distances  from  the  center  of 
the  field.  Tlie  liall  was  then  rolled  in  by  the  umpire,  and  the  object  of  the  game 
was  to  kick  it  between  the  goal  posts.  In  more  recent  times  a  player  may  catch 
his  opponent  b.v  the  neck  and  thus  hold  him  back  until  he  can  obtain  the  ball 
himself,  but  scalping  was  anciently  employed  as  a  means  of  disposing  of  an 
opponent. 

Narraoaxset.     Rliode  Island. 

Roger  Williams"  gives  pasiu-kqiiakoliowauog.  they  meet  to  foot- 
hall,  and  says : 

The.v  have  great  meetings  of  foot-ball  pla.ving,  only  in  summer,  town  against 
town,  upon  some  broad  sandy  shore,  free  from  stones,  or  upon  some  soft  beathie 
plot,  becauso  of  their  naked  feet,  at  which  they  have  great  stakiugs,  but  seldom 
()uarrel. 

Powhatan.     Virginia. 
William  Strachey  '  says: 

Likewise  they  have  the  exercise  of  football,  in  which  they  only  forcibly 
encounter  with  the  foot  to  carry  the  b.iU  the  one  from  the  other,  and  spurned  it 
to  the  goal  with  a  kind  of  dexterity  and  swift  footmansbip.  which  is  the  honour 
of  it;  but  they  never  strike  up  one  another's  heels,  as  we  do.  not  accompting 
that  praiseworthy  to  purchase  a  goal  by  such  an  advantage. 

In  his  vocabulary  he  gives :  "A  ball,  aitowh." 


Fi(i.  917 


Footballs:  diameters,  a|  and  3]  inches;  Labrador  Eskimo,   Ungava;  cat.  uo.  Wifei, 
9(1082,  United  States  National  Museum. 


eskimauan  stock 

Eskimo  (Labrador).  Ungava.  (Cat.  no.  00031.  90032,  United 
States  National  Museum.) 

Buckskin-covered  balls,  one  nearly  spherical,  2^  inches  in  diameter, 
and  the  other  rather  flattened,  '^^  inches  in  diameter,  both  cov- 
ered with  a  single  piece  of  buckskin,  with  a  draw  string,  as 
shown  in  figure  917;  contained  in  a  net  bag,  made  of  knotted 
thongs,  with  a  thong  draw-string  at  the  mouth. 

"  Key  into  the  Lansuaj^e  of  America.  London.  lfi4.S. 

'  The   History   of  Travaile    into    Virgini.c    Britannia,    p.    77.      Printed   for    the   Hakluyt 
Society.  London,  1849. 


roo 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  24 


Collected  by  Mr  Liicien  M.  Tiinier,"  who  describes  them  as  foot- 
Ijalls.     He  says : 

Football  calls  out  everybody,  from  tbe  aged  and  bent  mother  of  a  numerous 
family  to  tbe  toddling  youngster  scarcely  able  to  do  more  than  waddle  under 
the  burden  of  bis  heavy  deerskin  clothes. 

EsKiJEO  (Koksoagmiut).     Fort  Chimo,  Labrador.      (Cat.  no.  90285, 

United  States  National  Mnseum.) 
Buckskin  ball,  with  median  seam,  1|  inches  in  diameter,  and  whip, 
consisting  of  four  loops  of  buckskin,  tied  in  the  middle  with  a 
single  thong,  attached  to  a  short  wooden  handle  (figure  1)18). 
Collected  by  Mr  Lucien  M.  Turner,''  wiio  says : 


Fk;.  91H.    Football  and  driver:  diameter  of  Ijall,  Ij  inches;  Koksoagniiut  Eskimo,  Fort  Chimo, 

Labrador:  from  Turner. 


Figure  918  represents  the  football  .  .  .  and  tbe  whip  for  driving  it.  Tbe 
Eskimo  are  very  fond  of  this  game.  All  the  people  of  every  age,  from  the  tod- 
dling infant  to  tlie  aged  female  with  bended  back,  love  to  urge  the  al  uk  toiik,  as 
the  ball  is  termed.  The  size  of  the  ball  varies  from  3  to  7  inches  in  diameter. 
They  have  not  yet  arrived  at  perfection  in  making  a  spherical  form  for  the 
ball,  but  it  is  often  an  apple  shape.  It  is  made  by  taking  a  piece  of  buckskin 
or  sealskin  and  cutting  it  into  a  circular  form,  then  gathering  tbe  edges  and 
stuffing  the  cavity  with  dry  moss  or  feathers.  .\  circular  piece  of  skin  is  then 
inserted  to  fill  the  space  which  is  left  by  the  incomplete  gatherings.  This  ball 
is  very  light  and  is  driven  either  by  a  blow  from  the  foot  or  else  by  a  whip  of 
peculiar  construction.  This  whip  consi.sts  of  a  liandle  of  wood  8  to  12  inches 
in  length.  To  prevent  it  from  slipping  out  of  the  hand  when  the  blow  is 
struck,  a  stout  thong  of  sealskin  is  made  into  tbe  form  of  a  long  loop  which 
is  passed  over  tbe  hand  and  tightens  around  the  wrist.  To  the  farther  end  of 
the  whip  handle  are  attached  a  number  of  stout  thongs  of  heavy  sealskin. 
These  thongs  have  their  ends  tied  around  the  handle  and  thus  form  a  number 
of  loops  of  12  to  20   inches  in   length.     These  are  then   tied  together  at  the 

"  EthnoloRy  of  the  T'ngava  District,  Hudson  Bay  Territory.     Eleventh  Annual  Report 
of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  255,  1894. 
»  Ihid.,  p.  256. 


■CL'LIX] 


F00TB.\I.L:  ESKIMO  701 


bottom  in  order  to  give  tliem  greater  weight  wben  the  ball  is  struck  by  theiu.  A 
lusty  Eskimo  will  often  send  the  ball  over  a  hundred  yards  through  the  air 
with  such  force  as  to  knock  a  person  down. 

At  Fort  Chimo  the  game  is  played  during  the  late  winter  afternoons  when 
the  temperature  is  30°  to  40°  below  zero.  It  is  exciting  and  vigorous  play 
where  a  large  crowd  joins  in  the  game. 

Sometimes  the  ball  is  in  the  form  of  two  irregular  hemispheres  joined  to- 
gether, making  a  sphere  which  can  be  rolled  only  in  a  certain  direction.  It  is 
very  awkward  and  produces  much  confusion  by  its  erratic  course. 

Eskimo  (Central).     Cumberland  sound.  Baffin  land,  Franklin. 
Dr  Franz  Boas  "•  says : 

Another  game  of  ball  I  have  seen  played  Iiy  men  only.  A  leather  liall  filled 
with  hard  clay  is  propelled  with  a  whip,  the  lash  of  which  is  tied  up  in  a  coil. 
Every  man  has  his  whip,  and  is  to  hit  the  ball  and  so  prevent  his  fellow-plaj-ers 
from  getting  at  it. 

Eskimo  (Ita).    Smith  .sound.  Greenland. 
Dr  A.  L.  Kroeber  ^  says : 

Among  amusements  is  ball-playing.  The  ball  is  of  sealskin,  and  is  stuffed 
with  scraps  of  skin,  so  as  to  be  hard. 

Eskimo   (Western).     St  Michael.  Alaska. 
Edward  William  Nelson  ''  describes  the  game : 

Football   ( i-tig'-u-mi-u'-lilu-tin  I. 

The  ball  (fln'kak)  used  in  this  game  is  made  of  leather,  stuffed  with  deer 
hair  or  moss,  and  varies  in  size,  but  rarely  exceeds  .">  or  0  inches  in  diameter. 
The  game  is  played  by  young  meu  and  children.  The  usual  season  for  it  is  at 
the  end  of  winter  or  in  spring.  I  saw  it  played  in  various  places  from  Bering 
strait  to  the  mouth  of  the  Kuskokwim ;  at  Cape  Darby  it  was  played  by  chil- 
dren on  the  hard,  drifted  snow ;  it  is  also  a  popular  game  on  the  lower  Yukon. 

Two  of  the  ijarticipants  act  as  leaders,  one  on  each  side  choosing  a  player 
alternately  from  among  those  gathered  until  they  are  equally  divided.  At  a 
given  distance  apart  two  conspicuous  marks  are  made  on  the  snow  or  ground 
which  serve  as  goals:  the  pla.vers  stand  each  by  their  goal  and  the  ball  is  tossed 
upon  the  ground  midway  between  them  :  a  rush  is  then  made,  each  side  striving 
to  drive  the  ball  across  its  adversaries'  line. 

Another  football  game  is  begun  by  the  men  standing  in  two  close,  parallel 
lines  midway  between  the  goals,  their  legs  and  bodies  forming  two  walls.  The 
ball  is  then  thrown  between  them  and  driven  back  and  forth  by  kicks  and 
blows  until  it  passes  through  one  of  the  lines  ;  as  soon  as  this  occurs  all  rush 
to  drive  it  to  one  or  the  other  of  the  goals. 

The  northern  lights  ( aurora )  of  winter  are  said  by  these  people  to  be  boys 
playing  this  game :  others  say  it  is  a  game  being  played  by  shades  using  walrus 
skulls  as  balls. 

»  The  Central  Eskimo.     Sixth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  570,  1888. 
»  Bulletin  of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  Histor.v.  v.  12.  p.  300.  New  York.  1900. 
<■  The  Eskimo  about  Berina  Strait.      Eighteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ameri- 
can Ethnolog.v.  pt.  1.  p.  335.  1890. 


702  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       Ieth.  amn.  LM 

IROQUOIAN    STOCK 

Wyandot.     Kansas. 

Mr  William  E.  Connelley  writes  the  author  as  follows: 

They  plajefl  a  game  of  ball  whicU  they  say  was  much  like  our  modern  foot- 
ball, but  I  never  could  get  enough  information  about  it  to  warrant  me  in 
describing  it  as  in  any  way  different  from  the  well-known  game  of  Indian  ball. 

MARIPOSAX    STOCK 

Chukchansi.     Table  moniitaiii.  Fresno  county.  California. 

Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  the  following  game  under  the  name 
of  ej-e :  " 

Two  or  more  men  play  on  a  side,  usiug  a  stone  ball,  she'-lcl  o'-loi  ("stone 
ball  ").  At  a  signal  each  captain  kicks  (foot  casts)  his  respective  ball  forward 
to  his  partners,  who  forward  it  in  the  same  manner  to  a  g(^al  line,  wex,  400 
yards  distant.     The  one  whose  ball  is  first  over  tlie  line  wins. 

O 
O 

o 


OOOO       •••■••' 

MEN  •  WOMEN 

o 

o 

• 

Fii;.  919.    Plan  of  ball  fleUl;  Topinagiigim  Indians,  California;  from  a  sketch  by  Dr  J.  W. 

Hudsi:)n. 

MOQUELUMNAN    .STOCK 

Topinaguoi:m.     Big  creek.  •>  miles  north  of  (irovelaud.  California. 

(Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Cat.  no.   70224.     Buckskin-covered  ball,  filled   witli   deer  hair,  with 

median  seam.  4i  inches  in  diameter. 
Cat.  no.  702'2.-).     Buckskin-covered  ball,  filled  with  moss,  with  median 
seam.  7  inciies  in  diameter. 
Tliese  were  collected  In'  I)i'  .T.  W.  Hudson,  wiio  d(>scril)es  them  as 
footballs. 

He  also  describes  the  following  game  under  the  name  of  jjuskaw, 
football: 

The  ball  is  an  oblate  spheroid,  i:!  inches  long  by  S  inches  in  its  shorter  diam- 
eter, and  consists  of  buck.skin  filled  with  deer  hair.  X  straight,  level  course 
of  about  .500  yards  is  laid  out.  at  one  end  of  whicli  the  two  balls  iire  iilaced 
about   12   feet   ajjart.     The   two   ojJiHising  starters,   )ia-chu'-i)e.   stand   .-iliout   ."lU 

"  Ey-f  is  name  for  manzanita  tree,  and  it  is  iirobable  the  ball  was  once  made  from  this 
dense,  heavy  timber. — .1.  ^^'.  II. 


CLLIS] 


FOOTBALL  :   ACHOMAWI 


703 


fVft  liehiiul  tlieii-  respei-tive  IimIIs.  miuL  .it  tlic  sii;iial.  "  Wisnetch !  "  tlie  Iwd 
lilipouents  rush  forward  aiul  kick  tlioir  balls  to  their  respective  iiartners  sta- 
fioneJ  next  to  them  on  the  course,  also  runnins  after  the  ball  to  assist,  if 
necessary.  No  interference  or  handling  of  the  ball  is  allowed.  The  i)enalty  is 
usually  the  contiscation  of  the  stakes.  The  number  of  players  regulates  the 
length  of  the  course.     Often  fifty  jilay. 

Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  also  the  following-  ball  j;;:iiHe.  ])!ayed 
between  men  and  women  under  the  name  unita  : 

The  hall,  pOs'-putch-ki,  cousists  of  an  oblate  spheroid  i  by  7  inches  in  diameter. 
covered  with  buckskin  and  stuffed  with  deer  hair. 

The  goals  are  two  sets  of  poles,  ;{  feet  apart  and  8  feet  high,  bent  at  the  top 
to  form  an  arch,  and  (iOO  yarrls  aiiarl.  The  men  are  stationed  in  a  line  on  one 
side  and  the  women  on  the  other  [figure  1I1!I|.  The  starters,  five  men  and  five 
women,  arranged  alternately,  .stand  in  a  line  in  the  center  of  the  field,  at  right 
angles  to  the  goal  course.  At  a  word,  a  man  casts  down  the  ball  and  each  side 
tries  to  secure  it.  The  women  must  advance  the  ball  with  their  hands  or  with  .-i 
handled  basket,  a-ma-ta.  while  the  men  can  kick  only,  and  nnist  not  throw  or 
touch  the  ball  with  their  hands,  nor  can  they  interfere  with  their  hands.  The 
women  are  very  expert  and  throw  the  ball   long  distances. 

PIJUNAX    .stoCK 


NisiiiNAii.     Mokeliinine  river.    I'i   nii]e>  south   of  Plaeervijle.  Cali- 
fornia. 
Dr  .1.  W.  Hudson  describes    the  following  game: 

I'as'-ko.  football." — The  ball,  pas-kii.  is  ol)long,  12  inches  in  longest  diameter, 
covered  with  buckskin  and  stuffed  with  deer  hair.  There  are 
eight  players  to  a  side.  One  ball  is  used.  The  goals  consist 
of  jiairs  of  poles.  3  feet  apart,  at  the  ends  of  a  l.O'Mt-foot 
<-oinse.  K(mgh  play  is  the  rule,  as  a  i)layer  is  allowed  to  run 
with  the  ball  in  his  hands,  and  interference  is  permissible. 

SALISHAX    STOClv 


Skokomish.     British  Cohnnbia. 

Mr  Charles  Hill-Tout''  refers  to  a  kind  of  football 
under  the  name  of  tequila. 

SHASTAN    STOCIi 


Flu.  im.  Football; 
diameter,  i  i  n  - 
ches:  Achomawi 
Indians,  Hat 
creek,  Califor- 
nia; cat.  no.  jJ'iB' 
American  M  u  - 
seum  of  Natural 
History. 


Achomawi.     Hat  creek.  California.   (Cat.  no.  j^y^, 
American  ^luseuin  of  Natural  History.) 

Ball  covered  with  buckskin  (figure  !>"20),  4  inches  in  diameter.  Col- 
lected in  1903  by  Dr  Koland  B.  Dixon,  who  describes  it  as  a  foot- 
ball, pwatoqwaiwi. 


"*  The  name  of  this  game,  as  also  probably  the  game,  was  of  Miwok  introduction. — 
.1.  W.  II. 

"Notes  on  the  Skqo'mic  of  British  Columbia.  Kepoi-t  of  the  Seventieth  Meeting  of  the 
British  As^sociation  for  the  .Advancement  of  Science,  p.  4S8.  London,  inoo. 


704  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANA       [eth,  ann.  L'4 

SHOSHONF.AN    STOCK 

Mono.     Hooker  cove.  Madera  county.  California.     (Cat.  no.  71440. 

Field  Cohunhian  ^luseuni.) 
Ball  covered  with  buckskin  filled  with  hair,  44  inches  in  diameter. 

Collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson,  who  describes  it  as  used  in  a  foot- 
ball game  called  tanasukwitokoin. 

The  above  ball  is  not  the  right  shape.  It  should  be  oblong.  8  by  (U  inches. 
It  is  called  o-no-wi.  and  is  filled  with  deer  hair. 

Two  balls  are  laid  on  tlie  starting  line,  a-na-wi'-a-nu-a-we'.  20  feet  apart, 
and  at  a  signal  each  captain  kicks  liis  ball  to  his  partners,  who  forward  it  to 
the  goal,  a-n;'i-na-ko'-i-na.  a  hole  between  a  pair  of  stakes.  350  yards  distant.  Xo 
interference  whatever  is  permitted. 

.\nother  football  game  with  the  same  name,  ta-na-sii-kwi-to'-ko-in.  is  played 
with  one  ball,  7  inches  in  diameter,  which  is  dropped  in  the  center  of  the  field 
and  kicked  or  carried  in  almost  the  same  manner  as  modern  football.  The 
goals  are  [)airs  of  upright  poles,  5  feet  between  and  400  yards  apart. 

Paiute.     Pyramid  lake,  Nevada.     (Cat.  no.  37155,  Free  Museum  of 

Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Buckskin-covered  ball    (fifjure  921),  .3  inches  in  diameter.     It  was 
collected  by  the  writer  in  1901  through  Miss  Marian  Taylor. 
(',-illi"'(l    wut-si-nio    and    used    in    .-i    football    game    by    men,    say.    four    on    a 
side.     The  object  is  to  kick  the  ball  between  two  goals,  tu-bi.  made  of  willow 
sticks,  and  some  8  or  10  feet  liigh.     The  goals  are  about  .50  yards  apart,  the 
players  starting  in  the  center.     They  wear  only  a   loin 
cloth. 

SIOTWX    STOCK 

Catawba.     South  Carolina. 

Mrs  E.  E.  Diinlap."  of  Leslie.  York  county. 
South  Carolina,  writes  the  author  that  the  Ca- 
tawba formerlv  lilaved  a  game  of  football  which 

Fig. 921.  Football:  diam-  '  i  ■      ' 

eter,  3  inc'hes;  Paiute      they  called  wachippii. 

Indians,  Nevada;  cat. 

no.  3T15.i,  Free  Museum  WASH0.\N    STOCK 

of    Science   and    Art, 

University  of  Penn-     Washo.     Carsou    vallev   and    Lake   Tahoe,   Ne- 

sylvania. 

vada. 

Dr  .1.  W.  Hudson  describes  this  tribe  using  a  football,  kawmal, 
6  inches  in  diameter,  and  filled  with  the  inner  bark  of  the  sagebrush. 

The  goals,  maw'-tap.  consist  of  two  sets  of  poles,  10  feet  high  and  alx)ut  4  feet 
apart,  at  either  end  of  the  field,  which  is  about  300  feet  long.  The  game  is  like 
our  football.  There  are  three  players  to  a  side,  and  the  ball  is  cast  up  in  the 
center  of  the  field  by  a  captain.     The  game  is  called  pa-law'-ya-paw, 

Hand-and-Foot  Ball 

I  have  classified  under  the  name  of  hand-and-foot  ball  a  woman's 
game  played  with  a  large  ball,  which  is  struck  down  with  the  hand 

"  In  a  letter,  Septemlter  1.   tOOl. 


HAND-AND-FOOT    BALL:   CHEYEN^NE 


705 


and  kicked  back  with  the  foot.  The  ball  is  covered  either  with  buck- 
skin (Cheyenne,  Eskimo.  Mandan)  or  with  bladder  netted  with  sinew 
(Grosventi-es,  Crows). 

It  is  commonly  played  by  one  woman  at  a  time,  but  among  the 
Eskimo  two  or  four  play.  The  Cheyenne  count  the  game  with  sticks, 
and  their  ball  has  a  thong  attached. 

The  game  has  been  found  among  two  Algonquian  tribes  (Chey- 
enne, Grosventres) ,  among  the  Eskimo,  and  among  four  Siouan  tribes 
(Assiniboin.  Crows,  Mandan.  Winnebago).  Included  in  this  divi- 
sion is  a  ball  with  a  thong,  from  the  Ai'apaho.  which  is  struck  only 
with  the  hand. 

ALGONQUIAN  STOCK 

Arapaiio.     Wind  River  reservation,  Wyoming.    (Cat.  no.  36977,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Buckskin  l^all  (figure  922),  with  median  seam.  2i  inches  in  diameter, 

one  face  marked  with  a  cross  in  colored  quill  work,  attached  to  a 

thong  19  inches  in  length. 


Fig.  922. 


Fig.  923. 


Fig.  922.    Ball  with  thong;  diameter,  2^  inches;  Arapaho  Indians,  Wyoming;  cat.  no.  3i>977,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  o£  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  923.    Hand-and-foot  ball:  diameter,  9i  inches;  Cheyenne  Indians,  Montana;  cat.  no.  (59978, 

Field  Columbian  Museum. 

The  end  of  the  thong  is  held  in  the  hand,  and  the  ball  is  thrown 
up  and  caught. 

Collected  b}'  the  writer  in  1900.  The  name  is  kowwha  :  it  is  used  in 
a  girl's  game. 

Cheyenne.     Cheyenne    reservation,    Montana.      (Field    Colunil)ian 

Museum.) 
Cat.  no.  69978.     Kicking  football   (figure  923).  covei'ed  with  buck- 
skin, irregularly  elliptical,  with  two  faces,  consisting  of  disks  of 
buckskin  sewed  to  a  middle  band  2  inches  wide  and  painted  red, 
to   which   is   attached   a   buckskin   thong   24    inches   in   length ; 
diameter,  9J  inches. 
Collected  by  IMr  S.  C.  Simms  in  1901.     The  thong  is  held  in  the 
hand  and  the  ball  kicked  repeatedly.     It  is  used  in  a  woman's  game. 
24  ETH — 05  M 45 


706  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  24 

Cat.  no.  68977.     Buckskin  ball  flattened   (figure  924),  with  median 
seam,  painted  red,  7i  inches  in  diameter;  accompanied  by  twenty 
counting  sticks,  willow  twigs,  i^ainted  red,  8t\  inches  in  length. 
These  were  collected  in  1901  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms,  who  says  the  ball  is 

kicked  in  the  air  and  caught  on  the  foot,  the  operation  being  repeated 

until  the  player  misses.     A  stick  is  given  for  each  successful  stroke. 

This  is  a  woman's  game. 

Cheyenne.     Oklahoma. 

Mr  Louis  L.  Meeker  writes  that  girls  kick  a  little  ball  in  the  air, 
counting  the  number  of  times  it  is  done  without  letting  ball  or  foot 
touch  the  ground. 
Colorado. 

Prof.   F.   V.   Hayden "  gives  under  ball :  e-hu-a-si-wa-to,  to  play 
ball  with  the  foot. 


0 
Fig.  924.  Fig.  92.5. 

Fig.  924.    Hand-and-foot  ball;  diameter,  7i  inches;  Cheyenne  Indians,  Montana;  cat.  no.  68977, 

Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  92.5.    Position  of  players  in  women's  football  game;  Western  Eskimo,  Alaska;  from  Nelson. 

Grosventres.     Fort  Belknap,  Montana.      (Cat.  no.  xlfir?  American 

Museum  of  Natural  History.) 
Ball,  covered  with  a  bladder  and  twined  with  a  network  of  sinew; 

diameter,  6  inches.     Described  by  the  collector,  Dr  A.  L.  Kroe- 

ber,  as  a  football. 

ESKIMAUAN    STOCK 

Eskimo   (Western).     St  Michael,  Alaska. 

Mr  E.  W.  Nelson ''  describes  the  following  game : 

WoiiiGii's  football  (fln-kar-fl-g'it).  .  .  .  This  game  is  played  by  women 
usually  during  the  fall  and  winter.  The  ball  used  is  generally  considerably 
larger  than  the  one  used  in  the  men's  game.  The  four  players  stand  opposite 
each  other  [figure  925]. 

Each  pair  has  a  ball,  which  is  thrown  or  driven  back  and  forth  across  the 
square.  The  ball  is  thrown  upon  the  ground  midway  between  the  players,  so 
that  it  shall  bound  toward  the  opposite  one.  She  strikes  the  ball  down  and 
back  toward  her  partner  with  the  palm  of  her  open  hand.     Sometimes  the  ball 

"  Contributions  to  the  Ethnography  and  Philology  of  the  Indian  Tribes  of  the  Missouri 
Valley,   p.   20.5.   Philadelphia,   1862. 

'  The  Eskimo  about  Bering  Strait.  Eighteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Araerl- 
can  Ethnology,  pt.  1,  p.  336,  1899. 


cclin] 


HAND-AND-FOOT    B.ALL :    MANDAX 


707 


is  caught  on  the  toe  or  hand  and  tossed  up  and  struck  or  kicked  back  toward 
the  other  side.  The  person  who  misses  least  or  has  fewer  •"  dead  "  balls  on  her 
side  wins.     At  times  this  game  is  played  only  by  two  women. 

SIOUAN   STOCK 

AssiNiBOix.     Fort  Union,  Montana. 
Mr  Edwin  T.  Denig "  says : 
The  women  play  hand  and  foot  ball. 
Ceom's.     Crow  agency,  Montana.      (Cat.   no.   154335,  United  States 

National  Museum.) 
Football  (figure  926),  covered  with  bladder  and  twined  with  sinew; 
diameter,  6  inches.     Collected  by  Dr  AV.  J.  Hoffman,  who  gives 
the  name  as  buh  tse. 


Ftg.  926.    Hand-and-foot  ball;  diameter,  Sinches:  Crow  Indians,  Montana;  cat.  no.  154335,  United 

states  National  Museum. 
Fig.  927,    Hand-and-foot  ball;  Mandan  Indians.   North  Dafeota;   from   Maximilian,  Prince  of 

Wied. 

Crow  reservation.  Montana.     (Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Cat.  no.  69646.     Bladder  filled  with  antelope  hair,  inclosed  in  a  net- 
work of  sinew ;  diameter.  6^  inches. 
Cat.  no.  69645.     Football,  similar  to  the  preceding,  8J  inches  in  diame- 
ter. 
Cat.  no.  69647.     Football,  similar  to  the  preceding.  7  inches  in  diame- 
ter. 
These  specimens  were  collected  in  1901  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms,  who 
describes  them  as  juggling  footballs,  boop  tcje,  used  in  a  woman's 
game.     The  object  is  to  keep  the  ball  in  the  air  the  longest  time  by 
kicking  it  or  by  the  gi'eatest  number  of  kicks  without  a  miss. 
Maxdai^.     Fort  Clark,  Xorth  Dakota. 
Maximilian,  Prince  of  Wied,*"  says : 

The  women  are  expert  in  playing  with  a  large  leathern  ball    [figure  9271, 
which  they  let  fall  alternately  on  their  foot  and  knee,  again  throwing  it  up  and 


"  Unpublished  manuscript  in  the  library  of  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology. 
'•Travels   in    the   Interior   of   North    America,    translated   by    H.    Evans   Lloyd,    p. 
London,  1S43. 


358. 


708  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      fBTH.  ANN'.  24 

catching  it,  aud  thus  lieepiug  it  in  motion  for  a  length  of  time  without  letting 
it  fall  to  the  ground.  Prizes  are  given,  and  they  often  play  high.  The  ball  is 
often  very  neat  and  curiously  covered  with  dyed  porcupine  quills. 

Winnebago.     "Wisconsin. 

Mr  Louis  L.  Meeker  communicates  the  following  description  of  a 
game  played  by  the  Winnebago  girls  and  some  others : 

They  take  a  light  soft  ball,  such  as  a  stuffed  stocking  foot,  place  it  on  the  toe, 
and  standing  on  one  foot,  kick  it  up  a  few  inches.  Then  as  it  falls  they  kick 
it  back  again,  so  as  to  send  it  up  as  often  as  possible  without  letting  it  fall  to 
the  ground,  keeping  count  of  the  number  of  times.  When  it  falls  to  the  ground 
or  when  the  foot  is  placed  on  the  ground  the  ball  is  passed  to  another  player. 
The  first  to  count  100,  or  any  number  agreed  upon.  wins. 

Tossed  Ball 

In  general,  the  ball  throughout  the  North  American  continent  was 
propelled  with  a  bat  or  racket  and  not  touched  with  the  hands.  The 
following  exceptional  games  ha\e  been  recorded: 

algonquian  stock 

Abnaki.     Quebec. 
Lafitau  "  says : 

Their  ball  is  nothing  but  an  inflated  bladder,  which  must  always  be  kept  up 
in  the  air  and  which  in  reality  is  upheld  a  long  time  by  the  multitude  of  hands 
tossing  it  back  and  forth  without  ceasing ;  this  forms  a  very  pretty  sight. 

Miami.     St  Joseph  river,  Michigan. 

Charlevoix  *  says,  after  describing  lacrosse : 

The  second  game  is  very  like  this  one,  but  not  so  dangerous.  Two  boundaries 
are  marked  out,  as  in  the  first  game,  and  the  players  take  up  all  the  ground 
which  is  between  them.  The  one  who  begins  throws  a  ball  up  into  the  air  as 
perpendicularly  as  possible,  so  that  he  may  easily  catch  it  again  and  throw  it 
towards  the  goal.  All  the  others  have  their  arms  raised,  and  the  one  who  seizes 
the  ball  either  goes  through  the  same  maneuver  or  throws  it  to  one  of  his  party 
whom  he  considei's  more  alert  or  more  skillful  than  himself,  for  in  order  to  win 
the  ball  must  never  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  adversaries.  Women  pla.v  this 
game  also,  but  rarely.  They  have  four  or  five  on  a  side,  aud  the  one  who  lets 
the  ball  fall  loses. 

Montagnais.     Camp  islands.  Labrador. 
George  Cartwright "  says : 

At  sunset  the  Indians  amused  them.selves  with  playing  at  ball.  This  amuse- 
ment consisted  only  in  tossing  the  ball  at  i)leasure  from  one  to  another,  each 
striving  who  should  get  it;   but  X  soon  perceived  they  were  very  bad  catchers. 

"  Moeurs  des  Sauvages  Ameriquains.  v.  4.  p.  70.  Paris,  1724. 

^.Toiirnal  d'un  Voyage  dans  TAm^riqiie  Seiitentrionnale,  v.  3,  p.  .319.  Pari.s.  1744. 
'  A  .rournal  of  Transactions  and  Events  diuinp;  a  Residence  of  nearly  Sixteen  Years  on 
the  Coast  of  Labrador,  v.  1,  p.  237,  Newark,  1792. 


culinJ 


TOSSED    ball:   CHOCTAW 


709 


nilMJIESYAN    STOCK 

NiSKA.     Nass  river,  British  Columbia. 
Dr  Franz  Boas  "  describes  a  game : 

Tlet !  :  a  bal!  game. — Four  men  stand  in  a  square :  each  pair,  stantljn?  in 
opposite  corners,  throw  the  ball  one  to  the  other,  striking  it  with  their  hands. 
Those  who  continue  longest  have  won. 

E.SKIMAFAN    .STOCK 


Eskimo  (Central).     Ciimljerland  souiiil.  Baffin  land,  Franklin, 
Dr  Franz  Boas  ''  says : 

The  ball  [figure  028]  is  most  fre(iuontly 
used  in  summer.  It  is  made  of  sealskin  stuffed 
with  moss  and  neatly  trimmed  with  skin 
straps.  One  man  throws  the  ball  among  the 
players,  whose  object  it  is  to  keep  it  always 
in  motion  without  allowing  it  to  touch  the 
ground. 

KOLUSCHAN    STOCK 

Tlingit.     Alaska. 

Dr  Aurel  Krause  ''  says : 

Ball  is  played  by  children  as  well  as  adults. 
The  young  people  of  the  village  often  passed 
the  time  in  a  game  in  which  two  sides  i)laced 
themselves  opposite  each  other  and  threw  a 
thick  leather  ball  back  and  forth,  whereby  Fig.  92k.  Ball;  Central  Eskimo,  Cum- 
they  exerted  themselves  never  to  let  it  come        beriandsound.Bafflnland.Franklin; 

,,  ,.  cat.  no.  IV  A  6822,  Berlin  Museum 

to  the  earth.  j^^.  vgiijert„„ae:  from  Boas 


JIUSKHOGEAN  STOCK 

Choctaw.     Mississippi. 

Capt.  Bernard  Romans  <<■  says : 

'The  women  also  have  a  game  where  they  take  a  small  stick,  or  something  else 
off  the  ground  after  having  thrown  up  a  small  ball  which  they  are  to  catch 
again,  having  picked  up  the  other :  they  are  fond  of  it.  but  ashamed  to  be  seen 
at  it.  I  Itelieve  it  is  this  propensity  to  gaming  which  has  given  these  savages  an 
idea  of  a  meum  and  tuum  above  all  other  nations  of  America. 

Captain  Romans "  describes  also  a  game  played  with  a  large  ball  of 
woolen  rags,  which  he  says  the  men  and  women  play  promiscuously 
with  the  hand  only. 

»  Fifth  Report  on  the  Indians  of  British  Columbia.  Report  of  the  Sixty-fifth  Meeting 
of  the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  583.  London,  1H9.5. 

'■  The  Central  Eskimo.      Sixth  .\nnual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  .570.  1888. 
'Pie  Tlinkit-Indianer.  p.  164.  .lena.  1S8.">. 

•'A  Concise  Natural  History  of  East  and  West  Florida,  v.   1.  p.  81,  New  York,  1775. 
•  Il)id.,  p.  79. 


VlO  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 

NATCHESAN    STOCK 

Natchez.     Louisiana. 

Le  Page  du  Pratz  "  wrote : 

The  young  people,  especially  the  gliis,  have  hardly  any  kind  of  diversion  but 
that  of  the  ball :  this  consists  in  tossing  a  ball  from  one  to  the  other  with  the 
palm  of  the  hand,  which  the.v  perform  with  tolerable  address. 

pujunan  stock 

NiSHiNAM.     California. 

Mr  Stephen  Powers  ^  describes  the  following  game :  . 

The  pos'-ka  huk'-um-toh  kom-peh'  (tossing  the  ball)  is  a  boy.s'  game.  They 
employ  a  round  wooden  ball,  a  buckeye,  or  something,  standing  at  three  liases 
or  corners,  and  toss  it  around  from  one  to  the  other.  If  two  of  them  start  to 
exchange  corners,  and  the  third  "  crosses  out  "  or  hits  either  of  them,  he  scores 
one.  and  the.v  count  up  to  a  certain  luuuber,  which  completes  the  game. 

SALISHAN    STOCK 

Thompson  Indians  (Ntlakyapamuk).     British  Colninl)ia. 
Mr  James  Teit  <•  says : 

The  Lower  Thompson  had  a  ball  game  in  which  the  ball  was  thrown  up  by 
one  player.  The  player  who  caught  it  ran  with  it  until  overtaken  by  another 
player,  who  in  his  turn  ran  with  it  until  a  certain  goal  was  reached. 

siouan  stock 

AssiNiBOix.     Fort  Union,  Montana. 
Mr  Edwin  T.  Denig ''  says : 
The  women  lalay  hand  and  foot  ball. 

Hidatsa.     Fort  Clark,  North  Dakota. 

Maximilian,  Prince  of  Wied,''  referring  to  a  visit  of  this  tribe  at 
Fort  Clark,  on  November  27,  1833,  speaks  of  some  of  the  women 
"  playing  with  a  leathern  ball,  which  they  flung  upon  the  ice,  caught 
it,  and  then  threw  it  into  the  air,  catching  it  as  it  fell." 

zuNiAN  stock 

Zuxi.     Zuni.  New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  5000,  Brooklyn  Institute  Mu- 
seum.) 
Cotton  cloth-covered  ball    (figure  929),  ovate,  with  median  .seam,  6 
inches  in  diameter. 

"  Hlstoire  de  la  Louisiane,  v.  3,  p.  5,  Paris,  1768. 

'Tribes  of  California.  Contributions  to  North  American  Ethnolog.v,  v.  3,  p.  331,  Wash- 
ington, 1877. 

•■  Tho  Thompson  Indians  of  British  Columbia.  Memoirs  of  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  v.  2.  p.  278.  New  York.  1900. 

''  Unpublished  manuscript  in  the  library  of  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnolnnj-. 

•■  Travels  in  the  Interior  of  Noi'th  America,  translated  by  H.  Evans  Lloyd,  p.  422, 
London,  1843. 


CCLIS] 


FOOT-CAST  ball:  CHUKCHANSI 


711 


This  was  made  for  the  writer  by  Nick  Graham,  as  a  copy  of  a  ball 
used  by  the  clowns,  or  Koyemshi.  in  a  game  in  the  plaza  at  Zufii, 
May  27,  190-1,  which  he  described  as  follows : 

The  clowns  produced  a  large,  soft  ball,  and  one  of  them  made  a  mark 
with  his  foot  across  the  middle  of  the  plaza  from  north  to  south.  Sides  were 
chosen,  half  the  clowns  ranging  themselves  on  one  side  and  half  on  the  other. 
One  side  had  the  ball,  and  one  of  the  players  on  that  side  would  run  forward 
with  it  to  the  line  and  try  to  strike  a  player  on  the  other.  If  he  bit  bim,  the 
latter  went  to  the  striker's  side,  but  if  he  missed,  the  other  side  threw  the  ball. 

Mrs  Matilda  Coxe  Stevenson "  says  under  popone  ( wool-ba<i'  or 
ball)  : 

This  game  is  also  played  by  the  Koyemshi  and  the  Newekwe  fraternity  during 
the  intermission  of  the  dances. 


Fig.  '.& 


Fig.  sun. 


Fig.  929.     Ball;   diameter,  6  inches:    Zuiii  Indians,  Zioiii,  New  Mexico;   cat.  no.  5iKK(,  Brooklyn 

Institute  Mnseum. 
FiG.  930.     Stone  foot-casting  ball;   diameter,  4  inches;   Chukchansi  Indians,  Madera  county, 

California;  cat.  no.  70894,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Two  sides  are  formed  in  line,  and  a  man  runs  out  from  one  side  and  turns 
his  back  to  his  opponents,  one  of  whom  advances  and  throws  a  small  bag  filled 
with  wool.  If  he  succeeds  in  striking  the  one  who  has  his  back  turned,  the 
latter  must  join  the  side  of  the  one  who  strikes :  but  should  the  one  endeavor- 
ing to  strike  be  hit  from  the  other  side  before  he  returns  to  his  ranks,  he  must 
pass  to  his  opponent's  side. 

Foot-cast  Ball 

A  game  of  casting  a  heavy  stone  ball  with  the  top  of  the  foot,  the 
object  being  to  see  who  can  throw  it  farthest;  observed  only  in 
California  by  Doctor  Hudson  among  the  tribes  of  two  stocks  (Mari- 
posan  and  Moqueluninan). 

mariposan  stock 


Chukchansi.     Madera  county.  California.     (Cat.  no.  70894,  Field 

Columbian  Museum.) 
Stone  ball  (figure  930),  4  inches  in  diameter.     Collected  by  Dr  J.  W. 
Hudson,  who  describes  it  as  used  in  the  foot-putting  game. 

'  Zuui  Games.     American  Anthropologist,  n.  s..  v.  5.  p.  495,  1903. 


712  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  axk.  1>4 

MOQUELUMNAN    STOCK 

Aplache.     Big  creek,  north  of  Groveland,  Tuolumne  county,  Cali- 
fornia. 
Doctor  Hudson  describes  the  following  game  under  the  name  of 
sawa  puchuma  (sawa.  stone:  puchuma,  to  lift  or  cast  witli  the  top  of 
the  foot) : 

A  pecked  stone  bull,  aliuiit  '.'•  iut-hes  in  diameter,  is  cast  with  tUe  top  of  the 
right  foot.  The  left  foot  must  not  get  out  of  jjosition.  The  one  who  can  throw 
it  farthest  wins. 

Ball  Juggling 

The  sport  or  game  of  throwing  two  or  more  balls  into  the  air  at 
the  same  time  has  been  observed  among  the  Eskimo  and  an  adjacent 
Algonquian  tribe,  among  the  Bannock.  Shoshoni  and  Ute  (Sho- 
shonean),  and  among  the  Zuni.  There  is  no  indication  that  it  was 
borrowed  from  the  whites,  and  further  investigation  will  doubtless 
result  in  its  discovery  in  other  parts  of  the  continent. 

algonquian  stock 

Nascapee.    Ungava.  Labrador. 
Mr  Lucien  M.  Turner"  .says: 

While  walking  out  the  girls  generally  toss  stones  or  chips  in  the  air  and 
strive  to  keep  at  least  two  of  them  up  at  once.  The  Eskimo  often  practice  this 
also.  and.  as  it  appears  to  be  a  general  source  of  amusement  among  the  Innuit, 
I  suspect  that  the  Indian  borrowed  it  from  them. 

ESKIMAUAN    STOCK 

Eskimo  (Central).     Cumberland  sound,  Baffin  land,  Franklin. 
Dr  Franz  Boas  ^  says : 

.\  third  game  of  ball,  called  igdlukitaqtung,  is  played  with  small  balls  tossed 
up  alternately  from  the  right  to  the  left,  one  always  being  in  the  air. 

Eskimo  (Ita).     Smith  sound,  Greenland. 
Dr  A.  L.  Kroeber  '^  says : 
The  Adlet  among  them  also  juggle,  some  with  as  many  as  five  pebbles  at  once. 

shastan  stock 

AcHOMAWi.     Pit  river.  California. 

Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  these  Indians  as  casting  up  lenticularly- 
shaped  stones  over  and  over,  juggling. 

»  Ethnology  of  the  Ungava  District.  Hudson  Bay  Territory.  Eleventh  Annual  Report 
of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  321.  18!M. 

'The  Central  Eskimo.      Sixth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  570.  1888. 
''Bulletin  of  the  Ameriran  Museum  of  Natural  History,  v.  12,  p.  .SOO.  New  York,  1900. 


CULIN]  BALL    juggling:   UINTA    UTE  713 

SHOSIIONEAX    STOCK 

Bannock.     Fort    Hall    reservation.    Klalio.      (Cat.    no.    370G(J.    Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Two  perforated  marbles  collected  by  the  writer  in  1900.     They  are 
called  marapai  and  are  said  to  be  used  in  juggling. 

Shoshoni.     Wind   River   reservation.   Wyoming.     (Cat.   no.   36882, 
Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania.) 
Set  of  three  gypsum  balls  (tigure  !)31).  name  tapa.  -2  inches  in  diam- 
eter. 
Collected  by  the  writer  in  I'JOO.     They  are  used  by  women  in  a 
juggling  game,  described  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey  «  as  follows: 

Occasionally  rounded,  water-worn  stones  are  used.  The  Shoshoni  n.Tnie  for 
the  game  is  na-wa-ta-pi  ta-na-wa-ta-i)i,  meaning  to  throw  with  the  hand.  The 
usual  number  of  balls  used  is  three,  although  two  or  four  may  be  used.  The  ob- 
ject is  to  keep  one  or  more  of  the  balls,  iitt-ording  to  the  number  used,  in  the  air 
by  passing  them  upward  from  one  hand  to  the  other,  and  vice  versa,  after  the 
fashion  of  our  well-known  jugglers.     The  balls  are  about  an  inch  in  diameter. 


Fig.  931  Fig.  9:s. 

Fig.  9.31.    Juggling  balls;  diameter.  2  iurh&s;  Shoshoni  Indians,  Wyoming;  cat.  no.  1^6882.  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Ai*t,  Univei-sity  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fu;.  9.S2.    Juggling  balls;  diameter,  U  inches;  Uinta  Ute  Indians,  White  Rocks,  Utah;  cat.  no. 

37121,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

and  are  painted  according  to  the  fancy  of  the  owner,  one  of  the  sets  <ollected 
having  been  jiainted  blue,  another  red.  while  a  third  set  was  white.  Contests  of 
skill  with  these  balls  are  occasions  of  considerable  betting  among  the  women, 
stakes  of  importance  often  being  wagered.  The  usual  play  of  the  game  is  when 
two  or  more  women  agi'ee  upon  some  objective  point,  such  as  a  tree  or  tipi.  to 
which  they  direct  their  steps,  juggling  the  balls  as  they  go.  The  individual  who 
first  arrives  at  the  goal  without  having  dropped  one  of  the  balls,  or  without 
having  a  mishap  of  any  sort,  is  the  winner  of  the  contest.  .  .  ..  All  Sho- 
shoni who  were  interrogated  on  this  point  declared  that  the  art  of  juggling  had 
long  been  known  liy  the  wt)nien.  and  that  before  the  advent  of  the  whites  into 
W.voming  contests  for  stakes  among  the  women  was  one  of  their  counuonest 
forms  of  gambling.  This  game  was  also  observed  among  the  Bannocks.  th<> 
Utes  and  the  Paiutes.     .     . 

Uinta  Ute.     T\Tiite  Rocks.  Utah.     (Cat.  no.  37121,  Free  Museum  of 

Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania,) 
Set  of  three  red  clay  balls  (figure  S)32),  li  inches  in  diameter.     Used 
by  women  in  a  juggling  game.     Collected  by  the  writer  in  1901. 

"  Journal  of  American  Folk-Lore,  v.  14,  p.  24,  Boston,  1901. 


714  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 

ZUNIAN    STOCK 

Zuxi.     Zuni,  New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  3085.  Brooklyn  Institute  Mu- 
seum. ) 
Four  red  clay  balls  (figiu-e  933),  2  inclies  in  diameter. 

Collected  in  1903  by  the  writer,  to  whom  they  were  described  as 
follows : 

Women  make  balls  of  red  clay  as  big  as  bens'  eggs  for  the  boys  to  gamble  with. 
They  use  two,  throwing  them  up  and  keeping  one  in  the  air.  They  keep  count, 
and  the  one  who  scores  highest  wins.  The  game  is  called  ha  it-zu-lu-lu-na-wai ; 
the  ball,  hai-muk-kia-ma-wai. 

Hot  Ball 

Dr  J.  W.  Hudson  describes  the  following  game  as  one  for  training 
young  men: 

An  old  man  goes  out  at  night  and  takes  a  stone  Ijall  which  be  puts  in  the  fire 
and  heats  very  hot.  He  then  removes  the  hall  from  the  fire  and  throws  it  as 
far  as  he  can  with  wisps  of  straw.     .\  number  of  youths  are  lined  up,  on  the 


Fie;.  93:1  •  Fig.  <i:i4. 

Fig.  93.3.    -Juggling  balls;  diameter,  2  inches:  Zuni  Indians.  Zuni.  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  3085, 

Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 
Fig.  SVW.    Hot  Imll;  diameter,  2J  inches;  Mono  Indians,  Madera  county.  California;  cat.  no.  71439, 

Field  Columbian  Museum. 

alert,  heads  down,  to  locate  where  the  ball  strikes,  and  at  the  moment  it  falls 
they  run  and  try  to  get  it.  He  who  finds  it  first  gets  the  first  honor,  but  he  who 
brings  it  to  the  camp  gets  the  stakes. 

MARIPOSA X    STOCK 

Chckchansi.     Fresno  county.  California.     (Cat.  no.   70893,  Field 

Columbian  Museum.) 
Two  stone  balls,  2  inches  in  diameter.  ^ 

Collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson,  who  describes  them  as  probably 
used  in  the  game  of  hot'ball. 

shoshonean  stock 

Mono.  Hooker  cove,  Maderu  county.  Cnlifornia.  (Cat.  no.  71439, 
'  Field  Columbian  Museum. ) 

Four  stone  balls  (figure  934),  2J  to  2f  inches  in  diameter.  Col- 
lected by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson,  who  describes  them  as  used  in  the 
game  of  hot  ball. 


MINOR  AMT^SEMENTS 

From  the  recorded  accounts,  meager  as  they  are.  it  appears  that  the 
Indians  of  North  America  had  the  same  kinds  of  minor  amusements 
and  children's  i:)lays  as  occur  in  other  parts  of  the  world  and  sur- 
vive in  our  own  civilization.  Thus,  for  example,  Mr  Nelson "  gives 
descriptions  of  twenty-two ''  such  amusements  in  addition  to  those 
of  which  accounts  have  been  extracted  for  the  present  work. 

Rev.  J.  Owen  Dorsey  "^  in  the  same  way  describes  forty-one  such 
plays,  beside  those  mentioned  in  this  volume,  as  existing  among 
the  Teton  Dakota.  Of  these,  thirty-one  are  readily  classified  as 
imitative  and  dramatic,  twelve  "^  of  these  referring  to  war  and  combat, 
six''  to  hunting,  f our  ^  to  religion,  and  nine"  to  social  customs  and 
domestic  employments;  three''  are  ring  games,  similar  to  those  of 
civilization,  four'  are  simple  contests  of  action,  and  three-'  may  be 
classified  as  miscellaneous. 

According  to  ^Ir  Dorsey.  each  of  these  games,  and  of  the  other 
children's  games  w^hich  he  enumerates,  has  its  own  special  season  or 
seasons  and  is  played  at  no  other  time  of  the  year.     Children  of  one 

"  The  Eskimo  about  Bering  Strait.  Eighteentli  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of 
American  Ethnology,  pt.  1.  p.  337.  1809. 

*•  Rope  jumping  :  blind  man's  buff :  hide  and  seeli  ;  tag  :  twin  tag  ;  ring  around  ;  tossing 
on  walru.s  siiin  :  tug  of  war:  arm  pulling:  pole  pulling:  sticii  raising:  linger  pulling: 
foot  pulling:  neck  pulling:  head  pushing;  battering  ram;  wrestling:  knee  walking;  high 
jumping;  horizontal  jumping:  hurdle  jumping;  kaiak  racing. 

'  Games  of  Teton  Dakota  Children.  American  Anthropologist,  v.  4,  p.  329.  1891.  For 
further  information  about  Dakota  children's  games,  see  Ogalala  Games,  by  Louis  L. 
Meeker,  in  Bulletin  of  Fiee  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  v.  3,  p.  23,  Philadelphia,  1901. 

**  Running  toward  one  another ;  taking  captives  from  one  another ;  how  they  are 
brought  up  (follow  my  leader)  :  hide  and  seek:  throwing  stones  at  one  another;  they 
hit  one  another  with  earth  ;  use  mvid  with  one  another  :  throwing  fire  at  one  another  ; 
throwing  chewed  leaves  into  the  eyes  :  they  wound  one  another  with  a  grass  which  has 
a  long  sharp  beard,  mfchap^cha  ;   wrestling  ;   they  kick  at  one  another. 

*  Hunting  for  young  birds :  egg  hunting :  trampling  on  the  beaver :  deer  game : 
grizzly-bear  game  :  goose  and  her  children. 

f  Ghost  game  :   mystery  game  ;    pretending  to  die  ;    playing  doctor. 

"  Courting  the  women :  going  to  make  a  grass  lodge ;  playing  with  small  things ; 
playing  with  large  objects ;  they  make  one  another  carry  packs ;  sitting  on  wooden 
horses  ;    old  woman  and  her  dog  :    causing  them  to  scramble  for  gifts  ;    flutes. 

**  Howf  I  howl  1  :   snatching  places  from  one  another;    they  do  not  touch  one  another. 

*  Who  shall  get  there  first  ;  hopping ;  jumping  from  a  high  object ;  they  play  neck 
out  of  joint   (tumbling,  somersaults). 

t  Hoop  that  is  made  to  roll  by  the  wind  ;  sport  with  mud  horses  :  ball  of  mud  made 
to  float  is  thrown  at. 

715 


71ti 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 


sex  seldom  play  with  those  of  the  other.  In  accordance  with  the 
original  plan  I  shall  dismiss  with  this  mere  mention  the  games  played 
without  special  implements.  There  is  much,  however,  in  them,  as 
well  as  in  the  Indian  toys  and  playthings,  that  would  rejDay  com- 
parative study,  although  our  information  about  them  is  scanty. 

Mr  Dorsey  says  the  Teton  use  sleds  of  different  kinds.  Among 
the  Oglala  the  boys  coast  down  hill  on  a  piece  of  wood  or  bark  like 
a  barrel  stave,  with  a  rein  tied  to  one  end,  which  they  hold,  standing 
erect,  with  one  foot  advanced  and  the  rein  drawn  tight  for  support." 

Yankton  boys  have  a  kind  of  sled,  huhu  kazunta,  made  of  rib  bones 
lashed  together  with  i-ags  (figure  935). 


Fni.  w:i-). 


Bone  sled;  length,  U  inches;  Yankton  Dakota  Indians,  Fort  Peek,  Montana;  cat.  no. 
87H13,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


I  have  classified  the  following  amusements,  all  of  which  may  be 
regarded  as  games  of  dexterity,  under  thirteen  different  heads,  having 
here  restricted  myself  to  those  of  which  more  than  one  mention  occurs. 
It  is  difficult  to  decide  from  present  data  whether  certain  of  them  may 
not  have  been  borrowed  from  the  whites.  Though  the  Indians  gen- 
erally are  a  conservative  people,  they  have,  at  the  same  time,  high 
powers  of  mimicry  and  imitation.  Of  this  gift  the  anecdotes  of  the 
Hoiji  clowns  related  by  Mr  A.  M.  Stephen  in  his  unpublished  manu- 
script afford  many  interesting  illustrations. 

Mr  Dorsey  describes  the  skill  with  which  Teton  children  make  play- 
things of  clay,  copying  animal  forms  with  amazing  fidelity.  Indian 
children  in  general  are  given  to  making  pictures,  often  painting  or 
cutting  them  high  i\p  on  the  rocks.  Among  other  amusements  one 
has  been  noted  where  they  laid  pebbles  on  the  ground  to  form  outline 
pictures  of  various  objects. 


°  Louis  L.  Meeker,  Ogalala  Games. 
X  p.  35,  Philadelphia,  1001. 


Bulletin  of  the  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art, 


SHUTTLECOCK  :    SKOKOMISH 


717 


Shuttlecock 

A  game  of  shuttlecock,  played  with  a  wooden  battledoor,  is  com- 
mon among  the  tribes  on  the  Northwest  coast.  The  Zuni  play  with 
corn-husk  shuttlecocks,  stuck  with  feathers.  Ijatted  with  the  hand, 
and  a  similar  object  was  found  in  a  cliff-dwelling  in  the  Canyon  de 
Chelly.  Only  the  two  forms  occur,  and  no  other  distribution  has 
been  observed. 

PIMAN  STOCK 

Pima.     Arizona. 

The  late  Dr  Frank  Russell "  described  the  following  game : 

Kwaitusiwikut. — The  chiliircn  -Jonietinies  amuse  themselves  by  tossing  into 
the  air  corncobs  in  which  from  one  to  three  feathers  have  been  stuck.  They  do 
not  shoot  arrows  at  them. 


SALISHAX    STOCK 


Fig.  936.  Battledoor:  length, 
12i  inches:  Bellacoola  In- 
dians. British  Columbia;  eat. 
no.  IV  A  C773,  Berlin  Mu- 
seum ftir  Volkerkunde. 


Beli„\coola.      Dean  inlet.  British  Columbia. 
(Cat.  no.  t-Ht'  Tifj)  American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History.) 
Battledoor.  made  of  thin,  unpainted  boards, 
Hi  bj'  13^  inches,  and  shuttlecock,  con- 
sisting of  a   small   piece  of   twig,  stuck 
with  three  feathers. 
These    specimens    were    collected    by    Mr 
George  Hunt  and  Dr  Franz  Boas,  who  gave 
the  names  as  laetsta  and  koamal. 

British  Columbia.    (  Cat.no.  IV  A  6772. 

Berlin  Museum  fiir  Volkerkunde.) 
"Wooden  battledoor   (figure  !>3()),  made  of  four  wooden  slats  lashed 
to   a   handle;   length.   121    inches.     Collected   by   Capt.    Samuel 
Jacobsen. 

Clallam.     Washington. 

A  Clallam  boy.  John  Eaub,  described  this  tribe  as  playing  the 
wooden  battledoor  game  like  the  Makah.  The  name  of  the  battle- 
door, he  said,  was  acquiaten ;  of  the  shuttlecock,  sacquiah. 

Skokomish.     British  Columbia. 

INIr  Charles  Hill-Tout  *  describes  a  game  called  tckwie : 

This  was  a  kind  of  shuttlecock  and  battledore,  and  a  favourite  pastime  of 
the  girls. 


"  In  a  memoir  to  he  puhlished  by  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnolog.v. 
'  Notes  on  the  Sk.qo'mic  of  British  Columbia.     Report  of  the  Seventieth  Meeting  of  the 
British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  488,  London,  1900. 


718 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ANN.  24 


WAKASHAN    STOCK 

Hesquiaht.     Vancouvpr   island,   British   Columbia.     (Cat.    no.   IV 
A  14S9,  Berlin  Museum  fiir  Volkerkunde.) 

Battledoor  (figure  937),  wooden  plaque,  with  a  handle  of  the  same 
piece,  14  inches  in  length;  and  shuttlecock  (figure  938),  a  twig 
tied  with  three  feathers.     Collected  by  Capt.  Samuel  Jacobsen. 

KwAKiUTL.     Nawiti,  British  Columbia. 

Dr  C.  F.  Newcombe  gives  the  name  of  the  battledoor  of  slats  as 

quemal  and  of  the  shuttlecock  as  quemlaiu.     The  game  is  quumla. 

Two  or  more  play.     If  there  are  many  players,  they  stand  in  a  ring. 

They  throw  always  to  the  right  and  in  front  of  the  body.     The  one 

who  lasts  longest  wins. 


Fig.  9H8. 


Fig.  939. 


Fig.  937.  Battledoor;  length,  14  inches:  Hesquiaht  Indians.  Vancouver  island.  British  Columbia; 
cat.  no.  IV  A  1489,  Berlin  Museum  fiir  Volkerkunde. 

Fig.  938.  Shuttlecock;  length,  3  inches;  Hesquiaht  Indians,  Vancouver  island,  British  Columbia; 
cat.  no.  IV  A  1489,  Berlin  Museum  fur  Volkerkunde. 

Fig.  939.  Battledoor  and  shuttlecock;  diameter  of  battledoor,  9  inches;  Makah  Indians,  Wash- 
ington; cat.  no.  37389,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania, 

Makah.     Xeah  bay,  Washington.      (Cat.  no.  37389,  Free  Mu.seum  of 

Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Battledoor  (figure  939),  consisting  of  a  thin  circular  board  of  cedar 
wood,  9  inches  in  diameter,  with  a  wooden  handle :  and  shuttle- 
cock, consisting  of  a  branch  of  salmon-berry  wood  having  surf- 
duck  feathers  inserted. 
These  objects  were  collected  by  the  writer  in  1900.     The  name  of 
the  bat  was  given  as  klahaiac;  that  of  the  shuttlecock  as  kokoei; 
to  play  the  game,  klahatla. 


CL'LIX] 


shuttlecock:-  zuni 


719 


Dr  George  A.  Dorsey "  describes  the  game  as  plaj'ed  equally  by 
boys  and  girls  under  the  name  of  thahatla ;  the  bat  he  gives  as  tla- 
hayak. 

NiMKiSH.  Nimkish  river,  British  Columbia.  (Cat.  no.  s^VffT>-^»iPi'- 
ican  Museum  of  Natural  History.) 

Battledoor  (figure  940),  consisting  of  eight  strips  of  cedai-  wood 
lashed  with  cedar  bark  to  two  sticks  on  either  side  to  form  a  I'ec- 
tangle  9^  by  10^  inches,  with  a  cedar-wood  handle  in  the  center, 
17  inches  long.     Collected  by  Dr  Franz  Boas  in  1900. 

Opitchesaht.  Vancouver  island, 
British      Columbia. 
(Cat.   no.   IV  A   7119, 
Berlin      Museum      fiir 
Volkerkunde. ) 
Wooden  battledoor  (figure  9-41), 
a    round    plaque    of    wood 
with  a  handle  of  the  same 
piece,  12  inches  in  length. 
The   collector,   Capt.    Samuel 
Jacobsen,    gives    the    name    as 
eidzatsek,    that    of    the    shuttle- 
cock as  tklapaek. 


Pig.  940. 


Fig.  941. 


Ptg.  940.  Battledoor;  length,  17  inches;  Nimkish  Indians,  British  Columbia;  oat.  no.  a,V\,,,  Amer- 
ican Museum  of  Natural  History. 

Pig.  941.  Battledoor;  length,  12  inches;  Opitchesaht  Indians,  Vancouver  island,  British  Colum- 
bia; cat.  no.  IV  A  7119,  Berlin  Museum  fiir  Volkerkunde. 

ZUNIAX    STOCK 

ZuNi.  Zuni.  Xew  Me.xico.  (Cat.  no.  1C)306.  Free  Museum  of  Science 
and  Art.  University  of  Pennsjdvania. ) 

Shuttlecocks  (figure  942),  square  thick  bundles  of  corn  liusk,  tied 
around  at  the  top,  and  having  four  feathers  inserted ;  height, 
from  5  to  7  inches.     Made  by  Mr  Cushing  in  1893. 


"  Games  of  the  Makah  Indians  of  Neah  Bay.     Tlie  American  Antiquarian,  v.  23.  p.  71.  inoi. 


720 


GAMES    Of    THE    NOETH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ANN.  24 


Mr  John  G.  Owens"  describes  the  game  as  follows: 

P6-ke-an. — This  game  is  somewhat  similar  to  our  populiir  s^^me  called  battle- 
door  and  shuttleeoeli.  Green  corn-husks  are  wrapped  into  a  flat  mass  about  2 
inches  scjuare,  and  on  one  side  are  placed  two  feathers,  upright;  then,  using  this 
as  a  shuttlecock  and  the  hand  for  a  l)attled()or^  they  try  how  many  times  they  can 
knock  it  into  the  air.  Some  become  very  skillful  in  this,  and  as  they  return  the 
shuttlecock  to  the  air  they  count  aloud  in  their  own  language — To-pa,  quil-e,  hi, 
a-we-ta,  ap-ti,  etc.  The  striking  resemblance  to  our  European  game  suggests  a 
common  origin,  and  it  may  easily  have  been  introduced  through  contact  with  the 
Spaniards.  This,  however,  is  doubtful,  and  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  we 
must  give  the  Indian  the  credit  of  inventing  this  game  rather  than  Ijorrowiug  it, 
as  similarity  of  product  b.v  no  means  proves  identity  of  origin. 


Pig.  942. 


Fig.  943. 


Fig.  942.    Shuttlecocks;  height,  5  to  7  inches;  Zuni  Indians,  Zuni,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  16306, 

Free  Museifm  of  .Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  943.    Shuttlecocks:  height,  H  inches;  Zuiii  Indians,  Zuiii,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  3IWT,  3088, 

Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 

Zuni      Zufii,  Ne^v  Mexico.     ( Cat.  no.  3087,  3088,  Brooklyn  Institute 

Museum. ) 
Two  delicate  packets  of  woven  corn  husk    (figure  943)    stuck  with 
down  feathers.  8  inches  in  height. 

Collected  by  the  writer  in  1903.  The  name  Avas  given  to  him  as 
pokianawai. 

Mrs  Matilda  Coxe  Stevenson  describes  this  game  under  the  name  of 
po'kinanane  (plural,  po'kiannawe),  the  implements  being  made  of 
corn  husks  neatly  interlaced,  forming  a  square  of  about  an  inch  and 
a  half,  with  two  delicate  feathers  2)rojecting  from  the  center.  She 
says : '' 

So  named  "because  the  sound  produced  liy  the  shuttlecock  coming  in  con- 
tact with  the  palm  of  the  hand  is  similar  to  the  noise  of  the  tread  of  a  jack  rab- 
bit upon  frozen  snow.  The  game  is  played  as  fi'eipieiitly  by  the  younger  boys  as 
bv  their  elders,  and  always  for  stakes. 


°  Some  Oames  of  the  Zuni.     Popular  Science  Monthly,  v.  39,  p.  39,  New  York,  1901. 
*  Zuni  Games.     American  AntliropolOKist,  n.  s.,  v.  .'i.  p.  402,  1003. 


cDLis]  tipcat:  zuni  721 

One  bets  that  he  can  toss  the  shuttlecock  a  given  number  of  times.  While  ten 
is  the  number  specially  associated  with  the  game,  the  wagers  are  often  made 
for  twenty,  fifty,  and  Sometimes  a  hundred  throws.  In  case  of  failure  the  other 
player  tries  his  skill,  each  party  alternating  in  the  game  until  one  or  tlie  other 
tosses  the  shuttlecocli  (only  one  hand  being  used)  tlie  given  number  of  times, 
which  entitles  him  to  the  game. 

The  Zuiii  claim  that  this  game  origiuated  with  them. 


Tipcat 

The  game  of  tipcat,  jDlayed  with  a  small  billet,  usually  pointed, 
which  is  struck  with  a  club,  appears  to  be  known  in  America,  at  least 
to  certain  tribes.  Hennepin's  account  seems  to  refer  to  it,  and  the 
cat  made  by  Mr  Gushing  is  similar  to  those  used  by  boys  in  our  streets. 
The  Zuni  game  is  peculiar  in  the  ball  tied  to  a  stick  which  is  used  to 
hit  the  billet. 

IROQUOIAX    STOCK 

Huron.     Ontario. 

Father  Louis  Hennepin  "  says : 

The  children  play  with  bows  and  with  two  sticks,  one  large  and  one  small. 
They  hold  the  little  one  in  the  left  and  the  larger  one  in  the  right  hand  :  then 
with  the  larger  they  make  the  smaller  one  fly  up  in  the  air,  and  another  runs 
after  it  and  throws  it  at  the  one  who  sprung  it.  This  game  re.sembles  that  of 
children  in  Europe. 

SIOUAN    STOCK 

Dakota  (Teton).     South  Dakota. 

Rev.  J.  Owen  Dorsey  ''  describes  the  game  luider  the  name  ichapsil 
echunpi,  making  the  wood  jump  by  hitting  it : 

When  the  boys  play  this  game  an  imaginary  stream  is  marked  off  on  the 
ground,  and  the  players  stand  on  imaginary  ice  near  the  shore.  They  take  turns 
at  knocking  at  a  piece  of  wood,  in  order  to  send  it  up  into  the  air.  He  who 
fails  to  send  up  the  piece  of  wood  loses  his  stakes,  and  he  who  succeeds  wins  the 
stakes. 

ZUNIAN    STOCK 

Zuni.  Zuiii,  New  Mexico.  (Cat.  no.  1(1309,  Free  Museum  of  Science 
and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Small  double- pointed  billet  (figure  Dll),  2|  inches  in  length,  with 
a  bat,  consisting  of  a  small  bag-shaped  buckskin  ball  (figure 
945),  attached  to  the  end  of  a  handle  made  of  a  small  twig, 
19  inches  in  length — a  model  made  by  Mr  dishing,  who  describes 
it  as  known  in  Zuni  as  the  jumping-toad  game. 

"  A  Description  of  Louisiana,  p.  303,  New  York,  IS.SO. 

'Games  of  Teton  D.nkota  Children.     The  American  .-knthropologist,  v.  4,  p.  341,  1801, 
24  ETH— 05  M 40 


722 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAJST    INDIANS      Ieth.  anx.  :;4 


Quoits 

The  following  games  are  akin  to  our  game  of  quoits,  but  they  do 
not  appear  to  have  anything  in  common  w  ith  it  apart  from  a  general 
resemblance.  At  the  same  time  it  is  not  unlikely  that  the  game 
played  with  stones  by  the  Tarahumare,  Mohave,  and  Zuiii  may  have 
been  borrowed  from  the  Spaniards.  The  last-named  play  with  iron 
disks,  rayuelas.  The  Zufii  regard  their  game  as  Mexican.  I  have 
here  incorporated  a  Xavaho  game  like  ring-toss,  which  may  have  had 
likewise  a  foreign  orierin. 


Fig.  944. 


Fig.  946. 


Fio.  944.    Tipcat  (model);  length,  3J  inches;  Zuni  Indians,  Zuni,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  lfi.S09.  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fio.  94.1.    Bat  for  tipcat  (model);  length,  19  inches;  Zuni  Indians,  Zuni,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no. 

163(19,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  946.    Ring  for  game;  diameter,  4i  inches;  Navaho  Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  3632,  Brooklyn 

Institute  Museum. 


ALOONQUIAN    STOCK 

MicMAC.     Xova  Scotia. 
Dr  A.  S.  Gatschet  writes : " 

They  have  also  the  quoit  game,  and  play  it  as  Americans  do:  sulinle'wit.  he 
plays  the  quoit  game;  niu  subale'wi.  I  play  at  quoits;  suliale'-udi,  the  disk- 
shaped  stone  (]uoit. 

ATHAPASCAN    STOCK 

Navaho.     Chin   Lee,   Arizona.      (Cat.   no.  3632,  Brooklyn   Institute 

Museum.) 
Yucca-wrapped  ring  (figure  0-ttJ),  -ii  inches  in  diameter,  half  its 
diameter  painted  white. 
Collected  by  the  writer  in  1903.  Two  common  sticks,  about  a  foot 
high,  are  set  up  as  pegs  about  as  far  apart  as  one  can  pitch,  and  if  the 
ring  falls  .so  that  its  green  edge  touches  the  peg  it  counts  twice  as 
much  as  the  white.  "\\Tien  it  falls  on  the  peg  the  game  is  won.  The 
ring  is  called  has,  ring. 

«  From  Baddeck,  Nova  Scotia,  August  28,  1899. 


CLLIN] 


quoits:  ESKIMO 


723 


ESKIMAUAN    STOCK 

Eskimo  (Western).    Liesnoi  island,  Alaska.     (Cat.  no.  90436, United 

States  National  Museum.) 
Eleven  flat  jjolished  ivory  disks   (figure  047),  If  inches  in  diameter 
and  one-fourth  of  an  inch  thick.     Five  have  a  single  comma- 
shaped  hole  in  the  middle,  and  five  three  holes  in  a  line  across 
the  piece.     The  eleventh  piece  appears  to  belong  to  another  set. 
Collected  by  W.  J.  Fisher,  Coast  and  Geodetic  Survey. 
This  appears  to  be  the  game  observed  by  Mr  Iv?n  Petroff "  among 
the  Kaviagmiut: 

The  Kaniags  were  inveterate  gamblers.  They  frequently  lost  all  their  pos- 
sessions in  a  game  they  called  "  kagauagah."  which  was  played  as  follows :  Two 
seal-skins  were  spread  out  at  a  distance  of  S  or  10  feet  from  each  other,  and  a 
flat,  round  jjiece  of  lioue.  aliout  the  size  of  a  silver  eagle  was  deposited  upon 
each,  the  edge  of  the  disk  being  marked  with  four  black  dots.  The  players, 
whose  number  was  never  more  than  four,  but  generally  two.  divided  into  two 


Fig. 


947.    Ivory  gaming  disks;  diameter,  !•  iuohes;   Western  Eskimo,  Alaska;  cat.  no.  90436, 
United  States  National  Museum. 


parties,  and  each  put  up  some  article  of  value.  Each  gambler  had  five  wooden 
disks,  and  these  he  threw  from  the  edge  of  one  skin  to  the  other,  trying  to  cover 
the  bone  disk.  When  all  the  disks  had  been  thrown,  the  players  examined  their 
relative  positions.  If  the  bone  disk  had  been  covered,  the  lucky  thrower  received 
from  his  opponent  three  bone  sticks,  or  marks :  but  if  he  had  covered  only  one  of 
the  black  dots  of  the  disk  he  received  two  nmrks.  and  the  wooden  disk  which  had 
fallen  nearest  to  the  bone  procured  for  the  thrower  one  mark,  and  the  marks 
were  subsequently  redeemed  with  valuables. 

Kodiak  island,  Alaska. 


Capt.  Uriy  Lissiansky  *  says : 

The  Cadiack  men  are  so  fond  of  gaming  that  they  often  lose  everything  they 
possess  at  play.  They  have  a  very  favorite  game  called  kroogeki.  Four  or 
more  men  play  at  it :  that  is,  two  against  two,  or  three  against  three.  Two 
skins  are  spread  on  the  ground,  at  the  distance  of  about  12  feet  from  each  other. 
On  each  skin  is  placed  a  round  flat  mark  made  of  bone,  about  4i  inches  in 
circumference,  with  a  black  circle  and  center  marked  on  it.  Every  player  has 
five  wooden  pieces,  like  what  are  called  men  in  the  game  of  draughts  or  back- 
gammon, and  distiugtiished  in  the  same  manner  by  color.  The  players  kneel, 
and,    stretching   themselves    forward,    lean    on    the    left    hand,    throwing    the 

"  Tenth  Census.  Report  on  the  Population,  Industries,  and  Resources  of  Alaska,  p.  143, 
Washinpton.  1884. 

'A  Voyage  round  the  World,  p.  210.  London.  1814, 


724  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  24 

dfuughts  with  the  right,  oue  after  another,  adversary  against  adversary,  aiming 
at  the  round  marli.  If  a  man  hits  the  marli,  his  antagonist  endeavors  to  dis- 
lodge the  draught  by  placing  his  own  there.  When  all  the  draughts  are 
expended  on  both  sides,  it  is  examined  how  they  lie.  and  the.v  are  counted 
accordingly  :  for  every  draught  touching  the  mark.  1  ;  for  that  which  lodges 
on  it,  2 ;  for  that  which  cuts  the  l)laclv  circle.  3.  etc.  In  this  manner  the  game 
continues  till  the  number  112,  which  is  the  point  of  the  game,  is  gained.  The 
numbers  are  counted  by  small  sticks  made  fur  the  purpose. 

KERESAX    STOCK 

Keee.s.     Cochiti.  New  Mexico. 

A  Keres  boy  at  St  Michael.  Arizona,  named  Francisco  Chaves 
(Kogit),  described  the  following  game  to  the  writer  in  1!»04: 

Waiso. — A  tin  can  is  set  up.  on  wliich  stakes — money,  buttons,  or  matches — 
are  placed.  Several  boys  throw  flat  stones  at  the  can,  and  the  one  who  knocks 
the  can  down,  or  comes  nearest  to  it,  wins.  The  stones,  walso,  are  smooth  flat 
pebbles  about  -1  inches  in  diameter,  picked  up  for  the  occasion. 


Fig.  948.    .Stone  quoits:  diameters.  3J  aud  ,S  inches;  Taraliumare  Indians.  Chihuahua.  Mexico; 
cat.  no.  IKMS,  Free  Museum  of  .Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

PIMAX    STOCK 

Pima.     Arizona. 

The  late  Dr  Frank  Russell "  described  the  following  game : 

Haeyo. — Tliis  game  affords  considerable  amusement  for  the  spectators  as  well 
as  the  participants.  Pour  men  provide  themselves  with  moderatel.v  large 
stones,  hayakut,  which  they  throw  between  two  holes  set  about  50  feet  apart. 
All  stand  at  one  hole  and  try  successively  to  throw  into  the  other.  If  but  one 
succeeds  in  throwing  into  the  hole,  he  and  his  partner  are  carried  on  the  l)acks 
of  their  opponents  across  to  the  opposite  goal.  If  both  jiartners  throw  into  the 
hole  they  are  carried  across  aud  then  return  to  the  first  hole,  the  "  horses  "  who 
carry  them  attempting  to  imitate  the  gallop  of  tlio  horse. 

Tarahumare.     Chihuahua,  Mexico.      (Cat.  no.  10343.  P^ree  Mn.seinn 

of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. ) 
Hemispheric  disk  of  quartzite   (figure  948).  3i   inches  in  diameter, 
and  another  of  lavalike  stone,  3  inches  in  diameter. 
Collected  by  Dr  Carl  Lumholtz.  who  describes  thein  ''  as  used  in  a 
game  called  cuatro,  four,  which  resembles  our  game  of  quoits : 

It  is  called  rixiwiitali  I  rixfwala=di.sk ).  and  two  and  two  play  against 
each  other.     First  one  stone  is  moistened  with  .si)ittle  on  one  side  to  malce  it 

»  In  a  memoir  to  be  published  by  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology. 
'Unknown  Mexico,  v.  1.  p.  '-'77.  New  York.  1002. 


crLiN] 


QUOITS  :    KWAKIUTL 


725 


"  heads  or  tails  "  and  tossed  up.  The  phijer  who  wins  the  toss  plays  first.  Each 
has  three  stones,  which  are  thrown  toward  a  hole  in  the  ground,  perhaps  20 
yards  off.  One  of  each  party  throws  tirst,  then  goes  to  the  hole  and  looks  at  it, 
while  the  other  players  make  their  throws.  The  stone  falling  nearest  to  the 
hole  counts  1  point:  if  it  falls  into  the  hole,  it  counts  4;  if  the  stone  of  the 
second  player  falls  on  top  of  the  first  stone  in  the  hole,  it  "  kills  "  the  first  stone. 
The  game  is  out  at  12.  To  measure  distances,  they  break  ofif  small  sticks. 
Lookers-on  may  stand  around  and  bet  which  of  the  players  will  win. 

SKITTAGET.VX    STOCK 

Haida  (Kaigaxi).     Prince  of  Wales  island,  Alaska. 
Dr  C.  F.  Newcombe  describes  the  following  game : 

A  narrow  stone  about  a  foot  in  length  is  erected  at  some  20  feet  from  a  base, 
and  any  number  of  players,  from  two  to  six.  try  to  knock  it  down,  each  with  a 
round  hall-like  stone.  He  who  tirst  scores  ten  knockdowns  wins.  This  game 
is  called  q'usqEdE'lduC. 


Fig.  fl49.    Stones  for  liikia:  lengths,  4 J  and  h  inches;  Kwaklutl  Indians,  Vancouver  island,  British 
Columbia:  cat.  no.  37906,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


WAKASHAN    STOCK 


KwAKiUTL.  Nawiti.  Vancouver  island,  British  Columbia.  (Cat. 
no.  37906,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of 
Pennsylvania. ) 

Two  ovate  pieces  of  worked  lava,  4J  and  5  inches  in  length   (figure 
949). 

They  were  collected  by  Dr  C.  F.  Newcombe,  who  describes  them  as 
used  in  the  game  of  liikia,  played  by  boys : 

Played  with  oblong  stones  having  one  end  slightly  thin,  so  as  to  remain  where 
they  fall  when  thrown,  and  two  mark  sticks  or  goals.  The  players,  from  two  to 
twelve,  equally  divided  on  two  sides,  each  have  one  stone,  except  the  last,  who 
has  two.  Each  side  begins  in  turn  and  plays  alternately.  The  object  is  to  get 
nearest  the  mark,  and  it  is  allowable  to  drive  an  opponent's  stone  by  striking  it 
with  one's  own.    That  side  wins  which  first  scores  10  nearest. 


726  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  an.\.  114 

TUMAN    STOCK 

Mohaat:.     Colorado  river,  Arizona. 
Cai^t.  John  (J.  Bourke"  says: 

The  day  was  passed  iu  looking  in  upon  the  Mojave  living  close  to  the  fort.  am'. 
noting  what  was  of  most  interest.  They  were  nearly  all  engaged  in  playing 
"  shinny  "  or  "  quoits."  The  quoits  were  two  round,  flat  stones,  4  inches  diame- 
ter ;  the  side  which  could  first  throw  them  both  into  the  hole,  20  paces  away, 
won  the  game. 

ZUNIAN    STOCK 

ZuNi.  Zuni,  New  Mexico.  ( Cat.  no.  16344,  16345,  Free  Museum  of 
Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Thin  disks  of  sandstone,  from  21  to  5  inches  in  diameter;  a  piece  of 
corncob;  and  two  silver  buttons  (figure  950);  implements  for 
a  game  like  quoits,  reproduced  by  Mr  Frank  Hamilton  Gushing 
in  1893. 


Pig.  950.    Standing-cob  game;  Zuni  Indians,  Zuni,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  16344,  1634.5,  Free  Mu- 
seum of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

The  corncob  is  set  on  a  sandstone  disk  with  a  smaller  disk  on 
top  of  it,  the  silver  buttons,  which  are  used  as  stakes,  being  put  du  the 
upper  disk.  The  players  throw  at  this  target  with  other  disks  of 
sandstone.  The  game  was  described  by  Mr  Cushing  under  the  name 
of  the  standing-cob  game. 

Mr  John  G.  Owens  ''  describes  this  game  as  follows : 

Than-ka-la-wa. — This  game  is  usually  played  in  the  spring,  and  re.sembles 
somewhat  our  game  of  quoits.  In  place  of  the  ordinary  quoit  they  use  flat 
stones.  Any  number  may  take  part.  A  small  stone  or  even  a  corn-cob  is  set  up. 
and  on  this  each  places  his  stake.  To  determine  which  shall  pitch  first  the.v  all 
throw  for  some  distant  point.  He  who  comes  nearest  to  the  mark  chosen  pitches 
first,  and  each  one  follows  according  to  his  throw ;  then  the  game  begins.  The 
distance  pitched  is  nearly  1(10  feet.  The  object  is  to  knock  over  the  stake  or 
pool.  If  the  pool  is  knocked  over,  and  the  stone  pitched  goes  beyond  it,  it  counts 
nothing ;  if  just  even  with  it,  the  one  who  pitched  has  another  chance ;  if  it 
remains  behind,  he  takes  everything,  and  all  put  up  again.  They  count  it  great 
sport,  and  some  become  very  skillful  in  pitching. 

«  Notes  on  the  Cosmogony  and  Theogony  of  the  Mojave  Indians,  .lournal  of  .\morican 
Folk-Lore,  v.  2,  p.  171,  1889. 

'  Some  Games  of  the  Zuni.      Popular  Science  Monthly,  v.  39,  p.  40,  New  York,  1891. 


ciLiN]  quoits:  zuni  727 

Zrxi.     Zuni,  New  Mexico.     (Brooklyn  Institute  Museum.) 

Cat.  no.  3096.     Two  stone  disks,  4i  and  5  inches  in  diameter,  one  a 

broken  upper  .stone  for  the  metate  (figure  951). 
Cat.  no.  3097.     Flat  stone  disk,  4  inches  in  diameter;  one  side  flat, 

the  opposite  side  convex  and  marked  with  incised  lines,  as  shown 

in  figure  952. 


Fig.  Hr.l.  Fig.  952. 

Fig.  951.  Stone  quoits:  diameters.  4.f  and  ,5  inches:  Zuni  Indians,  Zuiii.  New  Mexico:  cat.  no. 
3096,  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 

Fig.  952.  Stone  quoit;  diameter,  i  inches;  ZuBi  Indians.  Zuni,  New  Mexico:  cat.  no.  3097,  Brook- 
lyn Institute  Museum. 

The  specimens  just  described  were  collected  by  the  writer  in  1903. 

The  stones  are  called  tankalanai.  It  is  a  winter  game  for  men  and 
boys.  Each  one  has  a  quoit.  They  set  a  corncob  up  on  the  ground 
and  put  the  stakes — turquoises,  silver  beads  or  buttons,  or  money — on 
top  of  the  cob  and  throw  at  it  in  turn.  The  first  player  throws  his 
stone  from  the  cob  at  some  distant  mark,  about  as  far  as  he  can.  The 
players  then  stand  at  this  point  and  throw  at  the  cob  until  one  of  them 
knocks  it  down.  Then  the  one  whose  quoit  fell  nearest  to  the  stakes 
(not  the  cob)  wins  all.  After  a  player  tlirows  he  draws  a  ring  around 
his  stone  to  mark  where  it  fell  when  he  takes  it  up  to  throw  again.  A 
stone,  a  chip,  or  any  convenient  object  is  put  on  the  cob  to  lay  the 
stakes  on. 

Cat.  no.  3098.  Sandstone  disk  (figure  953),  3^  inches  in  diameter, 
with  a  cross  incised  on  one  face  and  on  the  other  the  face  of  the 
sun. 


Fig.  953.    Sun  quoit:  diameter,  31  inches;  Zuiii  Indians,  Zuni,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  .3(198,  Brook- 
lyn Institute  Museum. 

It  was  presented  to  the  writer  by  Zuiii  Dick  in  1903.  He  gave  the 
name  as  tankalana  yettokia.  and  said  it  was  anciently  used  on  Corn 
mountain  by  the  Sun  priest. 

Mrs  Matilda  Coxe  Stevenson,  in  her  paper  on  Zuni  Games,"  states 
that  the  Zuiii  assert  that  this  game  came  from  Mexico. 

"  American  Anthropologist,  n.  s.,  v.  5,  p.  496.  1903. 


728 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  a2«n.  24 


Stone -Throwing 
A  game  of  throwing  stones  at  a  mark  is  reported  from  two  tribes. 

SIU)SHOXEAN    STOCK 

Bannock.     Eossfork,    Idaho.     (Cat.    no.    3T065.    Free   Museum   of 
Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Stone  ball   (figure  954)   pitted  with  a  hammer 
stone  and  perfectly  spherical;  diameter.  2|- 
inches. 
Collected  by  the  writer  in  1900. 
The  name  given  was  tin-bin  ter-ow-a-ko.  and 
it  was  described  as  used  in  a  game  of  throwing 
at  a  mark,  the  players  betting  which  would  come 
nearest. 

TANOAN  STOCK 


Fig.  954.  Stone  ball  used 
to  throw  at  a  mark; 
diameter,  2^  inches; 
Bannock  Indians,  Ross- 
fork.  Idaho;  cat.  no. 
37065,  Free  JMuseum  of 
Science  and  Art,  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 


Tewa.     Santa  Clara.  New  Mexico. 
Mr  T.  S.  Dozier "  writes : 


The  old  Tewa  game  of  kou-wa-di  has  almost  passed 

into  disuse.     Only  two  or  three  times  have   I   seen   it 

played.     It  consisted  in  throwing  a  Ivou-e   (stone)   at  a  target,  with  about  the 

same  rules  as  are  observed  in  the  arrow  game.     It  was  played  just  after  that 

game,  the  game  of  marbles  and  that  of  tops  taJdng  its  place  now. 

Shuffleboard 

A  game  played  on  the  ice  by  women,  like  shuffleboard,  has  been 
observed  among  the  Dakota.     Four  accounts  are  recorded. 

SIOUAN    STOCK 

AssiNiBoiN.     Fort  Union.  Montana. 

Mr  Edwin  T.  Denig''  says  that  the  women  play  1)111  iards  with  flat 
stones  on  the  ice. 

Dakota  (Tetox).     Pine  Eidge  reservation,  South  Dakota. 

Dr  J.  E.  Walker  •-  describes  the  game  of  woskate  icaslohe,  played 
by  women  on  the  ice  with  a  stone  ball,  tapaiyan,  and  wooden  cylinder, 
cannubi,  calling  it  the  game  of  bowls. 

Dakota  (Yankton).     Fort  Peck.  Montana.     (Cat.  no.  37611.  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Two  small  wooden  cylinders  ( figure  955) ,  1^  inches  in  diameter  and  1^ 
inches  in  length ;  and  a  flat  oval  stone  about  3  inches  in  diameter. 

"  Some  Tewa  Games      Unpublished  manuscript  in  the  Bureau  of  .\merican  Ethnology. 
'  Unpublished  manuscript  in  the  library  of  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology. 
■■  Journal  of  .\merican  Folk-Lore,  v.  10,  p.  29,  1905. 


CLLIX] 


JACKSTRAWS:  ESKIMO 


729 


The  latter  is  marked  on  one  side  in  ink  with  eyes  and  mouth 
simulating  a  human  face.     An  iron  ball,  about  three-fourths  of 
an  inch  in  diameter,  accompanies  these  specimens. 
These  objects  were  collected  by  the  writer  in  1900.     They  were 

made  by  Black  Chicken.     The  game,  umpapi,  is  played  on  the  ice 

exclusively     by     women.     The 

cylinders  are  set  up  and  struck 

with  the  stone,  ihe,  or  with  the 

bullet,    winch    is    shoved    witli  ^ 

the  hand.  v--  -s,^__=«j(^-"^-,i- . 


HiDATSA.    Fort  Atkinson,  North 
Dakota. 
Henry  A.  Boiler  "  says : 
The  mania   for  gambling  was   by 
no  means  confined  to  the  men.    The 
women  and  young  girls  were  equally 
smooth  place  on  the  ice.  they  would 
hours  together.     Young  infants  were 
mothers,  or  those  who  had  them  in  ch 
play  to  pay  them  any  attention. 


Fm .  955.  Implements  for  umpapi:  length  of  cyl- 
inders, H  inches:  Yankton  Dakota  Indians, 
Fort  Peck,  Montana;  cat.  no.  37611,  Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of 
Pennsylvania. 

imbued  with  it :  and,  sitting  down  on  a 
roll  a  pebble  from  one  to  the  other  for 
often  kept  on  the  ice  all  the  while,  their 
urge,  being  too  much  engrossed  with  their 


Jac'k.straws 


The  game  of  jackstraws  would  seem  a  natural  and  logical  develop- 
ment from  the  game  of  stick-counting.  The  only  intimations  the 
writer  has  had  of  it  in  America  are  among  the  Eskimo  and  the  Haida. 
The  first  of  the  two  games  described  by  Mr  Nelson  is  somewhat  like 
our  game  of  jackstones;  the  second  is  identical  with  our  jacksti'aws. 


ESKIMAUAN    STOCK 


Eskimo  (Western).     St  Michael,  Alaska. 
States  National  Museum.) 

Bundle    of 


(Cat.  no.  178970,  United 

109    small    squared    pine 
I  figure  956),  -ti  inches  in 


Pig.  9.56.  Jackstraws:  length,  4J  inches: 
"Western  Eskimo,  St  Michael,  Alaska: 
cat.  no.  178970,  United  States  National 
Museum. 


splints 

length. 
Collected  by  Mr  E.  W.  Nelson,  who 
describes  the  game  played  with  them 
as  follows : ' 


A  bundle  of  from  .50  to  75  small,  squared, 
wooden  splints,  about  4  inches  long  and  a 
little  larger  than  a  match,  are  placed  in  a  small  pile  crosswise  on  the  back  of 
the  player's  outstretched  right  hand.  The  player  then  removes  his  hand  quickly 
and  tries  to  grasp  the  falling  sticks  between  his  thumb  and  fingers,  still  keeping 

'  .\mong  the  Indians  :  Eight  years  in  the  Far  West.  185S-1.S66.  p.  197.  Philadelphia, 
186.S. 

''  The  Eskimo  about  Bering  Strait.  Eighteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Amer- 
lean  Ethnology,  pt.  1,  p.  332,  1899. 


730  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       fETii.  anx.  24 

tbe  i)alm  downward.  If  oueor  more  of  the  sticks  fall  to  the  ground  it  is  a  luiss 
and  the  next  player  tries.  Every  time  a  player  succeeds  in  catching  all  of  the 
falling  sticks,  he  lays  aside  one  of  them  as  a  counter  until  all  are  gone,  when 
each  player  counts  up,  and  the  one  holding  the  greatest  number  is  the  winner. 
These  squai'ed  splints  are  similar  to  those  used  as  markers  in  the  first  game 
described  [a  game  of  dart  throwing,  see  page  387].  Small  stakes  are  sometimes 
pla.ved  for  in  this  game,  as  in  the  first. 

The  bunch  of  slender  splints  already  descril)ed  are  also  used  to  play  a  game 
e.xactly  like  jaekstraws.  The  pla.ver  grasjis  the  bunch  of  sticks  tietween  the 
thumb  and  forefinger  of  the  right  hand,  resting  one  end  upon  the  floor ;  then  he 
suddenly  releases  them  and  they  fall  in  a  small  heap.  The  players  have  a 
small  wooden  hook,  and  each  in  succession  removes  as  many  of  the  sticks  as  he 
can  without  moving  any  Ijut  the  one  taken.  Each  player  keeps  those  he  suc- 
ceeds in  removing,  and  the  one  holding  the  largest  numljer  at  the  end  is  the 
winner.     Both  men  and  women  iilay  this  game,  but  usually  not  together. 

SKITTAGETAN    >ST()CK 

Haida.     Prince  of  Wales  island,  Alaska. 

Dr  C.  F.  Newcombe  says  these  Indians  have  the  cheese-stra\v  game 
(jaekstraws)  which  they  call  hlketosgan.  and  play  precisely  like  the 
European  game. 

SwiNi; 

Only  four  notices  of  the  swing  occur,  one  of  which  appears  to 
refer  to  a  late  and  civilized  form. 

AL(iOXQI  IAN    STUCK 

Arapaho.     AVyoming. 

Dr  A.  L.  Kroeber"  relates  a  flood  myth  in  which  Crow-woman,  the 
wife  of  a  man,  urges  a  girl  named  River-woman,  whom  her  husl)and 
has  taken  as  a  new  wife,  to  go  with  her  to  a  swing  which  she  had  hung 
on  a  tree  that  leaned  over  a  pool  in  the  river.  After  refusing  three 
times,  the  girl  went  and  swung,  when  th?  rope  broke  and  she  fell  into 
the  2)ool  and  was  drowned. 

CADDOAX    .STOCK 

Pawnee  (Skidi).     Oklahoma. 

In  the  story  of  "  Coyote  Rescues  a  Maiden."  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey  " 
refers  to  the  girl  who  had  the  jjower  of  attracting  l>uffalo  through 
being  swung  by  her  brothers.'^ 

Wichita.     Oklahoma. 

Dr  Albert  S.  Gatsehet  communicated  to  me  the  following  name  for 
the  swing  of  children :  neeniku'yassash. 


"Traditions  of  the  Arapaho.  p.  11,  Chicago,  190,"?. 

'Traditions  of  the  Skidi  I'awnee.  p.  2.54,  Boston  and  New  York,  1904. 
'The  same  stor.v  is  found  amon);  the  Caddo.     Traditions  of  the  Caddo,  p.  51,  Washing- 
ton, 1905. 


crLix] 


stilts:  hopi 


731 


SIOUAN    STOCK 

Dakota  (Teton).     South  Dakota. 

Rev.  J.  Owen  Dorsey  "  describes  the  following  game,  as  played  by 
girls  and  boys: 

H6hotela,  Swinging,  is  an  autumnal  game.  The  swing  is  attached  to  a  lean- 
ing tree  after  the  leaves  have  fallen.  When  four  ropes  are  used,  a  l)lanUet  is 
laid  on  them,  and  several  children  sit  on  the  blanket  and  are  pushed  forward. 
Those  who  push  say  "  Hohote.  hohote !  Hohotela,  hohotela  I  "  as  long  as  tlie.v 
push  them.     When  two  ropes  are  used,  only  one  child  at  a  time  sits  in  the  swing. 


Stilts 


Our  information  about  the  use  of  stilts  is  extremely  mea 
name  from  the  Wichita  and  two  recent  specimens,  boys"  j^la 
from  Shoshonean  tribes,  being  practically  alL     They 
are  mentioned  as  existing  among  the  Maya  by  Bishop 
Landa,**  who  refers  to  a  dance  on  high  stilts  in  honor 
of  the  bird  deity  Yaccocahmiit. 

This  description  was  suggested  to  me  by  Dr  Ed- 
uard  Seler  to  explain  the  picture  of  a  figui'e  on  what 
appears  to  be  stilts,  that  occurs  in  plate  xxi  of  the 
Troano  Codex  (figure  957). 

A  clue  to  the  origin  of  these  implements  may  be 
found  in  the  employment  of  planting  sticks  as  stilt-- 
by  boys  in  Zuiii. 

CADDO.VX    STOCK 


Wichita.     Oklahoma. 

Dr  Albei't  S.  Gatschet  communicated  to  me  the  fol- 
lowing name  for  stilts  among  terms  for  outdoor 
games  from  the  Wichita  language  collected  in  1892 : 
Hak  i'arits,  stilts,  walking  wood. 


ger,  the 
ythiiigs, 


FiG.'.IST.  Stilt-walk- 
ing (?);  Maya  In- 
dians, Yucatan: 
from  pi.  x.\i,  Co- 
dex Troano. 


SHOSI^ONEAN    STOCK 

Hopi.     Oraibi.  Arizona.     (Cat.  no.  38703,  Free  Museum  of  Science 

and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Pair  of  stilts  (figure  958),  hokia,  two  cottonwood  ijoles.  54i  inches 
in  length,  with  a  crotch  wrapped  with  colored  rags. 
Collected  by  the  writer  in  1901.     They  are  used  by  boys. 

"  Games  of  Teton  Dakota  Children.     The  American  Anthropologist,  v.  4.  p.  329.  1891. 
"Relation  des  Choses  de  Yucatan,  p.  223,  Paris,  1864. 


732 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      Ieth.  ANN.  24 


Shoshoni.     Wind   River  reservation,   Wyoming.     (Cat.   no.   3G886. 
Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania.) 
Pair  of  stilts  (figure  950),  made  of  saplings,  with  a  forked  crotch, 
the  lower  part  of  which  is  bound  with  willow  bark ;   length,  42^ 
inches. 
Collected  by  the  writer  in  1900. 


Fig.  aw. 


Fig.  «.")». 


Pig.  960. 


Fi<i.  958.    Stilts;  length,  o4J  inches;  Hopi  Indians,  Oraibi,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  3*70:3.  Free  Museum 

of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fici.  959.    Stilts;  length,  43}  inches;  Shoshoni  Indians,  Wyoming;  cat.  no.  .36888,  Free  Museum 

of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  960.    Digging  sticks  (used  as  stilts);  length,  'M  inches:  Ziiiii  Indians,  Zniii,  New  Mexico; 

cat.  no.  3188,  3189,  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 


ZUNIAN    STOCK 


ZuNi.    Zuni,  New  Mexico. 

The  writer  was  informed  in  Zufii  that  boys  frequently  employ  a 
pair  of  digging  sticks  (figure  9G0)  ;  tasakwiwai,  to  walk  on  in  the 
manner  of  stilts. 


TOPS  :  ARAPAHO 


733 


Tops 

The  top  is  one  of  the  most  widely  ditlused  of  Indian  children's 
playthings.  The  assei'tion  has  been  made  that  it  is  of  recent  intro- 
duction, but  its  general  use,  taken  in  connection  with  its  existence  in 
prehistoric  times  in  Pern,  would  seem  to  point  to  its  having  been 
known  before  the  jieriod  of  contact  with  the  whites. 

The  most  usual  form  is  the  whip  top,  made  of  wood,  horn,  stone,  or 
day,  and  sometimes  painted  in  colors.  Spinning  tops  is  a  winter 
game  and  is  commonly  played  on  the  ice.  Tojds  consisting  of  disks 
of  wood,  bone,  or  ivory,  with  wooden  or  bone  sjDindles,  also  occur. 
On  the  Northwest  coast  a  pierced  slat  is  sometimes  used  to  hold  the 
top  while  the  string  is  being  unwound.  The  strings  are  of  sinew  or 
bark  cord. 

Top  spinning  occurs  as  a  game  among  the  Eskimo,  the  player 
endeavoring  to  run  round  the  house  while  his  top  is  S2:)inning. 
The  Niska  try  to  see  who  can  keep  his  top  spin- 
ning longest.  Among  the  Oglala  the  player  tries 
to  whip  and  hold  his  top  in  a  square.  Some  of 
the  wooden  peg  tops  of  the  Pueblos  have  a  hole 
in  the  side  to  make  them  hum  when  they  spin. 
Of  all  forms,  these  peg  tops  seem  most  likely  to 
be  of  European  introduction.  The  spindle  and 
cord  tops  seem  to  be  related  in  form  and  mech- 
anism to  the  spindle  employed  in  weaving,  and 
the  whip  top  appears  to  be  analogous  to  the 
whijjped  ball,  but  this  remains  mere  conjecture. 


ALGONQUIAX     STOCK 


Arapaho.     Wind  River  reservation,  Wyoming. 
( Cat.  no.  3G980.  Free  Museum  of  Science 
and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Wooden   whip   top    (figure   9G1);  height,   3|   inches, 
the  writer  in  1900. 

Cheyenne  and  Arapaho  reservation,  Oklahoma. 


PlO.  961.  Whip  top; 
height,  3J  inches;  Arap- 
aho Ind  i  a  n  s ,  Wind 
River  reservation,  Wy- 
oming; eat.  no.  .'SeOSO, 
Free  Mu.seum  of  Science 
and  Art,  University  of 
Pennsylvania . 


Collected   by 


Mr  James  Mooney "  says : 

Tops  are  used  by  all  Indian  boys,  and  are  made  of  wood  or  bone.  They  are 
not  thrown  or  spun  with  a  string,  but  are  kept  in  motion  by  whipping  with  a 
small  qnirt  or  whip  of  buckskin.  In  winter  they  are  spun  upon  the  ice.  The 
younger  children  make  tops  to  twirl  with  the  fingers  by  running  a  stick  through 
a  small  seed  berry. 


"  The  Ghost  dance  Religion.     Fourteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology, 
pt.  2,  p.  1006,  1896. 


734 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ANN.  24 


Blackfeet.     Montana.     (Cat.  no.  16190,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Two  pieces  of  wood  resembling  whip  tops  (figure  962).     Collected 
by  J.  M.  McLean. 

Cheyenne.     Oklahoma. 

!Mr  Louis  L.  Meeker  "  writes : 

They   have  also  whip   tops    (ne'-do-hi-yon"-hsist,   or  whirling  game).     They 
are  played  in  wintei-.     When  the  ice  brealis  up  in  the  spring,  they  are  thrown 

into  the  water  as  it  rises,  with  the  inijile- 
nients  for  the  other  winter  games,  and  car- 
ried away.  Playing  winter  games  in  sum- 
mer is  iiopularly  supposed  to  malve  hairs 
grow  on  the  body  where  tweezers  will  be 
required  to  remove  them — a  nursery  tale. 

Chippewa.     Apostle  islands,  Wiscon- 
sin. 


Fig.  962.  Whip  tops;  heights  2  and  2 J 
inches:  Blackfoot  Indians,  Montana: 
cat.  no.  16190,  Field  Columbian  Mu- 
seum. 


J.  G.  Kohl ''  says : 

The  Indian  boys  manage  to  make  tops 
out  of  acorns  and  nuts  as  cleverly  as  our 
boys  do.  They  also  collect  the  oval  stones  wliich  are  found  on  the  banlis  of 
the  rivers  and  lakes  and  use  them  on  tlie  ice  in  winter.  Barefooted  and  active, 
they  run  over  the  ice.  and  drive  the  stones  against  each  other  with  whips  and 
sticks.    The  stone  that  upsets  the  other  is  the  victor. 

Michigan. 

Baraga  ''  gives  the  following  definitions : 
Top  (boy's  plaything),  toweigan  ;  I  play  with  a  top,  nin  toweige. 

Cree.     Edmonton,  Alberta.     (Cat.  no.  15070,  Field  Columbian  Mu- 
seum.) 
Wooden  whip  top  and  whip  (figure  963).     Collected  by  Isaac  Cowie. 


Fig.  963.    Whip  top  and  whip:  height  of  top,  2^  inches;  length  of  whip,  22}  inches;  Cree  Indians, 
Alberta;  cat.  no.  ]5fl70.  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Grosventres.     Fort    Belknap,    Montana.     (American    Museum    of 
Natural  History.) 

Top  of  solid  black  horn  (figure  961:),  25  inches  in 
length,  accompanied  by  a  whip  with  four  buckskin  lashes,  and 
a  wooden  handle  painted  red,  13  inches  in  length. 


Cat.  no.  jlfj. 


"  Notes  on  Cheyenne  Indian  Games  communicated  to  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology. 
">Kitchi-Gami,  Wanderings  round  Lake  Superior,  p.  84,  London,  1860. 
'  A  Dictionary  of  the  Otchipwe  Language,  Cincinnati,  1853. 


CULIS] 


TOPS  :   SAL'K    AND    FOXES 


735 


Cat.  no.  Tsf^.     Top.  a  di^ik  of  ayooiI  (figure  965),  4  inches  in  diam- 
eter, painted  red.  with  wooden  spindle  7  inches  in  length. 
Both  of  the  above  were  collected  by  Dr  A.  L.  Kroeber  in  1901. 

NoRRiDGEW'ocK.     Norridgcwock.  Maine. 
Easles  "  gives  the  following  definitions : 

PebeskSmafigan,  toupie  sur  la  glace,  &c.;  sur  la  terre,  aripSdangan. 


Fig.  mi 


Fig.  SKj. 


Fig.  964.    Whi^j  top  and  whip:  height  of  t+ip,  2J  inches;  Grosventre  Indians,  Montana:  oat.  no. 

ifiT,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Fig.  96.5.    Top:  diameter,  4  inches;  Grosventre  Indians,  Montana:  cat.  no.  ylSg,  American  Museum 

of  Natural  History. 
Pig.  966.    Whip  top  and  whip:  diameter  of  top.  1}  inches;  Sauk  and  Fox  Indiaiis,  Iowa:  cat. 

io.  3EI5.  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 


^If^,  American  Museum  of  Nat- 


Sauk  and  Foxes.    Iowa.     (Cat. 

ural  History.) 

Ovate  ball  of  stone  (figure  966),  If  inches  in  diameter,  with  a  whip 

made  of  a  peeled  stick,  21  inches  long,  having  two  leather  lashes. 

Collected  by  Dr  William  Jones,  who  describes  them  as  whip  toji 

and  whip,  played  on  the  ice.     The  top  is  called  nimitcihi,  dancer. 


"  a  Dictionary  of  the  Abnaki  Language  in  North  America. 
Academy  of  Science  and  .\rts.  n.  s.,  v.  1,  Cambridge,  1833. 


Memoirs  of  the  American 


736 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  anx.  24 


CHIMMESYAN    STOCK 

NiSKA.    Nass  river,  British  Columbia. 

Dr  Franz  Boas "  describes  a  top  as  follows : 

Halha'l ;  spinning  top,  made  of  the  top  of  a  hemlociv  tree.  A  cylinder,  ,Si" 
in  diameter  and  .3"  high,  is  cut ;  a  slit  is  made  on  one  side  and  it  is  hollowed 
out.  A  pin.  2i"  long  and  1"  thick,  is  inserted  in  the  center  of  the  top.  A  small 
board  with  a  wide  hole,  through  which  a  string  of  skin  or  of  bear-guts  passes,  is 
used  for  winding  up  the  top.  It  is  spun  on  the  ice  of  the  river.  The  board  is 
held  in  the  left  hand,  and  stemmed  against  the  foot.  Then  the  string  is  pulled 
through  the  hole  with  the  right.  Several  men  begin  spinning  at  a  signal.  The 
one  whose  top  spins  the  longest  wins. 


Fig.  H6X. 

Fia.  967.    Top;  diameter,  3  inches;  Tsimshian  Indians,  Hazelton,  British  Cnhimljia:  cat.  no.  53115, 

Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fifi.  96H.    Top;  heiglit,  3J  inches;  Central  Eskimo,  Cumberland  sound,  BafDn  land,  Franklin; 

cat.  no.  liBQ,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 


TsiMSHiAN.  Hazelton,  British  Columbia.  (Cat.  no.  53115.  Field 
Columbian  Museum. ) 

Top  (figure  967),  consisting  of  a  disk  of  wood  3  inches  in  diameter, 
with  a  wooden  spindle  (>  inches  in  length.  Collected  by  Dr 
George  A.  Dorsey.  who  describes  it  as  a  child's  toy. 


ESKIJIAUAN    STOCK 

E.SKIMO  (Central)  .    Cumberland  sound.  Baffin  huid.  Franklin.     (Cat. 

no.  xUtt)  American  Museum  of  Natural  History.) 
Wooden  top    (figure  968),  with  a   wooden  whirl  and  a  spindle.  3i 
inches  in  length. 
Collected  by  Capt.  James  S.  Mutch,  and  figured  by  Doctor  Boas,* 
who  says  it  was  probably  spun  on  the  ice. 

■■  Fifth  Report  on  the  Indians  of  British  Columbia.  Report  of  the  Sixty-flfth  Meeting 
of  the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  ."i.S.'{.  London,  1895. 

''  Kskimo  of  BatBn  Land  and  Iludsipii  Bay.  Bulletin  of  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  v,  15,  p.  53,  New  York,  1001. 


CILIX] 


TOPS:   ESKIMO 


737 


EsKiMu    (Central:    Aivilirmut   and    Kixipetu).      West   coast    of 
Hudson  bay.  Keewatin. 
Dr  Franz  Boas "  describes  the  following  game : 

A  large  cake  of  ice  is  formed  in  the  shape  of  a  top  (lilpeljutuk)  with  a  flat 
surface  aud  a  dull  point  which  fits  into  a  shallow  hole.  One  man  sits  down  on 
the  piece  of  ice,  while  two  others  spin  it  around  by  means  of  sticks.  This  game 
:.=  often  indulged  in  at  the  floe  edge,  when  waiting  for  the  pack-ice  to  come  in 
with  the  tide.  Generally  a  man  who  is  the  butt  of  all  the  others  is  induced  to 
sit  on  this  top,  and  is  spun  around  until  he  is  made  sick. 

Eskimo   (Labrador).     ITngava  bay.      (United  States  National  Mu- 
seum. ) 
Cat.  no.  90281.     AVooden  top  (figure  !)()!)),  conical,  with  band  of  red 
paint  around  the  top:  height.  '2  inches. 


Fig.  '.«iH. 


Fig.  971 


Fig.  971 


Fig.  97:!. 


Fig.  973 


Fig.  969.    Top:  height.  2  inches;  Labrador  Eskimo.  Ungava  bay;  cat.  uo.  9<I281,  United  States 

National  Museum. 
Fig.  970.    Top;  height.  4*  inches:  Labrado^ Eskimo,  Ungava  bay;  lat.  no.  90282,  United  States 

National  Museum. 
Fig.  971.    Top;  height,  H't  inches;  Labrador  Eskimo.  Ungava  bay;  oat.  no.  902(y,  United  States 

National  Museum. 
Fig.  972.    Top;  height,  2.t  inches;  Labrador  Eskimo.  Ungava  bay;  rat.  no.  90284,  United  States 

National  Museum. 
Fig.  973.    Wooden  top:  height,  4J  inches;  Western  Eskimo.  Bristol  bay.  Alaska:  cat.  no.  .')H(M5. 

United  States  National  Museum. 


Cat.  no.  90282.  "Wooden  top  (figure  970).  with  two  bands  of  red 
{jaint.  and  spindle  of  the  same  piece  at  the  top;  height.  4i 
inches. 

Cat.  no.  90283.  Wooden  top  (figure  971).  a  flat  dislc,  ^  inches  in 
diameter,  with  a  spindle  35  inches  in  length. 

Cat.  no.  90284.     Wooden  top  (figure  972),  a  disk,  with  a  spindle  be- 
low;   the  top  concave  and  painted  on  the  upper  side  with  circle 
of  red  paint  at  the  edge. 
All  these  specimens  were  collected  by  Mr  Liicien  M.  Turner. 

Eskimo  (Western).     Bristol  bay.  Alaska.      (United  States  National 

Museum. ) 
Cat.  no.  5(i0-l-5.     AA'ooden  top  (figure  973).  45  inches  in  height. 

"  Eskimo  of  Baffin  Land  and  Hudson  Bay.     Bulletin  of  the  .\merican   Museum  of  Nat- 
ural History,  v.  1.5.  p.  lin,  Xew  York,  1!)01. 

24   ETH — 0."i  M 47 


738 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  anx.  24 


Cat.  no.  56045fl,.     Wooden  top  (figure  97-i).  4^  inches  in  height,  the 

lower  part  painted  blue  with  red  ring  on  top  and  blue  above. 
Cat.  no.  56046.     Ivory  disk  (figure  975).  21  inches  in  diameter,  the 

top  decorated  with  incised  lines,  and  ivory  pin,  3|  inches  in 

length. 
Cat.  no.  56047.     Wooden  top  (figure  976).  a  disk  of  wood,  4^  inches 

in  diameter,  with  the  top  convex  and  ornamented  Avith  incised 

circles  painted  red  and  black,  having  a  wooden  spindle,  4i  inches 

in  length. 
Cat.  no.  56048.     Bone  disk  (figure  977),  IJ  inches  in  diameter,  with 

the  bottom  ornamented  witli  nine  bhick  spots,  and  bone  pin,  1^ 

inches  in  length. 
All    the    foregoing   specimens    were   collected    by   Mr   Charles   L. 
McKay. 


Fig.  '..74. 


Fig.  975. 


Fig.  97G. 


i-ig.  97' 


Fi(i.  974.    Wooden  top;  height,  4i  inches;  Western  Eskimo,  Bristol  bay.  Alaska;  cat.  nu.  .Tti()4.5a, 

United  States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  975.    Ivory  top;  height,  '4}  inches;  Western  Eskimo,  Bristol  bay,  Alaska;  cat.  no.  .'itKHB, 

United  States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  976.    Wooden  top;  diameter,  4f  inches;  Western  Eskimo,  Bristol  bay,  Alaska;  cat.  no.  .5fi047_ 

United  States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  977.    Bone  top;  height,  Ij  inches;  Western  Eskimo,  Bristol  bay.  Alaska;  cat.no.  .5*i048.  United 

States  National  Museum. 

E.SKIMO     (Western).     Point    Barrow,    Alaska.     (Cat.    no.    56491, 

United  States  National  Museum.) 
Top,"  consisting  of  a  shaft,  of  pine  and  a  disk  of  spruce  (figure  978), 
i^  inches  in  diameter,  ornamented  with  blacklead  marks,  form- 
ing a  border  about   one-fourth  of  an   inch  broad:   height,   5^ 
inches.     It  is  called  kaipsa. 
Collected  in  1882  by  Lieut.  P.  H.  Ray,  U.  S.  Army. 

Lower  Yukon,  Alaska. 

Mr  Edward  William  Nelson''  gives,  under  top  spinning  (uiwuk), 
the  following  description : 

In  winter,  along  tlie  lower  Yukon  .inil  ndjacent  region  to  the  soiUh.  the 
children  of  both  sexes  gather  in  the  kashim,  and  each  i-hild  in  succession  spins 

°  The  Point  Barrow  Eskimo.  Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  376, 
1892. 

"The  Eskimo  about  Berini;  Strait.  Highteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Amer- 
ican Ethnology,  pt.  1,  p.  :u:i,  1S90. 


CCLIN] 


TOPS  :   ESKIMO 


739 


its  toi>.  The  uiomeut  the  top  is  spun  tiie  owner  runs  out  througli  the  entrance 
I)assiige  and  attempts  to  malie  a  complete  circuit  of  the  house  and  enter  again 
before  the  top  stops  spinning.  A  score  is  made  every  time  this  is  done  suc- 
cessfully. 

Continuing.  Mr  Nelson  "  says: 

Prom  Kusliokwim  river  to  Cape  Prince  of  Wales,  on  both  the  mainland  and 
the  islands,  children  of  both  sexes  were  found  using  tops.  These  are  commonly 
of  disk  shape,  thin  at  the  edge,  and  perforated  in  the  center  for  a  peg.  One  from 
Cape  Prince  of  Wales  [figure  979]  is  of  walrus  ivory;  it  is  2i  inches  in  diam- 
eter and  has  a  hole  an  inch  wide  in  the  middle,  which  is  closed  by  a  neatly- 
titted  wooden  plug  of  the  same  thickness  as  the  top.  through  which  passes  a 
spindle-shaped  peg  4  inches  long.  This  is  the  general  style  of  top  used  in  the 
region  mentioned,  but  another  kind  is  made  to  be  spun  with  a  guiding  stick 
and  cord ;  these  are  often  used  by  men  as  well  as  boys. 


Fig.  978. 


Fig.  97il. 


Fig.  (WO. 


Fig.  97H.    Top;  height,  ai  inches;  Western  Eskimo,  Point  Barrow,  Alaska:  i.-at,  no.  .56491,  United 

States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  979.    Top;  height,  4  inches;  "Western  Eskimo,  Cape  Prince  of  Wales,  Alaska;  cat.  no.  4.5478. 

United  States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  980.    Ivory  top;  height,  3  inches;  Western  Eskimo,  Kotzebue  sound,  Alaska;  eat.  no.  1279(»8, 

United  States  National  Mu.seum. 


Referring  to  the  tops  spun  by  children  on  the  lower  Yukon,  he 
says : 

These  toys  are  spun  lietween  the  t«o  hands,  the  upper  part  of  the  spindle 
being  held  upright  between  the  palms. 

Eskimo  (Western).  Kotzeliue  sound,  Alaska.  (Cat.  no.  127908, 
United  States  National  Museum.) 

Disk  of  ivory  (figure  980),  2^  inches  in  diameter,  the  top  convex  and 
marked  with  an  incised  line  painted  red.  with  a  wooden  spindle 
3  inches  in  length.  Collected  by  Lieut.  George  M.  Stoney,  U.  S. 
Navy. 

°  The  Eskimo  about  Bering  Strait.     Eighteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Amer- 
ican Ethnology,  pt.  1,  p.  341,  1899. 


740 


GAMES    OF    THE    NOETH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth  an\.  i;i 
KERESAX    STOCK 


Keres.  Sia,  New  Mexico.  (Cat.  no.  1343fi'2.  United  vStates  National 
Museum. ) 

Wooden  top  (figure  981)  with  conical  base  and  flat  top.  having  a 
hole  leading  into  a  small  cavity  near  the  toj)  of  the  base  and  a 
nail  point :  height.  2J  inches.    Collected  by  Col.  James  Stevenson. 

KIOWAX    STOCK 

KioAVA.     Oklahoma.     (Cat.    no.     15i!905.    United    States    National 

Museum. ) 
Wooden   tojD    (figure   982),  2J   inches   in   height,   with    a    \h>\w  pin. 
Collected  by  Mr  James  Mooney. 


Fig.  <M. 


Fis.  982. 


Fig.  983. 


Fig.  981.    Top;  height.  21  inches;  Keres  Indians.  Sia.  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  i;^^B2.  United  States 

National  Museum. 
Fig.  982.    Top;   height,  :i:  inches;   Kiowa  Indians.   Olilahoma;  cat.   no.  l.'S;i9(r>,   United  States 

National  Museum. 
Fig.  983.    Ivory  top;  height,  '-it  inches;  Yakutat  Indians.  Port  Mulgrave,  Alaska;  cat.  no.  1(>2!)H, 

United  States  National  Museum. 

KOLl  SCUAN    STOCK 

Yakutat.     Port  Mulgrave.  Alaska.      (Cat.  no.  ■1()298.  United  States 

National  Museum.) 
Ivory  disk  (figure  983).  3J  inclies  in  diameter,  with  a  wooden  spindle 
3f  inches  in  length.     Collected  by  Dr  W.  H.  Dall. 


LUTI  AlIIAN    STOCK 

Klamath.  Upper  Klamatli  lake.  Oregon.  (Cat.  no.  (ilTi'fl.  Field 
Columbian  Museum.) 

Disk  of  white-pine  bark  (figure  984),  2^  inches  in  diameter,  tlirough 
which  is  thrust  a  4-inch  stick,  sharpened  at  each  end.  A  second 
specimen  (61728)  is  similar  to  the  first  exce])t  that  the  disk  is  of 
cedar  bark  and  instead  of  being  beveled  at  the  edge  is  cut  off 
square. 


crLix] 


TOPS  :   CLALLAM 


741 


These  specimens  were  collected  in  1000  by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsey 
and  described  by  him  under  the  name  of  heshtalxeash." 

MARIPOSAN    STOCK 

YoKUTS.     Tule  River  reservation.  Tulare  county,  California.     (Cat. 

no.  70506,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Two  wooden  hand  tops    (figure  985);  lengths,  -i^   and  2^  inches. 

Collected  by  Dr  J.  "W.  Hudson,  who  describes  them  as  toys  for 

hand  spinning. 


Fig.  an4. 


Fig.  flWi. 


Fig.  9»4.    Tops:  Klamath  Indians.  Oregon;  oat.  no.  «1T2N,  BKili.  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  985.    Hand  tops:  lengths.  4i  and  3^  inches:  Yokuts  Indians.  Tule  River  reservation,  Tulare 
county,  California:  cat.  no.  70506.  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

MAYA>;    STOCK 

Mava.     Yucatan. 

Dr  Alfred  Tozzer  writes: 

•  A  top  game  is  called  in  .Mayn  iii)ll<irii/li.  The  tops  are  made  of  wood  in  the 
common  shape  and  spun  in  a  circle  marked  on  the  ground  in  the  center  of  which 
is  the  oljject  to  be  won  or  lost.     Certain  rules  govern  this. 

.S.\1.IS1I.\N    STOCK 


Clallam.     Washington. 

A  Clallam  boy,  John  Kaub.  informed  the  writer  that  the  boys  of 
this  tribe  play  with  tops  like  those  used  by  the  Makah  (figures  1002- 
1004),  which  they  call  tsnchichaiootklen. 


«  Certain   Gambling  (lames  of  the   Klamath    Indians,      .\merican   Anthropologist,   n.   a., 
V.  :i,  p.  I'O,  1001. 


7  4 '2 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS         [kth.ann.  34 


Thompson  Indians  (Ntlakyapamuk).     British  Columbia.    (Ameri- 
can Museum  of  Natural  History.) 
Cat.  no.  slh-    Fir-wood  top  (figure  986),  with  iron  pegs  at  top  and 
bottom  and  twisted  bark  cord;  height,  3f  inches. 
Collected  by  Mr  James  Teit,  who  says: 

Formerly  the  pins  of  tops  were  made  of  bone  instead  of  iron.  Most  tops 
Lad  bueksliin  thongs  instead  of  bark  strings,  as  they  were  considered  superior 
for  making  them  spin.  Tops  were  generally  spun  on  smooth  ice.  and  the  amuse- 
ment was  indulged  in  owasionally  by  adults.  Sometimes  boys  tried  to  split 
one  another's  tops  by  trying  to  spin  one  on  top  of  the  other. 


Cat. 


no. 


Disk  of  yellow  pine  bark  (figure  987),  3  inches  in 


diameter  and  five-eighths  of  an  inch  thick,  with  wooden  spindle 
5  inches  in  length. 
Collected  by  Mr  James  Teit,  who  gives  the  name  as  salelaepten. 


Fig.  986. 


Pig.  987. 


Fio.  986.    Top;  heiglit,  31  inches;  Thompson  Indians  (Ntlakyapamuk),  British  Columbia;  eat. 

iio.  5^09,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Fig.  987.    Top;  diameter,  3 inches;  Thompson  Indians  (Ntlakyapamuk),  British  Columbia;  cat. 

no.  gjlj,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

Mr  Teit "  further  says : 

Tops  or  whirligigs  were  used.  These  were  generally  made  of  a  thin  circular 
piece  of  wood,  or  more  frequently  a  piece  of  yellow-pine  bark,  through  the  center 
of  which  was  inserted  a  pin  a  fourth  to  half  an  inch  in  diameter  and  about  5 
or  C  inches  long,  the  circular  piece  of  wood  being  allowed  to  remain  about  the 
middle  of  the  pin.    The  one  who  made  his  top  spin  the  longest  won. 


SHOSHONEAN  STOCK 

Bannock.     Fort    Hall   reservation,   Idaho.     (Cat.   no.    37007,   Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Finger  top,  or  teetotum  (figure  988),  made  of  the  end  of  a  cotton 
spool,  with  a  peg  for  twirling :  height,  1|  inches. 

"  The  Thompson   Indians  of  British  Columbia.     Memoirs  of  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  whole  series,  v.  2,  p.  281,  New  York,  1900. 


CLLI.V] 


tops:    HOP! 


743 


This  was  collected  by  the  writer  in  11)00.  The  name  was  given  as 
temeinigakin. 

Hopi.     Oraibi.  Arizona.      (Cat.  no.  51078,  55308,  67011,  67060,  Field 

Columbian  Museum.) 
Four  tops,  made  of  wood. 

Thase  were  collected  by  Rev.  H.  R.  Voth,  who  furnished  the  follow- 
ing information :  ^ 

Top  .spinning  is  often  indulged  in  nmong  the  Hopi  boys.  The  tops  are  of 
different  sizes  and  forms,  and  are  spun  with  a  little  whip,  which  consists  of  a 
sticli  from  10  to  15  inches  long,  to  which  any  kind  of  a  string  is  tied.  The  top 
is  taken  between  the  thumb  and  forefinger,  or  sometimes  the  middle  fluger,  and 
sent  with  a  twirl  spinning  over  the  ground,  after  which  it  is  kept  in  motion  by 
quickly  striking  its  lower  point  with  the  whip.  Sometimes  it  is  started  liy 
winding  the  string  of  the  whip  around  tlie  point  and  withdrawing'  it  with  a 
quick  motion,  being  nuicli  the  same  as  when  a  white  boy  starts  his  top  with  a 
string. 

Arizona.     (United  States  National  Museum.) 

Cat.  no.  22512.  Wooden  top  (figure  989),  made  from  a  Ijillet,  the 
body  cylindrical,  painted  red,  the  base  conical,  witli  traces  of 
green  paint,  a  boss  at  the  top;  height,  4^  inches.  Collected  by 
Maj.  J.  W.  Powell. 
Cat.  no.  68834.  Wooden  top  (figure  990),  a  flat  disk,  painted  witli 
concentric  rings  of  black,  wliite,  blue,  and  yellow  on  top,  having 
a  wooden  spindle  94  inches  in  length.  Collected  by  Col.  James 
Stevenson. 


Fig.  98».  Fig.  989.  Fig.  IWO. 

Fig.  988.    Finger  top;  height,  li  inches;  Bannock  Indians,  Idaho;  cat.  no.  ;?7(Jti7,  Free  Museum  of 

Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  989.    Whip  top:  height,  4J  inches;  Hopi  Indians,  Arizona;    cat.  no.  22512,  United  States 

National  Museum. 
Fig.  9911.    Top;  height,  9i  inches;  Hopi  Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  68834,  United  States  National 

Museum. 

Oraibi,  Arizona.     (Cat.  no.  38624,  Free  Museum  of  Science 

and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Wooden  tops,  conical  (figure  991),  painted  blue,  white,  and  red,  with 
black  bands  between,  and  the  top  painted  with  concentric  circles 
of  blue,  white,  black,  and  red;  height,  4  inches;  accompanied 
by  whips  consisting  of  sticks  with  long  single  buckskin  lashes. 


744 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMEBICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  axn.  l>4 


The  foregoing  were  collected  by  the  writer  in  li)01.     The  top  ife 
called  riyanpi :  the  whips,  wowahpi. 

Paiute.  Southern  Utah.  (Cat.  no.  9436,  Peabody  Musenni  of 
American  Archa'ology  and  Ethnology.) 

Two  tops  (figure  992),  with  clay  whirls  1^  and  IJ  inches  in  diame- 
ter, cemented  with  gum.  having  wooden  pins,  5  inches  in  length. 
Collected  by  Dr  Edward  Palmer. 


Fig.  SKH, 

Fi(;.S91,    Whip  top  and  whip;  height  of  top,  4  inches:  Hopi  Indians,  Oraibi.  Arizona:  >-at.  no. 

■isnu.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fk;.  iiie.    Tops:  length,  5  inches:  Paiute  Indians,  southern  Utah;  cat.  no.  m36,  Peabody  Museum 

<jf  Ameiican  Archaeology  and  Ethnology. 
Fig.  9fl:i    Whip  top  and  whip;  height  of  top,  3}  inches;  Shoshoni  Indians,  Wyoming;  cat.  no. 

36H85.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Shoshoni.     Wind   River  reservation,  Wyoming.     (Cat.   no.   36885, 
Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania.) 
Whip  top  (figure  993),  nara  pugi.  and  whi]i.  temaki.     The  top  made 
of  wood,  3^  inches  in  Icngtii,  painted  yellow  and  blue:  the  whip, 
a  stick,  24  inches  in  length,  witii  heather  thong.     Collected  by  the 
■writer  in  1900. 


cili.n] 


TOPS:   DAKOTA 


745 


.SKUAX    ST()(;K 

Crows.     Crow  reservation.  Montana.     (Field  ColumOian  Museum.) 
Cat.  no.  69660.     Conical   wooden  top    (figure  994«).  with   rounded 

base  and  flat  top.  jxiinteil  red;  height.  3  inches;  with  whip,  a 

twig  with  three  buckskin  lashes. 
Cat.  no.  69662.     Cylindrical  wooden  top   (figure  994^>),  with  hemi- 
spheric base  and  flat  top.  painted  bhick;  height.  3  inches;  with 

whip. 
Cat.  no.  69663.     AVooden  top.  cylindrical  billet,  pointed  alike  at  both 

ends;  painted  red:  height,  3  inches. 
Cat.  no.  69664.     Cylindrical  wooden  top.  witli  conical  base,  having 

an  iron  nail-head  in  the  center:  uupainted;  height.  4  inches. 
Cat.  no.  (>966r).     To\i.  similar  to  the  preceding;  height,  ii   inches; 

with  whip. 
Cat.  no.   69666.     Top.  similar  to   no.   69660;  unpainted;  height.  3^ 

inches. 


Fig.  995. 

Fig.  fl94  (1.  /),  r.    Whip  tops;  heights.  3,  3,  and  U  inches;  Crow  Indiaus.  Jlontaiia;  cat.  no. 

(a662.  69(ifir,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fici.  99.5.    Whip  tops  and  whip:  Oglala  Dakota  Indians,  Pine  Ridge  reservation.  South  Dakota; 

cat.  no.  23125  ",  h,  c.  tl.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Cat.   no.   69677.     Catliuite  top    (figure  994r-),  bullet-shaped,  with   a 
wooden   plug  extending  from   top  to  point:  height,   Ij   inches. 
The  plug  takes  up  the  shock  when  the  top  is  thrown. 
These  specimens  were  collected  in  1901  by  ^Ir  8.  C  Simms.  who 

gives  the  name  memashscha. 

'Dakota  (Oglala).  Pine  Ridge  reservation.  South  Dakota.  (Cat. 
no.  22125  «,  h.  r.  d.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania.) 

Two  wooden  tops  (figure  995).  rudely  cut  from  a  sapling.  I}  inches 
in  diameter  at  top  and  2§  and  3  inches  in  length.     One  is  painted 


746  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eto.  ann.  24 

yellow,  with  red  center  on  top  and  beveled  edge,  blue  at  the  top, 
the  lower  pointed  end  painted  red  and  yellow.  The  other  is 
j:)ainted  blue  on  top,  with  red  beveled  edge  and  the  pointed  end 
yellow  and  red.  A  third  top  is  similar,  but  unpainted.  A  whip 
consists  of  a  stick,  17  inches  in  length,  with  a  lash  made  of  hide, 
cut  in  three  thongs,  attached  with  sinew. 
These  specimens  were  collected  by  Mr  Louis  L.  Meeker,"  who  gives 
the  name  as  can  wakiyapi.  and  says: 

Players  eontentl  for  position  in  a  squ.are  marked  on  the  ground  or  on  ice.  The 
game  is  to  whip  the  top  into  the  scpiare  and  Iveep  it  there.  On  ice  a  square 
is  marlipd  and  each  player  starts  his  top  outside  the  square,  tryinj;  to  whip 
bis  toil  inside.  When  one  succeeds,  he  holds  the  square  while  he  keeps  his  top 
there.  Should  the  top  fall  or  run  outside  the  ring,  the  others  press  iu.  The 
tops  are  rudely  shaped  from  hard-wood  sticks. 

Dakota  (Teton).     South  Dakota. 

Rev.  J.  Owen  Dorsey  ''  gives  the  following  account: 

Chan  kilwachlpi.  Spinning  tops. — Tops  are  made  of  ash,  cedar,  buffalo  horn, 
red  catlinite,  or  of  stone.  They  put  a  scalp  lock  on  the  upper  surface,  ornament- 
ing the  latter  with  several  colors  of  paint.  They  make  the  top  spin  by  twirling 
it  with  the  fingers,  or  by  whipping.  When  they  make  it  spin  steadily  by  whip- 
ping they  redden  the  scalp  lock,  and  as  it  revolves  very  rapidly  it  seems  to  be 
driven  into  the  ground.  This  game  is  played  on  the  ice  or  snow ;  sometimes  on 
groimd  which  has  been  made  firm  and  smooth  by  trampling.  For  a  whip 
each  i)layer  takes  a  tender  switch,  to  the  small  end  of  which  he  fastens  a  lash 
of  deer  hide.  He  braids  one-half  of  the  lash,  allowing  the  rest  to  hang  loosely. 
They  place  the  tops  in  a  row,  after  putting  up  stakes,  and  say :  "  Let  us  see 
who  can  make  his  top  spin  the  longest  distance." 

Dr  J.  R.  Walker ''  describes  the  game  of  tops  among  the  Teton  as 
played  by  making  a  square  about  5  feet  across.     The  players  spin 
their  tops  outside  of  the  square,  .and  drive  them  into  the  open  side 
of  the  scjuare  with  their  whips  while  they  are  spinning. 
Dakota    (Yankton).      Fort    Peck,    Montana.     (Free    Museum    of 

Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Cat.  no.  37014.     Two  whij)  tops,  rudely  carved,  jx-g-shaped,  with  the 

top  edge  beveled;   one   with   the  top   painted   red   and    beveled 

edge  blue,  the  other  Ijlue.  witli  a  red  edge:  the  whip  a  peeled  twig, 

15  inches  in  length,  with  hide  lash. 

Cat.  no.  37fil5.     Whip  top  of  wood  (figure  i>!>6),  -1  inches  in  height. 

It  shows  nuich  use. 
Cat.  no.  371516.     Whip  top  of  horn   (figure  997),  a  tip  of  horn,  hol- 
lowed, 2|  inches  in  length. 
These  tops  were  collected  bv  the  writer  in  1900.     A  top  is  called 
kawacipi ;  a  wooden  top,  cankawacipi ;  the  whip,  icapsinte. 

"  Ogalala  Games.  Bulletin  of  the  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  v.  3,  p.  3.3,  Phila- 
delphia. 1001. 

<*  Games  of  Teton  Daiiota  Cliildren.      Tlu'  .\mericnn  Anthropologist,  v.  4,  p.  338,  1891. 
*■  Sioux  Games.     Journal  of  American  I<^olii-Lore,  v.  19,  p.  33,  1906. 


culin] 


TOPS  :  TEWA 


747 


HiDATSA.  Fort  Berthold,  North  Dakota.  (Cat.  no.  178969.  United 
States  National  Museum.) 

Wooden  top,  2f  inches  in  height,  with  a  bone  pin  (figure  998).  Col- 
lected by  Dr  Washington  Matthews,  U.  S.  Army,  who  describes 
it  as  an  ice  top. 

OsiAHA.     Nebraska. 

Mr  Francis  La  Flesche  described  tu  the  writer  a  game  like  whip 
top,  played  with  stone  balls  on  the  ice.  Clay  balls  and  river  pebbles 
are  also  used.  The  name,  moodedeska.  is  an  old  word  and  not  descrip- 
tive.    This  game  is  played  also  by  the  Dakota  and  the  Ponca. 


Fig.  996. 


FiK.  Hiis. 


Fig.  loon. 


Fig.  M9S). 


Fig.  996.    Wliip  top;  height,  4  inches;  Yanktou  Dakota  Indians.  Fort  Peck,  Montana:  oat.  no. 

37615.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Penn.sylvania. 

Fio.  997.    Horn  top;  height,  3*  inches:  Yankton  Dakota  Indians.  Fort  Peck,  Montana;  cat.  no. 

37616,  Free  Museum  of  .Science  and  Art,  University  or'  Penn.sylvania. 

Fig.  998.    Top;  height,  2}  inches;  Hidatsa  Indians,  Fort  Berthold,  North  Dakota:  cat.  no.  178969, 

United  States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  999.    Top;  height,  .3}  inches;  Tewa  Indians,  Santa  Clara,  New  Mexico;  oat.  no.  46828,  United 

States  National  Museum. 
Fio.  MiO.    Top;  height,  2}  inches;    Tewa  Indians,  Santa  Clara,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  151956, 

United  States  National  Museum. 

SKITTAGETAX    STOCK 

Haida.     Queen  Charlotte  islands,  British  Columbia. 

Dr  C.  F.  Newcombe  informed  the  writer  that  he  had  seen  this  tribe 
make  little  tops,  which  they  spun  with  the  fingers. 

TANOAN    STOCK 


Tewa.     Santa  Clara,  New   Me.xico.      (United   States  National   Mu- 
seum.) 
Cat.  no.  46828.     Wooden  top  (figure  999),  roughly  worked,  the  base 

terminating  in  a  hemispheric  knob ;  height,  3f  inches.     Collected 

by  Col.  James  Stevenson. 
Cat.  no.  151956.     AVooden  top  (figure  1000)  with  iron  i^oint;  height, 

23  inches.     Collected  by  Capt.  John  G.  Bourke,  U.  S.  Army. 


748 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  axn.  24 


Mr  T.  S.  Dozier  says : 

The  Tewa  of  Santa  Clara  call  a  top  pfet-e-ne ;  playins  a  top.  i-vi-pfet-e-ne-o-a- 
rai-iuai.  This  no  doubt  is  of  modern  date,  but  the  small  Ijoys  are  the  most 
expert  top  spinners  I  ever  saw.  It  is  played  without  sain,  but  in  the  old  way, 
where  the  other  fellow  may  have  his  tup  ruined  by  being  knocked  out  of  the 
i-ing. 

TiGUA.     Isleta.  Xe^v  Mexico. 

An  Isleta  boy  named  J.  Crecencio  Lucero  described  the  boys  of  this 
pueblo  as  playing  with  tops,  napiri.  which  they  spin  \vith  a  string. 

WAlvASIlAX    .STIHK 

Hesquiaht.     Vancouver   island.    British    Columbia.     (Cat.   no.   IV 

A  1490.  Berlin  Museum  f  iir  Volkerkunde. ) 
Wooden   top    (figure   1001),   with   handle   to   hold   when    spinning; 
height  of  top.  21  inches :  length  of  handle.  SJ  inches.      . 
The  collector,  Capt.  Samuel  Jacobsen,  gives  the  name  as  jah-jah- 
jakei. 


Fig.  1002. 


Fig.  lOOl.  Top.  with  handle;  length  of  handle,  3:-  inches;  Hesqiiiaht  Indians,  Vancouver  island, 
British  Columbia;  cat.  no.  IV  A  U9(i.  Berlin  Museum  tiir  Volkerkunde. 

Fig.  1IKI2.  Top;  diameter.  2:  inches;  Makah  Indians,  Neah  bay.  Washington:  cat.  no.  :JT390,  Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Fig.  1i»B.  Top;  diameter.  3i  inches;  Makah  Indians.  Neah  bay,  Washington;  cat.  no.  37391,  Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Mak.mi.     Xeah   bay.   AVashington.      (Free   Museum   of   Science  and 

Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Cat.  no.  37390.     Hemispheric  wooden  top  (figure  1002).  with  spindle 

at  the  t()]>  in  one  piece:   diameter.  -2 J   inches:   accompanied  by 

sinew  cord  and  perfoi-ated  stick,  with  which  the  top  is  held  and 

.through  which  the  cord  is  drawn. 
Cat.  no.  37391.     Perforated  wooden  disk   (figure  1003).  ^  inches  in 

diameter,  with  spindle;  accompaiiieil  l)y  ^iiiew  cord. 


Cl'LIN] 


tops:  zunt 


749 


Cat.  110.  3T39i!.  Pep  top  of  hard  wood  with  woodoii  peg  in  one  piece 
(figure  1004)  :  height,  '^^^  inches. 

These  tops  were  collected  tjy  the  writei'  in  11»00  and  are  called 
lio-bus-ca-die. 

Charlie  Williams  described  another  form  of  top  to  the  writer,  a 
kind  of  teetotum,  made  of  alder  hark,  perforated,  and  played  with 
the  fingers. 

Dr  (xeorge  A.  Dorsey "  states  that  the  three  varieties  of  tops, 
ba-buthl-ka-di,  were  described  to  him  by  Charlie  Williams  as  in  use 
among  the  Makah  before  the  advent  of  the  whites,  i)ut  he  thought 
that  thev  had  been  derived  from  northern  Indians. 


Fig.  11104. 


Fi^.  1(1(1.5, 


Fig.  KIOB. 


Fig.  1004.    Top;  height,  3}  inches;  Makah  Indiana,  Neah  bay.  Washington;  cat.  no.  87392,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Pig.  KHB.    Top;  height.  2i  inches;  Nocitka  Indians.  Vancouver  island.  Britisli  Columbia;  cat. 

no.  IV  A  14H,5,  Berlin  Museum  fiir  Viilkerkunde. 
Ptg.  KKIti.    Top;  height,  2;  inches;  Nootka  Indians.  Vancouver  island,  British  Columbia;  cat. 

no.  IV  A  1484,  Berlin  Museum  fiir  VSlkerkunde. 

XooTKA.     Vancouver    island.    liiitish    Columbia.      (Berlin    Museum 

fiir  Volkerkunde.) 
Cat.    no.    IV    A    1485.     Wooden    top    (figure    1005),    2|    inches    in 

height. 
Cat.   no.   IX   A   14S4.     Toji   with   bone   whirl    and  ?^^^ 

wooden  pin  (figure  10()(i).  2}  inches  in  height.  *      3^^. 

The  collector,  Capt.  ."^aiunel  Jacobsen,  gives  the      <  -*  ^^ 

name  as  jiih-jiih-jakei.  \.^.^    -^^A* 


ZIMAN    STOCK 


Zrxi. 


Zuni,  New  Mexico.  (Cat.  no.  l-27r.9S. 
United  States  National  Museum.) 
Wooden  top  (figure  1007)  with  conical  base  and 
rounded  top,  having  a  hole  leading  into  a  small 
cavity  at  the  top  of  the  base,  and  a  nail  point ; 
height.  4  inches.  Collected  by  Col.  James 
Stevenson. 

Two  others   (cat.  no.  09140  and   129070)    are  similar  lo  the  pre- 
ceding, and  another  (cat,  no.  69413)  is  somewhat  smaller,  3  inches 


FiG.KioT.  Top;height, 
4  inches;  Zuni  In- 
dians. Zuiii,  New 
Mexico;  ca  t .  no  . 
127B9S.  United 
States  National 
Museum. 


"  Games  of  the  Makah   Indians.     The  .\raerican  ,\ntifiuarian.  v.  2?,.  p.  7't.  1901. 


750  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  2* 

in  length.  Still  another  similar  top.  collected  by  the  writer  in  1902, 
is  in  the  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art  of  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania (cat.  no.  22603).  The  tops  are  spun  with  a  cord.  The  name 
was  given  to  the  writer  as  moktatonai. 

Bull-roarer 

The  bull-roarer,  or  whizzer,  used  ceremonially  by  the  Hopi,  Zuni, 
Navaho.  Apache,  and  other  tribes,  is  employed  in  the  same  form  as 
a  child's  toy,  the  latter  being  presumably  borrowed  from  the  imple-> 
ment  used  in  religious  rites.     A  few  examples  will  suffice. 

SIOUAN    STOCK 

Dakota   (Oglala).     Pine  Ridge  reservation.  South  Dakota.     (Cat. 
no.  22127,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of 
Pennsylvania.) 
A  thin,  flat,  rectangular  piece  of  wood  (figure  1008).  1^  by  5J  inches, 
attached  by  a  thong  36  inches  in  length,  to  the  end  of  a  stick  31 
inches  long. 
This  is  described  by  the  collector.  Mr  Louis  L.  Meeker,"  as  a  boy's 
plaything,  under  the  name  of  tateka  juihmunpi. 


Fio.  in08.    Bull-roarer;  length  of  stick,  .SI  inches;  Oglala  Dakota  Indians,  Pine  Ridge  reserva- 
tion, Sotith  Dakota;  cat.  no.  22127,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Dakota  (Teton).     South  Dakota. 

Dr  J.  Owen  Dorsey  *  describes  the  instrument  as  follows : 

Chan'  kadbletunfiin'pi.  Wood  having  ecl.§es,  ...  :  A  straight  piece  of  wood 
is  prepared,  with  four  sides  or  edges,  and  is  fastened  by  a  strip  of  hide  to 
another  piece  of  wood  which  is  used  as  a  handle.  The  boy  grasps  the  handle, 
whirls  it  around  his  head,  nialvlng  the  four-cornered  piece  move  rapidly  with  a 
whizzing  noise. 

Omaha.     Nebraska. 

Mr  Francis  La  Flesche  described  the  bull-roarer,  as  used  by  Omaha 
boys  as  a  plaything,  under  the  name  of  gahoota.  It  is  made  of  a 
stick,  6  inches  long,  with  a  notch  cut  at  one  end,  and  fastened  to  the 
end  of  a  whip.  Mr  La  Flesche  did  not  know  the  meaning  of  the 
name. 

'  Osalala  Games,  Bulletin  of  the  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  v.  .1,  p,  34,  Phila- 
delphia, 1901. 

"  Games  of  the  Teton  Dakota  Children.  The  .\meriean  Anthropologist,  v.  4,  p,  343^ 
1901. 


CCLI.N]  buzz:  ESKIMO  751 

/-  Buzz 

A  whirling  toy  made  of  a  fiat  piece,  of  bone,  pottery,  or  gourd 
shell,  or  of  a  heavy  bone,  witli  one  or  two  cords  on  each  side,  is 
a  common  toy  among  Indian  children.  The  Plains  tribes  use  a 
knuckle  bone  tied  with  a  piece  of  sinew.  A  i-emarkable  form,  in 
which  a  conical  jjiece  of  wood  is  made  to  revolve  on  a  wooden  spindle, 
is  found  among  the  Eskimo.  Evidence  as  to  the  antiquity  of  the 
disk-shaped  buzz  is  afforded  by  a  clay-stone  dislv  (figure  1000)  with 
two  perforations,  from  the  cliff-ruins  in  the  Canj'on  de  Chelly,  in 
the  Museum  of  the  Brooklvn  Institute. 


Fig.  1IKI9.  Fi!<.  101(1. 

Fig.  11I09.    Stone  buzz;  diameter,  U  ini^hes;  oliff-ruiiis  in  Canyon  de  Chelly.  Arizona;  cat.  no. 

ltKi79,  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 
Fio.  iniO.    Bone  buzz;  Atsina   iGrosveutrei   Indians,  Fort    Belknap,   Montana;   eat.  no.  jj},, 

American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

ALGONQUIAN    STOCK 

Arapaho.  Oklahoma.  (Cat.  no.  165819.  United  States  National 
Museum.) 

Toe  bone  of  cow  or  ox,  painted  red  and  tied  with  sinew  strings,  hav- 
ing wooden  handles  at  the  ends:  length.  20  inches.  Collected 
by  Rev.  H.  R.  Voth. 

Grosventres.     Fort  Belknap,  ^Montana.     (Cat.  no.   TliTi-  American 

Museum  of  Natural  History.) 
Toe  bone  of  cow-or  ox  (figure  1010).  tied  with  sinew,  having  wooden 

pegs  inserted  at  the  ends  of  the  cord.     Collected  by  Dr  A.  L. 

Kroeber. 

ESKIMAUAN    STOCK 

Eskimo     (Central).     Cumberland    sound.    Baffin    land.    Franklin. 

(Cat.  no.  3II-J,  American  Museum  of  Natural  Histoi-y.) 
Buzz   (figure  1011),  made  of  a  disk  of  skin.  2f  inches  in  diameter, 
with  serrated  edges,  having  two  perforations  for  the  string. 
The  specimen  here  described  was  collected  by  Capt.  James  .S.  Clutch 
and  is  figured  by  Doctor  Boas." 


"  Eskimo   of   Baffin    Land   and    Hudson    Bay.     Bulletin   of   the   American    Museum   of 
Natural  History,  v.  15,  p.  53,  New  York.  1901. 


752 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [etii.  ann.  J4 


Eskimo    (Central:    Aivilirmiut  and   Kinipetu).     West   coast   of 
Hudsou  bay,  Keewatin.     (Cat.   uo.    jBt"'  u^Tti'-'j  American 
Museum  of  Natural  History.) 
Disk  of  sandstone  (figure  1012),  li  inches  in  diameter,  and  another 
of  bone,  each  with  two  perforations,  through  which  pass  strings 
made  of  sinew.     Collected  l)y  Capt.  George  Comer. 
Dr  Franz  Boas "  figures  these  objects. 


Fig.  1011. 


Fig.  1(112 


Fig.  IIIIH. 

Fio.  Utll  Buzz:  diameter,  25  inclies;  Central  Eskimo.  Oumlierland  sound.  Baffin  land.  Frank- 
lin; cat.  no.  aicg.  American  Museum  of  Natural  Hist(»ry. 

Fio.  1012.  Buzzes;  diameter,  1^  inches;  Central  Eskimo  (Aivilirmiut  and  Kinipetu  i.  west  coast 
of  Hudson  bay.  Keewatin:  oat.  no.  lEjya.  n-ai^,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

Fig.  1013.  Buzz;  length.  Hi  inches;  Ita  Eskimo,  Cape  York,  Greenland;  cat.  no.  18391,  Free  Mu- 
seum of  Science  and  Art,  Univei'sity  of  Pennsylvania. 

Eskimo  (Ita).     Cape  York,  Greenland.     (Cat.  no.  1S:]91.  Free  Mu- 
seum of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Hourglass-shaped  piece  of  ivory  (figure  1013),  3^;  inches  in  length, 

i:)erforated  by  two  holes,  through  which  an  endless  sinew  string 

is  passed.    Collected  by  Mr  Henry  G.  Bryant. 


'  Eskimo  of  Baffin  Land  and  Hudson  Bay. 
ural  History,  v.  15.  p.  112.  New  York.  1001. 


Bulletin  of  tlie  .\merican  Museum  of  Nat- 


CULIX] 


BUZZ  :  ESKIMO 


753 


n- 


EsKi.-Mo   (Ita).     Smith  sound.  Greenland.     (Cat. 
Miiseimi  of  Natural  History.) 

A  flat  lione  in  the  shape  of  an  houi'glass  or  figure  8,  with  a  looped 
string  i)assing  through  two  holes  in  its  middle,  described  by  Dr 
A.  L.  Kroeber  under  the  name  of  hieqtaq,  or  bull-roarer. 

Eskimo  (A\'estern).  Wainwright  inlet,  Utkiavi,  Alaska.  (Cat. 
no.  89722,  United  States  National  Museum. ) 

Board  of  pine  wood  (  figure  1014).  3i  inches  long  and  2]-  inches  wide, 
witli  two  round  holes  in  the  middle,  through  which  is  passed 
a  piece  of  stout  sinew  braid,  the  ends  of  which  are  knotted 
together. 


Fi(i.  1014.    Buzz:  length,  31  inches:  Western  Eskimo,  Wainwright  inlet.  Alaska;  cat.  no.  SSI72J, 
United  States  National  Museum. 

Collected  by  Mr  John  Murdoch."  who  describes  it  as  follows : 

When  the  board  is  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  string  it  can  l)e  made  to  spin 
around  and  whiz  liy  alternately  pulling  and  relaxing  the  ends  of  the  string. 
The  board  is  rather  elaborately  painted.  One  end  has  a  border  of  black  lead 
on  l»th  faces,  the  other  a  similar  border  of  rod  paint,  which  appears  to  be 
red  lead.  Broad  red  hands  form  a  square  1  inch  across  around  the  holes, 
with  lines  radiating  from  each  corner  to  the  corners  of  the  bo.'trd.  on  both  faces. 
On  the  space  lietween  these  lines  are  figures  rudely  drawn  with  Ijlack  lead.  On 
one  face,  in  the  first  space,  is  a  goose;  in  the  second,  a  man  with  a  staff:  in 
the  third,  the  conventional  figure  of  a  whale's  tail ;  and  in  the  fourth,  a  whale, 
with  line  and  float  attached  to  him,  pursued  by  a  whaling  umiak.  On  the  other 
side,  the  first  space  contains  a  dog  or  wolf  walking ;  the  second,  two  of  these 
animals,  sitting  on  their  haunches,  facing  each  other  :  the  third,  another  walking: 
and  the  fourtli.  a  reindeer  in  the  same  attitude. 


'  The  Point  Barrow  Eskimo.     Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  378, 


1892. 


'2i  tlH — 05  M 4S 


754 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  anx.  24 


Eskimo    (Western).     Niiwuk.    Alaska.     (Cat.    no.    S9S00.    T'nited 

States  National  Museum.) 
Block  of  spruce  (figure  1015a),  fitted  with  a  shaft  of  narwhal  ivory. 


Fig.  11)15  u,  Ik    Whirligigs;  lengths,  lUJ  and  9  inches;  Western  Eskimo.  Nuwuk.  Alaska:  cat. 
no.  89806.  89807,  United  States  National  Museum;  from  Murdoch. 

This  fits  loosely  into  a  tubular  handle,  which  is  a  section  of  the 
branch  of  an  antler  with  the  soft  inside  tissue  cut  out.  A  string  of 
seal  thong  passes  through  a  hole  in  the  middle  of  the  handle  and  is 


cuLiN]  buzz:  hopi  755 

fastened  to  the  shaft.  This  string  is  about  8  feet  long,  and  about  half 
of  it  is  tied  up  into  the  hank  to  make  a  handle.  The  specimen  was 
collected  by  INIr  John  Murdoch."  \Yho  describes  it  as  follows: 

It  works  very  miuh  like  a  civilized  child's  whirligifr.  The  string  is  wouml 
around  the  shtit't  luid  ii  smart  pull  on  the  handle  unwinds  it,  making  the 
block  spin  round  rapidly.  The  reaction,  spinning  it  in  the  i)pi)<>site  direction, 
winds  up  the  string  again.  -V  couiile  of  loo.se  hawk's  feathers  are  stuck  into 
the  J:ip  of  the  hlock,  which  is  painted  with  red  ocher  for  about  an  inch.  Four 
equidistant  stripes  of  the  same  color  run  down  the  sides  to  a  border  of  the 
same  width  round  the  base.  This  was  made  for  sale  and  appears  to  be  an 
unusual  toy.  I  do  not  recollect  ever  seeing  the  children  play  with  such  a  toy. 
It  is  called  kai'psa  (Gr.  kavsak.  "a  whirligig  or  similar  toy"). 

Another  specimen  (cat.  no.  89807,  United  States  National  Museum) 
is  made  of  a  solid  tip  of  a  mountain  sheep's  horn  (figure  1015^),  and 
is  elaborately  ornamented  with  a  conventional  pattei'u  of  lines  and  of 
circles  and  dots,  incised  and  colored  red  with  ocher.  The  shaft  is 
of  hard  bone,  and  the  lino  has  a  little  wooden  handle  at  the  end.  The 
block  is  so  heavy  it  will  hardly  spin.  A  similar  object,  collected  by 
Mr  E.  A.  Mcllhenny  at  Point  Barrow,  Alaska  (cat.  no.  42309, 
Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania),  is 
described  by  him  as  a  whirligig,  kaipsak.  It  ditiers  from  the  speci- 
mens described  in  being  made  entirely  of  wood,  and  is  quite  new  and 
unused. 

SIIOSII()>E.4N    STOCK 

Hopi.  Oraibi,  Arizona.  (Cat.  no.  128488,  United  States  National 
Museum. ) 

Five  disks  of  clay  stone  (figure  101(5).  from  If  to  2^  inches  in  diam- 
eter, each  perforated  with  two  holes,  having  a  cord  of  woolen 
yarn  jjassing  through  them  with  its  ends  tied  to  form  a  loop  on 
each  side. 


Fig.  1016.    Buzzes;  diameters,  li  aud  2t  inches;  Hopi  Indians,  Oraibi,  Arizona;  eat.no.  128488, 
United  States  National  Jluseum, 

Two  of  the  specimens  which  are  figured  are  painted  in  red,  white, 
and  black,  with  star  or  flower-shaped  designs  on  both  sides.  The 
others  are  jjlain.  These  were  collected  by  Col.  James  Stevenson  and 
were  designated  as  child's  toys.     Two  other  specimens  in  the  United 

"  Ethnological  Results  of  the  Point  Barrow  Expedition.  Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the 
Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p.  376,  lii92. 


756 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth  ann.  2i 


States  National  Museum   (cat.  no.  C.SRO:!  and  12891S),  both  collected 
by  Colonel  Stevenson,  are  similar  to  those  above  described. 

Mono.     Hooker  cove,  Madera  county,  California.     (Cat.  no.  71454, 

Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Small  bone,  pivosy  (figure  1017),  of  a  metatarsal  bone  of  a  deer,  with 

loops  at  each  end,  described  by  the  collector,  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson, 

as  a  bone  whii'lieiij. 


Fio.  1017 


Bone   whirligig;    Mono  Indians.  Madera  county,    California;   cat.  no. 
Columbian  Museum. 


71454,  Field 


-Hooker  cove,  Madera    county,   California. 
Field  Columbian  Museum.) 


(Cat.   no.   71442, 


Pottery  disk  (figure  1018),  2  inches  in  diameter,  decorated  with  four 
spots  of  red  paint,  with  cotton  cord.  Collected  by  Dr  J.  W. 
Hudson,  who  describes  it  as  a  whirligig. 


Fig.  1018.    BuLZz;  diameter.  2  inches;  Mono  Indians.  Madera  county,  California;  cat.  no.  71443, 

Field  Columbian  Museum. 

SIOUAN    STOCK 

Crows.     Crow  reservation,  Montana.     (Cat.  no.  09668,  Field  Colum- 
bian Museum.) 
Whirling  toy,  made  of  a  joint  bone  of  an  ox,  painted  red,  tied  around 
with  a  sinew  string,  extending  8  inches  on  each  side,  and  having 
hand  grips,  made  of  twigs,  at  the  ends. 
Collected  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms,  who  gives  the  name  as  ewahpoa- 
rooahcooah. 


Fig.  1019.    Bone  buzz;  length,  llj  inches;  Oglala  Dakota  Indians,  Pine  Ridge  reservation.  South 
Dakota;  cat.  no.  22126,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania 

Dakota   (Oglala).     Pine  Ridge  reservation.  South  Dakota.      (Cat. 

no.  22126,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of 

Pennsylvania.) 
Toe  bone  of  a  cow  or  ox   (figure  1019),  tied  with  sinew,  with  two 
small  sticks  inserted  at  the  end  of  the  cord. 


CILIS] 


buzz:  zuNi 


757 


This  specimen  was  collected  hv  Mr  Louis  L.  Meeker,"  who  describes 
it  as  a  boy's  toy  uiidci-  the  name  of  liohouh  yuhmunpi. 

Dakota  (Teton).  South  Dakota. 
Rev.  J.  Owen  Dorsey  '  thus  describes  the  implement : 
Hohii  yukhmuii'pi.  Making  the  lione  hum  by  twisting  the  i-ort). — Bone  is  not 
the  only  material  used,  for  the  toy  is  sometimes  made  of  stone  or  of  a  circuhtr 
piece  of  wood.  The  toy  is  made  thus :  Some  deer  or  liufEalo  sinews  are  twisted 
together :  parts  of  a  deer's  foot  are  cooked  till  soft,  and  are  .strung  together  on 
the  sinew.  To  the  ends  of  the  sinew  are  fastened  two  sticks  which  serve  as 
handles,  one  stick  at  each  end.  each  being  at  right  angles  to  the  sinew.  The 
sinew  is  twisted,  and  when  pulled  tnnt  the  toy  makes  a  humming  sound. 


Flo.  1U2U.    Buzz;  diameter,  2J  inches;  Maricopa  Indiaus,  Arizonaj  cat.  no,  ifil,  Brooklyn  Insti- 
tute Museum. 

TUMAN    STOCK 

Maricopa.     Arizona.      (Cat.  no.  2927.  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum.) 
Wooden  disk   (fi<rure  1020),  2f  inches  in  diameter,  perforated  with 

two  holes,  through  which  a  cord  passes.     Collected  by  Mr  Louis 

L.  Meeker  in  1904. 


Fig.  liT-'l.    Buzz:  diameter,  4  inches;  Zuni  Indians,  Zuni,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  3069,  Brooklyn 

Institute  Museum. 

ZUNI  AN    STOCK 

ZuiJi.     Zuiii,    New    Mexico.     (Cat.    no.    :')0<'>9.    Brooklyn    In.stitute 

Museum.) 
Disk  of  dried  gourd  shell  (figure  1021),  3  inches  in  diameter,  pierced 
with  two  holes,  through  which  a  string  passes. 
Collected  by  the  writer  in  1903.     The  name  was  given  as  huwa- 
wananai. 


"  OEal.Tla  (iames.     Bulletin  of  the  Free  Museum  ot  Science  and  .\rt,  v.  .t,  p.  34,  Phila- 
delphia, 1901. 

<■  (James  of  Teton  Dakota  Children.     The  American  Anthropologist,  v.  4,  p.  343,  1891. 


758 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [bth.  ANN.  24 


Popgun 

The  writer  has  a  record  of  the  popgun  from  seven  tribes,  of  which 
three  are  Siouan.  The  evidence  is  not  sufficient  to  establish  proof  of 
its  existence  before  the  time  of  native  contact  with  the  whites.  At 
the  same  time  the  two  finely  finished  popguns  (figure  1022)  excavated 
by  Dr  George  A.  Dorsev  at  Ancon,  Peru,  now  in  the  Field  Columbian 
Museum,  bring  its  aboriginal  character  in  North  America  within  the 
bounds  of  probability. 

.  ALGONQUIAN    STOCK 

f 

Cheyenne.  Oklahoma.  (Cat.  no.  165964,  United  States  National 
Museum.) 

Popgun  (figure  1023),  consisting  of  a  wooden  tube,  marked  with 
burned  designs,  10  inches  in  length,  and  a  stick,  or  plunger,  16f 
inches  in  length.     Collected  by  Kev.  H.  R.  Votli. 


Fig.  in2.5. 

Fig.  1022.    Woodeu  jjop^mis;  length,  r-}  inches:  Auonn,  Pei-ii:    cat.  nu.  .5'J(19,  Field  Columbian 

Museum. 
Fig.  1033.    Popgun;    length,   10  inches;   Cheyenne  Indians,  Oltlahoma;    cat.  no.  16.5964,  United 

States  National  Museum. 
Fig.  1024.     Popgun:    length,  121  inches:  Sauk  and  Fox  Indians,  Iowa;  cat.  no.  jjifjg,  American 

Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Fig.  1025.    Popgun:  lengtlx.  12;  inches:  Arikara  Indians,  Fort  Berthold,  North  Dakota;  cat.  no. 

8424,  United  States  National  Museum. 

Sauic  anu   Foxes.     Iowa.      (Cat.   no.    ^iJJs ,   American   Museum   of 

Natural  History.) 
Popgun  of  elder  wood  (figure  1021),  12i  inches  in  length. 

This  was  collected  by  Dr  William  Jones,  who  gives  the  name  as 
paskesi  gani,  fighting  thing,  and  says  that  it  was  used  by  boys  with  a 
bow  and  a  belt  of  blue-joint  arrows  in  playing  war. 


CADDOAN  STOCK 

Arikara.  Fort  Berthold,  North  Dakota.  (Cat.  no.  8424,  United 
States  National  Museum.) 

Wooden  popgun  (figure  1025),  a  tube,  12i;'  inches  in  length,  marked 
with  burned  designs,  and  a  wooden  plunger.  Collected  by  Dr 
C.  C.  firay  and  Dr  Washington  Matthews,  U.  S.  Army. 


cuLix]  POPGUX:   OMAHA  759 


MARIPOSAN  STOCK 


Yoktjts.     Tule  Rivei'  reservation,  Tulare  county,  California.     (Cat. 

no.  70505,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Popgun  of  elder  (figure  10:^<>),  with  maple  piston,  for  shooting  wads; 
length.  Hi  inches.     Collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson. 


:^= 


Fig.  1026.    Popgun;  length,  1+J  inches;  Yoknts  Indians,  Tule  River  reservation,  Tulare  county, 
California;  cat.  no.  705(1.5,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

SIOUAN  STOCK 

Dakota  (Oglala).     Pine  Ridge  reservation.  South  Dakota.     (Cat. 
no.  22131,  Free  iNIuseum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of 
Pennsylvania.) 
Pojiguu,  epahoton    (figure   1027),  a  jjiece  of  sapling,  three-fourths 
of  an  inch  in   diameter  and  Gi   inches  in  length,  witii   a  hole 
burned  through  the  center,  the  outside  being  ornamented  with 
burned  lines,  as  sliown  in  the  figure. 
Collected  by  INIr  Louis  L.  Meeker,  who  states  that  popguns  are  used 
by  Oslala  bovs  to  shoot  wads  of  elm  bark." 


Fig.  IIST.    Popgun;  leugtli,  «:  iiicbi-s;  Ogliibi  Dakota  Indians,  Pine  Ridge  reservation.  South 
Dakota;  cat.  no.  22131,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Dakot.\  (Tetox).     South  Dakota. 
Rev.  J.  Owen  Dor.sey  ''  says : 

I'pabotun'pi  un'pi.  Pop-gun  game. — In  the  fall,  when  the  wind  blows  down 
the  leaves,  the  bo.vs  inake  pop-guns  of  ash  wood.  The.v  load  them  with  !)arlv 
which  they  have  chewed,  or  else  with  wild  sage  (Artemesia),  and  they  shoot  at 
one  another.     The  one  hit  suffers  much  pain. 

Dr  J.  R.  Walker  '■  describes  the  ])opgun  under  the  name  of  ipaho- 
tonpi,  and  gives  the  names  of  the  parts  as  tancan,  body;  wibopan, 
ramrod ;  and  iyopuhdi,  the  wadding.  The  latter,  he  says,  is  made  by 
chewing  the  inner  bark  of  the  elm,  and  using  it  while  wet. 


>X 


Fig.  1028.    Popgun;  omaha  Indians,  Nebraska;  from  drawing  by  Mr  Francis  La  Flesche. 

Omaha.     Nebraska. 

Mr  Francis  La  Flesche  told  the  writer  in  lSi)3  that  Omaha  boys 
made  popgims  (figure  1028),  batushi  (to  push,  to  crack),  of  elder, 
which  the}'  stop  with  two  wads  of  nettle  fiber.     These  Indians  were 

°  Bulletin  of  the  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  v.  3,  p.  35,  Philadelphia,  1901. 
"(Jatues  of  Teton  Dakota  Children.     The  American  Anthropologist,  v.  4,  p.  337, 1891. 
'  Journal  of  American  Folk-Lore,  v.  19,  p.  35,  1905. 


760 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 


probiibly  acqiiiiinted  with  the  popgtiu  before  white  eontat't.  They 
made  them  through  the  winter,  and  in  the  summer  threw  them  away. 
The  following,  he  said,  is  the  order  of  the  boys'  games:  Shinny 
(tabegathe,  ball  to  strike)  in  spring;  throwing  sticks  and  target 
shooting  in  summer ;  shinnj-  in  the  fall ;  tops,  bone  sliders,  and  pop- 
guns in  winter.     The  plum-stone  dice  game  is  played  at  all  seasons. 

Bean  Sh(i()t?;k 

The  implement  to  which  for  convenience  the  name  of  bean  shooter 
has  been  given  is  a  mechanical  contrivance  not  unlikely  to  have  been 
borrowed  from  the  whites,  found  thus  far  only  in  the  Southwest  and 
on  the  Northwest  coast. 


f^^^ 


Fig.  1029.    Bean  shooter;  length,  12}  inches;  Hopi  Indians,  Oraibi,  Arizona;  cat.  n^.  St-iSH.  Free 
M\ise\im  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Penn.sylvania. 

SIIOSHONEAN    STOCK 

Hopi.     Oraibi,  Arizona.     ( Cat.  no.  38()'26,  Free  Museum  of  Science 

and  Art,  University  of  Pemisylvania.) 
Bean  shooter  (figure  1029),  made  of  a  piece  of  cane,  12f  inches  in 

length,  with  a  spring,  consisting  of  a  bent  strip  of  wood,  the 

ends  of  which  are  secured  in  holes  cut  in  the  cane.     Collected  by 

the  writer  in  1901. 
Mono.     Hooker  cove.  Madera  county,  California.     (Cat.  no.  71-1-1.5, 

Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Wooden  splint  (figure  1030),  10  inches  in  length,  used  as  a  toy  for 

flipping  mud  balls.     Collected  l)y  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson. 


Fk;.  1030.    Sti)ne  flii)per:  length,  10  inches;  Mono  Indians,  Madera  county,  California;  cat.  no. 
7144.5,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 


WAKASHAN    .STOCK 

KwAKiuTL.     Alert  bay,  Vancouver  island,  British  Colinnbia. 

Dr  C.  F.  Newcombe  writes  as  follows,  describing  what  he  calls  the 
figure  4  dart  shooter: 

Among  the  Kwakiutl.  of  the  NMinpkish  tribe,  this  is  called  IIEmllKiii.     In  use 
a  small  stick  is  placed  across  the  top  of  the  pliant  side  pieces  and  is  shot  to 


CCLIN'] 


CAT  S    CRADLE 


7<n 


some  little  distance  by  pressing  on  tlie  trigger  piece  which  is  horizontal  to  the 
figure  4.  The  figure  is  held  In  front  of  the  body  with  both  hands  with  the  short 
end  of  the  trigger  downwards,  and  the  perpendicular  stem  of  the  4  horizontally. 
It  is  frequently  used  when  children  are  sick  and  small  sticks  are  shot  In  dif- 
ferent directions  to  chase  away  the  spirit  supposed  to  be  causing  the  sickness. 
It  was  used  as  lately  as  two  years  ago  at  Alert  bay.  Sets  of  four  of  this  in.stru- 
ment  are  employed  by  grown-up  people — relatives  of  the  sick.  The  sticks  are 
left  lying  about  after  the  performance,  but  the  guns  are  burned  when  done  with. 
This  goes  on  for  four  nights  in  succession.  The  noise  of  the  two  flexible  sides 
coming  together  when  the  stick  is  e.ieeted  is  supposed  to  aid  the  good  work. 
At  night  the  four  shooters  are  left  loaded  near  the  sick  child  to  scare  the  ghost 
or  spirit.     They  are  also  used  as  a  game  by  children. 

Makah.     Neah   bay,   Washington.      ( Free   Museum   of   Science   and 

Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Two  stone  flippers,  made  of  curved  pieces  of  whalebone,  one  single 
and  the  other  double,  recurved.     Collected  l)y  the  writer  in  H»00. 
Opitchesaht.     Vancouver  island,  British  Columbia.      (Cat.  no.  IV 

A  7117,  7118,  Berlin  Museum  fiir  Volkerkunde.) 
Curved  splint  of  whalebone  ( figure  ^031 ) ,  -1  inches  in  length. 

The  collector,  Capt.  Samuel  .lacobsen,  gives  the  name  as  tklamayek. 


Fig.  1031. 


Fig.  ins2. 


Fio.  1031.    Stone   flipper;  length,  i  inches;  Opitchesaht  Indians.  Vancouver    island.  British 

Columbia;  cat.  no.  IV  A  7117,  7118,  Berlin  Museum  fiir  Volkerkunde. 
Fig.  10;J2.    Bean  shooter;  length,  10  inches;    Zuni  Indians,  Zuni.  New  Mexico;   cat.   no.  3066, 

Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 

ZUNIAN    STOCK 

Ztjni.     Zuni,  New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  :'>0(;().  Brooklyn  Institute  Mu- 
seum.) 
Bean  shooter    (figure   1032),  consisting  of  a  tube  of  wood,  with  a 
wooden  spring;  length,  10  inches. 
Collected  by  the  writer  in    1903.     The   name   was  given   as  keto 
aiianai. 

Cat's  Cradle 

Cat's  cradle  is  known  to  all  the  tribes  of  whom  direct  inquiry  has 
been  made.  The  Zuni  explain  it  as  the  netted  shield  of  the  War  Gods, 
and  as  taught  to  the  latter  by  their  grandmother,  the  Spider.     The 


762  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAX    TXDIAXS      [eth.  axn.  24 

idea  seems  to  underlie  the  tradition  among  the  Xavaho  also  that  the 
play  was  taught  them  by  the  Sjiider  people.  In  addition  to  cat's 
cradle  the  Indians  have  a  variet_v  of  tricks  and  amusements  with 
string."  Charlie  AVilliams,  at  Xeah  bay,  Washington,  described  the 
following  as  a  common  amusement  among  the  Makah : 

A  string  is  tied  about  the  neck  with  a  false  knot.  It  is  pulled  tight  and 
comes  off.     This  is  called  tu-a-oss.     The  string  is  sometimes  tied  about  the  toe. 

The  writer  saw  this  trick  performed  with  many  grimaces  by  an 
old  Shoslioni  woman  at  Fort  AYashakie.  Wyoming. 

Dr  Alfred  Tozzer  described  the  trick  of  splicing  a  cut  rojie  in  the 
mouth,  as  seen  by  him  among  the  Maya  at  Chichen  Itza.  Yucatan. 
The  rope  is  arranged  as  <hown  in  figure  1033.  the  point  u  being  con- 
cealed from  the  audience,  who  consider  the  ring  an  unl)roken  piece 
of  rojie.  circled  twice.  The  ro])e  is  then  cut  at  h  and  four  ends 
shown,  a  still  being  concealed  from  the  audience.  The  two  ends 
below  h  are  placed  in  the  mouth,  l)ut,  the  string  having  been  cut  at 
h.  a  small  piece  only  is  left  aroujid  the  longer  loop  at  a,  which  the 
tongue  easily  frees  from  the  loop  of  the  main  string;  the  string  when 
taken  from  the  mouth  thus  shows  an  unbroken  surface  at  b.  as  the 
small  piece  cut  at  h  and  running  from  /;  to  a  and  back  to  h  is  still 
concealed  in  the  mouth. 


Fig.  103:}.    Cord  arrangred  for  trick  of  splicing  in  the  mouth:   Maya  Indians.  Chichen  Itza. 
Yucatan:  cat.  no.  381.5,  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 

Mr  Dorsey  describes  an  amusement  with  string  among  the  Teton 
Dakota  under  the  name  of  '"  String  wrapped  in  and  out  among  the 
fingers."  etc. 

ALOOXQIIAX    STOCK 

Sauk  axd  Foxes.     Tama.  Iowa. 

These  Indians  described  the  game  of  cat's  cradle  to  the  wi-iter  uuiler 
the  name  of  sah-sah-nah-ki-a-ti-wi.  ]iari'el. 

ATHAPASC.VX    STOCK 

Apache  (AYhite  Mouxtaix).     Arizona.     (Cat.  no.  3001,  Brooklyn 
Institute  Museum. ) 
The  cat's  cradle   (figure  1034)   figure  was  collected  by  the  writer 
from  a  White  Mountain  Apache  girl  at  Albuquerque.     She  called 
it  ikinasthlani. 

•■  Consult   String   Figures  and   Tricks,   li.v    I'rof.    .\ltied   C.    Haddon.      .\merican    .\nthro- 
pologist,  n.  s..  V.  5,  p.  218,  1903. 


CULIN] 


CAT  s  cradle:  navaho 


763 


HuPA.     California. 

Mr  Pliny  Earle  Goddard  °  says : 

The  Hupa  make  several  varieties  of  cat's  cradle. 

Navaho.  St  Michael.  Arizona.  (Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art, 
University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
The  following  games  of  cat's  cradle  were  collected  by  the  writer. 
The  figures  were  made  by  a  single  individual,  who  used  his  lips  and 
teeth  when  necessary.  The  intermediary  stages  were  not  considered 
or  exhibited.  ; 


Fig.  laST. 


Fig.  urn. 


Fig.  10.34.    Cat^s  cradle,  i-lci-nas-thla'-ui;  Wliite  Mountaiu  Apache  Indians.  Arizona;  cat.  no.  .S(X)1, 

Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 
Ficj.  1(13.5.    Cat's  cradle,  atsinlt'lish,  lightning:  Navaho  Indians,  St  Michael,  Arizona:  cat.  no. 

22712,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  1036.    Cat's  cradle,  siitso,  big  star:  Navaho  Indians,  St  Michael,  Arizona:  cat.  no.  23713,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  U)-37.    Cat's  cradle,  so'  hini,  many  (group  of)  stars;  Navaho  Indians,  St  Michael,  Arizona: 

cat.  no.  22714,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  1038.    Cat's  cradle,  so  ahots'ii,  twin  stars:  Navaho  Indians,  St  Michael,  Arizona:  cat.  no. 

2271.5.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  1039.    Cat's  cradle,  so  bide'  huloni,  horned  stars:  Navaho  Indians,  St  Michael,  Arizona; 

cat.  no.  22716,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Cat.  no.  22712:  atsinlt'lish,  lightning,  figure  1035. 
Cat.  no.  22713:  sutso.  big  star,  figure  1036. 

so'  lani,  many  (group  of)  stars,  figure  1037. 

so  ahots'ii,  twin  stars,  figure  1038. 


2271-1: 
22715: 


Cat.  no. 
Cat.  no. 
Cat.  no.  22716:  so  bide'  huloni,  horned  stars,  figure  1039. 

»  Life  and  Culture  of  the  Hupa.  p.  61.  Berkeley,  1903. 


764 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  an.x.  24 


Cat.  no.  22717:  dilyehe,  Pleiades,  figure  1040. 

Cat.  no.  22718:  ma'i  alts'  ayilaghuli,  coyotes  running  apart,  figure  1041. 


Fig.  11140. 


Fig.  W41. 


Fig.  iiwa. 

Fig.  1040.  Cat's  cradle,  dilyehe,  Pleiades,  Navaho  Indians,  St  Miohat'l.  Arizona;  «':i1.  no.  22717, 
Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Fig.  1041.  Cat's  cradle,  ma'i  alts'  ayilaghuli,  coyotes  running  apart;  Navaho  Indians,  St 
Michael,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  22718,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

Fig.  1042.  Cat's  cradle,  nashja,  owl:  Navaho  Indians.  St  Michael,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  23719,  Free 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Cat.  no.  22719:  nashja,  owl,  figure  1042. 

Cat.  no.  22720:  t'lish,  snake,  figure  1043. 

Cat.  no.  22721:  nashvii  dich  izhi,  horned  toad,  figure  1044. 


COLIN] 


CAT  S    CRADLE  :    NAVAHO 


765 


Cat.  no.  22722:  lesis,  poncho,  tigure  lu-to. 

Cat.  no.  22723:  hoghan  (hogan),  figure  lOie. 

Cat.  no.  22724:  chizli  joyeM,  packing  (carrying)  wood,  figure  1047. 


Fig.  IIMJ. 


Fig.  1(U5. 

Fig.  11)48.    Cat's  cradle,  flish,  snake;  Navabo  Indian.s.  St  Michael,  Arizona:  cat.  uo.  227'^K  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  1044.    Cat's  cradle,  nashui  dich'  izhi,  horned  toad;  Navaho  Indians,  St  Michael,  Arizona; 

cat.  no.  23721,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  104.5.    Cat's  cradle,  iesis.  poncho;  Navaho  Indians,  St  Michael,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  22722,  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Of  the  specimens  just  mentioned,  cat.  no.  22712,  lightning,  was 
found  by  the  writer  in  Isleta  (figure  1064)  under  the  same  name,  and 
cat.  no.  22714,  many  (group  of)  stars,  at  the  same  place,  but  the  name 


766 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann-.  24 


there  was  not  obtained;  cat.  no.  l'2715.  twin  stars,  occnrs  in  Zufii  as 
lightning  (figure  1069),  and  cat.  no.  2-2724,  jDacking  (carrying)  wood, 
also  in  Zuni  (figure  1068). 

The  following  information  about  the  game  was  communicated  to 
the  writer  by  Rev.  Berard  Haile  in  a  personal  letter : 

Cat's  cradle  owes  its  origin  to  (lie  Spider  iieople.  They,  the  spiders,  who 
in  the  Navaho's  belief  were  human  beings,   taught  them   the  game   for  their 


Fig.  1IH7. 

Fig.  1046.    Cat's   cradle,  hoghan  ihogani;  Navaho  Indians,  St  Michael.  Arizona:  cat.  nn.  22T23. 

Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  1047.    Cat's  cradle,  chizh  joyeli,  packing  (carrying!  wood;  Navaho  Indians,  St   Midiael, 

Arizona;  cat.  no.  22724,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

amusement.  The  holy  spiders  taught  the  Navaho  to  play  and  how  to  make  the 
various  figures  of  stars,  snakes,  bears,  coyotes,  etc.,  but  on  one  condition — they 
were  to  be  jilayed  only  in  winter,  because  at  that  season  spiders,  snalves,  etc., 
sleep  and  do  not  see  them.  To  play  the  cat's  cradle  at  any  otlier  time  of  the 
year  would  be  folly,  for  certain  death  liy  lightning,  falling  from  a  horse,  or 
some  other  mishap  were  sure  to  reach  the  offender.  Otlierwise  no  religious 
meaning  is  said  to  attach  to  the  game.  Even  the  above  information  was  only 
extracted  with  much  patience  and  scheming.  I  may  add  that  one  Navaho 
claimed  that  the  cat's  cradle  is  a  sort  of  schooling  Ijy  which  the  children  are 
taught   the   position   of   tlie   stars,   etc.     Though   this   might   be   a    satisfactory 


cilin) 


CAT  S    cradle:   ESKIMO 


(67 


explauatioii,  it  was  nut  aiijiroveil  li.v  tlio  luedk-iiie  man  from  wbom  1  ubtaineU 
the  above.     Xa'  atlo.  it  is  tuistt-d.  is  the  trnn  for  cat's  cradle. 

X.wAHO.     Cliaco  crtiiyon.  Now  ^loxico. 

Cat's  ci'adle  (tigure  104.S),  called  carrying  wood,  cliizh  joyeii.     Figure 
made  for  the  writer  by  I)r  Alfred  Tozzer,  who  collected  the  speci- 
men, with  others,  among  the  Navaho  in  1901. 
In  addition  to  the  above  figure,  Dr  Tozzer  furnished  I'rof.  Alfred 

C.  Haddon  "  with  the  following  list  of  cat's  cradles,  which  he  collected 

among  the  Navalio : 

JIan,  deuue;  sternum  with  ribs,  ai-yit;  woman's  belt,  sis;  bow,  at'-ti ;  arrow, 
ka  ;  two  hogans,  naki-hogan  or  at'-sa-hogan  :  sanil-painting  figure,  '^os-shls-ch; ; 
coyote,  ma-i ;  bird'.s  nest,  a-to :  horned  toad.  na-a-sho-I-di-chizi ;  butterfly,  ga-hi- 
ki ;  star,  so-a-hlnat'san-°ti-i. 


Flu.  1M8.    Cat's  oi-adle,  oarryiuR  wood;  Navahu  Indians,  Chaco  lanyon,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no. 
'2:i~''is,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvaniji. 

The  general  name  for  these  figures  is  na-ash-klo,  according  to  -Mr  Tozzer. 
The  term  na  signifies  a  "continuous  movement:  "  ash  is  "  I."  and  klo  is  the  root 
word  of  "weaving."  Perhaps  "continuous  weaving"  would  be  a  fair  transla- 
tion of  the  Navaho  word. 

Professor  Haddon   gives   directions    for   malving   tlie   hogan,   two 
hogans.  and  carrying  wood,  many  (grou^j  of)  stars,  owl,  and  light- 
ning, and  illustrates  the  perfected  figure  of  each. 
TsETSAUT.     Portland.  British  Columbia. 

Dr  Franz  Boas  *  mentions  their  playing  the  game  of  cat's  cradle. 


ESKIMAX'AN    STOCK 

Eskimo  (Central).     Frobisher  bay,  Baffin  land.  Franklin. 
Capt.  Charles  F.  Hall  -■  says: 

The  Innuit  social  life  is  simple  and  olieerful.     Tliey  have  a  variety  of  games 
of  their  own.     In  one  of  these  they  use  a  number  of  bits  of  ivory,  made  in  the 

""  String  Figures  .ind  Tricks,     .\mcricnn  Anthropologist,  n.  s..  v.  ."i.  p.  220.  100;i. 
'  liepori   of  the  Sixty-fifth   Jleeting  of  the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of 
Science,  p.  568.  London.  18(1.5. 

'  -Arctic  Researches,  p.  .570.  New  York.  ISIjO. 


768 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMEEICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  anx.  2-1 


form  of  (lucks,  etc-.,  such  iis  Sampson's  wife  gave  nie.  as  just  mentioned.  In 
another,  a  simple  string  is  used  iu  a  variety  of  intricate  ways,  now  representing 
a  tulvtoo,  now  a  whale,  now  a  walrus,  now  a  seal,  being  arranged  upou  the 
fingers  in  a  wa.v  bearing  a  general  resemblance  to  the  game  known  to  us  as 
"  cat's  cradle."  The  people  were  very  quick  in  learning  of  me  to  play  chess, 
checkers,  and  dominoes. 

E.SKuro  (Central).     Cumberland  sound,  Baffin  land,  Franklin. 

Dr  Franz  Boas "  say.s : 

The  women  are  particularly  fond  of  making  figures  out  of  a  loo|),  a  game  simi- 
lar to  our  cat's  cradle  (ajarorpoq).  They  are.  however,  much  more  clever  than 
we  iu  handling  the  thong,  and  have  a  great  variety  of  forms,  some  of  which  are 


Fig.  1IP4H 


Cat's  cradle:  «,  deer;  b,  hare;  c.  liills  and  ponds;  Central  Eskimo.  Cumljer- 
land  sound,  Baffin  land,  Franklin;  from  Boas. 


represented  in  figure  1049.  For  example.  I  shall  describe  the  method  of  making 
the  device  representing  a  deer  [figure  104!t(;|.  Wind  the  loop  over  both  hands, 
passing  it  over  the  backs  of  the  thumbs  inside  the  palms  and  outside  the  fourth 
fingers.  Take  the  string  from  the  palm  of  the  right  hand  with  the  first  finger 
of  the  left,  and  vice  versa.  The  first  finger  of  the  right  hand  moves  over  all 
the  parts  of  the  thong  lying  on  the  first  and  fourth  fingers  of  the  right  hand 
and  i)a.sses  through  the  loop  formed  by  thongs  on  the  tlnnnb  of  the  right  hand: 
then  it  moves  back  over  the  foremost  thong  and  takes  it  up.  while  the  thumb 
lets  go  the  loop.  The  first  finger  moves  downward  before  the  thongs  lying  on 
the  fourth  finger  and  comes  up  in  front  of  all  the  thon.^'s.  The  thumb  is  placed 
into  the  loops  hanging  on  the  first  finger  and  the  loop  hanging  on  the  first  finger 
of  the  left  hand  is  drawn  through  both  and  hung  again  over  the  same  finger. 

"  The  Central  Eskimo.     Sixth  Annual  Report  of  the  Burean  of  Ethnology,  p.  560.  18SS. 


CCLIN] 


CAT  S    cradle:  ESKIMO 


769 


The  thumb  and  first  finger  of  the  right  and  the  thumb  of  the  left  hand  let  go 
their  loops.     The  whole  is  then  drawn  tight. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  Doctor  Boas"  illustrates  two  other  cat's 
cradles  from  this  locality,  one  called  amaroqdjung,  wolf  (fifruro 
1050«),  and  the  other  ussuqdjung  (figure  10506),  and  he  describes 
the  manner  in  which  all  are  made. 


Fig.  1051. 

Fig.  1050  a,  b.  Cat's  cradle;  a.  amaroqdjung,  wolf;  h,  ussuqdjung;  Central  Eskimo.  Cumber- 
land sound,  Baffin  land,  Franklin;  from  Boas. 

Fig.  1051  q,  6,  c.  Cat's  cradle;  fox,  raven,  polar  bear:  Ita  Eskimo,  Smith  sound,  Greenland; 
cat.  no.  5»ft.  s'ft.  ss's.  American  Museum  of  Natural  History;  from  Kroeber. 

Eskimo  (Ita).     Smith  sound,  Greenland. 

Dr  A.  L.  Kroeber''  figures  the  following  cat's  cradles:  Fox  (figure 
10.51a),  raven  (figure  1051?*).  polar  bear  (figure  1051r).  narwhal 
(figure  1052a).  hare  (figure  10.5-26).  and  walrus  head  (figure  10.5-2r). 


"Internationales  Archiv  fiir  Ethnographie.  v.  1,  p.  233.  Leiden.  188S. 
»  Bulletin  of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  v.   12,  p.   29S-300.  New  York. 
1800. 


24  ETH — 05   il- 


-49 


770 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [ETH.  ANN.  24 
KERESAN    STOCK 


Keres.     Acoma,  New  Mexico. 

An  Acoma  Indian  at  Zniii  named  James  H.  Miller  gave  the  name 
of  cat's  cradle  as  napainet. 


Fig.  11152. 


Fig.  1U.T.S. 


Fig.  1052  o,  6,  c.  Cat's  cradle;  narwhal,  hare,  walrus  head;  Ita  Eskimo,  Smith  sound,  Green- 
land; cat.  no.  oVj.  gVi,  Ml.  American  Museum  of  Natural  History;  from  Kroeber. 

Fig.  Ift5.3.  Cat's  cradle,  chicken  foot;  Keres  Indians,  Cochiti,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  4979,  Brook- 
lyn Institute  Museum. 

Cochiti.  New  Mexico.     (Brooklyn  Institute  Museum.) 


The  following  cat's  cradles  were  collected  by  the  writer  in  1904 
from  Francisco  Chaves  (Kogit),  a  Keres  boy  from  Cochiti,  at  ."^t 
Michael,  Arizona : 

Cat.  no.  4979:  spinakaiyaka.  chicken  foot,  figure  1053. 

Cat.  no.  4980:  jaolaka.  butterfly,  figure  10.")4. 

Cat.  no.  4981 :  wisdyakka,  bow,  figure  10.5.5. 

Cat.  no.  4982:  sjonanakka.  bat.  figure  10.5(). 

He  gave  the  name  as  kokominnaoowishiyan,  string  playing;  koko- 
iniu.  string. 


cdlin] 


CAT  S    CRADLE  :  POMO 
KULANAPAN    STOCK 


771 


PoMO.     Ukiah,  California.     (Cat.  no.  3000,  Brooklyn  Institute  Mu- 
seum.) 


Fig.  ia56. 

Fig.  1034.  Cat's  cradle,  Iratterfly;  Keres  Indians,  Cochiti.  New  Mexico:  cat.  no.  4980,  Brooklyn 
Institute  Museum. 

Fig.  10.55.  Cat's  cradle,  bow;  Keres  Indians,  Cochiti,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  4981,  Brooklyn  Insti- 
tute Museum. 

Fig.  1056.  Cat's  cradle,  bat;  Keres  Indians,  Cochiti,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  4982,  Brooklyn  Insti- 
tute Museum. 

This  cat's  cradle  (figure  105")  was  collected  by  the  writer  from  a 
Porno  Indian  man  at  Albuquerque.  He  gave  the  general  name  of  the 
amusement  as  datidatu,  tangled  up.  and  of  this  figure  as  tsudium, 
humming  bird. 


772 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  ann.  24 


MAYAN    STOCK 

Maya.     Chichen    Itza,    Yucatan.     (Cat.    no.    2813.   2814.    Brooklyn 

Institute  Museum.) 

Dr   Alfred   Tozzer   has   furnished   the   writer   two   cat's   cradles 

from  this  tribe.    One  (figure  10.58)  is  called  a  chicken's  foot.     A  is 

held  on  the  little  finger.  B  on  the  middle  finger,  and  C  on  the  thumb. 


Fig.  1(158. 

Pig.  10.57.    Cat's  cradle,  tsudium,  humming  bird;  Porno  Indians,  Ukiah,  California;  cat.  no.  3000. 

Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 
Fio.  10.58.    Cat's  cradle,  chicken's  foot;  Maya  Indians,  Yucatan;  cat.  no.  2813,  Brooklyn  Institute 

Museum. 

In  another  (figure  1059)  A  is  held  in  the  mouth  of  the  operator  and 
D  in  the  hand  of  an  assisting  person.  B  and  C.  held  in  each  hand 
by  the  operator,  are  pulled  outward  from  the  center  as  D  approaches 
the  center.     The  operation  is  called  sawing  wood. 


salishan  stock 


Clallam.     Washington. 

A  Clallam  boy,  John  Raub,  described  this  tribe  as  playing  cat's 
cradle,  which  thev  call  tskusli  skutsisen. 


ciLiN]  cat's  cradle:  Thompson  Indians  773 

Shfswap.     Kamloops,  British  Columbia. 
Dr  Fi-anz  Boas "  says : 
Children  and  women  play  cat's  cradle. 

Skokomish.     British  Cohmibia. 

Mr  Charles  Hill-Tout ''  says  these  Indians  were  acquainted  with 
qauwilts,  or  the  cat's  cradle  game. 


Fig.  1059.    Cat's  cradle,  sawing  wood;  Maya  Indians,  Yucatan;  cat.  no.  28U,  Brooklyn  Institute 

Museum. 

80NGISH.     British  Columbia. 

Dr  Franz  Boas "  says : 

HQwaua'latcis,  the  game  of  cat's  cradle. — A  great  variety  of  figures  are  made. 
Only  one  person  is  required  to  make  these  figures.  Sometimes  the  teeth  must 
help  in  making  them. 

Thompson  Indians  (Ntlakyai^aiuuk).    British  Columbia. 

Mr  James  Teit  *  says : 

Many  children's  games  were  played  by  the  smaller  boys  and  girls.  "  Cat's 
cradle"  was  one  of  these  [figure  1060].     Strings  were  fixed  on  the  fingers  in 

»  Second  General  Report  on  the  Indians  of  British  Columbia.  Report  of  the  Sixtieth 
Meeting  of  the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  641.  London,  1891. 

>'  Notes  on  the  Sk'qo'mic  of  British  Columbia.  Report  of  the  Seventieth  Meeting  of 
the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  488.  London.   1900. 

■■  Second  General  Report  on  the  Indians  of  British  Columbia.  Report  of  the  Sixtieth 
Meeting  of  the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  571,  London,  1891. 

•<  The  Thompson  Indians  of  British  Columbia.  Memoirs  of  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  whole  series,  v.  2,  p.  281,  New  York,  1900. 


774 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS     [eth.  anx.  24 


different  ways,  so  as  to  present  many  forms,  such  as  the  "  beaver,"  the  "  deer." 
the  "  buckskin,"  the  "  conical  lodge."  the  "  women's  house,"  the  "  man  stealing 
wood."  etc. 


Fig.  1061. 

Pig.  1(160.  Cat'scradle;  a,  dressing  a  skin:  h,  pitching  a  tent:  Thompson  Indians.  British  Colum- 
bia; from  sketches  by  Harlan  I.  Smith. 

Fig.  1061.  Cat's  cradle;  Tigua  Indians.  Isleta.  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  22729,  Free  Museum  of 
Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

The  figure  called  pitching  a  tent  is  found  in  Zufii,  under  the  name 
of  brush  house  (figure  1070). 

SHOSHONEAX    STOCK 

Hopi.     Walpi,  Arizona. 

The  Indians  at  the  First  Hopi  mesa  informed  the  writer,  in  1905, 
that  they  knew  a  number  of  cat's  cradles  and  called  them  all  nia-mal- 
lac-bi. 

TANOAN    .STOCK 

Tewa.     Hano,  Arizona.     (Brooklyn  Institute  Museum.) 

The  following  cat's  cradles  were  collected  by  the  writer  in  1905 : 
Cat.  no.  7129,  bo-tafi-la. 
Cat.  no.  7130,  a-gai-yo-sin-i. 


Cl'LIN] 


CAT  S    CRADLE  :    TIGUA 


775 


TiGUA.    Isleta,  New  Mexico.     (Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania.) 

The  following  cat's  cradles  were  collected  by  the  writer  at  Isleta 
in  1902: 

Cat.  no.  '22729,  figure  1001. 
Cat.  no.  22730,  pakula,  star,  figure  1062. 
Cat.  no.  22731.  figure  10C.3. 
Cat.  no.  22732,  vopiridai,  lightning,  figure  1064. 

The  only  name  my  informant  could  give  for  the  amusement  was 
thlu.  string.  He  did  not  know  names  for  all  the  figures  he  was 
able  to  make. 


Fig.  1064 


Fig.  1063.    Cat's  cradle,  pakula,  star;  Tigua  Indians.  Isleta,  New  Mexiro;  cat.   un.  aSTSIJ.  Free 

Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  1063.    Cat's  cradle;  Tigua  Indians,  Isleta,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  327.31,  Free  Museum  of 

Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  1064.    Cat's  cradle,  vopiridai,  lightning;  Tigua  Indians,  Isleta,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  22733, 

Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Cat.  no.  22731  occurs  among  the  Navaho  as  many  (group  of)  stars 
(figure  1037),  and  cat.  no.  22732  as  lightning  (figure  1035). 


77(5 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMEKICAN    INDIANS      [bth.  ann.  24 


WAKASHAN    STOCK 

Makah.     Neah  ba_y,  Washington. 

Charlie  Williams  described  the  Makah  as  playing  cat's  cradle  under 
the  name  of  howwntsoksh. 

The  figures  corresponded  with  those  of  our  common  child's  play. 
The  first  he  called  bow,  bistati;  the  second,  devilfish,  tiththupe. 
Another  figure  was  the  frog,  wachit.     Girls  and  boys  play. 


Fig.  lllWJ. 

Pig.  1065.  Cat's  cradle,  bpaisb,  mealins,' stone,  Maricopa  Indians,  Arizona;  cat.  no.  2921,  Brook- 
lyn Institute  Museum. 

Fig.  UKiG.  Cat's  cradle,  kpaitch,  turtle:  Maric«»pa  Indians,  Arizona;  cat  no.  29'£i,  Brooklyn  Insti- 
tute Museum. 

ITJMAN    STOCK 

Maricopa.     Arizona.     (Brooklyn  Institute  Museum.) 

The  following  cat's  ci-adles  were  collected  for  the  writer  Ijy  Mr 
Louis  L.  Meeker : 

Cat.  no.  2921:  hpaish.  mealing  stone  (figure  106.5). 
Cat.  no.  2922 :  kpaitch,  turtle  (figure  lOWJ). 


Cl'LIN] 


CATS  cradle:  zuni 


777 


ZUNIAN    STOCK 


ZuNi.     Zuni,  New  Mexico.     (Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania.) 


Fig.  1U69. 

Fig.  1067.    Cat's  ci-adle,  pichowainai,  netted  shield;  Z\mi  Indians,  Zuni,  New  Mexico;  oat.  no. 

226W,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  1068.    Cat's  cradle,  pislikappoa  pichowainai,  netted  shield;  Zuni  Indians,  Zu£i,  New  Mexico; 

cat.  no.  2'260.5,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  1069.    Cat's  cradle,  pichowai  wailolo,  lightning;  Zuni  Indians,  Zuiii,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no. 

22606,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art.  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

The  following  cat's  cradles  were  collected  by  the  writer  in  Zuni  in 
1902: 

Cat.  no.  22604 :  pichowainai.  netted  shield  (figure  10(17). 
Cat.  no.  22605 :  pislikappoa  pichowainai,  netted  shield  (figure  1068). 
Cat.  no.  22606:  pichowai  wailolo,  lightning  (figure  1069). 


778 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  axn.  24 


Cat.  no.  22607:  pichowai  hampunnai,  brush  house  (figure  1070). 
Cat.  no.  22608 :  pichowai  hampunnai,  brush  house  (figure  1071). 
Cat.  no.  22609 :  tslempistonai   pichowainai.  top  crossbeam  of  hidder 
(figure  1072). 


Fig.  10T2. 

Flu.  1070.    Cat's  cradle,  pichowai  hampunuai,  brush  bouse;  ZuHi  Indians,  Zuiii,  New  Mexico; 

cat.  no.  23*i07,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fig.  1071.    Cat's  cradle,  pichowai  hampunnai,  brush  house;  Zuiii  Indians,  Zuiii,  New  Mexico: 

cat.  no.  '22608,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 
Fio.  l(/r2.    Cat's  cradle,  tslempistonai  pichowainai,  top  crossbeam  of  ladder:  Zurii  Indians,  Zuiii, 

New  Mexico:  cat.  no.  '22609,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


CCLIN] 


CATS  cradle:  zuni 


779 


Cat.  no.  22610:  pichowai  atslonononai,  sling  (figure  1073). 
Cat.  no.  22605  occurs  among  the  Xavaho  as  packing  (carrying)  wood 
(figure  1047).  and  cat.  no.  22C06  as  twin  stars  (figure  10:38). 


Fig.  1073.    Cat's  cradle,  pichowai  atslonononai,  sling;  Zuni  Indians,  i:.uni.  New  Mexico:  cat.  no. 
23610,  Free  Musevun  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

My  informant  in  Zuni  stated  that  the  cat's  cradle  was  called 
pichowainai  or  pishkappoa,  the  netted  shield,  figures  1067  and  1068, 
actually  representing  this  shield,  which  was  supposed  to  have  been 
carried  by  the  War  God.  The  idea  is  borrowed  from  the  spider  web, 
and  cat's  cradle  was  taught  to  the  little  boys,  the  twin  War  Gods,  by 
their  mother,  the  Spider  Woman,  for  their  amusement. 


UNCLASSIFIED  GAMES 


Into  this  category  of  imclassified  games,  arranged  by  stocks,  have 
been  jjut  the  miscelhiiieons  games  of  which  but  a  single  record  exists, 
and  which,  with  the  information  now  at  hand,  can  not  be  assigned  to  a 
place  in  any  of  the  preceding  series,  nor  yet  regarded  as  of  foreign 
origin.  It  will  be  seen  that  these  games  are  few  in  number  and  of 
little  apparent  significance.  One.  the  Clatsop  game  described  by 
Lewis  and  Clark,  may  be  the  guessing  game  played  with  wooden 
disks,  imperfectly  described. 

ALGONQUIAN    STOCK 

Illinois.     Illinois. 
Joutel  saj^s : " 

.  A  good  number  of  presents  still  remaining,  they  divide  themselves  into  sev- 
eral lots,  and  i>la.v  at  a  game,  called  of  the  stick,  to  give  them  to  the  winner. 
That  g.Tme  is  played,  talking  a  stout  stick,  very  smooth  and  greased,  that  it  may 
be  harder  to  hold  it  fast.  One  of  the  elders  throws  the  stick  as  far  as  he  can ; 
the  young  men  run  after  it.  snatch  it  from  each  other,  and  at  last  he  who 
remains  possessed  of  it  has  the  first  lot.  The  stick  is  then  thrown  again ;  he 
who  keeps  it  then  has  the  second  lot.  and  so  on  to  the  end.  The  women  whose 
husbands  have  been  slain  in  war  often  perform  the  same  ceremony  and  treat 
the  singers  and  dancers  whom  they  have  before  invited. 

ATHAPASCAN    STOCK 

Navaho.     St,  Michael,  Arizona. 

Rev.  Berard  Haile  describes  the  following  game  in  a  letter: 

Tsin  lieedzii  the  great  game  of  the  Earth-winner.  The  Earth-winner,  Ni'- 
nahuitbi'i,  plays  with  the  gambler,  who  lays  a  wager  that  he  can  outdo  the 
Earth-winner  in  strength.  A  test  is  made  by  placing  a  i>ole  0  inches  in  diameter 
in  the  ground  about  2  feet  deeii.  The  pole  is  aliout  8  feet  in  height,  and  the 
gambler  pushes  it  over  on  a  run.  The  Earth-winner  thus  loses  the  game.  In 
consequence  of  this  event,  the  Navaho,  out  of  respect  for  their  great  teacher  of 
games,  who,  they  say,  came  from  Mexico,  do  not  play  this  game. 

Takflli.     Stuart  lake.  British  Columbia. 
The  Eeverend  Father  A.  G.  Morice  ''  says : 

Te'ko'  is  another  pastime  which  is  somewhat  childish  in  character.  In  most 
cases  it  is  played  by  the  fireside  in  the  camp  lodge  during  the  long  winter  even- 
ings. Its  necessary  accompaniments  [figure  1074)  are  a  blunt-headed  stiek  and 
two  small,  thin,  and  springy  boards  firmly  driven  in  the  ground,  one  close  by  each 

"  Historical  .Journal  of  Monsieur  La  Salle"s  Last  Vo.vage  to  Discover  the  River  Missis- 
sippi.     French's  Historical  Collections  of  Louisiana,  v.  1,  p.  18(5.  New  York,  1846. 

'  Notes  on  the  Western  Den#s.  Tfensaetions  of  the  Canadian  Institute,  v.  4,  p.  112. 
Toronto,  1S95. 

•  781 


782  GAMES    OF    THE    NOETH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ann.  24 

player.  The  two  opposite  parties  sit  facing  each  other  and  throw  the  ta'ko' 
against  the  little  board  on  the  other  side,  upon  hitting  which  it  rebounds  to  the 
knees  of  the  successful  player,  who  is  then  entitled  to  recommence  and  continue 
as  long  as  luck  favors  him.  Failing  to  get  at  the  mark,  the  ta'ko'  is  handed  to 
the  other  partner.  The  number  of  points  obtained  indicates  the  winner.  The 
old  men  profess  to  be  ignorant  of  that  game,  which  is  probably  adventitious 
among  our  Indians. 

CHINOOKAN    STOCK 

Clatsop.     Mouth  of  Columbia  river,  Oregon. 

Lewis  and  Clark  "  describe  the  following  game : 

Two  pins  are  placed  on  the  floor,  about  the  distance  of  a  foot  from  each  other, 
and  a  small  hole  is  made  between  them.  The  players  then  go  about  10  feet 
from  the  hole,  into  which  they  try  to  roll  a  small  piece  resembling  the  men  used 
in  draughts ;  if  they  succeed  in  putting  it  into  the  hole,  they  win  the  stake ;  if 
the  piece  rolls  between  the  pins,  but  does  not  go  into  the  hole,  nothhig  is  won  or 
lost ;   but  the  wager  is  wholly  lost  if  the  checker  rolls  outside  the  pins. 


Fig.  1074.    Implements  for  te'ko";  Takulli  Indians,  Bi'itisb  Columbia;  from  Morice. 
ESKIMAUAN    STOCK 

Eskimo  (Central).     Cumberland  sound,  Baffin  land.  Franklin. 

Dr  Franz  Boas  '>  says : 

The  saketan  resembles  a  roulette.  A  leather  cup  w^ith  a  rounded  bottom  and 
a  nozzle  is  placed  on  a  board  and  turned  round.  When  it  stops  the  nozzle  points 
to  the  winner.  At  present  a  tin  cup  fastened  with  a  nail  to  a  board  is  used  for 
the  same  purpose  [figure  1075]. 

Their  way  of  managing  the  gain  and  loss  is  very  curious.  The  first  winner 
in  the  game  must  go  to  Iiis  hut  and  fetch  anything  he  likes  as  a  stake  for  the 
next  winner,  who,  in  turn  receives  it,  but  has  to  bring  a  new  stake,  in  place  of 
this,  from  his  hut.  Thus  the  only  one  who  loses  anything  is  the  first  winner  of 
the  game,  while  the  only  one  who  wins  anything  is  the  last  winner. 

Again,  of  the  Eskimo  of  the  west  coast  of  Hudson  bay,  Doctor 
Boas"  says: 

Women  gamble  with  a  musk-ox  dipper,  which  is  turned  swiftly  around.  The 
person  away  from  whom  the  handle  points  wins  the  stake,  and  has  to  place  a 
stake  in  her  turn. 

•*  History  of  the  Expedition  under  tlie  Command  of  Lewis  and  Clarli.  v.  2,  p.  784,  New 
York,  1893. 

•■The  Central  Eskimo.      Sixth  Annual  Report  of  tire  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  p. 'DOS,  1888. 

^  Eskimo  of  Baffin  Land  and  Hudson  Bay.  Bulletin  of  the  .\merican  Museum  of  Nat- 
ural History,  t.  15,  p.  110,  New  York,  1901. 


CULIN]  LTNCLASSIFIED    GAMES:    MAYA  783 

This  game  corresponds  in  general  jirinciple  with  roulette,  or  rather 
with  the  spinning  arrow. 

Eskimo    (Central:    Aivilirmivt    and    Kixipetu).     West    coast    of 
Hudson  bay,  Keewatin.     (Cat.  no.  -jp^h,  American  Museum 
of  Natural  History.) 
Dr  Franz  Boas  "  says : 

Small  hoops  of  whalebone  (terkutuk)  are  joined  crosswise  [figure  lOTfi]. 
Then  they  are  placed  on  the  ice  or  hard  snow  when  the  wind  is  blowing.  The 
young  men  run  to  catch  them. 

A  similar  game  is  mentioned  by  Rev.  J.  Owen  Dorsey  among  the 
Teton  Dakota  (see  p.  715). 


Fig.  inr.i.  Fig.  1076. 

Pig.  1075.    Saketan,  or  roulette;  Central  Eskimo,  Cumberland   sound,  Baffin  land,  Franklin; 

cat.  no.  TV  A  68.54,  Berlin  Museum  fiir  Volkerkunde;  from  Boas. 
Fig.  1076.    Wlialebone  hoops;  diameter,  3i  inches;  Central  Eskimo  (Aivilirmiut  and  Kinipetn;, 

west  coast  of  Hudson  bay,  Keewatin;  cat.  no.  s^^a^b,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History- 

West   coast   of   Hudson   bay,    Keewatin.       (Cat.    no.   ^i^h, 

American  Museum  of  Natural  History.) 

Dr  Franz  Boas  "  says : 

Boys  play  hunting  seals  [figure  1077].  Each  of  them  has  a  small  harpoon 
arid  a  number  of  pieces  of  seal-skin  with  many  boles.  Each  piece  of  skin  repre- 
sents a  seal.  Each  of  the  boys  also  has  a  hip-bone  of  a  seal.  Then  one  boy 
moves  a  piece  of  skin  which  represents  a  seal  under  the  hole  in  the  hip-bone, 
which  latter  represents  the  blowing-hole  in  the  ice.  While  moving  the  piece  of 
skin  about  under  the  bone,  the  boys  blow  like  seals.  Whoever  catches  with  the 
little  hai-poon  the  piece  of  skin  in  one  of  the  holes  retains  it,  and  the  boy  who 
catches  the  last  of  the  pieces  of  skin  goes  on  in  turn  with  his  seals.  The  little 
harpoons  are  made  by  the  fathers  of  the  boys,  the  pieces  of  skin  are  prepared 
by  their  mothers. 

MAYAN    STOCK 

Mata.     Yucatan. 

Dr  Alfred  Tozzer  *  describes  the  following  game : 

Wak  pel  pul,  to  throw  six.  is  played  with  six  sticks  [figure  1078]  made  of  any 
kind  of  wood,  which  has  branches  directly  opposite  each  other.     They  each  rest 

"■  Eskimo    of    BaCBn    Land    and    Hudson    Bay.     Bulletin    of    the    American    Museum    of 
Natural  History,  v.  1.5,  p.  Ill,  New  York.  1901. 
*  In  a  letter  to  the  writer,  November  7,  1903. 


784 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      Teth.  ann.  24 


on  the  large  end,  and  each  has  marks  on  the  upper  part,  running  from  1  to  6, 
which  show  the  count.  The  one  with  six  notches  is  placed  in  the  middle,  and 
the  others  in  a  circle  around  it.  Rocks,  cocoa  beans,  or  money  are  then  thrown 
in  an  endeavor  to  knock  down  as  many  as  possible. 


SKITTAGETAN    STOCK 

Haida  (Kaigani).     Prince  of  Wales  island,  Alaska. 

Dr  C.  F.  Newcombe  describes  the  following  game  under  the  name 
of  kwai  indao : 

A  set  of  40  or  50  sticks,  representing  ten  different  numbers,  are  placed  in  a 
row.  The  players  alternately  try  to  repeat  from  memory,  blindfold,  the  order  iu 
which  these  ten  numbers  run. 

The  same  collector  describes  also  the  following  game : 

Twenty  or  forty  small  sticks,  0  inches  long,  are  taken  in  the  palm,  thrown  up 
in  the  air,  and  caught  on  back  of  band.  They  are  then  thrown  up  again,  if  any 
are  caught,  and  if  possible  an  odd  number  caught  in  the  palm.  If  an  odd  num- 
ber— one.  three,  five,  or  seven — be  so  caught,  one  stick  is  kept  by  the  player,  who 


A 


Pig.  1077.  Fig.  1078. 

Fig.  1077.    Game  of  sealing;  length  of  harpoon,  12}  inches;  Central  Eskimo,  west  coast  of  Hud- 
son bay.  Keewatin;  cat.  no.  stSt^,  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 
Fig.  107.S.    Stick  for  wSk  pel  pul;  Maya  Indians,  Yucatan;  from  sketch  by  Dr  Alfred  Tozzer. 

tries  again.  If  none  or  an  even  number  be  caught,  the  opposite  player  takes  his 
turn.  He  who  takes  the  last  stick  wins  all  his  opponent's  sticks  and  takes  them 
all  up  and  goes  on  as  before.  Boys  or  girls  play.  The  game  is  called  hal  hai' 
jao,  "  turn  around  game." 

W.\KASHAN    .STOCK 

KwAKiUTL.  Nawiti,  British  Columbia.  (Cat.  no.  85850,  Field 
Columbian  Museum.) 

Two  flat  slats  (figure  1079),  U  inches  wide  at  top,  and  15-J  and  21 
inches  long,  the  lower  ends  sharpened  to  a  point.  Two  flat  slats, 
1|  inches  wide  at  top  and  13  inches  long,  with  transverse  white 


CCLIN] 


UNCLASSIFIED    GAMES  :   KWAKIUTL 


785 


lines  across  the  flat  sides  at  top,  and  lower  part  cut  round  to  form 

a  handle. 
Two  wooden  darts,  with  blunt  heads,  35  and  38  inches  in  length,  one 

with  a  rattle  in  the  handle  end. 
Collected  in  1904  bj'  Dr  C.  F.  Newconibe,  who  describes  the  game 
as  follows: 

The  flat  piece  is  set  firmly  in  the  ground  at  an  inclination  from  the  player  to 
form  a  kind  of  springboard.  The  players  stand  at  about  10  feet  from  the  board 
and  throw  the  darts  at  it.  The  game  is  to  catch  the  dart  on  the  rebound  as 
many  times  as  possible,  and  he  who  first  catches  it  ten  times,  not  necessarily 
without  an  intervening  miss,  is  the  winner.  No  counters  are  used.  This  game 
is  only  played  in  the  fall,  when  drying  salmon.  The  game  is  k'lemgua,  the  dart 
k'lemgwaiu,  and  the  spring  klemgwa"yas. 


Fig.  1080. 


Fig.  1079. 
Fig.  1079.    Slats  for  k'lemgua;  lengths  of  slats,  15i  and  21  inches:  Kwakiutl  Indians,  British 

Columbia  ;  cat.  no.  8.5850,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  1080.    Sticksfor  mena  (stopping-breath  game);  length,  6}  inches;  Kwakiutl  Indians,  British 

Columbia;  cat.  no.  85857,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Kwakiutl.     Nawiti,    British    Columbia.     (Cat.    no.    85857,    Field 

Columbian  Museum.) 
Bundle  of  forty  sticks  (figure  1080),  6i  inches  in  length.    These  were 
collected  in  IDOi  by  Dr  C.  F.  Newcombe,  who  describes  them  as 
used  in  a  game  called  mena. 
The  sticks  are  laid  in  two  parallel  rows  of  twenty  each,  and  one  player  tries 
to  pick  up  as  many  sticks  as  possible  and  make  two  other  similar  rows  while  the 
other  player  stops  his  breath  by  holding  his  nose  and  mouth.     It  is  played  by  men 
and  boys,  b.v  two  or  more  players  in  turns.    The  counters  are  called  menasu. 

Nawiti,  British  Columbia.     (Cat.  no.  85856,  Field  Columbian 

Museum.) 
Bundle  of  forty  sticks,  6  inches  in  length. 

These  were  collected  in  11)04  by  Dr  C.  F.  Newcombe,  who  describes 
them  as  follows : 

These  sticks — the  same  as  used  in  mena,  are  also  employed  In  a  counting 
game.  The  bundle  of  forty  is  arranged  in  bunches  of  from  one  to  five,  i)laced 
in  any  order  in  one  or  two  lines.  One  player  tries  to  commit  to  memory  the 
number  of  sticks  in  each  bunch  in  their  order  from  left  to  right,  and  then  turns 
around,  and  with  his  back  to  the  sticks  calls  the  number  after  the  watcher  says 
ginlts?  or  "how  many?"  If  correct,  each  bunch  correctly  named  is  put  in  one 
place,  but  if  wrong,  in  another.  The  sticks  are  the  unit  for  scoring.  He  who 
gets  the  greatest  number  of  sticks  wins.  The  game  is  called  ginlts.  and  the 
sticks  ginlt.sa'iu. 

2i   ETH — 05.  M 50 


786 


GAMES    OF    THE    NOETH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [etii.  ann.  24 


KwAKiFTL.     Xawiti.    British    Columbia.     (Cat.    no.    85355,    Field 

Columbian  Museum.) 
Ring  of  whalebone  (figure  1081),  2i  inches  in  diameter,  supported 
on  a  stick  in  a  horizontal  position,  and  twenty-four  unpainted 
sticks,  Sf  inches  in  length. 
Collected  in  1904  by  Dr  C.  F.  Newcombe,  who  describes  them  as 
used  in  a  game  called  quaquatsewaiu. 

The  players  drop  tbe  sticks  held  in  one  hand  through  the  ring,  to  see  who 
can  get  the  highest  number  through.  This  is  done  with  the  eyes  open,  blind- 
folded, and  blindfolded  .-ifter  turning  round. 


^= 


Fig.  1081.    Stick-drrippinggame:  lengthof  sticks,  Rj  inches:  diameter  of  ring,  2!  inches;  KwakiutI 
Indians.  British  Columbia:  cat.  no.  853.5.'»,  Field  Columbian  Museum. 

Vancouver  island,  British  Columbia. 

Dr  Franz  Boas  "  describes  a  game  like  the  first  in  this  series : 
TrE'mkoayu. — A  stick,  about  3  feet  long,  with  a  kuob  at  its  end,  is  thrown 
against  an  elastic  board  which  is  placed  upright  at  some  distance.  If  the  stick 
rebounds  and  is  caught,  the  i)layer  gains  4  points.  If  it  rebounds  to  more  than 
half  the  distance  from  the  player  to  the  board,  he  gains  1  point.  If  it  falls 
down  nearer  the  board  than  one-half  the  distance,  or  when  the  board  is  missed, 
the  player  does  not  gain  any  point.  The  two  players  throw  alternately.  Each 
has  30  counters.  When  one  of  them  gains  all  the  counters,  he  is  the  winner  of  the 
stake.  When  the  stick  falls  down  so  that  the  end  opposite  the  knob  rests  on  the 
board,  the  throw  counts  10  points. 

Another  game  he  mentions  as  follows : '' 

T'e'nk-oayu,  or  carrying  a  heavy  stone  on  the  shoulder  to  test  the  strength  of 
those  who  participate  in  the  game. 

"  Sixth  Report  on  the  Indians  of  British  Columbia.      Report  of  the  Sixty-sixth  Meeting 
of  till-  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  p.  578,  London.  1896. 
'Ibid. 


CULIN] 


UNCLASSIFIED   GAMES:    ZUNI 


787 


ZT7NIAN    STOCK 

ZuNi.     Zufii,  New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  30(i;3,  Brooklyn  Institute  Mu- 
seum.) 
Two  rings  (figure  1082).  made  of  twig,  one  Si  inches  in  diameter, 
wrapped  with  green  and  blue  yarn  in  alternate  quarters,  and  the 
other,  2f  inches  in  diameter,  wrapped  with  plain  white  cord. 
Collected  by  the  writer  in  19011 
Boys  play..    The  large  ring  is  thrown  down,  and  the  object  of  the 
game  is  to  toss  the  small  ring  so  that  it  will  fall  within  the  large  one. 
The  rings  are  called  tsi-ko-nai. 


Fiu'  ins:.' 


Fig.  1083. 


Fig.  1082.  Ring  game;  diameter  of  large  ring,  3J  inches;  Zuni  Indians,  ZuiSi,  New  Mexico;  cat. 
no.  3063,  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 

Fig.  1083.  Implements  for  "horns  kill,"  or  "killing  the  rabbit;"  Zuni  Indians,  Zuni,  New- 
Mexico;  from  Mrs  Stevenson. 


Zuni,  New  Mexico. 


Mrs  Matilda  Coxe  Stevenson "  describes  a  game  called  saithlii- 
tawe,  horns  kill,  or  killing  the  rabbit : 

Six  goat-bonis  [figure  1083]  are  placed  in  line  on  the  ground  an  equal  dis- 
tance apart,  and  the  players  stand  some  rods  away.  The  game  is  begun  by  a 
player  starting  to  run  and  tbrowing  a  rabbit-stick  toward  tbe  borns.  He  is 
entitled  to  as  many  borns  as  be  strikes,  and  may  continue  to  throw  tbe  stick  as 
long  as  be  is  successful  in  striking  a  born;  but  wben  he  fails  to  strike  one, 
another  plays.    The  one  who  strikes  tbe  largest  number  of  horns  wins  the  game. 


'  Zuni  (James.      American  Anthropologist,  n.  s.,  v.  5,  p.  489,  1903. 


GAMES  DERIVED  FROM  EUROPEANS 

It  is  obvious  that  tiiere  has  been  steady  modification  of  old  Indian 
customs  under  the  influence  of  the  whites,  and  that  the  Indians  have 
absorbed  P]uropean  ideas,  many  of  v.hich  have  in  time  become  difti- 
cult  of  recognition  as  foreign  in  origin.  These  facts  are  true  to  a 
certain  extent  of  their  games.  An  excellent  example  of  incorporation 
is  found  in  the  Xavaho  game  of  baseball.  In  spite  of  tribal  tradi- 
tions, it  ajjpears  that  the  Xavaho  learned  the  game  from  the  whites 
when  they  were  imprisoned  at  the  Bosque  Redondo  after  1863.  The 
following  account  of  the  game  was  furnished  the  writer  by  Rev. 
Berard  Haile.  of  St  Michael.  Arizona  : 

Aqejol.vedi.  Run  around  ball. — This  game  is  not  played  at  present  in  its  orig- 
inal form,  but  was  quite  fre(iuently  played  fifteen  or  twenty  years  ago.  The 
ball,  .ioi.  was  made,  before  rag  time,  of  the  bark  of  a  ahmb  called  azhi'  (bark) 
or  awe  ts'al.  baliy's  cradle,  which  owes  its  name  to  the  fact  that  it  was  used  for 
bedding  in  cradles.  This  bark  was  covered  with  the  hide  of  deer,  goat,  horse,  or 
any  animal  which  can  be  eaten  by  the  Navaho  with  impunity.  Therefore 
bear,  coyote,  or  dog  hides  would  not  be  allowed  as  a  covering  for  the  ball.  There 
were  two  halves  to  the  cover,  which  were  sewed  together  in  the  center  with  the 
sinews  of  deer  or  buckskin  strips.  The  ball  is  the  sign  of  the  evil-spirit  wind,  and 
therefore  must  disappear  as  soon  as  vegetation  begins  and  until  after  the  harvest. 
The  stick,  or  bat,  be-akali,  something  to  strike  with,  was  an  oak  stick  of  this 
shape:  J.  Oak  is  hard  and  has  great  resisting  power,  and  is  used  in  nearly  all  the 
Navaho  religious  ceremonies.  Though  I  have  no  authority  for  it,  I  am  inclined 
to  believe  it  is  used  to  signify  the  power  of  Godhead.  The  curvature  of  one  end 
of  the  bat  is  madeby  placing  the  stick  in  hot  ashes,  and  then  bending  in  the  forks 
of  another  twig.  In  shinny  the  reversed  stick  C  is  used.  In  this  game  the 
batter  takes  hold  of  the  curved  end  and  strikes  the  ball  with  the  thin  end,  which 
is  about  of  the  thickness  of  the  middle  finger.  In  shinny,  however,  he  holds  the 
thin  end  and  strikes  the  ball  with  the  knotty  end  of  the  stick. 

The  terms  of  the  game  and  the  points  to  be  scored  by  the  winning  side  having 
been  agi'eed  upon,  the  players  line  up  in  about  the  position  of  the  subjoined 
diagram  [figure  1084]. 

I  have  given  the  four  bases  the  names  of  east,  south,  etc..  although  the.v  are 
not  thus  called  b.v  the  Navaho.  They  have  a  name  for  east,  meaning  the  first 
place  to  run  to.  and  for  north.  na"ilyed,  run  is  finished. 

The  pitchers  are  called  aich'i'mialni',  he  throws  toward  him;  for  the  other 
players  there  are  no  names.  The  pitcher  may  throw  high  or  low.  and  the  batter 
may  strike  at  the  ball  from  either  direction ;  there  may  also  be  two  or  thi-ee 
batters  at  the  bat  at  one  time,  and  a  batter  may  be  allowed  to  retire  after  two 
or  three  strikes  and  take  up  the  bat  at  another  more  opportune  time.  The 
fourth  strike  compels  the  batter  to  run  for  first  tiase.  as  also  when  he  hits  the 
ball,  fair  or  foul,  fiy  or  grounder.     Once  on  the  base  he  is  safe  until  he  leaves 

789 


790 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      (eth.  ann.  24 


it,  though  he  may  lead  off,  or  until  another  batsman  hits  the  ball.  The  runner 
and  his  side  (one  out  is  sufficient)  are  retired  if  the  runner  is  touched  or  hit 
with  the  ball  by  the  enemy,  either  before  reaching  first  base  or  while  he  is  mak- 
ing for  any  of  the  other  points.  The  chase  thus  becomes  interesting.  Any- 
thing and  everything  is  allowed  to  the  runner  to  evade  being  touched  by  the 
ball ;  he  may  describe  a  circle,  dodge,  jump,  or  knock  the  ball  out  of  his  enemy's 
hand  to  reach  his  base.  Making  the  circuit  scores  one  point,  and  whichever 
side  scores  most  runs,  or  the  number  of  runs  agreed  upon,  is  the  wiinier. 

This  is  another  of  the  Great  Earth-winner's  games.  Being  challenged  by  his 
Indian  followers  or  companions,  they  gradually  learned  the  games  from  him  ; 
they  staked  him  for  his  wife,  cheated  him,  and  he  lost ;  whereupon  the  Indians 
dispersed  and  played  his  games  in  their  newly  acquired  countries. 


D 


D 


PITCHER  NSZo'CATCHER.FACES  E 
•  BATTER  FACES  E 
,  PITCHER  MS  I. FACES  W.     " 


FIELDERS 


P]      r  BT  QASE 


GOAl.        Q 


FIELDERS 

Fig.  UIS4. 


IWIII 


I 

Fig.  108.5.  Fig.  1I)K6. 

Fig.  1(184.    Ball  field;  Navaho  Indians,  St  Michael.  Arizona;  from  sketch  by  Rev.  Berard  Haile. 

Pig.  11186.  Ball:  diameter,  2;  inches;  Thompson  Indians,  British  Columljia;  cat.  no.  jJ8b,  Ameri- 
can Museum  of  Natural  History;  from  Teit. 

PlO.  Ill*  Bat:  length.  24i  inches;  Thompson  Indians,  British  Columbia;  cat.  no.  lils,  Ameri- 
can Museum  of  Natural  History;  from  Teit. 

In  tlie  same  category  T  would  place  the  similar  ball  game  of  the 
Thompson  Indians  of  British  Columbia,  described  by  Mr  James 
Teit,"  who  says : 

Formerly  a  favorite  pastime  was  playing  ball.  The  ball  used  was  a  kind  of 
knot  found  on  fir-trees.     The  knot  is  nicely  rounded  off,  and  sometimes  covered 


'  The  Thompson   Indians  of  British  Columbia.      Memoirs   of  the   American   Museum   of 
Natural  History,  whole  series,  v.  'I,  p.  277,  New  York,  liHIO. 


BUREAU   OF   AMERICAN    ETHNOLOGY  TWENTY-FOURTH    ANNUAL   RrPr-RT      PL.    XX 


BARK    PLAYING   CARDS;    LENGTHS,   5   TO   10   INCHES.;    UINKARET   INDIANS, 
ARIZONA;    CAT.    NO.    11217,    UNITED  STATES   NATIONAL    MUSEUM 


CCLIN]  EUROPEAN    GAMES  :    CKEE    AND    CHIPPEWA  791 

witli  luu-kskin.     Other  balls  were  of  stone,  or  of  deersUiu  stuffed  with  vegetable 
material  (tigure  1085].     There  were  two  ways  of  pla.vius  it. 

One  way  was  quite  similar  to  that  of  "  rounders."  The  bat  used  in  this  game 
was  a  short  straight  stick,  about  4  inches  wide  at  one  end  |  Hsu  re  lUSti].  Each 
side  took  turns  iu  batting.  Four  stones  were  placed  about  "Jd  yards  apart,  iu 
the  form  of  a  square.  These  were  called  "  houses."  The  man  who  held  the  bat 
was  bowled  to  by  a  mau  of  the  opposite  party,  who  stood  aljout  in  the  center 
of  the  ring.  If  the  batter  missed  the- ball,  his  place  was  immediately  taken  by 
the  next  mau  of  his  party.  If  he  struck  the  ball  with  his  bat.  he  immediately 
dropped  the  latter,  and  ran  to  the  first  house,  or  the  second  if  he  could  manage 
it.  The  object  of  the  opposite  party  was  to  catch  the  ball  as  (|uiclvly  as  possible, 
and  strike  tlie  mau  with  it  while  he  was  running  from  one  house  to  the  other, 
thereliy  knocking  him  out  of  the  game.  If  the  man  managed  to  get  bade  to  his 
starting-point,  he  was  allowed  another  chance  to  bat.  The  game  is  still  fre- 
quently played  by  llie  young  men. 

I  have  made  no  mention  of  playing  cards,  which  are  widely  nsed, 
games  being  played  either  with  cards  purchased  from  the  traders,  or 
with  native  copies  more  or  less  closely  resembling  them.  The  ten  flat 
pieces  of  cedar  bark  (i)late  x.xi,  cat.  no.  11217.  United  States  Na- 
tional Mu.seum)  collected  by  Maj.  J.  AV.  Powell  from  the  Uinkaret 
in  northern  Arizona,  which  were  figured  as  dice  in  the  writer's  paper 
on  Chess  and  Playing  Card.s,  proved  on  comparison  to  be  copies 
of  playing  cards.  The  games  played  l)v  the  Indian  with  cards  are 
easily  recognizable  as  common  Spanish  and  American  games. 

The  remaining  games  which  I  am  al)k'  to  identify  as  of  European 
origin  may  be  included  in  a  single  class — games  played  on  boards  or 
diagrams,  like  merils.  They  may  be  regarded  as  games  of  skill  and 
calculation,  a  kind  of  game  which  otherwise  appears  to  be  entirely 
lacking. 

ALGONQriAX    STOCK 

Cree  and   Chippewa.     Miiskowpetung  reserve,  Qu'appelle.   Assini- 

boia.     (Cat.  no.  (;i99-t.  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Board  and  men   (figure  1087),  the  board  !)  inches  scjuare.  with  cross 
diagram  with  holes  in  which  the  men — small  green  painted  pegs, 
with  one  htrger  one — are  inserted. 

They  were  collected  by  Mr  J.  A.  Mitchell,  who  describes  the  game 
under  the  name  of  musinaykahwhanmetowaywin  : 

This  game  is  played  by  two  persons,  one  playing  the  king  piece  or  oke-mow, 
against  his  opponent's  thirteen  pawns.  Moves  can  be  made  in  any  direction  by 
any  of  the  pieces,  provided  the  lines  of  the  diagram  are  followed. 

The  king  has  the  power  to  take  the  op|iosing  i)ieces  ami  can  take  as  many 
pieces  iu  one  move  as  are  left  unprotected,  but  only  following  the  lines  of  the 
board.  The  pawns  have  uo  power  to  take  the  king,  but  endeavor  so  to  press  it 
as  finally  to  checkmate.    The  king  is  technically  knowu  as  musinay-kah-whan. 

The  game  is  one  which  has  been  long  known  to  the  Indians  and  is  much 
admired  by  them.  Many  skillful  players  have  been  developed,  some  lieing  more 
particularly  skilled  iu  manipulating  the  king  piece,  while  others  make  the  pawn 
their  special  play.     The  i)lay  is  invariably  for  stakes  of  some  kind. 


792 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  ax.n.  24 


MiCMAC.     Xova  Scotia. 

Dr  A.  S.  Gatschet "  writes: 

The  majority  of  tbe  games  they  play  now  are  borrowed  from  the  whites. 
Their  checker  game  is  the  same  as  ours  and  played  on  a  checkerboard.  A 
checker  stone  is  called  adena'gan  (plural,  adeua'gank),  while  the  checkerboard 
is  adenagenei'.  The  checkers  are  either  disk -shaped  and  smooth  (mimusxa- 
witchink  adena'gank)  or  square  (esgigeuixi'tchik  adena'gauk). 

The  game  is  called  after  the  moving  of  the  stones  from  square  to  square ; 
nin  adnai',  it  is  my  move:  kit  adnat.  it  is  your  mo\e. 

Passamaqfoddy.  Maine. 
Mi'.s  W.  W.  Brown ''  describes  the  following  game : 
Ko-ko-nag'n  has  a  resemblance  to  the  game  of  checkers,  but,  although  nearly 
all  are  more  or  less  proficient  at  the  latter  game,  there  are  only  a  few  who 
understand  ko-ko-na-g'n.  This,  unlike  any  other  game,  may  be  played  by  male 
and  female  opponents.  It  is  the  least  noisy,  the  skillful  play  requiring  delibera- 
tion and  undivided  attention.  A  smooth  surface  is  marked  off  into  <lifferent- 
sized  spaces,  and  pieces  of  wood,  round  and  square,  marked  to  qualify  value, 
are  generally  u-sed,  though  .sometimes  carved  bone  is  sulistituted. 


^^ 

\y' 

X 

X 

\/ 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

Fig.  108T. 


Fig.  108ti. 


Fig.  1(>H7.    Board  game  and  men;  dimensions  of  board,  y  inches  square;  Cree  and  Chippewa 

Indians,  Assiniboia;  cat.  no.  Iil994,  Field  Columbian  Museum 
Fio.  ins8.    Board  j^ame;  Keres  Indians.  Acoma.  New  Mexico. 

This  may  be  the  game  referred  to  by  Rasle  among  the  Norridge- 
work  Indians,  wliere  he  says: 

I'n  autre  .jeu  ou  Ton  place  des  grains  sur  des  espece  de  lozanges  entrelassees, 
di'r  (dicitur),  maiimadoahgii. 

KERESAN    STOCK 

Keres.     Acoma,  New  Mexico. 

An  Acoma  Indian  named  James  H.  Miller,  employed  at  Zuni.  de- 
scribed to  the  writer  under  the  name  of  aiyawatstani,  chuck  away 
grains,  the  game  illustrated  in  figure  1088.  Twenty-two  white  and 
twenty-two  lilack  ]>ieces  are  used  on  each  side.  He  explained  that 
they  learned  the  game  in  the  olden  time  when  they  first  came  out  of 
the  ship-pap  (si-]ja-pu)  awa}'  in  the  north.  lyatiko.  the  mother, 
made  all  the  games. 

°  From  Baddeck,  Nova   Scotia.  August  28.  1800. 

»  Some  Indoor  and  Outdoor  Games  of  the  Wahanaki  Indians.  Transactions  of  the  Royal 
Society  of  Canada,  v.  0,  sec.  2,  p.  4:j,  Montreal,  1889. 


CULIN] 


EUKOPEAN  games:  YOKUTS 


793 


Keres.     Cochiti,  Xew  ^lexico. 

A  Keres  boy  at  St  Michael.  Arizona,  named  Francisco  Chaves 
(Kogit),  described  the  Indians  at  Cochiti  as  playing  the  game  of 
paitariya  on  a  board  represented  by  the  diagram  here  given : 


-£> 


KOLUSCHAX    STOCK 


Yakutat.     Port  Mulgrave,  Alaska.     (Cat.  no.  16300.  United  States 

National  Museum.) 
Twenty-two  carved  wooden  chessmen    (figure  1089),  from  IJ  to  3§ 
inches  in  height.     Collected  by  Dr  W.  H.  Dall. 


Fig.  1089.    Chessmen;  height,  U  to  3}  inches;  Yakutat  Indians,  Port  Mulgrave.  Alaska:  cat.  no. 
16300,  United  States  National  Museum. 

5IARIP0SAN    STOCK 

YoKUTS.  Tule  River  reservation,  Tulare  county,  California.  (Cat. 
no.  70377,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 

Flat  stone,  13  by  lOJ  inches,  with  top  etched  as  shown  in  hgiiro  1090, 
and  twenty-four  pieces  of  claj',  conoid  in  shape,  twelve  black  with 
two  small  holes  in  the  toiD,  and  twelve  red.  Collected  by  Dr 
J.  W.  Hudson. 


794 


GAMES    OF    THK    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       rrrii.  ann.  24 


PIMAX    STUCK 

Papago.    Mission  of  San  Xavier  del  Bac,  Pima  county,  Arizona. 

Mr  S.  C.  Simms  informs  me  that  he  saw  the  game  of  coyote  and 
chiclvens,  pon  chochotl  (figure  10!)1),  jjhiyed  by  this  tribe  on  a  dia- 
gram traced  on  the  smooth  ground. 

A  red  beau  was  used  for  tlie  coyote  and  twelve  grains  of  corn  for  the 
chickens.  Another  form  of  the  game  wa.';  phiyed  with  twelve  chickens  on  each 
side.  This  latter  was  played  for  money,  the  first  game  being  regarded  as  too 
easy  to  liet  on.     Both  Papago  and  Mexicans  play,  mostly  men. 


Pima  county,  Arizona. 

Mr  S.  C.  Simms  described  the  Papago  as  playing  a  game  (figure 
1092)  on  a  star-shajjed  diagram  which  they  called  ohulila  (Spanish, 
jeoda)." 


\ 

/ 

^ 

/ 

/ 

K 

\ 

\ 

/ 

\ 

\ 

/ 

/ 

\ 

/ 

\ 

Fig.  1U91. 


Fig.  1(190. 


V^!S>C\--^\..;v 


Fig.  uwa. 


Fiti.  Klflii.  Stone  game  board  and  men;  dimensions.  13  liy  l";  imhes:  Yakuts  Indiau.s.  Tule  Kiver 
reservation.  Tulare  county,  California:  cat.  no.  701177.  Field  Columliian  Museum. 

Fig.  lUitl.  Game  of  coyote  and  chickens;  Papago  Indians.  Arizona;  from  sketch  by  Mr  S.  C. 
Simms? 

Fig.  1092.    Star  game;  Papago  Indians,  Arizona;  from  drawing  by  Mr  S.  C.  Simms. 

Fig.  10113.  .St/)ne  game  board  for  tuknanavuhpi;  length,  1)  inches;  Hopi  Indians,  (;)raibi.  Arizona; 
cat.  no.  38013.  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

SHOSHONEAX    STOCK 

Hopi.     Oraibi,  Arizona.     (Cat.  no.  ;^8ni3.  Free  Museum  of  Science 

and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 
Stone  board  (figure  1093),  7  by  9]  inches,  inscribed  with  three  equi- 
distant cross  lines  in  both  directions,  dividing  the  surface  into 


■  Probably  geoda,  geode. 


CCLIS] 


EUROPEAN    GAMES:   HOPI 


7 '.'5 


sixteen  rectangle^i,  each  of  which  is  crossed  by  diagonal  lines. 
The  central  point  is  marked  with  a  star. 

Collected  by  the  writer  in  1901. 

Two  men  play,  nsing  white  and  blaciv  stones,  which  are  arranged 
as  shown  in  fignre  1094.  The  game,  called  tnknanavidipi,  is  like 
fox  and  geese.  "iMiite  leads.  The  object  is  to  jump  over  and  take 
an  opponent's  piece,  which  is  continued  until  one  or  the  other  loses 
all.  A  jDlayer  may  jump  in  any  direction.  "\^nien  a  line  across  one 
end  of  the  board  becomes  empty,  it  is  not  used  again,  so  tiu;  players' 
field  becomes  more  and  more  contracted. 


Fig.  1094. 


Fig.  IIWS. 


Pig.  1094.    Arrangement  n{  men  in  game  of  tuknanavuhpi;  Hopi  Indians,  Oraibi.  Arizona. 
Fig.  109.5.     The    game   of   totolosiii:    Hopi    Indians.    Walpi.   Arizona;    after   drawing    by    Iir 
J.  Walter  Fewkes. 

Hopi.     Oraibi,    Arizona.      (Cat.    no.    r).^3r)C.,    Field    Colunil)iau    Mu- 
seum. ) 
Stone  slab  inscribed  witli  a  diagram  similar  to  the  preceding. 

This  is  described  by  the  collector,  Kev.  H.  E.  Yoth,  in  1891t,  as  a 
gaming  board,  tiikvnanawopi. 

This  game  is  generally  played  by  either  two  or  four  iiersoiis,  each  side  having 
twenty  pokmoita.  animals,  which  consist  of  corn,  pieces  of  corncob,  charcoal, 
etc.,  and  are  placed  on  the  board  in  tiers.  First  one  side  moves  into  the  center, 
this  piece  being,  of  course,  jumped,  and  then  the  moves  are  made  alternately  by 
the  two  sides.  Moves  and  .iunips  may  be  made  in  any  direction,  and  the  latter 
over  as  many  pieces  as  may  l)e  found  with  a  vac-ant  place  riglit  liehind  them. 
As  soon  as  a  tier  of  squares  is  vacant  it  is  abandoned,  so  that  finally  tlie  pieces 
are  crowded  into  three  or  two  squares,  and  even  into  one  sijuare.  Tlie  inclosed 
spaces  outside  the  squares  are  called  houses.  In  these  the  killed  animals  are 
placed. 

Walpi,  Arizona. 

Dr  J.  Walter  Fewkes "  describes  the  game  of  totolospi  as  follows : 

To-to-16s-pi  resembles  somewhat  the  game  of  checkers,  and  can  be  iilayed  by 
two  persons  or  by  two  parties.  In  playing  the  game  a  rectangular  figure  [fig- 
nre 1005],  divided  into  large  number  of  si]uares.  is  drawn  upon  the  rock,  either 


"  Journal  of  American  Ethnology  and  Archaeology,  v.  2,   p.   159.   Boston,   1S9-. 


79f5 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIAN  ^ 


[HTH.  ANN.  24 


by  soratcliiiijj;  or  by  using  a  different  colored  stone  as  a  crayon.  A  diagonal  line, 
tfih-ki-o-ta,  is  drawn  across  the  rectangle  from  northwest  to  southeast,  and 
the  players  station  themselves  at  each  end  of  this  line.  When  two  parties  play, 
a  .single  person  acts  as  player,  and  the  other  members  of  the  party  act  ac 
advisers.  The  iirst  play  is  won  by  tossing  up  a  leaf  or  corn  Inisk  with  one  side 
lilackened.  The  pieces  which  are  used  are  bean  or  corn  kernels,  stones  and 
wood,  or  small  fragments  of  any  substance  of  marked  color.  The  players  are 
stationed  at  each  end  of  the  diagonal  line,  tuh-ki-o-ta.  They  move  their  pieces 
upon  this  line,  but  never  across  it.  (On  this  line  the  game  is  fought.)  The 
moves  which  are  made  are  intricate,  and  the  player  may  move  one  or  more 
pieces  successively.  Certain  positions  entitle  him  to  this  privilege.  He  may 
capture  or.  as  he  terms  it,  kill  one  or  more  of  his  opponent's  pieces  at  one  play. 
In  this  respect  the  game  is  not  unlike  checkers,  and  to  capture  the  pieces  of  the 
opponent  seems  to  be  the  main  object  of  the  game.  The  checkers,  however, 
must  be  concentrated  and  always  moved  towards  the  southeast  corner.^ 


Fig.  10H7. 


Fig.  lOSfi. 

Flo.  lOliO.     Uame  board  aud  men;  length  t»t'  ))oai'd,  U  im-hes;  Mono   Indians.  Madera  eounty, 

California;  cat.  no,  7I5IS),  Field  Columbian  Museum. 
Fig.  1097.     .Stone  game  board  tor  totolospi;   length,  4J  inches;  Tewa  Indians.  Hano,  Arizona; 

cat.  no.  38612,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

This  game  is  now  rarely  played  on  the  East  Mesa,  but  is  still  used  at  Oraibi. 
It  is  said  to  have  been  played  in  ancient  times  by  the  sun  and  moon,  or  by 
other  mythical  jiersonages.  Figures  of  this  game  formerly  existed  on  the  rocks 
near  the  village  of  Walpi,  and  may  be  the  same  referred  to  by  Bourke. 

Mr  A.  M.  Stephen,  in  his  unpublished  manuscript,  gives  this  defini- 
tion :  Totolospi,  a  primitive  sort  of  checkers. 
Mono.     Hooker  cove  and  vicinity,  Madera  county,  California.     (Cat. 

no.  71619,  Field  Columbian  Museum.) 
Board,  9  inches  in  length,  with  inscribed  design  (figure  10S6),  and 
holes  for  pegs  at  the  intersection  of  lines;  accompanied  by  pegs 
of  two  sizes. 
Collected  by  Dr  J.  W.  Hudson,  who  designates  it  as  yakamaido, 
square  game,  or  Indian  checkers. 

■■  It  would  appear  from  Doctor  Fewkes's  sketch  of  the  board  that  only  one  pla.ver  moved 
toward  the  southeast  and  that  his  opponent  went  in  the  opposite  direction. 


CDLIN] 


EUKOPEAN    GAMES  :   TEWA 


7% 


SIOUAX    STOCK 

Omaha.     Nebraska. 

Mr  Francis  La  Flesche  told  the  writer  in  1893  that  the  Omaha 
learned  the  game  of  checkers  from  the  whites  about  twenty  years  be- 
fore and  that  they  called  it  wakanpamungthae,  gambling  bowed  head, 
or  bowed-head  game. 

tanoan  stock 

Tewa.  Hano,  Arizona.  (Cat.  no.  38612,  Free  Museum  of  Science 
and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Stone  board  (figure  1097),  4rf  inches  square,  inscribed  witli  diagonal 
lines,  ten  in  one  direction  and  fifteen  across.  Collected  in  1901 
by  the  writer,  to  whom  it  was  described  as  used  in  a  game  like 
fox  and  geese,  totolospi."  and  played  with  little  broken  sticks, 
black  and  white,  which  are  arranged  as  shown  in  figure  1098. 


Fig.  1U98. 


Fig.  1099. 


Fig.  UlW. 


Fig.  1098.    Arrangement  of  men  in  totolospi;  Tewa  Indians,  Hano,  Arizona. 
Fig.  1099.    Game  of  picaria  (pedreria);  Tigua  Indians,  Isleta,  New  Mexico. 
Fig.  1100.    Game  of  picaria  (pedreria);  Tigua  Indians.  Isleta,  New  Mexico. 


Santa  Clara,  New  Mexico. 

Mr  T.  S.  Dozier ''  describes  a  game  of  pitarilla  (pedreria),  said  to 
be  of  Pueblo  origin,  but  doubtless  of  Spanish  introduction : 

In  this  game  the  crosses  are  marked  by  each  player  in  turn  where  the  men  are 
placed,  the  object  being  to  get  three  men  in  a  row,  always  in  a  straight  line ; 
then  one  of  the  opposing  player's  pieces,  the  latter  being  grains  of  corn  or  peb- 
bles, may  be  moved  to  the  center.  When  all  of  the  men  of  any  player  are  moved 
by  this  process  to  the  center,  the  other  has  won  them.  There  are  two  figures 
used,  the  first  [figure  1101]  being  a  little  more  complicated  than  the  other  [fig- 
ure 1102].  though  the  same  rule  obtains  in  both. 

A  boy  from  Santa  Clara  at  Mother  Catherine's  school  at  St  Michael, 
Arizona,  described  the  jji-eceding  game  (figures  1101,  1102)  under 
the  name  of  bidaria    (pedreria),  as  jjlayed  at  Santa  Clara,  and,  in 


■■  See  note.  p.  160. 
'  Some  Tewa  Games. 


Unpublished  MS.  in  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology,  May  8,  1896. 


798 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       TEin.  axn.  24 


addition,  the  game  of  kuang,  or  jack  rabbit,  played  with  twelve  stones, 
ku.  on  a  board  (figure  1103).     Another  board  game  (figure  1104)  he 
described  under  the  name  of  akuyo,  star. 
TiGUA.    Isleta,  New  Mexico. 

A  boy  from  Isleta,  named  J.  Crecencio  Lucero,  described  the  people 
of  this  pueblo   as  playing  a   board   game   which   they   call   picaria 
(Spanish,  pedreria),  little  stone.     They  use  diagrams  of  two  kinds, 
represented  in  figures  1099  and  1100. 
Taos,  Xew  Mexico. 

Dr  T.  P.  Mai'tin,  of  Taos,  describes  the  following  game,  the  name 
of  which  translated  into  English  is  Indian  and  jack  rabbits : 

Two  play.     A  diagi'am  of  .sixteen  squares  is  marked  on  the  sand,  as  shown 
in  flgnre  [ll(i.">l.     Twelve  small  stones  are  arranged  at  points  where  the  lines 


f ) 

E i 

f i 

f J 

(^ 

\ 

^^ 

Fig.  1101. 


Fig.  1102. 


Pig.  1105. 


I y  <r 1 -y 

t- 1  if- 1 


Fig.  1103. 


Fig.  1UI4. 


Fig.  1101.    Game  of  pitarilla  ( pedreria  i;  Tewa  Indians,  Santa  Clara,  New  Mexico;  from  sketch 

by  Mr  T.  S.  Dozier. 
Fig.  1102.    Game  of  pitarilla  i  pedreria);  Tewa  Indians,  Santa  Clara,  New  Mexii'o:  from  sketch 

by  Mr  T.  S.  Dozier. 
Fig.  1103.     Game  of  k'uaug,  jack  rabbit;  Tewa  Indians.  Santa  Clara,  New  Mexico. 
Fig.  1104.    Star  game  i  akuyo  i:  Tewa  Indians.  Santa  Clara.  New  Mexico. 
Fig.  1105.    Game  of  Indian  and  jack  rabbits;  Tigua  Indians,  Taos,  New  Mexico;  from  drawing 

by  Dr  T.  P.  Martin. 

intersect,  on  one  side,  as  in  the  figure.  The  opposing  player,  occupying  the  one 
in  the  center  at  the  beginning  of  the  game,  holds  a  stick,  with  which  he  points  at 
the  squares.  The  small  stones  are  moved  one  at  a  time,  an<l  the  oii.iect  is  to  move 
them  square  Iiy  sfpiare  without  losing  an.v  until  they  occupy  corresponding  posi- 
tions on  the  opposite  side  of  the  diagram.  The  player  with  the  stick,  who 
moves  in  turn,  endeavors  to  catch  the  stones  by  jumping.  ;is  in  draughts. 
Vocabulary :  Name  of  the  game,  ko-app-paw-na,  Spanish  fuego  de  la  liebre : 
board,  or  diagram,  whee-e-na,  Spanish  reyes  ;  pieces,  ko-na.  Spanish  liebre :  stick, 
tu-na-mah :  to  take  a  piece,  con-eou-we-Ia  (the  rabbit  gets  out  from  the  man)  ; 
some  of  the  old  men,  however,  shout  au-gala,  eat  up. 


CLLIN] 


EUROPEAN    games:    ZUNI 


799 


ZUNIAX    STOCK 

ZuNi.    Zufii,  New  Mexico.     (Cat.  no.  1(5550,  17861,  P'ree  Museum  of 
Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania.) 

Cardhoard.  inscribed  with  diagram   (figure  1106),  for  the  game  of 

awithlaknakwe,  or  stone  warriors,  and  twenty-six  pieces,  or  men 

(figure  1107),  consisting  of  disks  made  from  shards  of  pottery, 

used  in  the  game. 

The   disks  are  in  two  sets,  twelve  plain   and  twelve  perforated, 

with  a  hole  in  the  center,  both  1^  inches  in  diameter.     In  addition, 

there  are  two  pieces,  one  plain  and  one  perforated,  somewhat  larger 

than  the  others. 


X 

X 

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X 

X 

X 

X 

>^ 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X, 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

'x 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X; 

\/ 

X 

><\ 

X 

X 

)< 

X 

X 

X 

X 

y 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

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X 

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X 

)< 

X 

X 

/^  /\ 

X 

X 

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XXb< 

Fig.  niHi.    Game  of  stone  warriors;  Zuni  Indians,  Zuni,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  178t!l,  Free 
Museum  of  Science  anil  Art,  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


These  imiDlements  were  made  in  1803  by  Mr  Frank  Hamilton 
Cushing,  who  furnished  the  following  account  of  the  game: 

I'Uiyed  by  two  or  four  persons  upon  a  square  board  divided  into  one  lumdred 
and  forty-four  squares,  eacb  intersected  by  diagonal  lines.  At  the  opening  of 
the  game  each  player  places  six  men  in  the  center  of  the  six  squares  at  his 
side  of  the  board.  The  latter  u.sually  consists  of  a  slab  of  stone  pecked  with  the 
diagram  [figure  llOti].  The  men  consist  of  disks  of  pottery  about  1  inch  in 
diameter  [figure  1107].  made  from  broken  vessels,  those  upon  one  side  being 
distinguished  by  being  perforated  with  a  small  hole,  while  those  on  the  other 
side  are  plain.  The  object  of  the  game  is  to  cross  over  and  take  the  opponent's 
place,  capturing  as  many  men  as  possible  by  the  way.  The  moves  are  made  one 
square  at  a  time  along  the  diagonal  lines,  the  pieces  being  placed  at  the  points 
of  intersection.  When  a  player  gets  one  of  his  oi)ponent's  pieces  between  two  of 
his  own.  it  may  be  taken,  and  the  first  piece  thus  captured  m;iy  be  replaced  liy  a 
seventh  man.  called  the  I'riest  of  the  Bow,  which  may  move  both  on  the  diagonal 
lines  and  on  those  at  right  angles.  A  piece  may  not  be  moved  backward. 
When  four  persons  play,  those  on  the  north  and  west  play  against  those  on  the 
south  and  east. 


800 


GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      Feth.  anx.  24 


Vocabulary :  Board,  a-te-a-lan-e.  stone  plain  :  straight  lines,  a-kvvi-we.  canyons 
or  arroyos ;  diagonal  lines,  o-na-we,  trails ;  ordinary  men,  a-wi-thlak-na-kwe ; 
seventh  piece,  pi-thlan  shi-wani  (mosona),  Priest  of  the  Bow. 

The  latter  piece  by  power  of  magic  is  enabled  to  cross  the  canyons.  The 
game  is  commonly  played  upon  house  tops,  which  are  often  found  marked  with 
the  diagram. 

The  resemblance  of  the  disks  employed  in  this  game  to  the  jDre- 
historic  ^^ottery  disks  which  are  found  in  the  ruins  in  the  south- 
western United  States  and  Mexico  suggests  that  the  latter  may  have 
been  employed  similarly  in  games.  There  is  no  evidence,  however, 
that  the  board  game  existed  before  the  coming  of  the  whites.  It  was 
probably  introduced  by  them  and  does  not  furnish  an  explanation  of 
the  prehistoric  disks. 


Fia.  1107. 


Fig.  1109. 


Fig.  1107.  Pottery  men  for  game  of  stone  warriors:  diameters,  1^  and  1|  inches;  Zuni  Indians, 
Zniii,  New  Mexico;  cat.  no.  16550,  Free  Museum  of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

Fio.  IKJH.  Stone  game  board:  Zuiii  Indians,  Zuni,  New  Mexico:  cat.  no.  3099,  Brooklyn  Institute 
Museum. 

Fig.  1109.  Stone  game  board:  Zuiii  Indians,  Zuiii,  New  Mexico:  cat.  no.  3099,  Brooklyn  Institute 
Museum. 

Zuni.     Zuni.  New  ^lexico.     (Cat.  no.  3099,  3100,  Brooklyn  Institute 

Museum. ) 
Two  tlat  stones  inscribed  with  diagrams,  as  shown  in  figures  llOS, 
1109,  and  1110. 
Collected  by  the  writer  in  1903.  The  name  was  given  as  awi- 
thlaknanai.  Nick  Graham  stated  that  this  is  a  Mexican  game.  The 
third  form  (figure  1110),  he  said,  was  introduced  into  Zufii  the  year 
before  by  an  Indian  from  Santa  Ana,  a  Keresan  pueblo  near  the  Rio 
Grande. 


CULINl 


KDROPEAN    games:    ZUNI 


801 


ZtJNi.     Zuni,  New  Mexico.      (Cat.  no.  nO-ti),  Brooklyn  Institute  Mu- 
seum.) 
Long  stone  slab,  inscrihed  with  the  diasn-aui  shown  in  figure  1111. 

This  was  found  bj'  the  writer  on  a  house  top  in  Zuni,  and  was 
explained  by  the  natives  as  used  in  a  game  with  white  and  ))lack 
pieces,  played  like  the  preceding.  Tlie  positions  of  the  pieces  at  the 
beginning  of  the  game  are  indicated  by  black  and  white  circles.  The 
name  of  the  game  was  given  as  kolowis  awithlaknannai,  the  kolowisi 
being  a  mythic  serpent.  Another  form  of  the  same  game  (figure 
1112)  was  made  for  the  writer  Ijy  Zufii  Nick  (Xick  Graham),  who 
described  it  under  the  name  of  awithlaknau  mosona,  the  original 
awithlaknannai. 


Fig.  nil. 


|>0<>^g^^ 


Fig.  1110. 


Fig.  1112. 


Fio.  1110.    Stone  game  board:  Zuni  Indians,  Zuni,  New  Mexico:  cat.  no.  :lHHi.  Brooklyn  Institute 

Museum. 
Fiu.  1111.    Kolowis  awithlaknannai:  length  of  diagram.  :«  inches:  Zuiii  Indian.s,   Zuni,  New 

Mexico:  cat.  no.  .5049,  Brooklyn  Institute  Museum. 
Fig.  1112.    Awithlaknan  mo3ona:  Zuni  Indians.  Zuni.  New  Mexico. 

Mrs  Matilda  Coxe  Stevenson"  describes  the  game  of  awe  'hiacnawe, 
stones  kill,  as  follows : 

luipleiuents. — A  number  of  small  stone.?  (a  different  color  for  each  side),  and 
geometrical  markings  on  a  stone  slab  or  on  the  ground. 

There  is  no  sijeeified  size  for  the  "  board,"  it  l)eing  larger  or  smaller  according 
to  tlie  number  of  angles.  The  stones  are  placed  on  all  the  intersections  of  the 
geometrical  drawing  except  the  central  one.  The  first  player  moves  to  the  center. 
where  his  "  man  "  is  jumped  by  his  opponent.  The  stones  may  be  moved  in  any 
direction  so  long  as  the  lines  are  followed. 

In  a  note  Mrs  Stevenson  saj's : 

Some  of  the  older  men  of  the  Zufii  declare  that  this  game,  when  it  came  orig- 
inally to  Zuni  from  Mexico,  was  played  with  one  set  of  stones  and  a  stick  for 
the  opposite  side,  and  that  the  use  of  the  double  set  of  stones  is  an  innovation 
of  their  own. 

"  Zui'ii  Games.      American  Anthropologist,  n.  s..  v.  5,  p.  49G,  190.^. 
24  ETH — 05   M 51 


APPENDIX 


RUNNING  RACES 

For  piu-poses  of  comparison  with  the  kicked-stick  or  ball  race,  and 
in  "order  not  to  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  the  ball  race  is  not  the  only 
form  of  race  game  practised  by  the  Indian,  the  writer  has  inserted 
the  following  collection  of  data  in  this  appendix,  confining  the  body 
of  the  text  exclusively  to  games  in  which  implements  are  employed. 

ALGONQUIAN    STOCK 

MissiSAUGA.    New  Credit,  Ontario. 
Rev.  Peter  Jones "  says : 
Foot  races,  in  which  they  show  much  swiftness,  are  common  among  them. 

• Rice  lake,  Ontaricj. 

(i.  Copway ''  saj's: 

Foot  racinf;  is  nivich  practised,  mostly,  Imwever,  hy  tlie  youna;  jieojilo.  Thus 
in  earlj-  iife  they  acquire  an  ehisticity  of  iimtj  as  well  as  healtli  of  l>oily  which 
are  of  priceless  value  to  them  in  subsequent  years. 

ATHAPASCAN    STOCK 

Apache  (Mescalf.ro).     Fort  Sumner,  New  Mexico. 
Maj.  John  C.  Cremony  '  says: 

Racing  on  foot  is  another  diversion  frequently  resorted  to  liy  the  active,  restless 
Indians,  and  the  women  generally  manage  to  carry  off  the  palm,  provided  the 
distance  is  not  too  great.  The  officers  at  the  post  offered  a  number  of  prizes  to 
be  competed  for,  the  fastest  runner  to  talce  the  prize  apportioned  to  the  distance 
for  wliich  it  was  offered.  The  longest  race  was  half  a  mile,  the  next  a  quar- 
ter, the  third  300  yards,  and  the  fourth  100.  It  was  open  for  men  under  40 
years  of  age  and  over  1.5.  and  for  girls  from  15  up  to  25.  About  a  hundred 
Atiacbes  and  Navajoes  entered  for  the  prizes,  and  practiced  evei'y  day  for  a 
week.  At  the  appointed  time  everybody  in  camp  assembled  to  witness  the  con- 
test. Among  the  competitors  was  the  Apache  girl,  Ish-kay-nay,  a  clean-limbed, 
l\andsome  girl  of  17,  who  had  always  refused  marriage,  and  she  was  the  favorite 
among  tlie  whites.     Each   runner  was   tiglitly   girded   with   a   broad   belt,   and 


"  History  of  the  Ojebway  Indians,  p.  134,  London,  1861. 

"The  Traditional   History   and   Characteristic   Sketches  of  the  Ojibway    Nation,    p.   .5S,. 
Boston,  1851. 

*■  Life  Among  the  Apaches,  p.  304,  San  Francisco,  1868. 

803 


804  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [eth.  a.nn.  24 

looked  like  a  race  horse.  Teu  entered  for  the  halfiuile  stake,  which  was  a 
gaudy  piece  of  calico  for  a  dress  or  shirt,  as  the  case  might  be.  At  the  word 
they  went  off  like  rockets,  Nah-kah-yen  leading  handsomely,  and  Ishkay-nay 
bringing  up  the  rear,  but  running  as  clean  and  easy  as  a  greyliound.  Within 
400  yards  of  the  goal  she  closed  the  gap,  went  by  like  a  steam  engine,  and  got 
in  an  ea.sy  winner,  G  yards  ahead  of  all  oomiietitors.  For  the  quarter-mile  race 
she  again  entered,  but  was  ruled  out  by  the  other  Indians,  and  their  objec- 
tions were  allowed,  it  being  decided  that  the  victor  in  either  race  should  not 
enter  for  another. 

Navaho.     New  Mexico. 

Dr  Washington  Matthews "  describes  Hastseltsi,  or  Hastseiltsi,  as 
a  Navaho  god  of  racing.  His  personator  takes  no  part  in  the  dance 
or  in  an}'  act  of  succor. 

Ilis  function  is  to  get  up  foot  races:  hence  a  good  runner  is  selected  to  enact 
this  character.  He  goes  around  among  the  assembled  crowd  challenging  others, 
who  are  known  to  be  good  racers,  to  run  with  him.  He  does  not  speak.  He 
approaches  the  person  whom  he  wishes  to  challenge,  dancing  meanwhile,  gives 
his  peculiar  squeaking  call,  which  may  l)e  spelt  "  ooh  ooh  ooh' — ooh  ooh',""  beck- 
ons to  him,  and  makes  the  sign  for  racing,  which  is  to  place  the  two  extended 
fingers  together  and  project  them  rapidly  forAvard.  If  he  wins  in  the  race,  he 
whips  his  competitor  across  the  back  with  his  yucca  scourges:  if  he  loses,  his 
competitor  may  do  nothing  to  him.  If  the  losing  competitor  asks  him  to  whip 
gently,  he  whijis  violently,  and  vice  versa  :  but  the  flagellation  is  never  severe, 
for  the  scourges  of  yucca  leaves  are  light  weapons.  He  races  thus  some  six  or 
seven  times  or  until  he  is  tired;  then  he  disappears.  Each  race  is  only  about 
200  yards.  The  people  fear  him,  yet  a  man  when  challenged  may  refuse  to  race 
with  him.  He  often  resorts  to  jockeying  tricks  with  his  opponent,  such  as 
making  a  false  start.  He  may  enter  a  medicine-lodge  to  get  up  a  race,  but  for 
no  other  puriwse.  Hastseltsi  is  a  very  li.irticular  god  and  likes  not  to  touch 
anything  unclean. 

CADDOAN    STOCK 

AViciiiTA.     Oklahoma. 

In  The  Story  of  Child-of-a-Dog,  as  related  by  Dr  George  A. 
Dorsey,''  the  hero  is  challenged  to  run  a  foot  race  with  four  brothers. 
his  l)rothers-in-law.  The  starting  place  is  a  pole  stuck  in  the  ground, 
lie  wins  the  race  l)y  the  aid  of  magic  objt-cts  given  him  by  two  women, 
his  wives. 

Again,  in  the  story  of  The  Swift-Hawks  and  Shadow-of-the-Suu,'" 
there  is  a  description  of  a  foot  race  between  the  people  of  the  east  and 
the  west  sides  of  a  village.  The  chief  of  the  east  side  has  a  dark  com- 
ple.xion,  is  called  Shadow-of-the-Sun.  and  kills  those  whom  he  over- 
comes in  the  race.     He  is  finally  beaten  by  the  last  of  four  brothers. 

As  in  other  stories,  his  body  is  burned  by  the  victor  and  his  many 
victims  come  out  alive  from  the  fire. 


»  The  Night  Chant,  a  Navaho  Ceremony.     Memoirs  of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  whole  series,  v.  6,  p.  2.5.  New  York.  1002. 

'The  M.vtholog.v  of  the  Wichita,  p.  133,  Wasbington.  i:i04. 
'  Ujid,,  p.  207. 


ccLisJ  RUNNING   RACES :   MUSKOGEE  805 

There  is  also  an  account  in  The  Coyote  Who  Lost  his  Po-wers "  of  a 
foot  race  between  the  coyote  and  a  strange  man,  a  Shooting  Star,  in 
which  the  coyote  has  the  choice  of  running  on  top  of  the  ground  or 
under  the  ground.  He  chooses  to  run  on  top  of  the  ground,  while  his 
opponent  runs  under  the  ground.  The  coyote  wins  and  kills  the  other, 
and  then  restores  the  latter's  victims  to  life  by  gathering  their  bones 
and  jjutting  them  into  the  fire. 

In  The  Coyote,  Prairie  Turtle,  and  the  Squirrel ''  the  coyote  and 
the  prairie  turtle  run  a  foot  race,  which  the  latter  loses. 

ESKIMAUAN    STOCK 

Eskimo  (Westerx).     St  Michael,  Alaska. 

'Six  E.  W.  Xelson  "  says : 

Foot  racing,  uk-whauu'.  Thi.s  is  a  favorite  sport  among  the  Esliiruo.  and  is 
practiced  usually  in  autumn,  when  the  new  ice  is  formed.  The  race  extends 
from  one  to  several  miles,  the  course  usually  lying  to  and  around  some  natural 
object,  such  as  an  island  or  a  point  of  rocks,  then  back  to  the  starting  point. 

IROQUOIAN  STOCK 

Seneca.     New  York. 

Morgan  "^  .states : 

Foot  races  furnished  another  pastime  for  the  Iroquois.  They  were  often 
made  a  part  of  the  entertainment  with  which  civil  and  mourning  councils  were 
concluded.  In  this  athletic  game  the  Indian  excelled.  The  exigencies,  both 
of  war  and  peace,  rendered  it  necessary  for  the  Iroquois  to  have  among  them 
practiced  and  trained  runners.  A  spirit  of  emulation  often  sprang  up  among 
them,  which  resulted  in  regular  contests  for  the  palm  of  victory.  In  these  races 
the  four  tribes  put  forward  their  best  runners  against  those  of  the  other  four, 
and  left  the  question  of  superiority  to  be  determined  by  the  event  of  the  contest. 
Before  the  time  appointed  for  the  races  they  prepared  themselves  for  the  occa- 
sion by  a  process  of  training.  It  is  not  necessary  to  describe  them.  They 
dressed  in  the  same  manner  for  the  race  as  for  the  game  of  ball.  Leaping, 
wrestling,  and  the  other  gymnastic  exercises  appear  to  have  furnished  no  part 
of  the  public  amusement  of  our  primitive  inhabitants. 

JIUSKIIOOEAN   STOCK 

Muskogee.     Georgia. 

Rene  Laudonniere  "  wrote  : 

They  exercise  their  young  men  to  runne  well,  and  they  make  a  game  among 
themselves,  which  he  winnetb  that  has  the  longest  breath.  They  also  exercise 
themselves  much  in  shooting. 


»  The  Mythology  of  the  Wichita,  p.  L'."i3.  Washington,  1904. 
'  loid.,  p.  273. 

'  The  Eskimo  about  Bering  Strait.      Eighteenth  Annual  Report  o£  the  Bureau  of  Ameri- 
can Ethnology,  p.  340,  1S99. 

"  League  of  the  Iroquois,  p.  307.  Rochester.  ISjl. 
'  Haliluyfs  Voyages,  v.  13,  p.  413,  Edinburgh,  1SS9. 


806  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS      [eth.  an.\.  24 

PIMAN    STOCK 

Pima.     Arizona. 

The  late  Dr  Frank  Russell "  wrote  as  follows  of  relay  races : 

At  various  points  in  Arizona  I  have  found  what  appear  to  have  lieen  ancient 
race  tracks  situated  near  the  ruins  of  buildings.  One  of  these  was  seen  on  the 
.south  haulv  of  the  Babacomari,  3  miles  above  the  site  of  old  Fort  Walleu.  It  is 
f)  meters  wide  and  275  meters  long.  It  is  leveled  by  cutting  down  in  places,  and 
the  rather  numerous  bowlders  of  the  mesa  are  cleared  away.  In  the  Sonoita 
valley,  2  miles  east  of  Patagonia,  there  is  a  small  ruin  with  what  may  have 
been  a  race  track.  It  is  6  meters  wide  and  ISO  meters  long.  At  the  northern 
end  stands  a  square  stone  37  centimeters  above  the  surface.  These  will  serve 
as  examples  of  the  tracks  used  by  the  Sobaipuris,  a  tribe  belonging  to  the  I'iman 
stock.  The  dimensions  are  about  the  same  as  those  of  the  tracks  that  I  have 
seen  the  Jicarilla  Apaches  using  in  New  Mexico.  The  tracks  prepared  by  the 
Pimas  opiiosite  Sacaton  Flats  and  at  Casu  Blanca  are  much  longer. 

The  relay  races  of  the  Pimas  did  not  differ  materially  from  those  among  the 
Pueblo  tribes  of  the  Rio  Grande  or  the  .Vpaches  and  others  of  the  Southwest. 
When  a  village  wished  to  race  with  a  neighboring  one,  they  sent  a  messenger  to 
convey  the  information  that  in  four  or  five  days,  according  to  the  decision  of 
their  council,  they  wished  to  test  their  fortunes  in  a  relay  race,  and  that  in  the 
meantime  they  were  singing  the  bluebird  (or.  as  the  case  might  be,  the  hum- 
mingbird) songs  and  dances  in  preparation.  Both  had  the  same  time  to  prac- 
tice, and  the  time  was  short.  In  this  preparation  the  young  men  ran  in  groups 
of  four  or  five.  There  were  forty  or  fifty  runners  in  each  village,  and  he  who 
proved  to  be  the  swiftest  was  recognized  as  the  leader  who  should  run  first  in 
the  final  contest.  It  was  not  necessary  that  each  village  should  enter  the  same 
number  of  men  in  the  race :  a  man  might  run  any  number  of  times  that  his 
endurance  permitted.  When  the  final  race  began  each  village  stationed  half  its 
runners  at  each  end  of  the  track,  then  a  crier  called  three  times  for  the  leaders, 
and  as  the  last  call  (which  was  long  drawn  out)  closed  the  starter  shouted 
"  Ta'wai !  "  and  they  were  off  on  the  first  relay.  Markers  stood  at  the  side  of 
the  track  and  held  willow  sticks  with  rags  attached  as  marks  of  the  position  of 
the  opposing  sides.  Sometimes  a  race  was  ended  by  one  party  admitting  that 
it  was  tired  out.  but  it  usually  was  decided  when  the  winners  were  so  far  ahead 
that  their  runner  met  the  other  at  the  center,  where  the  markers  also  met.  The 
women  encouraged  their  friends  with  shouts  in  concert,  which  were  emitted 
from  the  throat  and  ended  in  a  trill  from  the  tongue.  At  the  close  of  the  race 
the  winning  village  shouted  continuously  for  some  time,  after  which  the  vis- 
itors would  go  home,  as  there  was  no  accomi)anying  feast. 

salishan  stock 

Thompson  Indians  (Xtlakvapanmk).     British  Columbia. 
Mr  James  Teit ''  says : 

Foot  races  were  frequently  run.  and  bets  made  on  the  result.  The  best  run- 
ners traveled  long  distances  to  meet  each  other.  Sometimes  celebrated  Okan- 
agan,    Shushwa]i.    and    Thompson    runners    competed    with    one    another.     The 

"  In  a  memoir  to  be  published  by  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology. 
*  The  Thompson   Indians  of  British   Columbia.      Memoirs  of  the  American  Museum   of 
Natural  History,  whole  series,  v.  2,  p.  280,  New  York,  1900. 


CULIN]  RUNNING    RACES  :   CROWS  807 

largest  bets  were  made  on  races  between  cbampions.  It  is  said  that  when  the 
Indians  were  numerous,  and  almost  all  the  men  in  constant  training,  there  were 
some  excellent  long  and  short  distance  runners  among  them.  Two  men  of  the 
Spences  Bridge  band  were  said  to  be  the  fastest  runners  in  the  surrounding 
tribes.  One  of  them  raced  agaiust  horses  and  against  canoes  paddled  down- 
stream. 

SHOSHONEAN    STOCK. 

Hopi.     Wall)!,  Arizona. 

Mr  A.  M.  Ste]3licii.  in  his  unpublished  manuscript,  gives  the  fol- 
lowing vocabulary  of  racing  among  the  Hopi: 

Wa'-zrik-,vu' wii-ta.  running ;  wa-wa'-si-.va,  a  short-distance  race ;  yiih'-tii,  a 
long-distance  race;  tciile'-yiih-tii,  race  on  the  eighth  morning  of  the  Snal^e  dance  : 
tcu'-tciib-ti  au'-am-yiih-tii,  race  on  the  ninth  morning  of  the  Snalie  dance: 
le'-len-ti  yiih-tii,  race  on  the  ninth  morning  of  the  I'Mute  ceremony ;  la-kon'- 
yilh-tii,  race  at  sunset  by  women  on  the  eighth  day  of  the  Lalakonti :  la'-la-lvon-ti 
an'-am-yiih-tii,  race  at  early  sunrise  by  men  on  the  ninth  da.v  of  the  Lalakonti ; 
ti'-yot-wa'-zri,  a  race  between  two  youths ;  ta'-kat-wa'-zri,  a  race  between  two 
men ;  to'-tim-yiih-tii,  a  race  between  many  men ;  ta'-tak-yiih-tii,  a  race  between 
several  men;  Ilo'-pi  ta'-cab-wiit  a'-miim  wa-zri.  a  race  between  a  Hopi  and  a 
Navaho ;  Ho'-pi  ta'-eab-miii  a'-muui-yiih-tii,  a  race  between  several  of  each 
people  (Hopi  and  Navaho);  ka-wai'-yo  ak-wa-zri,  a  race  between  two  horse- 
men: ka-wai-.vo-mti-i  ak  yiili-tii.  a  race  between  several  horsemen. 

SIOUAN    STOCK 

Crows.     Ujiper  Mis.souri  river.  North  Dakota. 

In  a  report  to  Isaac  I.  Stevens,  governor  of  Washington  Terri- 
tory, on  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  upper  Missouri.  I)v  Mr  Edwin  T. 
Denig.  a  manuscript  in  the  library  of  the  Bureau  of  American 
Ethnology,  there  occurs  the  following: 

Foot  racing  is  often  practiced  by  the  Mandan  and  Crows.  The  former  nation 
before  they  were  so  much  reduced  by  smallpox  had  a  regular  race  course  .3 
miles  in  length,  in  which  any  and  all  who  chose  could  try  their  speed,  which 
they  did  by  running  three  times  around  this  space,  betting  very  high  on  either 
side.  They  still  practice  the  amusement,  but  not  so  much  as  formeVly.  Foot 
races  among  the  Crow  Indians  are  usually  contested  by  two  persons  at  a  time. 
a  bet  being  taken  by  those  concerned,  and  many  more  by  the  friends  and 
spectators  on  either  side,  <onsisting  of  blankets,  liuffalo  robes,  or  some  other 
article  of  clothing.  They  mostly  run  aliout  300  yards,  and  in  starting  endeavor 
to  take  every  advantage  of  each  other,  a  dozen  starts  being  often  made  before 
the  race  begins.  These  Indians  also  run  horse  races,  betting  one  horse  against 
the  other.  Tlie  same  triclvcry  and  worse  is  disi)layed  in  their  horse  as  in  their 
foot  races,  and  often  the  loser  will  not  pay. 

The  Sioux  also  have  foot  races,  in  which  anyone  may  join,  provided  lie  liets, 
which,  if  they  have  anything  to  stake,  the.v  are  sure  to  do.  The  name  of  being 
a  fast  and  long  runner  is  highl.v  prized  among  them  all ;  indeed  after  that  of 
being  a  warrior  and  hunter  that  of  being  a  good  runner  is  next  to  be  di^sired, 
but  the  principal  aim  in  all  these  amusements  appears  to  be  the  winning  of 


808  GAMES    OF    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS       [kth.  anx.  24 

each  other's  property.  They,  of  course,  occupy  and  enable  them  to  pass  agree- 
ably some  of  the  long  summer  days,  but  we  never  see  these  things  introduced 
without  the  bets  or  prospects  of  gain,  and  from  this  fact,  together  with  the 
earnestness  exhibited  in  betting  and  in  the  contest,  we  conclude  it  to  be  no  more 
than  another  mode  of  gambling,  to  which  they  are  all  so  much  addicted.     • 

Mandan.     North  Dakota. 

Prof.  F.  V.  Hayden"  describes  the  Mandan  foot  race  as  Olympic 
in  cliaracter: 

A  race-course  of  3  miles  on  the  level  prairie  was  laid  off,  cleared  of  every 
obstruction,  and  kept  in  order  for  the  express  purpose.  Posts  were  planted 
to  mark  the  initial  and  terminating  points,  and  over  the  track  the  young  men 
tested  the  elasticity  of  their  linilis  during  the  fine  summer  and  autumn  mouths, 
to  prepare  themselves  for  the  hardship  of  their  winter  hunts.  On  tlie  occasion 
when  races  were  determined  on  by  the  chiefs,  the  young  men  were  informed 
by  the  public  crier,  and  every  one  who  had  confidence  in  his  prowess  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  lists.  Each  of  the  runners  brought  the  amount  of  his  wager,  con- 
sisting of  blankets,  guns,  and  other  property,  and  sometimes  several  judges  or 
elderly  men  were  aiipointed  by  the  chief  of  tlie  village,  whose  diity  it  was  to 
arrange  the  bets,  regulate  the  starting,  and  determine  the  results  of  the  race. 
As  the  wagei's  are  handed  in.  each  is  tied  to  or  matched  with  one  of  equal 
value,  laid  aside,  and  when  all  have  entered,  the  judges  separate,  some  remain- 
ing with  the  property  staked  at  the  beginning  of  the  race-course,  and  others 
taking  their  station  at  its  terminus.  Six  pairs  of  runners  whose  bets  have  been 
matched  now  start  to  run  the  3-mile  course,  which  is  to  be  repeated  three 
times  before  it  can  be  decided.  The  ground  is  laid  out  in  tlie  form  of  an  arc, 
describing  two-thirds  of  a  circle,  the  starting  point  and  goal  being  but  a  few 
hundred  yards  distant  from  each  other,  the  intermediate  space  being  filled 
up  by  the  young  and  old  of  the  whole  village.  The  runners  are  entirely  naked, 
except  their  moccasins,  and  their  bodies  are  painted  in  various  ways  from 
head  to  foot.  The  first  set  having  accomplished  about  half  the  first  course, 
as  many  more  are  started,  and  this  is  continued  as  long  as  any  competitors 
remain,  until  the  entire  track  is  covered  with  runners,  at  distances  correspond- 
ing with  their  different  times  of  starting,  and  the  judges  award  the  victory 
to  those  who  come  out.  by  handing  each  a  feather  painted  red,  the  first  six 
winning  the  prize.  These,  on  presenting  the  feathers  to  the  judges  at  the 
starting-ix)int.  are  handed  the  property  staked  against  their  own.  The  first 
and  second  heats  are  seldom  strongly  contested,  but  on  the  third,  every  nerve 
is  strained,  and  great  is  the  excitement  of  the  spectators,  who  with  yells  and 
gestures,  encourage  their  several  friends  and  relations.  The  whole  scene  is 
highly  interesting,  and  often  continued  for  two  or  three  days  in  succession,  to 
give  everyone  an  opportunity  to  display  his  abilities.  Those  who  have  shown 
great  fleetness  and  i)owers  of  endurance,  receive  additional  reward,  in  the  form 
of  praise  by  the  public  crier,  who  harangues  their  names  through  the  village 
for  many  days  afterwards.  This  is  a  fine  national  annisement.  and  tends 
much  to  develop  the  great  muscular  strength  for  which  they  are  remarkable. 
They  also  immediately  on  finishing  the  race,  in  a  profuse  state  of  perspira- 
tion, throw  themselves  into  the  Missouri,  and  no  instance  is  known  where  this 
apparent  rashness  resulted  in  any  illness. 

«  Contributions  to  the  Ethnography  and  Philology  of  the  Indian  Tribes  of  the  Missouri 
Valley,  p.  430,  Philadelphia,  1862. 


CULIN]  SUMMAEY    OF    COXCLUSIOXS  809 

Winnebago.     Prairie  tlu  Chien,  "Wisconsin. 
Caleb  Atwater"  says: 

Athletic  games  are  not  nneouimon  among  them,  and  foot  races  afford  great 
diversion  to  the  spectators.  The  women  and  children  are  present  at  these 
races  and  occupy  prominent  situations,  from  which  they  can  hehold  every- 
thing that  passes,  without  rising  from  the  ground  where  they  are  seated. 
Considerable  bets  are  fretiuently  made  on  the  success  of  those  who  run. 

YU.MAN    STOCK 

Maricopa.     Arizona. 

^Ir  Louis  L.  Meeker  describes  the  foot  race  in  this  tribe  as  follows : 

.V  whole  company  run,  side  against  side,  from  opposite  goals,  a  flagman  mark- 
ing where  each  two  pass.  Each  side  runs  in  order.  The  final  position  of  the 
flag  marks  victory. 

sum:mary  of  conclusions 

(1)  That  the  games  of  the  North  American  Indians  may  be  classi- 
fied in  a  small  number  of  related  groups. 

(2)  That  morphologically  they  are  practically  identical  ami  uni- 
versal among  all  the  tribes. 

(3)  That  as  they  now  exist,  they  are  either  instruments  of  rites  or 
have  descended  from  ceremonial  observances  of  a  religious  character. 

(4)  That  their  identity  and  unity  are  shared  Ijy  the  myth  or  myths 
with  which  they  are  associated. 

(5)  That  while  their  common  and  secular  object  appears  to  be 
purely  a  manifestation  of  the  desire  for  amusement  or  gain,  they  are 
performed  also  as  religious  ceremonies,  as  rites  pleasing  to  the  gods 
to  secure  their  favor,  or  as  processes  of  sympathetic  magic,  to  drive 
away  sickness,  avert  other  evil,  or  pi'oduce  rain  and  the  fertilization 
and  reproduction  of  plants  and  animals,  or  other  beneficial  results. 

(6)  That  in  part  they  agree  in  general  and  in  particular  with 
certain  widespread  ceremonial  observances  found  on  the  other  con- 
tinents, which  observances,  in  what  appear  to  be  their  oldest  and 
most  primitive  manifestations,  are  almost  exclusively  divinatoi\y. 

»  Remarks  made  on  a  Tour  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  p.  117,  Columbus,  1831 


INDEX 


CA  Tabular  Index  to-  Tribes  and  Games  will  be  found  on  pagps  3ri-43.) 


Abnakt,  games  of  the—  Page. 

racket 571 

tossed  ball 708 

Aboriginal  mines  and  quarries xi-xii 

Aboriginal  remains xi 

Accompanying  paper xxxix-xl 

Accounts  of  Bl-reau xxxv 

ACHASTIANS,  the.    See  Rumsen. 
Achomawi,  games  of  the — 

ball  juggling 712 

double  ball 648,661 

football 698,703 

four-stick  game ; . ..  327,332,333 

hand  game 307 

hoop  and  pole 494 

shinny 633 

stick  games 257 

Acknowledgments xvi,  xviii.  xix, 29-30 

Adair,  James— 

on  hoop  and  pole — 

Cherokee 487 

Choctaw 485-486 

Creeks 487 

on  racket  (Choctaw) 598 

on  scarification  (Cherokee) 580-581 

Administrative  report ix-xl 

Ahaiyut.v.    See  Zuiii,  mythology  of  the. 

Ahl  game  (Kiowa) 124-127 

Ahshiwanni,  Zunirain  priests 218,219 

AiTAN,  hand  game  of  the 272 

Algonkin,  games  of  the — 

dice  games 49 

hand  game 273 

stick  games 229 

Algonquian  stock — 
games  of  the— 

ball  juggling 712 

double  ball 647 

hand  game 273 

racket 562 

ring  and  pin 528 

snow-snake 400 

stick  games 227 

morphological  studies  of  languages  of. .  xxiii 
tribes  of  the— 

Abnaki 571, 708 

Algonkin 49, 229 

Ainalecite 49 

.\rapaho 50,  268,384,  400, 

441, 445, 529, 617, 705, 730, 733, 751 

Blackleet 56,269, 443, 731 

Cheyenne 58,  269, 384, 400, 445, 

446,530,  563,619,  649,  705,  734,  758 


Algonquian  stock— Continued.  Page, 

tribes  of  the — continued. 

Chippewa 61-68, 229, 340, 401-403, 

404,  405,  446,  533,  562,  563,  564- 

567,  568,  611,  620,  650,  734,  791 

Cree. ...  68, 230, 270, 342, 405, 535, 652, 734, 791 

Delawares 69,342,446,537,567 

Gros%'entres 70,  270,384, 

404, 447, 537, 621 ,  706, 734, 751 

Illinois 72,230,781 

Kickapoo 72 

Massachuset 73,230,698 

Menominee 73, 343, 404, 567, 622, 653 

Miami 231,344,569,708 

Micmac 74, 698, 722, 792 

Missisauga 80,344,405,538,569,65.3,803 

Montagnais 384, 538, 708 

Narraganset 80, 231 ,  699 

Nascapee 539, 712 

Nipissing 81,344,  .540, 570 

Norridgewock SI ,  231 ,  406, 735 

Ottawa 82,344 

Passamaquoddy . . .  82, 406, 540, 570-571, 792 

Penobscot 84,400,541,571 

Piegan 84,231,271,447 

Potawatomi 85, 385 

Powhatan 232, 622, 699 

Sauk  and  Foxes 85,232,345, 

407,  448,  542,622,  654,  735,  758,  762 

Shawnee 573 

Tobique 50 

Algonquian  texts xx,  xxxii 

Alsea,  linguistic  work  among  the xxii 

Am alecite,  dice  games  of  the 49-50 

American  Anthropologist,  paper  in.  cited      213 

Amitstci,  four-stick  game  of  the .3.33 

Anthony,  Rev.  Albert  Seqaqkind— 

information  furnished  by 446 

on  dice  game  (Delawares) 70 

on  ring  and  pin  (Delawares) 537 

Antiquity  of  man  in  America xii 

Apache,  games  of  the— 

archery 383 

bull-roarer : 750 

hoop  and  pole 420,422,449-457 

stick  dice 88-89 

Apache  (Chieicahua),  games  of  the— 

archery. ,'. 385 

hoop  and  pole 429, 449 

Apache  (Jicarillai— 
games  of  the — 

hidden  ball 345 

hoop  aad  pole 449 

•SU 


812 


INDEX 


Apache  (Jicaeii.la)— Continued.  Page. 

games  of  the — continued. 

running  races 800 

genesis  myth  of -345 

Apache  (Me.scalero),  games  of  the — 

hoop  and  pole 449-450 

running  races 80;i-S04 

Apache  (San  C.irlos),  games  of  the— 

.'!ice  games SG 

hoop  and  pole 450 

Apache    (White    Mountaini,    games    of 
the— 

cat's  cradle 702-763 

dice  games 87-91 

hoop  and  pole 450-457 

Aplache,  foot-cast-bail  game  of  the 712 

Akapaho— 

games  of  the— 

archery 384 

buzz 751 

dice  games 50-58 

hand  game 268,276 

hand-and-foot  ball 705 

hoop  and  pole 420, 422, 430, 44 1-443, 445 

ring  and  pin 529-530,  532 

shinny 617-619, 620 

snow-snake 400 

swing 730 

tops 733 

mythology  of  the 619,730 

Archerv  games — 

general  account  of 383 

played  by  the — 

Apache 3S3, 385 

Arapaho 384 

Assiniboin 383, 391 

Cheyenne 384 

Chipewyan 385 

Crows 383, 391, 529 

Dakota 392, 393, 394 

Oglala 383, 391-392 

Teton 383, 392-393 

Kskimo ,183, 3S6-388 

G  rosvent res 383, 384 ,  529 

naida 395 

Hopi 383, 390 

Iowa 394 

Kcres 388 

Kiowa 388 

Makah 383, 395, 396 

Mandan 393 

Missouri 394 

Montagnais 383, 384-385 

Navaho 383, 385-386 

Omaha 383,  .393, 394 

Oto .394 

Pawnee 383, 386, 389 

Pima 389 

Ponca 383, 394 

Potawatomi 383, 385 

Shuswap 383, 390 

Tarahumare 383, 389 

Tewa 383, 390, 395 

Thompson  Indians 383,390 

Topinagugim 388 

Washo 396 

Wichita 38G 

Zufli 383, 396-399 


Arikara —  Page. 

customs  of  tlie 58 

games  of  the— 

dice  games 97_98 

double  ball 657 

hand  game 276 

hoop  and  pole 461-462 

popgun 758 

shinny 624 

mythology  of  the 624 

Armstrong,    John.    Seneca    cosmological 

myth  related  by xvm 

Arrow  game  (Mandan) 393 

Arrow-spearing  game 437 

Arrow,  symbolism  of  the 33,213- 

215,227-229,335-336 
Assiniboin,  games  of  the— 

archery 383, 391 

dice  games i 173-177 

hand  game 276, 316-317 

hand-and-foot  ball 705, 707 

hoop  and  pole 502 

racket 610-611 

ring  and  pin 644,555-656 

shinny 616, 636-637 

shuflleboard 728 

snow-snake 415 

stick  games 253 

tossed  ball 710 

Ataakut,  stick  games  of  the 233 

Athapascan  stock— 
games  of  the— 

ring  and  pin 528 

stick  games 227 

trilies  of  the— 

Apache  (Chiricahua) 385,449 

Jiearilla 346, 449 

Mescalero 449, 803 

San  Carlos 86, 460 

White  Mountain 87,450,762 

Ataakut 233 

Chipewyan 272, 385 

Colville 457 

Etchareottine 272 

Han  Kutchin 272 

llnpa 91, 233, 642, 066, 763 

Kawchodinne 92, 272, 543 

Kutchin 272 

Mikonotunne 236, 623 

Mishikhwutmetunne 236, 623 

Navaho 92, 

346-349, 385, 457, 623, 668, 722, 763, 781,804 

Sarsi 272,460 

Sekani 97, 236 

Slaveys ; 544 

Takulli 97, 

236-238, 272-274, 409, 460-461, 781 

Thlingchadinne 543 

TIelding 238 

Tsetsaut 624,767 

Tututni 239 

Umpqua 274 

Whilkut 239 

Atlin,  a  Clayoquot  chief 196 

Atwater,  Caleb— 

on  dice  games  (Winnebago) 189 

on  racket  (Winnebago) 616 

on  running  races  ( Winnebago) 809 


INDEX 


813 


Page. 

A\'ERILL,  A.  B.,  material  collected  by 158 

AWANI,  games  of  the — 

dice  games 143 

shinny 630 

Awl  game,    ^ec  Ahl  game. 

Ax,  John,  information  furnished  by 475 

Aztec,  dice  games  of  the 100 

Babine,  hand  game  of  the 273 

Backus,  Maj.  E.,  V.  S.  A.,  on  hoop  and  pole 

( Na  V  ah  o  1 4G0 

Bacqueville   de  la  Potherie,  on  snow- 
snake  (Hurons) 409 

Ball— 

general  description 561-502 

implements  of 33 

See  also  Racket,  Shinny,  etc. 

Ball  juggling 561,713-714 

played  by  the— 

Achomawi 712 

Bannock 712, 713 

Eskimo 713 

Central 712 

Ita 712 

Nascapee 712 

Paiute 713 

Shoshoni 712, 713 

Ute 712, 713 

Uinta 713 

Zuui 712, 714 

Ball  hace 33, 665-668 

common  to  the— 

Bannock 666, 678 

Cocopa 606,681 

Cosunmi 669-670 

Hopi 606, 078-679 

Keres 666. 668-663 

Maricopa 006, 681 

Mohave 666, 682 

Mono 660, 679 

Navaho 666, 668 

Opata 660, 070 

Papago 666, 670-071 

Pima 666, 671-672 

Southwestern  tribes 665 

Tarahumare 666, 673-677 

Tewa 666,080-081 

Wasama 670 

Yimia 606, 682 

Zuaque 060, 678 

Zuiii 066,608,082-697 

Bancroft,  II.  H.,  on  racket  (Topinagugim)      597 
Bandelier,  Dr  a.  F. — 

on  ball  race  (Opata) 670 

on  patol  (Opata) 140 

shinny  mentioned  by 631 

Bajjnock,  games  of  the— 

ball  juggling 712-713 

ball  race 666,678 

dice  games 159 

hand  game 307-309 

hoop  and  pole 495 

stone  throwing 728 

tops 742-743 

Baraga,  Rev.  Frederic— 

on  definitions  in  double  ball  (Chippewa)      050 

on  definitions  in  racket  (Chippewa  i 564 

on  definitions  in  tops  (Chippewaj 734 


Page 
Barber,  Edwin  A.,  on  hand  game  (Yampa 

Ute) 31.5-310 

Bartram,  John — 

on  racket  (Cherokee  - 574-575 

(Muskogee  - 006 

Bartram,    William,    on    hoop    and    pole 

(Muskogee  j 4S6-4S8 

Baseball 789-790 

Basiwi,  four-stick  game  of  the 333 

Batawat,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 199 

double  ball 665 

stick  games 266 

Bayogocla,  hoop-and-pole  game  of  the 485 

Bean  shooter 760-701 

used  by— 

Hopi 700 

Makah 761 

Mono 700 

Northwest-coast  tribes 700 

Opitchesaht 701 

Southwest  tribes 700 

Zufii 761 

Beardslee.  Commander  L.  A.,  U.  S.  X., 

material  collected  by 243 

Beauchamp,  Rev.  W.  M.— 

on  ancient  Miemac  village 77 

on  dice  games  (Onondaga) Ill 

on  hidden  ball  (Onondaga) 349 

BEAin>iEU,  G.  n.— 

information  furnished  by 401 

material  collected  by 64,65,401 

on  dice  game  (Chippewa) 05 

on  snow-snake  (Chippewa) 401-402 

Beckwith,  Paul,  material  collected  by 185 

Belden,  George  P.— 

on  dice  game  (Yankton  Dakota)   184-185 

on  shinny  (Yankton  Dakota; -039-641 

Bellabella,  stick  games  of  the 2G3 

Bellacoola,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 1 55 

hand  game 299 

hoop  and  pole 421, 489-490 

shuttlecock 717 

stick  games 249 

Benton,  Dr  E.  J.,  editorial  work  of xxxii 

Beothuk,  dice  games  of  the 97 

Berard,  Father.    5ef  na!le,Rev.Berard. 
Beverley,  Roger,  on  stick  games  (Pow- 
hatan)       232 

Big  Goat.    See  Thssi  tso. 

Big  Thunder,  material  made  by 400 

BiLBOQUET.     See  Cup  and  ball. 

Billy  Hardjo.    See  Tah-Coo-Sah-Fixico. 

Black  Chicken.    See  Siyo  Sapa. 

Black    eye    and    white    eye,  dice  game 

(Cherokee) 105 

Blackfeet,  games  of  the — 

dice  games 50-58 

hand  game 209, 276, 305, 317 

hoop  and  pole 443-444. 502 

tops 734 

Blake.  Lady  Edith,  material  collected  by .        97 

Bloods,  dice  games  of  the 58 

Board  games.    See  European  games. 
Boas,  Dr  Franz— 

buzzes  figured  by(Central  Eskimo^ ...  751,752 


814 


INDEX 


Page. 
Boas,  Dr  Franz— Continued. 

dice  figured  by  (Central  Eskimo) 102 

material  collected  by 240, 249, 489, 717, 719 

on  archer}-  (Shuswap) 390 

on  ball  juggling  (Central  Eskimo) 712 

on  cat's  cradle  (Central  Eskimo) 'OS,  769 

(Shuswap)  773 

(Songish)  773 

( Tset  saut ) 767 

on  dice  games  (Eskimo) 102, 103 

(Kwakiutl)  196 

(Shuswap) 156 

(Songish) 157 

(Tlingitl 131 

on  football  (Central  Eskimo) ; 701 

on  hand  game  (Kwakiutli 320 

(Niska) 281 

(Nootka) 322 

(Shuswap) 302 

on  hidden  ball  (Kwakiutli 370 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Central  Eskimo) . . .  472-474 

(Kwakiutn 521 

(Niska) 471 

(Xootka) 523 

(Shuswap) 491 

(Songish^ 491 

on  ring  and  pin  (Central  Eskimo) .  o>44-545. 547 

on  shinny  (Niska) 628 

( Shuswap) 632 

(Tsetsaut) 624 

on  stick  game  (Niska) 240 

(Shuswap) 252-253 

( Songish) 254 

on  tops  (Central  Eskimo) 736, 737 

(Niska) 736 

on  tossed  ball  (Central  Eskimo) 709 

(Niska) 709 

on   unclassified    games  (Central    Eski- 
mo)    782-783 

(Kwakiutl) 786 

shuttlecock  terms  furnished  by  (Bella- 

coola) 717 

work  of x.\i-.xxii 

Holler,  Henry  A. — 

on  hand  game  (Hidatsa) 318 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Hidatsa) 511 

on  shinny  (plidatsat 641 

on  shuffleboard  (Hidatsa) 729 

BoNNEvaLLE,  Capt.  B.  L.  E.,  on  hand  game 

(Nez  Percys) 304-305 

BoNTOc   IGORROTES,  rc^port  of  expedition 

among xxi 

Bossir,  on  racket  (Choctaw) 598-599 

Boucher,  Pierre— 

on  dice  game  {.\lgonkin) 49 

on  stick  game  (.\lgonkin) 229 

BotmKE,  Capt.  John  G.,  U.  S.  a.— 

material  collected  by 747 

medicine  cords  figured  by  (Chiricahua 

Apache) 429 

on  dice-game  terras  (White  Mountain 

Apache) 90 

on  Mexican  ball  race 667-668 

on  quoits  (Mohave) 726 

Bow,  priests  of  the  (Zufli) 215 

Bowl  Game  (Chippewai 65-66 

(Passamaquoddj') 82-83 


Page. 

bovtl-.ixd-stick  game, 173-177 

Boyle.  David— 

material  furnished  by 84 

on  dice  game  (Seneca) 116-117 

on  hidden  ball  (Seneca) 350-351 

on  ring  and  pin  (Chippewai 534-535 

Brackenridge.  H.  M.— 

on  dice  game  (.Vrikara) 98 

on  hoop  and  polo'  (.\rikara^ 461 

Bradbtjry,  John,  on  hoop  and  pole  (.Vri- 
kara)        461 

Brass.    See  Untsaiyi. 

Br^beitf,  Jea^   de,   on  dice   games  (Hu- 

rons)  108-109 

on  racket  (Hurons) .5.S9 

Bkiggs,  C.  F.— 

material  collected  by 290 

material  furnished  by 145 

Brintox,  Dr  Da.xiel  G.— 

on  dice  games  (Delawares) 70 

on  hoop  and  pole  ( Delawares) 446-447 

on  ring  and  pin  (Delawares) 537 

Brown,  Mrs  W.  W.— 

on  dice  games  (Passamaquoddy) 82-84 

on  European  games  (Passamaquoddy).      792 

on  games  of  Wabanaki  Indians 75 

on  racket  (Passamaquoddy) 571 

(Wabanaki) 571 

on  ring  and  pin  (Passamaquoddy) 540-541 

on  snow-snake  (Passamaquoddy) 406 

Brul£  Dakota.    See  Dakota  (Brul^). 
Bruyas,  Rev.  Jacqves,  on  dice  game  (Mo- 
hawk)   110-111 

Bryant,  Edwin,  on  hand  game  (Maidu) ...      298 
Bryant,  Henry  G.— 

material  collected  by 608, 752 

on  use  in  games  of  images,  by  .\retic 

Highlanders 104 

Buck,  John,  Onondaga  cosmologlcal  myth 

narrated  by xvm 

Bucknell,  Capt.  Jim,   material  collected 

from 291 

Buffalo-bull-coming-out,  Kiowa  leader. .      285 

Buffalo  game  (Cheyenne) t      446 

Buffalo-horn  game  (Teton  Dakota) 417 

BUFORT,  T.  Jay— 

material  collected  by 248 

on  band  game  (Calapooya) 284 

on  stick  game  (Klamath) 248 

(Tututni) 239 

Bullet,  game  of 309,339-345 

Bull-roarer — 

description  of 7.50 

played  by  the — 

Apache 750 

Dakota  (Oglala) 750 

Teton 750 

Hopi 750 

Navaho 750 

Omaha 750 

Zimi 750 

Bushnell,  D.  I.,  JR,   on  moccasin   game 

(Chippewa) 340 

Bushotter,    George,   on  hoop   and  pole 

(Teton  Dakota) .t08 

Button,  hand  game 309 


INDEX 


815 


Page. 

Buzz 751-757 

played  by  the — 

Arapaho 751 

Crows 756 

Dakota  (Oglaia) 756 

Teton 757 

Eskimo 751 

Central 751-752 

Ita 752-753 

Western 753-755 

Grosventres 751 

Hopi 755-756 

Maricopa 757 

Mono 756 

Plains  tribes 751 

Zuni 757 

Caddo,  games  of  the — 

dice  games 98 

hoop  and  pole 462-463 

Caddoan  stock— 
game  of  the — 

hoop  and  pole 421 

tribes  of  the — 

Arikara 97, 461, 624, 657, 758 

Caddo 98, 462-463 

Pa-sroee 99, 274, 386, 409, 463, 625, 658, 730 

Wichita 102, 

276-281 , 38fi, 470, 625, 658, 730, 731, 804 

Calapooya,  hand  game  of  the 283-284 

California  tkibes,  hand  game  of  the 267 

Cane  game  (Hopi) 164-165 

Canes.  Zuni  dice  game 210 

Cangleska  Luta,  material  made  by 434 

Canyon  de  Chelly,  specimens  from. .  328,717,751 
Carriers.    See  TakuIU. 
Cartwright,  George— 

on  archery  (Montagnais) 384-385 

on  tossed  ball  (Montagnais) 708 

Carver,  Jonathan — 

on  dice  game  (Chippewa) 65 

on  racket  (Chippewa) 566 

Caseheai'Ana.    See  Pastor. 
Catawba,  games  (>f  the — 

football 698, 704 

racket 611 

Catlin,  George — 

on  archery  (Mandan) 293 

on  dice  game  (Iowa) 186 

on  double  ball  (Dakota) 648 

(Santee) 663 

on  hidden  ball  (Iowa) 365-366 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Mandan) 459, 512-513 

(Minitarees) 487 

on  racket  (Cherokee) 581 

(Choctaw) 5S5, 599-602 

(Iowa) 615 

Cat's  cradle — 

general  description 761-762 

played  by  the— 

Apache  (White  Moimtain) 762-763 

Clallam 7/2 

Eskimo  (Centrall 767-769 

Ita 769 

Hopi 774 

Hupa 763 

Keres 770 


Page. 
Cat's  cradle- Continued, 
played  by  the — continued. 

Makah 762, 776 

Maricopa 776 

Maya 772 

Navaho 762, 763-767, 775, 776 

Pomo 771 

Sauk  and  Foxes 762 

Shuswap 773 

Skokomish 773 

Songish 773 

Tewa 774-775 

Thompson  Indians 773 

Tigua 775 

Tsetsaut 767 

Zuiii 761  -762, 766, 774, 777-779 

Caughnawaga,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 105 

hoop  and  pole 474-475 

racket 573-574 

Cayuga,  dice  games  of  the 117 

Central  America.  See  Mexico  and  Central 

America. 
Central  Eskimo.    Sec  Eskimo  (Central). 
Ceremonial  observances — 

in  dance  (Tewa) 643 

in  double  ball  (Hopi  i 648-649 

in  racket  (Iowa) 615 

(Navaho) 435-437 

(Oglaia  Dakota) 434-135 

Chaco  canyon,  implements  found  in 648 

Chamberlain,  Dr  A.  F.  — 

on  hand  game(Kutenai) 286-287 

work  of XXVI 

Chance.    Sfc  Games  of  chance. 
Chanting.    See  Musical  accompaniments  in 

Indian  games. 
Charlevoix,  P.  F.  X.  de— 

on  dice  games  (Hurons) 106-107 

(I  roquois) 113-115 

on  racket  (Miami) 569 

on  stick  game  (Miami) 231 

on  tossed  ball  (Miami) 708 

Chase,  A.  W.— 

on  shinny  (Mikonotunne  and  Mishikh- 

wutmetunne) 623 

on  stick  game  (Mikonotunne  and  Mish- 

ikhwutinetunne) 236 

Chaves,  Francisco— 

cat's  cradle  furnished  by 770 

information  furnished  by 669, 793 

on  dice  game  ( Keres ) 121 

on  quoits  (Keres) 724 

on  shinny  (Keres) 629 

Checkers,  Indian 796 

Cheese-straw  game 730 

Chenco.    See  Chunkey. 
Cherokee. 

games  of  the— 

dice  games 105 

hoop  and  pole 421,476,487 

racket 562, 563, 574-588 

mythology  of  the 563, 578, 580 

Cherokee  ball-play  dance 600-601 

Cherouse,  E.  C— 

material  collected  by 156-253 

on  stick  game  (Snohomish) 253-254 


816 


INDEX 


Page. 
Cheyenne— 

games  of  the — 

archery 384 

basket  game 59-60 

dice  games 54, 58-61, 126 

double  ball 647, 649 

hand  game 269,276 

hand-and-foot  ball 705-706 

hoop  and  pole ....  429-430, 442, 445-446, 507 

popgun 758 

racket 563 

ring  and  pin 529, 530-533 

shinny 619-620 

snow-snake 400-401 

tops ,■ 734 

medicine  wheel  from 437 

researches  among xvi-xvii 

Chickasaw,  racket  game  of  the 597 

Children's  amusements 30,31,715-716 

Chilkat,  games  of  the— 

hand  game 287-288 

stick  games 243-244 

Chilliwhack,  stick  games  of  the 249 

Chimmesyan  stock— 

implements  employed  by  in  stick  games.      227 
tribes  of  the^ 

Niska 240,281,471,628,709,736 

Tsimshian 240, 736 

Chinook— 

games  of  the — 

four-stick  game 327 

hand  game 281-282, 300 

racket 562, 563, 573 

stick  games 240 

linguistic  studies  among xxii 

Chinook,  dictionary  of,  in  preparation,  xxi-xxii 
Chinooean  stock — 

implementsemployed  by  in  stickgames,      227 
tribes  of  the— 

Chinook ,. .  240,281,573 

Clackama 328 

Clatsop 282, 782 

Dalles  Indians 158, 307 

Wasco 282, 472 

Chippewa,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 61-68 

double  ball 648,650-651 

European  games 791 

hidden  ball 340-342,351 

hoop  and  pole . .   .  _  427, 446 

racket 562, 5fio,  5M-S67, 568, 573, 61 1 ,  616 

ring  and  piu 533-535 

shinny 620-621 

snow-snake 401-403. 404, 405 

stick  games ?29 

tops 73-1 

Chifewyan,  games  o-  the — 

archery 385 

hand  game 272 

Chiricahua  Apache.    See  Apache  (Chirica- 

hua). 
Choctaw,  games  of  the — 

dice  games 146 

hoop  and  pole 421,485-486 

racket 562, 563, 598-605 

tossed  ball 709 


Page. 

Choris,  Louis,  on  dice  game  (Olamentke) , .      144 

Chowchilla,  games  of  the — 

hand  game 294 

hoop  and  pole 484 

shinny 631 

Chow  Le,   on  making  of  ancient   Chinese 

arrows 213 

Chukchansi,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 138 

football 69S,  702 

foot-cast  ball 711 

hoop  and  pole. : 482 

hot  ball 714 

shinny 630 

Chumashan  stock 472, 628-62;t 

Chungke.    See  Chunkcy. 

Chungke,    chunk,    yards.    See  Chunkey 
yards. 

Chunkey,  game  of 485-486, 487, 510, 512-513 

Chunkey  yards 486-488, 512-513 

Chunky  yards.    See  Chunkey  yards. 

Clack-Uia.  four-stick  game  of  the 328 

Clallam,  games  of  the— 

cat's  cradle 772 

dice  games 15.^156 

hand  game 299 

shinny 632 

shuttlecock 717 

stick  games 249 

tops 741 

Clapin,  Sylva,  on  lacrosse 563 

Clark.    See  Lewis  and  Clark. 

Classification,  morphological,  of  languages 

of  America xxii 

Classification  of  games 31,44-4.5,809 

See  also  Tabular  index,  36-43. 

Classification  of  Indian  tribal  names. xxiv-xxy, 

36-43 

Clatsop,  games  of  the — 

hand  game 282 

imclassified  games 781 ,  782 

Clayoquot,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 196 

hand  game 319 

ring  and  pin 528, 558-559 

Clemclemalats,  stick  games  of  the 249 

Cliff-dwellings,  implements  from— 

Canyon  de  Chelly 717, 751 

Chaco  canyon C4S 

Mancos  Canyon 47, 427, 648 

Coat  shooting  (Dakota) 392 

CocopA,  games  of  the — 

ball  race 666, 681 

dice  games 199 

hand  game 326 

Collections  made  by  Bureau xxviii-xxix 

Collins,  Thomas  J.,  on  dice  game  (Kekchi)  141-143 

Columbian    Exposition,    exhibit    at,    of 

world's  gamcG 29 

C0L\7LLE,  hoop-and-pole  game  of  the 457 

Comanche— 

games  of  the — 

dice  games 55, 126, 159-160 

hand  game 309 

hoop  and  pole 442 

linguistic  studies  among xxi 


INDEX 


8i; 


Page 
Comer,  Capt.  George,  material  collected  by      752 

COxNESTOGA,  dice  games  of  the 105 

CoNGAREE,  stick  games  of  the 258 

CONNELLEV.  WlLLIAM  E.— 

on  dice  game  (Wyandot) 118-119 

on  football  (Wyandot) "02 

on  hidden  ball  (Wyandot) 351 

CoosA,  linguistic  work  among  the xxil 

COPEHAN  STOCK— 

implements  employed  by  in  stick  games.      227 
tribes  of  the — 

Winnimen 241 

Wintun 283, 658 

CopwAY,  George— 

on  double  ball  (Misslsauga) 653-654 

on  hidden  ball(Missisauga) 344 

on  racket  (Misslsauga) 569-570 

on  ring  and  pin  (Missisauga) 538 

on  running  races  (Missisauga) 803 

COSTANOAN    STOCK— 

games  of  the— 

hand  game 283 

hoop  and  pole 472 

stick  games .\.      248 

tribes  of  the— 

Rumsen 283,472 

Saklan 248 

CosuMNE.  CosuMNt,  hall  race  of  the 669-670 

CoTTMAN,  George  S.— 

information  furnished  by 342,344 

on  game  of  bullet 343 

CoVNTiNG  GAME  (Sauk  and  Foxes) 232 

CovxTiNG  STICKS  (Cfee) 230 

CouRTixG  GAME.    Se»?  Matrimonial  game. 
CoviLLE,  Dr  F.  v.,  acknowledgments  to...      xvi 

CowiE,  Isaac,  material  collected  by 734 

Cox,  Ross,  on  hand  game  (Chinook) 282 

Coyote  and  chickens,  Popago  game 794 

Cra/y  IIorse,  maker  of  hoops  for  hoop  and 

pole  (Oglala  Dakota) 507 

Cree,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 6S-69 

double  hall 648,652-653 

European  games 791 

hand  game 270, 273, 316 

hidden  ball 342 

racket 573 

ring  and  pin 528,535-536 

snow-snake 403-404 

stick  games 230 

tops 734 

Creeks,  hoop-and-pole  games  of  the 422.487 

myt  hologj-  of  the 606 

See  also  Muskogee. 
Cremony.  Col.  John  C— 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Mescalero  Apache).  449-4i:0 
on  runnmg  races  (Mescalero  Apache).  803-804 

Creoles,  raquette  formerly  played  by P05 

Crosse.    See  Lacrosse. 

Crossed-stick  game  (Navaho) 92-9;i 

Crows,  games  of  the— 

archery 38;i,  391 ,  529 

buzz 756 

dice  games 177-178 

hand  game 317 

hand-and-foot  balL 705.707 

24  ETH— 05  M 52 


Page. 
Crows,  games  of  the — Continued. 

hoop  and  pole 428-429,  .",02 

running  races 807-808 

shinny 616, 637 

snow-snake 415 

tops 745 

CUATRO,  game  of  (Tarahumare) 724-725 

CuLiN,  Stewart— 

material  collected  by 53,85, 

92,  121.  122,  146,  158,  l.^>9,  162,  167,  169, 
171,  172,  173,  184, 190,  198,  212,  222,  223, 
224,  225,  230,  234,  239,  247,  264,  265,  266, 
270,  306,  308,  311,  314,  315,  322,  361,  373, 
382,  398,  408,  418,  419,  425,  441,  477,  478, 
493,  500,  ^08,  510,  518,  522,  526,  530,  536, 
553.  558,  561,  572,  €04,  618,  623,  633,  635, 
636,  641,  642,  644,  646,  647,  052,  654,  656, 
662,  664,  668,  669,  679,  680,  704,  705,  711, 
713,  714,  718,  720,  722,  727,  729,  731,  732, 
733,  743,  744,  746,  749,  750.  757,  7C0,  761, 
763,  771,  774,  777,  787,  795,  797,  800,  801 
reference  to  monograph  by.  on  Amer- 
ican Indian  games...  xxi,  xxxix-xl 

work  on  Handbook  of  the  Indians. xxvi 

CuoQ,  Rev.  J.  .\.— 

definitions  by.  in  racket  (Mohawk)...  .'.91-592 

(Kipissing) 570 

on  dice  game  (Nipissing) 81 

on  hidden  ball  (Nipissing) 344 

on  ring  and  pin  (Nipissing) 540 

Cup  and  ball— 

a  Central  Eskimo  game 546.547,548 

comparison  of.  with  ring  and  pin 527 

Curtik.Jeremiah,  on  double  ball( Wintun).      658 
CrsHiXG,  Frank  Hamilto.v- 

acknowledgments  to 29 

implements  for  games,  made  by  . .  222. 719, 721 

information  furnished  by 169,799 

material  furnished  by 799 

material  identified  by 427,667 

on  .American  Indian  games  ingeneral.  29,809 

on  archery  (Kiowa) 388 

on  arrow  shaftment 228 

on  dice  games  (Zuni) 47, 

77. 210-217, 221-222, 223 
on  divinatory  origin  of  Indian  games. . .  34-35 

on  hidden  ball 44,374-381 

on  ring  and  pin  (Zuni) 529 

on  Zuni  games 126 

on  Zuni  netted  shield 423 

on  Zuni  War  Gods 33,211 

work  of XXXI x 

Dakota,  games  of  the— 

archery 394 

hidden  baU 339,364-365 

hoop  and  pole. 421, 517 

racket 562 

shuffleboard 728 

snow-snake 419 

tops 747 

See  also  Sioux. 
Dakota  (Bfttle),  games  of  the— 

dice  games 179 

ring  and  pin 5.56 

Dakota  (Oglala)— 
games  of  the — 

archery 383, 391-392 


818 


INDEX 


Dakota  (Oglala)— Continued.  Page, 

games  of  the— continued. 

buU-roarer 750 

buzz 756 

dice  games 179 

hidden  ball '. 364-365 

hoop  and  pole.   421,430,431,433-435,503-507 

popgun 759 

ring  and  pin -  .529, 556 

shinny 637-638 

sledding 716 

snow-snalje 415-416 

stick  games 228-229 

tops 733, 745-7« 

mythology  of  the 507 

Dakota  (S.4NTEE),  games  of  the— 

dice  games 180-181 

double  ball 663 

hidden  ball 365 

racket 562,563,611-614 

Dakota  (Sisseton),  dice  games  of  the 183 

Dakota  (Teton),  games  of  the— 

archery 383, 392 

bull-roarer 750 

buzz 757 

dice  games 181  . 

hoop  and  pole 508 

minor  amusements 715-716 

popgun 759 

ring  and  pin 557 

shinny 6,'!8-639 

shulTleboard 728 

snow-snake 416-418 

stick  games 258 

swing 731 

tipcat 721 

tops 746 

unclassified 783 

Dakota  (Wahpeton),  dice  games  of  the...      183 

Dakota  (Yankton),  games  of  the— 

dice  games 184 

hand  game 267, 317 

hoop  and  pole 431, 508-510 

hidden  ball 317-318 

minor  amusements 716 

shinny 639-641 

shumeboard 728-729 

snow-snake 418-419 

tops 746 

Dakota  (Yanktonai),  racket  game  of  the.      614 

Dall,  Dr  W.  H.,  material  collected  by..  740,793 

Dalles  Indians,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 158 

hand  game ,307 

Daniel,  Dr  Z.  T.— 

material  collected  by 181,639 

on  dice  game  (Teton  Dakota) 181 

Danilson,  William  II.,  material  collected 

by 169, 309 

DatekaS.    See  Patepte. 

Dav6ko,  Apache  chief  and  medicine  man...      285 

Davis.    See  Squier  and  Davis. 

Davis,  .\ndrew  McFarland— 

on  dice  games  (Norridgcwock) 82 

on  double  ball  (Wintun) 6,58 

on  games  of  Narraganset 80 


Davis,  Andrew  McFarland— Cont'd.        Page. 

on  racket  (Miami) 569 

on  terms  used  in  stick  games  (Illinois) . .      230 
Davis,  E.  W.— 

on  archery  games  (Chiricahua  Apache) .      385 
on  hoop  and  pole  (Chiricahua  Apache)  -      449 
Dawson,  Prof.  George  M.,  on  stick  game 

(Haida) 260 

Day,  Charles  L.,  material  collected  by 140 

Deans,  James,  on  shinny  game  (Haida) ...      642 
Delano,  .A..— 

on  hand  game  (Ololopa) 299 

on  stick  game  (Ololopa) 248 

Delawares,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 69-70, 105 

hidden  ball .' 342-343 

hoop  and  pole 421,446-447 

racket 567 

ring  and  pin 537 

Denig,  Edwin  T.— 

on  archery  (.\ssiniboin) 391 

on  dice  games  (Assiniboin) 173-177 

on  hand  game  (Assiniboin) 316-317 

on  hand-and-foot  ball  (.\ssiniboin) 707 

on  racket  (.\ssiniboin) 610-611 

on  running  races  (Crows,  Mandan) ...  807-808 

on  shinny  (Assiniboin) 636 

on  shuflleboard  (.\ssiniboin) 728 

on  snow-snako  (.Vssiniboin) 415 

on  tossed  l>all  (.\ssiniboin) 710 

Diaz,  B.,  on  dice  game  (Aztec) 160 

Dice  games— 

antetype  of 383 

Canes 210 

general  description  of -, 44-49 

pastor 195 

played  by  the — 

Algonkin .■ 49 

Amalecite 49-.')0 

Apache  (San  Carlos) 86 

White  Mountain 87-91 

Arapaho 50-58, 126 

Arikara 97-98, 101 

Assiniboin 173-177 

.\wani 143 

Bannock 159 

Bellacoola 155 

Bcothuk 97 

Blackfeet 56-58 

Caddo 98 

Caughnawaga 105 

Cayuga 112-113, 1 17 

Cherokee 105 

Cheyenne 54, 58-61 ,  101 ,  126 

Chippewa 61-68 

Choctaw 146 

Chukchansi 138 

Clallam 155-156 

Clayoquot 196 

Cocopa 199 

Comanche 55, 126, 159-160 

Conestoga 105 

C  rce 68-69 

Crows 177-178 

Dakota 184-185 

Brule 179-186 


INDEX 


819 


Dice  games— Continued.  Page, 

played  by  the — continued. 
Dakota— continued. 

Oglala 179 

Santefi 180-181 

Sisseton '. 183-184 

Teton 181-182 

Wahpeton 183-184 

Yankton 184, 18.5-186 

Dalles  Indians 158 

Delawares 69-70. 105 

Eskimo 102-104 

Grosventres 70-72 

Haida 189-190 

Hidatsa 186 

Hopi 160-165 

Hupa 91-92 

Hurons 100-110 

Illinois 72 

Iowa 186 

Iroquois 105, 113-115 

Kawchodinne 92 

Kawia 165 

Kekchi 141-1 43 

Keres 119-124 

Kickapoo 72-73 

Kiowa 124-130 

Klamath : 1.36-138 

Klikitat 158 

Kwakiutl 196 

Makah 197, 198 

Mandan 187 

Maricopa 201 

Massachuset 73 

Maya 143 

Menominee 73-74 

Micmac 74-80 

Mission  Indians 204,205 

Missisauga 80 

Miwok 143, 1 44 

Mohave 205, 207 

Mohawk :.  110-111 

Mono 160 

Narraganset 1.80-181 

Natchez 146 

Navaho 92-97, 102, 190, 222, 223 

Nipissing 81 

Nishinam 154-155 

Nisqualli 150 

Nootka 198, 199 

Norridgewock 81-82 

Olamentke 144 

Omaha 187-188. 760 

Onondaga lU-113, 117 

Opata 146 

Osage 188 

Ottawa 82 

Paiute 166-168 

Papago 146-1 48 

Passamaquoddy 82-84 

Pawnee 93-102 

Penobscot 84 

Plegan 57,84-85 

Pima _ 148, 152 

Pomo 131-136 

Ponca 188-189 

Potawatomi 85 


Dice  games— Continued.  Page, 

played  by  the — continued. 

Prairie  tribes 54 

Quinaielt 156 

Saboba 171 

Sauk  and  Foxes 85-80 

Sekani 97 

Seneca 113-119 

Shoshoni 108-171, 178 

Shuswap 156 

Snohomish 156 

Songish 157 

Takulli 97 

Tarahumare 152 

Tejon 138-139 

Tepehuan 153-154 

Tewa 190, 192-194 

Thompson  Indians 157 

Tigua 190-192, 195 

Tlingit 130-131, 246 

Tobikhar  (Gabrielenos) 172 

Tobique 50 

Tulares 1 45 

Tusca  rora 118 

Twana 158 

Ute  (Uinta) 172-173 

Walapai 207, 208 

Washo 199 

Wichita 102 

Wiktchamne 139-140 

Winnebago 189 

Wyandot 118-1 19 

Yakima 158 

Yokuts 140-141 

Yuma 208-210 

Zuaque 154 

Zuni 46-47, 120, 210-226 

plum-stone  game 61 

quince  (shepherd's  game) 194 

slave  games 56 

stick-dice  games 29, 32, 33, 152 

throwing  game 190 

Dictionary  of  the  Kalispel,  on  gaming 

terms  (Pend  d'Oreille.s) 250,490 

DicTioNNAiRE  Fran^ais-OnontRgue,  defini- 
tions of  terms  in  racket  (Onon- 
daga) from 592 

DiegueSos,  hand  game  of  the .323-325 

DiESELDORFF,  E.  P.,  paper  by xx.\ll 

DINWIDDIE,    William,    material    collected 

by 146, 354 

Divine  Twins,  the.    See  Zuni,  mythology 

of  the. 
Dixon,  Dr  Roland  B.— 

material  collected  by 257, 268, 296, 

297, 307, 332, 494, 553, 633, 661, 662, 703 

on  double  ball  ( Achomawi) 661 

(Shasta) 662 

on  football  (Achomawi) 703 

on  four-stick  game  (Achomawi) 332 

on  hand  game  (Achomawi) 307 

(Maidui 297 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Achomawi) 494 

on  shinny  (.\chomawi) 633 

on  slick  game  (Achomawi) 257 

work  of xxiii.xxvi 

Dodge,  Henry,  material  collected  by 48 


820 


INDEX 


Dodge.  Col.  Rich.^rd  Irving—  Page. 

on  dice  games  (Cheyenne) 60-61 

on  hand  game  (Comanche) 309 

on  ring  and  pin  (Cheyenne) 532-533 

on  shinny  (Nez  Perct^s) 632 

DoMENCQ.  Abbe  E.  H.,  on  hoop  and  pole. . .      513 

DON.ILDSON.  Thom.^s 186 

DoN.iLDsoN.  Thomas  Bl.iine— 

on  hand  game  (Bannock) 307 

on  hoop  and  pole  ( Bannock) 495 

DoRSEv,  Dr  George  A.— 

acknowledgments  to 29-30 

ancient  popguns  excavated  by 758 

Arapaho  legend  by 619 

informaUon  furnished  by - 167 

material  collected  by 58,70,72,73,85,95,99, 

lOO,  101,  102,  131,  132,  133,  136,  137,  138, 
177,  185,  188,  250,  268,  275,  278,  279,  282, 
286,  290,  291,  293,  302,  305,  308,  311,  313, 
318,  320,  330,  333,  358,  443,  444,  447,  468, 
470,  472,  479.  480,  481,  490,  497,  537,  550, 
535,  615,  625,  632,  642,  657,  659,  736,  741 

name  of  game  suggested  by 527-528 

on  arcliery  (Arapaho) 384 

(Makah) 395, 396 

(Wichita) 396 

on  bail  juggling  (.Shoshoni) , 713 

on  cat's  cradle  (Teton  Dakota) 762 

on  dice  game  ( Assiniboin) 177 

(Blackfeet) 58 

(Grosventres)  70,71,72 

(Klamath) 138 

(Makah) 198 

(Navaho) 95 

(Pawnee) 101 

( Porno) 132 

(Ponca) 188-189 

(Skushash) 137 

(Uinta  Ute) 173 

(Yankton  Dakota) 185, 186 

on  double  ball  (Klamath) 659 

(Pawnee) 658 

(Wichita) ' 658 

on  four-stick  game  (Klamath) 329 

(Paiute) 333 

on  hand  game  (Arapaho) 268 

(Haida) 318 

(Klamath) 292-293 

(Kutenai) 286 

(Makah) 322 

(Wasco) 282 

(Wichita) 278, 279-280 

on  hidden  laall  (Yankton  Dakota) 318 

on  hoop  and  pole  (.\rapaho) 443 

(Arikara) 462 

(Blackfeet) 444 

(Caddo) 462-463 

(Grosventres) 429, 447 

(Hopi) 497-498 

(Klamath) 479-482 

(Makah) 522 

(Pawnee) 468-469 

(Wasco) 472 

(Wichita) 470-471 

on  racket  ( Yanktonai  Dakota) 614 

on  ring  and  pin  (.Assiniboin) 555 

(Grosventres) 537 


Dorset,  Dr  George  A.— Continued.  Page. 

on  ring  and  pin  (Klamath) 650 

(Makah) 559-560 

(Pomo) 560 

(.Shoshoni) 554 

on  shinny  (.\rikara) 462,624 

(Grosventres) 621-622 

(Makah) 644 

(Pawnee) 658 

(Wichita) 626-628 

on  shuttlecock  (Makah) 719 

on  snow-snake  ( Pawnee) 409 

on  stick  game  (Makah) 264 

(Puyallup) 250 

on  tops  (Klamath) 741 

(Makah) 749 

(Tsimshian) 736 

Skidi  Pawnee  myth  related  by 730 

Wichita  legends  related  by 804-805 

Dorset,  Rev.  James  Owen— 

editor  of  Riggs's  Dakota  Grammar. ,,,      228 

on  archery  game  (Dakota) 392-393 

(Omaha) 393-394 

(Teton  Dakota) 392-393 

on  bull-roarer  (Teton  Dakota) 760 

on  buzz  implement  (Teton  Dakota) 757 

on  dice  games  (Omaha) 187-188 

on  double  ball  (Omaha) 663 

on  hidden  ball  (Omaha) 366 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Teton  Dakota) 508 

(Omaha) 514-516 

on    minor    amusements    (Teton     Da- 
kota)    715-716 

on  popgun  (Teton  Dakota) 759 

on  ring  and  pin  (Teton  Dakota) 557 

on  shinny  (Omaha) 641-642 

on  snow-snake  (Omaha) 417, 419 

on  stick  games  (Teton  Dakota) 258 

(Omaha) 259 

on  swing  (Teton  Dakota) 731 

on  tipcat  (Teton  Dakota) 721 

on  tops  (Teton  Dakota) 746 

on  unclassified  games  (Teton  Dakota),.      783 
Double  ball— 

general  description 561, 562. 647-t>49 

played  by  the — 

Achomawi 648, 661 

.\  rikara 657 

Cheyenne 647. 649 

Chippewa 648, 6.50-651 

Cree 648, 652-653 

Dakota  (Santee) 663 

Hopi 648-649 

Hupa 648, 656-657 

Kaoni 660-661 

Klamath 648, 659 

Maricopa 665 

Menominee 653 

Missisauga 648, 653-654 

Nishinam 661 

Omaha 648, 663 

Paiute 647, 662 

Papago 648, 659-660 

Pawnee 657-658 

Pima 648, 660 

Plains  tribes 647 

Sauk  and  Fo,\es 647, 6.54-6.55 


INDEX 


821 


Page 
Double  ball— Continued, 
played  by  the — continued. 

Shasta 648, 662 

Shoshoni 648, 662 

Tarahumare 648 

Tepehuan 660 

VU  (Uinta) 663 

AVasama 659 

AVasho 664 

W  ichi  ta .647, 6.58 

Wintun 658 

Yurok 664 

DoziER.  Thomas  S.— 

material  collected  by 3(18 

on  archery  (Tewa) 395 

on  ball  race  (Tewa) 681 

on  dice  games  (Tewa) 194 

on  European  games  (Tewa) 797 

on  hidden  ball  (Tewa) 368-309 

on  shinny  (Tewa) 643 

on  stone  throwing  (Tewa) 728 

on  tops  ( Tewa) 748 

Drum  beating.     See  Musical  accompani- 
ments in  Indian  games. 
DucATEL,  Prof.  I.  I.— 

on  double  ball  (Chippewa) 650 

on  hidden  ball  (Chippewa) 341-342 

on  racket  (Chippewa) 567 

on  ring  and  pin  (Chippewa) 534 

on  snow-snake  (Chippewa) 401 

Dunbar,  John  B.— 

on  archery  ( Pawnee) 386 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Pawnee) 463-464 

Dunbar,  Mrs  R.  E.,  on  tribal  games  (Ca- 
tawba)        611 

Duncan,  Robert,  on  moccasin  game  (Dela- 

wares) 342-343 

DuNLAP,  Mrs  R.  R.,  on  football  (Catawba).      704 

Dunn,  John,  on  hand  game  (Chinook) 282 

Du  Pratz,  Le  Page— 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Cherokee,  Creeks)  . ..      487 

(Natchez) 488 

on  tossed  ball  (Natchez) 710 

Dyar,  L.  S.— 

material  collected  by 137, 331 

on  four-stick  game  (Klamath) 331 

Earth-winner,  game  of  the  (Navahoi 781 

Earth-winner,  mythical    character   (Na- 

vaho) 790 

Eastern  DfiNfis.  hand  games  of  the 273 

Eastern  tribes,  shinny  played  by 617 

Ecclemachs.    See  Esselen. 

Editorial  work xxxiii 

Eells,  Rev.  Myron— 

material  collected  by 155,253,303 

on  dice  game  (Twana) 158 

on  dice  used  by  various  tribes 155-156 

on  gambling  liy  Indians 256-257 

on  hand  game  (Twana) 304 

Elk  game  (Oglala  Dakota) 430.505 

El  Patillo.  ball  race  (Tarahumare) 677 

Emmons,  Lieut.  George  T.,  V.  S.  N.— 

material  collected  by 130, 244, 245, 289 

on  location  and  games  of  Tlingit 245-246 

on  stick  game  (Chilkat ) 244 

(Taku ) 244, 245 


Page. 

Emory.  Lieut.  \V.  H.,  on  dice  game  (Yuma)      209 

Eno,  hoop-and-pole  game  of  the 510 

ESKIMAUAN  STOCK,  tribes  of  the— 
Eskimo- 
Central 102, 472,  473, 544, 547, 701 , 

709, 712, 736, 737, 751 ,  752,  7fi7, 7S2, 7S3 

Ita 549, 701, 712, 752,  im 

Koksoagmiut 700 

Labrador 283,  .548, 699, 737 

Westeni 104, 386, 

474,  629.  701,  706.  723,  729.  737,  753,  805 

Eskimo,  games  of  the— 

archery 383 

ball  juggling 712 

buzz 751 

dice  games 102-104 

footl  )all 698 

hand-and-foot  ball 705 

jack  straws 729-730 

ring  and  pin 528. 529 

shinny 617 

tops 733  , 

Eskimo  (Central),  games  of  the— 

1  lall  juggling 712 

buzz ■ 751-752 

cat's  cradle 767-769 

dice  games 102 

football 701 

hoop  and  pole 472-474 

ring  and  pin 544-547 

tops 736-737 

tossed  ball 709 

unclassified  games 782-783 

Eskimo  (Ita).  games  of  the— 

ball  juggling 712 

buzz 752-753 

cat's  cradle 769 

football 701 

ring  and  pin 549 

Eskimo  (Koksoagmiut),  football  game  of 

the 700-701 

Eskimo  (Labrador),  games  of  the— 

football 699-700 

hand  game 283 

ring  and  pin 548 

tops 737 

Eskimo  (Western),  games  of  the— 

arche  ry 386-388 

buzz 753-755 

dice  games 104 

football 701 

hand-and-foot  ball 706-707 

hoop  and  pole 474 

jackstraws 729-730 

quoits 723-724 

running  races ■     805 

shinny 629 

tops 737-739 

Esselen,  hoop-and-pole  game  of  the 472 

Etchareottine,  hand  game  of  the 272 

European  games— 

analogous     with     Ameriean     Indian 

games 29 

ball 783-791 

board  games 791-801 


822 


INDEX 


European  GAMES— Continued.  Page, 

played  by  the — 

Chippewa 791 

Cree 791 

Hopi 794-796 

Keres 792-793 

Mexicans 794 

Micmac 792 

Mono 796 

Navaho 789-790 

Omaha 797 

Papago 794 

Passamaquoddy 792 

Tewa 797-798 

Thompson  Indians 790-791 

Tigua 798 

Yakutat 793 

Yokuts 793 

Zuiii 799-801 

playing  cards 791 

EwisG,  Henby  p.— 

material  collected  by 208, 371 

on  hidden  ball  (Walapai) 371-372 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Walapai) 625 

on  shinny  game  (Mohave,  Walapai) 646 

Farr.vnd,  Dr  Livingston — 

material  collected  by 156 

work  of XXV 

Feather  dart,  Zimi  dice  game 210 

Fewkes,  Dr  J.  Walter— 

material  collected  by 164 

on  altars  of  Hopi  Twin  War  Gods 34 

on  ball  game  (Tewa) 681 

on  ceremonial  cups  (Tusayan  Tewa)..  338-339 

on  European  games  (Hopi) 795-796 

on  Flute  ceremony  (Hopi) 649 

on  gaming  canes  (Tewa) 46 

on  hidden  ball  (Hopi) 361-363 

on  Lalakonti  ceremony  (Hopi) 426 

on  Mishongno\'i  Drab  Flute  altar 338 

on  Oraibi  Marau  ceremony  (Hopi) 425 

on  pottery  bowl  (Hopi) 164 

Soyaluna  altar  at  Walpi  figured  by 337 

work  of xiii-xiv,  x.xvii,  x.xviiijX.xix 

Financial  statement xxxi.x 

Finger-shaker,  dice  game  (Onondaga)  ...      Ill 

Fisher,  W.  J.,  material  collected  by 723 

Flatheads  (Salish),  stick  games  of  the 261 

Fletcher,  Miss  .Vlice  C. — 

material  collected  by 188,641 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Omaha) 516 

on  name  of  dice  game  (Omaha) 187 

on  ring  and  pin  (Brul6  Dakota) 556 

work  of XXVI 

Fletcher,  Lieut.  Robert  H.,  U.  S.  A.,  ma- 
terial collected  by 235 

Flipstave  game 141 

Football,  general  description 561, 697-698 

played  by  the — 

.\chomawi 698, 703 

Catawba 698, 704 

Chukchansi 698, 702 

Eskimo 698 

Central 701 

Ita 701 

Koksoagmiut 700-701 

Labrador 699-700 

Western 701 


Football— Continued.  Page, 

played  by  the — continued. 

Massachuset 697, 698 

Micmac 698 

Mono 698, 704 

Narraganset 697, 699 

Nishinam 698, 703 

Paiute 698, 704 

Powiiatan 697, 699 

Skokomish 698, 703 

Topinagugim 698, 702-703 

Washo 698,704 

Wyandot 698, 702 

Foot-cast  ball — 

description 561, 711 

played  by  the — 

Apache 712 

Chukchansi 711 

Forstemann,  E.,  paper  by xxxii 

Fort  Michilimackinac,  captured  through 

game  of  lacrosse 564 

Fossil-bone  beds xi 

Four-stick  games — 

general  description 44, 327-328 

implements  for 33 

played  by  the— 

Achomawi 327, 332, 333 

Amitstci 333 

Basi  wi 333 

Chinook 327 

Clackama 328 

Hadiwiwi 333 

Hamoawi 333 

Klamath 327,  .328-332 

I^utwami 333 

Modoc ,327, 332 

Paiute 327. 333-3,35 

Pakamali 333 

Pao 335 

Sasteitei 333 

Washo 327, 335 

FowKE,  Gerard,  work  of xi,  xxix 

Fox  and  geese,  dice  game  (Eskimo) 103 

Foxes.     See  Sauk  and  Foxes 
GabrieleSos.     See  Tobikhar. 

Game  of  javelins  (Seneca) 470 

(Sioux) 418 

Game  of  little  bones.    See  Game  of  the 
dish. 

Game  of  straw  (Algonkin) 229 

Game  of  straws  (Miami) 231 

Game  of  the  dish,  dice  game  (Algonkin)  . .        49 

Game  of  winged  bones 418 

Games   derived  from    Europeans.     See 

European  games. 
Games  of  chance— 

general  description  of 31.44 

See  also  Dice  games.  Stick  games,  etc. 
Games  of  dexterity,  description  of. .  31.38,3,791 
See   aJso    .\rchery.  Snow-snake,  Hoop 
and  pole,  etc. 
Games  of  the   .\MERirAN    Indians.    See 

Indian  games. 
Gatschet,  Dr  .\lbert  S.— 

material  collected  by 78. 3.32 

on  dice  game  (Micmac) 78 

(Skushash) 137 

on  double  ball  (Klamath) 659 

( Wintun) 658 


INDEX 


823 


Page. 

Gatschet.  Dr  Albert  S.— Continued. 

on  European  games  (Micmac)    792 

on  four-stick  game  (Klamath) 331,332 

on  name  for  swing  (Wichita) 730 

on  name  of  dice  game  (Nipissing) 81 

on  names  for  stilts  (Wichita) 731 

on  names  of  dice  games  (Yuma) 210 

on  quoits  (Micmac) ,..      722 

on  ring  and  pin  ( Passamaquoddy) 'i41 

on  shinny  terms  (Wichita) 62G 

work  of XX,  XXXII 

Genesis  myths  (Jicarilla  Apache) 345 

Geronimo's  band,  archery  game  played  by.      385 

Ghost  dance 620 

GiBP.s,  George — 

on  dice  game  (Nisqualli) 156 

on  stick  game  (Nisqualli) 250 

Gibson,  John  Arthur,  Onondaga  cosmo- 

logic  myth  furni.shed  by xviii 

Gill,  De  Lancey,  work  of xxvii-xxviii 

Glooscap,  inventor  of  dice  game  (Micmac) .       76 

GoDDARD,  Dr  Pliny  Earle — 

on  cat's  cradle  (Ilupa) 763 

on  dice  game  (Hupa) 92, 199 

on  double  ball  (Ilnpa) 656-657 

Gods  of  War.    Sec  War  Gods. 

GooDE,  Dr  G.  Brown,  collection  of  games 

prepared  at  request  of 29 

Gould,  J.  Loomis,  material  collected  by..      260 

Graham,  Nick,  information  furnished 

by 711,800.801 

Granier,  E.,  collection,  the 501.619 

Granier,  E.,  material  collected  by...  445,501,619 

Grass  game  (Mono) 310 

Gravier,  Father  James— 

compiler  of  Illinois  dictionary 230 

on  dice  game  (Illinois) 72 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Iluma) 486 

Gray,  Dr  C.  C,  material  collected  by 97,758 

Grinnell,  Dr  George  Bird — 

on  dice  game  (Blackfeet) 56-58 

Cheyenne 59-00 

Grosventres 57-58 

Pawnee 101 

on  hand  game  (Blackfeet) 269 

Cheyenne 269 

Pawnee 276 

on  iioop  and  pole  (Blackfeet) 444 

Grosventres,  games  of  the— 

arcliery 383, 384, 529 

buzz 751 

dice  games 70-72 

hand  game 270-271 

hand-and-foot  ball 705, 706 

hoop  and  pole 429. 447 

ring  and  pin 537 

shinny ' 621-622 

snow-snake 404 

tops 734-735 

Grosventres  of  Dakota,  games  of 57-58 

Grosventres  of  the  PRAiRiE,liandgameof     276 

Gualala.  games  of  the — 

hand  game 289 

racket 594-595 

Guessing  games 227-229 

See  also  Stick  games,  Hand  game,  etc. 


Page 

Guimen,  stick  game  of  the 248 

GuNN,  John  M.,  on  game  of  hoop  and  pole  .      478 
Haddon,  Prof.  Alfred  C,  on  cat's  cradle 

(Navaho) 767 

Hadiwiwi,  four-stick  game  of  the 333 

IlAGAR,  STANSBURY— 

material  collected  by 74 

on  dice  game  (Micmac) 74-77 

on  football  (Micmac ) 698-699 

Hagenbeck,  Carl,  material  collected  by  ..      1.55 
Haida— 

games  of  the— 

archery 395 

dice  games 189-190 

hand  game 318-319 

hoop  and  pole 517-518 

jackstraws 730 

quoits 725 

ring  and  pin 557-558 

shinny .' 642 

stick  games 259-263 

tops 747 

unclassified  games 784 

Haida  (Kaig.^ni) 131,240,784 

Haida  language,  studies  in xx 

Haida  texts,  preparation  of xxxii 

Haikutwotopeh,  a  mythical  character  of 

the  Konkau 296-297 

Haile,  Rev.  Bekard— 

material  collected  by 93 

on  archery  (Navaho) 385-386 

on  ball  race  (Navaho^ 668 

on  baseball  (Navaho) 789-790 

on  cat's  cradle  (Navaho) 766 

on  dice  games  (Navaho) 92-93,96-97 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Navaho! 457-458, 459 

on  shinny  (Navaho) 624 

on  unclassified  games  (Navaho) 781 

Hall,  Capt.  Charles  Francis,  U.  S.  N.— 

material  collected  by 546, 547 

on  cat's  cradle  (Central  Eskimo) 767-768 

on  dice  game  (Central  Eskimo) 102 

on  ring  and  pin  (Central  Eskimo) 546 

Hall,  Susan  W.,  on  double  ball  (Arikara) . .      057 

Hamo.\wi,  four-stick  game  of  the 333 

Hand  game— 

general  description 44, 267 

implements  for 33 

origin  of 32 

played  by  the— 

Achomawi 307 

Algonkin 273 

Algonquian  stock 273 

Arapaho 268.276 

Arikara 276 

Assiniboin 276, 316-317 

Babine 273 

Bannock 307-309 

Bellacoola .^. 299 

Blackfeet .'  269, 276, 305, 317 

Calapooya 283-285 

California  tribes 267 

Cheyeime 276 

Chil'kat 2S7-288 

Chinook 281-282, 300 

Chipewyan 272 


824 


INDEX 


Hand  game— Continued.  Page, 

played  by  the — c:mtinued. 

Chowchilla 294 

Clallam 2S9 

Clatsop 282 

Clayoquot 319 

Cocopa 326 

Comanche 309 

Cree 270, 273, 31C. 

Crows 317 

Dakota  (Yankton) 267 

Dalles  Indians 307 

Eskimo 705 

(Labrador) 283 

Etchareottine 272 

Grosventres 270-271,270 

Gualala 289 

Haida 318-319, 320 

Han  Kutchin 272 

Hidatsa 318 

Huchno:n 323 

Kawchodinne _ 272 

Kawia 310 

Kiowa 284-285 

Klamath 291-293  i 

Klikitat 307 

Konkall 296-297 

Kutchin 272 

Kutenai 270, 285-287 

Kwakiiul 319, 320, 321 

Maidu 297-298 

Makah 321-322 

Mission  I:;dians 325-326 

Modoc 293 

Mohave 320-327 

Mono 310,311 

Nez  Perciis 304-305 

Nishinam 298 

Niska..^ 281 

Nisqualli 299, 300 

Nootka 322 

Okinagan 300-301 

Ololopa 299 

Paiute 311-312 

Papago 295 

Pawnee 269,274-276 

Penelakut 301 

Piegan 271 

Pima 267.295-290 

Pomo 289-291 

Puyallup 302 

Rumsen 283 

Saboba 313 

Salishan 273 

Sarsi 272 

Sekani .• 273 

Shoshoni 276, 309, 313, 314 

Shuswap 302 

Songish 302 

Takulli 272-274 

Thompson  Indians 302-303 

Tlingit 288-289 

Tobikhar 314-315 

Topinagugini 294-295 

Tsimshian 273 

Twana 303-304 

Uinta  Ute 315 


Hand  game— Continued.  Page, 

played  by  the — continued. 

Umatilla 305-300 

Umpqua 274 

Ute 270 

Wasco 282 

Washo 322 

Wichita 267, 276-281 

Wintun 283 

Yakima 307 

Yampa  Ute 315 

Yokut  s 293-294 

Yuma 326, 327 

Hand,  game  of.    See  Hand  game. 

HaND-AND-FOOT  B.ALL — 

description 501 .  704-705 

played  by  the— 

Arapaho 705 

Assiniboin 705. 707 

Cheyenne 705-706 

Crows 705, 707 

Eskimo  (Western) 700-707 

Grosventres 705,706 

Mandan 705, 707 

Winnebago 705,708 

Handbook  of  the  Indian  tribes x, 

.wii,  .\i.\-,  xx,  xxiii-xxvi 
Hands— 

game  of  Western  tribes 276 

hand  game  ( Blackfeet) 209 

Han  Kutchin,  hand  game  of  the 272 

Haetman,  C.  v.— 

on  ball  race  (Zuaque) 678 

on  dice  game  (Zuaque) 154 

on  hidden  ball  (Zuaque) 350-357 

riASjELTi,  a  Navaho  god 430, 4.37 

Hastsehogan,  a  mythical  gambler  of  the 

Navaho 95-96, 023-024 

Hastseiltsi,  Hastseltsi,  a  Navaho  god  of 

racing 804 

Havasupai,  dice  games  of  the 200 

Hawkins,  Col.  Benjamin,  on  hoop  and  pole 

(Muskogee) 480 

Hayden,  Dr  F.  v.— 

on  dice  game  (Crows) 177 

on  foot  race  (Mandan) 808 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Crows) 502 

on  racket  (Cheyenne) 504 

Hayes,  Mrs  Starr,  on  dice  game  (Cherokee)      105 
Hearne,  Samitel— 

on  archery  (Chipewyan) 385 

on  ball  game  (Chipewyan) 385 

on  hand  game  i  Etchareottine) 272 

Heintzelmann,  Maj.  S.  p.,  U;  S.  A.— 

on  hand  game  (Yuma) 327 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Yuma) 520 

Hennepin,  Father  Louis— 

on  dice  games  (Ilurons) 108 

on  ring  and  pin  (Iroquois) 549 

on  stick  games  (Hurons* 243 

on  tipcat  (Ilurons) 721 

Henry,  -Vlexander,  on  racket 504 

IlENSHAW,  H.  W.,  work  of XXV 

Heraldry  among  the  An:erican  Indians. . .    xvi- 

XVII,  XXVII 

Hesqutaht,  games  of  the— 

shuttlecock 718 

tops 748 


INDEX 


825 


Page. 
Hewitt,  J.  N.  B.— 

material  furnished  by 118, 590 

work  of xviii-xx,  xxv.  xxvi.  xxx 

HIDATSA— 

games  of  the— 

dice  games 57, 18t> 

hand  game 318 

hoop  and  pole 487,511 

shinny 641 

shiifHeboard 729 

snow-snake 419 

tops 747 

tossed  ball 710 

Hidden-ball  game— 

general  description  of 44,  ."ISS-SSQ 

played  by  the— 

Chippewa 340-342.351 

Crec 342 

Dakota 339 

Oglala 3(i4-365 

Yankton 317-318 

Delawares 342-343 

Hopi 337-338, 339, 357-364 

Iowa 365-366 

Jicarilla  Apache 345 

Keres 339, 351-353 

Kwakiutl 370 

Maricopa 339, 370-371 

Menominee 343-344 

Miami 344 

Missisanga 344 

Navaho 339, 346-349 

Nipissing 344 

Nootka 370 

Omaha 366 

Onondaga 349 

Ottawa 344-345 

Papago 336, 339, 353-355 

Pima 339, 355-350 

Potawatomi 344 

Sauk  and  Foxes 345 

Seneca 350-351 

Shawnee 344 

Tarahumare 339 

Tewa 338, 339, 361 ,  367-369 

Tigua 369-370 

W'alapai 371-372 

Winnebago 366-367 

\V  yandot .■     351 

Zuaque 356-357 

Zufii 336-337,  ,372-382 

sacrificial  and  ceremonial  character 

of 337-339, 372 

water  game  (Zuni) 374-381 

Hiding  button,  hand  game  (G  rosventres) . .      271 
HiLLEES.  J.  K.— 

onfour-stickgame  (Paiute) .334 

on  hand  game  { Paiute) 312 

Hill-Tout,  Charles- 

^       information  furnished  by 249 

on  cat's  cradle  (Skokomish) 773 

on  football  (Skokomish^ 703 

on  hand  game  (Thompson  Indians) 303 

on  racket  (Skokomish) 609 

(Thompson  Indians) 010 

on  shuttlecock  (Skokomish) 717 

on  slick  game  (Chilliwhack) 249 


Page. 
Hind,  Henry  Youle,  on  ring  and  pin  (Mon- 

tagnais) .'>39 

Hodge,  F.  W.— 

infonnation  furnished  by 194 

■    on  ball  race  (Zuni) 08:i-686 

work  of xxiii.  xxv.  XXVI 

HODCSON,  .\DAM,  on  racket  (Chickasaw) ...      597 
Hoffman.  Dr  Walter  J.— 

material  collected  by 73, 340. 707 

on  dice  games  (Menominee) 73-74 

on  hand-and-foot  ball  (Crows) 707 

on  hidden  ball  (Menominee) 343-344 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Santa  Barbara) 472 

on  racket  (Chippewa) 564-565, 567-568 

(Santee  Dakota) 611-612 

on  shinny  (Menominee) 622 

on  snow-snake  (Menominee) 404-405 

HOHOKAM,  ring-and-pin  game  of  the 552 

Holmes,  \V.  H.— 

acknowledgments  to ,30 

administrative  report  of ix-XL 

appointed  chief  of  Bureau x 

ninttM^  figured  by 77 

work  of xi-xii, XXVI,  XXIX 

Hoop  and  Pole— 

counts  employed 422 

distribution 420 

element  of  chance  in 383 

essentials  of 420 

field  for 421-422 

hoop  game 445-446 

implements  used  in 420-421 

origin  and  significance 422-441 

territorial  distribution 420 

played  by  the— 

Acbomawi 494 

Apache 420, 422, 449-457 

Chiricahua 429, 449 

Jicarilla 449     ^ 

Mescalero 449-450 

San  Carlos 450 

White  Mountain 450-459 

Arapaho 420, 422,  430,  441-443,  445 

Arikara 461-462 

Assiniboin 502 

Bannock 495 

Bayogoula 485 

Blackfcet 443-444, 502 

Bellacoola 421, 489-490 

Caddo 462-463 

Caddoan  stock 421 

Caughnawaga 474-475 

Cherokee 421 ,  475,  487 

Cheyenne 429-430, 442, 445-446, 507 

Chippewa 427, 446 

Choctaw 421,  485-486 

Chowehilla 484 

Chukchansi 482 

Colville 457 

Comanche 442 

Creeks 422, 487 

Crows 428-429, 502 

Dakota 421, 517 

Oglala 421,430,431,433-435,503-507 

Teton 508 

Yankton 431, 508-510 

Delawares 421, 44(^447 


826 


INDEX 


Hoop  and  Pole— Continued.  Page, 

played  by  the— continued. 

Eno 510 

Eskimo  (Central) 472-474 

Western 373, 474 

Esselen 472 

Grosventres 429, 447 

Haida 517-518 

Hidatsa 487,511 

Hopi 421, 495-498 

Huma 486 

Hupa 427-428 

Iroquois 422 

Keres 421 

Kiowa 442, 478 

Klamath 479-482 

Koyeti 482 

Kwakiutl 421, 519-522 

Makah 421, 522 

Mandan 421,4.59,511-513 

Mohave 420, 523-525 

Mono 498 

Muskogee 421, 486-488 

Natchez 488 

Navaho 421 ,  422, 429, 457-400, 519 

Nez  Percys 493 

Nishinam 489 

Niska 421, 471 

Nootka 523 

Ohio  Indians 487 

Omaha 420, 421,514-516 

Osage 516-517 

Paiute 421, 498-499 

Pawnee 420, 463-409 

Pend  d'Oreilles 490 

Piegan 447-448 

Pima 489 

Pitkachi 483 

Plains  tribes 428 

Porno 478-479 

Ponca 517 

Prairie  tribes 442 

Ruinsen 472 

Salish 491 

Santa  Barbara 421, 472 

Sarsi 400 

Sauk  and  Foxes 448-449 

Seneca 421, 476-477 

Shoshoni 421 ,  422, 499-500 

Shuswap 491 

Siouan  stock 420, 421 

Sioux 442 

Songish 491 

Stoneys 502 

Takulli 420, 460-461 

Thompson  Indians 421,491-493 

Tigua 420. 421,518-519 

Tobikhar 50O 

Topinagugim 484 

Umatilla 421, 422, 493-494 

Ute 420,.501 

Uinta 500 

Uncompahgre 501 

Wasama 484 

Wasco 420,422,472 

Washo 423 

Walapai 625-526 


Hoop  and  Pole— Continued.  Page. 

played  by  the — continued. 

Wichita 470-471 

Yaudanchi 501 

Yokut  s 483-484 

Yuma 526 

Zuni 526-527 

HoPI,  ancient  fictile  ware  of  the 424 

ceremonials 425-426, 432, 433 

clowns 716 

Flute  ceremony 649 

games  of  the — 

archery 383,  .390 

ball  race • 666, 678-679 

bean  shooter 760 

bull-roarer 7.50 

buzz 755-756 ' 

cat's  cradle 774 

dice  games 160-165 

double  ball 648-649 

European  games. 794-796 

hidden  ball 337-338,  3.39,  357-364 

hoop  and  pole 421,495-498 

running  races .807 

shinny 633-635 

stilts 731 

tops 74:3-744 

mythology  of  the xiii,  34, 424-426. 

649,666,796 
HOPI  KATCINAS XIII 

HOBNED  JAVELINS,  game  of 416 

UosTJOBOARD,  a  Navaho  goddess 43r> 

HosTJOBOKON,  a  Navaho  god 436 

IIosTJOGHON,  a  Navaho  god 4.36,437 

Hot  BALL 561.714 

played  by  the — 

Chukehansi 714 

Mono 714 

Hough,  R.  B.,  material  collected  by .592 

Hough,  Dr  Walter— 

on  snow-snake  (Seneca) 412 

work  of XXVI 

Hubbub,  game  of 54-55,73 

HucHNOM.  hand  game  of  the 323 

Hudson,  Dr  J.  W. — 

acknowledgments  to 29 

information  furnished  by 413,414,415 

material  collected  by 136,138,141.144. 

166,  247,  290,  291,  295,  310,  3U,  413, 
414,  415,  478,  482,  483,  484,  498,  501, 
595,  597,  630,  631,  635,  679,  702,  704. 
711,  714,  741,  756.  759,  760,  793,  796 

on  archery  (Topinagugim) 3.S8 

(Washo) 396 

on  ball  juggling  (Achomawi) 712 

on  ball  race  (Mono) 679 

(Wasama) 670 

on  buzz  (Mono) 756 

on  dice  games  (.\wani) 143 

(Chukehansi) 138 

(Miwok) 144 

(Nishinam) 155 

(Tcjon) 138-139 

(Washo) 199 

(Yokuts) 141 

on  double  ball  (Hupa) 656 

(Kaoni) 660-661 


INDEX 


827 


Hudson,  Dk  J.  W.— Continued.  Page. 

on  double  ball  ( VVasama) l>.")9 

( VVasho) 664 

on  European  games  (Mono) 796 

on  football  (Chukchansi) 702 

(Mono) 704 

(Nishinam) 703 

(Topinagugim) 702-703 

( WasUo) 704 

on  foot-cast  ball  (Apache) 712 

(rhukchansi) 711 

on  four-stick  game 327 

(Achomawi) 333 

(Modoc ) 332 

(Pao).... 335 

(Washo) 33.i 

on  liand  game  (Achomawi) 307 

(ChowchiUa) 294 

(Mono) 310 

(Pomo) 290 

( Yokuts) 294 

(Washo) 322-323 

on  hoop  and  pole  (ChowchiUa) 484 

(Koyeti) 482 

(Mono ) 498 

(Nishinam) 489 

(Pitkachi) 483 

( Pomo ) 479 

(Topinagugim) 484 

(Wasama) 484 

(Washo ) 523 

(Yaudanchi) 501 

(Yokuts) 483-484 

on  hot  ball 714 

(Mono) 714 

on  racket  (Nishinam) 60S-(i09 

(Pomo) 595 

(Topinagugim) 597 

on  ring  and  pin  (Hupa) 543 

(Pomo) 550 

on  shinnj'  (Mono) 635 

on  stick  game  ( Pomo) 247 

( Washo) 265 

on  tops  (Yokuts) 741 

Ht;MA,  hoop-and-pole  game  of  the 486 

HvNT,  George— 

material  collected  by 249. 263, 489, 520,  "17 

on  hoop  and  pole  (KwLkiutl) 521 

on  ring  and  pin  (Kwakiutl) 559 

shuttlecock  terms  furnished  by  (Bella- 

coola) 717 

Hunter,  .foHN  D.— 

on  dice  games  (Osage)  .■ 188 

onhoopand  pole  ( Osage) 516-517 

HuNT-xnE-BUTTON,  hand  game  (Arapaho) ..  268 

(Black-feet) 269 

HUPA— 

games  of  the— 

cat's  cradle 763 

dice  games 91-92, 199 

double  ball 648, 656-657 

hoop  and  pole 427-428 

ring  and  pin 528,  .542-543 

stick  games 233-236 

headband  of  the 229 

mythology  of  the 657 

ring  worn  on  head  by 432-433 


Hurdle.    See  Flipstave  game.  Page. 

HuROXS,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 106-1 10 

racket 563, 58S-589 

ring  and  pin 549 

snow-snake 409 

stick  games 241-243 

tipcat 721 

See  also  Wyandot. 
Hustle  cap,  dice  game  (Caughnawaga) . . .      105 
Hyde  exploring  expedition,  collection  of      648 

Ice  hockey,  game  of  (.Sauk  and  Foxes) 622 

Illinois,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 72 

stick  games 230 

unclassified 781 

Illustration  work  of  Bureau xxvii-xxviii 

Indian  checkers 796 

Indian  games,  general  discussion  oi..xxxix-XL, 

30,31-35,809 
See  also  Children's  games.  Classification 
of     games,    and     names     of 
games,  respectively. 
Inktomi,  patron   god   of  hoop   and   pole 

(Oglala  Dakota) 507 

lo'WA,  games  of  the— 

archery 394 

dice  games 186 

hidden  ball 36.5-366 

racket 615 

Iroquoian  stock— 
games  of  the — 

racket 562 

stick  games 227 

tribes  of  the— 

Caughnawaga 105,474,573 

Cherokee 105, 475, 574 

Conestoga 105 

Hurons 105,241,409,549,588,721 

Mohawk 110,500 

Onondaga ,..  111,349,502 

St  Regis 592 

Seneca 113,350,410,476,592,805 

Tuscarora 118, 413,477, 629 

Wyandot 118,351,702 

Iroquoian  texts xviii-xix 

Iroquois,  games  of  the — 

dice  game 105.113-115 

hoop  and  pole 422 

racket 590, 591 ,  592-594 

snow  boat 410-411 

snow-snake 400, 412 

Irving,  .John  T.,  jr.  onhoop  and  pole  (Paw- 
nee)        463 

Ita  Eskimo.    See  Eskimo  (Ita). 
Jack  rabbit, Europeangame(Tewa,Tigua).      798 
jACKSTRAWS,game  of — 
played  by  the — 

Eskimo 729-730 

Western 729-730 

Haida 730 

Jacobsen,  F.— 

material  collected  by 196, 249, 558 

on  ring  and  pin  (Clayoquot  > 558 

Jacobsen,  Capt.  Samuel— 

material  collected  by 199,208, 

299,  301, 319. 717, 718. 719, 748, 749, 761 


828 


INDEX 


Jacobsen,  Capt.  Samuel— Continued.         Page, 
on  name  of  bean  shooter  (Opitchesaht) .      761 

on  name  of  top  (Ilesquiaht) 748 

on  name  of  top  (Nootka) 749 

shuttlecock  terms  furnished  by 719 

James,  G.Wuarton.  on  dice  game  (Hava- 

supai) 200 

Javelix-spearing  hoop,  a  I^omo  game 479 

Jenks,  Dr  .\lbert  E..  work  of xxi 

.Tec  de  mai.ns— 

hand  game  (Chipewj-an) 272 

( Ivutehin ) 272 

(O  ki  nagan  i 300 

Jeu  des  failles,  stick  game  (Hurons)..  241-243 

Jicarilla  Apache.    See  .\pache  (Jicarilla). 

John.  Andrew— 

on  hoop  and  dart  (Seneca) 477 

on  snow-snake  (Seneca) 412 

Jones,  Rev.  Peter— 

on  dice  game  (Missisauga) SO 

on  double  l>all  (Missisauga) 654 

on  racket  (Missisauga) 562,569 

on  ring  and  pin  (Missisauga) 538 

on  running  races  (Missisauga) 803 

on  snow-snake  (Missisauga) 405 

Jones,  Dr  William— 

information  furnished  by "407,408,542 

material  collected  by 61,63,08,86,340, 

342, 402, 403, 407, 408, 534 , 542, 565, 
567,  .572.  573,  608,  621,  051,  655,  735 

on  dice  game  (Chippew'a) 01-62,63-64 

on  double  ball  (Chippewa) 651 

(Sauk  and  Fo.xes) 655 

on  hidden  ball  (Chippewa) 342 

(Sa jk  and  Foxesi 345 

on  hoop  and  polo  (Chippewa) 446 

on  popgun  (Sauk  and  Fo.xes) 758 

on  racket  (Chippewa) 567 

(Sauk  and  Foxes) 572,573 

on  ring  and  pin  (Chippewa) 534 

on  shinny  (Sauk  and  Foxes) 622 

on  snow-snake  (Chippewa) 402 

on  stick  game  (Sauk  and  Foxes) 229, 232 

on  tops  (Sauk  and  Foxes) 735 

work  of XXIII 

Joutel,  Henry,  on  unclassified  games 781 

JuEGO  DEL  cuAco,  a  Mexican  game 068 

JUEGO  DE  PASTOR.    See  Pastor. 

JUMPING-TOAD   GAME  (Zuiii) 721 

Kaigani.    Sfe  Haida  (Kaigani). 

Kailtas.    See  TIeldlng. 

Kalapooian  stock,  Calapooya  tribe 283 

Kane,  Paul— 

on  four-stick  game  (Clackama) 328 

on  hand  game  (Chinook) 281-282 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Colville) 457 

on  racket  (Chinook) 573 

on  stick  game  (Clallam) 249 

Kaoni,  double-ball  game  of  the 660-061 

Kaviagmiut.    Sec  Eskimo  (Western). 

Kawchodinne,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 92 

hand  game 272 

ring  and  pin 543 

Kawia,  games  of  the — 

dice  games 165 

hand  game 310 


Keam,  Thomas  V.—  Page. 

material  col  lected  by 346, 358, 457 

on  hidden  ball  (Ilopi) 358 

Kekchi,  dice  games  of  the 141-143 

Kennicott,  Maj.  R.,  material  collected  by. 92, 543 

Keresan  stock  — 
games  of  the— 

archery 388 

ball  race 660,068-009 

cat's  cradle 770 

dice  games 119-124 

European  games 792-793 

hidden  ball 339,351-353 

hoop  and  pole 421,478 

quoits 724 

shinny 629 

tops 740 

KiCKAPOO— 

dice  games  of  the 72-73 

linguistic  work  among  the xxii 

Kicked-billet  race.    See  Ball  race. 
Kicked-stick  game.    See  Ball  race. 
Kimball,  Dr  J.  P.,  material  collected  by  ..      173 
Kiowa— 

games  of  the — 

archery 388 

dice  games 124-130 

hand  game 284-285 

hoop  and  pole 442, 478 

shinny 629 

snow-snake 400, 413 

tops 740 

researches   among xvi-xvii 

Kiowa  Apache,  researches  among xvi-xvii 

KiBK.  Rev.  Jesse,  acknowledgments  to xix 

Kitunahan  stock.    See  Kutenai. 
Klamath— 

blood  relationships  and  affinities  among,     xix 
games  of  the — 

dice  games 136-138 

double  ball 648, 059 

four-stick  game 327, 328-332 

hand  game 291-293 

hoop  and  pole 479-492 

ring  and  pin 528,550-551 

stick  games 247-248 

tops 740-741 

Klikitat,  games  of  the — 

dice  games 158 

hand  game 307 

stick  games 257 

Kohl,  J.  G.— 

on  cradle  amulet  (Chippewa) 427 

on  dice  game  (Chippewa) 65-66 

on  double  ball  (Chippewa) 650 

on  racket  (Chippewa) 5liG-567 

on  snow-snake  (Chippewa) 401 

on  tops  (Chippewa) 734 

Koksoagmiut  Eskimo.    See  Eskimo  (Kok- 

soagmiut). 
Koluschan  stock— 

implements  employed  by  in  stick  game.      227 
tribes  of  the— 

Chilkat 243,287 

Stikine 244 

Taku 244 

Tlingit 130,245,288,709 

Yakutat 740, 793 


INDEX 


829 


Page. 

KONKAU,  hand  game  of  the 296-297 

Kootenai.    See  Kutenai. 

KoTZEBUE,  Otto  von— 

on  Indians  at  San  Francisco  mission...      248 
on  stick  game  (Tlingitt 246 

KoYETi,  hoop-and-pole  games  of  the 4S2 

Keause,  Dr  Aurel— 

on  stick  game  (Tjingit  i 46 

on  tossed  ball  (Tlingit) 709 

Kroeber.  Dr  -\.  L.— 

.Vrapalio  myths  related  by 619,630 

cat's  cradle  (Tta  Eskimo)  (ignred  by . . .      769 

material  collected  by 56,71,271,384,404, 

501 ,549, 556, 622,  CIB,  700, 735, 751 ,  753 

on  ball  juggling  (Ita  Eskimo) 712 

on  buzz  (Ita  Eskimo* 753 

on  football  (Ita  Eskimo) 701 

on  hand  game  (Grosventres) 271 

on  hand-and-foot  ball  (Grosventres) . . .      706 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Arapaho) 443 

(Cheyenne) 440 

(Uncompahgre  Ute) 501 

on  ring  and  pin  (Ita  Eskimo) 549 

work  of XXIII,  XXVI 

KULANAPAN  STOCK— 

implementsemployed  by,  in  stick  games      227 
tribes  of  the — 

Gualala 289,594 

Pomo 131 ,  247, 289, 413, 478, 550, 594, 771 

KuTCHiN.  hand  game  of  the 272 

Kutenai,  hand  games  of  the 276.  2S5-287 

KWAKIUTL— 

games  of  the- 

]iean  shooter 760 

dice  games 131, 189, 196 

hand  game 319-320,321 

hidden  ball 370 

hoop  and  pole 421, 519-522 

quoits 725 

ring  and  pin 528, 559 

shuttlecock 718 

stick  games 263 

unclassified  games 784-786 

mythology  of  the 521 

Labrador  Eskimo.    See   Eskimo  (Laljra- 

dor). 
Lacombe.  Rev.  .Vlbert,  on  jeu  de  hasard..        69 
Lacrosse— 

borrowed  by  the  whites 32 

played  by  the— 

Chippewa 567 

Hurons 563, 564 

Miami 569 

Penobscot 571 

Sauk  and  Foxes 572 

Shawnee 573 

Skokomish 609 

Winnebago 616 

Lafitau.  on  tossed  ball  (,\bnaki) 708 

La  Flesche.  Francis— 

on  bull-roarer  (Omaha) 750 

on  European  games  (Omaha) 797 

on  hidden  ball  (Omaha) 366 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Omaha) 516 

on  popgun  (Omaha) 759-760 

on  snow-snake  (Omaha) 419-420 

on  tops  (Omaha) 747 


I'age. 

La  Hontan,  Baron,  on  Huron  games 108, 

243.589 

Lalemant.    Father,   on   dice  game   (Hu- 
rons)    109-110 

Lampson.  L.  M.— 

material  collected  by 192 

on  hidden  ball  (Tewa) 367-368 

Landa,  Bishop,  on  stilts  (Maya) 731 

Lansing  man,  the xi.xii 

La  Perouse,  J.  F.  G.  de— 

on  hand  game  (Rumsen) 283 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Rum.seni 472 

on  stick  game  (Tlingit) 246 

La  PLATTE,  dice  game  ( Pawnee  i 101-102 

La  revetta,  ball  game  (Tarahumaro' 677 

Laudonniere,  RtNE— 

on  racket  (Muskogee) 006 

on  running  races  (Muskogee) 80S 

Laughing  Doctor.    See  Qatqali  nadlol. 

Lawson.  John— 

on  dice  games  and   gambling  (Tusca- 

rora) 118 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Eno) 510 

on  shinny  (Tuscarora) 629 

on  stick  games  (Congaree) 258 

Le  Bouteluer,  Theodore,  material  col- 
lected by 549 

Lederer,  John,  on  hoop  and  pole  (Eno).. .      510 

Lescarbot,  Marc,  on  dice  games  (Hurons).      108 

Lewis  and  Clark— 

on  hand  game  (Clatsop) 282 

(Nez  PerccSs) 304 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Mandan) 511 

on  unclassified  games  (Clatsop) 781,782 

Library  of  the  Bureau xxxiii-xxxiv 

LiLMALCHE.    See  Penclakut. 

Linguistic  subjects.  Bureau  correspond- 
ence on XIX,  XX 

LiSSI.lNSKV,  Capt.  Uriv- 

on  dice  game  (Western  Eskimo) 104 

on  quoits  (Western  Eskimo) 723-724 

Little  Singer,  maker  of  dice  (Navaho ) ...       96 

Long,  Jack— 

information  furnished  by 158 

on  dice  game  (Chippewa) 65 

on  hand  game  (Yakima ) 307 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Caughnawaga) 474-475 

on  racket  (Chippewa) 564 

Long,  Maj.  Stephen  H.,  on  hoop  and  pole 

( Pawnee) 463. 513 

LosKiEL,  George  Henrv,  on  dice  games 

(Conestoga  i 105 

Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition — 

exhibit  of  Bureau  at xxvii 

plans  of  ancient  Mexican  buildings  made 

for xxviii 

Love  game.  Lover's  game 529 

Luceeo,  J.  Crecencio— 

information  furnished  by 190,798 

on  shinny  (Tigua) 643 

on  tops  (Tigua) 748 

LuiseSos,  the.    See  San  Luiseno  Indians. 

LUKENS,  DrC.  R.— 

material  collected  by 121 

on  dice  game  ( Keres) 121-122 

on  hidden  ball  (KeresI 352 


830 


INDEX 


LCMHOLTZ,  De  Cael—  Page. 

material  collected  by 152. 154, 660, 677 

on  archery  (Tarahumare) .Igg 

on  ball  race 672-676 

( Tarahumare) 677 

on  dice  games  (Tarahumare) 152 

(Tepehuan) 154 

on  double  ball  (Tepehuan) 660 

on  o.uoits  (Tarahumare) 724-725 

on  shinny  (Tarahumare) 631 

LuMMis,  Ch.^rles  F..  on  dice  games. .  124.  lSil-192 

LUTUAMHN  STOCK— 

elan  system  among  the xix 

implementsemployed  by.  in  stick  games      227 
tribes  of  the — 

Klamath 136.247,291,328,  479.659,740 

Lutwami 3.33 

Modoc 293, 332 

Lutwami.  four-stick  game  of  the 333 

Macauley.  Capt.  C.  N.  B.,  U.  S.  A.— 

material  collected  by 456 

on     dice     games      (White     Mountain 

Apache) 90-91 

on   hoop   and   pole    (White    Mountain 

.\pache) 456-459 

McChesnev,  Dr  Charles  E..  U.S.  .\.,  in- 
formation furnished  by 183-184 

McGee,  W  J,  acting  directorof  Bureau ix-x 

material  collected  by 146,148,354 

on  dice  game  ( Papago) 148 

on  hidden  ball  ( Papago) 354-355 

paper  prepared  on  invitation  of 30 

work  of xii-xiii 

McGuiRE,  Joseph  D.,  work  of xxvi 

McIlhenny,  E.  a.— 

material  collected  by 104,755 

on  dice  games  ( Esldmo) 104 

McKay,  Charles  I>.,  material  collected  by. .      738 

Mackenzie.  Sir  Alexander— 

on  dice  game  (Sekani) 97 

on  stick  game  (Takulli) 2.36 

McKoin,  John  J. — 

material  collected  liy 207, 682 

on  ball  race  (Mohave) 682 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Mohave) 523-524 

Maclean,  Rev.  John— 

on  hand  game  ( Blackfeet) 269 

( Nez  Perccs) 305 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Nez  Percys) 493 

(Assiniboin) 502 

(Bliickfeet) 444 

on  stick  games  (.\ssiniboin) 258 

McLean,  John  J.,  material  collected  by. . .  244.734 

Magic    See  Sorcery. 

Maidu.  hand  games  of  the 297-298 

Makah.  games  of  the— 

archery 383,395 

bean  shooter 761 

cat's  cradle 762,776 

dice  games 197 

hand  game 321-322 

hoop  and  pole 421,522 

ring  and  pin 528,559-560 

shinny 616,643-644 

shuttlecock 718-719 

stick  games 263-265 

tops 748 


Malecite.    See  Amalecite.  Page. 

Mallery,    Col.    Gareick,   on   elk  game 

( Oglala  Dakota) 505-506 

Mancos  canyon,  Colorado,  objects  from 47, 

228,427,648,667 
Mandan— 

games  of  the — 

archery 393 

dice  games 187 

hand-and-foot  ball 705,707 

hoop  and  pole 421,511-513 

running  races 807,808 

snow-snake 419 

similarity  of,  to  Blackfeet  games. .-        58 
Manitaeees,  Manitaries.    See  Hidatsa. 

Manuscripts  in  Bureau xi.x-xx,xxix-xxx 

Marchand,     Etienne,     on     stick    games 

1  (Haida) 262-263 

I   Maeicopa,  games  of  the— 

archery 396 

ball  race 666,681 

buzz 757 

cat's  cradle 776 

dice  games 201 

double  ball 665 

hidden  ball 339,370-371 

running  races 809 

Mariposan  stock— 

dice  games 139 

tribes  of  the— 

Chukehansi 138,482,630,702,711,714 

Koyeti 482 

Mbxed  tribes 630 

Pitkachi 482 

Tejon 138 

Wiktchamne 129 

Yaudanchi 501 

Yokuts 140, 

293,414,483,595,630,741,759,793 
Martin.  De  T.  P.— 

material  collected  by 370 

on  dice  game 195 

on  European  games  (Tigua) 798 

on  hidden  ball  (Tigua) 370 

Mason,  Peof.  Otis  T.— 

information  furnished  by 103 

work  of XXVI 

Massachuset,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 73 

football 697 ,  698 

stick  games 230 

Matawa  Kaeso,  rackets  made  by 606 

Mateimonial  game  (Assiniboin) 555 

(Grosventres) 537 

Matsailema.    See  Zuni,  mythology  of  the. 
Matthews.  De  Washington.  U.  S.  A.— 

material  collected  by..  .  57,95,186,187,747,758 

on  l)all-play  myth  (Cherokee) 563 

on  dice  game  (Hidatsa) 186 

(Navaho) 94-95 

on  Hastseltsi .  a  Navaho  god  of  racing. .      804 

on  hidden  ball  ( Navaho ) 346-347 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Navaho) 458,459 

on  shinny  (Navaho) 623-624 

on  tops  (Hidatsa) 747 

work  of XXV, XXVI 


INDEX 


831 


Maximilian,  Prince  of  Wied—  Page. 

on  dice  games  ( Assiniboin) 177 

on  hand  game  (Assiniboin) 317 

( Blaekfect) 269 

on  hand-and-foot  ball  (Mandan) 707-708 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Hidatsa) 511 

(Mandan) 513 

( Ponca) 517 

on  snow-snake  ( Hidatsa) 419 

(Mandan) 419 

on  tossed  t>all  ( Hidatsa) 710 

Maya-English  rucTioNARY,  preparation  of ,  xxin 
Maya,  games  of  the — 

cat's  cradle 762, 772 

dice  games 143 

stilts 731 

tops 741 

unclassified  games 783-784 

Mayan   \ntiquities.    ,See  Mexican  and 

Mayan  antiquities. 
Mayan  stock,  tribes  ol  the— 

Kekchi 141 

Maya 143, 741, 772. 783 

Mayerhoff,  Rev.  Paul  S.— 

material  collected  by 87,450 

on  dice  game  (White  Mountain  Apache).       87 
on   hoop   and   pole    (White   Mountain 

.\pache) 450-453 

Mayne,  Commander  R.  C,  on  hand  game 

( Songish) 302 

Meeker,  Louis  L. — 

material  collected  by 180,201, 

364,  371,  391,  400,  416,  504,  505,  507,  530, 
.556,  K!8,  665,  681,  746,  7.50,  757,  759,  776 

on  archery  ( Dakota) 391-392 

( Maricopa) 396 

on  Iiall  game  (Maricopa) 681 

on  Inill-roarer  (Oglala  Dakota) 750 

on  buzz  (Oglala  Dakota) 757 

oncoasting  (Oglala  Dakota)  716 

on  dice  games  (Cheyenne)   60 

( Oglala  Dakota) 180 

on  doulile  ball  (Maricopa) 665 

on  foot  race  (Maricopa) 809 

on  hair  ornament  (Cheyenne) 429-430 

(Oglala  Dakota) 429-430 

on  hand-and-foot  ball  (Cheyenne) 706 

(Winnebago) 708 

on  hidden  ball  (Dakota) 364-365 

(Maricopa) 371 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Cheyenne) 445-446 

(Oglala  Dakota) 434-435,504,505,507 

on  popguns  (Oglala  Dakota) 7.59 

on  ring  and  pin  (Cheyenne) 530-.".31 

(Oglala  Dakota) 529,556 

on  shinny  (Oglala  Dakota) 638 

on  snow-snake  (Cheyenne) 400 

(Oglala  Dakota) 416 

on  stick  game  (Piegan)  231 

on  tops  (Cheyenne) 734 

(Oglala  Dakota) 746 

Meewocs.    See  Miwok. 
Menominee,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 73-74 

double  ball 653 

hidden  ball 343-344 

racket  ' 567^68 


Menominee,  games  of  the— Cont'd.  Page. 

shinny 617,622 

snow-snake 404-405 

Mercer,  Henry  C,  material  collected  by.. .      541 

Merriam,  Dr  C.  Hart— 

collection  of 139 

material  collected  by 1.39, 143, 596 

on  dice  games  (Miwok) 143 

( Wiktchainne) 139-140 

on  racket  (Miwok) 596-597 

Mescalero,  Apache.    See  Apache  (Mesca- 

lero) 449 

Messiter,   Charles   Alston,    on   hand 

game 316,317 

Meuse,  James— 

material  collected  by 78 

on  dice  games  (Micmac) 79 

Mexican  and  Mayan  antiqihties.  history 

and  calendar  systems  of xxxii 

Mexicans,  games  of  the 794 

Mexico  and  Central  America,  linguistic 

data  on xviii,xxxii 

Miami,  games  of  the — 

hidden  ball 344 

racket ,563, 569 

stick  games 231 

tossed  ball 708 

Micmac,  games  of  the — 

dice  games 74-80, 97 

European  games 792 

football 698 

quoits 722 

ring  and  pin 528 

MiKONoTUNNE,  games  of  the— 

shinny 623 

stick  games .' 236 

Miller,  James  II.—    ' 

information  furnished  by 792 

material  furnished  by 351,668 

on  arrow  game  (Keres) 388 

on  cat's  cradle 770 

on  dice  game  (Keres) 120-121 

on  shinny  ( Keres) 629 

MifjDELEFF,  Victor,  material  collected  by. .      634 

Minitakees.    See  Hidatsa. 

Minor.  Edwin — 

material  collected  by 171,313 

on  dice  game 171 

Mishikhwutmetunne,  games  of  the — 

shinny 023 

stick  games 236 

MisiNA.     See  Zuni,  mythology  of  the. 

Mission  Indians,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 204 

hand  game 325-326 

shinny 644 

MissiSAUGA,  games  of  the — 

dice  games 80 

double  ball 64,S,  653-654 

hidden  ball 344 

racket 563, 565, 569 

ring  and  pin 534, 538 

running  races 003 

snow-snake 405 

Missouri,  archery  game  of  the 394 

Mitchell,  J.  .\.— 

material  collected  by 68, 

230,403-404,536,65-2,791 


832 


INDEX 


Mitchell,  J.  A.— Continued.  Page. 

on  dice  game  (Cree^ 68-69 

on  double  ball  (Cree ) 652 

on  European  games  (Cree,  Chippewa) ..      791 

on  hand  game  (Cree) 270 

onhiddenball  (Creel 342 

on  ring  and  pin  (Cree) 536 

MrwoK,  games  of  the — 

dice  games 143, 144 

racket 596-597 

shinny 617 

Moci  Asis  game.    See  Hidden-ball  game. 

Modoc,  games  of  the — 

tour-stick  game 327, 332 

hand  game 293 

Mohave,  games  of  the — 

ball  race 666, 682 

dice  games 151 ,  20.5-207 

hand  game 326-327 

hoop  and  pole 420, 523-525 

quoits 722, 726 

ring  and  pin 528, 500 

shinny 616.644-645,646 

Mohawk,  games  of  the —  | 

dice  games 110-111   | 

racket 563,590-592 

MoLiNo,  SeSor  Axdomaro,  preparation  of  | 

Maya-English  dictionarj-  by. .  x.xiii 

Mono,  games  of  the—  ' 

ball  race 666,679 

bean  shooter 760 

buzz 756 

dice  games 166 

European  games 796 

football 698,704 

hand  game 310.311 

hoop  and  pole 498 

hot  ball 714 

shinny 617,635 

MONTAGNAis,  games  of  the — 

archery 383, 384-385 

ring  and  pin 538-539 

tossed  ball 708 

Moody,  Henry,  material  furnished  by 262 

Mooney,  James— 

material  collected  by 54, 59. 126, 130, 160, 

357, 388, 413, 445, 478, 620, 629. 634, 740 

material  furnished  by 658 

on  archery  game  (Kiowa) 388 

on  ball  race  (Cosumni) 669-670 

on  dice  game  ( Arapaho) 54-55 

(Comanche) 160 

( Kiowa) 126-127 

on  Ghost  dance  (Sioux) 438 

on  hand  game  (Arapaho) 268 

( Kiowa) 284-285 

on  hidden  ball  (Jicarilla  Apache) 345 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Arapaho) 442-443 

(Cherokee) 475 

(Jicarilla  Apache) 449 

(Kiowa) 478 

on  racket  (Cherokee) 575-587 

(Passamaquoddy) 570 

on  shinny  (Arapaho) 617 

on  snow-snake  (.\rapaho) 400 


Mooney,  James— Continued.  Page. 

on  tops  (Arapaho  i 7,33 

work  of xvi-xvii,xxv,  xx\-i,xxvii 

Moquelumnan  stock,  tribes  of  the— 

Aplache 712 

Awani 143, 630 

Chowchilla 294, 484, 631 

Cosumni 669 

Guimen 248 

Miwok 143, 596 

Olamentke 144,248 

Olumpali 248 

Sonomi 248 

Topinagugim i94, 388, 414 ,  484. 597,  702 

Tulares ' 145 

V  tchimn 248 

Wasama 485, 631, 659, 670 

Morgan,  Lewis  H.— 

on  Iroquois  games 113-116. 411-412, 422 

on  Seneca  games 410-411, 

476-477, 562. 563, 592-594, 805 
Morice,  Rev.  Father  A.  G.— 

on  dice  game  (Takulli ) 97 

on  hand  game  (TakuUii 272-274 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Takullii 460-461 

on  snow-snake  (Takulli ) 409 

on  stick  game  ( Takulli ) 236-238 

on  unclassified  games  (Takulli) 781-782 

Mugulasha,  hoop-and-pole  game  of  the  ...      485 
Murdoch.  John— 

on  archery  (Western  Eskimo) 386-387 

on  buzz  (Western  Eskimo) 753.755 

on  objects    from   Plover  bay,  eastern 

Siberia 103 

Murray,  Hon.  Charles  Augl^stus,     on 

hoop  and  pole  (Pawnee) 463-465 

Muscogulges.    See  Creeks. 

Musical  accomp.animents  in  Indian  games.        44 

in  archery  (Montagnais) 384-385 

in  dice  games  (Menominee) 73-74 

Thompson  Indians 157 

Yokut  s 140 

in  foot  ball  (Massachuset) 698 

in  four-stick  game  (Clackama) 328 

Paiute 335 

Pao 335 

Washo 335 

in  hand  game 267 

.\rapaho 268 

Assiniboin 316 

Cree 316 

Bannock 307 

Blackfeet 269 

Chilkat 288 

Chinook 282 

Clatsop 282 

Comanche 309 

Dieguenos 524 

Kiowa 285 

Kutenai 286-287 

Kwakiutl 320,321 

Makah 321 

Nez  Perci^s 304-305 

Nisqualli 299 

Nootka 322 

Okinagan SOO-.TOl 

Paiute 312 


INDEX 


833 


page. 
Musical      accompaniments      in     Indian 
games — Continued. 

in  hand  game — continued. 

Pawnee 276 

Saboba 313 

Shoshoni 314 

Songish 302 

Takulli 273,274 

Thompson  Indians 302-303 

Tobikhar 314 

Twana 304 

Umatilla 306 

Wichita 279-2S1 

Yampa  Ute 31.V-31G 

in  hidden  ball 339 

Chippewa 340. 341 

Dakota 365 

Hopi 3Gl-3(i4 

Iowa 365-366 

Keres 352 

Menominee 343-344 

Miami _ 344 

Navaho 347, 348 

Seneca 350-351 

Tewa 368 

W  yandot .351 

Ziiaqile 357 

Zufli 374-380,381 

in  hoop  and  pole  (Arapaho) 442 

Oglala  Dakota 435 

in  racket  (Cherokee  i 574 

in  stick  games— 

Ataakut 233 

Chinook 241 

Haida 260 

Hupa 235 

Makah 264 

Puyallup 251 

Snohomish 253-254 

Songish 254 

Takulli 274 

Tliompson  Indians 256 

Twana 256 

MUSKHOGEAN  STOCK — 

racket , .5(12 

tribes  of  the — 

Bayogoula 485 

Chickasaw 597 

Choctaw 146,  485, 598, 709 

Creeks  (Muskogee)...  422,486,487,605,805 

Huma , 486 

Mugulasha 485 

Seminole 60S 

Muskogee,  games  of  the— 

hoop  and  pole 421,  486-488 

racket 562, 605 

running  races 805 

See  also  Creeks. 
Mutch,  Capt.  James  S.,  material  collected 

by 102. 736, 751 

Mythology.    See  Ceremonial  observances. 
Religious  ceremonies.  War  Gods,  and  the 
several  tribal  names. 
Narraganset,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 80-81 

football 697, 699 

stick  games 231 

24  ETH— 05  M 53 


Page 
Nascapee,  games  of  the — 

ball  juggling 712 

ring  and  pin 539-540 

Natchez,  games  of  the — 

dice  games 140 

hoop  and  pole 488 

tossed  ball 710 

Navaho— 

games  of  the — 

archery 383, 385-386 

ball  race 666,668 

baseball 78£i-790 

bean  shooter 763 

bull-roarer 750 

cat's  cradle 762, 763-767, 775, 779 

dice  games 92-97,162,190,222.223 

hidden  ball 339.34(i-349 

hoop  and  pole 322, 421. 429,  457-460, 519 

quoits 722 

running  races 803-804 

shinny 617, 623-C24 

unclassified 781 

mythology  of  the 95-96, 

356-357,43(^437,623-624,766,790.804 

Negroes,  raquettc  played  by 604-605 

Neighbors,    Robert   S..   on   hand   game 

(Comanche) 309 

Neill,  Rev,'  K.  I).— 

on  hidden  ball  (Dakota) 30.") 

on  racket  (Santeo  Dakota) 614 

Nelson,  EnWARD  William— 

material  collected  by 103, 474. 701, 729 

on  football  (Western  Eskimo) 701 

on  hand-and-foot  ball 706-707 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Western  Eskimo)  ...      474 

on  jackstraws  (\^'estern  Eskimo) 729-730 

on  minor  amusements  ( Eskimo) 715 

on  running  races  (Western  Eskimo) 805 

on  shinny  ( Western  Eskimo) 629 

on  top  spuming  (Western  Eskimo) . . .  738-739 
on  use  of  images  of  birds  in  games  (Es- 
kimo)       103 

Newcombe,  Dr  C.  F.— 

acknowledgments  to 29 

material  collected  by. .  2.59,521,558,784,785,786 

on  bean  shooter  (Kwakiutl) 760-761 

on  dice  games  (Clayoquot) 196 

(Haida) 189 

(Kwakiutl) 196, 197 

on  hand  game  (Kwakiutl)) 321 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Haida) 517 

(Kwakiutl) .520 

(Salish) 491 

on  jackstraws  (Haida) 730 

on  quoits  (Haida) 725 

(Kwakiutl) 725 

on  ring  and  pin  (Clayoquot) 558-559 

(Kwakiutl) 559 

on  shuttlecock  (Kwakiutl) 718 

on  stick  game  (Haida) 259 

(Kwakiutl) 263 

on  top  game  ( Haida) 747 

on  unclassified  games  (Haida) 784 

(Kwakiutl) 785, 786 

Newhouse,    Setii.    Mohawk  cosmological 

myth  related  by xviii 

New  Mexico,  mapping  of  ancient  ruins  in. .      xxi 


834 


INDEX 


Nez  PERCts,  games  of  th&—  Page. 

hand  game 304,305 

hoop  and  pole 493 

shinny 632 

NicoLAR,  Chief  Joseph— 

material  collected  by 84 

on  dice  game  ( Penobscot) S4 

NiMKiSH,  shuttlecock  game  of  the 719 

Nine  men's  morris,  game  borrowed  by  the 

Indians 32 

NiPlssiNG,  games  of  the — 

dice  games SI 

hidden  ball 344 

racket : 570 

ring  and  pin 540 

NisHiNAM,  games  of  the — 

dice  games 1.54-155 

double  ball fiiil 

football 698, 703 

hand  game 298 

hoop  and  pole 489 

racket 608-609 

tossed  ball 710 

NisKA.  games  of  the — 

hand  game 281 

hoop  and  pole 421,471 

shinny 628 

stick  games 240 

tops 733, 736 

tossed  ball 709 

NiSQUALi.i,  games  of  the — 

dice  games 156 

hand  game 299 

stick  games 250 

NoHoiLPi,  gambling  god  of  Navaho 95, 623-624 

NooTKA,  games  of  the — 

dice  games 198 

hand  game ' 322 

hidden  ball 370 

hoop  and  pole 523 

tops ..      749 

Norridgewock,  games  of  the — 

dice  games .  81-82 

snow-snake 406 

stick  games 231 

tops 735 

Northwest-coast  tribes,  games  of  the— 

bean  shooter 760 

shuttlecock 717 

stick  games 227 

tops 733 

NowLAND,  J.  H.  i;.,  on  hidden  ball 344 

Ntlakyapamuk.    Sec  Thompson  Indians. 

Oankoitupeh,  a  culture  hero  of  the  Kon- 

kau 296-297 

Out)  OR  even— 

hidden  ball  ( Paiute) 334-335 

stick  game  (Haida) 260 

(Teton  Dakota) 258 

(Washo) 265 

Oglala  Dakota.    See  Dakota  (Oglala). 

Ojibwa,  Ojibway.    See  Chippewa. 

Okinagan,  games  of  the 300-301, 806 

Olamestke,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 144 

stick  games 248 


Ololopa.  games  of  the —  Page. 

hand  game 299 

stick  games 248, 258 

Olumpali,  stick  game  of  the 248 

Omaha,  games  of  the— 

a  rchery 383, 393-394 

IniU-roa  rer 7c0 

dice  games 187-188, 760 

douljle  ball 648, 663 

Kuropean  games 797 

hidden  bail 366 

hoop  and  pole 420, 421.. il 4-516 

popgun 7.i9-7f 0 

shinny 617, 641-642,  7i;o 

snow-snake 419-420 

stick  games 259 

target  shooting 760 

throwing  sticks 760 

tops 747,  760 

Oneida,  the 117 

Onondaga,  games  of  the — 

dice  games 111-113, 117 

hidden  ball 349 

racket ,592 

Opata,  games  of  the — 

ball  race 066, 670 

dice  games 146 

shinny 631 

Opitchesaht,  games  of  the — 

bean  shooter 761 

shuttlecock 719 

Oriental   games,  compared  with  Indian 

games 29 

Osage,  games  of  the — 

dice  games 188 

hoop  and  pole 516-517 

shinny ' 642 

Oto,  games  of  the — 

archery 394 

racket 615 

Ottawa,  games  of  the — 

dice  games 82 

hidden  ball 344-345 

Owen,  Charles  L.— 

acknowledgments  to 29 

ancient  Hopi  graves  excavated  by 425 

material  collected  by 90,91,164 

on  archery  game  (Hopi) 290 

on  dice  game  f.Vpache) 91 

on    gaming    hoops    (White    Mountain 

.\paclie) -. . .      430 

0WEN.S.  John  0.— 

on  archery  (Zuni) 396 

on  ball  race  (Zuni) 686-689, 697 

on  dice  games  (Zuni) 212,221 

on  quoits  (Zufii) ' 726 

on  shuttlecock  (Zuiii) 720 

Pacific-coast  Indians 227,273 

Paiute,  games  of  the— 

ball  juggling 713 

dice  games 166-168 

double  ball 647,662 

football 698,704 

four-stick  game 327, 333-.335 

hand  game 311-312 

hoop  and  pole 421.498-499 


INDEX 


835 


Page. 
Paiute,  games  of  the — Continued. 

ring  and  pin 528,529,553-554 

tops 744 

Pakamali,  California  tribe 333 

Palmer.  Dr  Edward— 

material  collected  by : 90, 94, 

149,  150,  169,  200,  205,  206,  324,  320, 
429,  489,  499,  524,  554,  555,  560,  570, 
fi02,  623,  631,  645,  671,  681,  682,  744 

on  ball  race  (Cocopa ) 681 

(Mohave) 682 

( Pima ) 671 

on  dice  games  (Mohave) 205 

fPima) l.'-O 

(White  Mountain  Apache) 90 

on  hand  game  (Diegiienos) 324-325 

(Mohave) 326 

on  hoop  and  pole  ( Pima) 489 

on  shinny  (Mohave) t'>45 

Pandosv,  on    definition    of    Yakima    hand 

game 307 

Pao,  four-stick  game  of  the 335 

Papago,  games  of  the — 

ball  race 666, 670-671 

dice  games 146-148 

double  ball 648,  &'j9-660 

European  games 794 

hand  game 295 

hidden  baU 336,339,353-355 

Paquette,  Moses,  information  furnished 

'    by 366 

Partridge,  R;  H.,  work  of xxi 

Passamaquoddy,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 82-84 

European  games 792 

racket .570-571 

ring  and  pin 528, 540-541 

snow-snake 406 

Pastor,  game  of  (Tigua) 195 

Patepte.  a  Kiowa  leader 285 

Patol.  game  of 122. 146, 148, 151, 152, 190-194 

Pawnee— 

games  of  the — 

a rchery 3S3. 386 

dice  games 99-102 

double  ball 6.^7-6.58 

hand  game 269, 274-276 

hoop  and  pole 420,463-469 

shinny 625 

snow-snake 409 

swing 730 

mythology  of  the 730 

Pawnee  (Skidi),  hoop-and-pole  game  of 

the 469 

Peachstone  GA«E,dice  game  (Cayuga)..  112-113 

(Sene^-a) 116-117 

l^EDRERiA,  European  game  (Tewa) 797.798 

Pexd  d'Oreilles.  games  of  the— 

hoop  and  pole 490 

shinny 632 

stick  games 250 

Penelakut,  hand  game  of  the 301 

1'enobscot.  games  of  the— 

dice  games 84 

racket 571 

ring  and  pin 528, 529, 541^542 

snow-snake 4(M'»-4fl7 


Page 

Peon,  hand  game  of 267 

played  by  the — 

Kawia 310- 

Mission  Indians 326 

Mohave 327 

Papago 295 

Saboba 313 

Tobikhar 314-315. 

Yuma 327 

Peoria  dictionary  and  grammar,  prepara- 
tion of XX 

Perley,  Susan,  information  furnished  l>y . .  49, 50- 
Perrot,  Nicolas— 

lacrosse  game  in  honor  of. .  (Miami) 569 

on  dice  games  (Hurons) 107 

on  racket  (Huronsi 588.589 

on  stick  game  (Hurons) 241  243^ 

Petitot,  Father— 

on  hand  game  (Chippewa^ 272 

(Kawchodinne) 272 

(Kutchin) 272 

(Takulli) 27a 

Petroff,  Ivan,  on  quoits  (Eskimo) 72S 

PH.A.LUCISM ,  in  ring  and  pin 529 

Phonograph,  the,  in  linguistic  work xxi 

Piegan,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 57, 84-85 

hand  game 271 

hoop  and  pole 447-448 

stick  games 231 

Pike,  Zebulon  M.— 

on  dice  game  ( Pawnee) 101-102 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Pawnee) 465 

Pima— 

games  of  the— 

archery 389 

ball  race 666, 671-672 

dice  games 148-152 

double  ball 648, 660 

hand  game 267, 295-296^ 

hidden  ball 339, 355-35t\ 

hoop  and  pole 489 

quoits 724 

ring  and  pin 528, 551-552 

running  races 806- 

shuttlecock 717 

researches  among  the xx-xxi 

PiMAN  STOCK,  tribes  of  the— 

Opata 146, 631. 670 

Papago 146. 295, 353, 659, 670. 794 

Pima 148, 295. 

355.  389.  489,  551,  660.  671.  717.  724,806 

Sobaipuris 80& 

Tarahumare 152, 389, 631, 672.  724 

Tepehuan 153,660 

Zuaque 154, 356, 631, 678 

PiTARiLLA,  European  game  (Tewa) 797 

PiTKACHi,  hoop-and-pole  game  of  the 4S2-4sa 

Plains  tribes— 
games  of  the— 

buzz 75L 

cup  and  pin 559 

double  ball 647 

hoop  and  pole 42& 

shinny 617 

Sun  dance  among  the 43S-440 

studies  among  the xvi-xvii 


836 


INDEX 


Page. 

Platter,  game  of  the 97,186.187 

Playing  cards 32, 791 

Pltmstone  game  CArikara) 97 

Cheyenne 61 

Dakota  (Santee) 180-1S5 

Yankton 184, 185-186 

Illinois 72 

Wyandot 118-119 

PoMi),  games  of  the- 
cal's  cradle 771 

dice  games 131-136 

hand  game 289-291 

hoop  and  pole - 478-479 

racket 502. 594-595 

ring  and  pin 528.  .550 

snow-snake 413-414 

stick  games 247 

Ponca,  games  of  the — 

archery 383, 394 

dice  games 188-189 

hoop  and  pole ■ 517 

shinny 641 

snow-snake 419 

tops 747 

PooKONG.    See  llopi.  mythology  of  the. 

Poole.  Francis,  on  stick  game  (Haida)  ...      260 

POPGVN— 

used  by  the— 

Ankara 758 

Cheyenne 758 

Dakota  (Oglala) 759 

Telon 7.59 

Omaha 759-700 

Sauk  and  Foxes 758 

.Siouan  stock - 758 

Yokuts 759 

Porto  Rico,  prehistoric  inhalaitants  of xiii- 

XIV,  XXVII-XXVIII 

I'oTAWATOMl.  games  of  the — 

archery 383, 385 

dice  games 85 

hidden  liall 344,385 

stick  games 231 

POTHERIE,        liACQVEVILLE       DE       LA.      See 

Uacfiueviile  de  la  Potheric. 
Powell.  Db  J.  W.,  material  collected  liy 

2.")9. 263 

Powell.  Maj.  .Ioiin  Wesley 

death  of ix 

influence    of    on    .\meri(rj(n    philologic 

research xxii 

material  collected  by 166, 

311, 335, 358,  495, 633, 643, 743, 791 

oliituary  notice  of xxxv-xxxvii 

pulilications  in  charge  of XXV 

I'owERs,  Stephen — 

material  collected  by 167, 

178,323,333,499,553,662 

on  dice  game  (Nishinam) 154-155 

( Paiute ) 167, 168 

(Yokuts  1 140 

on  double  ball  (Nishinam) 601 

(Paiute  ( 662 

on  four-stick  game  (Paiute) 334 

on  games  of  the  Kailtas  (Tlelding) 238 

on  hand  game  (C.ualala)  289,298 


Page. 
Powers,  Stephen— Continued. 

on  hand  game  (lluchnom) 323 

(Nishinam  1  298 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Paiute) 499 

on  Knnkau  myth 29(>-297 

oTi  racket  (Gualala) 294 

( Porno) 594-595 

on  ring  and  pin  (Paiute) 553 

on  stick  game  (Hupa) 235 

on  tossed  ball  (Nishinam  i 710 

Powhatan,  games  of  the— 

football 697, 699 

shinny 622 

stick  games 232 

Pbadt,  Capt.   George   II.,   on  dice  game 

(Keres) 122-123 

Prairie  tribes,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 54 

hoop  and  pole 442 

Prescott.  Philander— 

on  dice  game  (Santee  Dakota) 180, 181 

on  hidden  ball  (Dakota) 365 

on  racket  (Santee  Dakota) 612 

Property  of  1H:reau xxxiv 

Publications  of  Bureau xxx-xxxiii 

Pueblos,  games  of  tlie— 

tops 733 

tor  stick 608 

Pueblo  tribes  of  the  Rio  Grande,  running 

races  of  the 800 

Pujunan  stock,  tribes  of  the— 

Kaoni 660 

Konkau 296 

Maidu 297 

Nishinam ,.  154, 298, 489. 308. 661, 703, 710 

Ololopa 248, 299 

Putnam,  Prof.  F.  W.— 

invitation  extended  by,  to  author 29 

Puyallup,  games  of  the— 

hand  game 302 

stick  game 250 

Qatqali  nadloi 92, 668 

Qu artier,  Jacques,  on  dice  games(Hurons)      108 

Quinaielt,  dice  games  of  the 156 

Quince.    See  Patol. 
Quoits— 

general  description 722 

played  by  the— 

Eskimo  (Western  i 723-724 

Haida  (Kaigani) 725 

Keres 724 

Kwakiutl 725 

Micmac 722 

Mohave 722, 726 

Navaho 722 

Pima 724 

Tarahumare 722, 724-725 

Zuni 722, 726-727 

Racket— 

borrowed  by  the  whites 32 

general  description 562-563 

playeil  by  the— 

Abnaki 571. 708 

Assiniboin 610-611 

Catawba 611 

Caughnawaga 573-574 


INDKX 


837 


Racket— Continued.  Page. 

played  by  the — continued. 

Cherokee 562, 563,  .574-588 

Cheyenne 56g 

Chiclcasaw 597 

Chinook 562, 563, 573 

Chippewa. .  562, .563, 564-.567, 568, 573, 61 1, 016 

Choctaw 562, 563, 598-605 

Cree 573 

Dakota 562 

Santec 563, 611-614 

Yanktonai 614 

Delawares 567 

Gualala 594-595 

Ilurons 563,588-589 

Iowa 615 

Iroquois 590-.591  ,.592-594 

Menominee 567-568 

Miami 563, 569 

Missisauga 563,565,569 

Miwok 596-597 

Mohawk 563,590-.592 

Muskogee 562, 60.5-607 

Nipissing 570 

Nishinam 608-609 

Onondaga 592 

Oto 615 

Passaraaquoddy 570-571 

Penobscot 571 

Pomo .562,.594-S95 

St  Regis 592 

Salish 562 

.Santee 562, 563 

Sauk  and  Foxes 564, 572-573 

Seminole 562, 608 

Seneca .562,563,592-594 

Shawnee 573 

Sioux 573 

Skokomish 609 

Thompson  Indians .562,609-610 

Topinagugim 597 

Winnebago 562,61.5-616 

Vokuts .595 

referable  to  net  shield 33 

See  also  Lacrosse,  Raquette. 

Raquette.  game  of •.  604-605 

See  also  Racket. 
Rasles,  Father  Sebastian— 

definitions  by.  on  tops 735 

on  European  games  (Norridgewock). .. .      792 

on  words  referring  to  games 81-82 

Raub,  John,  information  furnished  by 155, 

249,299,717,741,772 
Ray,  I.ieut.  P.  H..  U.  .S.  A.— 

material  collected  by.-. 738 

on  archery  (Western  Eskimo) 386-387 

on  stick  games  ( Hupa) 236 

(Ataakut) 233 

Reagan,  Albert  B.— 

on  dice  games  (Apache) 88-89 

on    hoop    and    pole    (White    Mountain 

A  pache) 454-456 

Redesdo,  a  Yuma  game 526 

Red  hoop.    See  Cangleska  Luta. 

Ree,  the.    See  Arikara. 

Reed  or  cane  game.    See  Cane  game. 

Reeds,  game  of  (Hurons) 107-108 


Religious  ceremonies—  Page. 

in  connection  with  ball  race  (Zuni) 674, 

683-684, 686-688, 6,S9, 692, 694 
in  connection  with  racket  (Cherokee)..  .580-.584 

offerings  of  cylinders  (Hopi) 666 

^     See  also  Ceremonial  observances. 

Research  work  of  bureau x,xi-xxvi 

Rice,  Col.  Z.  .V.,  information  furnished  by  669-670 
Ried,  Hugo- 

on  ball  race  (Tobikhar) 680 

on  dice  game  (Toljikhar) 172 

on  hand  game  (Tol.nkhari 314-315 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Tohikhan .500 

RiGGs,  Stephen  R.— 

on  hidden  ball  (Dakota) .365 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Yankton  Dakota)...      509 

on  stick  games  (Dakota ) 228-229 

on  terms  in  snow-snake  ( Dakota) 419 

Ring  and  ARROW,  game  of 448 

Ring  and  pin  — 

bone  play 538 

cup  and  ball 546,547,548 

general  description 527-529 

matrimonial  game 537,555 

played  by  the— 

A  rapaho 529-530, 532 

Assiniboin .544, 555-.556 

Athapascan  stock 528 

Cheyenne 529, 530-.533 

Chippewa 533-535 

Clayoquot 528, 558-559 

Cree 528, 535-536 

Dakota  (BrulS) 556 

Oglala 529,556 

Teton 557 

Delawares 537 

Eskimo 528,529 

Central 544-547 

Ita 549 

Labrador 548 

G  rosvent  res , 537 

Haida 557-558 

Hupa , 528, 542-543 

Hurons 549 

Kawchodinne .543 

Klamath 528. 550-551 

Kwakiutl 528, 559 

Makah 528, 559-560 

Micmac 528 

Missisauga 534.538 

Mohave 528-560 

Montagnais , ^ 538-539 

Nascapee 539-540 

Nipissing 540 

Pai u te 528, 529, 553-554 

Passamaquoddy 528, 540-541 

Penobscot .528, 529. 541-542 

Pima 528, 551-552 

Pomo 528.550 

Sauk  and  Foxes 528. 542 

Shasta 528. 553 

Shoshoni 554 

Slaveys 544 

Tewa 528,558 

Thompson  Indians 528,  .552-.553 

Umatilla 528, 553 

U  te - 554-.5.55 


S38 


INDEX 


Ring  and  pin— Continued.  Page, 

played  by  the— continued. 

Winnebago 528, 557 

Zuni seo-sfii 

spearing  game 550 

tossing  play 538 

RiNG-AND-poLE  GAME  (Mohave) 524 

Ring  play,  tioop  and  pole  (Paiute) 499 

Ring  target  (Porno) 479 

Robinson,  Alfred,  on  shinny  (Santa  Bar- 

l)ara) 628-629 

Robinson,  A.  W..  material  furnished  by...  257 
RoBLET,  Surgeon,  material  furnished  by. .  202 
Roddy,  T.  R.— 

material  collected  by 189, 565, 615 

on  ring  and  pin  (Winnebago) ' 557 

Roe,  Walter  C— 

material  collected  by 649 

on  double-ball  implements  (Cheyennei..      649 
Romans,  Capt.  Bernard— 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Choctaw) 480 

on  racket  (Choctaw) 598 

on  tossed  ball  (Choctaw > 709 

Rose,DrJ.  N.,  acknowledgements  to xvi 

Ross.  Alexander— 

on  hand  game  (Okinagan  i  300-301 

on  stick  game  (Chinook ) 240-241 

RoTHROCK.  J.  T.,  material  collected  by 236 

RuMSEN,  games  of  the — 

hand  game 283 

hoop  and  pole 472 

Running  races— 
played  by  the— 

Apache  (Jicarilla) 806 

Mescalero 803-804 

Crows 807-808 

Eskimo  (Western) 805 

Hopi 807 

Mandan 807, 808 

Maricopa 809 

Missisauga 803 

Muskogee 805 

Navaho 803-804 

Okanagan 806 

Pima 806 

Pueblo  tribes  of  the  Rio  Grande 806 

Seneca 805 

Sh  us  wap 806 

Sioux 807-808 

Sobaipuris 806 

Thompson  Indians 806-807 

Wichita 804-805 

Winnebago 809 

KussELL,  Dr  Frank— 

material  collected  bj- 151.356,543,551 

onarchery  (Pimiii 389 

on  ball  race  (Pimai 671-672 

on  dice  game  (Pimai 151-152 

on  hand  game  (Pima) 296 

on  hidden  ball  ( Pima) 356 

on  quoit.s(Piraa) 724 

on  ring  and  pin  (Thiingchadinne) 543-544 

(Pima)  551-552 

on  running  races  (Pimai 806 

on  shuttlecock  ( Pima  i 717 

work  of xx-xxi,xxviii,xxix,xxxn 

Rust,  Horatio  N.,  material  collected  by . . .      179 


Saboba,  games  of  the—  Page. 

dice  games 171 

hand  game 313 

Sacred  numbers  (Cherokee) 575,580 

Sacrifices,  as  wagers ISO 

St  Clair,  H.  H.,  2d— 

material  collected  by 500 

work  of xxi-xxii 

St  Regis,  racket  game  of  the 592 

Saklan,  stick  games  of  the 248 

Salish,  games  of  the— 

hoop  and  pole 491 

racket 562 

stick  games 261 

Salishan  stock— 

hand  games  of 273 

implements  employed  in  stick  games . . .      227 
tribes  of  the— 

Bellacoola 1 55, 249, 299, 489, 7 17 

Chilliwhack 249 

Clallam 155,249,299,632,717,741,772 

.   Clemcleinalats 249 

Nisqualli 156, 250, 299 

Okinagan > 300 

Pend  d'Oreilles 250, 490, 632 

Penelakut 301 

Puyallup 250, 302 

Quinaielt 156 

Salish 261,  491, 562 

Shusw  ap 156, 252, 302, 390,  491 , 6.32. 773 

Skokomish 253, 609, 703, 717, 773 

Snohomish 156,253 

Songish 157.254,302,391,632,773 

Thompson  Indians 157, 

254.302.390,491,  552,  009,  710,  742,  773 
806. 

Twana 158. 256, 303 

Sammons,  Thomas- 

material  furnishe*]  hy 252 

on  stick  game  ( Puyallup  i 250-252 

Sanborn,  .Tohn  W.,  material  collected  by. .      412 
San   Carlos    Apache.    See    .Vpache   (San 
Carlos). 

San  LuiseSo  Indians,  origin  of  name 324 

Santa  Barbara,  games  of  the— 

hoop  and  pole 421, 472 

shinny 62S-629 

Santee,    Santee    Dakota.     See    Dakota 

(Santee). 
Santo   Domingo,   prehistoric   inhabitants 

of XIII-XIV 

Sapper,  Carl,  paper  by xxxii 

Sarsi,  games  of  the— 

hand  game 272 

hoop  and  pole 460 

Sasteitei,  four-stick  game  of  the 333 

Sauk.    See  Sauk  and  Foxes. 
Sauk  and  Foxes— 
games  of  the— 

I     cat'scradle , 762 

dice  games 85-86 

double  ball 647, 654-655 

hidden  ball 345 

hoop  and  pole 448-449 

popgun 758 

racket 564, 572-,573 

ring  and  pin 528, 542 


INDEX 


839 


S.vvK  AM)  Foxes— Continued.  Page, 

games  of  the — continued. 

shinny MB,  622 

snow-snake 407-408 

stick  games 232 

tops "35 

linguistic  work  among xxiii 

Sawyer,  Wells  M..  on  Potowatomi  arch- 
ery game 385 

S.WRE,  .\NNIE  M.,  material  collected  l)y 352 

SrARincATION 235, 238, 580-581 

ScHELLHAUs,  PAUL,  paper  by xxxii 

Schoolcraft,  H.  R.— 

on  bowl  game  (Chippewat 06-67 

on  dice  games  (Santec  Dakota) 180-181 

on  racket  (Santee  Dakota) 612-013 

ScHW.vTKA,  Lieut.  Frederick,  U.  S.  A  — 

on  bones  for  hand  game  (Han  Kutchin) .      272 

on  hand  game  (Chilkat  i 287-288 

Scientific  staff  of  the  Bureau x 

Scott,  Col.  II.  L..  U.  S.  Army- 
material  collected  by 124 

on  dice  game  ( Kiowa  \ 125-126 

Seed  game,  dice  game  (.irikara) 101 

Sekani.  games  of  the— 

dice  games 97 

hand  game 273 

stick  games 236 

Seler.  Dr  Edward— 

on  figure  in  Troano  Codex  (Maya) 731 

paper  by xxxii 

Seminole,  racket  game  of  the .562.  r»08 

mythologj'  of  the 006 

Seneca,  games  of  the — 

dice  games II. VI 19 

hidden  ball 350-351 

hoop  and  pole 421 ,  47t>-477 

racket 562, 503, 592-594 

running  races 805 

snow-snake 410-413 

Shahaptias  stock— 

implements  employed  by,  in  stick  games      227 
triljes  of  the — 

Klikitat 158,257 

Nez  Percys 304.493,632 

Umatilla 305, 493, 553, 633 

Yakima 158, 307 

Sh.^rp,  Prof.  Benj.a.min,  on  use  of  images 

of  birds  in  games  of  Eskimo.      103 
Shasta,  games  of  the — 

double  ball 048, 682 

ring  and  pin 528, 553 

stick  games 2,58 

Shastan  stock— 

implements  employed  by, in  stick  games.      227 
tril>es  of  the — 

,\chomaw1.  257, 307, 332, 494,633, 661,703, 712 

.\mitstci 333 

Basiwi 333 

Pakamali 333 

Shasta 25S,  553, 662 

Shaw,  Clarence  H. — 

material  collected  by 150 

on  dice  game  ( Pima ) 150 

SH.iWKEE,  games  of  the— 

hidden  ball 344 

racket 573 


Page. 
Shepherd's  game.    See  Patol. 
Shinny— 

general  description.... 501,562,616-617 

played  by  the — 

.\choiiiawi 633 

Arapaho 617-619, 620 

.\rikara 624 

Assiniboin 616,636-637 

A  wani 630 

Cheyenne 619-620 

Chippewa 620-621 

ChowchUla 631 

Chukchansi 630 

Clallam 032 

Crows 610,637 

Dakota  (Oglala) 637-638 

Teton 038-639 

Yankton 616, 639-041 

Eastern  tribes 617 

Eskimo 617 

Western 629 

Grosventres 621-622 

Haida 642 

Hidat  sa , 641 

Hopi 633-635 

Keres 029 

Kiowa 629 

Makah 616, 643-644 

Menominee 017, 622 

Mikonotunne 623 

Mishikhwutmetunne 623 

Mission  Indians 644 

Miwok 617 

Mixed  tribes 630 

Mohave 016,644-645,646 

Mono 617,635 

Navaho 617, 623-624 

Nez  Percys 632 

Niska 628 

Omaha 617,641-642,760 

Opata 631 

O  sage 642 

Pawnee 625 

Fend  d'Oreilles 632 

Plains  tribes 017 

Ponca 641 

Powhatan 622 

Santa  Barbara 628-629 

Sauk  and  Foxes 616,622 

Shoshoni 635 

Shuswap 617,632 

Songish 632 

Tarahumare 631 

Tewa 643 

Tigua 642-043 

Tsetsaut 624 

Tuscarora 629 

Umatilla 633 

Ute  (Uinta) 036 

Walapai 016, 645-646 

Wasama 631 

Wichita 025-628 

Yokut  s 630 

Yuma 040 

Zuaque 031 

Zuni 646-647 


840 


INDEX 


Shoshonean  stock,  tribes  of  the —  Page. 

Bannock 159,307,495,678,713,728,742 

Comanche 159, 309 

Ilopi 160,357,390,495, 

633, 678, 7:U, 743, 755, 760, 774, 794, 807 

Kawia 165, 310 

Mono.-  166, 310, 49S,  635,679, 704, 714, 75(i,  760, 796 

Painte 166,311,333,498,553,662,704,744 

Saboba 171, 313 

Shoshoni 168-171. 178, 

309,313,499,554,635,662,713,732,744 

Tobikhar 172, 314, 500, 680 

Ute 501 ,  554 

Uinta 172, 315, 500, 636, 663, 713 

Uncompahgre .501 

Yanipa 315 

Shoshoni,  games  of  the— 

ball  juggling 712,713 

dice  games 168-171, 178 

double  ball 648, 662 

hand  game 276,309,313 

hoop  and  pole 421,422,499-500 

ring  and  pin 554 

shinny 635 

stilts 732 

tops .'.      744 

Shuffleboard,  played  by  the— 

Assiniboin 728 

Dakota 728 

Teton 728 

Yankton 728-729 

Ilidatsa 729 

Shuswat,  games  of  the— 

archery 383, 390 

cat's  cradle 773 

dice  game 156 

hand  game 302 

hoop  and  pole 491 

rvmning  races 806 

shinny 617, 632 

stick  games 252-253 

Shuttlecock,  played  by  the— 

Bellacoola 717 

Kwakiutl 718 

Makah 718-719 

Nimkish 719 

Northwest  tribes 717 

Opitchesaht 719 

Pima 717 

Skokoraish 717 

Zuiii ■. 717, 719-721 

Sia  Indians.    Sec  Keres. 

SiAiis.  scarification  practised  by  the 238 

SiBBOLD.  material  collected  by 535 

Simeon.  R.,  on  dice  game  (.\ztec) liiO 

SIMMS,  S.  C— 

acknowledgments  to 29 

material  collected  by 61,86,112,165, 

178, 209, 295, 296, 310, .327, 355, 384, 391, 
401,412,415,450,502,551,620,637,645. 
(■>46, 660, 670,  682.  705.  706,  707,  745,  75() 

name  of  buzz  (Crows  i  furnished  by 7.56 

name  of  tops  (Crows)  furnished  by 74^ 

(m  archery  (Crows ) .391 

on  ball  race  (Papagoi 670 

(Yuma  I 682 

on  dice  game  (Chippewa) 63 


SIMMS,  S.  C— Continued.  Page, 

on  dice  game  (Crows) 178 

(Onondaga) 117 

(San  Carlos  .\pache) 86 

on  double-ball  implements  ( Papago) 660 

( Pima ) 660 

on  European  games  (Papago) 794 

on  hand  game  (Mohave) 327 

(Yuma  1 327 

on  hand-and-foot  ball  (Cheyenne) 706 

(Crows  1 707 

on  hidden  ball  ( Papago) 353-354 

(Pima) 355 

on  hoop  and  pole  (San  Carlos  Apache)  - . .      450 

on  ring  and  pin  (Pima) 551 

on  shinny  (Cheyenne) 620 

(Crows) 637 

on  snow-snake  (Cheyenne) 401 

(Seneca) _  412-413 

shinny  term  furnished  by 645,646 

Singing.    See  Musical  accompaniments  in 
Indian  games. 

SlOUAN  STOCK  — 

games  of  the— 

hoop  and  pole 420, 421 

popgun 758 

ring  and  pin 528,529 

snow-snake 400 

Ghost  dance  among 438 

implementsemployed  by.instickgame.  227 
morphological  studies  of  languages  of.  xxiii 
tribes  of  the — 

Assiniboin 173,258,316,391,415, 

502, 544, 555-556, 610, 636, 707, 7 10, 728 

Catawba 611, 704 

Conga  ree. 258 

Crows 177, 

317, 391, 415. 502, 637, 707, 745, 756, .807 
Dakota— 

Brulfi 179, 556 

Oglala 179,364,391, 

415-416, 503, 556, 637, 745, 750, 756, 759 

Santee 180,365,611,663 

Sisseton 183 

Teton 181, 258,392, 416-418, 508, 

557, 638, 721, 728, 731 , 746, 750, 757. 759 

Wahpeton 183 

Yankton 184, 

317,418,508,639,728,746 

Yanktonai 185,614 

Eno 510 

Hidatsa 186, 

318,419,487,511,641,710,729,747 

Iowa 186,365,615 

Mandan 187,393,419,511,707,808 

Missouri.,  s 394 

Omaha 187, 259, 366, 

393,419,514,641.663,747,750,759,797 

Osage 188. 516, 642 

Oto 615 

Ponca ; 188, 517 

Winnebago 189, 366, 557, 615, 708, 809 

Sioux,  games  of  the— 

hoop  and  pole 442 

racket 573 

running  races 807-808 

See  also  Dakota. 


INDEX 


841 


Page. 
SissETON  Dakota.    Sec  Dakota  (Sisseton). 

Sivo  Sapa 509,729 

Skidi  Pawnee.    See  Pawnee  (Skidi). 
Skittaget.vn  stock— 

Haida  tribe 189-190. 259-263, 

318, 395, 517, 557, 642. 725. 730, 747, 784 
implements  employed  by ,  in  stick  games .      227 
Skokomish.  games  of  the — 

cat's  cradle 773 

football 698,703 

racket 609 

shuttlecock 717 

stick  games .  ^ 253 

Slaveys,  ring-and-pin  game  of  the 544 

Sledding,  played  by  the— 

Dakota  (Oglala)...'. 716 

(Yankton) 710 

Smith,  Harlan  I.— 

material  collected  by 320 

on  hand  game  (Kwakiutl) 320 

Smith,  Col.  James— 

on  dice  game  (Caughnawaga) 105 

on  racket  (Caughnawaga ) 573-574 

Snohomish,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 156 

stick  games 253-254 

Snow  boat,  an  Iroquois  game 410-411 

Snow-snake— 

general  account 399-400 

implements  for 33 

played  by  the— 

Arapaho 400 

Assiniboin 415 

Cheyenne 400-101 

Chippewa 401-403,404,405 

Cree 403-404 

Crows , 415 

Dakota 419 

Oglala 415-416 

Teton : 41li-418 

Yankton 418-419 

G  rosvent  res ,      404 

Hidatsa 419 

H  urons 409 

Iroquois 400,410-411,412 

Kiowa 400,413 

Mandan 419 

Menominee _  _ .  404-405 

Missisauga - 405 

Omaha Jl'.i-ijo 

Passamaquoddy 406 

Pawnee 409 

Penobscot 406-407 

Pomo 413-414 

Ponca 419 

Sauk  and  Foxes 407-408 

Seneca 410-413 

Siouan  stock 400 

Takulli 409 

Topinagugim 414 

Tuscarora 413 

Yokuts 414 

SoBAiPCRis,  running  races  of  the 806 

SoNGISH,  games  of  the- 

cat's  cradle 773 

dice  games 157 


Page. 
SONGISH,  games  of  the — Continued. 

hand  game 302 

hoop  and  pole 491 

shinny 632 

stick  games 248, 254 

SoNOMi,  stick  game  of  the 248 

Sorcery- 

in  ball  game  (Tarahumare) 673-674 

in  ball  race  (Zuni) 693 

in  connection  with  bean  shooter  (Kwa- 

kiud) 761 

in  racket 563 

Cherokee 576,581,588 

Chippewa 568 

Choctaw 603 

Mohawk 591 

Mohawk  addicted  to 571 

Southwest— 

bean  shooter  in  the 760 

stone  balls  found  in  the 667 

See  also  tribal  names. 

Southwestern  tribes,  ball  race  of 665 

See  also  tribal  names. 

Spear-and-kelp  game  (Kwakiutl) 521 

Spearing  game  (Pomo) 550 

Spider  Woman.    See  Zuni,   mythology  of 

the. 
Spink.  R.  C— 

material  collected  by 203 

on  stick  games  (Modoc) 293 

Squier  and  Davis,  on  hoop  and  pole  (Mus- 
kogee)    4  86-488 

Stanley,  J.  M.— 

on  dice  games  (Comanche) 159 

on  racket  (Muskogee) 607 

Star.  European  game  (Tewa) 798 

Starr,  Prof.  Frederick,  on  use  of  snow- 
snake ■ 407 

Starr,  George  E.— 

material  collected  by 49, 50, 445, 532, 602 

on  racket  (Choctaw) 602-604 

Stave  game  (Blackfeet) 56-58 

Steinbrecker,  F.  X..  material  collected  by.      653 
Stephen,  ,V.  M.— 

anecdote  of  Ilopi  clowns  related  b.v 716 

on  archery  (Hopi) 390 

(Tewa) 390 

on  ball  race  (Hopi) 679 

(Tewai 680 

on  dice  game  (Navaho) 96,162 

(Tewa) ^ ;90 

on  European  games  (Hopi) 796 

on  hidden  ball  (Hopi) 363-364 

(Navaho) 349 

(Tewa) 367 

on  racing  terms  (Hopi) 807 

shinny  terms  furnished  by 635 

Stevens,  Hon.  Isaac  I.,  governor  of  Wash- 
ington Territory 173, 010, 636,807 

on  Indian  tribes 391 

Stevenson,  Col.  James— 

material  collected  by 211, 

220-221, 358, 361, 372, 373, 634, 

683, 740,  743,  747.  749, 755, 756 

on  ceremony  of  Yebttchai  (Navaho)..  435-437 

on  gaming  rings  (Navaho) 435 


842 


INDEX 


Page. 
Stevenson,  Mrs  Matilda  Coxe— 

material  collectod  liy 495 

model    of    shrine  of    Zuni    War    God 

arranged  by 33-34 

on  archery  (Zuni  1 39li-398, 398-399 

on  Imll  race  (Zuni ) 689-695. 697 

on  dice  games  (Keres) 123-124 

(Zuni) 217-219, 222, 223 

on  European  games  (Zuni) 801 

on  hidden  ball  ( Keres  i 353 

(Zuni ) 381-.382 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Zuni) 526-527 

on  quoits  (Zuni) 727 

on  shinny  (Zuni) 047 

on  shuttlecock  (Zuni) 720-721 

on  tossed  ball  (Zuni) 711 

on  unclassified  games  (Zuni) 787 

work  of XI v-.xvi. 

XXVII.  XXVIII,  X-XI-X,    XXXII 

Stevenson,    Matthew    F..    material    col- 
lected by 97 

Stick-.\nd-ring  game  (Omaha) 514 

Stick-col'NTing  game 229,259 

Stick  games— 

general  description 44 

implements  for 33 

played  by  the— 

Aehomawi 257 

Ataakut 233 

Chinook 240-241 

Clallam 249 

Dakota 228-229 

(Teton) 258 

Haida 259-263 

Hupa 233-236 

Hurons 241-243 

Klamath 248 

Kwakiutl 263 

Makah 264 

Omaha 259 

Porno 247 

Puyallup 250-252 

Saklan 248 

Songish 254 

Stikine 244 

Takulli 236-238 

Tlingit 245, 240 

T wana 256-257 

Washo 205 

Yurok 265 

Zuni 266 

Stick  lNr)iAN.s,  games  of  the 196 

Sti(K-in-sand,    hidden-ball    game    (Mari- 
copa)       371 

Stikine,  stick  games  of  the 244 

Stilts 731-732 

common  to  the — 

Ilopi 731  I 

Maya 731 

Shoshoni 732 

Wichita 731 

Zuni 731,732 

Stone,  Livingston— 

material  collected  by 241 

on  stick  game  (Winnimen) 241  j 


Page. 

Stone  throwing 728 

played  by  the— 

Bannock 728 

Tewa 728 

Stone,  Col.  William  H.,  on  racket  (Mo- 
hawk)       591 

Stonev,  Lieut.  George  M.,  U.  S.  N.,  ma- 
terial collected  by 739 

Stonev  Indians,  Stonevs,  Stonies,     See 
.Vssiniboin. 

Stout,  Mrs  G..  material  collected  by 149 

Strachey.  William,  on  Powhatan  games.      232, 

622, 699 

Straight-throwing  GAME  (Tepehuan) 154 

Straws,  game  of  the 231,241-243 

String  trick,  Maya 702 

Stuart,  Granville,     on    Shoshoni     hand 

game 314 

Swan,    Maj.    Caleb,    on    racket     (Musko- 
gee)    (iOii-ii07 

Swan.  James  G— 

on  dice  games  (Makah)  197 

on  hand  game  (Chinook) 281 

on  stick  games  (Haida) 260-261 

(Makah) 204-205 

SwANTON,  Dr  John  R.— 

on  archery  (Ilaida) 295 

on  dice  game  (Haida) 190 

on  hand  game  (Ilaida) 318 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Haida) 517-518 

on  ring  and  pin  ( Haida  I 557-.558 

on  stick  games  (Haida) 261-262 

work  of XX. XXV. xxvi.  xxxii 

Swing 730-731 

played  by  the- 

Arapaho 730 

Dakota  (Teton) 731 

Pawnee  (Skidii 730 

Wichita 730 

TAH-Coo-SAH-Fixico,chief  of  aCreek  town.      607 
Tahlkan.    See  Stick  Indians. 
Tailhan,  Rev.  J.,  on  game  of  straws  (Hu- 
rons)        243 

Takilma,  linguistic  studies  among  the xxii 

Takulli,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 97 

hand  game 272-274 

hoop  and  pole 420, 460-461 

snow-snake 409 

stick  games 236-238 

unclassified 781-782 

Tamahno-us,  patron  spirit  of  hand  game 

(Nisqualli) 299 

Tanner,  John— 

on  dice  game  (Ottawa) 82 

6n  hidden  ball  (Ottawa) 344-345 

Tanoan  stock,  tribes  of  the— 

Tewa 190, 192, 

307,  395.  558,  643,  680,  728,  747,  774,  797 

Tigua 190, 195. 309. 518. 042,  748. 775, 798 

Tarahumare,  games  of  the— 

archery 383, 389 

ball  race 060,672-077 

dice  games 152 

double  ball 648 

hidden  ball 339 


INDEX 


843 


Pa£& 
Tarahumare.  games  ot  the— Continued. 

quoits 722, 724-723 

sliinny t>-'il 

Taylor.   Miss   Marian,   information   fur- 
nished by 11)7,662.704 

TcHUNG-KEE.    See  Chunliey. 
Teit,  James— 

material  collected  1«- 137, 2&i,  552, 742 

on  archery  (Thompson  Indians) 390 

on  cat's  cradle  (Thompson  Indians). .  773-774 

on  dice  games  (Thompson  Indians) 157 

on    European   games   (Thompson    In- 
dians)   790-791 

on  hand  game  (Thompson  Indians  i . .  302-.'i03 
on  hoop  and  pole  (Thompson  Indians! .  491-493 
on  racket  (Thompson  Indians)...  562.609-610 
on  ring  and  pin  (Thompson  Indians)..  3,33-5.i4 
on  running  races  (Thompson  Indians)  .806-807 
on  stick  games  (Thompson  Indians) . .  2,>4-256 

on  top  games  (Thompson  Indians) 742 

on  tossed  hall  (Thompson  Indians ) 710 

Tejon.  dice  game  ot  the 138-139 

TEN  Kate.  Dr  H.  F.  C,  jr— 

material  collected  by 148, 131, 210 

on  ball  race  (Papago) 670-671 

on  dice  game  (Pima) 151 

(Yuma) 210 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Yuma) .326 

Tepehuax.  games  of  the— 

dice  games 15'i-154 

double  ball 660 

Teton,  Teton  Dakota.  Tetons.    See  Da- 
kota (Teton). 
Tewa.  games  of  the— 

archery 383,390.395 

baU  race 666,680-681 

cat's  cradle 774 

dice  games 160. 190-194 

European  games 797-798 

hidden  baU 338.339,361,.-i67-369 

ring  and  pin 528, 558 

shinny 643 

stone  throwing 728 

tops 747-748 

Theodat.  Gabriel  S.agard— 

on  dice  game  (Hurons) lor-108 

Thlingchadixne.  ring-and-pin  gameof  the.      &43 

Thomas,  DrCyrvs,  workof xvii- 

xviii.xxvi.  xxxii 
Thomas.  Miss  Jessie  E.— 

obituary  notice  of xxxviii 

work  of xxiii-xxxviii 

Thompson  Indians— 
games  of  the — 

archery 383. 390 

ball  game  (European ) 790-791 

cat's  cradle 157.773 

dice  games 157 

hand  game 302. 303 

hoop  and  pole 421.491-493 

racket 362. 609-610 

ring  and  pin 328,532-553 

running  races 806-807 

stick  games 229, 254-256 

tops 742 

tossed  ball 710 


Page. 

Throwing  game,  dice  game  (Haida) 190 

Throwing  sticks,  game  of 417 

Thunder  bird.  the.  in  Kwakiutl  hoop-and- 

pole  game 521 

Thwaites.  Revben  G.— 

on  hidden  ball  (Winnebago ) 366-367 

on  racket  (Winnebago ) 616 

Tibvron.  projected  expedition  to xii 

TiGUA,  games  of  the— 

cat's  cradle. 775 

dice  games 190-192. 195 

European  games 798 

hidden  ball 369-370 

hoop  and  pole 420. 421. 518-519 

shinny 642-643 

tops 748 

TiMBERLAKE,  LiEfT.  HENRY,  on  hoop  and 

pole  (Cherokee) 475 

Tims,  Rev.  J.  W..  on  Blackfoot  term  for 

gambling 56 

TiPC.lT— 

played  by  the— 

Dakota  (Teton)... 721 

Hurons 721 

Zuni 721 

TIPI  GAME  (Kiowai 284-285 

TiPTON.  John,  on  game  of  mackuson  (mocca- 
sin)       343 

TiSDALE.  .\RCHIBALD,  material  collected  by      538 

TIVOTIPI  (Dakota), account  of 228,229 

Tlelding,  stick  game  of  the 238 

Tlingit,  games  of  the — 

dice  games 130-131, 189 

hand  game 28S-289 

stick  games 245-246 

tossed  ball 709 

Tlissi  tso,  material  furnished  by 93 

Tobikhar,  games  of  the— 

Ijall  race 68(f 

dice  games 172 

hand  game 314-313 

hoop  and  pole 300 

TOBIQUE,  dice  games  of  the 50 

TopiNAGUGiM.  games  of  the — 

archery 388 

foot  ball 698, 702-703 

hand  game 294-295 

hoop  and  pole 484 

racket 597 

snow-snake 414 

Tops— 

general  description 733 

played  by  the— 

Arapaho 7,33 

Bannock 742-743 

Blackfeet 734 

Cheyenne 734 

Chippewa 7,34 

ClaUam 741 

Cree 734 

Crows ■ 745 

Dakota 747 

Oglala 733, 743-746 

Teton 746 

Yankton 746 


844 


INDEX 


Page. 
Tops— Continued. 

played  by  the— continued. 

Eskimo 733 

Central 73li.  73" 

Labrador 737 

Western 737-7.'i9 

Grosventn^s 734-735 

Uaida 747 

Hidatsa 747 

Hopi '. . . .  743-744 

Keres 740 

Kiowa 740 

Klamath 740-741 

Maya 741 

Niska 733, 736 

Nootka 749 

Norridgewock 735 

N'orthwest-coast  tribes 733 

Omaha 747, 700 

^aiute 744 

Ponca 747 

Pueblos 733 

6auk  and  Foxes 735 

Shoshoni 744 

Tewa , ; 747-748 

Thompson  Indians 742 

Tigua 748 

Tsimshian 736 

Yakutat  740 

Yokuts 741 

Zufli 749-750 

Tor  stick,  game  of  the 668 

TOSSJD  B.4LL 561, 70S 

played  by  the— 

Abnaki 708 

Assiniboin 710 

Choctaw 709 

Eskimo  (Central) 709 

Hidatsa 710 

Miami 708 

Montagnais 708 

Natchez 710 

Nishinam 710 

Niska 709 

Thompson  Indians 710 

Tling:t 709 

Zufli 710-711 

T0S.SING  PL.VY,  the,  a  Missisaugagame 538 

TowNE,  Philip— 

material  collected  by 69, 535 

on  dice  game  (Cree) 69 

on  ring  and  pin  (Cree) 535 

TozzEK,  Dr  .Vlfked— 

material  collected  by 767,772 

on  cat's  cradle  (Niivaho) 767 

on  dice  game  (Maya) 143 

on  string  trick  (Maya) 762 

on  top  game  (Maya) 741 

on  unclassified  games  (Maya) 783-784 

Tr.^vois  game  (Blackleet) .56 

I'RiiHL  N.^MES,  classification  of xxiv-xxv 

Troano  Codex,  stilt  walking  figured  in 731 

TRU.MBULL,  Dr,  information  !)y.  regarding 

Illinois  dictionary 2.'i0 

T.SETSAL-T,  games  of  the- 
cal's  cradle 767 

shinny 624 


Page. 

TsiLKOTIN,  hand  game  of  the 273 

Tsimshian- 

games  of  the — 

hand  games 273 

stick  games 240. 246 

tops 736 

linguistic  studies  among xxii 

TUGGLE,   W.  O.,  on    Creek   and   Seminole 

ball-game  myths 606 

TULAREs,  dice  games  of  the 145 

TuLLorK-CHisH-KO,  Cherokee  ball  player...      600 
Turner.  Lucien— 

material  collected  by 540, 544,  .548, 700, 7.37 

on  ball  juggling  (Naseapee) 712 

on  football  (Eskimo) 700-701 

(Latirador  Eskimo) 700 

on  hand  game  ( Labrador  Eskimo) 283 

on  ring  and  pin  (Naseapee) , 540 

(Labrador  Eskimo) 548 

Tuscarora, games  of  the 477 

d'ce  games 118 

hoop  and  pole 477 

shinny 629 

snow-snake 413 

Tututni,  stick  games  of  the 239 

Twana,  games  of  the — 

dice  games 158 

hand  game 303-304 

stick  games 2.56 

Twins,  the  divine.    See  Zuni,  mythology 

of  the. 
Twin  War  Gods.    See  War  Gods. 

Two  Guns,  a  Seneca  chief 412 

UiNKARET,  games  of  playing  cards 791 

Uinta  Ute.    See  Ute  (Uinta). 
Umatilla,  games  of  the- 

hand  game 305-306 

hoop  and  pole 421,422,493-494 

ring  and  pin 528,553 

shinny 633 

Umpqua,  hand  game  of  the 274 

Unclassified  games— 
played  by  the— 

Clatsop 7S1, 782 

Dakota  (Teton) 783 

Eskimo  (Central ) 782-783 

Haida 784 

Illinois 781 

Kwakiutl 784-786 

Maya 783-784 

Navaho 781 

Takulli 781-782 

Uncompahgre    Ute.    See    Ute    (Uncom- 

paligre). 
United    States    National    Museum,  ac- 

knowledgmentstocuratorsof .        .30 

Untsaiyi,  a  mythic  gambler  (Cherokee) 475 

Utchium,  stick  game  of  the 248 

Ute— 

games  of  the— 

ball  juggling 712,713 

hand  game 276 

hoop  and  pole 420, 501 

ring  and  pin 554-555 

linguistic  studies  among xxi 


INDEX 


845 


Ute  (Uinta),  games  of  the—  Page. 

ball  juggling 713 

dice  pames 172-173 

double  ball 6(i3 

Iiand  giime 3ir) 

hoop  and  pole 500 

shinny 636 

Ute  (Uncompahgre),  hoop-and-pole games 

of  the 501 

Ute  (Yampa),  hand  game  of  the 315 

VoTU,  Rev.  II.  R.— 

acknowledgments  to 29 

material  collected  by 50. 

160, 359, 360. 401, 425, 428. 437, 44.5, 
496,532,620,666,678,  751,  758,  795 

on  ball  race  (Hopi) 60(i,678 

on  ceremonial  arrows  (Hopi) 426 

on  dice  game  (Hopi) 160, 161 

on  European  games  (Hopi) 795 

on  hidden  ball  (Hopi) 360-361 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Hopi) 425, 496-497 

on  ring  and  pin  (Cheyenne) 532 

on  snow-snake  (Cheyenne) 401 

on  top  spinning  (Hopi) 743, 

Wabanaki.     See  Abnaki. 
Wahpeton.    See  Dakota  (Wahpeton). 
Wakashan  stock— 

implements  employed  in  stick  games. . .      227 
tribes  of  the — 

Bellabolln 263 

Clayoquot 196. 319,558 

Hesquiaht 718,748 

KwakiutI 190.263, 

319, 370. 519. 559, 718, 725, 760. 784 , ! 

Makah 197, 263.  .'i21. 

395,522,559,043,718,  748,  761,  776 

Nimkish 7J9 

Nootka 198, 322, 523. 749 

Opitchesaht 719.761 

Wake  game,  a  Seneca  hidden-ball  game..350-:i'»l 
Walapai,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 207 

hidden  ball ,... 371-372   I 

hoop  and  pole 525-526 

shinny 616.645-(>4ti 

Walker,    Frank,  interpreter   for    Father 

Berard <i7 

Walker,  Dr  J.  R.— 

material  collected  by .392.417 

on  archery  (Teton  Dakota) 392 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Teton  Dakota  j .508 

on  hoop  ( Teton  Dakota) 736  ! 

on  popgun  (Teton  Dakota) 759 

on  ring  and  pin  (Teton  Dakota) 557  : 

on  shinny  (Teton  Dakota) 638 

on  shuffleboard  (Teton  Dakota) 728  ! 

on  snow-snate  (Oglala  Dakota) 41.5-416. 

417. 4IS 

Ward,  W.  H.,  material  collected  by 606 

War  Gods,  the 48,   ' 

267, 328, 384, 399-400, 441. 562, 617,  649   ' 
See  also  Zufii,  mythology  of  the.  | 

Wasama,  games  of  the — 

ball  race fi70 

double  ball (j.'ig 

hoop  and  pole 485 

shinny 631   , 


Wasco,  games  of  the —  Page. 

hand  game 282 

hoop  and  pole 420.422,472 

See  also  Dalles  Indians. 
Washoan  stock— 

implements  employed  in  stick  games. . .      227 
tribes  of  the— 

Pao 335 

Washo 199. 265. 322. 335. 523. 664. 704 

Washo,  games  of  the— 

archery 396 

dice  game 199 

double  ball 664 

football 698, 704 

four-stick  game 327, 335 

hand  game 322 

hoop  and  pole 523 

stick  games 265 

Water  game,  hidden-ball  game  (Zuni) . . .  374-381 
Watkins.C.B.,  material  collected  by.  204.205.644 
Watkixs.  Rev.  E.  A.— 

definitions    of     terms    in    hand  game 

(Crce  1  liy 270 

on  'lice-game  term  (Cree) 69 

W.vTKiNs.  Mary  C.  B.— 

material  collected  by ' 326 

on  liand  game  (Mission  Indians' 326 

Weitspekan  stock.    See  Yurok. 

West.  G.  M.,  material  collected  by SO 

West  Indies,  ethnologic  researches  in. .  xiii-xiv 

Western  D£nes,  stick  game  of  the 273 

Western  Eskimo.    See  Eskimo  (Western). 

Wheel,  a  game  of  the  Arapaho 442 

Wheel  AND  stick, gameof 475 

WiiiLKUT.  stick  games  of  the 239 

Whipple,  Lieut.  A.  W.,  U.  S.  A.,  on  hoop 

and  pole  ( Mohave) 424^425 

White  Chief.    See  Belden,  George  P. 

WmTE,  Rev.  George,  on  racket 587-588 

White    Moltntain    Apache.    See  Apache 

(White  Mountain). 
Whizzer.    See  Bull-roarer. 
Wichita— 

color  symbolis  m  of  the 279 

games  of  the— 

archery :',s.C) 

dice  games 102 

double  hall 647. 658 

hand  game 267, 276-281 

hoop  and  pole 470-471 

running  races -. .' 804-805 

shinny 625-628 

stilts 731 

swing 730 

mythology  of  the 626, 658, 804-805 

WiKTCHAMNE.  dice  games  of  the 139-140 

Willett.  Col.  Marinvs,  on  racket 607 

Williams,  Ch.irlie— 

on  cat's  cradle  (Makah) 776 

on  string  trick  (Makah) 762 

on  tops  (Makah) 749 

Williams,  Roger,  on  games  of  the  Narra- 

ganset 80-81 .  231 .  699 

WiLLOUGHBY.  C.  C— 

material  collected  by 406 

on  ring  and  pin   (Penobscot) 541,542 

on  snow-snake  (Penobscot) 406-407 


846 


INDEX 


Page. 

WiLLijUGHBY,   Lieut.   Hugh   L.,  material 

collected  by 608 

Wilson.  Rev.  Edward  F.— 

on  amusements  of  Blackfeet 5ii 

on  hand  game  (Sarsi) 272 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Sarsi) 400 

Wilson.  Howard,  material  collected  by. . .      283 

Wilson.  R.  N.— 

material  collected  by 8.'>.271.448 

on  hoop  and  pole  (Piegan ) 448 

Winnebago,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 189 

hand-and-f oot  ball 705, 708 

hidden  ball 360-387 

racket 51V2, 615-610 

rint^  and  pm 528, 557 

running  races 809 

stick  games 241 

WiNNiMEN,  stick  games  of  the 241 

WiNTUN.  games  of  the— 

double  ball 658 

hand  games 283 

WiSHOSKAN  STOCK — 

implements  employed  liy.in  stick  games.      227 
Batawat  tribe  of  the 199, 260, 664 

WissLER,    Dr  Clark,   on    hoop  and  pole 

(Teton  Dakota) 508 

Wooden  canes,  Zufii  dice  game 217,221-222 

Wood,  H.  S..  editorial  work  of xxxiii 

Wood,  William— 

on  dice  games  (Massachuset) 73 

on  football.  Massachuset 698 

on  hubbub 54, 230 

Wyandot,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 1 18-1 19 

football 698. 702 

hidden  ball 351 

See  also  Hurons. 

Yaccocahmut,  Mayan  liird  lieity 731 

Yakima,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 158 

hand  game 307 

Y'akutat.  games  of  the— 

European  games 793 

tops 740 

Yankton.     See  Dakota  (Yankton). 

Yanktonai.    Sec  Dakota  (Yantonai). 

Yarrow.  Dr  H.Con  dice  game  (Wahpeton 

and  Sisseton  Dakota) 183-184 

Yaudanchi,  hoop-and-pole  game  of  the ,501 

YoKUTS,  games  of  the— 

dice  games 140-141 

European  games 793 

hand  game 293-294 

hoop  and  pole 48.3-484 

popgun 759 

racket 595 

shinny.    030 

snow  snake 414 

tops  741 

Young  cow,  game  of  the  (Teton  Dakota) .      416 

YuKiAN  stock,  lluchnom  tribe 323 

Yuma,  games  of  the — 

ball  nice 666, 682 


Pago. 

Yuma,  games  of  the — Continued. 

dice  games 20S-210 

hand  game 326, 327 

hoop  and  pole 526 

shinny 646 

YUMAN  stock,  triljes  of  the— 

Cocopa 199. 681 

Dieguenos 323 

Havasuxiai 200 

Maricopa 201, 370, 396, 665, 681, 757, 776, 809 

Mission  Indians 204, 325, 644 

Mohave 205. 320, 523, 560, 644, 682, 726 

Walapal 207. 371, 825, 645 

Yuma 208, 327,  526, 646. 682 

YuROK,  games  of  the — 

dice  games 199 

double  ball 664 

stick  ga  mes 265 

Zeishekger,  Rev.  David— 

definitions  of  tenns  in  racket  by  (Onon- 
daga)        592 

(Dela  wares ) 567 

on  Indian  name  for  die 70 

ZUAQUE,  games  of  tlie— 

ball  race 666. 678 

dice  games 154 

hidden  ball 356-357 

shinny 631 

ZUSI   CEREMONIALS 432 

ZuSi  Dick,  material  furnished  by 727 

ZuSi— 

games  of  the — 

archery 383, 396-399 

l)all  juggling 712, 714 

ball  race 666, 668, 682-697 

bean  shooter 761 

bull-roarer 750 

buzz 757 

cat's  cradle 761-762, 7i;6, 774. 777-779 

dice  gariies 46-47. 120, 210 

E  uropean  games 799-801 

hidden  ball 33(V-337. 372-382 

hoop  and  pole 526-527 

quoits 722, 736-727 

ring  and  pin 500-561 

shinny 646-647 

shuttlecock 717, 719-721 

stick  games 266 

stilts 731, 732 

tipcat 721 

tops 749-750 

tor  stick 668 

tossed  ball 710-711 

unclassified : 787 

mythology  of  the— 

Ahaiyuta,  one  of  the  Zufii  Twin  War 

Gods..  3,3-.34, 210, 21 1,215, 216,  422, 425 

lyatiko,  mother  of  games 792 

Matsailema.  one  of  Zuni  Twin  War 

Gods 210,211,215,216,422 

Misina,  Eagle  .Star  God 164, 215 

Spider  Woman 32,424,441,779 

War  Gods. .  33,  46, 21 1 ,  423, 425, 527, 529, 666 


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