Native Americans


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 45
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

A Blackfoot game-gambling with a small wheel called it-se'-wah.

This wheel was about four inches in diameter, and had five spokes, on which were strung different-colored beads, made of bone or horn.

A level, smooth piece of ground was selected, at each end of which was placed a log.

At each end of the course were two men, who gambled against each other.

A crowd always surrounded them, betting on the sides.

The wheel 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 ten points won.

It was a very difficult game, and one had to be very skilful to win.

Little boys learned how to shoot their bow and arrows with a similar game.

Edited by Theresa
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A popular Native game is/was what with more southern tribes is called "hands"; it is like "Button, button, who's got the button?" Yes it's still being played at pow-wows and such.

Two small, oblong bones were used, one of which had a black ring around it.

Those who participate in this game, numbering 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 opposite him to decide which hand held the marked one.

Ten points were the game, counted by sticks, and the side which first got the number took the stakes. A song always accompanied this game, heard at a little distance, very pleasant and soothing.

At first a scarcely audible murmur, like the gentle soughing of an evening breeze, it gradually increases in volume and reaches a very high pitch, sinks quickly to a low bass sound, rises and falls, and gradually dies away, to be repeated again.

The person concealing the bones swayes his body, arms, and hands in time to the song, and goes through a manner of graceful and intricate movements for the purpose of confusing the guesser.

In the past 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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Men and boys played snow snake in long grooves made in the snow.

The players would take a short run, then bend and flip the snake so it would race along the top of the ice or snow.

Wagers were made on whose snake could travel the farthest.

The snakes were made of polished hardwood sticks and ranged in size from two to eight feet in length.

....................................................................................................

..........

This game, still being taught to Indian kids, even my older kids played this one when they were younger, in the past it was played by two groups of men.

The players sat opposite each other on a blanket.

Four moccasins were placed in a row between the two groups.

One of the groups watched as a token or ball was hidden under one of the moccasins by the other group.

The players made pretenses of hiding and removing the token in an effort to make it more difficult to discover the actual location of the token.

The group watching then guessed under which moccasin the token had been hidden.

The Ojibwa, Ho-Chunk, and Menominee used a "striking stick" to turn over the moccasin where they thought the token was hidden.

If the player guessed the correct shoe, four points were scored while four points were subtracted if the wrong shoe was picked.

Sticks or twigs were used to keep track of the score.

....................................................................................................

.............

Just because something is wrong or sinful in one culture does not make it wrong or sinful in another.

Eskimo women used to run around topless in the summer until the caucasians came, and decided it was an invitation to rape.

Edited by Theresa
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just because something is wrong or sinful in one culture does not make it wrong or sinful in another.

Eskimo women used to run around topless in the summer until the caucasians came, and decided it was an invitation to rape.

True, As a child I was never allowed to

use playing cards, they were considered

evil. As a teacher I found playing cards a

valuable tool to teach math :D

I'm trying to recall a chant that was part

of a game similar to the bone game you

described. Children sat in a circle and

passed a stone around, the stone could

change direction. Players would have their

hands crossed at the wrist as they passed

the stone around the circle, no one knew who

had the stone except the person passing it

and the receiver. The chant started out

something like this..Hey Naya hey

Edited by chi
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderator
My people were nomadic until the Euros came and put up borders. We traveled the entire circumpolar north and have grave sites in Alaska going back 20,000 years. How long has your family been here?

I don't think I have any relatives in Alaska. Though I could be wrong I come from a big Irish family on my mothers side and have relatives all over the globe.

As far as how long my family has been here. Well I'm assuming since the beginning whenever that was. Otherwise I don't think I would be here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My people were nomadic until the Euros came and put up borders. We traveled the entire circumpolar north and have grave sites in Alaska going back 20,000 years. How long has your family been here?

I don't live in Alaska, I live in Arizona, and the Athabaskan peoples didn't get here until about the same time as the "Euros", so I really don't see the relevance.

I didn't realize that you were full-blooded though; that's cool.

Edited by Samuron
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't live in Alaska, I live in Arizona, and the Athabaskan peoples didn't get here until about the same time as the "Euros", so I really don't see the relevance.

I didn't realize that you were full-blooded though; that's cool.

5/8

But at least I know that we're not illegal immigrants like someone here implied.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't realize that you were full-blooded though; that's cool.

5/8

So, who were the other 3/8, if they weren't "Euros"? Or do you not consider the 3/8 "your people"?

Correct. Family is who raises you and supplies all the emotional support you need growing up.

All I got from the European/American side was that in their opinion the KKK are the good guys.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

post #27 was another person's opinion

not Blackthorn's. There are many folks

who do believe that the native American's

were not the first American's. There are

many theories out there each have a

valid point. The Arctic Tundra from Russia

to Canada was believed to be where the

nomadic people first traveled from.

Edited by chi
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Correct. Family is who raises you and supplies all the emotional support you need growing up.

All I got from the European/American side was that in their opinion the KKK are the good guys.

Then all you're doing is ignoring an undesirable part of your genetic heritage and aligning yourself with another that affords you a position of apparent superiority.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Amulet locked this topic
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share