TRADITIONAL GAMES If you want to learn more about any of the games you see here, try to find the book Games of the North American Indians by Stewart Culin. Thousands of Native American games are described and many have sketches. It was first published in 1902-1903, and later appeared in paperback in 1973 by General Publishing, Ltd., Toronto, Canada. There are so many different games which Native American people have enjoyed, it’s helpful to have a list of main categories. Each category has many variations.

Games of chance Dice games Card games Guessing games Stick games Hand games Four-stick game Hidden ball game, or shoe game, moccasin game

Games of skill Ring & dart games Archery Hoop and pole Bows and arrows Spear throws

Ball games Shinny Double ball Foot ball Hand and foot ball Tossed ball Foot-cast ball Ball juggling Hot ball Lacrosse (tewaraathon or baggatataway)

Double throwing balls are thrown and caught with a stick

Paddle ball (badminton)

Snow Snake (You can play Cradleboard’s animated version in the SCIENCE: Through Native American Eyes CD-ROM.

Other games Tipcat Quoits (ring toss) Stone-throwing Shuffleboard Jackstraws Swing Storytelling Play house Tag Hide and seek Stilts Tops Tops Bull Roarer Dolls Buzz Popgun Bean shooter Cat’s cradle Running races Sleds

“Yankton boys used a kind of sled, huhu kazunta, made of rib bones lashed together with rags.” Bone sled; length 14" Yankton Dakota Fort Pack, MT Catalog #37613 Free Museum of Science and Art, University of Pennsylvania

The Cradleboard Teaching Project staff hope to expand our Native American Sports curriculum unit, pending future funding. | Main Menu | Curriculum & Supplements | Cradleboard Private Area | Store | ©2005 Nihewan Foundation