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[PAGE 29]Walker, James R 1906 Sioux Games. II Journal of American Folk-Lore 19 (72): 29-36.
Sioux Games. II
8.WOSKATE CASLOHE. (Game of Bowls.) Icaslohe is an ancient gambling game played by the Sioux women.
The implements used in the game are: tapainyan, stone ball; canmibi, wooden cylinder.
The tapainyan are balls made of any kind of stone, from one to two and a half inches in diameter.
The canmibi are cylinders made of any kind of wood, from an inch and a half to two and a half inches in diameter, and from an inch and a half to three inches long.
The rules of the game are: -
The game is generally played on the ice, but may be played on the ground.
Two women play at the game.
Each player must have a tapainyan and a canmibi.
Before beginning the game the players must agree upon the number they are to play for, and they must draw two parallel lines on the ice from ten to thirty feet apart.
The players must take their positions opposite each other outside the parallel lines, and must not be between the lines when they play.
Each player must place her canmibi on the line nearest her. The players must bowl the tapainyan alternately, at the canmibi on the line farthest from them.
When the tapainyan is bowled it must strike the surface before it crosses the line nearest the one who bowled it; if it does not the play counts nothing.
If the canmibi bowled at is knocked away from the line it counts one for the player, otherwise nothing.
9. WOSKATE TAHUKA CANGLESKA. (Game of the Webbed Hoop.) Tahuka cangleska is an ancient game played for amusement by the Sioux men.
This is an exciting game in which the Indians took great interest, gathering in large numbers to witness the play.
The implements used in the game are: tahuka cangleska, webbed hoop; wahukeza, spear.
The tahuka cangleska is made of a rod of wood from one half to one inch in diameter, which is bent so as to form a hoop from one to three feet in diameter. A web of rawhide is woven across the
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entire hoop, with interstices of from one half to three quarters of an inch, that in the centre being somewhat larger and called the heart.
The wahukeza is made of the sprout of a tree, or a young willow, and is from four to five and a half feet long, and about one half an inch in diameter at the larger end, which is bluntly pointed. The smaller end may be either straight or forked, and sometimes is ornamented with feathers, bead-work, or in any other manner according to the fancy.
The rules of the game are:-
Any number of persons may play in a game, but they should be equally divided into two opposing sides.
Each player may have as many spears as he wishes.
Before beginning the game the players must agree upon how many innings will constitute the game.
Two parallel lines, about fifty yards long, and about fifty yards apart, are drawn.
The players, take their positions opposite each other, outside these lines, choosing them either by agreement or by lot.
Any number of hoops may be used in a game, but there should never be less than four, and they should be of various sizes.
One player on each side must throw all the hoops.
The hoops must be thrown alternately, from one side to the other.
The thrower must not have either foot between the lines when he throws the hoops.
The hoop when thrown must cross both lines, and it may do so, either in the air or rolling on the ground ; it may cross one line in the air, and roll across the other, or it may be thrown across one line, and strike between the lines and bound across the other.
After the hoop had crossed both lines, the players towards whom it was thrown, throw their spears at it.
If, while the hoop is in the air, it is speared through the heart, the count is five; if through any other interstice, the count is two.
If, while the hoop is rolling on the ground, it is speared through the heart, the count is three if through any other interstice, the count is one.
If speared while the spear is held in the hand the count is nothing.
If speared after the hoop has stopped, nothing.
When the number of innings that have been agreed upon have been played, the side that has the most counts wins the game.
Another method of playing with these implements is:-
The sides line up as in the former game, and the hoops are all thrown from one side towards the other, which keeps all the hoops they have speared, and returns all they have not, which are again thrown to them.
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When all the hoops have been speared, the side that spears them chases the opposite side, and throws the hoops at them, and, if any one of the side that is chased spears a hoop while it is in the air, the chase stops.
Then the opposite side throws the hoops, and the game is repeated.
10. WOSKATE HUTANACUTE. (Game with Winged Bones.) Hutanacute is an ancient game played for amusement by the Sioux men during the winter, on the snow or ice.
The implement used is hutanacute, winged bone.
The hutanacute is made from the rib of one of the larger ruminating animals. A piece about four to eight inches long is taken from the rib where it begins to narrow and thicken, and the wider end is cut square across, and the narrower end rounded up from the convex side.
Two holes are drilled in the wider end, lengthwise to the rib, and at such an angle that when the rods are in them their free ends will be about ten to twelve inches apart.
Two rods are made of plum sprouts, about one fourth of an inch in diameter, and about fourteen inches long. The smaller end of each of these is feathered like an arrow, and the other end is inserted into the hole in the bone.
The rules of the game are:-
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 and 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.
II. WOSKATE PTEHESTE. (Game of the Young Cow.) Pteheste is an ancient game played for amusement by the Sioux men during the winter, on the ice or snow.
The implement used in this game pteheste, young cow.
The pteheste is made of the tip of a cow or buffalo horn, from three to four inches long. This is trimmed so as to make it as nearly straight as possible, and a feather-tipped arrow securely fastened into its base, so that it has the appearance of a horn-pointed arrow.
Any number of persons may play.
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Each player may have any number of arrows, but all players should have the same number.
Two parallel lines are drawn from twenty to thirty feet apart. The players take their position on one side of these lines.
A player must throw his horned arrow so that it may strike between the two lines and slide beyond them.
The players throw alternately until all the arrows arc thrown.
At the end the player whose arrow lies the farthest from the lines wins the game.
12. WOSKATE CANPASLOIIANPI. (Game with Throwing Sticks.) Canpaslohanpi is an ancient game played for amusument by the Sioux men in the winter on the snow or ice.
The implement used in this game is canpasloiianpi, throwing stick.
The canpaslohanpi is made of ash, and is about four feet long.
It is cylindrical on one side, and flat on the other. About five inches from one end it is about two inches wide, and an inch and a half thick. From this place it is rounded up to a blunt point on the flat side and tapers to the farthest end, which is about an inch wide and half an inch thick.
Each player has but one throwing stick. Any number of persons may play.
The game is played 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.
The game is to see who can slide the stick the farthest.
13. WOSKATE OGLE CEKUTEPI. (Game of Coat Shooting.) Ogle cekutepi is an ancient game played for amusement by the Sioux men.
The implements used in the game are: Ogle, coat ; itazipe, bow; wanhinkpe, arrows.
The ogle is an arrow that is either painted black or wrapped with a black strip of buckskin, or has a tag attached to it (sometimes it is a plain arrow).
The itazipe and wanhinkpe are the ordinary bow and arrows.
The game is played by shooting the ogle high in the air so that it will fall from fifty to seventy-five yards away. Then the players stand where it was shot from, and shoot at it with the bow and arrows.
This is merely a game of skill, and not for points.
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14. WOSKATE PASLOHANPI. (Game of Javelins.) Pashlohanpi is an ancient game played for amusement by the Sioux boys in the springtime.
The implement used is wahukezala, javelin.
The wahukezala is made of willow. It is from three to six feet long, and from three eighths to three quarters of an inch in diameter at the larger end, and tapers to the smaller end.
The bark is peeled from it and wrapped about it in a spiri manner, leaving an exposed space about a half an inch wide. It is then held in smoke until the exposed part is blackened, when the bark is removed.
This marks the javelin with spiral stripes of black and white.
Each one who plays may have as many javelins as he chooses.
here are two ways of throwing the javelin. One is to lay it 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.
In throwing, the contest may be for distance, or to throw at a mark.
The game is merely a contest of skill in throwing the javelin.
15. WOSKATE CANWACIKIYAPI. (Game of Tops.) Canwacikiyapi is an ancient game played for amusement by the Sioux boys.
The implements used in this game are: canwacikiyapi;tops; icapsinte, whips.
The canwacikiyapi is a wooden cylinder with a conical point. The cylinders are from an inch to two inches in thickness, and from a half to an inch and a half in length, and the conical point is from an inch to two inches in length.
The icapsinte has a handle and from one to four lashes. The handle is made of wood, and is from fifteen inches to two feet long, and about half an inch thick at its thicker end, and tapers to the other end.
The lashes are made of pliable thongs or strings, about twelve to fifteen inches long, and are fastened to the smaller end of the handle.
The tops are spun in the same manner as whip tops are spun by white boys. A game is played by marking a square about five feet
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across. On three sides of this square barriers are placed, and the fourth side left open.
The players spin their tops outside of the square, and while they are spinning they drive them into the open side of the square.
After the tops cross the open side of the square they must not be touched.
After the top stops spinning, the one that lies nearest the side of the square opposite the opening wins the game.
Another game is played by marking a circle about six feet in diameter and near its centre making four holes a little larger than the tops and about six inches apart.
The players spin their tops outside the circle, and while they are spinning drive them into it.
After a top enters the circle it must not be touched.
The player whose top lies in one of the holes when it has stopped spinning wins the game.
If two or more tops lie in the holes when they stop spinning, those who spun them must spin them again until one players top lies in the holes more often than any other.
16. WOSKATE TITAZIPI HOKSILA. (Game with Boys' Bows.) The Sioux boys have, from ancient times, indulged in amusement with the bow and arrow.
They play at various games, mimicking battles, hunting, and similar things.
They also shoot at a target, and for distance, but there appears to be no formal game or rules governing their play.
The boys' bow is like the bows for the men, except that it is smaller.
The boys' arrows are like those for the men, except that they are made with heads large and blunt.
17. HOHU YOURMONPI. (Bone Whirler.) The hohu yourmonpi is a toy that has been played with by the Sioux boys from ancient times.
It is made from the short bone of the foot of one of the larger ruminating animals, and is fastened to the middle of a string of sinews about. Twelve to eighteen inches long. At each end of the sinew string a short stick is fastened to serve as a hand hold.
These sticks are taken, one in each hand, and the bone whirled about, so as to twist the string. The string is then drawn taut, which rapidly untwists it, and rapidly whirls the bone so that its
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motion will twist the string in the opposite direction. This process is repeated indefinitely, the motion of the bone making a buzzing noise.
The object of playing with the toy is to make the buzzing noise.
A game called "buffaloes fighting" is played with this toy, as follows:-
A number of boys, each with a bone whirler, set them to buzzing, and imitate the actions of bulls fighting; the buzzing of the bones is supposed to represent the bellowing of the bulls. They approach each other and strike the bones together, and if the bone of a player is stopped from buzzing, he is defeated.
18. TATE YOURMONPI. (Wind Whirler.) The tate yourmonpi is a toy that has been played with by the Sioux boys from ancient times.
It consists of a blade of wood, usually red cedar, about one eighth of an inch thick, two inches wide, and twelve inches long. One end of this is fastened to a wooden handle by a pliable thong about twelve to eighteen inches long.
The handle is from two to three feet long, and about one half to one inch in diameter.
By holding the handle above the head and swinging it rapidly with a circular motion, the blade is whirled rapidly and makes a buzzing noise.
The object of playing with the toy is to make the buzzing noise, and sometimes a number of boys contest to see who can keep it continually buzzing for the longest time.
19. IPAHOTONPI. (Pop-gun.) The ipahotonpi is a toy that has been played with by the Sioux boys from ancient times.
It consists of: tancan, the body; wibopan, the ramrod; iyopuhdi, the wadding.
The tancan was formerly made from a piece of ash sprout, about six to ten inches long, from which the pith was removed, but since the Indians have obtained wire, they burn a hole through a piece of ash from eight to fifteen inches long, and from one and a half to two inches in diameter.
It is generally ornamented by pyrographic figures or markings.
The wibopan is made of some tough wood, a little longer than the tancan, and of such size as to pass readily through the bore.
The iyopuhd is made by chewing the inner bark of the elm, and using it while wet.
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A wad is packed tightly into one end of the bare, and a closely fitting wad is forced from the other end, rapidly through the bore by means of the ramrod, when the first wad flies out with an explosive noise.
The object of playing with the toy is to make the report.Sometimes the boys play at mimic battle with the pop-guns, or they mimic hunting, when one or more boys imitate the game, and the others try to hit them with the wads from the pop-guns.
20. WOSKATE HEPASLOHANPI. (Game of Horned Javelins.) Hepaslohanpi is an ancient game played for amusement by the Sioux girls in the winter on the ice or snow.
The implement used in the game is hewahukezala, horned javelin.
The hewahukezala is made of a wooden javelin, about four to five feet long and from three quarters to an inch thick at the thicker end, tapering to a diameter of three eighths to one half an inch at the smaller end.
A tip of elk horn, about four to eight inches long, is fastened on the larger end.
The game 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 the game.
As many girls may play at the game as wish to do so.
21. IIOKSINKAGAPI. (Dolls.) From ancient times the Sioux girls have played with dolls.
The dolls were rude effigies, sometimes carved from wood, but generally made of buckskin, and stuffed with hair, with their features made by marking or painting.
The dolls were dressed with both male and female attire, which was adorned with all the ornaments worn by the Indians.
The girls would often have doll baby carriers, like those used for the Indian babies, and would carry the dolls on their backs, as their mothers carried their babies.
22. TIPI CIKAILA. (Toy Tipis.) From ancient times the Sioux girls have played with toy tipis varying in size from a miniature tipi of a foot or so in height to one large enough for a child to enter.
They played with these toy tipis in much the same way as white children play with toy houses.
J. R. Walker.
Created: November 23, 2002 Updated: October 4, 2003
