Have you ever played the Indigenous North American Stickball game?
It is often compared to the game Lacrosse but with slight differences. This game has origins from the Indigenous people of South Eastern United States and is one of the oldest games in North America.
Here is how it’s played.
The game involves sticks made of hardwood like a hickory. The end would have a cup area where they could scoop the ball.
The object of the game is to get the ball and throw it at a centre pole. The top of the bowl would be either a shape of a fish or something that represents that area.
If you would hit the fish on the centre pole, it would give you 3 points. A few feet under the fish is considered 1 point.
The most points wins the Indigenous game.
The ball is made up of deer hide as the covering. The deer hide would be full with deer hair as well as a rock for weight.
Each team is made up of equal amounts of people and sometimes could involve hundreds of people at a time.
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Original Purpose of The Indigenous North American Stickball Game
Originally the stickball game was to settle disputes. Tribes found that they didn’t need to lose half their tribe in a battle between each other and instead could play a game to settle disputes.
The game is still a rough sport where in the past there was circumstances of great bodily harm and even deaths playing this game.
The game was originally played by only the men of tribes.
Later they had social games where women played against men.
Why Women Played the Indigenous North American Stickball Game
The reason is courtship.
When women were introduced to the stickball game, they would play against men with no rules. They would also play without the use of the two sticks.
This meant they could use their hands to grab the ball and throw it at the target.
Women would play very rough and they would intentionally hurt the men players. They would pull their hair, inflict physical harm, and do everything they could to get the ball and win the game.
It was a way to find out how men would react. They were looking for a potential mate, and they would observe how the men would handle being hurt or abused in the game.
Social Games With The Indigenous North American Stickball
Today the game is still played and is not as violent as with once was. People play for the health and fun of the game. It also helps with many stay in touch with their own identity and culture.
Many people are learning more about Indigenous games and Indigenous peoples.
November marks Indigenous Heritage Month and many are taking the journey to learn more about Indigenous peoples and their culture.
Have you played the Stickball game? Let us know in the comments or if you played another Indigenous Game as well.
