![]() It has been described as the oldest extreme sport in North America.Ĭree director wins at Sundance for her film Fast Horseĭid you know lacrosse originated as an Indigenous game called Stickball? The riders pretty much dismount at a full gallop at the horse exchange so you have horses galloping in, riders dismounting and leaping onto fresh horses and blasting off down the track. It’s a complicated game to describe effectively so here’s a video that captures the complexity, the strategies, and the community involvement.Ī traditional sport that’s enjoying a revival is the “Indian Relay Race” which is a bareback relay race. It also develops the ability to concentrate as singing and drumming are used by the teams to distract their opponents and break their concentration. It’s a game that develops observational skills and perception. Lahal is played by all ages, by all genders, can be played by a few or by hundreds, it can end quickly or last hours. Games were shared between communities and adapted as desired. Lahal (Bone Game) is believed to have its roots in western Canada but versions of it are played by many Indigenous cultures. Others, such as the hand game Lahal, are complicated and can involve significant wagering, traditionally for fish, cedar hats and other items of value, although today money is more frequently used. Typically, the games involve a minimum of equipment and simple rules. It is, however, enjoying a resurgence of interest. ![]() ![]() But, due to the influence of first the Christian missionaries and then the residential schools, the game stopped being played. This ancient game is believed to pre-date the arrival of Europeans in Atlantic Canada and was immensely popular. The Mi'kmaq dice-and-bowl game Waltes, which blends chance with strategy also teaches counting skills. At each turn, the captain changed to allow every child an opportunity to draw a map. Once all the children were found, the opposing team hid and the captain drew a map. The opposing team would have to find the hidden children using this map. The map could be made very confusing but had to be legible. One of two teams hid while the captain drew a map for the opposing team, detailing the position of the hidden children. Metis children learned to follow directions by playing a map game:Ī distinctly Métis game, the map game, helped develop children’s ability to give and follow directions and promoted interaction between boys and girls. A simple game that developed hand strength, balance, cooperation, and speed. Line tag, traditionally a Blackfoot game, involved children holding hands in a line and the person at the front of the line had to tag the person at the end of the line without the line breaking. But, in reality, it was a bunch of kids having fun running while building muscles, increasing the lung capacity necessary for fitness and to hold the long notes in songs, burning off extra energy, and releasing any stress. To an outside observer, it would look like a bunch of kids having fun running and screaming. With each turn, they tried to better their own distance and pass the marks of others. The spot where they had to draw their next breath was marked. Children would line up, take a big breath, start running fast while screaming until they ran out of breath. Traditional Indigenous games taught valuable skills but also combined mental and physical wellbeing. During the long, dark winter months games kept children busy physically and mentally and kept adults in top physical form. Great physical strength is required to harvest large sea mammals so games involved feats of strength, endurance, balance, focus, reflexes, flexibility, and patience. Games in the Arctic developed the mental and physical strength necessary to survive in a harsh climate with extended periods of darkness. Geoclimatic regions influenced the types of games. Some cultures, for example on the northwest coast, did this for months and months in potlatches. Generally, there was plenty of time for reinforcing, adapting and growing their cultures and recreational activities such as working on protocols, songs, dances, storytelling, carving, weaving, making drums and rattles, visiting, and playing games. Their lives were not, as often depicted in history books, an endless round of day-to-day struggle for survival. Indigenous Peoples, prior to colonization, led full, rich, balanced lives. ![]() And those skills were learned at an early age through games and maintained throughout adulthood through play. These are skills Indigenous hunters and fishermen relied on to feed their communities. Agility, strength, balance, reflexes, hand-eye coordination, accuracy, strategy, intuition, patience. ![]()
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