Native Americans had a variety of sports and games, but the most famous one that is still around today is lacrosse. The games that the Native Americans played had become more than just games to them; they were a part of the Native American lifestyle. There were also many different people in the tribe that would play the games, including every age group. Many sports and games that are known today originated from the Native Americans.
“In the late 1800s, historian Andrew McFarland Davis went through records from the 1600s and 1700s of the early explorers and found accounts of games and gambling of Native Americans at the time of first contact” (“Traditional Indian Gaming”). Some of the games that they had required some skill and others were …show more content…
It was also called stickball. Lacrosse was mostly played around the Great Lakes area but was also common near the Pacific Coast. They played with a wooden ball and rackets or sticks with a net on the end. The goal of the game was to use the rackets to move the ball across the field and score by getting the ball into the goals. This was a common game that they would play tribe against tribe. Shinny was probably the most popular game for the Native Americans. Shinny was one of the games that women were allowed to play. Sometimes, men would even play against the women, and it was played almost all over the country. It was played with a wooden ball and sticks that look like hockey sticks. The sticks and balls also were decorated with different designs on them. The goal of the game was to hit the ball with the stick or one’s feet into the goal. The field length was shaped like a square and was 300 yards. ("History of Native American Gaming"). Native Americans in areas of the country where it would snow also played Snow Snake. The point of the game was to slide darts along the ice and this game had many rules. (Mancall "Native American Sports"). In some tribes, only men played Hoop and Pole, but, in others, women and children played. A hoop was rolled on the ground and they tried to hit with spears or arrows so it would knock over. (Mancall “Native American Sports”). The hoop was made of wood and was about a foot wide. There were only two men that played, and they gained points by how the hoop landed when it was hit. These hoops were also decorated with many different things, including cornhusks, paint, or
“In the late 1800s, historian Andrew McFarland Davis went through records from the 1600s and 1700s of the early explorers and found accounts of games and gambling of Native Americans at the time of first contact” (“Traditional Indian Gaming”). Some of the games that they had required some skill and others were …show more content…
It was also called stickball. Lacrosse was mostly played around the Great Lakes area but was also common near the Pacific Coast. They played with a wooden ball and rackets or sticks with a net on the end. The goal of the game was to use the rackets to move the ball across the field and score by getting the ball into the goals. This was a common game that they would play tribe against tribe. Shinny was probably the most popular game for the Native Americans. Shinny was one of the games that women were allowed to play. Sometimes, men would even play against the women, and it was played almost all over the country. It was played with a wooden ball and sticks that look like hockey sticks. The sticks and balls also were decorated with different designs on them. The goal of the game was to hit the ball with the stick or one’s feet into the goal. The field length was shaped like a square and was 300 yards. ("History of Native American Gaming"). Native Americans in areas of the country where it would snow also played Snow Snake. The point of the game was to slide darts along the ice and this game had many rules. (Mancall "Native American Sports"). In some tribes, only men played Hoop and Pole, but, in others, women and children played. A hoop was rolled on the ground and they tried to hit with spears or arrows so it would knock over. (Mancall “Native American Sports”). The hoop was made of wood and was about a foot wide. There were only two men that played, and they gained points by how the hoop landed when it was hit. These hoops were also decorated with many different things, including cornhusks, paint, or