Pastimes and Games of Native Peoples

Around the World

A culture's pastimes and games reflect more than recreation. In order to
appreciate and understand indigenous peoples, one must understand the
function and significance of their material culture.

Infinity Marbles
Played by Australian Aboriginal children and has an interesting no-loser
twist Two players sit facing each other, cross-legged, about 10 feet apart
Each player has a small cluster of marbles on the ground directly in front of
him. The players take turns attempting to hit the other person's marbles by
rolling one of their own marbles. An astute observer described the game in
the following way: "When a 'shot ‘was successful, the hit marbles were
delivered to the successful shooter. (If not successful, the marble remained
where it stopped) As a result, this game could go on ad infinitum, as one
cluster diminished in size and consequently became harder to hit while the
other cluster became easier because of increased size."

Salan Lanai
Played in New Guinea by Buka women while the food was being cooked.
For this game of giving and sharing, the players sat in a circle with two
coconut shells in front of each of them. In rhythm with a song, each woman
picked up one shell in each hand and moved them one place to her left.
Thus, the coconut shell that started in front of the left hand was placed in
front of the right hand of the person on the left, and the coconut shell that
started in front of the right hand was placed in front of her own left hand.
This continuous rhythmic picking up and clunking down of shells often
continued until the food was cooked. The number of times the coconuts
were passed around the completed circle was sometimes used to tell when
certain foods would be ready.

Pin
A game of cooperation played by Indian children in Guatemala. A wooden
pin is set up at a moderate distance from a throwing line (the group can
decide the length) The object is for the team to work together to get the first
ball that is rolled (lead ball) to touch the pin without knocking the pin over.
The first player rolls his ball and the subsequent team members try to roll
their balls so that they nudge the lead ball closer to the pin the game is won
when the lead ball is touching the pin. If the pin is knocked over, the player
who knocked it over starts a new game by rolling the first ball.
Muk
In the Canadian Arctic, Inuit children and their families play Muk (Silence),
which centers around laughter. Players begin by sitting in a circle. One
player moves into the middle of the circle. She then chooses another player,
who must say "Muk" and then remain silent and straight faced. The person
in the middle uses’ comical expressions and gestures (no sound) to try to
"break the muk." The player to break the muk (the person who laughs) is
dubbed with a comical name and replaces the person in the middle.

Kite-flying
A popular seasonal sport in Kelantan, Malaysia, for centuries. After the rice
harvest, when the hot arid winds blow, farmers gather on the stubble of the
rice plains to match their kites in inter-village contests. These elaborate
kites, known as wau, measure up to two meters across and soar up to 152
meters. Made of glazed colored paper and mounted on a bamboo frame,
with a bow-shaped device fixed to the neck, they emit a humming sound
when aloft. Wau may resemble fish, swallows, cats, and even frogs, but the
moon kite, wau bulan, is the most popular and elaborate with its distinctive
crescent-shaped tail. Kelantanese contestants who have the highest-flying
and most belligerent kites are the winners.
Read the previous passage and complete the table below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage or in the format
section, the letters (I) - Individuals, (T) - Team or
(G) - Whole Group

Infinity Marbles

Country: Australia
Players (1) _______________ children
Equipmen marbles
t:
Format: I

Salan Lanai

Country: New Guinea

Players (2)
Equipmen (3)
t:
Format: G

Pin

Country: Guatemala
Players (4) _________________
Equipmen (5) _________________
t:
Format: (6) ___

Muk

Country: Canada
Players (7) _______ children and their families
Equipmen none
t:
Format: (8) ___
Kite-flying

Country: Malaysia
Players (9) ________________
Equipmen (10) __________________ kites with bamboo
t:
Format: frames
I
Answer Key
1. Australian Aboriginal
2. Buka women
3. Coconut Shell
4. Indian Children
5. Pin and Balls
6. T
7. Inuit
8. G
9. Farmers
10. Paper