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ᑖᐸᐦᐋᒋᐙᓐ
ᑖᐱᐦᐋᒋᐙᓐ

Bone Game

Elder Teachings

Elders explain aspects of iiyiyiuiyihtiwin and practices, and offer insights into chischaayihtimuwin passed down through generations.

The string wrapped around ᐁᐦ ᐊᓵᐸᐦᑳᑌᒡ / ᐋᑖᔖᐱᐦᑳᑖᒡ was for counting from the bottom of the ᑖᐸᐦᐋᒋᐙᓐ / ᑖᐱᐦᐋᒋᐙᓐ to the end is how they accumulated their points. Whoever had the most was the winner after taking turns.

– Louise Mayappo

This game was played to improve concentration, precision, and accuracy.

– Eddie Pashahumeskum

It was made with boughs ᐊᔥᑖᐦᑯᓐᐦ and some were made from the bones of the moose’s hoof ᐧᐄᓯᑦ.

– Ella Neeposh

Everyone would play with it. It was fun.

We were just given it to play with and you would be proud to get it in the hole. It was a game to play with.

– Matthew Ottereyes

Long ago, this was one of their toys, and they made them.

They made ᑖᐸᐦᐋᒍᐧᐋᓐ using boughs. They would tie up the boughs, and the string wrapped around is how the points were accumulated by counting from the bottom of the ᑖᐸᐦᐋᒍᐧᐋᓐ to the end.

Another was made with bones of the young moose’s hoof ᐧᐄᓯᑦ. The best was using the bones of the caribou. The trick was to try to hook the stick into the holes of the hoof.

The tail of the moose or caribou was attached at the top of the ᑖᐸᐦᐋᒍᐧᐋᓐ and they say when you hook that part that is when you accumulate the most points.

– Coom Matoush

It was made with bones of the moose’s hoof ᐧᐄᓯᑦ. It was a game to play with when we didn’t have toys. The trick was to try to hook the stick into the holes of the hoof.

They made ᑖᐸᐦᐋᒍᐧᐋᓐ using boughs. They would tie up the boughs, and the string wrapped around is how the points were accumulated by counting from the bottom of the ᑖᐸᐦᐋᒍᐧᐋᓐ to the end.

– Evadney Petawabano