The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-22
THE 0JiBWA BALL GAME.
White Boys Could Play 1t With
Much Fun.

Much Fun.
In the old days the Ojibwas were a
powerful Indian nation living around
Lakes Huron and Superior. Even
now they number some 10000, about
evenly divided between the United
States and Canada.
Some people think that these Indians
are the oldest race of all the American
tribes of Indians-the true aborigines
who were here before the other tribes
made their appearance.
The most popular game among the
Ojibwas is ball playing. Entire villages
sometimes engage in the game. Each
side chooses a leader whose commands
are obeyed during the progress of the
game.
Each young man or boy Is armed
with a long stick on the end of which
is a small hoop, about four inches in
circumference, to which is attached
net of rawhide just large enough 10
hold the ball. At a distance of 400
PAGES from each other two poles are
driven in the ground to serve as goals.
Each side tries to get the ball in the
little net at the end of the playing
stick and to strike the opposing goal
with Ii, and the player who succeeds
wins the game for his side.
AS the players of one side try to
block the way to the goal for their OPP
ponents and to get and keep the ball
away from them, the result is a general
and lively "scrimmage" in which there
Is much rough and tumble work; just
| as there is in a modern game of foot
| ball, but the Indians are tough of body
and trained to bear pain without
showing 1t.
The two sides being lined up, the
ball is thrown between them at the
beginning of the game and is kept in
lively movement until the contest is
ended.
On the outskirts of the struggling
mass of players are stationed slkir-
mishers, whose business 1t is to catch
the ball when ii is thrown to them and
to make a run with 1t for the goal.
These are chosen for their feetness Of
foot
Every now and then, as the game
progresses, the ball will be seen to fly
out from the struggling group and,
catching it in the little basket at the
end of his playing stick an "outhelder"
will fly with 1t for the goal, pursued
Immediately by the rest of the play
ers
Those of the opposite side try to
catch him before he cam touch the
goal, and those of his own side try
to interfere with those who strive to
catch the runner. The players of his
own side encourage the runner with
shouts of "Ha, ha, YAH" and "A-ne-
COOK" These shouts are taken up by
all the spectators and even the pa
pooses join with their little voices.
Every now and then a player will
strike the ball and send Ii high in the
air. AS 1t comes down again another
rnlax ct, fIxz ~ t..
and sometimes for ten minutes at
time 1t will not touch the ground, be-
ing kept continually in the air
No matter how badly an Indian Is
hurt in one of these rough games he
seldom shows any signs of anger. If
he should do so the other Objibwas
would turn on him and call him a cow
ard, and it is the dread of this that
makes the players all appear in the
best of humor after the most holly
contested games.
The Objibwas still tell of a great
ball game which was played more
than sixty years ago between the lake
Indians and those of the interior, in
which $50 of the best players of the
tribe took part. The great game last
ed several days and all sorts of rich
prizes were distributed.
Each side was led by young war
rior of fame. One side was led by a
little man named Nai-nah-aun-gaib.
which means adjusted feathers" and
the other side by tall youth named
Mahkoonce, the Objibwa for young
bear"
Adjusted Feathers appeared on the
ball field wearing seventeen feathers
in his hair. each one an eagle plume
which signified that, young as he was,
he had taken seventeen captives in
battle by his own hand.
On his naked breast were the marks
of five bullets which had hit him in
different fights. Three bullets had
passed completely through him and
two were still embedded in his flesh.
There were the marks of innumer-
able small shot on his shoulders and
his forehead showed where a bullet
had grazed it.
Young Bear had only five feathers
in his hair. but he had been five times
in battle. On his arms he wore many
bracelets composed OF the teeth of
grizzly bears which he had killed.
The players led by Adjusted Feath-
ers called themselves Elks and the
other side took the name of Ante
lopes. The ;Antelopes won. After the
regular game on each day OF the
series. Adjusted Feathers and Young
Bear would meet in the center OF the
field and give an exhibition OF their
skill. Not only all the Indians, but all
the pale faces for miles around came
TO see this great game which was
played In a large field on the shores
OF Lake Superior.
The OJibwa girls have a game
which they call In their language Pah-
pah-se- HALFWAY, which means maid
ems bail-play" The ball" consists OF
two deer-skin bags. each about Eve
inches long and one inch In diameter,
fastened together by q strip 81 leather
about seven inches long. Each girl Is
armed with a stick Ave feet long with
which she tries 20 catch the bah and
CcOnslnsed on Page Twsnsy-swo)