Unkcela pte

## Unkcela Pte, the sport of chiefs

**Unkcela Pte**("Cactus Buffalo") is the national sport of the Oceti Sakowin. Based on an ancient game played by Sioux kids for centures, it has become a major arena sport in North America, largely in the Native American Nations, where it rivals Ullamaliztli  for popularity.

### History

Based on Sioux children's game, 'Cactus Buffalo', played since time immemorial by plains native children. Sioux cultural advocates started doing exhibitions of traditional Sioux games and pastimes. Audience participation made the team sports, like Unkcela Pte, gained in public popularity. Enter Paul 'Dancing Wolf' Marquette (later commissioner of the Sioux League), one of the cultural ambassadors who had participated in the exhibitions. He started challenging locals in the the exhibition matches, facing off famously in a show match against an Aztlan ullamaliztli player, Juan Xōchipilli at the Sioux Embassy in Denver delivering a public relations win for the Oceti Sakowin. The incident brought the game to public attention and by 2030, the first professional franchises were appearing in the Oceti Sakowin.

2033 saw the first national championships in Tsêhéstáno, between the Tsêhéstáno Raiders  and the E-chee-karsh-ah-shay Stampede, with the Stampede winning 2/4 to 1/1. By 2041 the first North American Championships, with national champions the Tomah Bighorns facing off against the Pi'a-pa  Saints, occurred, ending in a close 2/1 to 1/5 win for the Saints.

Since then, National Leagues have opened in the Kiis'ianii Naalyéhé há Dohwee'aohii (which now includes the Los Angeles Quake), Nuuchi-u Tüpippüh (the Ute still maintain their own league, even after losing their political independence), Na-Dené Nén, Niswi-Mishkodewinan, Seliš-Bukwus Chíchelh Sq'èp (which includes the Seattle  Runners and the Kitimat Kingfishers) and Quebec.

This year (2075), the Raiders have already beaten out the *Táx óparash* War Band for the National Championship and are looking pretty good to be representing the Eastern Division in the North American finals. Odds makers have it down to the Las Vegas Anasazi and the Musqueam  Tide to face them in the North American finals.

### Gameplay

The game of Unkcela Pte, like most really successful games, is fairly simple. The original game was that one boy would hold a cactus on a stick and the other boys would shoot arrows at it. When they hit the cactus with practice arrows, the Unkcele (Cactus) become the raging Pte (buffalo), chasing them with the cactus on the stick, if he hit the boy who struck the cactus, then he could hit out the other players and put them out.

This is the basis of the modern game. In each 'Run' the team that is on the offensive tries to score on the Unkcela, the defending player, holding the target stick, which does land them a the Scoring Point, but that allows the Unkcela to shift roles to the Pte, the raging Buffalo, scoring off the player that made the score before being free to score points off the offensive squad, although Pte points don't count as much as points scored against the Unkcela.

One of the most unique aspects of Unkecela Pte is that the offensive side can vary how many players they field against the defender. This actually is one of the foundational concepts in UP strategy. Do you up your chances of scoring an early point against the Unkcela by fielding more players or do you reduce their chance of scoring by fielding less? Modern rules confine the number of players between 3 and a dozen for reasons of game balance.

Professional games are 48 minutes, plus breaks and half time, composed of four twelve-minute quarters. Each quarter is divided in half, with two six-minute "runs", one for each team to defend and one for them to go on offense. Each run is further subdivided into three minutes or less for the offensive team to score their point, and then three minutes for the Unkcela to score however many points they can. The less time it takes to score the initial point against the Unkcela, the more that point is worth.

### Professional Leagues

Professional Unkcela Pte is regulated by NAUPA (the North American Unkcela Pte Association,

    based out of Tsêhéstáno, Tetonwan in the Oceti Sakowin. NAUPA consists of six National Leagues.

* Dakota League (Sioux National League)
* Quebec League
* Northern League (AMC and Athabaskan)
* Ute league
* Pueblo League
* Salish League (includes Salish-Shidhe, Seattle and Tsimshian)

These Leagues are divided into the Western (Ute, Salish and Pueblo) and Eastern (Dakota, Quebec and Northern Leagues) Divisions. A complex formula of playoffs determines the Divisional Champions who will face off in the Continental Finals.

#### The Sioux League

The Sioux (Oyate) League consists of 21 Franchises, divided into four Conferences.

**Southern Conference "Red Bracket"**

* Tsêhéstáno Raiders
* Caspar Wildcats
* Laramie Roundup
* Newe Tekkoi Razors
* Minni Luzahan Rams
* Mni Lúzahaŋ Otȟúŋwahe Whitewater

**Western Conference "Yellow Bracket"**

* E-chee-karsh-ay-shay Stampede
* Áashbaaapáalikisshe Bobcats
* Sin-tahp-kay-Sntapqey Copperheads
* Tomah Bighorns
* Rexburg Kings

**Northern Conference "White Bracket"**

* Minni-Soze-Tanka-Kun-Ya Napa's Snarl
* Little Muddy River Coyotes
* Saamis Cougars
* Moscâstani-sîpiy

**Eastern Conference "Black Bracket"**

* Ituhtaáwe Mystics
* Dibiarugareesh Beavers
* Niítahtasskin Spirits
* Táx óparash War Band
* Ablíla Gamebirds
* Winnipeg Moose

Return to: Oceti Sakowin