242 THE MENOMINI INDIANS [f.th.ann.14 



The knife-blade was made by an Indian blacksmith, and is of the 

 type used for almost all kinds of wood-finishing, and especially in basket- 

 making, as will later be described. The handle is of basswood; the 

 rear end of the blade, which is hammered to a point, is inserted into a 

 socket in the handle and secured by thongs wrapped about both. There 

 are forty counters, called ma'atik, made of twigs or trimmed sticks of 

 pine or other wood, each about 12 inches long and from one-fourth 

 to one-third of an inch thick. Half of these are colored red, the other 

 half black, or perhaps are left their natural whitish color. 



The dice, or aka'sianok, consist of eight pieces of deer-horn, about 

 three fourths of an inch in diameter and one-third of an inch thick, but 

 thinner toward the edges. Sometimes plum-stones or even piece* of 

 wood are taken, one side of them being colored red, the other side 

 remaining white or uncolored. 



When the players sit down to play, the bowl containing the dice is 

 placed on the ground between them. The counters are placed on the 

 ground between the opponents; bets are made; the first player begins a 

 song, in which the other players as well as the spectators always join. 

 At a certain propitious moment the one to play first strikes the bowl a 

 smart tap, which causes the dice to fly upward from the bottom of the 

 bowl, and as they fall and settle, the result is watched with very keen 

 interest. The value indicated by the position of the dice represents 

 the number "of counters which the player is permitted to take from the 

 ground. The value of the throws is as follows, viz : 



First throw, 4 red dice and 4 white — a draw. 



Second throw, 5 red dice and 3 white, counts 1. 



Third throw, 6 red dice and 2 white, counts 4. 



Fourth throw, 7 red dice and 1 white, counts 20. 



Fifth throw, 8 red dice and white, counts 40. 

 The players strike the bowl alternately until one person wins all the 

 counters — both those on the ground and those which the opponent may 

 have won. See plate xiv. 



MOCCASIN OB BULLET GAME 



Another game that was formerly much played by the Menomini was 

 the moccasin, or bullet, game, which was probably learned from their 

 Ojibwa neighbors. Five persons participate, in this game, four being 

 active players, while the fifth acts as musician, by using the tambouriue- 

 drum and singing, the players usually joining in the latter. The 

 tambourine-drum is shown in figure 30. 



The articles necessary to play this game consist of four bullets, or 

 balls of any hard substance, one of which is colored, or indented, to 

 readily distinguish it from its fellows; four moccasins also are required, 

 as well as thirty or forty stick counters, similar to those used in the j (re- 

 ceding game, though uncolored. A blanket also is used, and in addition 

 a stick, about 3 feet long, with which to strike the moccasin under which 



