58 GAMES OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS _ [E5TH. Ann, 24 
Blackfeet, and, in fact, the people of the old Fort Berthold village—the Gros- 
ventres, Ree, and Mandan—have many customs, and even some traditions, which 
closely resemble those of the Blackfeet. 
Brackreer. South Piegan reservation, Montana. (Cat. no. 51693, 
Field Columbian Museum.) 
Set of four bone staves, made of rib bones, 54 inches in length and 
one-half inch wide in the 
middle, tapering to the ends. 
The outer rounded sides are 
cut with lines, which are 
5 ae Fia. 29. Counting sticks for dice; length, 5+ 
filled with red paint, as inches; Blackfoot Indians, South Piegan reser- 
shown in figure 98. Two vation, Montana; cat. no. 51693, Field Colum- 
3 bian Museum. 
are alike, and one of the 
others is banded with a narrow thong of buckskin, on which are 
sewed twelve small blue glass beads. The reverses, which show 
the texture of the bone, are alike and painted red. 
Accompanied by twelve counting sticks (figure 29) made of twigs, 54 
inches in length, smeared with red paint. 
Blood reserve, Alberta. Cat. no. 51654, Field Columbian 
Museum. ) 
Three bone staves, 62 inches in length and five-eighths of an inch in 
width in the middle, taper- 
ing to the ends. The 
outer rounded sides are 
carved as shown in figure 
30, two alike, in which the 
incised lines are filled with 
red paint, and one with 
ba ; © © iS) RC =, 
F1G.30. Bone stick dice; length, 6% inches; Black- holes, 10—3 3—9, which are 
foot Indians, Blood reserve, Alberta; cat. no. painted blue. The inner 
51654, Field Columbian Museum. c = 
sides, which show the tex- 
ture of the bone, are perfectly plain. 
Both of the above sets were collected by Dr George A. Dorsey. who 
gave me the following particulars regarding the way in which 
they are used: 
I am informed that the Bloods generally use three instead of four bones. 
They call the game nit sitai epsktpsepinan, we play. The stick marked with holes 
is called “man” and the other two “snakes.” Of the counts I have only this 
much: 
All marked faces up count 4; all unmarked faces up, 4; two unmarked and 
snake up, 6; one unmarked and two snakes up, 6; one unmarked, snake, and 
man up, 0. 
CHEYENNE. Cheyenne and Arapaho reservation, Oklahoma. (Cat. 
no. 152803, United States National Museum.) 
Set of five bone dice marked on one side with burned designs (figure 
31) and basket of woven grass 81 inches in diameter at top and 
